Alex's 2017 Reading Challenges

[Alex]

My reading challenges for 2017 will be:

1) Read at least 24 books (this is less than normal but I'm meant to be studying for a diploma!)
2) As many as possible of these should have been owned before 1 Jan 17
3) Decade challenge - read a book from each decade of the 19th century
4) Read at least 10 books from the lists - Guardian 1000, TES 100 Secondary
5) At least 8 non-fiction books
6) Aim for 3 books released/published in 2017

[Alex]

The Buyer's Remorse

15 may be optimistic, but hey!

Level One (5 TBR books) = List Tickler
1. Conquest (Kydd #12) by Julian Stockwin
2. Betrayal (Kydd #13) by Julian Stockwin
3. Caribbee (Kydd #14) by Julian Stockwin
4. Pasha (Kydd #15) by Julian Stockwin
5. Ramage and the Drum Beat by Dudley Pope

Level Two (10 TBR books) = List Tamer
6. Tyger by Julian Stockwin
7. Ramage and the Freebooters by Dudley Pope
8. Life Class by Pat Barker
9. Under Enemy Colours by Sean Thomas Russell
10. Governor Ramage by Dudley Pope

Level Three (15 TBR books) = Captain of the Shelf
11. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
12. The Children Act by Ian McEwan
13. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
14. The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho
15.

[Alex]

Decade Challenge (Original publication date)

I'm only challenging myself to the nineteenth century:

1800-1809:
1810-1819:
1820-1829:
1830-1839:
1840-1849:
1850-1859:
1860-1869:
1870-1879:
1880-1889:
1890-1899:


but guess I might read a few from the others at some point as well!!

1900-1909:
1910-1919: The Tale of Mr Tod by Beatrix Potter (1912)
1920-1929:
1930-1939:
1940-1949:
1950-1959: Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer (1952)
1960-1969: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)
1970-1979: Governor Ramage RN by Dudley Pope (1973)
1980-1989: The Valkyries by Paulo Coelho (1988)
1990-1999: White Teeth by Zadie Smith (1999)
2000-2009: Under Enemy Colours by Sean Thomas Russell (2007)
2010-2017: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (2015)

[Alex]

Sonia's List Challenge
Read at least 10 books off any of the lists Sonia is so competitive about (TES 100, Guardian, BBC200, etc)

1. White Teeth by Zadie Smith
2. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

[Alex]

Non-Fiction Challenge - The Real McCoy
I'm aiming for 8 non-fiction books. I'm not sure about the format of this particular challenge but lets see how it rolls....

[] NF book with > 500 pages
[] History
[] NF book that became a movie
[] NF about Relationships
[] NF book published this year
[] Religion or Philosophy
[] NF book with a number in the title
[] Biography
[] A funny NF book
[] NF book by a female author
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do and How to Change a "How-To" NF book
[] NF book with a one-word title
[] NF about Nature or Animals
[✔] A NF book set in a different country The Valkyries - apparently this is a true story....
[] Health or Wellness related
[] NF book recommended by a friend
[] Prize winning NF book
[] NF on Minority Studies
[] NF book that scares you
[] Self Improvement or Career Advice
[] A NF about something that happened in the decade you were born
[] NF on a LGBTQIA+ topic
[✔] A NF book with a place in the title Seven Years in Tibet
[] NF related to Current Events
[] Sociology or Psychology
[✔] NF book that takes place in your region Marians on the Mawddach
[] a Memoirs
[] NF book written by an author with your same initials, first or last name
[] Math or Technology
[] A NF book you started but never finished

[Alex]

New Release Challenge 2017
I like the idea of being more up to date with recent stuff, so hey, I'm aiming for 3 books released during 2017:

Level One: Curious: read 1 new release

Level Two: Curiouser: read 3 new releases

Level Three: Most Curious: read 6 new releases
Level Four: You killed the cat: read 12 new releases

[Alex]

Cereal Challenge
Kydd series by Julian Stockwin

Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books/volumes of the same series:
1. Conquest (Kydd #12) by Julian Stockwin
2. Betrayal (Kydd #13) by Julian Stockwin
3. Caribbee (Kydd #14) by Julian Stockwin
4. Pasha (Kydd #15) by Julian Stockwin

Level 2: Pour The Milk: 5-10 books/volumes of the same series
5. Tyger (Kydd #16) by Julian Stockwin
6. Inferno (Kydd #17) by Julian Stockwin
....and that was as far as this series is published up to....mmm!

Level 3: Crunch! Crunch! Crunch!: more than 10 books/volumes in a single series read this year

[sonya]

Best of luck

[Alex]

Cereal Challenge 2
Given that I caught up with the last published book in the Kydd series, I discovered this instead (which will no doubt continue into 2018's challenge....
Peter Grant series by Ben Aaronovitch

Level 1: Grab A Spoon: 3-4 books/volumes of the same series:
1. Rivers of London (Peter Grant #1)
2. Moon Over Soho (Peter Grant #2)
3. Whispers Under Ground (Peter Grant #3)

[Alex]

Alex wrote: New Release Challenge
So the idea of the book being published in 2017 is pretty hard to actually achieve, especially as on principle I don't buy books in hardback! The aim is to read up-to-date stuff, so I've redefined the rules to books published within the last three years (at the time of reading):

✔ Level One: Curious: read 1 new release
✔ Level Two: Curiouser: read 3 new releases
✔ Level Three: Most Curious: read 6 new releases
Level Four: You killed the cat: read 12 new releases

Marians on the Mawddach: An English School's Love Affair with a Welsh Estuary published 2017
The Girl on the Train published 2015, but massive craze in 2017
Anatomy of a Soldier published 2016
Angel of Storms published 2015
Inferno published 2016
Tyger published 2015