I was feeling quite ambitious at the start of the year and signed up for five challenges. This post summarizes how I fared. Unfortunately, I am behind in posting reviews and so did not quite meet that commitment for each of these challenges. Any missing reviews will be posted in the near future.
I knew before 2020 was over that I wanted to take part in a historical fiction challenge, and so when I saw mention of the 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Marg, the The Intrepid Reader I knew I had to jump on board. As with many of my other challenges, this one was quite broad in the types of books I could read for it, which is always good for a mood reader like me. I signed up to do the Victorian level which meant reading five (5) historical fiction books, but changed it mid-year to the Medieval level, committing to read fifteen (15) historical fiction books. Here is my list of the books I read for the challenge:
1. The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
2. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder (#1) by T.A. Willberg
3. The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris
4. The Arrangement (Plainclothes Tootsie #1) by M. Ravenel
6. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba (Cuba Saga #4) by Chanel Cleeton
8. Swimming Back to Trout River by Linda Rui Feng
11. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
13. The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown*
14. Down a Dark River (Inspector Corravan #1 by Karen Odden*
15. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson*
I also took part in the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae of Book'd Out. I enjoy nonfiction, but sometimes need a little extra push to read it. I signed up for the Nonfiction Nibbler level and planned to read six (6) nonfiction books over the course of the year. I admit it was a bit of a struggle , especially as a mood reader who found it easier to pick up a fiction book to read. I am slowly making my way through one book in particular I had hoped to read for this challenge before the end of the year but have a feeling I will be carrying it into the new year with me. I was still able to fit another one in though just in time.
1. Becoming by Michelle Obama*
2. Written in Bone: Hidden Stories in What We Leave Behind by Sue Black*
3. I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel*
4. The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown*
5. Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson*
I upped the ante a bit with the 2021 Poetry Challenge hosted by Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit this year with a goal to read three (3) books of poetry, which I raised to seven (7) mid-year. Although it isn't a part of the challenge, I also was hoping to put my subscription to Poetry Magazine to use by sharing about some of the stand out poems I discovered there. I did not quite manage the second part, but I feel satisfied with the books I did read. What I read:
1. What Mothers Withhold by Elizabeth Kropf
2. Passiflora by Kathy Davis
3. From the Inside: The Inner Soul of a Young Poet by Thanvi Voruganti
5. Anything That Happens by Cheryl Wilder
This year's Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge (COYER) hosted by Michelle and Berls of Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life was a year long challenge, although divided into seasons and also included a community component.
The Winter COYER Challenge (January & February) followed the more strict COYER rules: for books to count toward the challenge, they had to be in electronic format (e-books or audiobooks). Books read had to be free or nearly free. This included review books and books under $2 (audiobooks under $5). My goal was to read four (4) books for Winter COYER:
1. One by One by Ruth Ware
2. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder (#1) by T.A. Willberg
3. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
4. A Glimmer of Death (#1) by Valerie Wilson Wesley
5. The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris
6 The Wedding Date (The Wedding Date #1) by Jasmine Guillory
7. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
The Spring COYER Challenge (March - June) had similar rules to the Winter COYER, only not only did e-books and audiobooks count, but also physical books. My goal was to read twelve (12) books for Spring COYER:
1. The Gilded Ones (Deathless #1) by Namina Forna
2. The Arrangement (Plainclothes Tootsie #1) by M. Ravenel
3. The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville
6. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba (Cuba Saga #4) by Chanel Cleeton
8. Shadowed Steel (Heirs of Chicagoland #3) by Chloe Neill
9. Angel of the Overpass (Ghost Roads #3) by Seanan McGuire
10. Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
The Summer COYER Challenge (July through September) took a more relaxed, anything goes approach. I decided against making a numeric goal this time around and instead decided to give myself plenty of wiggle room and not set any hard and fast rules. My plan was to continue clearing out some of the books on my e-reader, including ARCs, catch up on a couple of favorite series, and read at least three nonfiction books. Mostly, I wanted to have fun with my reading. In the end I did not read any nonfiction books sadly, but I did fit in some ARC and series reading. That has to count for something, right?
1. Death at the Crystal Palace (Kat Holloway Below Stairs #5) by Jennifer Ashley*
2. I'd Rather Be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life by Anne Bogel*
10. The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
The Fall COYER Challenge (October through December) brought a tightening of the rules--but just a bit. Format and price did not matter but the books had to fall into the Scavenger Hunt List categories (unlimited books per category). My goal was to read five books that met the scavenger hunt list requirements. I think I did well with this one.
1. A Spindle Splintered (Fractured Fables #1) by Alix E. Harrow* ~ 7. Retells a fairytale or 19. a book by an author I previously gave 5 stars
3. Cackle by Rachel Harrison* ~ 22. One word title
4. The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows #6) by Kim Harrison* ~ 28. Strong female protagonist
5. The Real Valkyrie: The Hidden History of Viking Warrior Women by Nancy Marie Brown ~ 17. Nonfiction
6. Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Mrs. Claus #1) by Liz Ireland ~ 6. Christmas theme
7. Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 4 by Kamome Shrahama & Stephen Kohler, translator* ~ 10. Manga
8. Down a Dark River (Inspector Corravan #1 by Karen Odden* ~ 15. book with a male protagonist
I added the Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge hosted by Carol of Carol's Notebook at the last minute because I had to sign up for a mystery challenge if I was participating in reading challenges for the year. I took on the Amateur Sleuth level, reading between 5 to 15 mysteries and upped the stakes mid-year to the Detective level, to read between 16 to 25 mysteries. I liked that the challenge allowed for a broad range of subgenres.
1. One by One by Ruth Ware
2. Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder (#1) by T.A. Willberg
3. Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano
4.A Glimmer of Death (#1) by Valerie Wilson Wesley
5. The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris
6. The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins
7. The Arrangement (Plainclothes Tootsie #1) by M. Ravenel
8. Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie's Kitchen Mystery #1) by Mia P. Manansala
10. Black Water Sister by Zen Cho
14. Death at the Crystal Palace (Kat Holloway Below Stairs #5) by Jennifer Ashley*
18. Every Which Way But Dead (The Hollows #3) by Kim Harrison*
19. A Fistful of Charms (The Hollows #4) by Kim Harrison*
20. For a Few Demons More (The Hollows #5) by Kim Harrison*
21. The Outlaw Demon Wails (The Hollows #6) by Kim Harrison*
23. In the Company of Witches (Evenfall Witches B&B #1) by Auralee Wallace*
24. Mrs. Claus and the Santaland Slayings (Mrs. Claus #1) by Liz Ireland*
25. Down a Dark River (Inspector Corravan #1) by Karen Odden*
Did you have any reading goals this year? What reading challenges did you take on? How did you fare?
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