2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Can you believe that it is time to wrap up another year? We hope you all had a great year and spent it with some great books. We would love to hear your thoughts on how the year went for you.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?

2. What were your favorite books this year?

3. What were your least favorites?

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

We look forward to hearing your thoughts and starting a brand-new year!

I will get everyone started

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
I have 40 books to go and am planning to do a few readathons so I can hope!

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Shadow Sands, Pandemonium
You Are Not Alone

3. What were your least favorites?
Voices in the Snow
not because it's bad but it's just super creepy and it made me uneasy

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
Verity
5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Pandemonium
6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
I have slowed my reading lots this year so not really Matt Coyle is my only new author
7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
yes

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
I didnt do much of the monthly's this year but will try next year
9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
Serial Reader
10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?
I'd like to see the Every Year challenge come back
11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?
yes come say Hi!
12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!
I will work on making more friends next year

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? My original goal was 80 books then I increased it to 85, 90 and then 101. I have currently read 124 books this year but think it will be 130 by the end of the year

2. What were your favorite books this year? The Case of the Somewhat Mythic Sword, The Witch of Duva, Stepsister, Norse Mythology, The Starless Sea, To Sleep in a Sea of Stars

3. What were your least favorites? The Beast Within, The Secret of Sinbad's Cave, Anna Karenina, The Zodiac Killer

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? Nimona

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? It wasn't really a book, rather the format. In 2020, I started to listen to more audiobooks. I have definitely been converted and they were very useful to get me through some dense classics

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors? There were many authors who I hadn't read before until this year. One that stands out is Christina Dalcher who writes some really good dystopias (she actually liked one of my reviews the other day which was very exciting)

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? Yes. As one of the mods of this group, I enjoy leading and preparing some challenges each year

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? I joined several monthly/quarterly challenges and enjoyed them all.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? I can't pick a favourite. They are so good and I want to take this opportunity to thank my fellow mods for all of their hard work

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? Well, the mods may decide to bring back one or two of YOUR favourite challenges in the future so watch this space...

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? You can visit both. I would prefer that you comment in my personal challenge thread only though please as I use my corner to track several years of reading

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again! Hello everyone :)

I've been here a hot minute but I'll give this a shot :)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?

I didn't set myself a firm goal. I was ecstatic to read anything. So far, I'm at 7 which is 6.5 more than in the last couple years combined. I'll finish the year likely at 8.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

So hard to choose! Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts is probably my best find of the year. I finished it late spring/early summer and it's lingered with me since. I actually look forward to rereading it!

3. What were your least favorites?

Wicked didn't live up to the hype I'd created for it. I enjoyed it for what it is.

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?

Not one I read this year, but I happily help promote my co-worker's series. Traitor Knight, Desperate Knight, and Enchanted Knight. Think Princess Bride with a dragon.

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

The aforementioned Tuesday Mooney, Baking Bad, and Cleo McDougal Regrets Nothing. All were found via Twitter and sounded great based on 240 character tweets.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

Kim M. Watt and Kate Racculia. I'm practically salivating to continue the Beaufort Scales series!

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?

Just joined... yesterday. Stay tuned!

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

See #7

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

See #7

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

::shrug::

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

See #7

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

See #7 ;)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? YES!!!

2. What were your favorite books this year? Here are my favorites.

3. What were your least favorites? Here are my least favorites.

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? The The Silent Patient! This is my most favorite for this year.

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? I don't think so.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors? YES!!! Too many to mention :)

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? No. I don't think I can manage to lead one, lol

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? - It will be my first time to join challenges on 2021.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? - 2021 would be my first time to participate in the challenges, so I'm looking forward to it!

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? - I don't know yet.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? Yes. But for comments and suggestions, I would prefer it to be on my personal folder.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again! Oh YES!!! I made new friends because of the buddy reads!

I love reading all these!

Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? Yes I did. I started with 20, moved it to 30 and now finished almost 40!! :)

2. What were your favorite books this year? Where the Forest Meets the Stars The Krishna Key Walking with Nanak A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea

3. What were your least favorites? The Memory Watcher

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? The Vedas and Upanishads for Children

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Not really.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors? So many new authors and a new genre too, like the The Ocean at the End of the Lane

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? I didnt this year.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? None for 2020.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? Only 1 BR in Dec :)

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? Only joined Goodreads this year, so cant say much.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? Absolutely!!

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? So many!! :) :)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
Yes I started at 45 and increased in to 60.....I’m currently reading #60 and think I’ll finish 2 or 3 more

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Long Flight Home
Come Sundown
Devoted

3. What were your least favorites?
Wicked Appetite
The Last

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
The Long Flight Home

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Not really.....if I don’t get into a book I don’t finish it....the latest wasNormal People
6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Found the Orphan X Thriller Series 2 Books Collection Set By Gregg Hurwitz working my way through the series now

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
I don’t have dedication to the lists for that

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
And again ..no dedication

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
I love the serial reader and listopia challenges
10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?cant think of any

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? Yes would love to see people responding

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again
No friends made😕 prob not diligent enough reading boards

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? Yes! My goal was 120, and I'm at 128 right now

2. What were your favorite books this year? So hard to choose...
Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo (favorite read-aloud to my son)
Things in Jars (favorite audio)
It's hard to compare favorites in such different genres! So here are 4 favorites from 4 genres:
The Turn of the Key
Recursion
The Pillars of the Earth
The Starless Sea

3. What were your least favorites?
All the Birds in the Sky
Gray Mountain (audio)
Rant (audio)
Doctor Zhivago (audio)

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
The Green Mile - I have a love/hate relationship with King but this was great and I think it would appeal to almost everyone, whereas many of my favorites listed above are fairly specific genres

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
The Book of Longings probably, just because as a Christian, it's weird reading a fictionalized account of a love story involving Jesus.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Tana French
Jess Kidd
Ken Follett
Lisa Jewell

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? Yes, good, yes

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? Yes most of them. I always like the search for one color of covers (this year it was Green in April), Wildlife Refuge in September, and Women of the World in Q3.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? I'm quite partial to the TBR Jar

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? Not off the top of my head...

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? I don't mind since I reserve all the posts I'm going to use for tracking first ;)

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again! Yes!

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?

Yes, I reached it a few months ago.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

Here's my 2020 favorite reads list: (I'm not done reading for the year, but I'm pretty sure this is the final list)

FIVE-STAR READS


The Terror by Dan Simmons


Moneyball by Michael Lewis


The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman


The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins

HONORABLE MENTION (4-star reads)

A Little Yellow Dog by Walter Mosley
The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler
World Without End by Ken Follett
Pop. 1280 by Jim Thompson
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
A Murder of Quality by John le Carré
Band of Brothers: E Company, 506th Regiment, 101st Airborne from Normandy to Hitler's Eagle's Nest by Stephen E. Ambrose
A Judgement in Stone by Ruth Rendell
The Howling Man, Perchance to Dream, and Night Ride and Other Journeys all by Charles Beaumont
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy
The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Bad Seed by William March
East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Swag: A Novel by Elmore Leonard
Prizzi's Honor by Richard Condon
Barbarians at the Gate: The Fall of RJR Nabisco by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar
A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Stories by Flannery O'Connor
Joe by Larry Brown
Books of Blood: Volumes One to Three by Clive Barker*
The Way West by A.B. Guthrie Jr.*
Blackout by Connie Willis*

*should finish by end of 2020 - final rating pending

3. What were your least favorites?

WORST BOOK OF THE YEAR:


Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

RUNNERS-UP (2-star ratings)

Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames
The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Hawaiian Nation : Man, Gods, and Nature by Michael Kioni Dudley and Keoni K. Agard

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?


East of Eden by John Steinbeck
This is a literary masterpiece that I would recommend to anyone. (My 4 star rating is just my personal enjoyment and isn't meant to denote any detraction from the literary significance of this extraordinary work)

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain is about a lengthy journey he took to Europe and "the Holy Land" about 150 years ago, and I found myself reading with a tablet nearby so I could study and research all the interesting areas, works of art and architecture, and historical events Twain referenced about which I was ignorant or under-informed.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

New authors to me:
Dan Simmons
Gil Brewer
William Sloane
Yaa Gyasi
Stephen E. Ambrose
Ruth Rendell
Alfred Lansing
William March
Vonda N. McIntyre
Sara Gruen
Flannery O'Connor
Larry Brown
John Helyar
Michael Kioni Dudley
Keoni K. Agard

I also spent time reacquainting myself with Clive Barker and Charles Beaumont, authors who I hadn't read in a while but got to know much better this year.

I wouldn't say I discovered any new genres but I got a new appreciation for horror this year thanks to Charles Beaumont, Clive Barker, Dan Simmons, William March, and William Sloane.

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?

No, N/A, and I don't think so.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

No and no.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

N/A

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

No

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

Yes, anyone is welcome.

2020 Challenge - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

2021 Challenge topic will be posted later this month.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

I did make a few friends in the group this year. Friend requests are always welcome as long as they can honestly and correctly answer my challenge question. ;-)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?

I've read 166 books, so I still have 34 left to reach my goal. Since I've been averaging 15 a month lately, I doubt I will make my goal, but I've picked a few shorter books for this month and still hope to reach it.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Reading While Black: African American Biblical Interpretation as an Exercise in Hope
The Almost Sisters
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

3. What were your least favorites?
Lady Clementine
All I Ask
Auschwitz Lullaby

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
The House in the Cerulean Sea

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Not really. I read a pretty diverse mix of genres

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Grady Hendrix
Joshilyn Jackson
Julia Alvarez
There are more, but those are the first ones I think of.

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
I didn't lead a challenge, but could see myself doing it in the future.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
I joined a lot of the monthly and quarterly challenges, especially in the second half of the year. My favorite quarterly challenge was women of the world, and my favorite monthly was serial slayers (even though I didn't read as much for that challenge as I hoped to).

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

I didn't participate in any. That's my goal for 2021. :-)

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

There was a monthly challenge called branching out a year or two ago that I'd be happy to see again.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

I don't keep a reading corner because I keep everything in my challenge tracking area. Feel free to come visit!

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

I've started to recognize some names but haven't really made friends yet here. Another goal for 2021.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? My goal was 100 books, I'm at 199 today.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
The Tuscan Child, What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, The Book of Lost Names, A Midsummer's Night Dream, Lilac Girls, The Starless Sea, Anne of Green Gables, Kent State, The Heirloom Garden, America's Test Kitchen Twentieth Anniversary TV Show Cookbook: Best-Ever Recipes from the Most Successful Cooking Show on TV, The Good Dream, This Tender Land, Rebel Queen, Christy, The Victory Garden, Spinning Silver, Lila, Above the East China Sea, The Book of Speculation, A Lesson Before Dying, and The Confession Club were my 5 star books.

3. What were your least favorites?
The Bookstore, Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America, Mean and Convenience Store Woman are a few I wish I hadn't wasted my time on.

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
What You Have Heard Is True: A Memoir of Witness and Resistance by Carolyn Forché

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Cozy mysteries! And some new favorite authors: Viola Shipman and Rhys Bowen

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? I didn't, but maybe.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? I'm very new here (just this month).

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? N/A

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? N/A

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? That's fine with me.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? Reached my goal of 200 the 29th of August.

2. What were your favorite books this year? All Clear, Black-Out, Sunny Days: The Children's Television Revolution That Changed America, Dear Edward, A Tale for the Time Being, The Buried Giant

3. What were your least favorites? Cinder, The Brooklyn Leprechaun, Flowers in the Attic -- Not because they were bad books. They just didn't do much for me.

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? Dear Edward

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Not this year.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors? Discovered the authors Kazuo Ishiguro, Caleb Carr, Tana French and Ruth Ozeki when I participated in some buddy reads.

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? I lead several challenges in 2020 and had a blast! I'm leading New Year's Resolutions in January.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? I participated in both monthly and and quarterly challenges in 2020.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite? I can never pick a favorite. I enjoy all of them.

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? If there was one that incorporated biographies, I would like to see it again.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? I sure do. Anyone is welcome to drop in and check out my shelves!

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again! Howdy, y'all :)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
I did! I had a cautious goal of 12 and have read 19 so far.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
My favorite reads of 2020 so far (I have high hopes for some of my December reads...) were my two 5stars: The Fifth Season and The Binding, and an honorable mention for The Ocean at the End of the Lane

3. What were your least favorites?
Beauty Sleep was not the book for me, and I hated (and should probably have DNF’ed) Kieuwen

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
Obviously my favorites under question 2, but also, if you haven’t read The Hobbit, or There and Back Again yet (like me before October), please go read it!

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
Genre-wise not really, but I am currently being stretched by quite possibly the biggest book I have ever read, which is short story collection The Weird: A Compendium of Strange and Dark Stories.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
13 of the 19 books I read were by new to me authors, and several I can’t wait to read from again, like N K Jemisin or Jess Kidd

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
Currently leading my first challenge, which is a lot of fun :)

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
I joined several monthlies and a quarterly. No preference for 2021, I’m excited to see what new challenges are coming!

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
2021 will be my first time doing yearlies.

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?
The ones that I found interesting from 2020 are all coming back, I haven’t looked further back.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?
Sure!

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!
Yes, made a few new friends :)

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
I will finish, yes. I only have 3 more to go, and I'm 3/4 of the way through one of them

2. What were your favorite books this year?
This is a tough one to pick. I read a number of great books this year. But to narrow it down to one I'd have to go with Ta-Nehisi Coates's The Water Dancer.

3. What were your least favorites?
I had two: Murder on Bainbridge Island and The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes by Leonard Goldberg. The latter is the perfect example of a case where a man should not write a female lead character. (And I don't feel that way about all men writing female characters.)

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Girl, Woman, Other. At least for the first half. And if you were to ask me why, now, I wouldn't be able to tell you.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Of the 87 books I have read so far (out of a planned 90), I read 42 "new-to-me" authors. Every year I am amazed at the numbers of authors out there with really great books that I have not read! Link is to my list of authors on my personal page. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group?
I did not.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges? I did not.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
"Serial Reader" - as much as I love reading new-to-me authors, I love falling back on the many series in which I am reading. Another that was not in this group (although I see it is for 2021!) was "just the facts, ma'am". I am a mystery reader and having to spend much of my COVID shutdown four hours away from any family and retired, this one was a sanity saver! Especially when combined with the "Serial Reader"

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?
I always hope that someone has found a great suggestion from my readings.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year?
I did not participate in buddy reads or TBR twins this year, so I did not.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? My goal this year was 100 books so far I have read 83 books
No I will not reach my goal. I am okay with this. I have finished some series that were on my to read list for a long time and have discovered some new favorites.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

Series

1. Gabby Duran by Elise Allen and Daryle Conners, the books are very different from the show the books inspired both are enjoyable by themselves

2. The unicorn quest by Kamilla Benko

3. Nim series by Wendy Orr

4. Upside down magic by Sarah Mlynowski, Lauren Myracle and Emily Jenkins

5. The unbeatable squirrel girl novels by Shannon Hale and Dean Hale

6. Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Stand alones

1. Ivy Aberdeen's letter to the world by Ashley Herring Blake

2. Raising Lumie by Joan Bauer


3. What were your least favorites?

Raised by wolves books 2 and 3 by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
Nim's island by Wendy Orr

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Raised by wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, the plot was too intense and sad for my likeing I prefer happy books

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
I read based on what the book is about not by author.
Scifi I have a few scifi books on my to read list after reading Gabby Duran series by Elise Allen and Daryle Conners

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future? No

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021? Yes, October An Enchanted World and the wildlife refuge

An enchanted world it was so fun reading magical animal books and the wildlife refuge one loved reading books about animals or had animals in them.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?

Surprisingly, yes! Well actually this is what I did during the lockdown... My reading goal was 54 and I am already in 69! In the last days of they year I always manage to add a couple more so it seems it will be a good year

2. What were your favorite books this year?

Oona Out of Order
The House in the Cerulean Sea
Cadáver exquisito
The Memory Police
Lovely War

Among others...

3. What were your least favorites?

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Really let me down... Maybe I was expecting more from all the hype. Regret every minute I spend reading it

The Last Train to Key West

The historical context was interesting and new to me but the story way too predictable...

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?

Imposible... I know that not everyone will like a book. There is not such a thing as "the one" When we talk about books

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

A couple... I gave a try to romance and I even like some of this books!

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

Many new authors! tons of them! the majority women. Also I am reading more international so that really expand my horizons!
You can see either my corner or my Challenge for 2020 for more details
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?

No really. I did it a couple of years ago but nowadays I prefer to take the annual challenge that are quite flexible so I will not feel force to read something.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

I join and finish Let's turn pages... I really enjoy it.
I join the TBR Jar but fail miserably, again. Hopefully will manage in 2021.
I join a quarterly challenge, finished but forgot to post about it (face palm to me)

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

Let's turn pages

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

I really enjoy the Yearly women challenge, I like it the Women of the World and I will like that it become a yearly challenge.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

Yes! Please visit

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

No this year really, some years I am more active in the group than others... Who knows.. Maybe for 2021?

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal? Yes, smashed it this year.

2. What were your favorite books this year?

Words on Fire
Once We Were Brothers
The Final Empire

3. What were your least favorites?

The Black Echo

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?

Once We Were Brothers - this seems really underappreciated to me for such an amazing and emotional story. I loved everything about this book and want more people to love it with me lol

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

Scrublands - loved it!

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

Chris Hammer
Brandon Sanderson

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?

Yes, a few. It was exhausting and I might take a small break from leading next year. Maybe in the second half. It was also fun though.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

Yes. I loved the Pinspiration one.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

A-Z and Popsugar

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

N/A

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

Little comments of motivation in my personal challenge are appreciated.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!

Yes! Through TBR twins. I've continued some series with people I read the first book with.

It is so much fun to read through all of these!

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
I did! I set myself a goal of 50 books, but ended up reading 63. My best reading year since I joined Goodreads.

2. What were your favorite books this year?
Excluding re-reads, my favourites were:
The House in the Cerulean Sea, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry, Gone with the Wind, Oathbringer, The Nickel Boys, and Fevre Dream

3. What were your least favorites?
Yes Please, The Zodiac KillerThe Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, and Mexican Gothic

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone? Anything by Fredrik Backman

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone? Well, reading the MaddAddam trilogy in the middle of a pandemic was not a great choice.

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
Poetry, I never read that before. New and positively surprizing authors for me were Scott Lynch and Stuart Turton

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
I led the yearlies Book Club, Serial Reader, and TBR Jar :) In 2021 I'll be leading Book Club and Genre Bingo.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
I am slightly ashamed to say that, apart from yearlies, I only joined the Goodreads Award challenge in November/December.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
It is too difficult too choose.

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back? -

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area? My personal challenge thread is open for visitors.

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!
Yes!

Ashleigh wrote:

"...3. What were your least favorites?

The Black Echo..."

I don't blame you. I didn't think it was that great either.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
And 2. What were your favorite books this year?

Yes, I attained all of my reading goals! I mentioned several favorites by genres in my recap.
My 2020 on GR - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3731303077

3. What were your least favorites?

The Uninhabitable Earth: Life After Warming by David Wallace-Wells was the worst nonfiction for me in 2020. This was a shame as I agreed with his overall premise, but his presentation and argument styles killed the book for me.
My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3261791767

I vet my reading choices pretty carefully so I didn't have massive fiction flops. But out of the UF genre, I was least enamored by Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series. It had hit my pet peeve button in which the protagonists easily acquire more and more superpowers over time.

4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/2939846323

And Mindf*ck: Cambridge Analytica and the Plot to Break America by Christopher Wylie
My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3115626558

5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?

The Rape of Nanking by Iris Chang
My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3075329135

6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?

Almost every book (except 3 out of 136) I had read in 2020 had been by a new-to-me author. In terms of being completely foreign to me, I just finished Delirium by Laura Restrepo. This was different not only for her writing style but because it had been translated from the original Spanish.
My review - www.Goodreads.com/review/show/3697266099

7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? Would you like to in the future?

No, sorry.

8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?

No.

9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?

I joined the Serial Reader challenge in the middle of 2020. I'm a binge reader at heart so I ended up finishing 82 titles for "Serial Reader " status. I'm participating again this year, thanks!

10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?

I joined GR in late 2019, so I can't say.

11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?

I just started one today for 2021, and the answer is yes!

12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing.

Yes! It also looks like a few existing friends very recently joined this group.

1. Did you (or will you) reach your 2020 reading goal?
- Maybe, but I will reach my 2020 reading goal
2. What were your favorite books this year?
- The lemonade war by Jaqueline Davies. I only read one book because I started in December.
3. What were your least favorites?
- None because I love all books I read.
4. What is one book you would recommend to everyone?
- Sisters by Raina Telgemieir because it is all about Siblings Revelry.
5. Was there a book that made you stretch out of your comfort zone?
- Yes, that was the list of things that will not change is all about Bea finds out her parents are getting divorced when she's 8-years-old. Sitting her down for a "family meeting," her parents tell Bea that she would now be living in two separate apartments and that her dad is gay.
6. Did you discover any new genres or authors?
- Not yet
7. Did you lead a challenge for the group? How was your experience? Would you like to in the future?
- I don't think so because I am not yet proficient in challenges. Maybe...
8. Did you join any of the monthly or quarterly challenges, is there one you would like to see again in 2021?
- Yes, but some challenges.
9. If you participated in any of our yearly challenges, what was your favorite?
- I don't think so but I will participate...
10. Is there a challenge from years past that you would like to see brought back?
- I don't think so.
11. Do you like having visitors in your reading corner or challenge tracking area?
- I don't have. So sorry.
12. Did you make any new friends in the group this year? We hope you will take a minute to go see their corner and see how they are doing. Or just say it was awesome reading with you let’s do it again!
- I don't have. Sure!! I'd love to...