I've been absolutely horrible about completing reading challenges lately.  I still enjoy joining them, however, and planning what I'm going to read to fulfill their requirements.  Who cares if I never actually finish them?  That being said, I'm going to sign up for four this year.  Four!  I know, I'm crazy.  Keep in mind, though, that I'm going into them with a guilt-free, get-to-it-if-I-get-to-it kind of attitude.  I'm in it for fun, not stress.

So, here's what I'm signing up for:


2018 Literary Escapes Challenge—hosted by Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book

For this challenge, you try to read books set in each of the 50 United States, plus Washington, D.C.  You also get points for the different countries you "visit" through your reading.  Points earn prizes at the end of the challenge. 

Since I already keep track of the states I "visit" on the right sidebar of my blog, this one's a no-brainer.  Of course, I've never managed to actually read books from every state, but it's fun to try!

 

Full House Reading Challenge—hosted by The Book Date

For this challenge, you read books from a bingo type board.  Each square has a reading theme like: Number in the Title; Under 250 Pages; Library/Bookshop Setting; etc.  There are 25 spaces in all.  Those who score a "full house" by the end of the challenge are eligible for book/book money prizes.

Fun!  Here's what I'm planning to read:

Mystery/Thriller:  The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
Historical:  I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
Over 500 Pages:  Shift by Hugh Howey
Setting—Library/Bookshop:  Check Me Out by Becca Wilhite
Four Word Title:  Between Earth and Sky by Amanda Skenandore
Last Book Added to TBR Pile:  In Search of Us by Ava Dellaira
A Classic:  Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
Fantasy:  Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi
Coming-of-Age Theme:  A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
Adapted to a Movie:  The Mountains Between Us by Charles Martin
Holiday Season: Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva
Has a Plot Twist:  The Craftsman by Sharon Bolton
Humor:  Drop-Dead Healthy by A.J. Jacobs
Book to Improve Life:  Daring Greatly by Brene Brown
Redemption Theme:  Redemption Road by John Hart
Number in Title:  The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Shiak Chin Yoke
Under 250 Pages:  Left for Dead by Jane Casey
New to You Author From Another Country:  The House Between Tides by Sarah Maine
From Favorite Series:  Rapture of the Deep by L.A. Meyer
Dual Timeline:  Wildflower Hill by Kimberley Freeman
NF Hobby Book:  Dinner Made Easy With Six Sisters' Stuff 
Children's Book: The Unbeatable Squirrel Girl by Shannon Hale
Book Randomly Chosen From TBR:  Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young
Memoir/Autobiography:  My Story by Elizabeth Smart
Reread:  Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling



Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge—hosted by My Reader's Block

This one looks super fun.  You read mystery books that are linked together by "clues" (location, characters, method of murder, etc.).  I'm going to do the "Felony" level, which requires one to read ten linked books.  Since the idea is for one book to lead to another, a reading list will be created as I go.  Exciting!


England Mystery Road Trip—hosted by Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks

I don't know a lot about this one except that it has to do with reading books set in England's different counties.  It starts in February.  I'm so down!

There you have it.  Are you doing any reading challenges in 2018?  Which ones are you most excited about?

Number of books by male authors:  21 (13%)
Number of books by multiple authors, female and male:  5 (3%)
Number of books by LDS authors:  29 (18%)
Number of books read, personal collection:  42 (27%)
Number of books read, review copies:  61 (39%)
Number of books read, borrowed from library:  55 (35%)
Number of reading challenges joined:  2
Number of reading challenges completed:  0

-- My basic stats remain pretty consistent over the years.  I still need to read more non-fiction and more books by male authors.  I did a fairly good job borrowing books from the library this year, but I also read a lot from my own collection, which is great except that I ended up buying more books than I should have.  Oops.  This year I need to focus on reading the books already in my possession. 

-- I'm not going to make any reading/blogging goals this year except to try to stay more caught up on reviews.  I'd also like to meet my goal of reading 200 books this year, or at least beating my all-time record of 186.  Wish me luck!

-- Since I'm waaayyyy behind on reviewing the books I read in 2017, I'm going to be reviewing like crazy over the next couple weeks.  Bear with me as I catch up. 

-- Thanks for hanging with me at BBB in 2017.  I appreciate all the comments, link love, reading recs, and support.  Here's to a fabulous new year of reading and blogging!

-- Just for my records, here's the list of books I read this year (asterisks denote favorites):

158. FREEDOM'S RING BY HEIDI CHIAVAROLI (DEC)

• 157. HEAVEN'S CROOKED FINGER BY HANK EARLY (DEC)
• 156. A GAME FOR ALL THE FAMILY BY SOPHIE HANNAH (DEC)
• 155. YEAR ONE BY NORA ROBERTS (DEC)
• 154. ODD CHILD OUT BY GILLY MACMILLAN (DEC)
• 153. A CHRISTMAS CAROL BY CHARLES DICKENS* [RE-READ] (DEC)
• 152. THE HOUSE ON FOSTER HILL BY JAMIE JO WRIGHT (DEC)
• 151. FAR FROM THE TREE BY ROBIN BENWAY (DEC)
• 150. THIS IS OUR STORY BY ASHLEY ELSTON (DEC)
• 
  
• 149. I'LL KEEP YOU SAFE BY PETER MAY (DEC)
• 148. AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN BY SUSAN MEISSNER (DEC)
• 147. ALMOST SISTERS BY JOSHILYN JACKSON* (NOV)
• 146. THE DISAPPEARANCES BY EMILY BAIN MURPHY* (NOV)
• 145. THE THING WITH FEATHERS BY MCCALL HOYLE (NOV)
• 144. BEFORE I LET YOU GO BY KELLY RIMMER (NOV)
• 143. SILVER PRINCESS BY LEA CARTER (NOV)
• 142. CHRISTMAS AT RUBY'S BY HOLLY SCHINDLER (NOV)
• 141. GIRL IN THE BLUE COAT BY MONICA HESSE (NOV)
• 140. RETRIBUTION RAILS BY ERIN BOWMAN* (NOV)
• 139. THE CROOKED PATH BY IRMA JOUBERT (NOV)
• 138. IT'S ALL RELATIVE BY A.J. JACOBS (NOV)
• 137. INTO THE BRIGHT UNKNOWN BY RAE CARSON* (NOV)
• 136. THE GREAT DIVORCE BY C.S. LEWIS (NOV)
• 135. THE NOBLEMAN'S DAUGHTER BY JEN GEIGLE JOHNSON (NOV)
• 134. THE GREAT ALONE BY KRISTIN HANNAH* (NOV)
• 133. OUR FAMILY CHRISTMAS BY CHRISTIE GARDINER (NOV)
• 132. CHRISTMAS GRACE BY VARIOUS AUTHORS (NOV)
• 131. THE RULES OF MAGIC BY ALICE HOFFMAN (OCT)
• 130. LITTLE HOUSE IN THE BIG WOODS BY LAURA INGALLS WILDER [RE-READ] (OCT)
• 129. LITTLE FIRES EVERYWHERE BY CELESTE NG (OCT)
• 128. REAL FRIENDS BY SHANNON HALE AND LEUYEN PHAM* (OCT)
• 127. MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS BY AGATHA CHRISTIE (OCT)
• 126. DEAR FAHRENHEIT 451 BY ANNIE SPENCE (OCT)
• 125. YOU MAY ALREADY BE A WINNER BY ANN DEE ELLIS* (OCT)
• 124. THE SAFEST LIES BY MEGAN MIRANDA (OCT)
• 123. DYING IN THE WOOL BY FRANCES BRODY (OCT)
• 122. THE PERFECT STRANGER BY MEGAN MIRANDA (OCT)
• 121. ONE BY SARAH CROSSAN (OCT)
• 120. THE CORONER'S DAUGHTER BY ANDREW HUGHES (OCT)
• 119. WISHTREE BY KATHERINE APPLEGATE* (OCT)
• 118. ORPHAN ISLAND BY LAUREL SNYDER (SEP)
• 117. THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY BY MARY ANN SHAFFER AND ANNIE BARROWS (SEP)
• 116. ALL THE MISSING GIRLS BY MEGAN MIRANDA (SEP)
• 115. TO WAGER HER HEART BY TAMERA ALEXANDER (SEP)
• 114. THE CLUE IN THE TREES BY MARGI PREUS (SEP)
• 113. ENCHANTMENT LAKE BY MARGI PREUS (SEP)
• 112. CHILDREN OF EXILE BY MARGARET PETERSON HADDIX (SEP)
• 111. SLIDER BY PETE HAUTMAN (SEP)
• 110. THE CONFUSION OF LANGUAGES BY SIOBHAN FALLON (SEP)
• 109. A TREACHEROUS CURSE BY DEANNA RAYBOURN (SEP)
• 108. MISS LESLIE'S SECRET BY JENNIFER MOORE (SEP)
• 107. THE SHIP BY ANTONIA HONEYWELL (SEP)
• 106. THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN BY ELLEN MARIE WISEMAN (AUG)
• 105. GOOD AS GONE BY AMY GENTRY (AUG)
• 104. MURDER AT THE BRIGHTWELL BY ASHLEY WEAVER (AUG)
• 103. INTO THE LION'S DEN BY LINDA FAIRSTEIN (AUG)
• 102. THE WRITING DESK BY RACHEL HAUCK (AUG)
• 101. THE CHILD FINDER BY RENE DENFELD (AUG)
• 100. THE THIRD DAY, THE FROST BY JOHN MARSDEN (AUG)
• 99. DEAD WOMAN WALKING BY SHARON BOLTON (AUG)
• 98. WOOL BY HUGH HOWEY* (AUG)
• 97. THE DRY BY JANE HARPER (AUG)
• 96. THE LYING GAME BY RUTH WARE (AUG)
• 95. WHAT I LOST BY ALEXANDRA BALLARD (AUG)
• 94. SWEETBRIAR COTTAGE BY DENISE HUNTER (JUL)
• 93. MY BONNY LIGHT HORSEMAN BY L.A. MEYER* (JUL)
• 92. THE SPACE BETWEEN THE STARS BY ANNE CORLETT* (JUL)
• 91. A FRONT PAGE AFFAIR BY RADHA VATSAL (JUL)
• 90. HOW TO HANG A WITCH BY ADRIANA MATHER (JUL)
• 89. UNSEEN ANGEL BY ALISSA PARKER* (JUL)
• 88. MORTAL ARTS BY ANNA LEE HUBER (JUL)
• 87. HE SAID/SHE SAID BY ERIN KELLY (JUL)
• 86. THE BOOKSHOP AT WATER'S END BY PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY (JUL)
• 85. THE ANATOMIST'S WIFE BY ANNA LEE HUBER (JUL)
• 84. ONE OF US IS LYING BY KAREN M. MCMANUS (JUL)
• 83. THE BEST KIND OF MAGIC BY CRYSTAL CESTARI (JUN)
• 82. MORMON GIRL: INCOGNITO BY KARI IROZ* (JUN)
• 81. COLLECTING THE DEAD BY SPENCER KOPE (JUN)
• 80. THE END OF TEMPERANCE DARE BY WENDY WEBB (JUN)
• 79. LOVE ON POINTE BY TIFFANY ODEKIRK (JUN)
• 78. LET THE DEAD SPEAK BY JANE CASEY (JUN)
• 77. FAST FALLS THE NIGHT BY JULIA KELLER (JUN)
• 76. THE EXPLORERS: THE DOOR IN THE ALLEY BY ADRIENNE KRESS (JUN)
• 75. ROMANCING DAPHNE BY SARAH M. EDEN (JUN)
• 74. BEFORE WE WERE YOURS BY LISA WINGATE* (JUN)
• 73. LEMONS BY MELISSA SAVAGE* (JUN)
• 72. YORK BY LAURA RUBY (MAY)
• 71. SNOW IN SUMMER BY JANE YOLEN (MAY)
• 70. THE BOOKSHOP ON THE CORNER BY JENNY COLGAN* (MAY)
• 69. J. GOLDEN KIMBALL: THE REMARKABLE MAN BEHIND THE COLORFUL STORIES BY KATHRYN JENKINS GORDON* (MAY)
• 68. IRRESISTIBLE: THE RISE OF ADDICTIVE TECHNOLOGY AND THE BUSINESS OF KEEPING US HOOKED BY ADAM ALTER (MAY)
• 67. FORGET ME NOT BY ELLIE TERRY (MAY)
• 66. MAKING BOMBS FOR HITLER BY MARSHA FORCHUK SKRYPUCH (MAY)
• 65. WORTH THE WRESTLE BY SHERI L. DEW* (MAY)
• 64. WRONG FOR YOU BY JENNY PROCTOR (MAY)
• 63. INTO THE WATER BY PAULA HAWKINS (MAY)
• 62. PRISONER B-3087 BY ALAN GRATZ (MAY)
• 61. THE SHIMMERING ROAD BY HESTER YOUNG (MAY)
• 60. SENSE & SECOND CHANCES BY BRITTANY LARSEN (MAY)
• 59. ICEBREAKER BY LIAN TANNER (MAY)
• 58. THE ORPHAN'S TALE BY PAM JENOFF (MAY)
• 57. RIDING FREEDOM BY PAM MUÑOZ RYAN (APR)
• 56. THE KNOWING BY SHARON CAMERON* (APR)
• 55. THIS DARK ROAD TO MERCY BY WILEY CASH (APR)
• 54. HIDE AND SEEK BY JANE CASEY (APR)
• 53. BLACKSOULS BY NICOLE CASTROMAN (APR)
• 52. GHOSTSITTER BY SHELLY BROWN (APR)
• 51. BET YOUR LIFE BY JANE CASEY (APR)
• 50. LOVE'S SHADOW BY NICHOLE VAN (APR)
• 49. GLADLY BEYOND BY NICHOLE VAN (APR)
• 48. HOW WE FALL BY JANE CASEY (APR)
• 47. MISS WHITAKER OPENS HER HEART BY JENNIFER MOORE (APR)
• 46. LOVE AT FIRST NOTE BY JENNY PROCTOR (APR)
• 45. HOW I MET YOUR BROTHER BY JANETTE RALLISON (APR)
• 44. DREAMLAND BURNING BY JENNIFER LATHAM (APR)
• 43. AFTER THE FIRE BY JANE CASEY (APR)
• 42. A LAND MORE KIND THAN HOME BY WILEY CASH (APR)
• 41. THE KILL BY JANE CASEY (APR)
• 40. UNDER THE HARROW BY FLYNN BERRY (MAR)
• 39. TWO NIGHTS BY KATHY REICHS (MAR)
• 38. THE STRANGER YOU KNOW BY JANE CASEY (MAR)
• 37. SWEET IS THE WORK BY BREANNA OLAVESON (MAR)
• 36. THE WIDOW'S HOUSE BY CAROL GOODMAN (MAR)
• 35. THE GIRL WHO DRANK THE MOON BY KELLY BARNHILL (MAR)
• 34. THE LAST GIRL BY JANE CASEY (MAR)
• 33. BLACKHEARTS BY NICOLE CASTROMAN (MAR)
• 32. A BRIDGE ACROSS THE OCEAN BY SUSAN MEISSNER (MAR)
• 31. THE PASSION OF DOLSSA BY JULIE BERRY* (MAR)
• 30. THE SERPENT KING BY JEFF ZENTNER (MAR)
• 29. SARAH, PLAIN AND TALL BY PATRICIA MACLACHLAN (MAR)
• 28. A FINE GENTLEMAN BY SARAH M. EDEN (MAR)
• 27. BE HAPPY BY HANK SMITH (MAR)
• 26. OPTIMISTS DIE FIRST BY SUSIN NIELSEN (MAR)
• 25. AT THE PULPIT: 185 YEARS OF DISCOURSES BY LATTER-DAY SAINT WOMEN BY JENNIFER REEDER AND KATE HOLBROOK, EDS. (FEB)
• 24. THE RECKONING BY JANE CASEY (FEB)
• 23. THE TRUTH ABOUT FRAGILE THINGS BY REGINA SIROIS (FEB)
• 22. P.S. I LIKE YOU BY KASIE WEST (FEB)
• 21. THE GHOST ORCHID BY CAROL GOODMAN (FEB)
• 20. THE BURNING BY JANE CASEY (FEB)
• 19. THE WARDEN'S DAUGHTER BY JERRY SPINELLI (FEB)
• 18. HOW THE LIGHT GETS IN BY LOUISE PENNY* (FEB)
• 17. MR. POPPER'S PENGUINS BY RICHARD AND FLORENCE ATWATER (FEB)
• 16. THE DEAD OF THE NIGHT BY JOHN MARSDEN (FEB)
• 15. THE BEAUTIFUL MYSTERY BY LOUISE PENNY* (FEB)
• 14. THE LAKE OF DEAD LANGUAGES BY CAROL GOODMAN (FEB)
• 13. RIVER ROAD BY CAROL GOODMAN (JAN)
• 12. TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN BY JOHN MARSDEN* (JAN)
• 11. THE VISCOUNT OF MAISONS-LAFITTE BY JENNIE GOUTET (JAN)
• 10. KETCHUP CLOUDS BY ANNABEL PITCHER (JAN)
• 9. THE STRANGER GAME BY CYLIN BUSBY (JAN)
• 8. THE EDGE OF THE EARTH BY CHRISTINA SCHWARZ (JAN)
• 7. THE OLD BUZZARD HAD IT COMING BY DONIS CASEY* (JAN)
• 6. MIRROR IN THE SKY BY ADITI KHORANA (JAN)
• 5. SCYTHE BY NEAL SHUSTERMAN (JAN)
• 4. THE MISSING HOURS BY EMMA KAVANAGH (JAN)
• 3. UNTRACEABLE BY LAURA GRIFFIN (JAN)
• 2. THE PERFECT GIRL BY GILLY MACMILLAN (JAN)
• 1. THE FORGETTING BY SHARON CAMERON* (JAN)