2021 Reading Challenges

Last year I had my second to highest reading year ever and it was great, but I really really needed to change up my reading challenge strategy again.

I’m going for mood reading in 2021. I went with challenges that don’t stifle my reading in any way. I want my reading challenges to feel exciting and motivating.

2021 Reading Challenges

• Goodreads Challenge

• Perpetual Books

• UnRead Shelf

• MMD Summer Reading Guide

• Winter TBR

• Spring TBR

• Summer TBR

• Fall TBR

• Currently Reading Podcast

• UnRead Shelf Project

GoodReads Challenge (200) - Even though I blew past 200 this past year, I am not convinced that means I should up my challenge number. I still think 200 is a respectable number to shoot for.

Perpetual Books (30) - Really going to try and knock off some of these books from my big lists!

UnRead Shelf (50) - My third year participating in this particular challenge. I did not do well at all last year, I’m hoping that a library ban for the first few months will refocus my reading to the Unread shelves.

MMD Summer Reading Guide (20) - I always love to see what Anne Bogel’s highlights each summer. But I never actually read all the books in the year (or even want to read all the books in that year’s guide). So, I thought I would try to pick 20 books from across all the years of the guide to read this year.

Seasonal TBRs - Instead of strict monthly goals, I’m going to focus on 25 books that I am excited to read each season. These can be from my own shelves,

Winter TBR (25)

1. One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London (own)

2. Still Life by Louise Penny (own)

3. Solutions and Other Problems by Allie Brosh (library)

4. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (library on hold)

5. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (own)

6. Asylum Series by Madeleine Roux (own)

   • Sanctum

   • Catacomb

   • Novellas

   • Escape from Asylum

7. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah Maas (library on hold)

8. The Ends of the World by Peter Brannen (library)

9. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers (library on hold)

10. Exhalation by Ted Chiang (library ebook)

11. Piranesi by Susanna Clarke (own)

12. Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari (library on hold)

13. The Once and Future Witches by Alix Harrow (library on hold)

14. Darling Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt (own)

15. Underland by Robert Macfarlane (library on hold)

16. Wellington by Aaron Mahnke (library due)

17. Disappearing Earth by Julia Phillips (library on hold)

18. Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl (own)

19. I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (own)

20. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson (library on hold)

21. Daring Greatly by Brene Brown (library on hold)

22. The Nest by Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney (own)

23. Scythe by Neal Shusterman (library on hold)

24. Lock In by John Scalzi (own ebook)

25. The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov (own ebook)

Spring TBR (25)

Summer TBR (25)

Fall TBR (25)

Currently Reading Podcast (12) - I love listening to the Currently Reading podcast and I even became a Patron this past year. I didn’t join the challenge last year, but I think this year’s focus on mood reading will play well with this challenge.

1. Kept me turning the pages after midnight -

2. Can't wait to give someone else -

3. Binged in a day -

4. Makes me feel cozy -

5. Read with a buddy -

6. Takes me to another world -

7. Reflects the season I read it -

8. Someone desperately wanted me to read -

9. So good I didn't want it to end -

10. Wanted to read so badly, but then it got lost in my TBR -

11. I picked up randomly in the library or bookstore because it called to me -

12. Everyone is loving on Bookstagram, podcasts, or Goodreads -

UnRead Shelf Project (24) - Another one that I didn’t quite finish last year. I’m really going to commit to doing the monthly challenge and the topical challenge.

1. January: High Expectations -

2. February: Got for free -

3. March: Bought on a trip -

4. April: Bought from used bookstore -

5. May: Bought as a new release -

6. June: Bough in a spending spree -

7. July: Bought for the cover -

8. August: From an independent bookstore -

9. September: Want to learn from -

10. October: Secretly afraid of -

11. November: Published before 2000 -

12. December: Reminds you of childhood -

13. More than 500 pages -

14. Impulse buy -

15. On the shelf longer than a year -

16. {Author you've never read before -

17. Bought because of a recommendation -

18. Given to you that you didn't ask for -

19. Got for a special occasion -

20. Favorite genre -

21. Bought because of the hype -

22. From a Little Free Library -

23. Most recently acquired -

24. Backlist title by an author with a newer release available -

Kid Read Alouds (15) - We are already doing some fun read-alouds for homeschool. I have a goal of 15 read-alouds for 2021. We have 7 picked out for the spring semester and will be adding to the list.

1. The Very Very Far North by Dan Bar-el

2. Mathilda by Roald Dahl

3. The Theives of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence

4. Fortunately, the Milk by Neil Gaiman

5. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

6. Nim’s Island by Wendy Orr

7. Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar

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In having some big conversations with J, I’ve decided to slightly change my book rating system. Previously, my star ratings broke down as:

• 5 stars - loved it

• 4 stars - liked it

• 3 stars - not for me

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - didn’t finish

This has resulted in a lot of 4 and 3 stars, but it was throwing off my distribution a bit. I took a few days to think about how to change the system, and have come up with this new rating system:

• 5 stars - loved it, will tell everyone (or almost everyone) to read it

• 4 stars - liked it, would recommend to certain people

• 3 stars - okay book, but maybe not something i would recommend, maybe not a book for me, but I see merit

• 2 stars - disliked it

• 1 star - finished the book, but hated it! will rant to anyone about why I hated this one