2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE: Monthly Challenges
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July - Turn On, Turn In, Space Out
Sunny wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Oh, quick question! Can we use comics/manga/graphic novels for this challenge? Might have a few on my shelf that I still need to read lol."If it's listed here at Goodreads you may ..."
Awesome! Thanks!
Update to msg #52. Scifi: [book:Empty Hearts|43151759
Progress: 2/10
Sunny, thanks so much for running such a participant-friendly challenge! Love the alphabetized participant list(s) and your letting us know when you'll update! 💝
oshizu wrote: "Update to msg #52. Scifi: [book:Empty Hearts|43151759
Progress: 2/10
Sunny, thanks so much for running such a participant-friendly challenge! Love the alphabetized participant list(s) and your ..."
You're welcome! 😊
I enjoy keeping up with everyone's progress and playing around with the posts!
Your leader looked over her lists for reading this month and discovered she had managed some over-ambitiousness and taken on more reading than she could possibly accomplish in 31 days. She must have drank too much Diet Mt Dew the day she made her lists! Anyways, she dropped the 2 fantasy books she'd planned and is sticking with her Sci-Fi.I've updated thru Msg #54
12 on launch pad
9 launches
Books read: 17/96
Next update will be Weds.
Updated msg 14Just completed my first book - A Soldier and a Liar by Caitlin Lochner. Solid YA sci fi! I wish the author had handled a gender queer issue better. But I enjoyed the overall premise. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading! 3.5 stars
1/2
Update to msg #35(Sunny, it says that I'm #32 in the summary post but I believe my original message is #35. Sorry for any confusion.)
Progress: 1/2
Fantasy:
Stealing Thunder ✅
Updated msg 43. Fantasy (high fantasy): Edgedancer
4. Scifi (space opera): Revenant Gun
Progress: 4/10
Thank you, Sunny!
I've updated thru Msg #648 on launch pad
13 launches
Books read: 26/96
Next update will be Sat.
Let's say 3!1. The Restaurant at the End of the Universe by Douglas Adams (I started but never quite finished this a while ago)
2. Artemis by Andy Weir (I read the first couple chapters in an airport ages ago and quite enjoyed it)
3. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (I stopped halfway through this about 14 months ago)
Have added some additional ones I may sub in/add:
4. The Time Machine by H.G. Wells (I'm also halfway through this - bit of a theme of finishing the unfinished? Technically this is the same world but it's thousands of years into the future so I'm counting it)
5. We by Yvgeny Zamyatin (again about halfway but unfinished - I'm quite well-read in dystopia but need to tie up some loose ends)
6. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (Just thought I should add another work I haven't started yet)
I imagine I'll only get through three though, given we only have ~two weeks.
Update to message #6PROGRESS: 10/10🚀 challenge completed!
SCIENCE FICTION:
Contact✔
Thanks Sunny, for leading this out of this world challenge!
Carmen wrote: "Update to message #6PROGRESS: 10/10🚀 challenge completed!
SCIENCE FICTION:
Contact✔
Thanks Sunny, for leading this out of this world challenge!"
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Carmen! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
Updated Message 20: 2/2
Message 29
Progress: 2/2! (Two novellas, but Goodreads counts them as books, so.... Hey, I read two sci-fi things even though SFF isn’t my thing. 😆)
Progress: 2/2! (Two novellas, but Goodreads counts them as books, so.... Hey, I read two sci-fi things even though SFF isn’t my thing. 😆)
Regina wrote: "Message 29Progress: 2/2! (Two novellas, but Goodreads counts them as books, so.... Hey, I read two sci-fi things even though SFF isn’t my thing. 😆)"
Go you!
This challenge made me realize that, while Science Fiction is one of my favorite genres, I'm not a fan of high fantasy. A yes, though, to urban fantasy..
SarahKat wrote: "Updated Message 20: 2/2Dead Astronauts by Jeff VanderMeer
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer"
🎈Congratulations!🎈 SarahKat! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
Regina wrote: "Message 29Progress: 2/2! (Two novellas, but Goodreads counts them as books, so.... Hey, I read two sci-fi things even though SFF isn’t my thing. 😆)"
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Regina! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
Novellas are just books that aren't long enough to be counted as a full-length novel. Less than a novella it's a short-story. Just thought I'd toss that out there.
SF and Fantasy are not my main readings either, but there are some books in those genres that I enjoy ... and I've discovered that are some SF things that I like better than others.
And I've had to add 3 more books to my TBR list ... I read Maze Runner and have to find out what happens next!
Your leader has been applying math to the # of pages for the rest of her reading for this month and has decided she does not wish to go insane; therefore, she has cut her 500+ pages book from her list here.Updated Msg #3
4/4
Welcome Jamie!I've updated thru Msg #74
We have 13 days remaining in this zone.
8 remain on the launch pad
10 launches
4 Splashdowns
Books read: 33/98
Next update will be Weds.
Sunny wrote: "Your leader has been applying math to the # of pages for the rest of her reading for this month and decided she does not wish to go insane; therefore, she cut her 500+ pages book from her list here..."Bbbbbuuuttttt, The Doomsday Book was the best book in the Oxford Time Travel series!
Haha, I totally understand. I ended up removing Ship of Magic from my July reading plans as well....
Congratz on finishing, Sunny our fearless leader!
oshizu wrote: "Bbbbbuuuttttt, The Doomsday Book was the best book in the Oxford Time Travel series!Haha, I totally understand. I ended up removing Ship of Magic from my July reading plans as well....
Congratz on finishing, Sunny our fearless leader!
LOL! I still have Doomsday on my list for the year. It's the only one by Connie Willis that I have left to read. I'm glad I came across her stuff. She's nifty.
Thanks!
Updated msg #4✔️5. Fantasy: The First Prehistoric Serial Killer and Other Stories (includes ghosts and vampires)
--I hadn't planned this book (a collection of short stories set in Barcelona) to fit this challenge, but it ended up including vampires and ghosts as some of its protagonists.
✔️6. Fantasy (urban fantasy): Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye
--This is actually kind of paranormal mystery, since the protagonist Abby Cooper is "psychic intuitive." But since Abby has paranormal powers, including clairvoyance, and her best friend can communicate with the deceased, I'm counting this as a fantasy.
✔️7. Scifi: Artemis
--A straight-up science-fiction thriller that takes place on the moon colony Artemis.
Progress: 7/10
Update to msg 4✔️8. Scifi: The Emissary (#wit)
✔️9. Scifi: Exit Strategy
Progress: 9/10
One more, one more!!!
Update to message #214/5 books read
Kingdom of Ash - a satisfying ending to this Fantasy series although it was a bit too long
A Court of Thorns and Roses - this was a reread for me in anticipation of the 4th book being published in January 2021...I forgot how much I like this fantasy series!
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet - I am in the minority of the glowing reviews for this SciFi book...I just couldn't ever get into it and found it boring! But, I did finish and checked one off of my TBR!
Patti wrote: "Update to msg #35Progress: 2/2
The Grace Year ✅"
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Patti! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board
oshizu wrote: "Update to msg 4✔️8. Scifi: The Emissary (#wit)
✔️9. Scifi: Exit Strategy
Progress: 9/10
One more, one more!!!"
Go, Oshizu! Go! 😊
I've updated thru Msg #81We have 9 days remaining in this zone.
8 remain on the launch pad
9 launches
5 Splashdowns
Books read: 42/98
Next update will be Sat.
Updated msg #410. Fantasy: The Heart of the Circle (#wit)
Unfortunately, I did not much enjoy The Heart of the Circle, which was more like an m/m romance with sorcerers and psychics than a full-fledged fantasy novel. But, it's my tenth book so....
Progress: 10/10 Challenge completed!
Thank you sharing your time to lead this challenge, Sunny!
oshizu wrote: "Updated msg #410. Fantasy: The Heart of the Circle (#wit)
Unfortunately, I did not much enjoy The Heart of the Circle, which was more like an m/m romance with sorcerers and psychi
Progress: 10/10 Challenge completed!
Thank you sharing your time to lead this challenge, Sunny!..."
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Oshizu! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
You are most welcome!
I just hate when a book doesn't live up to what I expect it to be. At least you can count it for a challenge!
Updated msg 14Just completed my second book - Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. This was a fun mashup of sci fi, action, and romance! Nice escape fiction - literally. And this author can write a great action sequence! I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading! 4 stars
2/2 - challenge completed
Megan wrote: "Updated msg 14Just completed my second book - Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. This was a fun mashup of sci fi, action, and romance! Nice escape fiction - literally. And this aut..."
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Megan! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
I always enjoy reading your reviews/comments on books.
⌛ ⏰ ⌚🕖⌛ ⏰ ⌚7 DAYS 'TIL THE ZONE CLOSES
update to message #215/5 books read...Looks like I have Splashed Down on my Challenge! Thank You, Sunny, for leading such a great challenge!
Update to message #8: 1/2I had a couple failed launches but finally finished something! Turns out I tend to read SFF based on some version of earth. I read Binti: The Complete Trilogy but it's the first book that's primarily based in space/other planets. Books 2 & 3 are largely set in an afro-futurist earth.
Sunny wrote: "Megan wrote: "Updated msg 14Just completed my second book - Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik. This was a fun mashup of sci fi, action, and romance! Nice escape fiction - literally..."
Thanks! This was a fun one!
Alison wrote: "update to message #215/5 books read...Looks like I have Splashed Down on my Challenge! Thank You, Sunny, for leading such a great challenge!"
🎈Congratulations!🎈 Alison! On your successful splashdown! It was a privilege to have you on board!
You're welcome!
⌛ ⏰ ⌚🕖⌛ ⏰ 6 DAYS 'TIL THE ZONE CLOSES
I've updated thru Msg #91
7 remain on the launch pad
7 launches
8 Splashdowns
Books read: 47/98
Next update will be Weds.
Is it too late to join? If not, count me in! I would like to do 25 books :) Completed: 25/25
Fantasy:
✔ The Last Wish
✔ Sword of Destiny
✔ Firefrost
✔ The Ice Queen
✔ The Hidden King
✔ The Last Prince
✔ Forest of Souls
✔ Wicked Wings
✔ The Last Tears of a Phoenix
✔ The Green Door
✔ Girls of Paper and Fire
✔ Girls of Storm and Shadow
✔ Twin Daggers
✔ The Midnight Bargain
✔ Cinder
✔ Scarlet
✔ Cress
✔ Winter
✔ Gideon the Ninth
✔ The Map of Stars
✔ A Curse of Ash and Embers
✔ A Curse of Gold
✔ Mageborn
✔ A Golden Fury
✔ Blood of Elves
Update to message #15Decided to focus only on space books instead of mixing in fantasy books. Just for funsies. Plus, I had a ton. DNFed one book, but enjoyed the others. Let's see if I can cram in the rest before the end of the month.
4/10 completed
Alaina wrote: "Is it too late to join? If not, count me in! I would like to do 25 books :) Completed: 22/25
Fantasy:
✔ The Last Wish
✔ Sword of Destiny
✔ [book:Firefrost|5422886..."
Welcome Alaina! It's never too late to join in ... Though, I first thought you were going to try and read all 25 books in just a few days ...😁
Sunny wrote: "Alaina wrote: "Is it too late to join? If not, count me in! I would like to do 25 books :) Completed: 22/25
Fantasy:
✔ The Last Wish
✔ Sword of Destiny
✔ [book:Fi..."
Hahahahahahah no, I just didn't know how many I already read that fit the criteria so I started with a random number or 25. Luckily for me, I was almost there.
2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Martian (other topics)Chris Hadfield and on the International Space Station (other topics)
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? (other topics)
Solaris (other topics)
Chris Hadfield and on the International Space Station (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jeff VanderMeer (other topics)Brigid Kemmerer (other topics)
Jeff VanderMeer (other topics)
Brigid Kemmerer (other topics)
Jeff VanderMeer (other topics)
More...
PROGRESS: 6/10🚀
SCIENCE FICTION:
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe✔