Challenge Wrap-up

As the new year approaches, it’s time to review how I did with the challenges I took on this year.

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Top on my list was the Back to the Classics challenge hosted by Books and Chocolate, and I’m pleased that I did manage to read one book from each of the twelve categories.

 

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Then there was the Book Blog Discussion Challenge hosted by Feed Your Fiction Addiction and It Starts at Midnight. My goal was to do one post per month, putting me at the “Discussion Dabbler” level. I really enjoyed this opportunity to mix up the content on my blog, and the discussion posts garnered many interesting and thoughtful comments. My personal favorites: Does reading matter? and Are there too many book blogs?

Here are links to all the monthly topics:

 

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I wasn’t supposed to do any more challenges, but I couldn’t resist the Once Upon a Time Challenge at Stainless Steel Droppings, which features some of my favorite genres. I read one book from each of the four categories:

I had a wonderful time time with all these challenges this year, but next year I’m hosting one of my own, Reading New England, and I’ll need to focus on that. I’ll also be continuing with the 2016 Book Blog Discussion Challenge. I know I’ll keep reading classics but I’m not sure which ones at this point.

What challenges did you participate in this year? What are your plans for next year?

20 thoughts on “Challenge Wrap-up

  1. What wonderful challenges, Lory, all ones I’m tempted to do next year — if only I hadn’t already decided on what to go for in 2016! But several individual titles appeal, such as the Hesse Fairy Tales and The Penelopiad. Like Sarah above I must catch up on some of the interesting posts I somehow missed.

    Myself, I’ve used the prompts on a Reading Challenge which I first saw posted by Goodwill Librarian on Facebook (http://wp.me/p2oNj1-1c0). I’m a handful of categories off finishing all fifty, but I don’t mind completing them in January. Next year I’ve tasked myself with more open-ended cues so that not finishing won’t imply that I’m some kind of failure! “It’s the taking part that counts,” I keep telling myself…

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    1. I like categories (I’ve decided to do the Back to the Classics Challenge again for that reason), but fifty of them sounds like a lot even to me! Do, do try to keep up the spirit of “it’s all for fun” and not berate yourself for incompletion. That would be dreadful.

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  2. I try not to join challenges (even though I always want to!). I am such a mood reader and not great at reading from a list. Having said that, though, I love making the lists in the first place. And, I’m feeling very tempted to give the Back To the Classics a try this year. I do also like to jump into a challenge at the last minute if my mood takes me there. Like your Reading New England challenge – I will probably not sign up for it, but I’m hoping to jump in and read a book or two for it if I can. 🙂

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    1. Some people seem to absolutely thrive on challenges — I’m astonished by the lists I see on some other blogs — while others find them depressing opportunities for failure. I would hate to make anybody feel THAT way, so I hope mine can simply be a chance for anybody who wants to read some New England books to find and link up with like-minded folks. Last-minute jumping-in is welcome!

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  3. Congrats on doing so well on all your 2015 challenges! You managed to read more classics than I did. 🙂 I’m looking forward to Reading New England next year. It should be fun. There’s a Reading England challenge that I’m signing up for, too. And two challenges are about my limit. Happy reading! (And have a very Merry Christmas!)

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    1. I was rather impressed I managed to stick with it for all twelve categories. It helped that some of them were quite short (novella, children’s book, and play). I’m glad you’re including Reading New England as one of your challenges next year! It’s going to be fun.

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  4. Great list for the Back to the Classics Challenge! Doctor Thorne is one of my favorites by Trollope. Thanks for participating in the Back to the Classics Challenge and congratulations on finishing!

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    1. I also look forward to more discussions in 2016. I started them on a whim but now they are one of my favorite parts of the blog. Thanks for your participation!

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  5. Way to go with the challenges! You totally rocked them. I especially liked seeing all the discussion posts. I only did 1 challenge last year, but I vary from year to year – doing as much as 10 once.

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    1. There are so many interesting ones, and I’m so impressed by people who can keep track of multiple challenges at once. I have to stick to two or three.

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  6. Congrats on finishing the classics challenge–I didn’t quite get all the categories done myself. There are some great books on your read list that I hope to get to myself, and some favorites (I loved Dr Thorne!).

    Good luck with your 2016 reading challenges and Happy New Year of reading!

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