The Book Date : Reading Challenges

I know reading challenges aren't for everyone and I am doing less of them each year. Yet for me...

they do push me to read books I have sitting on the shelf or
to read books that otherwise I might never read.

So for me reading challenges still have some purpose. This year I didn't complete some, I turned off the "must complete" button and that was liberating. While I didn't complete some the journey was still worth it.

Challenges I Completed.

Read the Books You Buy This one helped me focus on what I was buying and what I was leaving on the shelf unread. It has made me more aware. I won't be hosting this challenge in 2018, but I still plan to keep tabs on what I am buying and what I am reading.

Full House Reading Challenge This is the other reading challenge that I hosted in 2017. This one led me to go back and reread Anne of Green Gables and a middle grade book I had been wanting to read for awhile - Soon by Morris Gleitzman. So definitely a win.

Better World Reading Challenge. I took this on into the year, I wasn't certain whether I'd finish but with a little "managing" by reading a few shorter books I made it. And I also cross used some books from other challenges.

A Book Translated. The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend Katarina Bivald
More Than 400 pages The Lake House Kate Morton
A Food Memoir Dinner With Edward. Isabel Vincent
A Collection of Short Stories Artefacts. Rebecca Burns
A book with colour in the title. True Blue Luanne Rice
A book that's more than 100 years old. Anne of Green Gables. L. M. Montgomery
A book you pick based on cover. The Book of Summer Michelle Gable
Set in a place like to visit. The Cafe by the Sea Jenny Colgan - islands Nth Scotland
Based on a fairy tale. Scarlet Marissa Meyer
A National Book Award winner The Round House Louise Erdrich
Takes place in a forest. In a Dark, Dark Wood. Ruth Ware
A romance that takes place during travel. Family Baggage Monica McInerney
A book under 200 pages Bridges: A Daphne White Novel. Maria Murname 194 pages
A banned book A Light in the Attic Shel Silverstein
A non-fiction book about nature Life-Size Guide to NZ Native Ferns
A fantasy novel. Foxmask Juliet Marillier
A book by a person of color. Bring on the Blessings Beverly Jenkins
A book by a female writer. Small Great Things Jodi Picoult
A book of poetry. Dream Work Mary Oliver
A book set in Asia Dragon Springs Rd. Jamie Chang
A book about immigrants Bridge of Scarlet Leaves Kristina McMorris
A book about an historical event. Goodnight From London Jennifer Robson (WW2)
A book with a child narrator Soon Morris Gleitzman
A book translated from another language The Little Breton Bistro. Nina George
A book that has been adapted into a movie A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman

The ones I never would have read with out this challenge are Dinner With Edward, The Round House, In a Dark, Dark Wood, Dream Work, New Zealand Native Ferns and Dragon Spring Road. All of those books were definitely worth reading and broadened out my reading diet.

The Reading Assignment Challenge This one was to read twelve books off my actual in my hand or on my Kindle TBR shelf. It meant reading one book a month and I had to list the books beforehand with one opportunity to change mid way through the year. I completed it and that's 12 books read off my shelf. Excellent!

Challenges I Didn't Quite Make it to the Goal

The Audiobook Challenge I went for the 30+ level but only made 28 books. This fits into the category of still worth doing and being a couple off isn't a loss. As well I discovered the world of podcasts in 2017 and am developing a list of ones I really enjoy. Another point is one audiobook might be 21 hours and another 7 hours. So do you leave off the long audiobooks? No, I don't. Longer books might leave less books listened to, but this year I wanted to savour books and slow down my reading so I am totally happy with my audio listening in 2017.

Challenges I Shouldn't Have Taken On.

Shelf Love Challenge Well I did read 8 of the 12 I set so almost a win. It was about reading those dusty books off the TBR. I think one TBR challenge was enough so I shouldn't have taken this one on.

Bookish Resolutions I made too many goals and lost interest by the end of March. Definitely one I should have left off the list.

Challenges I'll Take Part in Next Year.

I'll be writing up posts for these soon, just ignore them, they are link up posts or where I'll keep a record of what I read. I am going a little differently this year. A mixture of old and new.