MobileRead Book Challenges discussion

Buddy & Budget Reads.
My Year 2024 in Books

I have a few goals this year:

1. Read a minimum of 60 titles [157 of 60]
(My average from 2011 through 2023 was 58)

2. Participate in a minimum of 7 Series Buddy Reads [16 of 7]
(Participation = two or more titles read in 2024)

3. Take full advantage of Libby, Hoopla, Kindle Unlimited & Comixology Unlimited
[ 25 Titles I Lost Count ]

4. Take part in the 2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge [ 18 of 50]

5. Read six books by Stephen King [ 0 of 6]

The 2024 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

A book with the word "leap" in the title
A bildungsroman ~ A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
A book about a 24-year-old ~ That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
A book about a writer ~ Yellowface
A book about K-pop
A book about pirates
A book about women's sports and/or by a woman athlete
A book by a blind or visually impaired author
A book by a deaf or hard-of-hearing author
A book by a self-published author ~ That Time I Got Drunk And Saved a Human
A book from a genre you typically avoid ~ Westward Weird
A book from an animal's POV
A book originally published under a pen name ~ Burn for Me
A book recommended by a bookseller
A book recommended by a librarian
A book set 24 years before you were born
A book set in a travel destination on your bucket list
A book set in space ~ Old Man's War
A book set in the future ~ Random in Death
A book set in the snow ~ White as a Raven's Wing
A book that came out in a year that ends with "24" ~ Passions in Death
A book that centers on video games
A book that features dragons ~ Origins of an Academy Bully
A book that takes place over the course of 24 hours
A book that was published 24 years ago ~ Hot Six
A book that was turned into a musical
A book where someone dies in the first chapter ~ Luck in the Shadows
A book with a main character who's 42 years old
A book with a neurodivergent main character
A book with a one-word title you had to look up in a dictionary
A book with a title that is a complete sentence ~ That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf
A book with an enemies-to-lovers plot ~ Fourth Wing
A book with an unreliable narrator
A book with at least three POVs ~ The Way of Kings
A book with magical realism
A book written by an incarcerated or formerly incarcerated person
A book written during NaNoWriMo
A cozy fantasy book
A fiction book by a trans or nonbinary author
A horror book by a BIPOC author
A memoir that explores queerness
A nonfiction book about Indigenous people
A second-chance romance ~ Gunmetal Magic
An autobiography by a woman in rock 'n' roll
An LGBTQ+ romance novel ~ Traitor's Moon

Advanced

A book in which a character sleeps for more than 24 hours
A book with 24 letters in the title
A collection of at least 24 poems
The 24th book of an author
A book that starts with the letter "X."

Series: A & B

Alex Verus Series (Read Books 1 - 5 in 2023) [Buddy Read]: {COMPLETED - July 2024}

Series: C & D

Calendar Girl Series:



Chefs of the Five Gods Series (Read Book 1 in 2023):
{Book #2 Release Date - January 2024}



The D'Angelos Series: {COMPLETED or UP TO DATE - January 2024}



The Darkblade Series:



Discworld Series [Buddy Read]:

Series: E & F

The Empyrean Series:



The Expanse Series: (Read Books 1 & 2 in 2022 and Book 3 in 2023)



Fairhaven Falls Series: (Read Books 1 - 2 in 2023)


The Folk of the Air Series: [Abandoned]


Freaky Florida Mystery Adventures

Series: G & H


Gunnie Rose Series [Buddy Read]:{UP TO DATE - July 2024}
{Book #6 Release Date - July 22, 2025}


Hello Series:{COMPLETED or UP TO DATE - July 2024}


Hidden Legacy Series: {COMPLETED - May 2024}


Holiday Romantic Comedies Series:


The Housemaid Series: [Paused]



The Hollows (Rachel Morgan) Series:

Series: I & J


Imperial Radch Series [Buddy Read]



InCryptid Series [Buddy Read]:

Bonus Stories :
JONATHAN HEALY AND FRANCES BROWN (circa 1928-1945)


ALICE HEALY AND THOMAS PRICE (circa 1954-)

VERITY PRICE AND DOMINIC DE LUCA (circa 2012-)

ANTIMONY PRICE (circa 2013-)

SARAH ZELLABY AND ARTHUR HARRINGTON (circa 2013-)

ISTAS AND RYAN (circa 2013-2015)

ELIZA (circa 2017)


In Death Series (Read Books 1 - 8 in 2022 and Books 9 - 57 in 2023) [Buddy Read]: {UP TO DATE - October 2024}
{Book #60 Release Date - February 2025}



Innkeeper Chronicles Series: (Read Books 1 - 4 in 2022 and Book 5 in 2023)
{Book #6 Release Date - TBD}



The Iron Druid Chronicles (Read Books 1 - 3 in 2023) Series [Buddy Read] {Paused}:

Series: K & L

Kate Daniels Series: {Main Series COMPLETED & Spin-Off UP TO DATE - August 2024}


The Wilmington Years



Legends & Lattes Series: (Read Books 0 - 1 in 2023)
{Book #2 Release Date - TBD}



Little House on the Prairie Series:

Series: M & N


The Marriage Auction Series: {UP TO DATE - July 2024}
Season 1

Season 2



Mead Mishaps Series: {COMPLETED or UP TO DATE - June 2024}


Mistborn Series: {UP TO DATE - November 2024}

Wax & Wayne:



Monk & Robot Series:



Monsters Love Curvy Girls Series: (Read Books 1 - 10 in 2023)
{Book #13 Release Date - December 16, 2024}

Monster Bites Spin-Off Series



Monsterville, USA Series: (Read Books 1 - 2 in 2023)



The Murderbot Diaries Series (Read Books 1 - 7 in 2023) [Buddy Read]:
{Books #8 & 9 Release Dates - TBD}



Nightrunner Series [Buddy Read] {COMPLETED - October 2024}




No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series:

Series: O & P

Occult Assasin Series: (Read Book 1 in 2023)



Old Man's War Series [Buddy Read]:

Series: Q & R

Series: S & T


Saga Series: (Read Installments 1 - 9 in 2022 and 10-11 in 2023)
{Volume #12 Release Date - TBD}



A Side Character's Love Story (aka Mobuko's Love) Series: (Read Books 1 - 16 in 2023)
{Book #17 Release Date - TBD}




Spy X Family Series [Buddy Read]:



Stephanie Plum Series [Buddy Read]:



The Stormlight Archive Series [Buddy Read]:




Sweet Monster Treats Series: (Read Books 1 - 2 in 2023)

Series: U & V

Vorkosigan Saga Series (Read Book 1 in 2023) [Buddy Read]:

Series: W & X


The War of Lost Hearts Series (Read Book 1 in 2023) [Buddy Read]:



Wayfarers Series: (Read Books 1 - 3 in 2023)



Women's Murder Club Series:

Series: Y & Z


Zodiac Academy Series:

Amazon Original Stories
https://smile.amazon.com/b/ref=sxts_s...

Standalones

Stephen King Titles

DNFs

Let's see if I can actually keep track of these!


Comixology Unlimited:

Hoopla:

- Two for the Dough (audio)

Kindle Unlimited:

- When It Falls Apart
- Be Your Everything
- Beginning of Forever
- The Whole Time
- A Longer Fall
- Old Man's War
- The Serpent in Heaven
- That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon
- That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf
- That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human
- The Marriage Auction: Book One
- The Marriage Auction: Book Two
- The Marriage Auction: Book Three
- The Marriage Auction: Book Four
- The Marriage Auction 2, Book One
- The Marriage Auction 2, Book Two
- The Marriage Auction 2, Book Three

Libby:

- Yellowface
- Two for the Dough (ebook)
- Three to Get Deadly
- Luck in the Shadows (audio)
- Four to Score
- High Five
- Hot Six
- Seven Up

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...
FBR Team Challenge Tracker

(view spoiler)[
C or G = Graphic Novel / Comic
E or N or blank/empty cell = 100% Eyebook/Ebookfor
# = percent audio = bit of both...
Example: 50 = 50/50
Y or A = 100% Audiobook (this is the extra bit you said you wouldn't need) (hide spoiler)]

Done??

"I have a few goals"
reserves 21 slots

Well, someone is all ready for 2024. LOL Guess I need to get in gear! :D

Christa wrote: ""I have a few goals"
reserves 21 slots

Well, someone is all ready for 2024. LOL Guess I need to get in gear! :D"

I doubt I'll use them all; I always seem to end up one or two short, so I added more than a few extras this time. LOL!

Looks like fun! Its been a loooong time since i did any reading challenges! Generally reading a lot less than i did a few years ago so i dont want to push myself.

DoodlePanda wrote: "Looks like fun! It's been a loooong time since i did any reading challenges! Generally reading a lot less than i did a few years ago so i dont want to push myself."

It's good to see you! (((HUGS)))
There is no need to push yourself; reading should be for enjoyment (when not for school or work).
I do hope you check in with us every once in a while. You've been missed.

DoodlePanda wrote: "Looks like fun! Its been a loooong time since i did any reading challenges! Generally reading a lot less than i did a few years ago so i dont want to push myself."

Awww youre so sweet! Ive missed you too!
Spending most of my time off gaming these days..

Christa wrote: ""I have a few goals"
reserves 21 slots

Well, someone is all ready for 2024. LOL Guess I need to get in gear! :D"

Based on the trouble I seem to be getting myself into, the 21 spots may not have been an exaggeration after all! *Sigh*

Nyssa wrote: "Based on the trouble I seem to be getting myself into, the 21 spots may not have been an exaggeration after all! *Sigh*"

Hoooooly crap! That's a lot of series stuff. And now you've inspired me to track KU / Library borrows. As well as DNF/"on hold" books. And I'm also wondering if I should have reserved more slots in my own thread. LOL

Christa wrote: "Hoooooly crap! That's a lot of series stuff. And now you've inspired me to track KU / Library borrows. As well as DNF/"on hold" books. And I'm also wondering if I should have reserved more slots in my own thread. LOL."

I'm a bit obsessed! LOL
I don't expect to read all of them. They are either scheduled buddy reads or series I've wanted to read for a while (well, except the orc porn - that just happened! ROFL!!) There are a few more series I'm tempted to add but have resisted (so far). However, seeing them listed may help if I'm unsure what I want to read.

I'm just impressed that you took the time to put all of those book covers in. Especially for Robb. I mean, that's a whole store's worth of books on its own. LOL

I'm finally editing my thread to get some structure for next year. I'm just so curious to see "what was planned" vs "what actually happened" this time next year. I mean, the more I define the reading plan, the less likely I am to follow it. I already know this, and yet I persist. 🤣

LOL! I hear you. Even knowing I'm a mood reader, I still try to plan, with varying results. Doing the Buddy Reads (as opposed to Group Reads) helps!

I have just finished my first book of the year: One for the Money - My Review

Nyssa wrote: "I have just finished my first book of the year: One for the Money - My Review"

We're tied! LOL I want to write a review for the one I finished. But I'm working right now so I'll try to do it later. I haven't written a review in so long... but I want to start again. We'll see how it goes.

Christa wrote: "We're tied! LOL I want to write a review for the one I finished. But I'm working right now so I'll try to do it later. I haven't written a review in so long... but I want to start again. We'll see how it goes"

*High Five* at being tied! LOL

Reviews are personal & moody things! Take your time. :)
Sometimes, it takes me 20 minutes to leave a single-sentence review.

January was a bit of a mess.

The numbers look good (I will never scoff at reading 16 titles in a month), but at least four were unplanned mood reads, leaving my buddy-reading schedule in trouble. I knew I was overcommitting at the time, but I was just too excited for the new year!

I'm focussing on catching up with The Iron Druid (I think I'm two or three books behind) I'll be starting Hunted; Stephanie Plum (also two books back) - I am currently reading Four to Score; and Alex Verus (one book behind) - I'll be reading Veiled. Unfortunately, this may put me back with Gunnie Rose ( A Longer Fall) too.

After all, I opted not to tackle Discworld this year.

I am excited to start all things Ilona Andrews readathon that started yesterday. I love their work and am excited to delve into their series. There will be a few rereads among the early books in some of their series, but most will be new to me. The only series I might skip is The Innkeeper Chronicles since I read it up-to-date last year.

You're at the part of Iron Druid where I stopped reading. LOL I might return to it some day.

I am disappointed you are not tackling Discworld. It is such a great set of books that requires nothing of you. You don't need to read in order, you don't need to think you've lost something if you spend months between reading titles.

Just keep it as something to fill in the time between other things. It will love you all the same.

Christa wrote: "You're at the part of Iron Druid where I stopped reading. LOL I might return to it some day."

I just finished Hunted, and I enjoyed it. My only concern is that the titles have been quite literal, making the idea of Shattered terrifying. I look forward to reading it!

HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Just keep it as something to fill in the time between other things. It will love you all the same."

I may try that.

Christa wrote: "You're at the part of Iron Druid where I stopped reading. LOL I might return to it some day."

I should have heeded your warning. I had started Staked when someone let slip that things just go downhill for Atticus. I couldn't bring myself to continue the book or series after that. It feels too depressing.

I've also fallen even more behind on my buddy reads in general, not having finished the February selections as yet, and here we are at the end of March.

I have some rearranging to do.

Nyssa wrote: "I should have heeded your warning."

I'm sorry. It sounds like we quit for different reasons, though. For me, it just felt like when he and Granuaile finally got together, things got a bit stupid. The two of them should have supercharged everything but instead the plot got stuck in the mud and even Oberon got annoying by that point. It all got a bit too Scooby Doo for me. (Literally, in the case of Oberon.)

Plus, the romance killed my hopes for more craziness like the superhot Morrigan "encounter" earlier in the series. (That scene even inspired me to write a song. LOL) I actually felt like he had more chemistry with the super-scary Morrigan than he did with Granuaile,

You are the third or fourth person I've heard compare Oberon to Scooby Doo. LOL

I agree about the chemistry, but I am also a HEA girl at heart, so their romance doesn't bother me.

It's that fact that Atticus apparently (view spoiler)[ends up alienating everyone and alone (hide spoiler)] that ruins the series for me.

I didn't know about the spoiler bit because I stopped paying attention when I stopped reading the series (I was reading them pretty soon after release) but it doesn't surprise me.

I feel like a lot of urban fantasy authors struggle when deciding on if, when, how, and how much romance to include in their stories and it can lead to a calamitous (or just depressing) overcorrection.

Wow, it's been about two months since my last update!
Well, in that time:

- My work situation has become annoying. I'm waiting for this campaign to end in July and am curious about my next one.
- My family and I have had to deal with ongoing medical issues.
- My buddy-reading schedule has disintegrated into a puddle of goo.

But I am still reading daily, so that's always a plus.
As for now, I'll focus on whichever series captures my attention the most.

Good luck with your job and I hope the medical issues will be resolved.

Don't worry about reading goals, as long as you're having fun it'll be fine.

Hope the next campaign is less annoying! Or at least enough of a change to delay the annoyance. :D

Sorry to hear about the medical issues. I know how that can start to feel like it's taking over everything. :(

I think reading daily is what keeps me sane so I'm glad you're still able to do that. Go where the books take you!

I hope the medical issues sort themselves out. That totally sucks.

Thank you all.

I'm having a biopsy done on Thursday, so fingers crossed.

Nyssa wrote: "Thank you all.

I'm having a biopsy done on Thursday, so fingers crossed."

So, I realize that I never followed up on this.

My body painfully rejected the idea of the biopsy, and they were not able to complete it. They want me to get additional ultrasounds in a few months.

In the meantime, I've been reading and working like crazy.
Which leads me to a new poll: Which Bookstagram Recommendation Should I Try First?

Nyssa wrote: "My body painfully rejected the idea of the biopsy, and they were not able to complete it. They want me to get additional ultrasounds in a few months."

Ugh. {{HUGS}} Well, at least ultrasounds are a lot more tolerable. But still. :( It's the waiting and the question marks that cause the most stress. <3

Christa wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "My body painfully rejected the idea of the biopsy, and they were not able to complete it. They want me to get additional ultrasounds in a few months."

Ugh. {{HUGS}} Well, at least ul..."

Thanks (((Hugs Back)))