Books

Books read: 139
Pages read: 43,972

Of the books read:

• Non-fiction: 7
• New-to-me authors: 36
• Continuing series books: 26
• Re-reads: 20
• Audio-books: 37
• Various book club reads: 17
• Challenges completed: 10 of 10
• Ongoing tally of Newbery winners: 70 of 93
• Books set in states: 25 of 50
• 5 star ratings by me: 27

2013:
150 books; 47,936 pages; 7 non-fiction; 29 new-to-me authors; 25 series; 32 re-reads; 49 audio-books; 6 of 6 challenges completed; 64 of 92 Newbery; books set in 25 of 50 states
2012:
196 books; 56,851 pages; 11 non-fiction; 55 new-to-me novelists; 95 series; 25 re-reads; 25 audio-books; 6 of 6 challenges completed; 64 of 91 Newbery
2011:
132 books; 39,641 pages; 15 non-fiction; 42 new-to-me novelists; 54 series; 12 re-reads; 33 audio-books; 0 of 0 challenges completed; 59 of 90 Newbery
2010:
152 books; 46,899 pages; 3 non-fiction; 37 new-to-me novelists; 25 series; 19 re-reads; 28 audio-books; 5 of 5 challenges completed; 50 of 89 Newbery
2009:
73 books; 23,576 pages; 3 non-fiction; 31 new-to-me novelists; 36 series; 5 re-reads; 48 of 88 Newbery
2008:
79 books; 32,031 pages; 8 non-fiction; 15 new-to-me novelists; 31 series; 19 re-reads; 42 of 87 Newbery
2007:
44 books; 17,069 pages; 3 non-fiction; 8 new-to-me novelists; 15 series; 13 re-reads; 38 of 86 Newbery

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2015

Bev at My Reader’s Block is once again hosting this challenge and I need to do it again and not get so enticed by new, shiny things. This will be my fifth year for this challenge and I’m working out for the climbing. I made Mt. Ararat last year so that’s my goal for this year. Climb on!

Challenge Levels:

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

 

2015 The Color Coded Reading Challenge

This is my third year for this fun-filled and colorful challenge hosted by Bev at My Reader’s Block. Thankfully, she’s altered the rules a little this year by allowing the cover to count if it is mostly the color. I had a tough time finding Brown books in my TBR pile last year, so maybe I will do better with a cover.

*Read nine books in the following categories.

1. A book with “Blue” or any shade of Blue (Turquoise, Aquamarine, Navy, etc) in the title/on the cover.
2. A book with “Red” or any shade of Red (Scarlet, Crimson, Burgandy, etc) in the title/on the cover.
3. A book with “Yellow” or any shade of Yellow (Gold, Lemon, Maize, etc.) in the title/on the cover.
4. A book with “Green” or any shade of Green (Emerald, Lime, Jade, etc) in the title/on the cover.
5. A book with “Brown” or any shade of Brown (Tan, Chocolate, Beige, etc) in the title/on the cover.
6. A book with “Black” or any shade of Black (Jet, Ebony, Charcoal, etc) in the title/on the cover.
7. A book with “White” or any shade of White (Ivory, Eggshell, Cream, etc) in the title/on the cover.
8. A book with any other color in the title/on the cover (Purple, Orange, Silver, Pink, Magenta, etc.).
9. A book with a word that implies color (Rainbow, Polka-dot, Plaid, Paisley, Stripe, etc.).

Read It Again, Sam 2015

I usually reread some books during the year just for fun and often the rereading comes as listening to the audio of a book I’ve already read and enjoyed. So I decided to just go ahead and not feel guilty about my rereads by joining the challenge this year hosted by Bev at My Reader’s Block. I’m going to sign up for “Feeling Nostalgic: 8 books“.

Déjà vu: Reread 4 books
Feeling Nostalgic: Reread 8 books
A Trip Down Memory Lane: Reread 12 books
Living in the Past: Reread 16+ books

 

Cruisin’ Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2015

This will be my third year to participate in this challenge hosted by Yvonne at Socrates’ Book Reviews and I have finished it in the first half of the year at the highest level because I love me some cozy mysteries and am working through several series. So I am going for Level 4-Sleuth Extraordinaire.

Choose the level you wish to participate:
Level 1 – Snoop – Read at least 6 books
Level 2 – Investigator – Read 7-12 books
Level 3 – Super Sleuth – Read 13 or more books
Level 4 – Sleuth Extraordinaire – Read 20 or more

 

2015 Sequel & Prequel Challenge

I’m trying this challenge instead of one about finishing series because I have many ongoing series that I would like to work on without necessarily finishing any of them. I am going to sign up for 25-50 points: Amateur and hope that’s not too ambitious.

The 2015 Sequel & Prequel Challenge is hosted by Novel Heartbeat and Writer Grrl Reads! The goal: To read as many prequels and sequels as you can. All books in a series count for points.
In order to get 10 points for a completed series, there must be at least 3 full-length books in the series. You can still get sequel points for a duology, you just can’t get the 10 bonus points for finishing it.

For each prequel and sequel read this year, points will be awarded as follows:
1 point for each prequel or sequel novella read and reviewed
2 points for each full-length sequel read and reviewed
10 points for completing and reviewing a full series (doesn’t require novellas)*†
You do not get points for the first book in a series.
*The 10 bonus points is for finishing a full series. That means that all books must be published. If you are completely caught up on a series, and the next book is not releasing until 2016, that does not count toward the 10 bonus points.
†If you started the series before 2015, you can still get the bonus points for finishing it if you reviewed the other books in the series at some point. For example: You read The Hunger Games in 2014, but read Catching Fire and Mockingjay in 2015 – you would get 2 points for both sequels and 10 bonus points for finishing the series (14 points total). You don’t have to start the series in 2015 to get the bonus points.
10-25 points: Newbie
25-50 points: Amateur
51-75 points: Advanced
76-100 points: Professional
101+ points: Veteran

 

What’s In a Name? 2015

I’ve been a part of this challenge since 2009, so it wouldn’t be right if I didn’t join this fun challenge. It has changed hosts over the years and is being hosted again by The Worm Hole.

A word including ‘ing’ in it
A colour
A familial relation
A body of water
A city
An animal

2015 Monthly Motif Challenge and Monthly Key Word Challenge

I did the Monthly Key Words in 2013 and the Monthly Motif in 2014 and have found it fun, so this year I’m going wild & crazy and doing both. Thanks to Bookmark to Blog for hosting.

JAN- Book to Movie or Audio
Read a book that has a movie based off of it. For an extra challenge, see the movie or listen to the audio book as well.

JAN- Bird, Girl, Ever, Silence, Bad, Truth, End  

FEB- Award Winner
Read a book that has won recognition or a literary award.

FEB- Key, Water, Lie, Chase, And, Once    

MAR- Genre Jumble
Read a book in a genre that you’ve never tried or that you’re least familiar with. For example, if you typically reach for romance novels, try a mystery this time.

MAR- KInd, Face, Power, City, Blue, Night, To

APR- Mystery, Murder, and Mayhem
Read a murder/mystery book, a book in which someone dies of mysterious causes, or a book in which the truth must come out.

APR- Dream, Prince, Long, Wind, Rose, The, Rock

MAY- Library Love
Show your library some love and visit your local branch. Choose a book to read that they have on display.

MAY- Ash, Road, Thief, Bend, In, Far

JUN- Take A Trip
Choose a book to read that takes place in a country different than the one you live in or choose a book written by an author that is from a country different than your own.

JUN- My, Together, Whisper, Win, Soul, Sleep

JUL- Standing Up
Read a book in which the main character stands up for themselves, stands against an enemy, or stands up for something they believe in.

JUL- Sun, Unto, Energy, Fate, High, Look

AUG- Alternate Reality
Read a book that’s set in the future, on another planet, in another dimension, or in an unknown world. A Dystopian book will count this month as well.

AUG- Fall, Boy, Glass, Heart, Lost, Now

SEP- Furry Friends
Read a book that includes an animal either as a main character or supporting character. Horses, cats, dogs, insects, bird, etc. The book doesn’t have to be about the animal but the animal needs to play some sort of role in the story or be mentioned several times throughout the book.

SEP- Color, Touch, Life, Day, How, Sweet

OCT- Goblins, and Ghost, and Ghouls, Oh My!
Cozy mystery ghost stories, paranormal creeptastic, funky fantasy creatures- it’s up to you!

OCT- Ghost, Home, Beach, Away, Test, Number

NOV- An Oldie but a Goodie
Pick a book published before 2000 that you’ve always wanted to read, but just never got to. Or pick a book set in the past (before 2000).

NOV- Rise, Holiday, And, Little, Call, Dark

DEC- That’s a Wrap
Finish a series you’ve been meaning to finish or read the next book in a series you started but never finished.

DEC- Space, Mirror, Over, Flower, Trap, Cold

 

Newbery Reading Challenge 2015

I decided to join this challenge last year to jumpstart my perpetual challenge of reading all the winners. It really worked because I got 29 points and several Medal and Honor books finished. So when I saw that Julie of Smiling Shelves was repeating it this year, I decided to join in again and reapeat the L’Engle level: 15-29 points.

Each book you read is worth points. You get:
3 points for a Newbery Medal Winner
2 points for a Newbery Honor Book
1 point for a Caldecott Medal Winner

In addition to that, you pick a level to aim for:
L’Engle: 15 – 29 points
Spinelli: 30 – 44 points
Avi: 45 – 59 points
Lowry: 60 – 74 points
Konigsburg: 75+ points

Reading Road Trip Challenge 2015

I did a challenge similar to this in 2012 and managed to get all the states with some work. Since then, I’ve kept track of my states each year in my regular reading and usually get more than half without trying. Because I read a lot of series that are set in the same locale and many books set in England, I don’t have a ton of diversity, so I’m going to try the Wayfarer: 21-30 goal for this year and see how it goes. Thanks to She’s Got Books on Her Mind for hosting.

Read at least one book set in all 50 states in the U.S.A. or set a lower goal.

Reading Levels:
Hitchhiker: 10-20
Wayfarer: 21-30
Voyager: 31-40
Adventurer: 41-50

For my third year of this challenge, I managed to repeat last year’s Mt. Ararat, but it required some heavy-duty climbing at the end, because once again, I was distracted during the year by new books and library books, and didn’t work on the stuff on my shelves as diligently as I should. But I made it!

[Read more…] about 2014 Mount TBR wrap-up

 

I did the Monthly Key Words in 2013, but the host offered this new challenge and I like it! A really fun challenge to come up with something for each month and I completed it early in December!

MONTHLY MOTIFS:  [Read more…] about 2014 Monthly Motifs wrap-up

I decided to join this challenge to jumpstart my perpetual challenge of reading all the winners.  My goal was the L’Engle level: 15-29 points, and although I thought I would just make the lower threshold, I actually hit the top of the first level.

Each book you read is worth points. You get:

3 points for a Newbery Medal Winner
2 points for a Newbery Honor Book
1 point for a Caldecott Medal Winner

[Read more…] about Newbery Challenge 2014 wrap-up