Happy 4th of July! And if it’s July 4th, that means that, impossibly enough, we’re halfway through 2014 already. High time for an update on reading challenges–past time, in fact, because I got distracted and forgot to give my usual quarterly update at the end of March! So today I have an update on the first six months of the year in reading.
My goal here was 7-9 books for the official challenge (which only counts YA and Middle Grade), and 12-15 as a personal challenge, to leave some open slots for grown-up retellings.
- Frogged by Vivian Vande Velde (MG)
- Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley (YA)
- Enchanted by Alethea Kontis (YA)
- Hero by Alethea Kontis (YA)
- Half Upon a Time by James Riley (MG)
- Cress by Marissa Meyer (YA)
- Jack the Giant-Killer by Charles de Lint
- Princess of the Wild Swans by Diane Zahler (MG)
As usual, the Once Upon a Time Challenge was a big boost to my fairy tale reading!
TBR List Challenge
I’ve been hoping to read down my personal To Be Read List this year. So far I’ve read 22 books off the list…and added 16! That’s moving the right direction, if not as much as I’d like. Though I did manage to clear two from 2010, and four from 2011, so I feel good about weeding out some old ones.
After all my progress in 2012 and 2013 on series, I turned this year to finishing some duets I had only read half of. I’m listing both books in each duet, with an (R) where I also reread the first one this year.
1) Sophie Hunter Duet by Jenny Davidson: The Explosionist (R) and Invisible Things
2) Dreamhunter Duet by Elizabeth Knox: Dreamhunter (R) and Dreamquake
3) Austenland Duet by Shannon Hale: Austenland and Midnight in Austenland
4) Castle Glower books by Jessica Day George: Tuesdays at the Castle and Wednesdays in the Tower (this is actually the first two of a…trilogy? longer series? but since I read the sequel I’m counting it! And since the next one isn’t out yet, it’s a duet right now)
Historic Fiction Reading Challenge
My goal here is a modest five books, which is good since I’ve only read two so far! Maybe over the summer, while I’m in between other reading challenges…
- Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman (audiobook)
- Call It Courage by Armstrong Sperry
Carl’s “Experiences”
And regarding those “other reading challenges,” I had lots of fun as always with the Science Fiction Experience (Dec-Jan), and the Once Upon a Time Challenge (Mar 21 – Jun 21). All’s quiet through the summer, and then we’ll have the Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge in the fall!
Do you have reading goals for the year? How have they been going for you?
I don’t know how you keep up with so many challenges and goals but looks like you’ll doing really well with all of them. My only on-going challenge I take part in is The Classics Club which I am on target with.
I admire all of you who do these great challenges, and there’s that part of me that wants to participate on occasion, but I can’t imagine I EVER will! lol Can’t put an additional pressure on myself. BUT—you guys get a LOT of reading in when you do this!