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Smiling Shelves

Reading Challenge Sign-Ups - Round Two

1/29/2019

2 Comments

 
I've got a few more reading challenges I wanted to sign up for this year, and they're all kid book related. I have a toddler and a baby, so I read tons of picture books. And I love reading middle grade just for fun for myself, so these challenges are right up my alley!
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Well, you had to know this one was coming, since I'm the one who hosts this challenge! It helps me work on my long-term goal of reading all of the Newbery winners (and ideally all of the Honor books, too). I'm signing up for the Avi level, which means I need at least 45 points. I'm hoping to get through a lot of recent Honor books, since I've been reading more ebooks and audiobooks lately, and my library seems to have a lot of these through the Libby app.

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There is never a shortage of picture books in my house. Our shelves are full, and we have a constant rotation from the library. This challenge is hosted by Becky's Book Reviews, and she has a couple of options of how to complete it. I'm aiming for two of the checklists. One is to read 4 books each month - something old, something new, something borrowed, and something true. The other checklist I'll work on is an A-Z list, for author, illustrator, and title. So much fun!

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This challenge is also hosted by Becky's Book Reviews, and it also involves a giant checklist. I love reading middle grade books. It's the most dangerous section for me in a library or a bookstore. I know I won't come anywhere close to finishing this huge list, but I'll get as many checked off as I can!
1. Title beginning with A
2. Author beginning with A
3. Title beginning with B
4. Author beginning with B
5. Title beginning with C
6. Author beginning with C
7. Title beginning with D
8. Author beginning with D
9. Title beginning with E
10. Author beginning with E
11. Title beginning with F
12. Author beginning with F
13. Title beginning with G
14. Author beginning with G
15. Title beginning with H
16. Author beginning with H
17. Title beginning with I
18. Author beginning with I
19. Title beginning with J
20. Author beginning with J
21. Title beginning with K
22. Author beginning with K
23. Title beginning with L
24. Author beginning with L
25. Title beginning with M
26. Author beginning with M
27. Title beginning with N
28. Author beginning with N
29. Title beginning with O
30. Author beginning with O
31. Title beginning with P
32. Author beginning with P
33. Title or Author beginning with Q
34. Title beginning with R
35. Author beginning with R
36. Title beginning with S
37. Author beginning with S
38. Title beginning with T
39. Author beginning with T
40. Title or Author beginning with U
41. Title or Author beginning with V or W
42. Title or Author beginning with X or “Ex”
43. Title beginning with Y
44. Author beginning with Y
45. Title or Author beginning with Z
46 children's book published in the 1860s
47. children's book published in the 1870s
48. children's book published in the 1880s
49. children's book published in the 1890s
50. children's book published in the 1900s
51. children's book published in the 1910s
52. children's book published in the 1920s
53. children's book published in the 1930s
54. children's book published in the 1940s
55. children's book published in the 1950s
56. children's book published in the 1960s
57. children's book published in the 1970s
58. children's book published in the 1980s
59. children's book published in the 1990s
60. children's book published in the 2000s
61. children's book published in the 2010s
62. children's book published in 2019
63. a Newbery Winner
64. a Newbery Honor
65. nonfiction
66. poetry 
67. graphic novel 
68. first in a series
69. any book in a series
70. last book in a series
71. science fiction
72. fantasy
73. mystery
74. animal fantasy
75. realistic/contemporary
76. coming of age
77. action, adventure
78. historical fiction
79. historical fiction, world war I
80. historical fiction, world war II
81. historical fiction, civil rights
82. historical fiction, civil war
83. historical fiction, great depression
84. reread
85. library
86. free choice
87. another free choice
88. biography or autobiography
89.written in first person
90. written in third person
91. verse novel
92. illustrated "notebook" or diary
93. out of print
94. anniversary reprint of a children's book
95. favorite author
96. new-to-you author
97. YOUR pick for Newbery 2019
98. multiple authors
99. happy, happy
100. oh the sads
2 Comments

Reading Challenge Sign-Ups - Round One

1/24/2019

4 Comments

 
One of my main goals this year is to relax and enjoy what I read - but I just can't resist signing up for reading challenges! (And probably more than I should.) I tried to pick ones that overlapped with my goals or wouldn't be too difficult to complete. I'm really aiming for a no-stress reading life this year, so I'm going to keep my reading challenges fun!
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My personal goal this year is for 33% of the books I read to be ones I own. I'm hoping to get higher than that, so to give me a little extra push, I'm signing up for the Mount TBR Challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. I'm aiming for the Mount Blanc​ level, which is 24 books from my own shelves (bought before January 1, which makes it a little harder).

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I've participated in this challenge every year I've been blogging, except for last year. I love reading books set in Europe, so I've decided to join again this year. This challenge is hosted by Rose City Reader, and I'm aiming for the Five Star level, reading books set in five different European countries (at least!).

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This challenge, hosted by Bunny's Girl, just happened to overlap with my own plans for the year. I'm planning to reread all of Jane's novels by listening to them on audio. I've never done them as audiobooks before, and I'm pretty excited. I listened to Pride & Prejudice in December and just finished Sense & Sensibility this week. I've also got a few Austen-related fiction and nonfiction reads lined up, so I think this challenge will be a cinch to complete!

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Okay, this is the one that is going to be the most challenging to complete, and therefore it's the one I'm most excited about. The Connect Five challenge is hosted by Book Date. The concept is to read five books that have some sort of connection, whether it's by the same author or about the same theme or something else entirely. We get to pick the connection, and we can have as many groups of 5 as we would like. I've got a few ideas, but the one I'm absolutely commited to is 5 books continuing a series. I have so many series that I've started, but never gone beyond the first or second book. In fact, just looking at my own shelves, I compiled a list of eleven books I could read for this category. I'm also hoping to read 5 books that start a new series, 5 travel books, and 5 books that I bought in 2019. I'll probably come up with some more connections as I read more books this year, but that's what I'm starting with!
4 Comments

My Bookish Plans for 2019

1/15/2019

6 Comments

 
It's a new year! Time to set some goals for myself! However, I am going to be much more laid back this year - or at least, I'm going to try to be. I usually set myself some pretty ambitious goals, but I'm discovering that having two little kids is finally catching up to me. I just don't have the amount of reading time that I used to, especially since their napping schedules don't match anymore. I try to remind myself that this is just for a season of my life and I will soon be reading as much as ever, but it's hard when all I want to do is escape for an hour and read. Someday!

Finish My TBR Bingo

So yes, this was also one of my plans last year, and I didn't complete it. I made the bingo card in August 2017 and read 6 books off it by that December. In 2018, I read another 13. That means I have 6 left to go. I'm hoping to read one book a month and have the bingo card completed by the end of June. But if it takes me longer than that, then that's okay!

My Yearly Newbery Goals

I have a long-term goal to read all of the Newbery winners (and hopefully all of the Honor books). I'm chipping away at this little by little. Each year, I read one decade of winners (this year, I'm reading the 1960s). I read all of the books that win in the current year, which will be announced on January 28 this year. And I read at least one year of Honor books (2013 this year). It'll take me a while, but I'll read them all eventually!

Read My Own Books

For the past two years, I've set myself a goal of having at least 50% of the books I read be ones I own. I achieved that goal both years, but it has been occasionally stressful - especially towards the end of the year when it's coming down to the wire. I'm trying to eliminate stress from my reading this year, but I still want to make sure I'm reading my own books. So I'm aiming for 33% of the books I read being ones I own. That's one book I own for every two library books. That should be doable and pressure-free. And hopefully I can end up with a higher percentage than that!

Relax and Enjoy What I Read

You've probably gotten the gist from the rest of my post, but I'm making this an official goal this year. No pressure to read all the books. No shame for not fulfilling reading challenges. No guilt for taking my time or reading only a couple books a month. My reading time is shorter than ever, which is why I want to be able to enjoy every bit of it!
6 Comments

My Year in Books - 2018

1/11/2019

4 Comments

 
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It's surprising how fast a year can go by with a new baby in the house! (Especially when those sleep-deprived days seem to last forever!) But 2018 is officially over, and it's time to take a look at my reading for the year. I read way more than I thought I would be able to, and audiobooks really helped with that. I also read a few e-books, which is a method of reading I never thought I would like. But I have to admit that being able to pull up a book on my phone when I'm nursing or in those few moments when the two-year-old is playing contentedly by himself has been really nice. E-books might just become a more regular part of my reading life in this next year. . .​

2018 Stats

Books read: 134
Pages read: 37,733
Audiobooks: 16 = 12%

Fiction: 82%
Nonfiction: 18%
Male authors: 35%
Female authors: 65%
Books I owned: 52% 
Books from the library: 48%
Rereads: 15 = 11%
Set in the United States: 47%
Set in Europe: 29%
Set elsewhere in the world: ​20%
Set in a fictional place:​ 12%
Books published in the 2000s: 68%
Books published in the 1900s: 27%
Books published before 1900:​ 5%

My Top Reads of 2018

Favorite fiction books: The Austen Escape by Katherine Reay & Can't Help Falling by Kara Isaac (So I like bookish love stories. What can I say?)
Favorite nonfiction books: Mail Obsession by Mark Mason & West with the Night by Beryl Markham
Favorite children's books: The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser & Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Favorite series:​ The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (I have her next trilogy sitting on my shelf, ready to read. But they're quite thick, so I just need to find the time somehow!)
4 Comments

Revisiting My 2018 Bookish Goals

1/8/2019

2 Comments

 
Last January, I posted about my personal goals for my reading in 2018. It's time to look back and see how I did.

Finish My Classics Club List - Complete!

My five-year deadline was the end of August 2018. I was really hoping to finish my list before my daughter arrived in June. With planning and persistence, I finished my last book (Daniel Deronda by George Eliot) on May 3!! I wrote a post about my Classics Club journey with plenty of fun stats, if you'd like to read more about it.

Finish my TBR Bingo - Still in Progress

I created my TBR Bingo card in August 2017. At the beginning of 2018, I still had 19 books to read. I made great progress during the year, and I'm now down to 6. Maybe by the end of this year?

Read My Own Books - Success!

I made a goal that 50% of the books I read would be books I own. I (just barely) succeeded in reaching this goal in 2017, so I knew it was possible. This year, I didn't count audiobooks and ebooks, since the only way I could access those was through my library and that seemed to unfairly tip my number towards library books. So just counting physical books, 52% of the books I read this year were books I owned. Yay!
2 Comments

Reading Challenges Complete - Round Two

1/5/2019

2 Comments

 
Since we're five days into a new year, I figure I should probably post my wrap-up of my remaining 2018 reading challenges. I was a little disappointed that I didn't quite complete my Mount TBR Challenge. However, the rules of that challenge state that it only includes books bought before January 1, 2018. I read more than my goal of 36 books that I own last year, if I include the ones that I bought during the year. I was pretty pleased that I read 9 books that I bought. It sounds small, but that's a better number for me than normal! So even though I didn't technically complete the Mount TBR Challenge, I think I'm satisfied.
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Hosted by My Reader's Block
Goal: Mt. Vancouver (36 books)
1.  Mail Obsession by Mark Mason
2. Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
3. Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
4. Torrent by Lisa Tawn Bergren
5. Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell
6. The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
7. A Devil to Play by Jasper Rees
8. A Necessary Deception by Laurie Alice Eakes
9. The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood
​10. A Flight of Fancy by Laurie Alice Eakes
11. The Maiden's Bequest by George MacDonald
12. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
13. Edward Trencom's Nose by Giles Minton
14. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
​15. Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
16. It Happened at the Fair by Deeanne Gist
17. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
18. Birth of the Chess Queen by Marilyn Yalom
19. The Pirates! in an Adventure with Communists by Gideon Defoe
​20. A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes
21. Drenched in Light by Lisa Wingate
22. Dreaming in Code by Scott Rosenberg
23. An Alphabetical Life by Wendy Werris
24. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
25. Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis
26. The Unmapped Sea by Maryrose Wood
27. Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
28. Love on Assignment by Cara Lynn James
29. The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden
30. Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
31.  An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
32. The Further Adventures of Ebenezer Scrooge by Charlie Lovett

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Hosted by Doing Dewey
Goal: 15 nonfiction books
1. Mail Obsession:​ A Journey Round Britain by Postcode by Mark Mason
2. A Devil to Play:​ One Man's Year-Long Quest to Master the Orchestra's Most Difficult Instrument by Jasper Rees
3. Efronia: An Armenian Love Story by Stina Katchadourian
4. Full Moon Over Noah's Ark:​ An Odyssey to Mount Ararat and Beyond by Rick Antonson
5. Surprised by Oxford by Carolyn Weber
6. Travels with Charley:​ In Search of America by John Steinbeck
7. Writer to Writer: From Think to Ink by Gail Carson Levine
8. Into the Heart of Borneo by Redmond O'Hanlon
9. A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson
10. The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost
11.  Birth of the Chess Queen: A History by Marilyn Yalom
12. Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software by Scott Rosenberg
13. How To Talk So Little Kids Will Listen by Joanna Faber
14. The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie
​15. The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure
16. An Alphabetical Life by Wendy Werris
17. Me, Myself & Bob by Phil Vischer
​18. Scrappy Little Nobody by Anna Kendrick
19. West with the Night by Beryl Markham
20. I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel

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Hosted by Becky's Book Reviews
Goal: As many of the 104 categories as I can complete
1. Title beginning with A
2. Author beginning with A
3. Title beginning with B
4. Author beginning with B
5. Title beginning with C
6. Author beginning with C
7. Title beginning with D
8. Author beginning with D
9. Title beginning with E
10. Author beginning with E
11. Title beginning with F
12. Author beginning with F
13. Title beginning with G
14. Author beginning with G
15. Title beginning with H
16. Author beginning with H
17. Title beginning with I
18. Author beginning with I
19. Title beginning with J
20. Author beginning with J
21. Title beginning with K
22. Author beginning with K
23. Title beginning with L
24. Author beginning with L
25. Title beginning with M
26. Author beginning with M
27. Title beginning with N
28. Author beginning with N
29. Title beginning with O
30. Author beginning with O
31. Title beginning with P
32. Author beginning with P
33. Title or Author beginning with Q
34. Title beginning with R
35. Author beginning with R
36. Title beginning with S
37. Author beginning with S
38. Title beginning with T
39. Author beginning with T
40. Title or Author beginning with U
41. Title or Author beginning with V or W
42. Title or Author beginning with X or “Ex”
43. Title beginning with Y
44. Author beginning with Y
45. Title or Author beginning with Z
46. 2018 Newbery Winner or Honor
47. Newbery Winner or Honor from 2010-2017
48. Newbery Winner or Honor from 2000-2009
49. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1990-1999
50. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1980-1989
51. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1970-1979
52. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1960-1969
53. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1950-1959
54. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1940-1949
55. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1932-1939
56. Newbery Winner or Honor from 1922-1931
57. Notable Children's Book from 2018 or 2017 
58. Any book by a Wilder Award author
59. verse novel
60. graphic novel
61. biography or memoir
62. nonfiction 
63. poetry
64. audio book
65. first in a series
66. any book in a series
67. last book in a series
68. favorite author
69. new to you author
70. British author
71. Australian author
72. Canadian author
73. translated into English from another language
74. American author
75. set in the state you live
76. set in a place you'd like to visit
77. set in an imaginary place you'd like to visit
78. picture book for older readers 
79. book about a pet
80. animal fantasy
81. fantasy
82. alternate reality
83. science fiction
84. adventure
85. action/suspense
86. mystery/detective
87. realistic fiction
88. school setting
89. multiple points of view
90. historical fiction -- world war I
91. historical fiction -- world war II
92. historical fiction, your choice
93. historical fiction, mystery or suspense
94. oh the sads
95. happy, happy ending
96. laugh until you cry
97. coming of age
98. "diary" or "notebook"
99. classic, your choice
100. out of print
101. library book
102. impulse pick
103. published in 2018
104. YOUR pick for Newbery 2019
1.
2. Sounder by William Armstrong
3. Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
4. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
5.
6. The Grey King by Susan Cooper
7. The Dragonet Prophecy by Tui Sutherland
8.
9.
10.
11.  Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
12. The Slave Dancer by Paula Fox
13. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
14. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
15.
16. M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
17. The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23. The Losers Club by Andrew Clements
24.
25. The Messengers: Discovered by Lisa M. Clark
26.
27.
28.
29.
30. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
31.  Piecing Me Together by Renee Watson
32. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
33.
34. Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary
35. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
36. The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
37. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
38. There's a Boy in the Girls' Bathroom by Louis Sachar
39. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
40. The Unbreakable Code by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
41. Paperboy by Vince Vawter
42.
43.
44.
45.
46. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
47. Doll Bones by Holly Black
48. Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson
49. Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
50. Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary
51. The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars
52. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
53.
54.
55.
56.
57. Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds
58. M.C. Higgins, the Great by Virginia Hamilton
59. Rebound by Kwame Alexander
60. Ghosts by Raina Telgemeier
61.
62.
63. Carver: A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson
64. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
65. The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
66. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson
67. The Penderwicks at Last by Jeanne Birdsall
68. The Interrupted Tale by Maryrose Wood
69. One Came Home by Amy Timberlake
70. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
71.
72. The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress
73. The Griffin's Feather by Cornelia Funke
74. Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
75.
76. The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser
77. The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson
78. Crown:​ An Ode to the Fresh Cut by Derrick Barnes
79. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
80. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
81. Greenwitch by Susan Cooper
82. The Forbidden Library by Django Wexler
83.
84. The Door in the Alley by Adrienne Kress
85. Doll Bones by Holly Black
86. The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
87. Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor
88. The Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart
89. Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly
90.
91. Lily's Crossing by Patricia Reilly Giff
92. One Came Home by Amy Timberlake
93.
94. Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
95. The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
96. Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein
97. Paperboy by Vince Vawter
98.
99. More About Paddington by Michael Bond
100.
101. The Wild Robot by Peter Brown
102. The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
103. The Story Collector by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
104. Rebound by Kwame Alexander
70 out of 104 categories complete
(It helped that you could count one book for two categories,
​but I was still pleasantly surprised by this number!)
2 Comments
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    My name is Julie, and I own a lot of books. As in, they are stacked on the floor because I've run out of room on the shelves. And those shelves? There are so many books on them that they smile -- not sag; smile. This blog will cover book reviews and all manner of other bookish things.

    You can contact me at julie@smilingshelves.com.

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