2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2021
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Lisa's Reading Corner (2021)
***RESERVED SPACE FOR NOTES, REMINDERS & LINKS***
***RESERVED SPACE FOR NOTES, REMINDERS & LINKS***
ARCHIVE:
2017Read in 2017 [48/40] My Year in Books
2017 Personal Challenge
2017 Member's Corner
2018Read in 2018 [30/1] My Year in Books
2018 Personal Challenge
2018 Member's Corner
2019Read in 2019 [20/1] My Year in Books
2019 Personal Challenge
2019 Member's Corner
2020Read in 2020 [/1] My Year in Books
2021 CHALLENGES AT-A-GLANCE:
Personal Challenges:
* Books of 2021
1. My Ultimate Top 100 List
2. Goodreads Choice Awards
3. 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die
4. Reading Around the World
5. Around the Year in 52 Books
Yearly Challenges:
1. Book Club Challenge
2. Clear the Shelves
3. Genre Bingo Challenge
4. Let's Turn Pages
5. Listopia Challenge
6. Popsugar Reading Challenge
Quarterly Challenges:
1. Q1: Best in Show
Monthly Challenges:
1. Marathon Challenge
2. New Year's Resolution
3. There's No Business Like Snow Business
4. One-Word Wonder
5. We All Live in a Yellow Submarine
6. Brain Power
7. It's All in the Mind
8. Riddle Me This
9. Soul Searching
GROUP READS | BUDDY READS | TBR TWINS:
January :
1. January Group Read: Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel)
February :
March :
April :
May :
June :
July :
August :
September :
October :
November :
December :
PERSONAL CHALLENGE #1 - MY ULTIMATE TOP 100 LISTThe objective of this challenge, is to begin catching up on all the books I’ve neglected for, well, the majority of my life.
Even though this has been one of my aims for the longest time, my main issue was always figuring out how to go about it, since there are endless variations of "top-100-books" and "books-to-read-before-you-die" lists.
To solve this problematic, in 2019, I decided to compile my own personal list by comparing the collective wisdom from various reputable sources.
PERSONAL CHALLENGE #2 - GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 2020 Since 2018, it's been a personal challenge of mine to read as many of the "Best books" from the Goodreads Choice Awards as I can. So I'm doing that again this year.
The way I do it, is pretty straight forward: I look through the winners and nominees in all 20 categories, and then pick the books that might interesting me.
Now, ideally, in the spirit of getting out of my comfort zone, I'd read at least one book from each category. However, there are certain categories I'm simply not forcing myself to read from. At the same time, I'll be pushing for a minimum of one book in other areas.
For a few categories, I might already have read the "winner", in which case, I choose from the other nominees. In some cases, the nominees are part of a series, in which case I'll obviously pick up the first book in that series instead.
Books Read:
✔In a Holidaze
PERSONAL CHALLENGE #3 - 1001 BOOKS YOU MUST READ BEFORE YOU DIE Pretty self-explanatory: I'm ticking off the books I read from Boxall's master list and tracking them by year.
2017:
1. Le Petit Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
2. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
3. To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. The Great Gatsby (F. Scott Fitzgerald)
5. Slaughterhouse Five (Kurt Vonnegut Jr.)
6. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
7. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
2018:
8. The Picture of Dorian Gray (Oscar Wilde)
9. Kafka on the Shrore (Haruki Murakami)
2019:
2020:
Progress: 9/1305
PERSONAL CHALLENGE #4 - READING AROUND THE WORLDInspired by writer Ann Morgan's challenge to read a book from every country, this is my attempt to expand my horizons by reading more globally. My personal take to this challenge, however, isn't limited to a single year, but is instead a perpetual goal, as I would like to see how my reading expands and develops through the years.
The sole requirement for this challenge, is that the books be written by authors from the designated country, or take place in said region.
Countries:
PERSONAL CHALLENGE #5 - ATY READING CHALLENGEJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
1. A book related to “In the Beginning...”
2. A book by an author whose name doesn't contain the letters A, T or Y
3. A book related to the lyrics for the song "My Favorite Things" from The Sound of Music
4. A book with a monochromatic cover
5. A book by an author on USA Today's list of 100 Black Novelists You Should Read
6. A love story
7. A book that fits a prompt suggestion that didn't make the final list
8. A book set in a state, province, or country you have never visited
9. A book you associate with a specific season or time of year
10. A book with a female villain or criminal
11. A book to celebrate The Grand Egyptian Museum
12. A book eligible for the Warwick Prize for Women in Translation
14. A book set in a made-up place
15. A book that features siblings as the main characters
16. A book with a building in the title
17. A book with a Muslim character or author
18. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 1
19. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 2
20. 3 books related to "Past, Present, Future" - Book 3
21. A book whose title and author both contain the letter "u"
22. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads
23. A cross genre novel
24. A book about racism or race relations
25. A book set on an island
27. A book with a character who can be found in a deck of cards
28. A book connected to ice
29. A book that you consider comfort reading
30. A long book
31. A book by an author whose career spanned more than 21 years
32. A book whose cover shows more than 2 people
34. A book with a travel theme
35. A book set in a country on or below the Tropic of Cancer
36. A book with six or more words in the title
37. A book from the Are You Well Read in World Literature list
38. A book related to a word given by a random word generator
39. A book involving an immigrant
40. A book with flowers or greenery on the cover
41. A book by a new-to-you BIPOC author
42. A mystery or thriller
43. A book with elements of magic
44. A book whose title contains a negative
45. A book related to a codeword from the NATO Phonetic Alphabet
47. A non-fiction book other than biography, autobiography or memoir
48. A book that might cause someone to react “You read what?!?”
49. A book with an ensemble cast
51. A book whose title refers to person(s) without giving their name
52. A book related to "the end"
YEARLY CHALLENGE #1 - BOOK CLUBJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: Join 1 Group Read, 1 Buddy Read & 1 TBR Twin.
Progress: 1/3
✔ Group Read: Station Eleven
✔ Buddy Read:
✔ TBR Twin:
YEARLY CHALLENGE #2- CLEAR THE SHELVESJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: Read 10 books
Planned books:
Progress: 4/10
YEARLY CHALLENGE #3 - GENRE BINGOJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: Read 10 books / Get 2 bingos
Progress: 2/10
✔ Station Eleven
✔ In a Holidaze
YEARLY CHALLENGE #4 - LET'S TURN PAGESJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: 15,000 pages (=avg. 1,250 pg./month)
Progress: 1,398/15,000
January: 166 + 176 + 354 + 334 + 368 = 1,398
February
March
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:
Pages read total:
YEARLY CHALLENGE #5 - LISTOPIA CHALLENGEJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: Read 10 books (1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die)
Progress:
YEARLY CHALLENGE #6 - POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGEJanuary 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Goal: Complete 20 tasks
Progress:
1. A book that published in 2021
2. An Afrofuturist book
3. A book that has a heart, diamond, club, or spade on the cover
4. A book by an author who shares your zodiac sign
5. A dark academia book
6. A book with a gem, mineral, or rock in the title
7. A book where the main character works at your current or dream job
8. A book that has won the Women’s Prize for Fiction
9. A book with a family tree
10. A bestseller from the 1990s
11. A book about forgetting
12. A book you have seen on someone’s bookshelf (in real life, on a Zoom call, in a TV show, etc.)
13. A locked-room mystery
14. A book set in a restaurant
15. A book with a black-and-white cover
16. A book by an indigenous author
17. A book that has the same title as a song
18. A book about a subject you are passionate about
19. A book that discusses body positivity
20. A book on a Black Lives Matter reading list
21. A genre hybrid
22. A book set mostly or entirely outdoors
23. A book with something broken on the cover
24. A book by a Muslim American author
25. A book that was published anonymously
26. A book with an oxymoron in the title
27. A book about do-overs or fresh starts
28. A magical realism book
29. A book set in multiple countries
30. A book set somewhere you’d like to visit in 2021
31. A book by a blogger, vlogger, YouTube video creator, or other online personality
32. A book whose title starts with “Q,” “X,” or “Z”
33. A book featuring three generations (grandparent, parent, child)
34. A book about a social justice issue
35. A book in a different format than what you normally read (audiobooks, ebooks, graphic novels)
36. A book that has fewer than 1,000 reviews on Amazon or Goodreads
37. A book you think your best friend would like
38. A book about art or an artist
39. A book everyone seems to have read but you
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Advanced Prompts
41. The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list
42. The shortest book (by pages) on your TBR list
43. The book on your TBR list with the prettiest cover
44. The book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover
45. The book that’s been on your TBR list for the longest amount of time
46. A book from your TBR list you meant to read last year but didn’t
47. A book from your TBR list you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing
48. A book from your TBR list chosen at random
49. A DNF book from your TBR list
50. A free book from your TBR list (gifted, borrowed, library)
ATY SUMMER READING CHALLENGE
June 1, 2021 - August 31, 2021
JUNE
1. Start of Summer
a. Read a happy book.
b. Read a book published in June, July, or August.
c. Read a book from one of the following lists:
- Beach Read Royalty Recommends Summer Books
- Readers' Hottest Books of Summer
- Armchair Traveling: Books Set in Every U.S. State
2. June Birthday: Octavia E. Butler
a. Read book whose main character is a Black woman.
b. Read a science fiction book.
c. Read a winner of the Hugo Award.
3. Pride Month
a. Read a book with at least 5 different colors of the rainbow on the cover.
b. Read a book featuring an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (not side character).
c. Read a book written by an author who was nominated for the Lambda Award.
4. Set Sail
a. Read a book that starts with a letter in SAILING.
b. Read a book with a boat on the cover.
c. Read a book that takes place completely on an island.
JULY
1.Halfway There!
a. Read a book with a number in the title.
b. Read a book that is divided into multiple parts (rather than, or in addition to, chapters).
c. Read a book featuring twin characters.
2. July Birthday: Madeline Miller
a. Read a book whose author's initials are found in MADELINE MILLER.
b. Read a retelling of a myth, fable, or fairytale.
c. Read a book nominated for the Women's Prize for Fiction.
3. It's Winter Down South
a. Read a romance book.
b. Read a book with snow on the cover.
c. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in FROSTY THE SNOWMAN.
4. Take a Dip
a. Read a book whose title starts with a letter in OCEAN.
b. Read a book whose author initials can be found in TAKE A DIP.
c. Read a book featured on one of these lists:
- 34 of the Best Beach Reads to Help You Escape
- 2021 Summer Reading List: 48 of the Best Books for Adults, Teens, and Kids
- The Best Beach Reads of Summer 2021
AUGUST
1. Back to School
a. Read a book by an author that is new-to-you.
b. Read a YA book.
c. Read a book often tested on the AP Literature exam, as found on this list
2. August Birthday: John Green
a. Read a contemporary book.
b. Read a stand-alone novel (not part of a series).
c. Read a book nominated for the Printz Award.
3. Summer Reading
a. Read the newest book by a favorite author.
b. Read the next book in a series you've already started.
c. Read a book published in 2021 that you've been looking forward to.
4. Jump on a Plane
a. Read an adventure book.
b. Read a book set in a country you've never visited.
c. Read a book featuring a character that travels to multiple countries.
3rd QUARTER CHALLENGE - GLOBAL GOALS FOR A SUSTAINABLE WORLDJuly 1, 2021 - September 30, 2021
Goal:
Progress:
ATY fall
ATY winter
JANUARY CHALLENGE - MARATHON CHALLENGE January 1 - January 31, 2021
Goal: read 1,000 pages
Progress: 1,398/1,000 COMPLETED!
JANUARY CHALLENGE - NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS January 1 - January 31, 2021
Goal: read 1 book
Progress: CHALLENGE COMPLETED!
1. What is your biggest hope for 2021? Read a book related to that theme.
2. What's your idea of a dream vacation? Read a book related to one activity your dream vacation would involve (camping, reading, hiking, shopping, and so forth).
3. Explore new hobbies. Read a book about a hobby you'd like to start or featuring a character engaging in that hobby.
4. Take the stairs. Read a book related to fitness or featuring a character who exercises or jogs.
5. Go somewhere new. Read a book about or set in a place (country, state, province) you've never visited.
6. Stop procrastinating. Read that book that you meant to read in 2020.
Station Eleven
7. Get artsy. Read a book about or set in a museum, theater, or concert hall or featuring a protagonist involved in the fine arts.
8. Eat healthier. Read a book about cooking, gardening, farming, produce or a fictional character trying to eat healthier.
9. Read a serial novel. A new year's a great time to start a new series or continue with one you've already begun.
10. Be nice to yourself. Pamper yourself by reading a book from your favorite genre or subgenre.
FEBRUARY CHALLENGE - THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE SNOW BUSINESS February 1 - February 28, 2021
Goal: read 2 books
1. Read a book that has snow on the cover or snow in the title.
2. Precipitation: Read a book that has any weather related term in the title.
3. Small: Read a book that has less than 200 pages.
4. Snow is formed of crystals and is a slang term for diamonds. Read a book in which a gem or other mineral can be found in the plot, title, or cover art.
5. Snow is a dessert made of stiffly beaten whites of eggs, sugar, and fruit pulp. Read a book with a dessert on the cover, or read a book in which a dessert is made.
6. Snow is slang for cocaine. Read a book about drugs or drug addiction.
7. White is the color of snow. Read a book that contains white in the cover.
8. To snow someone is to deceive, persuade, or charm glibly. Read a book about a con artist, or read a book about deception.
Progress:
MARCH CHALLENGE - ONE-WORD WONDER March 1 - March 31, 2021
Goal: Choose as many one-word wonders as you would like to read this month.
APRIL CHALLENGE - WE ALL LIVE IN A YELLOW SUBMARINE April 1 - April 30, 2021
1. Mourning - Mexico and Ethiopia: Read a book by an author who has passed away or a book where a main character passes away.
2. Courage - Japan: Read a book you’re intimidated by or a book where a character must exhibit courage to survive.
3. Middle of the compass - China: Read a book that is not the first or the last in a series but somewhere in the middle or a book featuring a middle child/sibling character.
4. The South - The ancient Maya: Read a book from or set in a country in the Southern Hemisphere.
5. Mystery fiction and thrillers - Italy: Read a mystery, thriller or true crime book.
6. Autumn - the Southern Hemisphere is now experiencing fall:Read a book set during the autumn or with the word ‘fall’ in the title.
7. Slow down - Traffic lights: Read a book that you want to savor slowly or where a character has to move slowly.
8. Warning - A yellow penalty card football/soccer: Read a book that you’re not sure you will like or a book where a character is warned about something.
9. Q - International maritime signal yellow flag: Read a book with a Q in the title or author’s name.
JUNE CHALLENGE - BRAIN POWER June 1 - June 30, 2021
The Cerebrum is the largest part of the brain and is composed of the left and right hemispheres. It performs functions like interpreting touch, vision and hearing, as well as language, reasoning, emotions, learning, and fine control of movement.
* Read a book with an emotion or sense in the title
* Read a book set in a school, college or university
* Read a book that has been translated into more than 3 different languages
* Read a book with a character who is blind/has sight problems
* Listen to an audiobook
The Cerebellum is Latin for little brain. It is located under the cerebrum. Its function is to coordinate muscle movements, maintain posture, and balance.
* Read a book where characters take part in a sport/activity that gets their muscles moving
* Read a little book that has fewer than 200 pages
* Read a book that involves a character that searches for balance (in any aspect of life)
* Read a book that has been low on your TBR list
The Brainstem acts as a relay center connecting the cerebrum and cerebellum to the spinal cord. It performs many automatic functions such as breathing, heart rate, body temperature, wake and sleep cycles.
* Read a book that makes your heart race (for any reason)
* Read a book with a temperature related word/image on the cover or in the title
* Read a book that connects to any of our 2021 monthly or quarterly themes
JUNE CHALLENGE - IT'S ALL IN THE MIND June 1 - June 30, 2021
1. A Mind of One's Own: Read a book with an independent/self-reliant character.
2. A Mind of It's Own: Read a book including an animal or machine unresponsive to human will.
3. Of One Mind: Read a book involving an agreement about something.
4. Of Two Minds: Read a book with a character who has mixed feelings or is undecided about something.
5. Out of One's Mind: Read a book with an emotionally overwhelmed or insane character.
6. In One's Mind Eye: Read a sci-fi or fantasy book.
7. Never Mind: Read a book from your TBR that you have been avoiding reading.
8. Bear in Mind: Read a book where a character has to weigh an important decision.
9. Peace of Mind: Read a book about peace
10. A Load Off Your Mind: Read a book for fun
JULY CHALLENGE - RIDDLE ME THIS July 1 - July 31, 2021
Goal: read 2 books
1. Finding the first clue will be a treat. Look for something to eat.
Read a book about food, with food on the cover or where the characters enjoy a good meal.
2. Now that you're fed, go and look for the clue where you lay your head.
Read a book with a dream sequence or where the character has a dream for their life
3. The next place you'll need to look, is the place you can find a book.
Read a book that takes place in a library or bookshop
4. Have you heard the news? The next clue can be found inside your shoes!
Read a book where a characters gets news or where shoes play a prominent role
5. Don't tear the room apart! Just take a look in the stuff of art!
Read a book about an artist or art
6. Look for the clues, but don't get stressed! You'll find another when you get dressed.
Read a book featuring fashion
7. Looking for the missing link? Take a peek at the sink or have a drink.
Read a book where a character is a chef or bartender
8. The next clue can be found on the box with the musical sound.
Read a book about music, a character that listens to music or plays an instrument.
9. Wanting more? Why don't you check the front door?
Read a book that is part of a series.
10. Looking for the final prize? Go where you can look into your own eyes.
Read a book where a character wins something, or sees something that changes their life.
AUGUST CHALLENGE - SOUL SEARCHING August 1 - August 31, 2021
Goal:
1. Heart and soul - without reservation, completely, wholly
Read a book in which a character pursues a goal with their heart and soul or a nonfiction book about how to reach your goals.
2. Soulless - lacking human feelings or emotions.
Read a horror or true crime book
3. Soul food - an ethnic cuisine traditionally prepared by African Americans, particularly associated with the southern United States.
Read a book in which a main character is a cook or a book in which cooking/mealtime plays an important role.
4. Soul mates - people who have feelings of deep or natural affinity for each other.
Read a romance book or a Biography about a famous couple.
5. Soul music - a return to African American musical roots.
Read a book set in Africa or a book about searching for genealogical roots.
6. Weight of the soul - paranormal belief, based on experiments by Duncan MacDougall in 1901, that wrongly found that a human soul weighs 21 grams.
Read a book in the Paranormal genre or a book in which the characters engage in scientific experimentation.
7. Rubber Soul - a Beatles album named by Paul McCartney based on a saying that non-traditional soul music was plastic soul.
Read a book in which somebody pretends to be something or someone they are not or a book set in the 1960's.
8. Soul Man - a movie from 1986.
Read a book that was later made into a movie or a book published in the 1980's.
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Beautiful Fall (other topics)In a Holidaze (other topics)
The Beautiful Fall (other topics)
In a Holidaze (other topics)
In a Holidaze (other topics)
More...
This is where I'll track bookish related stuff, i.e. personal & in-group challenges in 2021.
Please, no comments on this page, thanks.
Be sure to stop by my personal challenge, though. There you'll be able to cheer me on, leave comments, suggestions and recommendations, aswell as, check my thoughts and ratings on the books I read throughout the year.
Thanks for stopping by and happy reading! :)