Happy April Fool’s Day!  No tricks here though, I’m here to tell you accurately 🙂 how my reading challenges for the year are going a quarter of the way in.  I was very laid-back about challenges last year, and I’ve been greatly enjoying digging in on challenges this year, after that break.

Newbery Medal Winners
Goal: 15 Newbery Medal Winners, to bring myself to half of the total list
Host: Smiling Shelves

I’ve been making great progress reading these, though I’ve been disappointed more than once by a book.  For now I’m continuing on and hoping to hit some better ones (suggestions welcome!)

1. Number the Stars by Lois Lowry (best of the bunch)
2. The Grey King by Susan Cooper (very disappointing)
3. The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (pretty good)
4. The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli (enjoyable, but unrealistic)
5. Up a Road Slowly by Irene Hunt (the poor man’s L. M. Montgomery)
6. A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (uncertain start but grew on me)

Parallel Universes
Goal: 12 books

I’ve been thoroughly enjoying this one.  Even imperfect books are just so fascinating in how they handle the question of parallel universes and crossing between them.

1. Pivot Point by Kasie West
2. A Thousand Pieces of You by Claudia Gray
3. Parallel by Lauren Miller

Diversity On the Shelf
Host: The Englishist
Goal: 18 books

Just a few months has made it abundantly clear that if I don’t seek out non-white protagonists, they rarely happen.  Depressing, although not surprising.

1. Otherbound by Corrinne Duyvis (Hispanic)
2. Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley (African-American)
3. Stars Above by Marissa Meyer (Asian) (the only chance-met book)
4. Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld (Indian)
5. Written in the Stars by Aisha Saeed (Pakistani)

The Bardathon: Shakespeare Plays
Host: Samantha Lin
Goal: 5 plays read or seen (but ideally, read 5 comedies, read 5 tragedies, and watch 5 movies)

I’ve loved getting back into Mr. Shakespeare’s language, and even though I have a ways to go to reach my ideal goal, I feel like I’m making wonderful progress.  I like the feeling that the Bard and I are getting closer again!

1. Much Ado About Nothing (Joss Whedon production)
2. Comedy of Errors (read)
3. Comedy of Errors (BBC production)
4. Measure for Measure (read)

Carl’s Seasonal “Challenges”: We’re just at the beginning of Once Upon a Time, so I’m signed up and reading fantasy.  I’ll have more to report on this at the next update.

I’m also quite pleased that I’ve been reviewing many of my challenge books (and still plan to review some of the recent, unreviewed ones).  I hate to do these updates and have no information on the blog about the books or what I thought of them!

So far I’m still enjoying these challenges, and feeling good about how they’re impacting my reading.  How has your reading been going for 2016?

It’s the start of spring, and you know what that means–time to return for another year of Once Upon a Time, the fantasy reading “challenge” hosted by Carl over at Stainless Steel Droppings.  This is my favorite reading challenge, one that so perfectly fits my favorite genre–fantasy, with an emphasis on fairy tales!

In keeping with the laid-back nature of this challenge (and the general busy-ness of my life in the last few weeks!) I don’t have particular plans…but I’m sure I’ll find my way into plenty of challenge appropriate books.  I’m reading a fantasy right now and have three more on my stack, so…

I love two-for reads, so I’ll be checking the Newbery list for any fantasies, and if you know of a magic-based parallel universe story (I think it’s been all sci fi so far) or a good fantasy with a non-Caucasian protagonist, let me know!

Are you joining the challenge?  Do you have fairylands you plan to explore? And did I mention I’ve written three fairy tale retellings, if you need ideas? 🙂