2025 Annual Challenges - End of August Check-In

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Thanks Sherri! I imagine I'll need ideas for ND so appreciate that. I love Regina Jenning's novels! Sadly, she is no longer writing. I do have one or two on my Kindle that I haven't read yet though so will need to see if any of those are set in OK. I did read and enjoy her Fort Reno Series.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Oh, I hadn't heard that! Has she said why she's stepping away from writing?

[Chris]

I looked on Regina's website - she hasn't updated it since 2021 - and couldn't find any other information on her. Have you read her Joplin series?

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Two more completed. :-)

20 Remaining:
AR, DE, FL, IN, KY, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, NH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, VT, WA, WV

[Karen]

Congrats, Staci. I'm down to 16 left - we have 8 in common on our remaining lists.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Karen wrote: "Congrats, Staci. I'm down to 16 left - we have 8 in common on our remaining lists."

Awesome Karen!

There are definitely a handful of states that are tough for most readers to find books set in them.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

18 Remaining!

AR, DE, FL, IN, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, NH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, VT, WA, WV

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Keep chipping away, Staci! You're doing great.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Andrea wrote: "Keep chipping away, Staci! You're doing great."

Thanks Andrea! :-)

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Mid-Year Check-In! How are you doing with your challenges?

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

I don't have as many new releases as I'd like, but hopefully things will pick up with more and more books being published as the year goes on.
Other than that, I'm either right on schedule, or not really following a schedule with the other yearly challenges. Thanks for encouraging us to check in, Staci!

[Bonny]

For Children's books, I am already almost at my goal (48/50), so I'm sure I'll surpass that goal as usual.
For Non-Fiction, Audiobooks, and Classics, I am on schedule.
For Numbers, Single, Proper Nouns, and Europe, I'm just seeing what I end up reading.
For A-Z Titles, I have only the hard letters left (Q, X, Y, Z).
For 50 States, I've read almost half (23/50), but I plan to focus on this one more during the rest of the year, as it is usually the hardest one for me to complete.
For Colonial, I am quite behind (7/30), so I need to step up my reading in that era. I've been a bit distracted with the Decades challenge, which I have been keeping up with faithfully.

[Crystal]

I'm pretty far behind in Grab Bag but continue to enjoy that one, even though I'm behind. Trying to focus mostly on the 50 States, European Tour and Numbered. I'm behind in those as well. Have been able to keep up with the Monthly Challenges, as well as Author and Genre Match, and Through the Decades for the most part. I do have several series I also want to finish. My goal is to focus on choosing books that meet more than one challenge when possible. It is hard with series sometimes trying to do the state challenge, because with most series, they are set in the same location, and that slows me down from knocking books off to meet different states. Have read a lot of good books this year though so I'm behind and not quite on track but enjoying the journey this year! Also, our big move across the country is coming up in the beginning of August so I'm hoping that doesn't put me so far behind I can't catch back up, but I'm listening to a lot audiobooks while packing etc and will also listen to them driving across the country so hopefully it all works out!

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Hope the move goes well, Crystal!

[Karen]

I'm either on track or ahead for over half of my challenges.

The ones I want to focus on for the next quarter are: Completed Series, Singularity, Numbered and Make a STATEment.

I'm also behind with the Grab Bag challenge - working on catching that up this next quarter too.

Thanks to Staci, Andrea & Kate for all of these great challenges. I am really enjoying them and look forward to the new ones coming over the next half of the year.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

You're welcome, Karen! Over the last couple days, I've been reminded just how much fun writing challenges is. I wish I had time to write even more of them!

[Sandy]

I still have 25 states to go, but I am slowly chipping away at them.

I am also doing the European tour. I was excited to find one for Monaco and a short story for Andorra (both Mass Market, but clean) but I'm giving up on Liechtenstein. Just for funsies I'm trying to do the US East to West and Europe West to East. I'm on to Italy next.

I am keeping up with the Decades Monthly Challenge and the Monthly Focus. I had so much fun with the 6 Month Most Anticipated Challenge that I extended it back to pick up some titles that have been on my list since 2019! (I may have to keep this one up as a personal challenge!)

Thanks to all of you ladies for challenging me to whittle away at my to-read list!

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Kate wrote: "I don't have as many new releases as I'd like, but hopefully things will pick up with more and more books being published as the year goes on.
Other than that, I'm either right on schedule, or not ..."

Thanks for popping in Kate!

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Bonny wrote: "For Children's books, I am already almost at my goal (48/50), so I'm sure I'll surpass that goal as usual.
For Non-Fiction, Audiobooks, and Classics, I am on schedule.
For Numbers, Single, Proper N..."

I'm enjoying the decades challenge too!

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Crystal wrote: "I'm pretty far behind in Grab Bag but continue to enjoy that one, even though I'm behind. Trying to focus mostly on the 50 States, European Tour and Numbered. I'm behind in those as well. Have been..."

Best wishes on your move Crystal! I'm right there with you on series...so many open ones.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Karen wrote: "I'm either on track or ahead for over half of my challenges.

The ones I want to focus on for the next quarter are: Completed Series, Singularity, Numbered and Make a STATEment.

I'm also behind w..."

Nice work Karen! And we appreciate the compliment. :-)

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Sandy wrote: "I still have 25 states to go, but I am slowly chipping away at them.

I am also doing the European tour. I was excited to find one for Monaco and a short story for Andorra (both Mass Market, but cl..."

Nice work on your European tour! It's definitely tough to find novels set in the lesser known countries.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

17 remaining!

AR, DE, FL, IN, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, NH, OK, OR, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Great job!

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

16 states remaining!

AR, DE, FL, IN, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, NH, OK, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

We have five months left in the year. How are you coming along with your challenges?

[Sherri]

I'm either on track or ahead for over half of my challenges. Still enjoying the monthly and monthly author challenge and the "surprise" it brings each month. Now I have another list of authors for next year if something similar is offered. Also the cover/title six month challenges are VERY creative this year! And continuing to chug along on my annual challenges.

Thanks to all the mods who spend so much creative time for us!

[Karen]

I'm doing much better on our monthly challenges than I usually do - especially authors and hidden gems.

I am really enjoying the 3rd quarter challenges - especially Months of the Year Spell Out and Bible Stories Scavenger Hunt.

I am really enjoying our new six-month challenges and 18-month challenges. I'm still working on catching up with our Grab Bag challenge.

For my annual challenges, I'm on track or ahead for: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller (82), Going Colonial (4), Singularity (21), Keeping it Proper (45), New Authors (56).

The ones I want to continue to focus on for this quarter are: Completed Series, 50 states, Numbered, ABC/123 and Make a STATEment.

I have 13 states remaining and hope to get at least have of them by the end of this quarter: AZ, CT, DE, HI, MD, MS, NE, NV, NH, NJ, ND, OH, RI

Thanks again to Staci, Andrea & Kate for all of these great challenges.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Glad the challenges are creative and fun for y'all!

[Sarita]

Oh, I have lost so much track of my challenges. We moved again and I started a new job end of last year and for some reason my admin went out the window.

I am just trying to keep track of finish the series for now.

[Andrea, Hospitality Coordinator]

Congrats on the move and the job! Hope y'all are settling in all right.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

14 states remaining!

AR, FL, IN, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, OK, RI, SC, SD, VT, WV

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Four months left in the year! How are you doing in your challenges?

[Kate, Challenge Fun Distributor]

wondering if I've bit off more than I can chew, TBH . . . and feeling very grateful when I find books that will work for multiple challenges! 😄

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Same Kate. Same.

Best wishes!

[Karen]

Couldn't agree more Kate & Staci. Best wishes for all of us.

[Karen]

We are currently on another RV trip so not getting as much reading as I hoped.

I am really enjoying the 3rd quarter challenges - especially Months of the Year Spell Out and Bible Stories Scavenger Hunt. Additionally, I want to continue to focus on the following for this quarter: Numbered and ABC/123.

I got three more completed series in August and hope to complete about 10 more in September.

I have 12 states remaining and hope to get at least five of them by the end of this quarter: CT, DE, HI, MD, MS, NE, NV, NH, NJ, ND, OH, RI

This month I'm focused on finishing this quarter's challenges especially with books that help me complete more series, get more new authors, and a few more states.

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

13 states remaining!

AR, FL, IN, MD, MS, ND, NE, NV, OK, RI, SC, SD, VT

[Crystal]

I posted this somewhere else but I'm pretty behind from our move across the country, and have lost about a month and a half.

27 more states to read!
I'd like to get from one to twelve on Numbered and am only at two.
Want to focus on completing Grab Bag in order.
Need to catch up on monthly challenges.
Need to get unstuck from Trip to the Zoo.

I've got a few more goals to catch up on but those are my main focus. Can't believe were about to be in the last quarter of the year!

[Staci, Book Awards Specialist]

Karen and Crystal, nice work ladies!

[Missy]

I have a bunch of them left, I usually do. But I do have these done:

CA, CO, CT, GA, IL, ME, MA, MN, MS, MI, NM, NC, PA, SC, TX, VA, WY