2020 Reading Challenges

Tracking my progress with 2020 reading challenges...for what it's worth. 

Book Challenge by Erin 13 - July 1, to October 31, 2020

• 5 points: Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages - Shirley, Susan Scarf Merrell
• 10 points: Read a book that starts with “S” - Sing, Unburied, Sing, Jesmyn Ward
• 10 points: Read a book with a preposition in the title - In Cold Blood, Truman Capote
• 15 points: Read a book that is an odd number edition in a book series - Origin (Robert Langdon #5), Dan Brown
• 20 points: Read a book set in a different country than the one you live - Temples, Tombs & Hieroglyphs: A Popular History of Ancient Egypt, Barbara Mertz
• 20 points: Read a book with a female police officer or detective as a main character - The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins
• 25 points: (selected by Carly) – Read a (fiction or non-fiction) book with an immigrant as a main character The Joy Luck Club, Amy Tan
• 30 points: (selected by Darlene McN.) – Read a book with one of the following words in the title: thing, nothing, anything, something, everything - Something Red, Douglas Nicholas
• 30 points: Since our challenge ends in October – Read an October themed book - A Head Full of Ghosts, Paul Tremblay (eBook)
• 35 points: Read a book with one of the following words in the title: city, town, village, district, county, state, country, kingdom - Lovecraft Country, Matt Ruff

Back to the Classics 2020
Info and sign up at Books and Chocolate

• Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
• Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
• Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing

THE CATEGORIES:

1. 19th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1800 and 1899.
The Legends of Parsifal, Mary Hanford Ford

2. 20th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1900 and 1970. All books in this category must have been published at least 50 years ago. The only exceptions are books that were published posthumously but were written at least 50 years ago. In Cold Blood, Truman Capote

3. Classic by a Woman Author.  The Writing of Fiction, Edith Wharton (eBook)

4. Classic in Translation. Any classic originally written in a novel other than your native language. You may read the book in your native language, or its original language (or a third language for all you polyglots). Modern translations are acceptable, as long as the book was originally published at least 50 years ago. Books in translation are acceptable in all other categories as well.
The Brothers Karamazov, Fyodor Dostoyevsky (eBook)

5. Classic by a Person of Color. Any classic work by a non-white author.  I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings, Maya Angelou

6. A Genre Classic. Any classic novel that falls into a genre category -- fantasy, science fiction, Western, romance, crime, horror, etc. The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde   Changed to The Woman in White, Wilkie Collins

7. Classic with a Person's Name in the Title. First name, last name or both. Examples include Ethan Frome; Emma; Madam Bovary; Anna Karenina; Daniel Deronda; David Copperfield, etc.
Roderick Hudson, Henry James

8. Classic with a Place in the Title. Any classic with the proper name of a place (real or fictional) - a country, region, city, town, village, street, building, etc. Examples include Notre Dame de Paris; Mansfield Park; East of Eden; The Canterbury Tales; Death on the Nile; etc.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Victor Hugo (eBook)

9. Classic with Nature in the Title. A classic with any element of nature in the title (not including animals). Examples include The Magic Mountain; The Grapes of Wrath; The Jungle; A High Wind in Jamaica; Gone With the Wind; Under the Volcano; etc.
The Country of the Pointed Firs, Sarah Orne Jewett (eBook)

10. Classic About a Family. This classic should have multiple members of the same family as principal characters, either from the same generation or multiple different generations. Examples include Sense and Sensibility; Wives and Daughters; The Brothers Karamazov; Fathers and Sons; The Good Earth; Howards End; and The Makioka Sisters.  Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

11. Abandoned Classic. Choose a classic that you started and just never got around to finishing, whether you didn't like it at or just didn't get around to it. Now is the time to give it another try. Villette, Charlotte Bronte or A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens (depends on my mood)

12. Classic Adaptation. Any classic that's been adapted as a movie or TV series. If you like, you can watch the adaptation and include your thoughts in your book review. It's not required but it's always fun to compare.  Emma, Jane Austen Changed to The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

1000 Books Project: Non-Fiction 2020

I host this one at Gather Together and Read - Info and sign up here

Strikethrough = complete

First Quarter (Jan, Feb, March) - The Histories, Herodotus  Reading/Discussion Schedule
Second Quarter (April, May, June) - The Sagas of Icelanders (preface by Jane Smiley)
Third Quarter (July, Aug, Sept) - In Cold Blood, Truman Capote (in honor of Banned Books Week in September.)
Fourth Quarter (Oct, Nov, Dec) - Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee, Dee Brown (in honor of National American Indian Heritage Month in November.)

2020 Read Your (Book) Shelf 
I host this one at Gather Together and Read - Info and sign up here

Book list (left to right, up and down)
Read one book per month (there are three alternates on my list).

Strikethrough = complete

1. The House of Small Shadows, Adam Nevill
2. Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen, Alison Weir
3. Origin, Dan Brown
4. The Book of Strange New Things, Michel Faber
5. The Dinner List, Rebecca Serle
6. You Should Have Known, Jean Hanff Korelitz
7. The Appearance of Annie Van Sinderen, Katherine Howe
8. Temples, Tombs and Hieroglyphs, Barbara Mertz
9. Conversion, Katherine Howe
10. Commonwealth, Ann Patchett
11. Fates and Furies, Lauren Groff
12. American Princess, Stephanie Marie Thornton
13. Beartown, Fredrik Backman
14. The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
15. Within These Lines, Stephanie Morrill

2020 Book to Movie Reading Challenge

I host this one at Gather Together and Read - Info and sign up here

Main LevelFirst One to the Theater: read 4+ books

Additional Levels
Not Ready to Let Go: read at least one (1) book made into a movie or series in 2019
Living in the Past: read at least one (1) book made into a movie in previous years
The Movie Was Better (What!?): watch the movie(s) for the book(s) you read.

Titles I'm considering reading...

Dune, Frank Herbert (November 20, 2020)
News of the World, Paulette Jiles, (December 25, 2020)

Little Women (I saw the film on Christmas 2019)

The Outsider, Stephen King (currently reading)

You Should Have Known, Jean Hanff Korelitz

I Know This Much Is True, Wally Lamb
The Luminaries, Eleanor Catton (BBC limited series, 2020)
Death on the Nile, Agatha Christie (October 9, 2020)
The Woman in the Window, A.J. Finn (May 15, 2020)
The Witcher (Blood of Elves), Andrzej Sapkowski (December 2019)

Books completed:

2020 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

Full challenge info at Take a walk down Gregory Road.

I'm doing the Fortnightly level - 26 books (One category from each topic--you can choose
one wildcard). I've picked out a few books so far (purple categories). Will add more as I go along.

Purple = plan to read
Maroon = have read

Making Stuff Up

A book with the word "maker" in the title
A book featuring a fictional language

A book about crafts or handiwork

A book about lies

Dark Genres

A cult classic book

A dark fantasy book

A gothic horror book - The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

A speculative fiction book

Seconds

A book you find in a second hand store

The second book by an author

A book with a clock or stopwatch on the cover - The Clocks, Agatha Christie

A book about eating

Quick Decisions

A book based solely on the title or cover - Red Queen, Victoria Aveyard

A book you buy on impulse

A book by an author you always read

A book about living with consequences

Birds Of A Feather

A book with a feather or wings on the cover

A book about differences

A book about community

A book about twins

Where We Live

A book about an apartment building

A book with a mansion on the cover

A book about nomads

A book about moving to the country

Careers

A book written by a current/former journalist

A book about doctors/nurses/health care professionals

A book about a teacher

A book about blue collar workers

Body Parts

A book with feet on the cover

A book with "hand" in the title

A book about heads

A book with a nose on the cover

Reading Cliches

A book someone called a "page turner"

A "beach read"

A book by an author "everyone has read"

A "best seller" you've never heard of

Music Genres

A book whose title could be a Country song

A book with "opera" in the title

A book whose cover makes you think about Heavy Metal

A book you think should have a Jazz soundtrack

Recovery

A book about recovering from an accident or illness

A book about dealing with death

A book about a missing person

A book that has been re-issued with a new cover

Next Door

A book with the word "neighbor" in the title

A book with binoculars on the cover

A book by a local author

A book about the creepy old house in the neighborhood

Brought To You By The Letter N

A book with the word "novice" in the title

A book that takes place in a country that begins with N

A book with the word "name" in the title

A book by an author whose name starts with N

Inspirations

A book that inspires you to go for a walk

A book about improving self image

A book about a place you hope to visit this year

A book by or about a person you admire

Diversity

A book by an author from a different culture

A book about gender identity

A folk/fairy tale retelling in a non-western setting

A book about a character with a disability

Check Out Those Lists

A book from NPRs Top 100 Books list

A book from the NY Times Best Sellers list

A book inspired by your shopping list this week

A book from a recommended list you find on the internet - The Underground Railroad, Colson Whitehead
The 100 best books of the 21st century

Singles

A story about a widow or widower

A book with a single word title

A standalone book

A book with a single figure on the cover

Animal Kingdom

An author whose name includes an animal (ie:CATherine)

A non-fiction book about animals

A book with a talking animal

A book with an animal on the cover

Hidden

A book with a mask on the cover

A book written by an author who uses a pseudonym

A book with the word "hidden" in the title

A book about a treasure hunt

TBR Crushers

A book from your bookshelves you have to dust off

A book you've been meaning to read forever

Anything you want

The first book you see on your bookshelf

Shorts

A book less than 100 pages

A book by an author with fewer than 10 letters in their name
A book with character being "towered over" on the cover
A book of short stories

Movie Quotes

I see dead people. - a ghost story

I coulda been a contender. - a book about sports

There's no place like home. - a book about going home

I'm not bad. I'm just drawn that way. - a graphic novel

Places

A book with a place name in the title

A book with a map on the cover

A book set in the mountains

A book about traveling

Selfies

A memoir - The Glass Castle, Jeannette Walls

A book written in first person

A book with a narcissistic character

A self improvement book

How Old?

A book with obsolete technology on the cover

A contemporary book written by an author older than you

A book about your parents' generation

A book written before you were born

Reading Women

A non-fiction book about a famous woman

A book by a woman of color

A book with a kick-ass woman on the cover

A children's book with a strong female lead

*** Wildcards ***

A manga book

A book that includes an ocean journey

A book about geeks

A book about Zodiac signs or astrology

A book that centers around a group of friends - The Secret History, Donna Tartt

Book Jar/Book List Challenge - Randomize Your Reading 2020

I started out last year with this as a personal project, but decided to make it a challenge open to everyone this year. 

I host this one at Gather Together and Read - Info and sign up here

Basically...

Book Jar:

• Draw one book per month (or as often as you like).
• Three draws allowed, in case I'm just not in the mood for that one, or I can't find the book (because I'm living with my mom, the way my library is set up, there are some books I can't get to. lol).

Books read:

1.

2.

3.

Book List:

• Draw one book per month (or as often as you like).
• Three draws allowed, in case I'm just not in the mood for that one, or I can't find the book

Books read:

1.

2.

3.