2022 PBN Reading Challenge

 Doing this one again, at Professional Book Nerds.

My books:

1. "Classic" You Weren't Assigned in High School: Castle Rackrent and The Absentee--Maria Edgeworth
2. Author Indigenous to Your Country: You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Sherman Alexie
3. 2021 Debut You Didn't Read in 2021: Black Buck--Mateo Askaripour
4. Nonfiction Book by a Woman in Tech: Lean In--Sheryl Sandberg
5. Deals With Mental Health Issues: Out of My Mind--Sharon M. Draper
6. a) A historical fiction novel about a person: Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald--Therese Anne Fowler and b) a biography about the same person: Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald--Linda Wagner-Martin
7. Book by a trans author: It Never Goes Away--Dr. Anne L. Koch
8. A musician's memoir or autobiography: River of Time--Naomi Judd
9. Romance: The Wyndham Legacy--Catherine Coulter 
10. Recommended by #Booktok: The Guncle--Steven Rowley
11. Written in Second Person: Journey Under the Sea--R.A. Montgomery

Challenge completed on July 1

2022 Nature Reading Challenge

 Doing this one again, getting as many books as I can.

My Books:

1. Moloka'i--Alan Brennert
2. Martin Eden--Jack London
3. Afternoon on the Amazon--Mary Pope Osborne
4. The Radium Girls--Kate Moore
5. Visionary Women--Andrea Barnet
6. Parable of the Sower--Octavia E. Butler
7. The Whale Family Book--Cynthia D'Vincent
8. The Omnivore's Dilemma--Michael Pollan
9. Hiroshima--John Hersey
10. Journey Under the Sea--R.A. Montgomery
11. Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood--Gary Paulsen
12. Saving Us--Katharine Heyhoe
13. Lessons in Chemistry--Bonnie Garmus
14. We Came, We Saw, We Left--Charles Wheelan
15. The Anthropocene Reviewed--John Green
16. The Quest for California's Gold--James P. Burger
17. Seasons--Annabelle Lynch
18. Firekeeper's Daughter--Angeline Boulley
19. Vivi Loves Science: Sink or Float--Kimberly Derting
20. American Road Trip--Patrick Flores-Scott
21. White Noise--Don DeLillo
22. The Mapmaker's Wife--Robert Whitaker
23. The Summer of Lost and Found--Mary Alice Monroe
24. The Clay Marble--Mingfong Ho

Calling challenge complete on December 27

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Last Christmas

It's now Christmas Eve and the world is facing nearly the same thing as last Christmas. The virus is still looming, with the new variant. Even though we now have vaccines, which we didn't have a year ago, there are still people refusing to get them. And now hospital workers are preparing once again to treat COVID patients.   

I have been hesitant to get out, worrying over the size of the crowds and not knowing who has been fully vaccinated, and possibly seeing others without masks on. As much as I would have liked to see the the local production of Beauty and the Beast Jr., (which had been postponed from March of 2020 following the initial COVID shutdown), I was hesitant to do so. And I skipped going to the bar celebrations for Halloween since I had only received my booster less than two weeks prior. I don't count on going out for New Year's Eve, though, since I have not done so in years, even before the coronavirus hit. And I have nothing big planned for Christmas tomorrow, something that has been true for several years now, again even before COVID. 

Now it seems we're heading into a two-year pandemic. Who knows how much longer this will go on. 

Whatever you are celebrating, have a happy holiday, whatever you plan to do.

2022 Book to Movie (and TV) Reading Challenge

 Doing this once again.

My books:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife--Audrey Niffenegger
2. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt
3. Station Eleven--Emily St. John Mandel
4. Dragonfly in Amber--Diana Gabaldon
5. Fast Food Nation--Eric Schlosser
6. Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
7. Anne of Avonlea--L.M. Montgomery
8. Bridgerton: The Duke and I--Julia Quinn
9. The Hating Game--Sally Thorne
10. Native Son--Richard Wright
11. The Last Kids on Earth--Max Brallier
12. Conversations With Friends--Sally Rooney
13. Molly's Game--Molly Bloom
14. Wishful Drinking--Carrie Fisher
15. White Noise--Don DeLillo
16. Mr. Miracle--Debbie Macomber

Calling challenge complete on December 23

2022 EUROPEAN READING CHALLENGE

 I'm doing this one again, getting as many books as possible.

WHAT COUNTS AS "EUROPE"?: For this challenge, we use the standard list of 50 sovereign states that fall (at least partially) within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe and/or enjoy membership in international European organizations such as the Council of Europe. This list includes the obvious (the UK, France, Germany, and Italy), Scandinavian countries, the really huge Russia, the tiny Vatican City, and the mixed bag of Balkan, Baltic, and former Soviet states. Please see note below about the UK in particular. 

These 50 European sovereign states are:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

NOTE: Even with Brexit, the United Kingdom is still one country, part of Europe, that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. One book from any one of these four counts as your one book for the United Kingdom. Challenges should be about fun not about rules, so I'm not going to be the Challenge Police about this. However, when it comes to winning the Jet Setter prize, only one book from one of the UK countries counts.

LEVELS OF PARTICIPATION

Participants can read as many books as they want and are encouraged to visit as many European countries as possible. The Jet Setter Prize will go to the person who reads (and reviews) books from the greatest number of different countries (see below).

Not everyone wants to compete for a prize, review books, or read a lot of books. You can "complete" the challenge by reading one to five books from different countries. If you want to do more, read more books and compete for the prize.

To participate in the challenge, sign up at the levels below. If you want to go on to compete for the Prize, keep reading!

• FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

• FOUR STAR (HONEYMOONER): Read four qualifying books.

• THREE STAR (BUSINESS TRAVELER): Read three qualifying books.

• TWO STAR (ADVENTURER): Read two qualifying books.

• ONE STAR (PENSIONE WEEKENDER): Read just one qualifying book.

My Books:

1. The Red Queen--Philippa Gregory (UK)
2. Salt to the Sea--Ruta Sepetys (Lithuania)
3. Dragonfly in Amber--Diana Gabaldon (Scotland)
4. Dogs in the Dead of Night--Mary Pope Osborne (Switzerland)
5. Hour of the Olympics--Mary Pope Osborne (Greece)
6. The Little Paris Bookshop--Nina George (France)
7. Vacation Under the Volcano--Mary Pope Osborne (Italy)
8. Three Stations--Martin Cruz Smith (Russia)
9. Conversations With Friends--Sally Rooney (Ireland)

Calling challenge complete on November 19

The Feminist Reading Challenge 2022

I was sad to learn that the Reading Women podcast is ending this year and as such, so is the Reading Women challenge. As such, I was glad to find this new one, by this Instagram user:

My Books:

1. Short-story collection: When It Happens to You--Molly Ringwald
2. Historical Fiction by an African Writer: The Red Queen--Philippa Gregory
3. Graphic Novel: Dancing at the Pity Party--Tyler Feder
4. Audiobook: Martina the Beautiful Cockroach--Carmen Agra Deedy
5. Middle grade by a black writer: Out of My Mind--Sharon M. Draper
6. Poetry by a Black Writer: Call Us What We Carry--Amanda Gorman
7. Feminist Nonfiction by a Writer of Color: Ace--Angela Chen
8. Feminist Lit Beyond UK/USA: Kamala: Feminist Folktales From Around the World--Ethel Johnston Phelps
9. Memoir in translation: My Invented Country--Isabel Allende
10. About immigration/written by a refugee: The Wind in My Hair--Masih Alinejad
11. Memoir by a Muslim writer: Daring to Drive--Manal Al-Sharif
12. Asian writer in translation: The Island of Sea Women--Lisa See
13. A book by bell hooks: All About Love
14. About queer joy: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding
15. Published by an indie press: The Girl Who Drank the Moon--Kelly Barnhill
16. East African Writer: Half a Yellow Sun--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
17. Mythology retelling set outside of Ancient Greece: Poor Unfortunate Soul--Serena Valentino
18. Non-Binary Writer: Pet--Akwaeke Emezi
19. Caribbean Author: Breath, Eyes, Memory--Edwidge Danticat
20. About Climate Change: Saving Us--Katharine Heyhoe
21. Latinx Author: With the Fire on High--Elizabeth Acevedo
22. Jhalak Prize Nominee: Queenie--Candice Carty-Williams
23. About disability: The Kiss Quotient--Helen Hoang
24. Indigenous writer: Firekeeper's Daughter--Angeline Boulley
25. South American Writer in Translation: In the Midst of Winter--Isabel Allende

Challenge completed on November 16

2022 Southern Literature Reading Challenge

Another I am doing again next year, at Introverted Reader.

Definition of “The South”

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Levels

Level 1–C’mon in the house! Read 1-2 books.

Level 2–Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 3-4 books

Level 3–Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 5-6 books

Level 4–Y’all come back now, y’hear! Read 7+ books

My Books:

1. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt
2. Angel of Greenwood--Randi Pink
3. The Fixer Upper--Mary Kay Andrews
4. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald--Therese Anne Fowler
5. Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald--Linda Wagner-Martin
6. Cat Me If You Can--Miranda James
7. The English Breakfast Murder--Laura Childs
8. The Omnivore's Dilemma--Michael Pollan
9. Beach House for Rent--Mary Alice Monroe
10. The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
11. The Brightest Star--Fern Michaels
12. Book Lovers--Emily Henry
13. Postcards From the Dead--Laura Childs
14. Finding Me--Viola Davis
15. Devonshire Scream--Laura Childs
16. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale--Lynda Rutledge
17. Calypso--David Sedaris
18. Last in a Long Line of Rebels--Lisa Lewis Tyre
19. The Summer of Lost and Found--Mary Alice Monroe
20. The Christmas Pearl--Dorothea Benton Frank
21. Glitter Bomb--Laura Childs
22. Drop Dead Chocolate--Jessica Beck

Challenge completed on December 31