Steph's Reading Corner - 2019

[Steph]

Setting up a space to track my 2019 progress and challenges I'm participating in.

Note : I am allowing one book to satisfy multiple challenges since I've joined so many :)

[Steph]

January Challenge-
MARATHON CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2019

Message 130
Goal - 6 books

Progress: 8/6 - Challenge Completed!

1. An American Marriage - 5 stars. This was a great book to kick off my 2019 reading. So wonderfully written and very powerful story.
2. After You - 4 stars. Cute read and great follow up to Me Before You.
3. A Man Called Ove - 5 stars. What a heartwarming book! The characters felt like long time friends of mine by the time I finished.
4. Something in the Water - 3 stars. First chapter really grabbed me, but it was slow from there onward until the last 40 pages or so.
5. Why Not Me? - 4 stars. I love Mindy Kaling and enjoyed listening to these stories.
6. Beartown - 5 massive stars. Reading this shortly after A Man Called Ove, I thought I already knew how the writing would be and what type of story I was in for, but I was wrong! Backman knocked this one out of the park with his prose, his tone, everything. Extremely well done. This might be one of my favorites of 2019.
7. Sweetbitter - 2 stars. I was fairly disappointed by this book. I enjoyed listening to the discussion of food and wine, but the rest was all over the place and not very interesting. Bummer.
8. My Not So Perfect Life - 4 stars. Listened to audiobook - light but very entertaining. I enjoyed from start to finish.

[Steph]

Q1 Challenge:
LOOKING BACK AT THE BEST
Duration: January 1, 2019 - March 31, 2019

Message 34
Goal - 4 books from the NPR Best Books of 2018

Progress: 4/4 Challenge complete!

1. An American Marriage 1.4.19
2. Becoming 2.19.19
3. The Immortalists 3.25.19
4. Calypso 3.31.19

[Steph]

Yearly Challenge -
COLOR CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019

Message 62
Goal - All 18

Progress: 9/18

1. White
2. Pink -
3. Red
4. Orange -
5. Yellow
6. Green -
7. Light Blue -
8. Dark Blue -
9. Purple -
10. Brown
11. Black -
12. Metallic -
13. Five Colors
14. Geometric Pattern (Rainbow, Stripes, Polka Dots, Etc.)
15. Ugly Cover -
16. Two or More Colours in Title
17. “Color” in Title
18. Descriptive Word in Title (Rainbow, Stripes, Polka Dots, Etc.)

[Steph]

Yearly Challenge -
POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE 2019
Duration: January 1, 2019 - December 31, 2019

Message 102
Goal - 20

Progress: 14/20

1. A book becoming a movie in 2019 Where'd You Go, Bernadette
2. A book that makes you nostalgic
3. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction) - On the Come Up
4. A book you think should be turned into a movie - Beartown
5. A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads
6. A book with a plant in the title or on the cover - An American Marriage
7. A reread of a favorite book
8. A book about a hobby
9. A book you meant to read in 2018
10. A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title
11. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover
12. A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore
13. A book published posthumously
14. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie
15. A retelling of a classic
16. A book with a question in the title - Why Not Me?
17. A book set on college or university campus - The Dreamers
18. A book about someone with a superpower
19. A book told from multiple POVs - One Day in December
20. A book set in space
21. A book by two female authors
22. A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title - Sweetbitter
23. A book set in Scandinavia - A Man Called Ove
24. A book that takes place in a single day
25. A debut novel - Something in the Water
26. A book that's published in 2019 - The Silent Patient
27. A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature
28. A book recommended by a celebrity you admire -Where the Crawdads Sing
29. A book with LOVE in the title
30. A book featuring an amateur detective
31. A book about a family - The Immortalists
32. A book author from Asia, Africa, or South America
33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title
34. A book that includes a wedding
35. A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter
36. A ghost story
37. A book with a two-word title - After You
38. A novel based on a true story
39. A book revolving around a puzzle or game
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge

Advanced

41. A "cli-fi" (climate fiction) book
42. A "choose-your-own-adventure" book
43. An "own voices" book
44. Read a book during the season it is set in
45. A LitRPG book
46. A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters
47. Two books that share the same title
48. Two books that share the same title
49. A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom
50. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent

[Steph]

Yearly Challenge-
THE TBR JAR CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019

Message 44
Goal - 12 books

Progress: 0/12

1. The Nest
2. The Great Alone
3. City on Fire
4. 11/22/63
5. What We Lose
6. The Wonder
7. The Female Persuasion
8. Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
9. Circe
10. Homegoing
11. Salt: A World History
12. A History of Loneliness

[Steph]

February Challenge-
CELEBRATING THE BLUES
Duration: February 1 - February 28, 2019

Message 13
Goal - 4 books

Progress: 4/4 COMPLETE!

1. Blue ribbon winner! Read an award-winning book or a book that centers around a contest. Still Me - Goodreads 2018 winner. 3 stars. I liked this book but I honestly can't believe it won the best fiction book of 2018. I don't think this series really needed to be a trilogy and I thought this was the weakest of the three.

2. "The cure for anything is saltwater: sweat, tears, or the sea." Read a book about an activity that makes you sweat, brings about tears (happy or sad), or takes place at or on the sea.

3. "Everyday I have the blues." The Blues genre of music has been influential around the globe since its origins. Read a book about music or written by a musician.

4. Fly a Blue Flag. Read a book that takes place primarily in a country that has blue in its flag. One Day in December - takes place in UK. 4 stars. Really enjoyed this story, was a fun holiday read.

5. "Roses are red, violets are blue..." Read a book of love poems or a book with flowers on the cover. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - flowers on the cover. 3 stars. Enjoyed because it was different than what I normally read, but I didn't think the plot was that gripping and it was a slow read for me.

6. Japanese Indigo plants create a beautiful blue dye and are used in a process called "blueing." Read a book by a Japanese author or a book about fashion.

7. "Keep Calm and Carry Read On." Blue has been associated with serenity. Read a book with a cover or subject matter that relaxes you. Becoming - Blue calming cover. WOW 5 stars. I love Michelle Obama and am in awe of her as a human and as a story teller. Fantastic work.

8. "Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue." Read a book about a wedding or that relates to any of these "somethings."

[Steph]

March Challenge-
LOOK TO THE STARS
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2019

Message 13
Goal - 4 books

Progress: 4/4 - Challenge Complete!

1. Shining Stars: Read a biography or fictionalized story about or by a star in any field (e.g., acting, sports, music, etc.). On the Come Up - 5 stars. Absolutely loved this book.

2. What's Your Sign?: Read a story inspired by the astrology or that relates to one of the signs of the zodiac in some way (feel free to get creative!).

3. Star's Selection: Choose a book that has been selected by a celebrity for their book club. The Immortalists - Emma Roberts book club pick. 4 stars ( I think rounded up from 3.75). I really liked the concept of this book. I think some parts were slow (specifically Daniel) but I enjoyed it overall.

4. Stars of the Night Sky: Read a book that takes place in space or is about astronomy.

5. Starry-Eyed: Read a story about a person who is infatuated or awestruck with another person. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - her obsession with the musician. 4 stars. I've heard a lot about this book over the past year but still didn't know what to expect. It was definitely darker than I thought based on what I'd heard, but I absolutely loved it. I thought it was extremely clever and heartwarming and loved Eleanor's character.

6. Wish Upon a Star: Read a story about a dreamer or a wish-come-true. The Dreamers - 3 stars (maybe 3.5). Was really into this book for the whole time until the end. I think it fell flat within the last 30 pages.

7. Follow the North Star: Read a story of a person navigating their way to freedom or journeying through the wilderness.

8. Seeing Stars: Read a story about a person overcoming a serious injury or illness

[Steph]

Q2 Challenge:
GLOBETROTTER
Duration - April 1 2019 to June 30, 2019

Message #34
Goal - 6 books

Progress: 4/6


1. Wanderlust: Read a travelogue.
2. Diaspora: Read a book where the protagonist is living away from their homeland. The Age of Light
3. Exophony: Read a book by an author writing in a language other than their native language.
4. See The World Through Another's Eyes: Read a book that features interracial relations.
5. Walk in Another's Shoes: Read a memoir by an author whose ethnicity differs from your own.
6. Global Capitalism: Read a book about a multinational business enterprise or the effects of globalization.
7. Other Worlds in Other Words: Read a translated work of literary or genre fiction.
8. Fictionalized History: Read a historical fiction about a culture you're unfamiliar with. Pachinko
9. Borderlines: Read a book about social, cultural, geopolitical, or other boundaries.
10. Flaneuse: Read a book about strolling or exploring a place on foot.
11. Transnational or Transcultural Adoption: Read a story about an adoption that occurred across national or cultural lines.
12. Transcontinental Cruising: Read a book that takes place in more than one continent.
13. Multi-linguist: Read a book that that includes text written in two or more languages (not translated).
14. World Traveler: Read a book that takes place in a country that you have not lived in or traveled to before. The Night Tiger
15. Global Reader: Choose a book written by an author from a country other than your own.
16. Home Away From Home: Read a book that takes place in an area you have visited more than once. Where the Crawdads Sing
17. Minority Voices: Read a story by an author who is an ethnic minority in the country where they reside.
18. Traversing the Terrains: Read a story that takes place on a terrain that is different than ones you are most familiar with.
19 & 20. Our Little Corner of the World: Read 2 or more books that take place in countries that border each other (one book per country).
21. I Am Here: Read a story that takes place in a state with limited recognition.

[Steph]

May Challenge:
YOUR TBR BLOCKBUSTERS
Duration - May 1 2019 to May 31, 2019

Message #24
Goal - 3 books

Progress: 1/3

1. Pachinko
2. The Great Alone
3. Homegoing