Happy 2020!  The start of a new year means looking back at 2019’s reading, to see how I did on my reading challenges.  I read a total 105 books this year, similar to last year, lower than some of my previous, far more reading-extensive years.  Let’s see where those books fell in my reading challenge categories…

Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Host: Doing Dewey
Goal: 12 Nonfiction Books/At least one book for each “century” of the Dewey Decimal system

I completed my goals for this challenge by last October, but I continued reading a handful of nonfiction books in the last quarter of the year.  I far exceeded my goal number, so apparently my total reading is down compared to earlier years, but nonfiction is up.

1. We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (590.73)
2. Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb (158.1)
3. Through Lover’s Lane by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly (813.52)
4. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (571.09)
5. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (028.9)
6. Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim (294.35)
7. The Creative Life by Julia Cameron (818.54)
8. Do Nothing by Siroj Sorajjakool (299.51)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (153.35)
10. It’s Better Than It Looks by Gregg Easterbrook (306.09)
11. Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
12. A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton (387.73)
13. Growing Up Again by Mary Tyler Moore (362.19)
14. The Prodigal Tongue by Lynne Murphy (428.00)
15. 30 Before 30 by Marina Shifrin (650.10)
16. Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin (974.7)
17. Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom (910.40)
18. I’ll Have What She’s Having by Rebecca Harrington (791.43)
19. Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung
20. Living a Life That Matters by Harold S. Kushner (296.36)
21. There Are No Grown-ups by Pamela Druckerman (305.24)
22. Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman (155.23)
23. Rainy Brain, Sunny Brain by Elaine Fox (155.2)
24. Heads in Beds by Jacob Tomsky (647.94)
25. I Know Just What You Mean by Ellen Goodman and Patricia O’Brien (158.25)
26. Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle by David Stashower (823.8)
27. What Was I Thinking? 58 Bad Boyfriend Stories edited by Barbara Davilman and Liz Dubelman (306.70)
28. The Dharma of the Princess Bride by Ethan Nichtern (791.43)

Continue reading “2019 Reading Challenges: Final Results” →

It’s October, and time to check in again on my reading challenges for the year!

Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Host: Doing Dewey
Goal: 12 Nonfiction Books

My ongoing nonfiction reading continues, with a lot of variety in topics.  At my last update, I’d decided to try the “Century Challenge,” reading one book from each century of the Dewey Decimal system.  I only had a few left to hit, and I got all of them in during this last quarter.  So I guess it’s all just a free ride from here for the rest of the year on this one!

1. We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (590.73)
2. Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb (158.1)
3. Through Lover’s Lane by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly (813.52)
4. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (571.09)
5. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (028.9)
6. Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim (294.35)
7. The Creative Life by Julia Cameron (818.54)
8. Do Nothing by Siroj Sorajjakool (299.51)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (153.35)
10. It’s Better Than It Looks by Gregg Easterbrook (306.09)
11. Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
12. A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton (387.73)
13. Growing Up Again by Mary Tyler Moore (362.19)
14. The Prodigal Tongue by Lynne Murphy (428.00)
15. 30 Before 30 by Marina Shifrin (650.10)
16. Primates of Park Avenue by Wednesday Martin (974.7)
17. Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom (910.40)
18. I’ll Have What She’s Having by Rebecca Harrington (791.43)
19. Quit Like a Millionaire by Kristy Shen and Bryce Leung
20. Living a Life That Matters by Harold S. Kushner (296.36)
21. There Are No Grown-ups by Pamela Druckerman (305.24)
22. Learned Optimism by Martin Seligman (155.23)

Continue reading “2019 Reading Challenges: Three-Quarters Update” →

I’m slightly late with this update (on account of I had a new book come out last Friday!)  I’ve made lots of progress somewhat sporadically.  I haven’t been reading with too much purpose, and have done more pick-ups for random books than usual.  So I’ve read some good books, some bad ones, and made progress in some areas.  Here’s the details!  As usual, I’ve grayed out the books from last quarter, and linked to reviews where I have them.

Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Host: Doing Dewey
Goal: 12 Nonfiction Books

I’ve gone past my goal for number of books, and have decided to commit to the Century challenge, trying to read a book from each “century” of the Dewey Decimal System.  I’ve been going at that in a kind of hunt and choose way, going to the relevant aisle of my library and seeing what I can find.  I had a rough time in the 300s…without realizing I had already read Easterman’s book from the 300s…but have made pretty good progress on the lists.  I’m reading a 600 book now, which leaves just 700 and 900 to account for!

1. We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (590.73)
2. Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb (158.1)
3. Through Lover’s Lane by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly (813.52)
4. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (571.09)
5. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (028.9)
6. Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim (294.35)
7. The Creative Life by Julia Cameron (818.54)
8. Do Nothing by Siroj Sorajjakool (299.51)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (153.35)
10. It’s Better Than It Looks by Gregg Easterbrook (306.09)
11. Outer Order, Inner Calm by Gretchen Rubin
12. A Week at the Airport by Alain de Botton (387.73)
13. Growing Up Again by Mary Tyler Moore (362.19)
14. The Prodigal Tongue by Lynne Murphy (428.00)

Continue reading “2019 Reading Challenges: Half-way Update” →

It’s very nearly the end of March, putting us a quarter of the way through 2019 already!  And that means it’s time for a reading challenge update.  I went gentle on the numbers this year, and have made some good progress.

Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Host: Doing Dewey
Goal: 12 Nonfiction Books

I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction in the last few years, and that trend is continuing…I’m already close to my goal number here!  I’ve started casually aiming for the Century challenge, doing at least one book from each 100 block of the Dewey Decimal system, but I’m not claiming to be committed to that ultimate goal just yet.

1. We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee (590.73)
2. Level Up Your Life by Steve Kamb (158.1)
3. Through Lover’s Lane by Elizabeth Rollins Epperly (813.52)
4. Packing for Mars by Mary Roach (571.09)
5. Dear Fahrenheit 451 by Annie Spence (028.9)
6. Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim (294.35)
7. The Creative Life by Julia Cameron (818.54)
8. Do Nothing by Siroj Sorajjakool (299.51)
9. The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron (153.35)

Continue reading “2019 Reading Challenges: First Quarter Update” →

Now that I finished my 2018 challenges update, and my reading round-up, I’m finally ready to be thinking about what I want to read in 2019.  I’m going a little gentler on the number goals, and trying to both play to the strengths of where my reading seems to have gone, and get back to a few areas I realized I missed!

Nonfiction Reading Challenge
Host: Doing Dewey
Goal: 12 Nonfiction Books

This one is playing to my strengths, because I’ve been reading a lot of nonfiction in recent months.  (And may I just say as an aside that teenage me, who read nothing but fiction, would be shocked by this?  But she was stuck reading a lot of nonfiction she didn’t like for school, so…)  I expect this to be largely comprised of spiritual books, since that’s still my primary focus in my nonfiction–but I am rather tempted by the suggestion to read a book from each century of the Dewey Decimal system.  We’ll see how the year goes! Continue reading “2019 Reading Challenges” →