2022 CHALLENGES: A look back

I did not take on too many challenges back in January for this year, and that strategy has paid off. Here is an update on what I have accomplished and what is left to do by December 31st.

Challenge #1 “What’s in a Name” was the shortest, requiring only 6 books, and it was finished in August ’22.

Challenge #2 is not going very well. I had decided to read a classic every other month starting in January until December.

So far, I have read Brideshead Revisited, I Capture the Castle, The Wind in the Willows, and am currently reading Leafy Rivers to count for the months of July and August, so I am two books behind. However I am sure I can read two more classics before December 31st.

Challenge #3 Twenty-two Novels in 2022

I finished this one early and am now at 31 novels for this year.

Challenge #4 Twenty-two Nonfction Books in 2022

I also finished this challenge at the beginning of fall. I am currently at 27 non-fiction books for the year, which is surely a record for me.

WHAT SHOULD I READ NEXT?

I decided not to do Non-Fiction in November, as I did last year and am thinking of doing Novellas in November. However, before I take on another challenge, I have to decide what defines a novella and how many would I plan to read?

If you have suggestions, please leave them in the comments box.

THANKS!

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CHALLENGE UPDATE

ONE OF MY 2022 READING CHALLENGES WAS TO READ 22 NOVELS IN 2022

TODAY I updated my Reading Log and filled in titles on my 2022 challenges. To my delight, I discovered I had FINISHED the Novel Challenge to read 22 novels from January to December. Actually, to date I have read 26 novels.

Novels are one of my main passions. At one time in my life, I read ONLY novels.

Here they are in the order I read them:

Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Saenz, the sequel to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe/ Summer by Edith Wharton, which I also used for the “What’s in a Name reading challenge and could have used for the Classics Club / Rez Dogs by Joseph Bruchac, a novel in verse which I read for the Cybil’s judging/ The Awakening of Miss Prim by Natalia Sanmartin Fenollera, a lovely literary love story/ Interior China Town by Charles Yu, which was a book club selection for my Page Turners book club/ The Monk Downstairs by Tim Farrington, which taught me a great deal about Buddhism / The Van Gogh Cafe by Cynthia Rylant, a sweet, gentle story/ The Dependents by Katherine Dion, a contemporary novel/ The Paris Library, based on the brave people who kept the Paris Library open during the occupation of Germany in WWII, told in novel form/ Life and Other Inconveniences by Kristin Higgins, an author I have come to seek out/ The Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Bully, a YA novel and a thriller/ Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh, also used for The Classics Club/ The City We Became by N.K. Jeminsin, my new favorite sci-fi novel and the first in a series I look forward to reading / Fan Girl by Rainbow Rowell, a book that taught me what fan fiction was/ French Braid by Anne Tyler, one of my favorite authors/ Welcome to the School by the Sea by Jenny Colgan, a YA novel about a British boarding school/ The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, also used for The Classics Club and a Third Tuesday Book Club selection / The Children Act by Ian McEwan, first read then watched the film version/ Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson, a thriller that had me holding my breath/ At Least You Have Your Health by Madi Sinha, a women’s novel/ Lost for Words by Stephanie Butland, an audio Book about Books/ Lost Roses by Martha Hall Kelly, the prequel to Lilac Girls, which I read last year/ Book Lovers by Emily Henry, a novel about the publishing industry/ Accordion Crimes by Annie Proulx, the only disappointment on this list/ The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, a novel narrated by a Book/ Arcadia by Lauren Groff about Hippies on a commune in the 70s.

Whew! That’s a lot of fine reading! What a good feeling to have one challenge finished for this year. Stay tuned to find out the total number of novels read in 2022.

Thanks to Evin for my elegant sign off.

OVERLAPPING CHALLENGES UPDATE

Recently in an attempt to lower the number of books on my TBR shelf, I challenged myself to read six books by the end of February; then, a few days later, I saw an interesting challenge to read a title starting with each letter of the alphabet, choosing first from the TBR shelf, then hunting down letters as needed.  There was no time limit for that challenge, just to read all 26 books.  I took on both challenges at once and am proud to report that here it is a week before the month is all gone, and I have one book to read to meet my six book challenge. Also, as soon as I became aware of the “alphabet factor,” I diligently searched my books available at home to start that challenge as well.

So far, I have read All the Missing Girls (from my TBR shelf), a book written backwards; (The) Beekeepers Daughter, which sat on the living room, table  that indicates, “hurry and read–this is due at the library soon”; and, jumping many letters in the alphabet, Morningstar (A book about books) from the same table. All three were enjoyable reads and will be reviewed soon. One more checked-out-book sits on the “to-be-returned” table, a slender volume of letters written by a librarian to books she stacks, titled Dear Fahrenheit 451; it shall be my next attempt and should finish my first challenge.

Is anyone else out there interested in books-about-books? I recently purchased My Life With Bob, Bob being a young girl’s journal, her Book of Books,but I’ll save it for later–I’m looking for a “C,” preferably a book I already own. One of DebNance’s posts on her outstanding blog, Readerbuzz, dealt with “Books About Books,”and it prompted this specialized reading interest and opened a whole new genre for me. Who would like to read through the alphabet with me?  My intentions are to start with titles, then MAYBE move on to authors. Those 26 letters so often arrange things well, don’t they? Let me know if you are working on any challenges just now, and let’s GET BUSY AND READ!