Sam With a Plan - 2017

[Sam]

COMPLETED CHALLENGES: 43/52
PARTIALLY COMPLETED CHALLENGES: 2/52
TITLES READ: 66

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016
Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice - ★★★☆☆ - Review

2. A book with at least 2 perspectives
An Ember in the Ashes - ★★★☆☆ - Review

3. A book you meant to read in 2016
Music of the Ghosts - ★★★★☆ - Review

4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E"
Idaho - ★★★☆☆ - Review

5. A historical fiction
The Women in the Castle - ★★★★☆ - Review

6. A book being released as a movie in 2017
The Glass Castle - ★★★☆☆ - Review

7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title
Miss Jane - ★★★★★ - Review

The Bear and the Nightingale - ★★★★★ - Review

8. A book written by a person of color
The Underground Railroad - ★★★☆☆ - Review

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance - ★★★★☆ - Review

9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list
Dead Letters - ★★★★☆ - Review

10. A dual-timeline novel
Life After Life - ★★★★★ - Review

11. A category from another challenge - I used Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge from 2016: "the highest rated on your TBR"
Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me - ★★★★★ - Review

12. A book based on a myth
Bright Air Black: A Novel - ★★★★★ - Review

American Gods - ★★★☆☆ - Review

13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors
recommended by Celeste Ng
Sing, Unburied, Sing - ★★★★★ - Review

14. A book with a strong female character
Daughter of Smoke & Bone - ★★★★☆

Jane Eyre - ★★★★★

15. A book written or set in Scandinavia
Beartown - ★★★★★ - Review

16. A mystery
The Woman in the Window - ★★★★☆ - Review

Our Little Secret - ★★★☆☆

17. A book with illustrations
A Monster Calls - ★★★★★ - Review

The Witches - ★★★★☆ - Review

18. A really long book (600+ pages)
Alexander Hamilton - ★★★★★

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - ★★★★★ - Review

Anna Karenina - ★★★★☆

19. A New York Times best-seller

Red Sparrow - ★★★☆☆

21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read
A God in Ruins - ★★★★★ - Review

22. A book by an author you haven't read before
4321 - ★★★★☆ - Review

Americanah - ★★★☆☆ - Review

23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list
Watership Down - ★★★★★

25. A book about a famous historical figure
SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome - ★★★★☆

26. An adventure book
Child 44 - ★★★☆☆

27. A book by one of your favorite authors
The Good People - ★★★★☆

28. A non-fiction
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir - ★★★★☆ - Review

Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body - ★★★★★ - Review

29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses
A Darker Shade of Magic - ★★★☆☆ - Review

31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre (Realistic Fiction within Fiction)
The Namesake - ★★★★★

The Secret History - ★★★★★ - Review

33. A magical realism novel
The House of the Spirits - ★★★★☆

The Immortalists - ★★★★☆ - Review

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao - ★★★★☆

35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty
Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII - ★★★★☆ - Review

Elizabeth I - ★★★★☆

37. A book you choose randomly

City of Thieves - ★★★★★

The Golden House - ★★★★☆

38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature
The Wrath & the Dawn - inspired by The Arabian Nights: Tales of 1001 Nights, Volume 1 - ★★★☆☆

New Boy - inspired by Othello - ★★★★☆ - Review

39. An epistolary fiction
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian - ★★★★☆

40. A book published in 2017
Quiet Until the Thaw: A Novel - ★★★★☆ - Review

The Girl in the Tower - ★★★★★ - Review

The Book of Dust - ★★★★☆

41. A book with an unreliable narrator

Atonement - ★★★★☆

44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next"
A Tale for the Time Being - ★★★★★

45. A book with a one-word title
Room - ★★★☆☆

Green - ★★☆☆☆

46. A time travel novel
A Wrinkle in Time - ★★★★☆

11/22/63 -★★★☆☆

47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link)
I chose "An Agatha Christie book "
Death on the Nile - ★★★☆☆

48. A banned book - W/E 12/3/17
His Dark Materials - ★★★★☆

49. A book from someone else's bookshelf
Libra - ★★★★☆

50. A Penguin Modern Classic
The Waves - ★★★★☆

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - ★★★★☆

51. A collection
The Refugees - ★★★★☆ - Review

A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments - ★★★★☆

52. A book set in a fictional location
The Lord of the Rings - ★★★★★

[Sam]

Challenge Reads in Completion Order

[Sam]

January 2017 - December 2017

1. A book from the Goodreads Choice Awards 2016 - W/E 1/8/17 - ✔

2. A book with at least 2 perspectives - W/E 1/15/17 - ✔

3. A book you meant to read in 2016 - W/E 1/22/17 - ✔

4. A title that doesn't contain the letter "E" - W/E 1/29/17 - ✔

5. A historical fiction - W/E 2/5/17 - ✔

6. A book being released as a movie in 2017 - W/E 2/12/17 - ✔

7. A book with an animal on the cover or in the title - W/E 2/19/17 - ✔

8. A book written by a person of color - W/E 2/26/17 - ✔

9. A book in the middle of your To Be Read list - W/E 3/5/17 -✔

10. A dual-timeline novel - W/E 3/12/17 - ✔

11. A category from another challenge - W/E 3/19/17 - ✔

12. A book based on a myth - W/E 3/26/17 - ✔

13. A book recommended by one of your favorite authors - W/E 4/2/17 - ✔

14. A book with a strong female character - W/E 4/9/17 - ✔

15. A book written or set in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Iceland) - W/E 4/16/17 - ✔

16. A mystery - W/E 4/23/17 - ✔

17. A book with illustrations - W/E 4/30/17 - ✔

18. A really long book (600+ pages) - W/E 5/7/17 - ✔

19. A New York Times best-seller - W/E 5/14/17 - ✔

20. A book that you've owned for a while but haven't gotten around to reading - W/E 5/21/17

A Gentleman in Moscow

21. A book that is a continuation of a book you've already read - W/E 5/28/17 - ✔

22. A book by an author you haven't read before - W/E 6/4/17 - ✔

23. A book from the BBC "The Big Read" list (link) - W/E 6/11/17 - PARTIAL

new read: I Capture the Castle

24. A book written by at least two authors - W/E 6/18/17

My Lady Jane

25. A book about a famous historical figure - W/E 6/25/17 - ✔

26. An adventure book - W/E 7/2/17 - ✔

27. A book by one of your favorite authors - W/E 7/9/17 - ✔

28. A non-fiction - W/E 7/16/17 - ✔

29. A book published outside the 4 major publishing houses (Simon & Schuster; HarperCollins; Penguin Random House; Hachette Livre) - check all the editions - W/E 7/23/17 - ✔

30. A book from Goodreads Top 100 YA Books - W/E 7/30/17

Fangirl

31. A book from a sub-genre of your favorite genre - W/E 8/6/17
I'd ultimately go with Realistic Fiction within Fiction - PARTIAL

first read: All the Ugly and Wonderful Things

32. A book with a long title (5+ words, excluding subtitle) - W/E 8/13/17 - ✔

33. A magical realism novel - W/E 8/20/17 - ✔

34. A book set in or by an author from the Southern Hemisphere - W/E 8/27/17

The Luminaries

35. A book where one of the main characters is royalty - W/E 9/3/17 - ✔

36. A Hugo Award winner or nominee (link) - W/E 9/10/17

Uprooted

37. A book you choose randomly - W/E 9/17/17 - ✔

38. A novel inspired by a work of classic literature - W/E 9/24/17 - ✔

39. An epistolary fiction - W/E 10/1/17 - ✔

40. A book published in 2017 - W/E 10/8/17 - ✔

41. A book with an unreliable narrator - W/E 10/15/17 - ✔

42. A best book of the 21st century (so far) - W/E 10/22/17

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay

43. A book with a chilling atmosphere (scary, unsettling, cold) - W/E 10/29/17

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

44. A recommendation from "What Should I Read Next" - W/E 11/5/17 - ✔

45. A book with a one-word title - W/E 11/12/17 - ✔

46. A time travel novel - W/E 11/19/17 - ✔

47. A past suggestion that didn't win (link) - W/E 11/26/17 - ✔

48. A banned book - W/E 12/3/17 - ✔

49. A book from someone else's bookshelf - W/E 12/10/17 - ✔

50. A Penguin Modern Classic - any edition - W/E 12/17/17 - ✔

51. A collection (e.g. essays, short stories, poetry, plays) - W/E 12/24/17 - ✔

52. A book set in a fictional location - W/E 12/31/17 - ✔

[Sam]

Challenge Overview

[Katie]

I love that you used a topic from the 2016 challenge as your topic from another challenge. That's such a good idea. I may consider that.

[Sam]

Katie wrote: "I love that you used a topic from the 2016 challenge as your topic from another challenge. That's such a good idea. I may consider that."

In all honesty, it didn't even occur to me to look at other reading challenges on Goodreads or elsewhere (which seems fairly obvious so a big "duh" moment to me), which would have also been fun. But since I didn't do this challenge last year, there were plenty of interesting ideas to choose from, so it all worked out!

[Zaz]

Welcome! For the weeks, we've scheduled to start them on Monday and finish on Sunday (except for week 1 that will be Sunday to Sunday as it's a +1 year).

I'm glad I'll have company to discuss Strange&Norrell. I loved the tv show so I'm looking forward to try it :)

[Sam]

Thanks, Zaz for the heads up: I didn't see any specific info about week start/end, so assumed it was the standard calendar week. Fortunately I'm only a day off. I'll fix my w/e dates for the second half of the year, and then revise the previous dates to keep everything consistent.

And it'll be great to discuss Strange & Norrell!!! There's so much to chew on there. Hopefully we inspire more people to add it to challenge #18

[Sam]

Manda wrote: "Sam wrote: "Thanks, Zaz for the heads up: I didn't see any specific info about week start/end, so assumed it was the standard calendar week. Fortunately I'm only a day off. I'll fix my w/e dates fo..."

Fantastic, Manda! I will be mindful of hiding spoilers in discussion for you and others with it in future challenge weeks.

[Peter]

Three of my favourite books from this year are on your list: Morning Star, A Darker Shade of Magic, and 11/22/63.

Morning Star was just so intense and was a huge roller coaster of a ride with twists and turns every chapter. A Darker Shade of Magic was a real surprise as I went in expecting not to enjoy it as much as I did, but I ended up really liking it and have book two on my list for next year. And 11/22/63 was just so detailed and just woven together so well, it was just a really great story.

I hope you enjoy them!

[Sam]

Peter wrote: "Three of my favourite books from this year are on your list: Morning Star, A Darker Shade of Magic, and 11/22/63.

Morning Star was just so intense a..."

Peter, I give full credit to you for me discovery Morning Star and its full trilogy. I wasn't feeling very inspired by many of the bestsellers from this year, until I saw your rec and excitement for Iron Gold in your own 2017 plan. So thanks for already letting me know about a great series to discover!

[Peter]

Sam wrote: "Peter wrote: "Three of my favourite books from this year are on your list: Morning Star, A Darker Shade of Magic, and 11/22/63.

Morning Star was jus..."

Uh oh....now the pressure is on! I hope they stand up to my praise once you've finished reading them. I found the series improved with each book.

[Marina]

I had to take a look at your list also. Great choices!

I've read many of Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's books the last two years. She's a talented writer, and I really want to re-read her books at some point. I hope you'll enjoy Americanah.

I've been wanting to start His Dark Materials the last couple of years, but I always end up loosing interest, so this time I won't plan on reading them, and maybe that will make me want to give the series a chance.

[Sam]

Marina H wrote: "I had to take a look at your list also. Great choices!

I've read many of Chimamanda Ngozie Adichie's books the last two years. She's a talented writer, and I really want to re-read her book at som..."


:-) Thanks, Marina! It's a consistent problem: too many fantastic reading options, too little time...

I loved His Dark Materials as a teenager, but I haven't re-read the series as an adult. I'm hoping I still appreciate the storytelling but pick up a bit more of the Paradise Lost elements I may have missed the first time round.

[Marina]

I know what you mean. That's also one of the reasons I'm not good at planning what to read and especially not a year ahead. I keep finding new great books to read and I enjoy it much more when I'm reading after what I feel like reading here and now and not because I have to read something to complete a challenge.

I read City of Thieves almost 5 years ago. I have it on my shelves at home. I have a feeling it might be worth a re-read.

My husband is a fan of Bernard Cornwell and has most of his books. I read The Last Kingdom from the Saxon stories, but wasn't entirely impressed. But I think I should give him another chance, so maybe I should try The Winter King.

[Rita]

We do have a lot of common books in our lists. :D

I thoroughly recommend Uprooted. It is an amazing book and one of my very favourite reads this year. I read The House of the Spirits many years ago but I remember that it was an incredibly powerful book and I absolutely loved it, so there's at least two books here I'd recommend you bump up your priority list for 2017. I also rather liked Daughter of Smoke & Bone and Morning Star was an incredible conclusion to the Red Rising trilogy. I liked Fangirl but I actually expected it to be different than it ended up being: I expected more fandom stuff and less... coming of age novel?

[Sam]

Peter wrote: "Sam wrote: "Peter wrote: "Three of my favourite books from this year are on your list: Morning Star, A Darker Shade of Magic, and 11/22/63.

Morning ..."

Peter, I had to swap out Morning Star on my 2017 challenge because I read it and Golden Son this weekend. I loved this trilogy on the whole, so thank you so much for the recommendation!!

And Xeyra you were 100% right, there was no way I could save Morning Star for 2017 after getting left with the mother of all cliffhangers at the end of Golden Son.

I flopped 11/22/63 to May to fill in the bestseller place I had had Morning Star in, and for the January slot of titles without an "e", I filled in with Idaho, a forthcoming novel getting great reads from my friends and people I follow on Goodreads.

[Marta]

What a great list! I read a lot on your list this year, and reading some next year, like Six of Crows, The Underground Railroad, The Glass Castle, The House of the Spirits.

You have some really good ones there, I loved all these: Part time Indian, Fangirl, Kindred, Devil in the White City, Americanah.

[Peter]

Sam wrote: "Peter wrote: "Sam wrote: "Peter wrote: "Three of my favourite books from this year are on your list: Morning Star, A Darker Shade of Magic, and 11/22/63 is due out sometime in 2017.

I also really enjoyed 11/22/63. It was just a really great story.

[Peter]

Not sure what happened to my latest comment....

Meant to say that I'm glad you enjoyed the series. If you're looking for more by Pierce Brown, he is writing a new series concerning the aftermath of the events in the Red Rising trilogy. The first book, Iron Gold, is due out sometime in 2017.

I also really enjoyed 11/22/63. It was just a really good story.

[Sam]

Peter wrote: "Not sure what happened to my latest comment....

Meant to say that I'm glad you enjoyed the series. If you're looking for more by Pierce Brown, he is writing a new series concerning the aftermath o..."

I am on the lookout for Iron Gold, thanks, Peter!!

Marta wrote: "What a great list! I read a lot on your list this year, and reading some next year, like Six of Crows, The Underground Railroad, The Glass Castle, The House of the Spirits.

You have some really go..."

Oh great, will be happy to compare notes with you Marta on some of these!

[Sam]

Making a few changes to January reads - have a vacation and know I'll want to do e and paperback instead of hardcover, and two of my selections I own in HC.

So excited to get started!

[MJ]

I was about to read through your list but then got stuck on the part where you've never read Stephen King. Wow!

And Child 44 put me to pieces. The story hit me close to home given that some of my family came from that. I want to read more from that author.

Good luck with the challenge! This year was my first year doing one and it introduced me to many great books I would not have picked up otherwise!

[Marina]

I haven't read any Stephen King books either....

Sam, Neil Gaiman is a new favorite author of mine. I'm planning on reading more of his books in 2017, one of them American Gods. If you find time you should read The Ocean at the End of the Lane or even better listen to the audiobook narrated by Gaiman himself. It's an amazing book.

[Sam]

Marina H wrote: "I haven't read any Stephen King books either....

MJ wrote: "I was about to read through your list but then got stuck on the part where you've never read Stephen King. Wow!"

Yeah, it's a little strange even to me, but I guess I always associated him with horror/mystery/thriller books growing up, which I wasn't drawn to when I first started to choose my own books and still only lightly dabble in as an adult, not realizing that two of my favorite movies from childhood and adolescence were based on his books (Stand By Me and The Shawshank Redemption).

So I'm excited to correct that and start with 11/22/63, which seems very much up my alley, and hopefully branch into more of his realistic/fantasy/sci-fi backlist if I like it.

Marina H wrote: "Sam, Neil Gaiman is a new favorite author of mine. I'm planning on reading more of his books in 2017, one of them American Gods. If you find time..."

Thanks for the rec, Marina! Adding it to my list. I think I will have time for other reads outside the challenge: I have apparently according to Goodreads read 40 books between October and now, so doing the 52 over a year should work out ok :-) which is a big relief, and I can add on other titles depending on how long each book is I'm reading per week!

[Sophie]

Great list Sam, I'm looking forward to discussing books with you! I'm also reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone, A Darker Shade of Magic and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.

I re-read His Dark Materials last year after loving this series as a kid and wasn't disappointed. Some parts were a bit childlish, but I picked up so much more from this story!

Marina H wrote: "I haven't read any Stephen King books either....

Sam, Neil Gaiman is a new favorite author of mine. I'm planning on reading more of his books in 2017, one of them American Gods. If you find time y..."

Marina, I love seeing you recommending Gaiman's audiobook in almost every topic, I don't feel alone fangirling over his voice hihi

[Sam]

Sophie wrote: "Great list Sam, I'm looking forward to discussing books with you! I'm also reading Daughter of Smoke & Bone, A Darker Shade of Magic and [book:One Flew Over the Cucko..."

Awesome, I'm so happy to be sharing reads with you! And I'm glad His Dark Materials held up for you as and adult: I am definitely banking on picking up some of the darker issues/ideas that may have gone over my head the first time round.

[Marina]

I can't help it, Sophie... that audio book just blew me away! But I need to stop now. No more recommending it... I sound like a 15 year old with a crush on a 20 year old blushing and giggling every time I hear his name! And I hate to say it, but it's been a few years since I was 15..

[Sam]

Katie wrote: "Great choices, Sam!

I hope the Martin book does get published next year as my sister is also waiting for it! I've heard it's taken him so long because he's written the final book as well, which is..."

Thanks, Katie! Heading over to check out your challenge list as well.

Strange & Norrell is a re-read for me (was too chicken to pick a new book as my 600 pg+ behemoth read, plus I try to re-read this once year as it's one of my all-time favorites). But if I manage to finish it in say 3-4 days, I just might try and start something new I haven't read before.

And if you are right about Martin and the double book publishing, I will be the happiest person alive!!

[MJ]

Katie wrote: ":) That's what my sister tells me she heard (I don't read the books myself), so I hope for your sake and hers it's true! She's eagerly awaiting the next instalment too!

I'm going to pick an audiob..."

I read that too, the other day. I have the as-yet-unreleased JRRM slotted in as my "book I meant to read in 2016". :)

[Sophie]

Marina H wrote: "I can't help it, Sophie... that audio book just blew me away! But I need to stop now. No more recommending it... I sound like a 15 year old with a crush on a 20 year old blushing and giggling every..."

I'm exactly the same! If you need to talk about him don't hesitate to PM me hahaha

[Anna]

Hi Sam!
You have such a great list! We have loads of books in common for next year: An Ember in the Ashes, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The House of the Spirits, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, The Wrath & the Dawn, Atonement.
Some of the books on your list I have read, either this year, for the AtY challenge, or earlier, and really liked, such as My Lady Jane, A Darker Shade of Magic, Fangirl, Uprooted, His Dark Materials, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, Six of Crows.
I read His Dark Materials as an adult ("buddy read" with my daughters) and loved them.

[Sam]

Anna wrote: "Hi Sam!
You have such a great list! We have loads of books in common for next year: An Ember in the Ashes, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, The House of the Spirits, The Brief Wondrous Life..."

That's awesome, Anna, so glad we share so many common reads to chat about! And I'm glad I have some good new picks that you've read before! Thank you!

[Sam]

I'm not totally sure where to add info on completed books: should it be a separate post? For now, I've given my star rating and link to my review next to the book in the according quarterly list. Amy thoughts on how best to add reviews and ratings,, and where to do it?

[Marina]

I write a short update in a new post with just a few thoughts when I've read a new bok and I link to my review. I also add my rating on my overall plan in the first post. I did it another way last year I think so, you just find a way that suits you :-)

[Sam]

Marina H wrote: "I write a short update in a new post with just a few thoughts when I've read a new bok and I link to my review. I also add my rating on my overall plan in the first post. I did it another way last ..."

Thanks, Marina! I might adopt your approach, maybe every five books do a little roundup post.

[Marina]

Last year I and several others did something similar to your suggestion. We did a monthly wrap-up post. It worked well I think... or it work for me the first months but then I forgot and it seemed a bit silly making an October wrap-up well into November.

[Sophie]

Also did monthly wrap-up last year and stopped in November, so this year I decided to post each time a finish a book. It helps for discussion! If you only edit your first post, people don't see it.

[Jody]

I did monthly wrap-ups for a while too, I really enjoyed them, but I forgot for the final few months. I think I'll go back to them this year though!

[Sam]

That's really helpful, thanks for the advice!

[Sam]

Also, I really intended to go in order, and did for the first two weeks but went faster than I intended. My Week 3 choice I actually want to read in Week 3 since it's set in Cambodia and I'll be in Cambodia, so I may jump and read another week's pick this week. Funny to me that I'm already going off the reservation!

[Sam]

I'm off to a faster start with overall reading for 2018 and this challenge than I anticipated. I think I am going to add in a monthly side challenge to add 1 new nonfiction title per month to my reading collection. Reads from my picks for this challenge will count, but it's really to push myself to better set the ratio between my fiction and nonfiction reading.

Nonfiction Challenge - Monthly Nonfiction Reads

JANUARY - Challenge: 1 Read: 6
Completed Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me, The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir, All Over the Place: Adventures in Travel, True Love, and Petty Theft, The Glass Castle, Guidebook to Relative Strangers: Journeys into Race, Motherhood, and HistoryYoung and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII



FEBRUARY - Challenge: 1 Read: 3
Completed Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again: Essays and Arguments, How to Be a Muslim: An American Story



MARCH - Challenge: 1 Read: 2
Completed Alexander Hamilton, My Life with Bob: Flawed Heroine Keeps Book of Books, Plot Ensues



APRIL Challenge: 1, Read: 1
Completed Down City: A Daughter's Story of Love, Memory, and Murder
To Read All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation,
Between the World and Me



MAY
Completed
To Read The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America, Traveling with Ghosts: A Memoir

JUNE
Completed
To Read SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome, Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

JULY
Completed
To Read

AUGUST
Completed
To Read We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families

SEPTEMBER
Completed
To Read Elizabeth I

OCTOBER
Completed
To Read In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette

NOVEMBER
Completed
To Read

DECEMBER
Completed
To Read

[Sam]

Swapped out my 14 challenge so I'm going to read A Monster Calls instead of The Invention of Hugo Cabret - I've just seen so many rave reviews of A Monster Calls (many from people in this challenge!) that I absolutely must read this as soon as possible.

[Samantha]

Wow, you are making huge strides in your plan! I was also planning on reading Ember in the Ashes as a side project this year but I may reconsider seeing all the mixed reviews.

[Sam]

Samantha wrote: "Wow, you are making huge strides in your plan! I was also planning on reading Ember in the Ashes as a side project this year but I may reconsider seeing all the mixed reviews."

Yeah reading has really taken over my life lately, but I'm kind of letting it happen since I'm sure in other months I'll read more or less depending on circumstances.

I'd say An Ember in the Ashes is a solid side read choice, if it does interest you I'd say go for it. There are books I get cranky I wasted my time on, but this wasn't one of them. And I do think I'll end up reading the sequel, it's just not like I am desperate to find out what happens next, which is ideally how you should feel in a series.

[Sam]

Katie wrote: "You're doing so well, Sam! I also LOVE your non-fiction challenge :) I'm planning to read a non-fiction book every few weeks as well. I think it is important to vary your reading between fiction an..."

Thanks, Katie! And I completely agree with you about the expansiveness nonfiction provides, and the importance of both fiction and nonfiction to increase empathy or learn something new or generally broaden your horizons as you stated. I think if I target 1 a month, that's a solid baseline and months where I'm reading more in general I will up my nonfiction percentage.

[Sam]

JANUARY WRAP UP

Total Reads: 38
ATY Titles Read: 14
ATY Categories Completed: 10
Nonfiction Challenge Reads: 6

January Completed Categories: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 28
January Partially Completed Categories: 12, 35, 51

January Reads & Ratings:

Eligible: A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice - ★★★☆☆
An Ember in the Ashes - ★★★☆☆
Music of the Ghosts - ★★★★☆
Idaho - ★★★☆☆
The Women in the Castle - ★★★★☆
The Glass Castle - ★★★☆☆
The Bear and the Nightingale - ★★★★★
Miss Jane - ★★★★★
Dead Letters - ★★★★☆
Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me - ★★★★★
Bright Air Black: A Novel - ★★★★★
The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir - ★★★★☆
Young and Damned and Fair: The Life of Catherine Howard, Fifth Wife of King Henry VIII - ★★★★☆
The Refugees - ★★★★☆



Favorite ATY Jan Fiction: The Bear and the Nightingale and Bright Air Black
Favorite ATY Jan Nonfiction: Insomniac City: New York, Oliver, and Me and The Best We Could Do: An Illustrated Memoir
Favorite Side Read Jan Fiction: Lincoln in the Bardo and City of Saints & Thieves
Favorite Side Read Jan Nonfiction: N/A (side reads in nonfiction I didn't care for as much as my ATY nonfiction selections)

I had a great January for overall reading and starting out the ATY Challenge. I did mostly read in order (finished #s 1-7, 9, and 11) plus picked up some later categories a bit early, and partially completed three topics in which I'm reading two or more books. I'm much further ahead than I thought I'd be, which is nice as I'm sure in future months I'll read fewer titles or more slowly. I've added in a few more re-read/new read splits and dual reads: I'm now hoping to hit a total of 60 books for the challenge.

I also added a total monthly nonfiction challenge to better diversify my reading experiences, hoping to read 1 per month, and was able to read 6 this month, 3 of which I loved or really liked, so that feels like a positive first step for this mini monthly challenge.

[Sam]

FEBRUARY GOALS

Total Books to Read: 20
ATY Titles to Read: 10
ATY Categories to Complete: 6
Nonfiction Challenge Goal: 1
Total Books to Read: 15

Most Looking Forward To / Feb Priority ATY Reads: The Underground Railroad, Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance, Life After Life, and A Monster Calls.

I'm slowing down my targeted pace for February in total and ATY reads and trying to thoroughly enjoy the process. I'll also participate in the group read for All the Light We Cannot See.

[Marina]

Wow Sam, you are insane... 38 books in a month!! How do you find the time?
But great way to start the year. I look forward to hear your opinion of A Monster Calls. I thought it was amazing!

[Sam]

This month was an aberration I think: I've never read so many books in a month! But I'm helped overall by:

-being able to read really fast (can read and retain a medium length book, 300 pages or so, in 2-3 hrs)

-having a 2 hr 40 min round trip commute to get reading done

-having a vacation in the month of January so had plenty of time to read when I wanted and had two, 24 hr flights to get through 8 books alone

January also is high because I went through a somewhat tumultuous end of 2016 personally, and reading and diving into books was one of the activities that most brought me solace and catharsis. So I kind of embraced the totally crazy level and amount of books and just went with it. But that pace is completely unsustainable long term, and indeed wasn't intentional.

But I can feel much more like myself now, and do see my levels returning down to a more normal level and reading slightly less than a book a day for February, so I've adjusted my goals to that new level.