2026 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2014
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Kathryn's Challenges 2014
Yearly challenges1. Annual Aussie Author Challenge (Aussie Readers')
2. Recommended by Reading Challengers Challenge (2014 Reading Challenge)
3. Listopia Challenge (2014 Reading Challenge)
4. Kathryn's Recommendations from Aussie Readers Group 2013 Reads Challenge
5. Reading Bingo Challenge (Bound Together)
Seasonal challenges for Aussie Readers
1. Summer 2013/2014 - January/February
2. Autumn Reading Challenge - March/April/May
3. Winter Reading Challenge - June/July/August
4. Spring Reading Challenge - September/October/November
5. Summer 2014/2015 – December
Quarterly Challenges for 2014 Reading Challenge group
1. Second quarter challenge - #readwomen2014 - 1 April, 2014 - 30 April, 2014 - EDIT: now updated to involve the remainder of the year.
1 November, 2013 - 23 April, 2014 - World Book Night Challenge (Bound Together)
Yearly Challenge 1. Annual Aussie Author Challenge --- COMPLETED
Duration: 1 January, 2014 - 31 December, 2014
This challenge is for you to read 12 (Bronze Level), 24 (Silver Level) or 36 (Gold Level) books by an Australian Author of your choice.
Your selection must consist of at least:
2 x Female Authors
2 x Male Authors
1 x Debut Novel, but not necessarily a current release (eg Tim Winton’s debut novel is An Open Swimmer) (Peruse your choice of author's page for their debut novel)
2 x 2014 New Release
1 x Classic
1 x Fantasy
1 x Historical Fiction
2 x Favourite Genre
Upgraded to gold level +: 48/48 completed
Female authors
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Streets on a Map: Journey Through Changes by Dale Harcombe
The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
No Ordinary View by Naomi Reed
Other People's Country- A woman's journey from suburbia to life as a remote area nurse by Maureen Helen
Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P.L. Travers by Valerie Lawson
The House of Memories by Monica McInerneyMale authors
The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
The Suspect by Michael Robotham
The Barrakee Mystery by Arthur W. Upfield
Whatever You Do, Don't Run: My Adventures As A Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
I Know Who Killed Betty Shanks by Ted Duhs
JFK: The Smoking Gun by Colin McLarenDebut novel
Far Horizon by Tony Park 
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent
Thornwood House by Anna Romer
My Brother-But-One by T.M. ClarkNew releases
Unforgivable by Sharon Robards
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney
Cicada by Moira McKinnon
The Rosie Effect by Graeme SimsionClassic
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner
The Women in Black by Madeleine St. JohnFantasy
Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth
Out of Time by Lesley Dimmock
The Spirit of Imagination by S.A. TawksHistorical fiction
It Takes A Village by Christine Stinson
A Woman Transported by Sharon Robards
Bereft by Chris Womersley
Ellenvale Gold by Amanda Deed
Mr Chen's Emporium by Deborah O'Brien
The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough
All That I Am by Anna Funder
March by Geraldine Brooks
In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacCollFavourite genre - mystery
Poet's Cottage by Josephine Pennicott
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood
Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood
Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod
Yearly Challenge2. Recommended by Reading Challengers --- COMPLETED
Duration: 1 January, 2014 – 31 December, 2014
18/18 completed
For this challenge, set a goal for how many of these books from our group's very own listopia you would like to read. You know they'll be good because your fellow reading challengers have recommended them!
And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown It Takes A Village by Christine Stinson
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Joyland by Stephen King
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen
The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain
Yearly Challenge3. Listopia Challenge --- COMPLETED
Duration: 1 January, 2014 – 31 December, 2014
What Women Born In The 70s Have Read So Far This Year (Thanks to Jodi for this list - I love it!)
11/11 completed
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Downton Abbey-esque Books
6/6 completed
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Stories For Book Lovers
3/3 completed
1.
2.
3.
World Book Night Challenge --- COMPLETEDDuration: November 2013 – 23 April, 2014
(not started in 2013)
6/6 completed
1. 5 of the books selected happen to start with the letter "W". Read at least one.
The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown2. Read at least one book from the list that is out of your comfort zone.
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson3. Read at least one book from the list that you never heard of before.
The Lighthouse Road by Peter Geye4. Read at least one book from the list that is a familiar title, but you have not read.
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs5. 7 books on the list have some kind of animal reference. Cover art, author name (Tobias Wolff), or book title (Zookeeper's Wife). Read at least one of these.
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman6. Recommend any one of the books on the list to 5 people.
I've recommended
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Seasonal Challenge --- COMPLETED1. Summer Reading Challenge (Aussie Readers’ Group)
Duration: 1 December, 2013 – 28 February, 2014
7/7 + 1 completed (for 2014)
1. Summer in AU -
Lighthouse Bay by Kimberley Freeman Finished in 20132. Valentine's Day - romance -
Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks Finished in 20133. New Release -
Unforgivable by Sharon Robards (Changed from
The Spy by James Phelan)4. Literature Map - I put in Kerry Greenwood and selected
Mistress of the Art of Death5. Christmas theme -
Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcherand
A Bush Christmas by Margareta Osborn Both finished in 20136. YA - children, teens, families -
The Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett Finished in 20137. Mardi Gras - LGBT author -
The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham8. Australia Day - Aussie Author -
The Secret River by Kate Grenville The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion9. Favourite Genre -
Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal Finished in 201310. Book made into a Movie -
The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough11. Dec TBR -
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome Finished in 201312. Jan TBR -
The Cleverness of Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith 13. Feb TBR -
It Takes A Village by Christine Stinson
Monthly Challenges/ThemesJanuary
2014 Reading Challenge – Best of 2013 Books
Bookworms – Short Stories
Aussie Readers’ – Aussie Readers’ Book Recommendations (
+ TBR books
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "S" - short stories -
3. Author read - Tim Winton - N/A
February
2014 Reading Challenge – Je t’aime -
Bookworms – Movie Adaptation
Aussie Readers’ – Post-apocalyptic reads - N/A
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "T" - "The" books -
3. Author read - John Grisham - N/A
March
2014 Reading Challenge – Spring Forward -
Bookworms – Favourite book read in 2013 - N/A
Aussie Readers’ – Coming of Age stories -
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "U" - Unique books -
3. Author read - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni - I chose
April
2014 Reading Challenge – Showers -
Aussie Readers’ – Non-fiction/Biography/Memoir -
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "V"iew another member's "read" list and read a book from my TBR off that - Penny's list -
3. Author read - Christopher Moore - N/A
May
2014 Reading Challenge – Birthdays -
Aussie Readers’ – Books about books:
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice -
2. Off the Shelf - "W is for Who, What, When, Where, Why (and How)
Choose a book that's on your "to be read" list with one of these words in the title." -
3. Author read - Joe R. Lansdale - N/A
June
2014 Reading Challenge – End of Term -
Bookworms – Foreign settings
Aussie Readers’ – Chilly/Cozy Mystery:
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice -
2. Off the Shelf - "X is the universal sign for a kiss.
Choose a book that's on your "to be read" list with a love interest in the story line." -
3. Author read - Jojo Moyes -
July
2014 Reading Challenge – Summer Holiday -
Aussie Readers’ – Horror/Dark Thriller - N/A
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - The Goldfinch - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "Y is for Youth.
Choose a book that's on your "to be read" list with a young person as a main character."
3. Author read - Diane Chamberlain - N/A
August
2014 Reading Challenge – Empires - N/A
Aussie Readers’ – Literary Fiction and TBR
Literary Fiction:
TBR:
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "Z. The end of the alphabet.
Choose a book that's on your "to be read" list that fits any of the previous letters. Revisit the rest of the alphabet to see what we've read to fit each letter. Maybe you're new to the group and want to see what else we've done the past 25 months? Maybe you've been with us all along and just never got to some of the letters of the month? Older threads are archived, but still very much viewable. So let us know the letter you are going with, what it stood for, and what you're reading to make it fit and get another book off your shelf."
P - a place other than the country where you live:
E - even number of pages:
T - title starts with "T":
3. Author read - Anna Quindlen -
September
2014 Reading Challenge – Banned books
Aussie Readers’ – Romance -
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice -
2. Off the Shelf - "Off the Shelf" gives you the opportunity to do just that...get a book off your shelf. It might be your actual, physical shelf, or it could be your virtual shelf.
Our new focus will be on Covers. Find a book from your shelf that matches the description and get it off your shelf (so you have room to add more great reads of course!) Some months should be easy to find a particular cover for our category, other months it may be more challenging. Colors, body parts, fonts, words, objects, positioning, and more will all come into play as we work our way through some new ways to look at the covers of our books, or the covers shown when you look up your book with your e-reader.
Our first cover to look for is one where you can see the sky, any book, as long as the sky is on the cover.
Cicada by Moira McKinnon
Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday3. Author read - Mary Alice Monroe - N/A
October
2014 Reading Challenge – Scream!
Aussie Readers’ – YA - N/A
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - N/A
2. Off the Shelf - "Tree" - Find a book from your actual or virtual "to be read" shelf that has a tree on the cover. Bonus "points" if it's spooky looking tree!
by Sarah Addison Allen3. Author- Jack Ketchum - N/A
4. Book -> Movie
Several books have been turned into movies recently. Choose any book to read that has been turned into a movie this year. Some suggestions for this year could be: Gone Girl, The Maze Runner, This is Where I Leave You, The Giver, If I Stay, Divergent, Before I Go To Sleep
Monthly Challenges/Themes (cont'd)November
2014 Reading Challenge – Fireworks -
Aussie Readers’ – Clean up your TBR - Mixed bag of genres
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice - China Dolls by Lisa See - N/A
2. Off the Shelf Covers - "BIG Author Name
Find a book from your actual or virtual "to be read" shelf where the author's name is written noticeably larger than the title of the book."
The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney3. Author read - Sarah Jio - N/A
December
2014 Reading Challenge – Ice Cold - In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl (not the group read) - 4 stars
Aussie Readers’ – Christmas
Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor
Bound Together:
1. Member's Choice -
- N/A2. Off the Shelf - "Patterns - Find a book from your actual or virtual "to be read" shelf with a pattern on the cover. Stripes, dots, you name it, as long as its a pattern.
Some I saw on my list include:
- you get the idea"I will aim to read
The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold3. Author read - Mitch Albom -
TBR Twin Reads
January
The Last Lecture by Randy PauschFebruary
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey NiffeneggerMarch
N/A
April
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny ColganMay
One True Thing by Quindlen AnnaJune
N/A
July
N/A
August
N/A
September
Necessary Lies by Diane ChamberlainOctober
Forsyte SagaNovember
N/A
December
N/A
JANUARY READS Unforgivable by Sharon Robards The Secret River by Kate Grenville
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin The Cleverness of Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Different Seasons by Stephen King The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
Runaway by Alice Munro
The Green Mill Murder by Kerry Greenwood
FEBRUARY READS
Wake by Anna Hope The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories by F. Scott Fitzgerald Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Bridge To Terabithia by Katherine Paterson The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham It Takes A Village by Christine Stinson Streets on a Map: Journey Through Changes by Dale Harcombe The Lighthouse Road by Peter Geye The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes
MARCH READS Burial Rites by Hannah Kent Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton
An Irish Country Village by Patrick Taylor
The Ghost Map: A Street, an Epidemic and the Two Men Who Battled to Save Victorian London by Steven Johnson
Jack's Widow by Eve Pollard
A Family in Paris: Stories of Food, Life and Adventure by Jane Paech
Sister of My Heart by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni Bereft by Chris Womersley A Woman Transported by Sharon Robards
APRIL READS The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star by David Gardner Sarah Thornhill by Kate Grenville Other People's Country- A woman's journey from suburbia to life as a remote area nurse by Maureen Helen The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy by Anneke Companjen House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod
The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick
Blood and Circuses by Kerry Greenwood
The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon by Alexander McCall Smith
Purgatory by Jeffrey Archer
The Autobiography of the Queen by Emma Tennant
MAY READS The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
Howards End by E.M. Forster The Eyre Affair by Jasper Fforde One True Thing by Quindlen, Anna The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb The Independence of Miss Mary Bennet by Colleen McCullough
JUNE READS
The Excursion Train by Edward Marston The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
March by Geraldine Brooks No Ordinary View by Naomi Reed Thornwood House by Anna Romer
A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark
Farther Afield by Miss Read Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess Of Carnarvon
The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer
The Last Letter from Your Lover by Jojo Moyes Out of Time by Lesley Dimmock Urn Burial by Kerry Greenwood
The Color of Heaven by Julianne MacLean
JULY READS The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Joyland by Stephen King
Far Horizon by Tony Park
Inkspell by Cornelia Funke The Barrakee Mystery by Arthur W. Upfield Raisins and Almonds by Kerry Greenwood
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
AUGUST READS
Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War by Virginia Nicholson
It's Not about Me: Rescue from the Life We Thought Would Make Us Happy by Max Lucado
Blessings by Anna Quindlen All That I Am by Anna Funder The Spirit of Imagination by S.A. Tawks My Brother-But-One by T.M. Clark
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less by Jeffrey Archer
The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming The House of Memories by Monica McInerney
SEPTEMBER READS Cicada by Moira McKinnon Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday
Pardonable Lies by Jacqueline Winspear
The Railway Viaduct by Edward Marston The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons Whatever You Do, Don't Run: My Adventures As A Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain
The Enchanted April by Elizabeth von Arnim I Know Who Killed Betty Shanks by Ted Duhs
OCTOBER READS
Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park by Michael Smith
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth
Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
NOVEMBER READS Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers by Valerie Lawson Ellenvale Gold by Amanda Deed
The Paris Architect by Charles Belfoure Hello from the Gillespies by Monica McInerney The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell Mr Chen's Emporium by Deborah O'Brien
The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin The Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King The Suspect by Michael Robotham
Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
DECEMBER READS
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie
Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson
Christmas with Anne and Other Holiday Stories by L.M. Montgomery
An Irish Country Christmas by Patrick Taylor In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl JFK: The Smoking Gun by Colin McLaren Poet's Cottage by Josephine Pennicott The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold
The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom
Guideposts for the Spirit: Christmas Stories of Faith by Julie K. Hogan Death Before Wicket by Kerry Greenwood
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
The Middle Window by Elizabeth Goudge
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
More Listopia lists I like the look of:Best Books Set In Australia
Great Australian Novels
Queensland Fiction
Australian Christian Authors
Best Christian Inspirational Fiction
Family Saga
Best Historical Fiction of the 21st Century
Favourite Christmas Books
Beach Reads
Oh, Royalty
Modern Medical Science Non-Fiction
You Read A Book About What?
The Best of Jeffrey Archer
Books That Exceeded Your Expectations
Best Books About Loving Books
Books About Books
Best Traveling Vicariously
Have Passport Will Travel
London Calling
Books About Paris
Paris, Je T'aime
French Allure
Paris Tales: Memoirs About The City of Lights
Best Novels Set In Paris
Becoming Culturally Literate
I thought I was participating in a lot of challenges! Good luck Kathryn (: P.S. If you don't mind YA a great aussie author is Cath Crowley and I've heard good things about Melina Marchetta.
Thanks, Adriana - I'm not doing that many challenges, really - only 3 annual ones, the World Book Night challenge and probably all the Australian seasonal challenges and there is some overlap between them - I intend to fill the seasonal challenges with books from my yearly challenges as much as I can. And then I'll participate in theme reads and group reads and twin reads as I have time and inclination. Besides, I'm not a moderator, so I probably have a bit more free time than you! (And all those listopia lists above are just for future reference - I'm not tackling them this year!)I'm not a huge YA fan, but read a bit occasionally, so I'll look out your two suggestions :-) I'm hoping to be able to bump my Aussie author challenge up a level to silver (24 authors) so may need some extras (my current list has 14 authors, but my original list had about 20, so 4 extras to find).
That sounds like a lot to me! Even if you aren't tackling the listopia lists this year. You really seem to like Paris. My cousin is over there now. She's coming back on Sunday I think. That's her go to vacation place.Oh well good. Maybe you change your mind about some YA authors. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley is what I recommend if you go down the dark path. No love triangles or any of that sort. More about a girl finding herself or something like that. Don't want to say anything in case you stumble on to it in the future.
Adriana wrote: "That sounds like a lot to me! Even if you aren't tackling the listopia lists this year. You really seem to like Paris. My cousin is over there now. She's coming back on Sunday I think. That's her g..."Thanks, Adriana! And I really liked the look of Melina Marchetta, and she's written some well-known books (Looking for Alibrandi, On the Jellicoe Road, Saving Francesca) that I've heard of but not read (and had forgotten about)!
And I do like Paris, and London, and Europe in general, but those Listopia lists are just ones I stumbled upon, and I found more Paris than anything else!!
I like the idea some people have had of setting themselves a challenge to complete series this year. This is not a challenge for me, per se, but I thought making a list of the series I am currently reading might be a good idea - so I can see what I still have to work on!!Maisie Dobbs series by Jacqueline Winspear
1.
2.
3.
4. Messenger of Truth
5. An Incomplete Revenge
6. Among the Mad
7. The Mapping of Love and Death
8. A Lesson in Secrets
9. Elegy for Eddie
10. Leaving Everything Most Loved
11. The White Lady (expected publication 2015)
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series by Alexander McCall Smith
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15. The Handsome Man's Deluxe Café: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
The Isabel Dalhousie series by Alexander McCall Smith
1.
2.
3. The Right Attitude to Rain
4. The Careful Use of Compliments
5. The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday
6. The Lost Art of Gratitude
7. The Charming Quirks of Others.
8. The Forgotten Affairs Of Youth
9. The Uncommon Appeal of Clouds
10. The Strange Habits of Happiness (expected publication April 1, 2015)
The Irish Country series by Patrick Taylor
1.
2.
3.
4. An Irish Country Girl
5. An Irish Country Courtship
6. A Dublin Student Doctor
7. An Irish Country Wedding
8. Fingal O'Reilly, Irish Doctor
The Phryne Fisher series by Kerry Greenwood
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2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11. Away With the Fairies
12. Murder in Montparnasse
13. The Castlemaine Murders
14. Queen of the Flowers
15. Death by Water
16. Murder in the Dark
17.
18. Dead Man's Chest
19. Unnatural Habits
20. Murder and Mendelssohn
The Railway Detective - Detective Inspector Robert Colbeck series by Edward Marston
1.
2.
3.
4. The Iron Horse
5. Murder on the Brighton Express
6. The Silver Locomotive Mystery
7. Railway to the Grave
8. Blood on the Line
9. The Stationmaster's Farewell
10. Peril on the Royal Train
11. A Ticket to Oblivion: A Railway Detective Novel
The Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin
1.
2. The Serpent's Tale also known as The Death Maze
3. Grave Goods also known as Relics of the Dead: Mistress of the Art of Death 3
4. A Murderous Procession (also known as The Assassin's Prayer: Mistress of the Art of Death 4)
The Detective Ella Marconi series by Katherine Howell
1.
2. The Darkest Hour
3. Cold Justice
4. Violent Exposure
5. Silent Fear
6. Web of Deceit
The Clifton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer
1.
2.
3. Best Kept Secret
4. Be Careful What You Wish For
5. Mightier Than the Sword
The Inkworld trilogy by Cornelia Funke
1.
2.
3. Inkdeath
The Inspector Napoleon Bonaparte series by Arthur W. Upfield
1.
2. The Sands of Windee
3. Wings Above the Diamantina
4. Murder Down Under
5. Winds of Evil
There are actually 29 in this series, but this will do for the moment - until I decide whether I want to continue, anyway!!
I do have several other series on the go, but they're a bit more complicated, for various reasons, so these are the main ones I'm interested in pursuing at the moment.
Oh my goodness the series you read have a ton of books in them! I think I'm too used to YA and middle grade books only having three or four. I didn't realize The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series has kept going not that I've read the first but I do want to try it out. I have a good many series I want to complete this year ~ I've put them off for way too long.
Adriana wrote: "Oh my goodness the series you read have a ton of books in them! I think I'm too used to YA and middle grade books only having three or four. I didn't realize The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency seri..."I know - I don't intentionally set out to read long series - it just happens that way! Good luck with completing some of your series, Adriana!
I doubt I'll get anything more finished in the remaining day and a half of January, so I think my month's reading is complete and I've updated my January thread here accordingly! And I've already filled up my February thread with what I think I will be able to manage and started on March reads!!
Yearly Challenge4. Kathryn's Recommendations from Aussie Readers Group 2013 Reads Challenge --- COMPLETED
Duration: 1 January, 2014 - 31 December, 2014
17/17 completed
I'm adding one more challenge, but I plan to read most of these books already as part of other challenges, so it shouldn't be too hard to squeeze in a few extra!
This was the January challenge for the Aussie Readers Group and it also involved reading as many books from your TBR list as possible (very useful!), but the recommendations part is what I want to make into a yearly challenge (and it just so happens that they are all on my TBR list already!).
"In our first monthly challenge for 2014 we ask you all to select at least one (1) book from the list of recommendations by our members - Top 5 Reads for 2013."
I read 2 books from the list this month - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion recommended by Rani, Christina, Mrs Lawn, Carolyn, Janine, Amber and Sally* and And the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini recommended by Patricia* (both 5 star reads for me), but I am intending to read quite a few of the others throughout the year.
I have also started listening to Burial Rites by Hannah Kent (recommended by Michael, Brenda, Phrynne, Janine, Patricia and Marianne*) and it was a bit of a slow start, but I think I'm going to enjoy it.
So the books that I hope to read at some point through the year are:
The Rosie Project by Graeme SimsionAnd the Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent The Fault in Our Stars by John Green The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce Thornwood House by Anna Romer Joyland by Stephen King Bitter Greens by Kate Forsyth Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah Me Before You by Jojo Moyes The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell* - apologies if I've missed any of the people recommending along the way!! Am happy to make changes if I'm corrected by anyone!
hi kathryn- ill read The Fault in our Stars with you. I have it on my nightstand waiting to go when i finish Harry Potter. But i can read something else in the meantime if u arent ready for it. Let me know. If you dont want to do a buddy read thats ok too.
Hey Alison, I can't see myself reading The Fault in our Stars any time soon - both libraries I have access to still have a lot of reserves on it and even if I placed a hold, it would take at least a couple of months before I got a copy! So I am hoping it calms down later in the year. So if you want to read it, that's fine - I look forward to seeing what you think of it. If I don't notice you having read it before I get round to it, I'll check with you before to see if you're interested. I can't believe there's still so many reserves on it - it was released more than a year ago now!!
Kathryn, I put The Fault in our Stars on hold at my library. There are 36 people on hold for this book. I think I am down to number 15. The library only has one copy. Kind of crazy for such a popular book.
ok that sounds good. im hopefilly gonna finish Hp in the next few days then ill start it.
Jodi wrote: "Kathryn, I put The Fault in our Stars on hold at my library. There are 36 people on hold for this book. I think I am down to number 15. The library only has one copy. Kind of crazy for such a popul..."Isn't it?! My libraries have over 10 copies in each system, but if everyone keeps it for a month, that's still several months before I would get it! Is your loan period for a month, Jodi? With 15 people on hold, you might get it by mid-2015!!
Alison wrote: "ok that sounds good. im hopefilly gonna finish Hp in the next few days then ill start it..."
Hope you enjoy, Alison!
We get books for 21 days. For sure it is going to be a while. I am not in a hurry to read it. I have so many other books I have to read. I have been trying to use my library system more lately and save money from buying so many books. I will get to it one day.
Jodi wrote: "We get books for 21 days. For sure it is going to be a while. I am not in a hurry to read it. I have so many other books I have to read. I have been trying to use my library system more lately and ..."Yes, that's a bit how I feel, hence why I'm happy to leave it til a bit later in the year to see if demand drops so I may not need to place a hold!
Seasonal Challenge2. Autumn Reading Challenge (Aussie Readers’ Group)
Duration: 1 March, 2014 – 31 May, 2014
13/13 + 2 completed
1. Labor Day - March in some states - Choose a book whose lead characters are workers in construction, office, health, police force or teachers. Please mention their occupation when you post your list
2. St Patrick's Day - 17th March - Choose a book with a GREEN COVER OR is set in Ireland/has Irish characters
3. Melbourne's Moomba Festival - March - Read a book with any kind of happy, fun activity in it: singing, dancing, sporting activities, movies under the stars, water activities...
4. Canberra Day - Second Monday in March - The city's name comes from the local Aboriginal word Kanbarra, meaning "meeting place," in the old Ngunnawal language - Read a book written by or about local indigenous people
5. April Fools' Day - Choose a book in the humour category
6. Easter - April - Read a book which has chocolate, religion, hot cross buns, or family fun included
7. ANZAC Day - 25th April - Choose War or Military Fiction tying in to our Aussie Diggers
8. The Captain Cook 1770 Festival - May - Read an Historical Fiction novel set around our early settlement days
9. The Whaleshark Festival - May - Find a book with any of our beautiful sea creatures in it
10. Colours of Autumn - Choose a book which has the words, red, gold, brown, orange or yellow in the title OR whose cover is primarily one of those colours
House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod11, 12 & 13 - Read 3 books from your TBR list for these. And just for fun, why not let the Randomiser select the books for you - please note this is optional.
Seasonal Challenge - COMPLETED3. Winter Reading Challenge (Aussie Readers’ Group)
Duration: 1 June, 2014 – 31 August, 2014
15/15 completed
1a. Buddy Reads - Choose an AR friend who has similar tastes to you, pick a book and read it together…
With Elaine –
With Katrina –
And I will also do 1b
1b. Choose a book which has been on your TBR for a very long time - and finally get it READ!
2. Choose a New Release by an Aussie author which is published in June, July or August 2014
3. Miles Franklin winner announced 26th June - read any one of the winners from previous years or wait until the 2014 winner is announced, and read it! OR Read a title authored by Miles Franklin herself!
4. It's International Children's Day on June 1st - choose a Young Adult book to read
5. Real and Fake - (a) Read a Non-Fiction PLUS (b) a Fiction book (any choices)
a)
b)
6. Choose a book which has a cover depicting Winter or has a Winter word in the title
The Sins of the Father – Jeffrey Archer7. With National Tree Day on July 27th, BORROW a book from the library or a friend, or read an ebook - no purchases for this one! It MUST be an Aussie author as well:)
8. Choose a favourite author, head to the Literature Map and pick the closest!
Diane Setterfield →
9. Find a book written by an Aussie author showing a warm, summery cover - this will make you cozy!
My Brother-But-One by T.M. Clark10. Naughty and Nice - (a) Read a murder/suspense/thriller/mystery book PLUS (b) a romance/chick lit/comedy book
Naughty -
Nice –
11. Lower the long suffering TBR -
12. Lower the still long suffering TBR -
Reserved for:Seasonal Challenge
4. Spring Reading Challenge (Aussie Readers’ Group)
Duration: 1 September, 2014 – 31 November, 2014
13/13 + 6 extras completed
1) Long-time TBR:
2) Aussie spring new release:
3) Read a Rainbow:
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
4) Aussie Young Adult: N/A
5) Wattle book: N/A
6) Labor Day Book:
7) Remembrance Day:
8) Goodreads friend read (from Elaine):
9) Favourite Genre: Mystery -
10) TBR Spring Clean:
Seasonal Challenge5. Summer Reading Challenge 2014/2015 (Aussie Readers’ Group)
Duration: 1 December, 2014 – 28 February, 2015
18/18 completed (at least 6 to be completed in December 2014)
1. Spell It Out
S:
U:
M:
M:
E:
R:
2. Christmas:
3. Australia Day:
4. Valentine's Day:
5. Literature Map: Diane Chamberlain →
6. Top 5 Aussie Readers' Favourite 2014:
7. New Release (Aussie Author): N/A
8. Summer (Aussie Author):
9. Historical Fiction:
10. Favourite Genre:
Since it is nearing my bed time on the last day of February, I can't see that I will finish either of the books I'm in the middle of before March - I have just over 3 hrs listening time remaining of Burial Rites and more than half the book (almost 300 pages) of Bitter Greens remaining. I am surprised at how much I'm enjoying Bitter Greens, given that it is fantasy - but there's no dragons or other strange creatures, so the fantasy part of it isn't worrying me.So I've updated my month's reading and ratings I've given and my completed challenge reads are also updated. Looking forward to the new challenges for the month (and the season)!
Non-fiction books I'd like to read this year: COMPLETEDCompleted 20/20
The Chronicles of Downton Abbey: A New Era by Jessica Fellowes The Ghost Map: A Street, an Epidemic and the Two Men Who Battled to Save Victorian London by Steven Johnson A Family in Paris: Stories of Food, Life and Adventure by Jane Paech The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star by David Gardner Station X: The Codebreakers of Bletchley Park by Michael Smith Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers by Valerie Lawson No Ordinary View by Naomi Reed The World of Downton Abbey by Jessica Fellowes
Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War by Virginia Nicholson Shadows of the Workhouse by Jennifer Worth Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess Of Carnarvon
Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy by Anneke Companjen Whatever You Do, Don't Run: My Adventures As A Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison
Purgatory - Wayland: A Prison Diary 2 by Jeffrey Archer Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir by Clint Hill JFK: The Smoking Gun by Colin McLaren I Know Who Killed Betty Shanks by Ted Duhs Guideposts for the Spirit: Christmas Stories of Faith by Julie K. Hogan Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story by Ben Carson
Challenges all up-to-date to the end of March.
Yearly Challenge5. Reading Bingo Challenge
From Random House Retreat's website: "Welcome to Retreat’s Reading Bingo Challenge 2014. We’ve created a printable bingo card with 24 reading challenges! Join us and challenge yourself to read more, to read more widely and to have fun doing it all!
You can approach the Reading Bingo card however you like: beginners, start by getting one line; if you’re more advanced, try the whole outside box on the card; experts, fill in the whole card!
We would recommend using one book per space, but if you read a book over 500 pages written by someone under 30, who are we to stop you from cover two squares with one read?
This year, for a little extra challenge, we’ve also created the Reading Bingo Card: YA Edition! We’ve come up with 24 challenges related specifically to books geared to teens. But you don’t have to be a teenager to participate!"
Duration: Started February, 2014 - continue until all squares complete
Adult square - COMPLETED:
25/25 squares completed
5/5 vertical bingo's
5/5 horizontal bingo's
2/2 diagonal bingo's
B1) more than 500 pages - The Time Traveler's Wife - 4.5✭
B2) written by someone under 30 - Burial Rites - 4✭
B3) one-word title - Bereft - 2✭
B4) 1st book by a favourite author - Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less - 4✭
B5) your friend loves - Redeeming Love - 4✭
I1) fogotten classic - Howards End - 3✭
I2) non-human characters - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - 4✭
I3) short stories - The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Six Other Stories - 1✭
I4) heard about online - Streets on a Map: Journey Through Changes - 3.5✭
I5) scares you - The Fate of Mercy Alban - 4✭
N1) became a movie - Bridge to Terabithia - 3.5✭
N2) funny book - The Minor Adjustment Beauty Salon - 3.5✭
N3) FREE :) - A Woman Transported - 3.5✭
N4) best-selling - The Husband's Secret - 4.5✭
N5) more than 10 years old - The Painted Veil - 3✭
G1) published this year - Big Little Lies - 4.5✭
G2) female author - It Takes A Village - 4✭
G3) set on a different continent - The Lighthouse Road - 2✭
G4) based on a true story - The Street Sweeper - 4.5✭
G5) 2nd book in a series - An Irish Country Village - 3.5✭
O1) number in the title - The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared - 3.5✭
O2) a mystery - The Secret Keeper - 3.5✭
O3) non-fiction - The Ghost Map: A Street, an Epidemic and the Two Men Who Battled to Save Victorian London - 3✭
O4) bottom of your to be read pile - A Family in Paris: Stories of Food, Life and Adventure - 4✭
O5) blue cover - The Fault in Our Stars - 4✭
Young adult square:
24/25 squares completed
4/5 vertical bingo's
4/5 horizontal bingo's
2/2 diagonal bingo's
B1) Book with a female heroine - Sarah Thornhill - 3.5✭
B2) Book set in the future - Fahrenheit 451 - 1.5✭
B3) Book set in the past - The Light Between Oceans - 5✭
B4) Book that made you cry - Me Before You - 5✭
B5) Book with an incredible fight scene - Blood and Circuses - 3✭
I1) Book set in a high school - The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark - 2✭
I2) Book with a break up - Sister of My Heart - 4✭
I3) Book with magic - House for all Seasons - 3.5✭
I4) Graphic novel - Smile - 3✭
I5) Book you heard about online - The Tom Hanks Enigma: The Biography of the World's Most Intriguing Movie Star - 3.5✭
N1) Last book of a trilogy -
N2) Book without a love triangle - Other People's Country- A woman's journey from suburbia to life as a remote area nurse - 3.5✭
N3) Free square - Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy - 3.5✭
N4) Book based on a myth - The Girl Who Chased the Moon - 3✭
N5) Book set in another world - Inkspell - 3✭
G1) Book with a colour in the title - Bitter Greens - 3.5✭
G2) Book that became a movie - The Silver Linings Playbook - 3.5✭
G3) Book set in the summer - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - 3.5✭
G4) Classic "YA" book - The Secret Life of Bees - 3✭
G5) Book with an epic love story - The Last Letter from Your Lover - 4✭
O1) First book in a series - The Eyre Affair - 3✭
O2) Book set in Paris - The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris - 3✭
O3) Book with a dragon - The Eyes of the Dragon - 4✭
O4) Book with a lion, a witch or a wardrobe - The Zookeeper's Wife - 2.5✭
O5) Book with music - The Novel in the Viola - 3.5✭
Quarterly Challenge1. Second Quarter Challenge - #readwomen2014 - in the 2014 Reading Challenge group - My original post
Duration: 1 April, 2014 - 31 December, 2014
EDIT: Challenge updated to a yearly challenge in May - goal updated accordingly.
#readwomen2014 is a movement started by Joanna Walsh who was tired of the status quo. In her own words, this is what the movement is all about:
It’s a truth universally acknowledged, and confirmed by VIDA, that, though women read more books than men, and female authors are published in comparable numbers, they are more easily overlooked: a smaller presence in literary journals both as reviewers, and the reviewed, they also account for fewer literary translations.
It’s not whether women are published (because they are) but how they are published. Are men more likely to write what’s considered ‘important’ literary fiction, or could it be that more are regarded that way? I’ve heard female writer friends grouse when their books are given flowery covers though their writing’s not, when reviews, even press-releases, describe their work as “delicate” when it is forthright, “playful” when it is experimental, “delightful” when it is satirical, “carving a niche” when it is staking a claim (none of these examples is made up).
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read. Once your goal is set, read! And come back and tell us who your favorites were to get great female authors more exposure. Each author can only count once.
35/30 completed
1.
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman2.
House for all Seasons by Jenn J. McLeod3.
The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris by Jenny Colgan4.
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce5.
Hidden Sorrow, Lasting Joy by Anneke Companjen6.
The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman7.
The Autobiography of the Queen by Emma Tennant8.
One True Thing by Anna Quindlen9.
The Girl Who Chased the Moon by Sarah Addison Allen10.
A Far Cry from Kensington by Muriel Spark11.
Other People's Country- A woman's journey from suburbia to life as a remote area nurse by Maureen Helen12.
Singled Out: How Two Million Women Survived Without Men After the First World War by Virginia Nicholson13.
The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb14.
My Brother-But-One by T.M. Clark15.
The Captain's Daughter by Leah Fleming16.
All That I Am by Anna Funder17.
Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey by The Countess Of Carnarvon18.
Thornwood House by Anna Romer19.
Mary Poppins, She Wrote: The Life of P. L. Travers by Valerie Lawson20.
The Paris Wife by Paula McLain21.
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver22.
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah23.
The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John24.
Ellenvale Gold by Amanda Deed25.
Out of Time by Lesley Dimmock26.
Poet's Cottage by Josephine Pennicott27.
The Novel in the Viola by Natasha Solomons28.
Christmas at Harrington's by Melody Carlson29.
The Spirit of Imagination by S.A. Tawks30.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier31.
Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain32.
Cicada by Moira McKinnon33.
The Collected Works of A. J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin34.
In Falling Snow by Mary-Rose MacColl35.
The Book of Secrets by Elizabeth Joy Arnold
Books read for May and challenges all updated.
Much as I would like to think that I'm going to get the book I started earlier today (Joyland by Stephen King) finished today, on the last day of June, I know it is not going to happen! So I'm all up-to-date for June!
Challenges and July reads all updated.
2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (other topics)The White Lady (other topics)
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (other topics)
Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story (other topics)
The Middle Window (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Winifred Watson (other topics)Ben Carson (other topics)
Ben Carson (other topics)
Elizabeth Goudge (other topics)
Elizabeth Joy Arnold (other topics)
More...
I'm going to aim for 100 books this year. Books for some challenges will overlap with other challenges.
All lists subject to change throughout the course of the year depending on availability.