reading challenges Archives - Page 2 of 4

I decided not to do any reading challenges in 2014. For the full story, see this post.

However, in 2014, a lot changed in my life and I started reading more frequently, so I decided to sign up for some reading challenges yet again! I decided to stick to more relaxed challenges only. I went through the Novel Challenges list and discounted any challenges with rules that were too strict. I skipped challenges that required me to stick to one goal as I wanted to be able to challenge myself more if I was doing well.

I hoped to stick to the spirit of 2014 – reading for fun – and to try to resist the temptation to create a spreadsheet! “Let’s see how long THAT lasts…” I said, and I did resist for the entire year! It’s okay, I made a lot of spreadsheets for work. I still love spreadsheets.

So, how did I do?

British Books Challenge

DONE – I beat the goal of reading 12 books by British authors in 2015!

I last attempted the British Books Challenge in 2011 and I managed 7 books out of the 12 I originally planned to read. As I found it so hard I avoided it in subsequent years, but for 2015 it was being run by the wonderful Michelle at Fluttering Butterflies who is a) lovely and b) persistent, so I found it impossible to resist!

I also vlogged the British Books Challenge, which I think helped a lot as it encouraged me to read enough books to talk about in each vlog!

British Books I Read In 2015:

1. Five Children and It, by E. Nesbit
2. Trouble, by Non Pratt
3. The Bookshop Book, by Jen Campbell
4. Beware The Dwarfs, by Terri Paddock
5. Gypsy Girl, by Kathryn James
6. Elizabeth is Missing, by Emma Healey
7. Remix, by Non Pratt
8. The Sin Eater’s Daughter, by Melinda Salisbury
9. Wintersmith, by Terry Pratchett
10. The Girl on the Train, by Paula Hawkins
11. The Lost and the Found, by Cat Clarke
12. The Year of the Rat, by Clare Furniss
13. Crow Mountain, by Lucy Inglis
14. Have a Little Faith, by Candy Harper
15. Keep the Faith, by Candy Harper
16. Lorali, by Laura Dockrill
17. Counting Stars, by Keris Stainton
18. Killing the Dead, by Marcus Sedgwick
19. Return to the Secret Garden, by Holly Webb
20. The Wolf Wilder, by Katherine Rundell
21. Witch Wars, by Sibéal Pounder, illustrated by Laura Ellen Anderson
22. Cuckoo Song, by Frances Hardinge
23. The End of Mr Y, by Scarlett Thomas
24. Lobsters, by Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison

Dive into Diversity Reading Challenge

As this has no specific goal I’m not sure how I did..! However, although I read a few novels with LGBT themes, I didn’t read many by non-white authors. I think I need to make a serious effort with this next year.

Fairytale Retelling Reading Challenge

I don’t think I managed to read a single Fairytale Retelling. Eep.

2015 Classics Challenge

I got talked into this one on Twitter, and I’d already read one book that qualified at the time and had another lined up! But then I kind of stopped…

1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by Frank L. Baum
2. Five Children and It, by E Nesbit
3. Forever, by Judy Blume

#FinishItFeb

DONE – though I only read two of the previously-unread Artemis Fowl books in February, it took me until July to finish the series!

The TBR Double Dog Dare

DONE – I only read books I already owned until April 1st with the following exceptions:

books for my book club
books I get sent for review that I REALLY want
books for #FinishItFeb

How did you do with your reading challenges last year?

It’s February, which means it’s time to put the TBR Double Dog Dare on hold and #FinishItFeb instead!

I loved being part of #FinishItFeb last year, even though it took me a couple more months to finish the Gemma Doyle trilogy than I’d intended.

This year, I’m aiming reasonably high, and I want to finish three books from my ‘currently reading’ list, and one series.

The Series

I hadn’t ever really considered reading Artemis Fowl until I became a Christmas temp at Waterstone’s Bromley, and a couple of my colleagues (one in particular), enthused about it so much that I couldn’t resist.

I’ve read the first two, and I really, really loved them. But somehow I never got around to reading the rest. I am planning to re-read the first two and then I will be continuing merrily on with this fantastic series.

The Three Books:

I have started reading The Creative Habit, Twyla Tharp’s guide to creativity, at least once before but lacked the determination to finish it. You see, it’s one of those books with exercises. I am often halted by exercises. I started it again in January, and I really want to continue it as it’s one of those lifechanging, really useful kind of guide books. I just have to get around to doing this particular exercise, and then I can move on…

I read most of The Bookshop Book last year and then stopped after interviewing the author. I don’t want it to end! But I should finish it, so that I can put the dustjacket back on it, take it off my desk and find it a nice home on a shelf.

I don’t know why I never finished reading Haunted by History: Poetry by Joan Anim-Addo, who taught on my undergrad degree programme. It’s a poetry book. It’s not very long. And I don’t have to review it – I generally don’t review poetry, though I might mention it in a vlog. If I finish it!

I talked about my #FinishItFeb plans in my last vlog, which you can see below:

Are you taking part in #FinishItFeb? Have you read any of these books?

Reading Challenges 2015 Wrap Up

Finish It Feb 2015

reading challenges

Footer