Summer 2017 Reading

It's almost summer break here (at least for those kids in school) and I'm ready for a great season of reading. To help me, I've made a short list of the books I want to tackle this summer:

1. Rest of Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige:
   1. Stories Vol. 2
   2. Stories Vol. 3
   3. The Wicked Will Rise
   4. Yellow Brick War
   5. The End of Oz
2. The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare (loaned from a friend):
   1. The Clockwork Angel
   2. Clockwork Prince
   3. Clockwork Princess
3. The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming
4. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
5. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
6. Secrets of the Heart by Candace Camp
7. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
8. Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield
9. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
10. The Probable Future by Alice Hoffman
11. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
12. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
13. Simply series by Mary Balogh
    1. Simply Unforgettable
    2. Simply Love
    3. Simply Magic
    4. Simply Perfect

2017 Reading Challenges Update #1

At this point in the year, I would like to see all my reading challenges at least 25% complete. Let's see how I've done in the first four months of 2017...

Total Challenges:  0/13  0%

Total Spots: 99/346  28.6%

Individual Challenge Progress:

• Perpetual Reading Challenges  7/20   35%
• Mount TBR   15/60  25%
• Read Your Shelf   4/12  38.3%
• Popsugar  14/40 35%
• Fairytale Retelling   6/12  50%**
• What’s in a Name   0/6  0%*
• Discworld   1/12  8.3%*
• Back to the Classics  1/12   8.3%*
• New to Me  5/20   25%
• Wired into Scifi   0/12   0%*
• Graphic Novel  12/24   50%
• I Love Libraries  15/24  62.5%**
• Picture Books   27/92   29.3%

**Successes: Both the Library and Fairytale challenges are well above 25% so that's a win! I'm ahead of schedule.

*Failures (Needs Improvement):  Where do I start? Classics -- I just need to pick up older books instead of the newest shiniest thing at the library. Scif -- It's hard because this is a set list of choices. Not necessarily the ones I would have picked up, but I do want to read.  Discworld -- High hopes, but I keep getting distracted by other books.

Next up on the TBR pile!

2017 Perpetual Reading Challenge

In an effort to move more books off my shelves and my never-ending reading lists, I'm once again to focus on reading from my perpetual lists. I hope to read at least 20 books from those lists. Tentative TBR:

1. The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
2. Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
3. Neuromance by William Gibson
4. Beauty by Robin McKinley
5. Across A Star-Swept Sea by Diana Peterfreund
6. ????

2017 Picture Book Reading Challenge

From Becky's Book Reviews:

Host: Becky's Book Reviews (sign up) Duration: January - December 2017 Goal: To have adults read more picture books. To celebrate the fact that picture books are for everyone! Families are, of course, welcome to join in! # of books: minimum of 6

Option 1: BINGO CARD! Option 2: CHECKLIST (read as few as six, or as many as you like)

Feel free to copy/paste this. You can replace the _ with an X or a ✔ (copy/paste it) when you finish reading a book. If you list the books you read, that may help other people decide what to read.

1. An alphabet book
2. A counting book
3. Concept book: shapes or numbers or opposites or colors
4. A book set on a farm or in the country
5. A book set in the city or in an urban area
6. A book set at the beach, in the ocean, or by a lake
7. A book with human characters
8. A book with animal characters
9. A bedtime book
10. A rhyming book
11. A book celebrating art
12. A book celebrating dance
13. A book celebrating music
14. A book celebrating family (parents, grandparents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, etc.)
15. A book about feelings, expressing feelings
16. A book with a twist (unexpected) ending
17. A book about pets (cats, dogs, fish)
18. A book celebrating libraries or reading
19. A book translated into English (originally published in another language/country)
20. A book about trains or planes
21. A book about cars or trucks
22. A book about starting school
23. A book about friendship (sharing, caring, forgiving)
24. A book about being ME, about being unique, special, loved, etc.
25. A fairy tale
26. A twisted (adapted) fairy tale
27. A book about a holiday
28. A new-to-you author
29. A new-to-you illustrator
30. A book about new experiences (dentist, doctor, sleepovers, movies, playing sports, learning to swim, etc.)
31. A series book
32. A book celebrating food (cooking, eating, trying new foods, eating healthy)
33. A book published before 1950
34. A book published in the 1950s
35. A book published in the 1960s
36. A book published in the 1970s
37. A book published in the 1980s
38. A book published in the 1990s
39. A book published in the 2000s
40. A book published 2010-2016
41. A book published in 2017
42. A book by Dr. Seuss
43. A book by Mo Willems
44. A book by Jan Thomas
45. A book by Eric Carle
46. A book by Laura Numeroff
47. A book by Patricia Polacco
48. A book by Jon Klassen
49. A book by Beatrix Potter
50. A book by Kevin Henkes
51. A book written or illustrated by LeUyen Pham
52. A Caldecott winner
53. A Caldecott honor
54. A picture book biography
55. A nonfiction picture book
56. A book from your childhood
57. A book you discovered as an adult
58. A book celebrating writing, being an author or illustrator
59. A library book
60. An audio book
61. A book about dinosaurs OR dragons
62. Nonfiction book about animals (or animal)
63. A challenged book OR a controversial book
64. A book that makes you laugh
65. A book that makes you cry
66. Hate the text, love the art
67. Love the text, hate the art
68. A book with a great cover
69. A book with an ugly cover
70. A book about toys
71. A book about weather
72. A picture book for older readers
73. A book of jokes, riddles, tongue-twisters
74. A book about seasons
75. A song
76. A poetry book
77. A book by a celebrity
78. A book published in Australia
79. A book published in the UK
80. A book about science or math
81. A book about history or historical event
82. A book about sports
83. A book about celebrating birthdays
84. A book about a President or world leader
85. A book about another country
86. A book celebrating faith
87. A pop-up book, or, a book with cut-outs or flaps or fold-outs
88. A bilingual book
89. A television series that has been adapted to a book
90. A book that has been adapted to a television series
91. An adaptation of a myth or legend
92. A book about babies

OPTION 3: ABCs. Read 26 picture books, one for each letter by title and/or author.

Sign up by leaving a comment. Do indicate which option you're leaning towards. And if you have a blog, please leave your blog address so I can visit you.

Reviews are not a requirement. But if you do review, you can share links to your reviews. I'm thinking of having check-in posts on the 15th of every month.

With two young kiddos, we read a ton of picture books in this house. For this coming year, I'm going to push for Option 2 with a huge checklist of different books. Here we go!

2017 Library Love Reading Challenge

From Bea's Book Nook:

If you love to read and/or listen to books then you also love to buy every book you want to read. And, well, that puts a hurt on your wallet. Checking books (print, ebook, or audios) out from the library can save you LOTS of money and in most places getting a library card is FREE.

Details:

1. Runs: January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017. You can join any time.
2. Put a sign up post on your blog or (dedicate a Goodreads shelf or LibraryThing) and link it below. Make sure it’s public.
3. The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library, but you can read more. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you.
4. Any format will work for this challenge (print, ebook, or audio); as long as you checked it out from the library, it counts.
5. Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.).
6. Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money.
7. Write a review - 2 sentences or an essay, whatever works for you, but there is a minimum of 2 sentences. Not sure what to write? How about something like, "The plot was a delight, but the characters didn’t capture me."

Levels:

• Dewey Decimal: read 12 books
• Thrifty Reader: read 24 books
• Overdrive Junkie: read 36 books
• Library Card on Fire: read 50+ books

As an added bonus: We are offering up a GIVEAWAY with this Challenge. Winner will be picked at the end of the year!! The entries are the direct links to your book reviews and you will have until Jan. 2nd, 2018 to enter your reviews in the Rafflecopter.

What you could win: Winner gets their choice of 2 books (shipped from Book Depository) or ebooks (nook or kindle) up to $12 each. (Open INT)

Join the Goodreads Group Library Love Challenge, where we talk, share, and discuss the books we snagged/read during the 2017 Library Love Challenge - Click Here

To join this challenge, grab the 2017 Library Love Challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post (or to Angela's at Angel's Guilty Pleasures) so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads/LibraryThing (as long as you have a dedicated shelf someplace).

I'm going for the Thrifty Reader level of 24 books. I always find something at the library to read.

2017 Graphic Novel Reading Challenge

From Graphic Novel and Manga Challenge:

It's time to start signing up for the 2017 challenge.  This is the 10th anniversary of this challenge and my 6th year as host

• Please write a sign-up post on your blog and then sign-up below with a link to your specific sign-up post (NOT to your home page).

• What counts:  graphic novels, collected trade editions, manga, comic strip collections, comic books or combinations of text and bubbles all in the same book. In print or digital. Anything else you feel is suitable.  My personal criteria is if it has either frames OR speech bubbles it counts.  I'm not going to be the comic police but if you are unsure, ask me in the comments any given month.

• You must write a review and link to it for it to count towards the challenge. Reviews may be posted on your blog or goodreads or similar places. Several reviews may be gathered and posted in one link on your blog, but each book must be linked back here in the monthly linkies to count. Come back every month to record your progress.

Here is how the Challenge plays out:

runs from Jan.1 - Dec. 31, 2017

Levels

Modern Age: read and review 12 books during the year (that's only 1 book a month)

Bronze Age: read and review 24 books during the year (Can you handle 2 books a month.)

Silver Age: read and review 52 books during the year (Are you up to a book a week!) Golden Age: read and review 104 books during the year (Are you addicted? 2 books a week!)

This year I'm going for the Bronze Age of 24 books!

2017 Wired into Sci-fi Reading Challenge

From Sci-fi and Scary:

This challenge was inspired by Abe Book’s 50 Essential Sci-Fi Novels list.

This challenge has 3 levels. Dabbler, Dreamer, and Connoisseur .

Choose a tier to aim for, and read an appropriate number of books from the Wired Into Sci-Fi bookshelf/list below.

Dabbler– Read 10 out of 30 of the Wired Into Sci-Fi Books. May DNF at the 33% point 2 times, and still have it count as a read. Any more after that, you must select an another book from the list to read instead.

Dreamer – Read 20 out of 30 of the Wired into Sci-Fi Books. May DNF at the 33% point 5 times, and still have it counted as a read. Any more after that, you must select another book from the list to read instead.

Connoisseur – Read 25+ books of the Wired into Sci-Fi Books. May DNF at the 33% point 7 times. Any more after that, you must select another book from the list to read instead.

Should you read all 30 books, you don’t get a special prize, but you will know you are completely awesome.

• You may note that most of these books are fairly well-known. That’s a deliberate choice, as they’re meant to be ones that are accesible. Not books you have to pay 15 or 20 bucks to get your hands on.

1. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi
2. Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C. Clarke
3. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy #1 by Douglas Adams
4. Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card
5. The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells
6. Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne
7. Solaris by Stanislaw Lem
8. Ringworld by Larry Niven
9. Tau Zero by Poul Anderson
10. 1984 by George Orwell
11. Earth Abides by George R. Stewart
12. Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement
13. Ring Around the Sun by Cliffard D. Simak
14. The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
15. The Long Tomorrow by Leigh Brackett
16. When Worlds Collide by Philip Wylie
17. The Death of Grass by John Christopher
18. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
19. Starship Troopers by Robert A. Heinlein
20. The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
21. The Drowned World by J.G. Ballard
22. Make Room! Make Room! by Henry Harrison
23. Logan’s Run by William F. Nolan
24. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
25. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
26. The Female Man by Joanna Russ
27. Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks
28. A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
29. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
30. Life by Gwyneth Jones

Chance to Win:(*age 18+, legal resident of the US)

Tier One:  A e-copy of Sci-Fi & Scary’s favorite science fiction novel.

Tier Two: Prize pack of 3  indie pubbed sci-fi novels that have received at least a 4* rating from Sci-Fi & Scary.

Tier Three: $25.00 GC to Thriftbooks.com

Challenge Ends: Dec 31st, 2017.

Participants have until Jan 15, 2018 to confirm  their completion.

Winners will be announced January 19th, 2018.

I'm going with the Dabbler level of 10 books. I would go for more, but I have so many reading challenges this year that I don't want to overwhelm myself.

2017 New to Me Reading Challenge

From The Herd Presents:

Welcome to the 2017 New to Me Reading Challenge!

This challenge is all about pushing your boundaries and trying something new! And author, a series, a subgenre, etc.

If you tweet or tag use #NewToMe2017

Anything "new" to you. For example...

--First time reading an author

--first book in a series

--first book you've read from a series (doesn't have to be book one)

--first time trying a genre/subgenre

--a debut book from an author (even if you've read them before)

*books need to be over 80 pages

To complete the challenge you need to read 12 books minimum.

You can pick any number of books above that!

In your sign up post please indicate your goal. You can always up the goal!

There will be three posts for the challenge.

Sign Up Post: Link your sign up post on this page once it's live (if you're not a blogger link a Goodreads shelf dedicated to the challenge)Mid Year Check in: First week of June

Wrap Up Post: Last week of December

*you can incorporate your check ins with monthly recaps/weekly recaps, with other challenge updates, or their own update.

I'm going to focus on new-to-me authors this year.

2017 Read Your (Book) Shelf Reading Challenge

From Gather Together and Read:

Taking the lead from the awesome book bloggers/booktubers who created the #RYBSAT (Read-your-bookshelf-a-thon), I've decided to start this new challenge starting January 1, 2017!

Here's what you do:

• Go to your bookshelves. Pick out a book that you've been wanting to read on a particular shelf.
• Now continue down that line of books on the shelf (in order) until you have 12 books.
• You will then read your 12 books over the next twelve months, one book each month. You can read them in order (forward or reverse), or you can plug 1 - 12 into a randomizer each month to pick your title for the month. The point is that you're not specifically choosing the book each month. It's chosen for you, either by ordered reading, or random choice.
• If you find that one of the books is part of a series and you've already read it, I will allow a substitution of another book from the series. However, if you find this happening (a whole series, several by the same author, etc) in the stack/shelf you chose, and you don't like it, I would suggest picking a different stack/shelf.
• What an awesome way to tackle books gathering dust on your bookshelves. Right?
• Challenge runs January through December of 2017
• You can cross over books from your 12 books with other challenges.
• Just remember to stick to the guidelines above.
• Easy peasy!

I need a bit of a kick in the pants to clear out my unread shelves.

2017 Back to the Classics Reading Challenge

From Books and Chocolate:

It's back! Once again, I'm hosting the Back to the Classics Challenge.  I hope to encourage bloggers to discover and enjoy classic books they might not have tried, or just never got around to reading. And at the end, one lucky winner will receive a $30 (US) prize from Amazon.com or The Book Depository!

Here's how it works:

The challenge will be exactly the same as last year, 12 classic books, but with slightly different categories. You do not have to read 12 books to participate in this s

• Complete six categories, and you get one entry in the drawing
• Complete nine categories, and you get two entries in the drawing
• Complete all twelve categories, and you get three entries in the drawing

And here are the categories for the 2016 Back to the Classics Challenge:

1.  A 19th Century Classic - any book published between 1800 and 1899.

2.  A 20th Century Classic - any book published between 1900 and 1967. Just like last year, all books MUST have been published at least 50 years ago to qualify. The only exception is books written at least 50 years ago, but published later, such as posthumous publications.

3.  A classic by a woman author.

4.  A classic in translation.  Any book originally written published in a language other than your native language. Feel free to read the book in your language or the original language. (You can also read books in translation for any of the other categories).

5.  A classic published before 1800. Plays and epic poems are acceptable in this category also.

6.  An romance classic. I'm pretty flexible here about the definition of romance. It can have a happy ending or a sad ending, as long as there is a strong romantic element to the plot. 7.  A Gothic or horror classic. For a good definition of what makes a book Gothic, and an excellent list of possible reads, please see this list on Goodreads. 8.  A classic with a number in the title. Examples include A Tale of Two Cities, Three Men in a Boat, The Nine Tailors, Henry V, Fahrenheit 451, etc.

9.  A classic about an animal or which includes the name of an animal in the title.  It an actual animal or a metaphor, or just the name. Examples include To Kill a Mockingbird, Of Mice and Men, The Metamorphosis, White Fang, etc.

10. A classic set in a place you'd like to visit. It can be real or imaginary: The Wizard of Oz, Down and Out in Paris and London, Death on the Nile, etc.

11. An award-winning classic. It could be the Newbery award, the Prix Goncourt, the Pulitzer Prize, the James Tait Award, etc. Any award, just mention in your blog post what award your choice received.

12. A Russian Classic. 2017 will be the 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution, so read a classic by any Russian author. And now, the rest of the rules:

• All books must be read in 2017. Books started before January 1, 2017 do not qualify. All reviews must be linked to this challenge by December 31, 2017. I'll post links each category the first week of January which will be featured on a sidebar on this blog for the entire year.

• You must also post a wrap-up review and link it to the challenge no later than December 31, 2017. Please include links within your final wrap-up to that I can easily confirm all your categories. 

• All books must have been written at least 50 years ago; therefore, books must have been written by 1967 to qualify for this challenge. The ONLY exceptions are books published posthumously.

• E-books and audiobooks are eligible! You may also count books that you read for other challenges.

• Books may NOT cross over within this challenge. You must read a different book for EACH category, or it doesn't count.

• Children's classics are acceptable, but please, no more than 3 total for the challenge.

• If you do not have a blog, you may link to reviews on Goodreads or any other publicly accessible online format.

• The deadline to sign up for the challenge is March 1, 2017. After that, I will close the link and you'll have to wait until the next year! Please include a link to your original sign-up post, not your blog URL. Also, make sure you add your link to the Linky below, NOT IN THE COMMENTS SECTION. If I don't see your name in the original Linky, YOU WILL BE INELIGIBLE. If you've made a mistake with your link, just add a second one.

• You do NOT have to list all the books you're going to read for the challenge in your sign-up post, but it's more fun if you do! Of course, you can change your list any time. Books may also be read in any order.

• The winner will be announced on this blog the first week of January, 2018. All qualifying participants will receive one or more entries, depending on the number of categories completed. One winner will be selected at random for all qualifying entries. The winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $30 (US currency) from either Amazon.com OR $30 worth of books from The Book Depository. The winner MUST live in a country that will receive shipments from one or the other. For a list of countries that receive shipments from The Book Depository, click here.

After taking a year off from this challenge, I'm back in!

2017 Discworld Reading Challenge

From An Armchair by the Sea:

You guys know how I like to take words, add 'athon' and turn them into hashtags right? Welcome to #discworldathon 2017! The details for this are by no means finalised yet, but my general idea is that I want to read a lot of Terry Pratchett's books in 2017. I've really enjoyed our Little House Read-Along this year and I want to stick with the theme of reading a series.

However, as you're probably aware if you're at all familiar with Terry Pratchett, giving this event structure is a bit of a tall order as there are fourty one Discworld books, and so I've decided to just...not. Well, not really.

Basically I'd like the event to just be a year long celebration of the genius of Terry Pratchett. I want to read lots of his excellent, hilarious books, talk to lots of other people who love his work, probably watch and listen to lots of adaptations of his work (maybe as a group via twitter or something) and give away lots of great and gorgeous Discworld related stuff. I don't want people to get caught up in rules and regulations, so pretty much sign up if you want to read lots of Pratchett and talk about it with people!

That said, for those who like the rules and challenges, I will probably be coming up with different levels you can complete and/or themed months and such over the next couple of months so watch this space! This post is really just general thoughts and a place to register your interest! If you'd like to be involved with organisation (such as it is) or hosting giveaways etc please let me know in the comments or get in touch on twitter!

Whether you blog, tweet, vlog, instagram, loiter round the internet, whatever, whether you've read everything Terry Pratchett ever wrote, never read any of it, or tried one once and gave up, you're welcome to join! Just link up to some kind of place we can find you in the linky below so we can all say hi and chat.

J has been wanting me to dive in Pratchett for years now. Seems like 2017 is a good a time as any to dive in. My only issue will be in what order to read the books. There are multiple paths as evidenced by the graphic below. I may just start with The Colour of Magic...

2017 What's in a Name Reading Challenge

From The Worm Hole:

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories. (Examples of books you could choose are in brackets – translations and other languages most definitely count!):

• A number in numbers (84, Charing Cross Road; 12 Years A Slave; 31 Dream Street)
• A building (The Old Curiosity Shop; I Capture The Castle; House Of Shadows; The Invisible Library; Jamaica Inn)
• A title which has an ‘X’ somewhere in it (The Girl Next Door; The Running Vixen)
• A compass direction (North and South; Guardians Of The West; The Shadow In The North; NW)
• An item/items of cutlery (The Subtle Knife; Our Spoons Came From Woolworths)
• A title in which at least two words share the same first letter – alliteration! (The Great Gatsby; The Luminous Life Of Lilly Aphrodite; Gone Girl; The Cuckoo’s Calling)

As usual I’ve tried to include some easy categories and some not so. Remember the titles I’ve given here are only examples, you can by all means use them if you want to but it’s not necessary. There are plenty of other books that will fit the categories and you may have some in mind already or even some on your shelves you can read.

Yep, I'll be joining once again this year...

2017 Retellings Reading Challenge

From Once Upon a Bookcase:

The Retellings Reading Challenge is back again for 2017, and this time it's bigger and better! Thanks to a lovely bunch of publishers, this year's challenge will come with monthly giveaways* for UK entrants!

The Challenge:

• For readers to read retellings of stories we know well from their chosen level in 2016:
  • Easy: 1-4 retellings
  • Medium: 5-8 retellings
  • Hard: 9-12 retellings
  • Difficult: 12+ retellings

The Rules:

• You must sign up to the challenge below.
• You must share your thoughts/reviews on the retellings you read for the book to count. You can post anywhere: your blog, YouTube, Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, Tumblr, etc.
• As you review the books, update the monthly link up post with a link to your review. This is important, as each book you review will be an entry into that month's giveaway.
• You can sign up any time between now and 31st December 2017.
• Use the hashtag #RetellingsRC2017 so we can follow your participation in the challenge!

Which Books Count:

• You can read retellings of any of the following (if I've left anything out, please let me know!):
  • Classics & Children's Classics
  • Fairy Tales
  • Myths and Legends
  • Folk Tales
  • Retellings of real, well known people's lives - I.E. Becoming Jane by Kevin Hood about a young Jane Austen, and And I Darken by Kirsten White, a gender bent retelling of Vald Dracul's teen years, both count
  • I will also accept origin stories/prequels/sequels - I.E. Dorothy Must Die series by Danielle Paige is a sequel series to The Wizard of Oz, Heartless by Marissa Meyer is a prequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, the origin story of the Queen of Hearts, and both would count.
  • Reimaginings that aren't strict retellings would also count - I.E. Kody Keplinger's novels Shut Out and A Midsummer's Nightmare are both reimaginings, the first of the Greek play Lysistrata by Aristophanes, and the second of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, both of which would count.
  • You can read any retellings you want, they do not need to be recent releases to count.
  • Feel free to re-read any retellings! They will also count, as long as you review them somewhere.
  • All age categories are accepted; middle grade/young fiction, YA, NA, adult.
  • All books count; physical books, audiobooks, eBooks.
  • ARCs/Proofs count, as do self-published books.

To Sign Up:

• Write a blog post/page, record a video, or upload a photo to Instagram about your participation in the challenge. This is important, you must do this. (If you're using Goodreads, Amazon, or any other platform that doesn't allow you to do this, in the link up below, just link to your public profile.)
• If you wish, in that post/page/video you can compile a list of retellings that you hope to read and review for the challenge - but this isn't compulsory. Also, the titles you list do not have to be set in stone. If you'd like some inspiration, Goodreads has a number of lists on retellings you can browse.
• Comment below to say you're signing up. (I'm having issues with link-ups at the moment. There will be proper link-up widgets for each month from January, but for now, comment, and I'll add you to this post. Sorry for the inconvenience.) If you have a blog/channel/Instagram, please make sure the link you add goes directly to your sign up post/page/video/photo and you mention your blog/channel/Insta name/screen name. If you're participating via Goodreads or Amazon, etc, please put your "screename @ platform" - I.E. If I was participating via Goodreads, I would put "Jo @ Goodreads".

I'm in! And I think I'm going to shoot for the Difficult level of 12 retellings.

2017 Popsugar Reading Challenge

Joining in again this year!

2017 Mount TBR Reading Challenge

From My Reader's Block:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

And the rules: *Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade.  All books counted for lower mountains carry over towards the new peak.

*Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2017.

*You may sign up anytime from now until November 1st, 2017.

*Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2017. No library books.

*Rereads may count only in the following circumstances: If you did not own the book when you read it long ago and far away [based on your age, you can decide what that might mean--definitely not within the last five years...my arbitrary pick for a limit] and you bought the book pre-January 1, 2017 intending to reread it now that it's your very own.  [To clarify--the intention is to reduce the stack of books that you have bought for yourself or received as presents {birthday, Christmas, "just because," etc.}. Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.]

*You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1--provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish when January 1 rolled around.  I will trust you all on that.

*You may count "Did Not Finish" books provided they meet your own standard for such things, you do not plan to ever finish it, and you move it off your mountain [give it away, sell it, etc. OR remove it from your e-resources]. For example, my personal rule (unless it's a very short book) is to give a book at least 100 pages. If I decide I just can't finish it and won't ever, then off the mountain it goes and I count it as a victory--the stack is smaller!

*Books may be used to count for other challenges as well.

*Feel free to submit your list in advance (as incentive to really get those books taken care of) or to tally them as you climb.

*There will be quarterly check-ins and prize drawings!

*A blog and reviews are not necessary to participate. If you have a blog, then please post a challenge sign up and link THAT post (not your home page) into the linky below. Non-bloggers, please leave a comment declaring your challenge level--OR, if you are a member of Goodreads, I will once again put together a group for the challenge there. Feel free to sign up HERE if that's where you want to participate. At the beginning of the year, I will update the sidebar link called Mount TBR Review Headquarters for current reviews and progress updates.

I need to move those books off my shelf! I'm going to sign up for the Mount Kilimanjaro level of 60 books.

2016 Reading Challenge Round-up -- Failed

Goal: 32/40 books

1. Based on a fairy tale — Cinder by Marissa Meyer (11/16/16)
2. National Book Award winner — In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (6/14/16)
3. YA bestseller — The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (1/15/16)
4. Haven’t read since high school — A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (2/12/16)
5. Set in home state — Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (3/8/16)
6. Translated to English —
7. Romance set in the future — The Little Android by Marissa Meyer (12/7/16)
8. Set in Europe — Chocolat by Joanne Harris (1/7/16)
9. Under 150 pages — The Walking Dead Vol. 23 (1/9/16)
10. NYT Bestseller — Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (4/26/16)
11. Becoming a movie this year — The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (6/21/16)
12. Recommended by someone you just met — The Maze Runner by James Dashner (3/8/16)
13. Self-improvement book —
14. Can finish in day — The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (2/1/16)
15. Written by a a celebrity —
16. Political memoir — The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower (9/4/16)
17. At least 100 years older than you —
18. More than 600 pages — Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1/8/16)
19. Oprah’s Book Club — Wild by Cheryl Strayed (11/16/16)
20. Science fiction novel — Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (8/12/16)
21. Recommended by a family member — Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (12/5/16)
22. Graphic novel — Manhattan Projects Vol. 2 (1/4/16)
23. Published in 2016 — Forevermore by Kristen Callihan (6/1/16)
24. Protagonist who has your occupation —
25. Takes place during summer — Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (8/3/16)
26. Book and its prequel — Rose of Fire and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (1/24/16)
27. Murder mystery — The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (9/13/16)
28. Written by a comedian — Bossypants by Tina Fey (12/23/16)
29. Dystopian novel — Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2/3/16)
30. Blue cover — Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick (7/7/16)
31. Poetry —
32. First book you see in a bookstore — The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (4/20/16)
33. Classic from 20th century — The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (7/15/16)
34. From the library — American Vampire Vol. 4 (1/5/16)
35. Autobiography — An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary (8/1/16)
36. About a road trip —
37. About a unfamiliar culture –In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (5/27/16)
38. Satirical book —
39. Takes place on an island — And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander (5/12/16)
40. Guaranteed to bring you joy — The Heart of Christmas (1/6/16)

Goal: 3/6 Books

1. Country:
2. Item of Clothing: The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig (1/18/16)
3. Item of Furniture:
4. Profession: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood (7/15/16)
5. Month of the Year:
6. “Tree”: The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig (3/18/16)

Goal: 7/10 Books

1. Fairest Vol. 5 (1/4/16)
2. The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa (5/1/16)
3. Saga Vol. 5 (5/9/16)
4. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (11/16/16)
5. Glitches by Marissa Meyer (12/7/16)
6. The Little Android by Marissa Meyer (12/7/16)
7. The Queen’s Army by Marissa Meyer (12/7/16)
8. TBD
9. TBD
10. TBD

Goal: 5/6 Series

1. Iron Fey: #7 The Iron Warrior (5/1/16) √
2. Strain: #2 The Fall, #3 The Night Eternal
3. Magician: #3 The Magician’s Land (6/21/16) √
4. Heroes of Olympus: #4 The House of Hades (1/15/16), #5 The Blood of Olympus (5/8/16) √
5. Fifth Wave: #1 The 5th Wave (6/21/16), #2 The Infinite Sea (6/21/16), #3 The Last Star (7/19/16) √
6. Cemetery of Forgotten Books: #3 Prisoner of Heaven
7. Miss Peregrine: #2 Hollow City (2/1/16), #3 Library of Souls (2/27/16) √

Goal: 36/52 books (increasing my goal as of 5/10/16)

1. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 2 (1/4/16)
2. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 3 (3/9/16)
3. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 4 (3/9/16)
4. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 5 (3/9/16)
5. Fairest Vol. 5 (1/4/16)
6. American Vampire Vol. 4 (1/5/16)
7. American Vampire Vol. 5 (1/5/16)
8. American Vampire Vol. 6 (1/5/16)
9. American Vampire Vol. 7 (1/5/16)
10. The Walking Dead Vol. 23 (1/9/16)
11. The Walking Dead Vol. 24 (3/18/16)
12. Morning Glories Vol. 1 (3/1/16)
13. Morning Glories Vol. 2 (3/1/16)
14. Morning Glories Vol. 3 (3/1/16)
15. Morning Glories Vol. 4 (3/3/16)
16. Morning Glories Vol. 5 (3/3/16)
17. Morning Glories Vol. 6 (3/3/16)
18. Morning Glories Vol. 7 (3/3/16)
19. Morning Glories Vol. 8 (3/3/16)
20. Saga Vol. 5 (5/9/16)
21. Fables Vol. 22 (3/21/16)
22. Bitch Planet Vol. 1 (5/9/16)
23. Top 10 by Alan Moore (5/10/16)
24. Doctor Who: The Eleventh Doctor Archives Vol. 1 (5/10/16)
25. Five Ghosts Vol. 1 (6/15/16)
26. East of West Vol. 1 (6/15/16)
27. East of West Vol. 2 (6/26/16)
28. East of West Vol. 3 (6/26/16)
29. East of West Vol. 4 (6/26/16)
30. Wytches Vol. 1 (6/25/16)
31. The Scorch Trials: The Graphic Novel Prelude (7/21/16)
32. Rat Queens Vol. 1 (8/5/16)
33. Rat Queens Vol. 2 (8/5/16)
34. Rat Queens Vo. 3 (10/20/16)
35. Revival Vol. 1 (11/29/16)
36. Revival Vol. 2 (11/29/16)

2016 Reading Challenge Round-up -- Completed

Goal: 52/52 Books DONE!!!!!

1. Fairest Vol. 5 (1/4/16)
2. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (1/15/16)
3. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig (1/18/16)
4. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (1/24/16)
5. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (2/1/16)
6. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (2/9/16)
7. Impulse by Candace Camp (2/16/16)
8. Coffee Nerd by Ruth Brown (2/23/16)
9. Morning Glories Vol. 1 (3/1/16)
10. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell (3/5/16)
11. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig (3/13/16)
12. Fables Vol. 22 (3/21/16)
13. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig (4/1/16)
14. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (4/12/16)
15. Ivy and Intrigue by Lauren Willig (4/13/16)
16. Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr (4/17/16)
17. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (4/26/16)
18. The Iron Warrior by Julie Kagawa (5/1/16)
19. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (5/8/16)
20. In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner (5/27/16)
21. The Joy of Books by Eric Burns (6/4/16)
22. The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Willig (6/7/16)
23. The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart (6/10/16)
24. Fantastic Planets, Forbidden Zones, and Lost Continents by Douglas Brode (6/14/16)
25. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman (6/21/16)
26. The Mark of the Midnight Manzanilla by Lauren Willig (6/26/16)
27. The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig (7/1/16)
28. The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato (7/12/16)
29. The Last Star by Rick Yancey (7/19/16)
30. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (7/26/16)
31. Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (8/3/16)
32. Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (8/12/16)
33. Bunker Hill by Nathaniel Philbrick (8/16/16)
34. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade (8/23/16)
35. The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh (9/2/16)
36. The Residence by Kate Andersen Brower (9/4/16)
37. Founding Myths by Ray Raphael (9/13/16)
38. How to Talk About Video Games by Ian Bogost (9/23/16)
39. Circling the Sun by Paula McClain (9/28/16)
40. Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin (10/5/16)
41. Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin (10/9/16)
42. The Stranger’s Obituary by Jessica L. Randall (10/19/16)
43. The Obituary Society’s Last Stand by Jessica L. Randall (10/24/16)
44. Manners and Mutiny by Gail Carriger (10/31/16)
45. The Last Honest Seamstress by Gina Robinson (11/9/16)
46. Wild by Cheryl Strayed (11/16/16)
47. Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink (11/29/16)
48. Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David Sedaris (12/5/16)
49. Glitches by Marissa Meyer (12/7/16)
50. 13 by Nathan Lachenmeyer (12/21/16)
51. The Lady and Her Monsters by Roseanne Montillo (12/22/16)
52. Bossypants by Tina Fey (12/23/16)

Book to Movie

Goal: 10/10 Books  DONE!!!!!!!!

1. Chcoolat (1/7/16)
2. The Maze Runner (3/8/16)
3. I, Robot (3/24/16)
4. In the Heart of the Sea (6/14/16)
5. The 5th Wave (6/21/16)
6. The Scorch Trials (7/21/16)
7. High Rise (12/24/16)
8. Childhood’s End (8/12/16)
9. Turn (George Washington’s Secret Six) (7/29/16)
10. Wild (11/16/16)

Goal: 20/20 Books  DONE!!!!!!!

1. Tasha Alexander (5/12/16)
2. Margaret Atwood (7/15/16)
3. Mary Balogh (8/24/16)
4. Kristen Callihan (6/1/16)
5. Candace Camp (2/16/16)
6. Gail Carriger (7/6/16)
7. Alyssa Cooper (10/1/16)
8. Kelly Sue DeConnick (5/9/16)
9. Sarah Beth Durst (4/20/16)
10. Marina Fiorato (7/12/16)
11. Kathleen Grissom (2/1/16)
12. Sarah Jio (9/13/16)
13. Emily St. John Mandel (2/3/16)
14. Paula McClain (9/28/16)
15. Jojo Moyes (4/19/16)
16. Celeste Ng (8/3/16)
17. Rebecca Raisin (10/5/16)
18. Jessica L Randall (10/11/16)
19. Vaddey Ratner (5/27/16)
20. Lauren Willig (2/9/16)

Goal: 40/40 Books (fiction only) DONE!!!!

1. Chocolat by Joanne Harris (1/7/16)
2. Manhattan Projects Vol. 2 (1/4/16)
3. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman (6/21/16)
4. The Deception of the Emerald Ring by Lauren Willig (1/18/16)
5. The Seduction of the Crimson Rose by Lauren Willig (2/9/16)
6. The Heart of Christmas (1/6/16)
7. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (4/12/16)
8. A Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (1/8/16)
9. The House of Hades by Rick Riordan (1/15/16)
10. Impulse by Candace Camp (2/16/16)
11. The Temptation of the Night Jasmine by Lauren Willig (2/19/16)
12. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 3 (3/9/16)
13. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 4 (3/9/16)
14. The Manhattan Projects Vol. 5 (3/9/16)
15. The Betrayal of the Blood Lily by Lauren Willig (3/13/16)
16. The Mischief of the Mistletoe by Lauren Willig (3/18/16)
17. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (3/24/16)
18. Ivy and Intrigue by Lauren Willig (4/13/16)
19. The Garden Intrigue by Lauren Willig (4/28/16)
20. The Blood of Olympus by Rick Riordan (5/8/16)
21. And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander (5/12/16)
22. Forevermore by Kristen Callihan (6/1/16)
23. The Passion of the Purple Plumeria by Lauren Wilig (6/7/16)
24. The Lure of the Moonflower by Lauren Willig (7/1/16)
25. The Curious Case of the Werewolf that Wasn’t… by Gail Carriger (7/2/16)
26. Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger (7/6/16)
27. The Glassblower of Murano by Marina Fiorato (7/12/16)
28. Curtsies and Conspiracies by Gail Carriger (8/12/16)
29. Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke (8/12/16)
30. Waistcoats and Weaponry by Gail Carriger (8/19/16)
31. More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh (8/24/16)
32. No Man’s Mistress by Mary Balogh (8/26/16)
33. The Secret Mistress by Mary Balogh (9/2/16)
34. The Last Camellia by Sarah Jio (9/13/16)
35. The Motel Room by Alyssa Cooper (10/1/16)
36. Christmas at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin (10/5/16)
37. Chocolate Dreams at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin (10/5/16)
38. Christmas Wedding at the Gingerbread Cafe by Rebecca Raisin (10/9/16)
39. The Obituary Society by Jessica L. Randall (10/11/16)
40. The Stranger’s Obituary by Jessica L. Randall (10/19/16)

Goal: 20/20 Books  DONE!!!!!

1. The Great Influenza by John M. Barry (1/30/16)
2. You Did What edited by Bill Fawcett and Brian Thomsen (2/9/16)
3. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (2/12/16)
4. The Map That Changed the World by Simon Winchester (2/17/16)
5. Coffee Nerd by Ruth Brown (2/23/16)
6. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell (3/5/16)
7. Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr (3/8/16)
8. Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr (4/17/16)
9. The Joy of Books by Eric Burns (6/4/16)
10. Who Put the Devil in Deviled Eggs? by Ann Treistman (6/4/16)
11. The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart (6/10/16)
12. Fantastic Planets, Forbidden Zones, and Lost Continents by Douglas Brode (6/14/16)
13. In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick (6/14/16)
14. Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick (7/7/16)
15. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (7/26/16)
16. George Washington’s Secret Six by Brian Kilmeade (7/29/16)
17. An Innocent, A Broad by Ann Leary (8/1/16)
18. What Jefferson Read, Ike Watched, and Obama Tweeted by Tevi Troy (8/6/16)
19. Bunker Hill by Nathanirl Philbrick (8/16/16)
20. Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates by Brian Kilmeade (8/23/16)

Perpetual Reading Challenges (from any of my current)

Goal: 20/20 books  DONE!!!!!

1. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (NPR, YA) (3/8/16)
2. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov (NPR) (3/24/16)
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (NPR Sci/Fan) (1/8/16)
4. The Great Influenza by John M. Barry (NonAd) (1/30/16)
5. You Did What edited by Bill Fawcett and Brian Thomsen (NonAd) (2/9/16)
6. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking (NonAd) (2/12/16)
7. The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester (NonAd) (2/17/16)
8. Coffee Nerd by Ruth Brown (NonAd) (2/23/16)
9. The Partly Cloudy Patriot by Sarah Vowell (NonAd) (3/5/16)
10. Four Seasons in Rome by Anthony Doerr (NonAd) (3/8/16)
11. A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin (NPR Sci/Fan) (4/12/16)
12. Failure is Impossible by Lynn Sherr (NonAd; Feminism) (4/17/16)
13. The Joy of Books by Eric Burns (NonAd) (6/4/16)
14. The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart (NonAd) (6/10/16)
15. Fantastic Planets, Forbidden Zones, and Lost Continents by Douglas Brode (NonAd) (6/14/16)
16. The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey (365 Days of YA) (6/21/16)
17. Valiant Ambition by Nathaniel Philbrick (7/7/16)
18. The Last Star by Rick Yancey (365 Days) (7/19/16)
19. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner (NPR Teen; YA) (7/21/16)
20. Thunderstruck by Erik Larson (NonAd) (7/26/16)

Goal: 24/24 Books  DONE!!!!

1. American Vampire Vol. 4 (1/5/15)
2. American Vampire Vol. 5 (1/5/16)
3. American Vampire Vol. 6 (1/5/16)
4. American Vampire Vol. 7 (1/5/16)
5. The Walking Dead Vol. 23 (1/9/16)
6. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs (2/1/16)
7. The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom (2/1/16)
8. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (2/3/16)
9. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs (2/27/16)
10. Morning Glories Vol. 1 (3/1/16)
11. Morning Glories Vol. 2 (3/1/16)
12. Morning Glories Vol. 3 (3/1/16)
13. Morning Glories Vol. 4 (3/3/16)
14. Morning Glories Vol. 5 (3/3/16)
15. Morning Glories Vol. 6 (3/3/16)
16. Morning Glories Vol. 7 (3/3/16)
17. Morning Glories Vol. 8 (3/3/16)
18. Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan (3/8/16)
19. The Walking Dead Vol. 24 (3/18/16)
20. Fables Vol. 22 (3/21/16)
21. The Orchid Affair by Lauren Willig (4/1/16)
22. After You by Jojo Moyes (4/19/16)
23. The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst (4/20/16)
24. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (4/26/16)

Goal: 100/100 Books  DONE!!!!!

1. Little Green Peas by Keith Baker
2. Snowmen All Year by Caralyn Buehner
3. Red Light, Green Light by Yumi Heo
4. Hello Dinosaur by Dwell Studio
5. Muddy Truck by CJ Calder
6. Fast truck by CJ Calder
7. Supermarket by Simon Abbott
8. Frankenstein by Jennifer Adams
9. Snow White by Trixie Belle
10. Good Night Trucks by Brian Biggs
11. Jungle Book by Jennifer Adams
12. Little Red Riding Hood by Trixie Belle
13. Sense and Sensibility by Jennifer Adams
14. Fire Engine No. 9 by Mike Austin
15. The Bus Driver by Todd Doodler
16. Goat Goes to Playgroup by Julia Donaldson
17. Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert
18. What Can a Crane Pick Up? by Rebecca Kai Dotlich
19. No More Pacifier Duck by Michael Dahl
20. Meow! Katie’s Big Book of Animals by Liesbet Slegers
21. Two at the Zoo by Danna Smith
22. Duck’s Vacation by Gilad Soffer
23. Pirate Nap by Danna Smith
24. Pigs in Pajamas by Maggie Smith
25. Hiccupotamus by Steve Smallman
26. I’m Your Bus by Marilyn Singer
27. Let’s Go Potty Elmo by Lori Froeb
28. Dino Match by Lisa Gardiner
29. My Bus by Byron Barton
30. My Day Bathtime
31. Counting Dogs by Eric Barclay
32. Opposites by Sandra Boynton
33. Animals by Nick Ackland
34. Busy Railroad
35. American Babies
36. Spooky Pookie by Sandr Boynton
37. R is for Rocket by Tad Hills
38. Small Elephant’s Bedtime by Tatyana Feeney
39. Steve, Raised by Wolves by Jared Chapman
40. Cinderella’s Stepsister and the Big Bad Wolf by Lorraine Carey
41. Dinosaur Rocket by Penny Dale
42. Dinotrux Dig the Beach by Chris Gall
43. Peep and Ducky Rainy Day by David Martin
44. Sea Rex by Molly Idle
45. Monkey and Duck Quack Up by Jennifer Hamburg
46. George and the Dinosaur by Felix Hayes
47. Play and Learn 123
48. Pull the Tab Animals by Charlie Gardner
49. Jane Foster’s ABC by Jane Foster
50. Sally in the Snow by Stephen Huneck
51. Dig Dogs Dig by James Horvath
52. Duck Duck Moose by Dave Horowitz
53. Circus Train by Jennifer Cole Judd
54. Red Truck by Kersten Hamilton
55. ABC Animals by American Museum of Natural History
56. Pedro and George by Delphine Perret
57. What Pet Should I Get? by Dr. Seuss
58. Animals’ Vacation by Shel and Jan Haber
59. Otter in Space by Sam Garton
60. Little White Fish by Guido van Genechten
61. Troto and the Trucks by Uri Shulevitz
62. Hide and Seek Harry on the Farm by Kenny Harrison
63. Duck and Goose Let’s Dance by Tad Hills
64. The Pirate and the Penguin by Patricia Storms
65. Road Work Ahead by Anastasia Suen
66. Pete the Cate Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin
67. Vincent Paints His House by Tedd Arnold
68. Splish, Splash, Splat by Rob Scotton
69. Splat Says Thank You by Rob Scotton
70. Construction by Sally Sutton
71. Chester’s Colorful Easter Eggs by Theresa Smythe
72. Hello, Arlo
73. Big Red Fire Engine by Ken Wilson-Max
74. Hoot Hoot by Sebastien Braun
75. Duck, Duck, Goose by Tad Hills
76. Duck and Goose Go to the Beach by Tad Hills
77. Duck and Goose by Tad Hills
78. Hello Dinosaur by Dwell Studios
79. A Surprise for the Easter Bunny by Megan Bryant
80. Red Light, Green Light by Yumi Heo
81. Duck to the Rescue by John Himmelman
82. Food Trucks by Mark Todd
83. The Day Louis Got Eaten by John Fardell
84. Cock-a-Doodle Dudley by Bill Peet
85. Pigs to the Rescue by John Himmelman
86. Build, Dogs, Build by James Horvath
87. Go Go Go Stop by Charise Mericle Harper
88. Space Dog by Mini Grey
89. Yellow Copter by Kersten Hamilton
90. Look by Jeff Mack
91. Alphabet Trains by Samantha Vamos
92. Bad Pirate by Kari-Lynn Winters
93. Elephants Can’t Jump by Jeanne Willis
94. Noisy Animal Peekaboo by Sirwett
95. Hiccupotamus by Steve Smallman
96. Dino-Daddy by Sam Lloyd
97. How Do Dinosaurs Stay Safe? by Jane Yolen
98. Ninja Bunny by Jennifer Grey Olson
99. Firebears The Rescue Team by Rhonda Gowler Greene
100. A People House by Dr. Seuss

2016 Reading Challenges Update #3

Getting closer to the end of the year. Let's check in on my reading challenge progress. This year I scaled back on the number of challenges and number of spots. I wanted to switch the focus from reading challenge to just reading So far my strategy seems to be working very well!

Total Challenges: 6/13 46.2%

Total Spots: 347/40086.8%

Individual Challenge Progress:

• Perpetual Reading Challenges  20/20  100%**
• Read My Own Damn Books  40/40  100%**
• I Love Libraries  24/24  100%**
• Nonfiction  20/20  100**
• Popsugar  27/40  67.5%
• What’s in a Name   3/6  50%
• Fairytale Retelling  3/10  30%*
• Books to Movies  8/10  80%
• Finishing the Series  5/6  83.3%
• Graphic Novel  34/52  65.4%
• Women Authors  20/20  100%**
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks  43/52  82.7%
• Picture Books   100/100  100%**

**Successes: Six reading challenges completely done and multiple very close! I am very excited about my progress so far. I was concerned that I reading would stop once the baby came. Fortunately I am still reading although the pace has slowed.

*Failures (Needs Improvement): So I am failing at the Fairytale Retelling challenge. I really don't know if I will finish this one before the end of December. I'm going to focus on some of the other challenges.

2016 Reading Challenges Update #2

This year I scaled back on the number of challenges and number of spots. I wanted to switch the focus from reading challenge to just reading. So far my strategy seems to be working very well!

Total Challenges: 3/13 23%

Total Spots: 299/400  74.8%

Individual Challenge Progress:

• Perpetual Reading Challenges  20/20  100%**
• Read My Own Damn Books  27/40  67.5%
• I Love Libraries  24/24  100%**
• Nonfiction  15/20  75%
• Popsugar  22/40  55%
• What’s in a Name   3/6  50%
• Fairytale Retelling  3/10  30%
• Books to Movies  6/10  60%
• Finishing the Series  5/6  83.3%
• Graphic Novel  31/52  59.6%
• Women Authors  13/20  65%
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks  30/52   57.7%
• Picture Books   100/100  100%***

*Successes: I added another completed challenge (perpetual reading challenges) and made some serious progress on a few others (Women Authors, Books to Movies, Nonfiction, and Read My Own Damn Books).

**Failures (Needs Improvement): Fairytale Retelling. Man, that number is very low. I need to get on that...

2016 Reading Challenges Update #1

Somehow I almost forgot to post this update during the first quarter of 2016... Thankfully I remembered, right at the end of April! This year I scaled back on the number of challenges and number of spots. I wanted to switch the focus from reading challenge to just reading So far my strategy seems to be working very well!

Total Challenges: 2/13 15.4%

Total Spots: 227/372  61%

Individual Challenge Progress:

• Perpetual Reading Challenges  12/20
• Read My Own Damn Books  18/40
• I Love Libraries  24/24  100%**
• Nonfiction  8/20
• Popsugar  15/40
• What’s in a Name   2/6
• Fairytale Retelling  1/10
• Books to Movies  3/10
• Finishing the Series  1/6
• Graphic Novel  20/24
• Women Authors  6/20
• 52 Books in 52 Weeks  17/52
• Picture Books   100/100  100%***

*Successes: I've already completed two reading challenges!!! And I'm close to completely a few others.

**Failures (Needs Improvement): I'm definitely behind on my What's in a Name, Books to Movies, and Nonfiction. I'm sure I'll get to these soon enough!