2021 Re-Read Challenge

 

Challenge Basics: 

Name: The Re-Read Challenge
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: Books you've already read.

Why I'm Interested:  

Whether it's re-reading for comfort or to revisit old favorites, I want to make sure I enthusiastically dive into re-reading whenever I feel the urge. I didn't feel the urge much last year, but in case I do this year I want a place to list 'em out and feel okay.


Some books I'm considering:

My Special Shelf favorites, of course. Also, books I liked enough or am curious enough to re-listen to on audio.

Books Completed:

7. Twilight by Meg Cabot

6. Haunted by Meg Cabot

5. Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot

4. Reunion by Meg Cabot

3. Ninth Key by Meg Cabot

2. Shadowland by Meg Cabot

1. Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

Tweet

2021 Historical Reading Challenge

 

  /15 books
Challenge Basics:  

Name: 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
Hosts: The Intrepid Reader
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: YA and adult historical fiction books. I'm including non-fiction.
Levels: I am going to try for 15 books

Why I'm Interested:  

Historical Bio and Historical Non-Fiction: These are the weightier, meatier books that I want to make top priority. They go into detail about actual people and events and I'll learn the most from them. I've thrown in the non-fiction books onto this shelf, too. I've been toe-dipping into non-fiction, and I'd like to continue that toe-dip. I added a category last year for Historical Non-Fiction Other because I read a few books that were historical non-fic, but they weren't exactly a biography. I mostly just separated that out because it made sense in my head for what I'm looking to track, even though it doesn't make much sense as an actual category.

Historical Fantasy: These vary as far as actual historical learning goes. Some have a ton of historical detail, but most just use a historical setting. Some of my favorite books come from this shelf and I don't want to neglect them just because they're not heavy historical fiction.

Historical Lite: These are a lot like the books on my Historical Fantasy shelf, just without the fantasy elements. Usually they're mysteries or romances set with a historical backdrop of varying degrees of detail. They're often easy breezy, fun books and I want to make sure I read them as well.

Books Completed:

Historical Non-Fiction Bio:

9. The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy

8. Coco Chanel by Susan Goldman Rubin

7. The White Ship by Charles Spencer

6. Margaret of Anjou by Jacob Abbott

5. Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott

4. Mistress of Hardwick by Alison Plowden
3. Tudor Women by Alison Plowden
2. Magna Carta by Dan Jones
1. Anne of Cleves by Sarah-Beth Watkins

Historical Non-Fiction, Other: 

 

5.

4. Pandora's Lab by Paul Offit
3. Fire Island by Jack Whitehouse
2. The Blizzard of '88
1. Asleep by Molly Caldwell Crosby

Historical Bio (fiction):

5. Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Carolyn Meyer

4. The Beaufort Bride by Judith Arnopp
3. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen
2. By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson
1. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory

Historical Lite:

6. The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas

5. A Trail of Broken Dreams

4. Footsteps in the Snow by Carol Matas
3. Codename Celene by Jim Eldridge
2. The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield
1. All the Stars in the Sky by Megan McDonals

DNF:

9. England in the Age of Chivalry and Awful Diseases by Ed West

8. The Cholera Years by Charles Rosenberg

7. After Elizabeth by Leanda de Lisle

6. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

5. Rabid by Bill Wasik

4. The Lavender Garden by lucinda Riley

3. The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies

2. Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell

1. A Rose for Virtue by Norah Lofts

Tweet

2021 Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge

Challenge Basics: 

Name: Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge
Hosts: Me!
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Goal: 15 books
Eligible Books: Books you acquire in 2021

Why I'm Interested:  

I'm not sure if anyone is actually hosting a challenge like this, but it's a challenge I'm giving myself, again. Last year I read a ton off books I acquired in 2020, and rather than feel bad about neglecting my previously owned books, instead I felt like I was accomplishing something with every new book I acquired and read. And I was!

Every year I participate in the Read My Own Books Challenge where I try to read as many books I own as possible. Downside? Those challenges don't count books you acquire during the challenge year, and I think they should! Sure, I know the goal is to read all those books that have been languishing year after year, but what about preventative measures? I think those should be rewarded, too!

(I feel like a health insurance plan)

So, enter my challenge. I'm going to try to make a dent in the books I get in 2021 and therefore whittle down my mountain of books remaining unread on my shelves in 2022.

Some books I'm considering: 

As many books from my Own 2021 shelf as possible. At the end of the year I'll compare how many books I acquired to how many books I've read from that list to see how well I've done. I'd like to shoot for reading/DNF-ing at least 15 books.

Books Completed:

 

17. Coco Chanel by Susan Goldman Rubin

16. The White Ship by Charles Spencer

15. The Rescuers by Margery Sharp

14. Don't Look Behind You by Peter Allison

13. Evil Thing by Serena Valentino

12. Whatever You Do, Don't Run by Peter Allison

11. Spindrift by Phyllis A. Whitney

10. Margaret of Anjou by Jacob Abbott

9. Mistress of Hardwick by Alison Plowden

8. Pandora's Lab by Paul Offit

7. Outer Banks Tales to Remember by Charles Harry Whedbee

6. Tudor Women by Alison Plowden

5. The Beaufort Bride by Judith Arnopp

4. The Social Graces by Renee Rosen

3. The Varleigh Medallion by Sylvia Thorpe

2. Fire Island by Jack Whitehouse

1. The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller

Books DNF'ed: 

8. England in the Age of Chivalry and Awful Diseases by Ed West

7. How to Walk a Puma by Peter Allison

6. Panic in Level 4 by Richard Preston

5. The Cholera Years by Charles Rosenberg

4. The Broken Girls by Simone St. James

3. The Girl who Married a Lion by Alexander McCall Smith

2. After Elizabeth by Leanda de Lisle

1. Shadows on the Nile by Kate Furnivall

Tweet

2021 Read My Own Books Challenge

 

/12 books

How do you make a progress bar? 

Challenge Basics: 
Name: Read My Own Damn Books Challenge
Starts: January 1, 2021
Ends: December 31, 2021
Eligible Books: Books you own prior to 2020.
Levels: I'm going to try to read and/or DNF and get rid of 12 books I own.

Why I'm Interested:  

Odds are looking fairly high that I will have another move in store for 2021, and I'm feeling old and achy and like schlepping "just okay" heavy boxes of books up and down three flights of stairs is not something I want to do anymore. So, I don't want to keep a bunch of unread print books on my shelves anymore. It's time to cull the herd.

And as for e-books? Well, I had so many books on my TBR that I didn't read when I was loving those genres and now I'm just not as interested in them anymore. So, I'd like to try to read as many of the books that have been languishing on my list that I'm still interested in reading so I don't miss the boat on them too.

Some books I'm considering: 

Anything on my Own-Unread shelf that I acquired prior to 2021.

At the start of 2021, here's where I stand as far as what books I own and what percentage of them I've read:
 

 

Books Completed:

31. Where the Broken Heart Still Beats by Carolyn Meyer (2020)

30. The Husband Hunters by Anne de Courcy (2020)

29. Horus and the Curse of Everlasting Regret by Hannah Voskuil (2018)

28. The Touchstone by Edith Wharton (2020)

27. The Odd Sisters by Serena Valentino (2019)

26. Mistress of All Evil by Serena Valentino (2017)

25. The Hundred and One Dalmatians by Dodie Smith (2017)

24. Lucy Maud Montgomery Short Stories (2017)

23. The Beast Within by Serena Valentino (2018)

22. Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott (2016)

21. The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas (2018)

20. The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James (2017)

19. An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James (2017)

18. A Trail of Broken Dreams by Barbara Haworth-Attard (2020)

17. Ghost on Black Mountain (2017)

16. Footsteps in the Snow by Carol Matas (2020)

15. The Blizzard of '88 by Mary Cable (2020)

14. Magna Carta by Dan Jones (2015)

13. Codename Celine by Jim Eldridge (2020)

12. In the Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan (2016)

11. Madame de Treymes by Edith Wharton (2020)

10. Miss Cayley's Adventures by Grant Allen (2019)

9. A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr (2020)

8. The Night of the Solstice by L.J. Smith (2016)

7. The Great Plague by Pamela Oldfield (2020)

6. Asleep by Molly Caldwell Crosby (2020)

5. Anne of Cleves by Sarah-Beth Watkins (2020)

4. By Royal Decree by Kate Emerson (2014)
3. All the Stars in the Sky by Megan McDonald (2020)
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson (2020)
1. The White Queen by Philippa Gregory (2018)


Books DNF'ed:

8. A Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (2020)

7. Rabid by Bill Wasik (2020)

6. The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley (2013)

5. The Tea Planter's Wife by Dinah Jefferies (2017)

4. The Mystery of the Clockwork Sparrow by Katherine Woodfine (2018)
3. Black Rabbit Hall by Eve Chase (2017)
2. Vienna Nocturne by Vivien Shotwell (2015)
1. A Rose for Virtue by Norah Lofts (2014)

Tweet