2014 Reading Challenges

I mentioned in my last post that I plan to attempt reading 100 books this year, but I also think I'll do some more specific challenges too, because, why not? Here they are, with links back to the original challenge where you can read all the rules, and a list of completed titles for each challenge. If I'm going to try to read 100 books this year, I might as well have fun doing it. The links are to my Goodreads reviews.

And in the name of fun, I might as well start of with the Alphabet Soup Challenge. Basically I just need to read a book starting with each letter of the alphabet and since I plan to read a lot more than 26 books, I think I can make this one happen.

COMPLETED: 8/25/14

A: Allegiant by Veronica Roth
B: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
C: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
D: Dreadfully Ever After: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Steve Hockensmith
E: An Education by Lynn Barber
F: The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
G: Graceling by Kristin Cashore
H: How Babies Talk: The Magic and Mystery of Language in the First Three Years of Life by Roberta Golinkoff Michnik and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
I: The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
J: Just One Day by Gayle Forman
K: Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
L: Letter From Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
M: Monster by Walter Dean Myers
N: A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman
O: Once by Morris Gleitzman
P: The Passage by Justin Cronin
Q: Quiet: the Power of Introverts in a World That Won't Stop Talking by Susan Cain
R: The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy With Autism by Naoki Higashida
S: The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
T: Tabloid Love: Looking for Mr. Right In All the Wrong Places, A Memoir by Bridget Harrison
U: The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America by George Packer
V: Valiant by Holly Black
W: Walking Dead, Volume 18: What Comes After by Robert Kirkman
X: Xombies by Walter Greatshell
Y: The Yoga Birth Method: A Step-By-Step Guide for Natural Childbirth by Dorothy Guerra
Z: Zone One by Colson Whitehead



Next we have the Finishing the Series Reading Challenge. This is something I've been bad about in the past, but spent last year somewhat successfully working on, so I'm going to be brave and say I'll finish 3 series this year.

COMPLETED: 5/3/2014

1. Divergent series by Veronica Roth (no, I did not read Four, but I'd argue that's not an essential part of the series)
2. The Ascendance Trilogy by Jennifer A. Nielsen
3. Hush, Hush series by Becca Fitzpatrick
4. Just One Day series by Gayle Forman (I know there's a novella that follows the two books, but I'd also argue this is not an essential part of the series either)
5. Chiveis Trilogy by Bryan Litfin
6. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies series by Seth Grahame-Smith and Steve Hockensmith
7. Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore
8. Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (3rd book expected in 2015)
9. Carter Finally Gets It Trilogy by Brent Crawford
10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy by Laini Taylor
11. Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas (Book 4 expected in 2015)

And finally we have the I Love Library Books Reading Challenge. I almost don't want to do this one because, working in a library, it's so easy to pick up a library book instead of reading the hundreds of books I own but still haven't gotten around to reading yet. Still I'm pretty sure I'll be able to read 50 library books this year no problem, so I'll participate at the "just insert IV" level.

COMPLETED: 9/04/14

1. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
2. The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida
3. The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
4. The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
5. Some Like It Hot by Susan Andersen
6. The Passage by Justin Cronin
7. A Tale Dark & Grimm by Adam Gidwitz
8. How Babies Talk by Roberta Golinkoff Michnik and Kathy Hirsch-Pasek
9. Killing Kennedy by Bill O'Reilly
10. Stupid Fast by Geoff Herbach
11. An Education by Lynn Barber
12. The False Prince by Jennifer A. Nielsen
13. The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen
14. The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Neilsen
15. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
16. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Christina Lamb
17. Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell
18. Xombies by Walter Greatshell
19. Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
20. Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
21. Valiant by Holly Black
22. Graceling by Kristin Cashore
23. Quiet by Susan Gain
24. Flyover Lives by Diane Johnson
25. Fire by Kristin Cashore
26. Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick
27. Just One Day by Gayle Forman
28. Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard
29. The Yoga Birth Method by Dorothy Guerra
30. Walking Dead, Vol. 18 by Robert Kirkman
31. Zone One by Colson Whitehead
32. Just One Year by Gayle Forman
33. The Kingdom by Bryan Litfin
34. Dreadfully Ever After by Steve Hockensmith
35. Lover Revealed by J. R. Ward
36. Grace-Based Parenting by Tim Kimmel
37. The Scorch Trials by James Dashner
38. Orange Is the New Black by Piper Kerman
39. Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
40. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
41. Monster by Walter Dean Myers
42. Mean Moms Rule by Denise Schipani
43. The Unwinding by George Packer
44. The Nesting Place by Myquillyn Smith
45. Developing and Managing Electronic Collections by Peggy Johnson
46. Hollow City by Ransom Riggs
47. A Natural History of the Senses by Diane Ackerman
48. The Journal of Best Practices by David Finch
49. Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
50. Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas
51. Ungifted by Gordon Korman
52. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
53. My Drunk Kitchen by Hannah Hart
54. The Postmistress by Sarah Blake
55. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay
56. The Moon Sisters by Therese Walsh
57. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider
58. Dare Me by Megan Abbott
59. The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
60. The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
61. The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh
62. Where'd You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
63. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
64. One for the Murphys by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
65. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
66. The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas
67. Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
68. The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater
69. The Selection by Kiera Cass
70. The Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
71. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
72. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
73. Step By Step Yoga for Conception, Pregnancy, Birth, and Beyond
74. Anne of Avonlea by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
75. The Elite by Kiera Cass

And in that vein I think I'll do my own challenge to read 50 books I own, but have never gotten around to. Since there will likely be some books that fall into neither category, I will likely only complete one of these challenges this year. I'm pretty sure it won't be this one, but I hope I prove myself wrong.

NOT COMPLETED

1. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
2. Once by Morris Gleitzman
3. Letter From the Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther King, Jr.
4. Lady Day's Diary: The Life of Billie Holiday 1937-1959 by Ken Vail
5. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. As Red As Blood by Salla Simukka
7. Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya
8. Carter Finally Gets It by Brent Crawford (reread)
9. She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
10. Carter's Unfocused One-Track Mind by Brent Crawford
11. Normally This Would Be Cause For Concern by Danielle Fishel
12. Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor
13. Charlie Joe Jackson's Guide to Not Reading by Tommy Greenwald
14. Torn From Troy by Patrick Bowman
15. The Promise in a Kiss by Stephanie Laurens
16. Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
17. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
18. Dave Ramsey's Complete Guide to Money by Dave Ramsey
19. I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
20. Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery (reread)
21. Little Children by Tom Perotta