Wednesday, January 1, 2014

2013 Challenge Recap


So, challenges. I've been pretty awful with them, but that's not going to stop me from signing up for more! Here are the challenges I participated in 2013 and my progress on each. You can click on the title of each challenge to see the individual books I read for each one.

Fairy Tales Retold Reading Challenge
Challenged: 3
Actually Read:7

I didn't set the bar too high with this one, but a win is still a win! None stood out as particularly amazing, and actually two were among my most disliked books all year (East by Edith Pattou and Far Far Away by Tom McNeal). I usually have better luck with fairy tale retellings, so this feels like kind of a disappointment overall despite exceeding the challenge.


The Bucket List Reading Challenge
Challenged: 15
Actually Read: 19

Go me! I'm super happy because, despite usually succeeding with this challenge, I always find it particularly, erm, challenging. I always get distracted by new books or my guilt-inducing review books and end up neglecting older books. I generally liked all of these books, so double score!

Court Fantasy Challenge
Challenged: 6
Actually Read: 3

This was my own personal challenge, and I failed most spectacularly at it. Summers at Castle Auburn I did try to find, but it wasn't in any library or used book store. The Tamora Pierce and Robin McKinley books though? Yeah, they're sitting on my shelves, so I have no excuse for not reading them. I ended up liking The Thirteenth Princess, really liking The Goose Girl, and Special Shelf adoring The Decoy Princess, so it was a positive leaning experience overall. 

The Off the Shelf Challenge
Challenged: 15
Actually Read: 8

I always FAIL at this challenge, and my 2013 go at it has been no different. At least I managed to knock off 19 books I acquired in 2013 from becoming more unread books on my shelf in 2014. So there's that. Hey, I'm proactive! I am determined to beat this challenge once and for all, so I'll be trying again in 2014.

Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge
Challenged: 5
Actually Read:4

I totally would have finished this one, if I hadn't DNF-ed the last two witch books I started (Witchstruck and A Breath of Frost). I also got super nit-picky on what constituted a "witchy" book and eliminated a lot of books I might have been able to count. I was also pretty meh on all of the books I read for this challenge (except Heir to the Shadows), so double disappointment.

YA Historical Fiction Challenge
Challenged: 6
Actually Read:  20

I included adult and YA books in this challenge and I LOVED it! I wrote in the initial challenge post that I really wanted to read more in this genre because I always push it aside, and I've definitely met that goal. I liked to Special Shelf loved all the books I read for this challenge.


Reading Challenge Addict
Challenged: 6
Actually Completed: 3

I can live with 50%, especially since I actually exceeded my goals with the challenges I did complete. I'm most disappointed about missing the Off The Shelf Challenge (my challenge nemesis) and Court Fantasy Challenge (my own challenge!).


How did you do with your 2013 challenges?
Feel free to add links to your own challenge recaps!

5 comments:

  1. You rocked it on the Historical Fiction Challenge. Its pretty obvious what genre is your fav! Too bad on the Witchy Challenge. Sounds like you were so close!

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    1. I definitely did! I'm pretty happy with that because after 2012 I vowed to read more in that genre and I actually managed to stick with it! I'm hoping to be able to do the same in 2014.

      I added one more book to the Witchy Challenge (final squeeze in at the very end of the year!), so now I'm even closer to the goal, but still not there. Oh well.

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  2. I think you did pretty good over all!!! It always amazes me how much you read and in so many genres!!
    Good luck with your next challenges.

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  3. Nicely done! There are a few of those I would like to try next year. I kind of let go of all my challenges to just actually get something read. I like the Off the Shelf and Bucket List ideas though.

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  4. The Off the Shelf one is always my big fat failure too. Interestingly, it's usually not that I'm buying new books, but borrowing them from the library. Either way I'm still not reading books from my shelf, but I like to pat myself on the back for not adding to them at least. :)

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