2026 Reading Challenge discussion

My reading challenges for the year. I'm trying to read outside my comfort zone this year!

Yearly:
Book Riot Read Harder Challenge
Popsugar Challenge
I-Spy Challenge
A-Z Challenge
Randomiser Challenge
Favourite Genres Challenge

Seasonal/Monthly:
Sharon's Spring Challenge
Favorite Pets Challenge

Overall challenge:
300/???

Book Riot Read Harder Challenge 2015
Complete 21/24

1. A book written by someone when they were under the age of 25 - St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves 5/1
2. A book written by someone when they were over the age of 65 - Damia's Children 4/28
3. A collection of short stories - Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances 3/24
4. A book published by an indie press - Stolen Songbird 5/12
5. A book by or about someone that identifies at LGBTQ - The Midnight Spell 4/22
6. A book by a person whose gender is different from your own - The Bone Clocks 4/1
7. A book that takes place in Asia - The Kite Runner
8. A book by an author from Africa - Zoo City 6/10
9. A book that is by or about someone from an indigenous culture - The Plague of Doves 5/28
10. A microhistory - The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York 3/19
11. A YA novel - Red Queen 4/6
12. A sci-fi novel - Fuzzy Nation 3/31
13. A romance novel - The Shape of My Heart 3/11
14. A National Book Award, Man Booker Prize, or Pulitzer Prize winner from the last decade - The Goldfinch 5/21
15. A book that is a retelling of a classic story - A Court of Thorns and Roses 5/25
16. An audiobook - Magic Bites 1/19
17. A collection of poetry - Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty 2/12
18. A book that someone else has recommended to you - Dark Places 6/5
19. A book that was originally published in another language - The Stranger 3/13
20. A graphic novel, graphic memoir, or a collection of comics of any kind - How to Tell If Your Cat Is Plotting to Kill You 5/3
21. A book that you would consider a guilty pleasure - Pocket Apocalypse 4/7
22. A book published before 1850 - Emma
23. A book published this year - Fairest 2/6
24. A self-improvement book - The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

Randomiser Challenge 2015
Complete: 8/8

192. The Midnight Spell - 4/22
166. Perfect Ruin - 5/6
241. Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams - 6/28
550. Vanishing Girls - 6/18
487. Second Grave on the Left - 6/2
564. The Brokenhearted - 5/4
660. Tinseltown: Murder, Morphine, and Madness at the Dawn of Hollywood - 8/5
462. Gilded - 6/20

Popsugar Challenge 2015
Complete: 45/52

1. A book with more than 500 pages - The Bone Clocks 4/1
2. A classic romance - Persuasion
3. A book that became a movie - The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend 5/27
4. A book published this year - Fairest 2/6
5. A book with a number in the title - 17 & Gone 5/18
6. A book written by someone under 30 - Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" 3/17
7. A book with nonhuman characters - The Girl at Midnight 6/26
8. A funny book - Yes Please 3/24
9. A book by a female author - Cast in Shadow 1/27
10. A mystery or thriller - Reconstructing Amelia 1/19
11. A book with a one-word title - Wicked 1/27
12. A book of short stories - Pretty Monsters: Stories 2/17
13. A book set in a different country - Written in the Stars 4/11
14. A nonfiction book - The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York 3/19
15. A popular author's first book - The Kite Runner
16. A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - The Ocean at the End of the Lane 2/27
17. A book a friend recommended - Dark Places 6/5
18. A Pulitzer Prize-winning book - The Goldfinch 5/21
19. A book based on a true story - The Glass Castle
20. A book at the bottom of your to-read list - White Cat 5/16
21. A book your mom loves - The Probability of Miracles 9/20
22. A book that scares you - The Girl with All the Gifts 6/8
23. A book more than 100 years old - The Awakening
24. A book based entirely on its cover - The Sin Eater’s Daughter 6/8
25. A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - The Name of the Rose
26. A memoir - Bossypants 2/4
27. A book you can finish in a day - The Chaos of Stars 3/7
28. A book with antonyms in the title - Cold Fire 5/24
29. A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - On the Jellicoe Road 5/15
30. A book that came out the year you were born - Howl's Moving Castle
31. A book with bad reviews - The Brokenhearted 5/4
32. A trilogy - Annihilation 5/13; Authority 8/25; Acceptance
33. A book from your childhood - Into the Land of the Unicorns 4/19
34. A book with a love triangle - Crimson Bound 5/18
35. A book set in the future - Obsession in Death 2/25
36. A book set in high school - The Fine Art of Pretending 3/13
37. A book with a color in the title - Wolf in White Van 3/4
38. A book that made you cry - The Museum of Extraordinary Things 3/26
39. A book with magic - The Magicians 3/11
40. A graphic novel - Serenity: Leaves on the Wind 1/25
41. A book by an author you've never read before - Dreamer's Pool 4/2
42. A book you own but have never read - The Dust of 100 Dogs 6/30
43. A book that takes place in your hometown - The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II 8/16
44. A book that was originally written in a different language - The Stranger 3/23
45. A book set during Christmas - My True Love Gave to Me: Twelve Holiday Stories 2/23
46. A book written by an author with your same initials - St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves 5/1
47. A play - Lysistrata 5/29
48. A banned book - The Handmaid's Tale 8/18
49. A book based on or turned into a TV show - Mr. Kiss and Tell 1/23
50. A book you started but never finished - Rooms 3/6

Sharon's Spring Challenge
April 1 - June 30, 2015
Complete 12/12

1. Read a book about time travel - To Say Nothing of the Dog 4/14
2. Read a book where a character makes an impetuous decision - The Kiss of Deception 4/18
3. Read a book that takes place in the spring - Under a Painted Sky 5/18
4. Read a book with water on the cover or that takes place on the water - Dreamer's Pool 4/2
5. Read a steampunk book - Cold Fire 5/24
6. Read a book that has been on your TBR list the longest - White Cat 5/16
7. Read a book that takes place at a college or during spring break - All Played Out 5/23
8. Read a book where weather plays an important part to the plot - Let the Sky Fall 5/21
9. Read an old favorite or a book you have been putting off reading - The Rowan
10. Read a book of poetry or a book about a poet - Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats 6/8
11. Read a book that was released in 2015 or the newest book on your TBR list - Red Queen 4/6
12. Read a book that has a character who exhibits these characteristics or an action genre book - Second Grave on the Left 6/2

A-Z Challenge 2015
Complete: 24/26

A: Asunder 3/23
B: The Bone Clocks 4/1
C: Charm and Strange 4/7
D: Damia 4/27
E: Eon: Dragoneye Reborn 4/26
F: Fuzzy Nation 3/31
G: The Good Girl 3/3
H: The Heiress Effect 4/14
I: I Don't Know What You Know Me From: Confessions of a Co-Star 2/19
J: Jellicoe Road 5/15
K: The Kiss of Deception 4/18
L: Lyon's Pride 4/30
M: The Museum of Extraordinary Things 3/26
N: Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned" 3/17
O: Oryx and Crake 2/10
P: Palimpsest 3/14
Q: Queen of Shadows
R: Red Queen 4/6
S: Shadow Scale 4/25
T: Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances 3/24
U: Under a Painted Sky 5/19
V: Vision in Silver 4/18
W: Written in the Stars 4/11
X: Xoe: or Vampires, and Werewolves, and Demons, Oh My!
Y: Yes Please 3/24
Z: Zoo City 6/10

Favourite Genres Challenge 2015
Complete: 10/16

Kara's Favourites
Natural History Nonfiction - Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet 6/10
Magical Realism - The Museum of Extraordinary Things 3/26
Business Nonfiction - not sure, may end up being a free pass
Post-apocalyptic - Oryx and Crake 2/10

Zara's Favourites
Religion - The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly 7/15
Fiction - Reconstructing Amelia 1/10
Young Adult - All the Rage 5/26
Chick-Lit - The DUFF: Designated Ugly Fat Friend 5/27

Craig's Favourites
Heroic Fantasy - The Final Empire
Military Science Fiction - Fortune's Pawn 7/2
Classics - Persuasion
Gaming Fiction - Sea of Sorrows

Cassandra's Favourites
Social Science Fiction - The Handmaid's Tale
World History - A History of the World in 6 Glasses
Biography-Memoir - Bossypants 2/4
High Fantasy - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Favorite Pets Challenge: June 2015
Complete 7/7

1. They can have a picture of an animal on the book's cover.
Kitty and the Silver Bullet 6/18
2. The book can even be one that has the name of your pet/s within it.
A Natural History of Dragons 6/14
3. Read a book that has the same kind of pet you have in it.
The Cat, The Quilt And The Corpse 6/15
4. Read a non-fiction book about an animal/pet.
Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet 6/11
5. Some people have exotic pets, read a book with an exotic animal in it.
Zoo City (6/10)
6. Some people have large pets, such as horses or big dogs, read a book over 500 pages.
Dark Places (6/5)
7. Some people prefer small animals that are easy to take care of. Read a book that is 100 pages or less.
Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats (6/8)

#readwomen 2015
Complete 43/50

1. Kimberly McCreight - Reconstructing Amelia
2. Michelle Sagara - Cast in Shadow
3. Tina Fey - Bossypants
4. Cristin Terrill - All Our Yesterdays
5. Christine Heppermann - Poisoned Apples
6. Kelly Link - Pretty Monsters
7. Judy Greer - I Don't Know What You Know Me From
8. Holly Brown - Don't Try to Find Me
9. Paula Hawkins - The Girl on the Train
10. Courtney Milan - The Brothers Sinister series
11. Mary Kubica - The Good Girl
12. Jenn Bennett - Kindling the Moon
13. Leila Rasheed - Cinders & Sapphires
14. Cherie Reich - Reborn
15. Lena Dunham - Not that Kind of Girl
16. Deborah Blum - The Poisoner's Handbook
17. Amy Poehler - Yes Please
18. Connie Willis - To Say Nothing of the Dog
19. Maggie Shipstead - Astonish Me
20. Juliet Marillier - Dreamer's Pool

I Spy challenge 2015
Complete: 23/25

1. Color - Wolf in White Van 3/4
2. Number - 17 & Gone 5/18
3. Things That Grow - In the Night Garden 3/23
4. Seasons - Winter 11/12
5. First Name - Reconstructing Amelia 1/19
6. Places - Retribution Falls 2/3
7. Body Part - The Bone Clocks 4/1
8. Weapon - Six-Gun Snow White 3/7
9. Body of Water - Dreamer's Pool 4/2
10. Form of Water - Snow Like Ashes 7/3
11. Product of Fire - Ashes to Ashes 4/3
12. Celestial Body - The Chaos of Stars 3/7
13. Architecture - Howl's Moving Castle
14. Senses - Touch of Power 5/22
15. Royal Title - Red Queen 4/6
16. Family Member - The Stepsister Scheme 4/24
17. Elements - Cold Fire 5/24
18. Time of Day - Night Shift 2/28
19. Metal - Vision in Silver 4/18
20. Emotion/Feeling - Obsession in Death 2/25
21. Animal/Insect - To Say Nothing of the Dog 4/14
22. Something to Read - The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York 3/19
23. Gender Identifier - The Girl on the Train 2/26
24. Paranormal Being - Dreams of Gods & Monsters 9/26
25. Occupation - The Magician's Lie 4/13