2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2021
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Nedge: 76+ books in 2021
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Deleted - this post outlined my Genre Bingo challenge, and has been moved to my members page
I hope you go beyond your 76 book resolution! Best of Luck!
My process for recording what I've read in my phone has broken, deleting a heap of records :-( So I now have a new process. In researching better ways of interacting with the 2021 Reading Challenge site I was inspired by the way Carmen records books read - thanks Carmen! I'm now going to fill out a "form" for each book I read and as I finish it I'll post the details here. I have a bit of a backlog to clear up first though.
Book# 127 of 150
Title: White Rabbit, Red Wolf (aka This Story is a Lie)
Author: Tom Pollock
ISBN 9781406383652
Format: eBook (Libby app)
336 pages
Genre: YA suspense thriller
Set in: UK immediate future
Themes: maths • science • conspiracies
Series: -
Reason for reading: Challenge = Peace Signs (predator/prey cover); Colour Challenge (two colour words in title)
Impressions: clever • fun
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 7-10 Oct 2021
Book# 128 of 150
Title: Furia
Author: Yamile Saied Mendez
ISBN: 9781649040114
Format: audiobook read by Sol Madariaga (Libby app)
368 pages
Genre: YA literature • romance
Set in: Brazil
Themes: female roles • domestic violence • authenticity • own voices
Series: -
Reason for reading: Challenge = Peace Signs (sport)
Impressions: unsentimental • strong female lead • search for own path
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 9-11 Oct 2021
Book# 129 of 150
Title: The Travelling Cat Chronicles
Author: Hiro Arikawa trans. Philip Gabriel
ISBN: 9781473561885
Format: audiobook read by George Blagden (Libby app)
288 pages
Genre: literature • mystery
Set in: present-day Japan
Themes: friendship • gratitude
Series: -
Reason for reading: Challenge = Peace Signs (set in Japan)
Impressions: sentimental • cultural differences • simple pleasures
Rating: *** liked it
Dates read: 12-19 Oct 2021
Book# 130 of 150
Title: The Case of the Missing Marquess
Author: Nancy Springer
ISBN: 9781449895853
Format: audiobook read by Katherine Kellgren (Libby app)
216 pages
Genre: Juvenile historical mystery
Set in: 19th century England
Themes: female roles
Series: Enola Holmes #1
Reason for reading: light read
Impressions: good fun • precocious • humour
Rating: **** really liked it (think I was in the mood for this)
Dates read: 20-20 Oct 2021
Book# 131 of 150
Title: When the Body Says No: The Cost of Hidden Stress
Author: Gabor Mate
ISBN: 9781925938029
Format: eBook (Libby app)
320 pages
Genre: NF • self help • health & wellbeing
Set in: -
Themes: mind-body connection • effects of trauma
Series: -
Reason for reading: recommended; Challenge = Peace signs (leaf on cover)
Impressions: thought-provoking • manipulative • annoying
Rating: *** liked it (aspects were interesting but seemed biased; rating averaged out)
Dates read: 4-21 Oct 2021
Book# 132 of 150
Title: A Spindle Splintered
Author: Alix E. Harrow
ISBN: 9781250824486
Format: audiobook read by Amy Landon (Libby app)
128 pages
Genre: Fantasy • mythology • LGBTQIA+
Set in: Modern Ohio & alternate reality
Themes: female roles • fighting fate
Series: Fractured Fables #1
Reason for reading: fun
Impressions: sass • pop culture references
Rating: *** liked it
Dates: 22-22 Oct 2021
Book# 133 of 150
Book of Colours
Author: Robyn Cadwallader
ISBN: 9781460707050
Format: eBook (Libby app)
400 pages
Genre: Historical literature
Set in: 14th century England
Themes: guilt • loss • female roles
Series: -
Reason for reading: Challenges = Colour challenge (word "colour" in title); Peace signs (artefact)
Impressions: slow • nuanced • well researched
Rating: **** really liked it (bit slow at times, but beautifully written)
Dates: 15-28 Oct 2021
Book# 134 of 150
Lies We Tell Ourselves
Author: Robin Talley
ISBN: 9781488721120
Format: eBook (Libby app)
368 pages
Genre: YA historical fiction
Set in: 1959 Virginia, USA
Themes: civil rights • racism • right to education • bullying • LGBTIQA+
Series: -
Reason for Reading: Challenge = Peace Signs (civil rights movement)
Impressions: White author writing about racism, but well researched and I think seeks to atone for historical wrongs
Rating: *** liked it
Dates read: 23-28 Oct 2021
Book# 135 of 150 (387pp)
The King of Attolia
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
ISBN: 9780062693853
Format: audiobook read by Steve West (Libby app)
Genre: YA fantasy romance
Set in: fictional location
Themes: intrigue • relationships
Series: Queen's Thief #3
Impressions: 2nd reading; I love this book/series
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 24-29 Oct
Book# 136 of 150 (288pp)
Mairelon the Magician
Author: Patricia C. Wrede
ISBN: 9781466847910
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Set in: Alternate Regency England (magic)
Themes: class divides • poverty • power
Series: Mairelon #1
Impressions: good fun • easy re-read • a bit pedestrian
Rating: *** liked it
Dates read: 1-4 Nov 2021
Book# 137 of 150 (288pp)
Witch Week
Author: Diana Wynne Jones
ISBN: 9780007369102
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Genre: JF fantasy
Set in: 1980s alternate UK (magic)
Themes: bullying • prejudice • criminalisation of innate attributes
Series: Chrestomanci #3
Impressions: comfort read • school setting • comedy
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 5-6 Nov
Book# 138 of 150 (464pp)
The Colour of Bee Larkham's Murder
Author: Sarah J. Harris
ISBN: 9780008256401
Format: audiobook Huw Parmenter (Libby app)
Genre: coming-of-age mystery
Set in: UK
Themes: neuro-diversity • innocence • perception
Series: -
Impressions: unreliable narrator • rounded up from 3.5 stars
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 6-7 Nov
Book# 139 of 150 (240pp)
Shallows
Author: Tim Winton
ISBN: 9781742537375
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Genre: literature
Set in: 1830s and 1970s Western Australia
Themes: death • loss • hopelessness • family • redemption
Series: -
Impressions: 1984 Miles Franklin Award winner • bleak • darkly comedic • beautifully written • a slow read • abrupt ending
Rating: *** liked it
Dates read: 31Oct-7Nov
Book#140 of 150 (246pp)
Maresi
Author: Maria Turtschaninoff (trans. Annie Prime)
ISBN: 9781782691198
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Genre: YA fantasy
Set in: imagined lands
Themes: community • inner strength • patriarchal intimidation and violence
Series: Red Abbey Chronicles #1
Impressions: Abbey life filled with warmth, love and care for others • atrocities justified as "men's honour"
Rating: **** really liked it
Dates read: 7-9 Nov
Book# 141 of 150 (480pp)
Lovely War
Author: Julie Berry
ISBN: 9781984838278
Format: audiobook read by Jayne Entwistle & ors (Libby app)
Genre: YA historical romance fiction
Set in: WW1 (narration in WW2)
Themes: love • effects of war • racism
Series: -
Impressions: saccharine, sentimental, full of instalove and noble sacrifice
Rating: ** it was okay
Dates read: 8-10 Nov
Book# 142 of 150 (291pp)
Arcadia
Author: Lauren Groff
ISBN: 9781464006180
Format: audiobook Andrew Garman (Libby app)
Genre: literary fiction
Set in: 1970s to imagined "2018" NY state & NY city
Themes: ideals/dreams vs reality • social constructs • death and decline
Series: -
Impressions: came to appreciate novel more than I thought I would • beautiful use of language and interesting ways Groff uses language styles to change mood of different sections of the book • written in 2012, the looming threat of a global respiratory pandemic in the final section felt eerie from today's perspective
Rating: **** really liked it (gave it extra because the language was so beautiful, but wasn't really my thing. Would never read again)
Dates read: 10-12 Nov 2021
✅ [EDITION COVER NOT SHOWN IN GOODREADS - image shows playing cards on a teal background]
Book# 143 of 150 (86pp)
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Author: Leo Tolstoy
ISBN: 9781481540209
Format: audiobook Simon Prebble (Libby app)
Genre: classic literature
Set in: Russia
Themes: greed/selfishness • inevitability/acceptance of death • authenticity
Series: -
Impressions: A quick read • character study
Rating: *** liked it (well written, but I can't say I enjoyed it)
Dates read: 12 Nov 2021
#GOODREADS☆144 (304pp)
The Spotted Dog
Author: Kerry Greenwood
Published: 2018
ISBN: 9781760637613
Genre: cozy mystery
Series: Corinna Chapman #7
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Set in: contemporary Melbourne, Australia 🇦🇺
Dates read: 12-15 Nov
Thoughts: warm humour, quirky characters
Rating: *** liked it
#GOODREADS☆145 (384pp)
The Ticket to Happiness
Author: Faith Bleasdale
Published: 2019
ISBN: 9780008306977
Genre: chick lit / escapist romance
Series: Meadowbrook Manor #3
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Set in: current day Somerset, UK
Dates read: 15-18 Nov
Thoughts: Predictable, simplistic, hetero-normative, conservative chick lit featuring unlikable (to me) characters
Rating: ** it was OK
#GOODREADS☆146 (238pp)
On Two Feet and Wings
Author: Abbas Kazerooni
Published: 2011
ISBN: 9781743430002
Genre: autobiography
Series: --
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Set in: 1980s Tehran & Istanbul
Dates read: 18-20 November 2021
Thoughts: A young boy's experiences in leaving his homeland of Iran for the safety of another country
Rating: *** liked it
Book 147 of 150 (336pp)
A Castle in the Clouds
Author: Kerstin Gier
Published: 2017
ISBN: 9781250249111
Genre: YA mystery/romance
Series: --
Format: audiobook Marisa Calin (Libby app)
Set in: contemporary Switzerland
Dates read: 19-21 November 2021
Thoughts: good fun
Rating: *** liked it
Book 148 of 150 (386pp)
The Girl Who Drank the Moon
Author: Kelly Barnhill
Published: 2016
ISBN: 9781501935657
Genre: Juvenile Fantasy
Series: --
Format: audiobook Christina Moore (Libby app)
Set in: Fantasy world
Dates read: 22-23 November 2021
Thoughts: 2017 Newbery Medal winner • too "cutesy" for me at first, but it grew on me. I liked some of the points it made about humanity and "good" vs "evil". But story was far too long and it kept meandering away from the storyline to repeat itself. Thankfully I was listening to audiobook version, so I sped up the playback and when it got a bit too much it became background noise. Not tempted to ever repeat read, therefore 3 stars
Rating: *** liked it
Book 149 of 150 (352pp)
The Enigma Game
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Published: 2020
ISBN: 9781526601667
Genre: YA historical fiction / thriller
Series: Code Name Verity #2
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Set in: Scotland, 1940-1941
Dates read: 22-24 November 2021
Thoughts: Loved this - better than CNV (though maybe that's cos I read CNV as an audiobook - may have to retry it as an eBook). Loved Louisa's character, and the way Jamie and Ellen taking turns to also narrate enhanced Louisa's story, seeing things from another perspective. Also loved Jane's character. This will be a definite reread someday.
Rating: ***** it was amazing
Book 150 of 150 (240pp)
The Ravenmaster's Secret
Author: Elvira Woodruff
Published: 2003
ISBN: 9781481542005
Genre: Juvenile historical/suspense
Series: --
Format: audiobook Simon Vance (Libby app)
Set in: 1700s London, UK
Dates read: 23-27 November 2021
Thoughts: Well-written and engaging historical fiction
Rating: **** really liked it
🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳
YAY I DID IT - YEARLY TARGET DOUBLED BEFORE DECEMBER!!!
🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳🎯🏆🤸♀️✨🥳
Book 151 of 150 (208pp)
Wren's Quest
Author: Sherwood Smith
Published: 1993
ISBN: 9781611381047
Genre: YA Fantasy
Series: Wren #2
Format: eBook (Libby app)
Set in: Imaginary lands
Dates read: 26-30 November 2021
Thoughts: A fun junior fantasy adventure; reminded of Tamora Pierce
Rating: *** liked it
2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
A Castle in the Clouds (other topics)Wren's Quest (other topics)
The Enigma Game (other topics)
The Ravenmaster's Secret: Escape from the Tower of London (other topics)
The Girl Who Drank the Moon (other topics)
More...
** Amended as at October 2021 = double original goal (150 books)
Emoji ratings: 😍 = 5 stars = favourite, 🤗 = 4 stars = excellent, 🙂 = 3 stars = good, 🥶 = 2 stars = meh, 😡 = 1 star = no!
READ - & date finished
1. Station Eleven Emily St John Mandel 🤗 2 Jan
2. Truly Devious Maureen Johnson 🙂 3 Jan
3. The Whole Business with Kiffo and the Pitbull Barry Jonsberg 🤗 4 Jan
4. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle Haruki Murakami 🙂 9 Jan
5. The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents Terry Pratchett 🤗 11 Jan
6. In the Market for Murder T.E. Kinsey 🙂 11 Jan
7. Breadcrumbs and Bombs Susan Finlay 🙂 15 Jan
8. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix J.K. Rowling 🤗 15 Jan
9. We Have Always Lived in the Castle Shirley Jackson 🤗 21 Jan
10. The XY Axis Karin Bishop 😡 27 Jan
11. Black Heart, Ivory Bones ed. Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling 🤗 28 Jan
12. Memory and Dream Charles de Lint 🤗 4 Feb
13. Too Much Lip Melissa Lucashenko 🤗 12 Feb
14. Leah on the Offbeat Becky Albertalli 🤗 20 Feb
15. And We Stay Jenny Hubbard 🤗 6 Mar
16. Lirael Garth Nix 🤗 6 Mar
17. Abhorsen Garth Nix 🙂 16 Mar
18. The Infinite Noise: A Bright Sessions Novel Lauren Shippen 😡 19 Mar
19. Maskerade Terry Pratchett 🙂 21 Mar
20. Why We Sleep: The New Science of Sleep and Dreams Matthew Walker 🙂 25 Mar
21. Binti Nnedi Okorafor 🤗 26 Mar
22. Magpie Murders Anthony Horowitz 🤗 29 Mar
23. The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey Rinker Buck 🙂 2 Apr
24. The Kiss Quotient Helen Hoang 😡 2 Apr
25. Too Good To Be True Ann Cleeves 🙂 3 Apr
26. The Brilliant Death A.R. Capetta 🙂 4 Apr
27. Fahrenheit 451 Ray Bradbury 🤗 5 Apr
28. Magic for Liars Sarah Gailey 😍 6 Apr
29. Here There Be Gerblins The McElroys & Carey Pietsch 🤗 8 Apr
30. The White Girl Tony Birch 🙂 11 Apr
31. An Unkindness of Ghosts Rivers Solomon 🤗 12 Apr
32. Prairie Ostrich Tamai Kobayashi 🤗 14 Apr
33. I'm Afraid of Men Vivek Shraya 🙂 14 Apr
34. Autumn Maze Jon Cleary 🙂 16 Apr
35. All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr 🤗 17 Apr
36. Little Fish Casey Plett 🙂 17 Apr
37. Loveless Alice Oseman 🙂 21 Apr
38. Pied Piper Nevil Shute 🙂 22 Apr
39. The Hate U Give Angie Thomas 🤗 23 Apr
40. The Amber Spyglass Philip Pullman 🤗 24 Apr
41. Trans Like Me: Conversations For All Of Us C.N. Lester 😍 24 Apr
42. Slam Nick Hornby 🙂 26 Apr
43. The Diary of a Young Girl Anne Frank 😍 27 Apr
44. A Great and Terrible Beauty Libba Bray 🙂 28 Apr
45. The Kestrel Lloyd Alexander 🤗 30 Apr
46. The Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini 🙂 6 May
47. Dreadnought April Daniels 🙂 8 May
48. Solving the Procrastination Puzzle: A Concise Guide to Strategies for Change Timothy A. Pychyl 🙂 9 May
49. The Essex Serpent Sarah Perry 😍 11 May
50. The Amulet of Samarkand Jonathan Stroud 🙂 13 May
51. The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue Mackenzi Lee 🤗 15 May
52. She of the Mountains Vivek Shraya 🤗 16 May
53. Size 12 Is Not Fat Meg Cabot 🥶 19 May
54. Little House in the Big Woods Laura Ingalls Wilder 🤗 21 May
55. The Idea of Perfection Kate Grenville 🤗 22 May
56. The War That Saved My Life Kimberley Brubaker Bradley 22 May 🙂
57. Freshwater Akwaeke Emezi 😍 23 May
58. Lizard Radio Pat Schmatz 😍 26 May
59. Bloody Jack L.A. Meyer 😍 28 May
60. Why Buddhism is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment Robert Wright 🤗 30 May
61. Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity Julia Serano 🤗 30 May
62. All the Birds in the Sky Charlie Jane Anders 🤗 1 Jun
63. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry Mildred D. Taylor 😍 2 Jun
64. White Boots Noel Streatfeild 🙂 4 Jun
65. The Midnight Library Matt Haig 🙂 5 Jun
66. Elatsoe Darcie Little Badger 8 Jun 🤗
67. The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place Julie Berry 🙂 8 Jun
68. Finna Nino Cipri 🤗 9 Jun
69. The Beginner's Guide to Buddhism Jack Kornfield 🙂 10 Jun
70. Sense and Sensibility Jane Austen 🙂 11 Jun
71. A Million Things Emily Spurr 😍 12 Jun
72. The Invisible Orientation: An Introduction to Asexuality Julie Sondra Decker 🤗 13 Jun
73. The High Deeds Of Finn MacCool Rosemary Sutcliff 🙂 13 Jun
74. While You Were Reading Ali Berg & Michelle Kalus 🥶 14 Jun
75. Storm Front Jim Butcher 🙂 16 Jun
76. The Story of My Life Helen Keller 🙂 18 Jun
77. The God of Small Things Arundhati Roy 🤗 21 Jun
78. Life Isn't Binary: On Being Both, Beyond, and In-Between Alex Iantaffi & Meg-John Barker 😍 22 Jun
79. Baker Thief Claudie Arseneault 🤗 23 Jun
80. The Lost Twin Sophie Cleverly 🙂 24 Jun
81. See You at Harry's Jo Knowles 🤗 25 Jun
82. Yes, You Are Trans Enough: My Transition from Self-Loathing to Self-Love Mia Violet 🤗 26 Jun
83. Whispering in the Wind Alan Marshall 🙂 26 Jun
84. Seaward Susan Cooper 🙂28 Jun
85. Ace: What Asexuality Reveals About Desire, Society, and the Meaning of Sex Angela Chen 🤗 29 Jun
86. Finding Nevo Nevo Zisin 🤗 30 Jun
87. The Gardener's Guide to Succulents: A Handbook of Over 125 Exquisite Varieties of Succulents and Cacti Misa Matsuyama 🙂 3 Jul
88. Daughter of the Pirate King Patricia Levenseller 🙂 6 Jul
89. Barefoot in the Bindis Angela Whales 🙂 10 Jul
90. The Last Dingo Summer 🙂 Jackie French 21 Jul
91. Bombs on Aunt Dainty Judith Kerr 🙂 22 Jul
92. Darius the Great Is Not Okay Adib Khorram 🙂 25 Jul
93. Jane in Love Rachel Givney 🙂 28 Jul
94. Coraline Neil Gaiman 🤗 4 Aug
95. The Grammarians Cathleen Schine 🙂 9 Aug
96. Death of a Gossip M.C. Beaton 🙂 14 Aug
97. A Radical Guide for Women with ADHD: Embrace Neurodiversity, Live Boldly, and Break Through Barriers Sari Solden & Michelle Frank 🤗 25 Aug
98. Archivist Wasp Nicole Kornher-Stace 🤗 25 Aug
99. Overkill Vanda Symon 🙂 28 Aug
100. Esperanza Rising Pam Munoz Ryan 🤗 28 Aug
101. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman P.D. James 🙂 28 Aug
102. Mark of the Plague Kevin Sands 🙂 30 Aug
103. Inbetween Days Vikki Wakefield 🙂 2 Sep
104. The Upside of Unrequited Becky Abertalli 🙂 4 Sep
105. An Earthly Knight Janet Mcnaughton 🙂 4 Sep
106. The Undomestic Goddess Sophie Kinsella 🙂 5 Sep
107. Legends of the Lost Lilies Jackie French 🙂 6 Sep
108. To Helvetica and Back Paige Shelton 🙂 7 Sep
109. Eric Terry Practchett 🙂 8 Sep
110. Nest Esther Erlich 🤗 10 Sep
111. Conrad's Fate Diana Wynne Jones 😍 12 Sep
112. Geekerella Ashley Poston 🙂 13 Sep
113. The Lives of Christopher Chant Diana Wynne Jones 🤗 14 Sep
114. Twopence to Cross the Mersey Helen Forrester 🤗 18 Sep
115. The Curse of the Pharaohs Elizabeth Peters 🙂 20 Sep
116. Or What You Will Jo Walton 🙂 21 Sep
117. Invisible in a Bright Light Sally Gardner 🤗 24 Sep
118. Jolene Mercedes Lackey 🙂 25 Sep
119. Night Witches Kathryn Lasky 🥶 25 Sep
120. The War I Finally Won Kimberley Brubaker Bradley 🙂 1 Oct
121. Ship of Magic Robin Hobb 🤗 1 Oct
122. Charmed Life Diana Wynne Jones 🤗 2 Oct
123. Death Comes to Pemberley P D James 🙂 5 Oct
124. Wednesday Wars Gary D Schmidt 🙂 5 Oct
125. The Stranger Albert Camus 🙂 6 Oct
126. Tomorrow Will Be Different: Love, Loss, and the Fight for Trans Equality Sarah McBride 🙂 8 Oct