Bargain Sleuth Book Reviews

2021 Reading Challenges Update: May

At the beginning of the new year, I decided to sign up for four reading challenges. Some of them are going better than others. Let’s take a closer look.

First is the Library Love Reading Challenge. My goal was to read at least 36 books to make me an Overdrive Junkie. So far, I’ve read ELEVEN books from the library, some borrowed through Overdrive to read on my Kindle or physical books. I really need to pick up the pace here. The problem is I usually have ARCs to read for NetGalley, which takes precedence, and then there’s my weekly Nancy Drew book to read, leaving very little time to tackle all the wonderful books that I pick up from the library.

Next is the 2021 Audiobook Challenge. My goal was Marathoner, or listening to 50+ books. Since I can listen to audiobooks at work, this has been no problem. So far I’ve listened to and reviewed 44 audiobooks, with another ten or so to review in the future.

Next is my Goodreads Reading Challenge for 2021. My goal is to read or listen to 100 books. It’s not the most accurate depiction of how many books I’ve read because I don’t update my list until after I’ve posted my reviews here. Currently my stats say I’m at 87 books.

Next is the 2021 Reading Challenge: 52 Weeks, 52 Books There are specific categories for this one:

Reading Challenge 2021
  1. A Productivity Book
  2. Book Becoming a Movie in 2021
  3. Goodreads Winner in 2021:
  4. Biography #NetGalley #ARCReview The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense by Edward White
  5. About a Pressing Social Issue’
  6. A Book About Books
  7. Set in the 1920s#NetGalley #ARCReview: Castle Shade (Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes #17) by Laurie R. King
  8. An Author Who Uses Initials #NetGalley ARC Review #TheLastTiara by M.J. Rose
  9. Poetry
  10. A 2020 Bestseller The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
  11. Recommended by a Colleague Anxious People by Fredrick Backman (Translated by Neil Smith)
  12. With a Number in the Title: 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W. Bush
  13. Bottom of Your To-Read List
  14. Reread a Favorite Book: #AllCreaturesGreatandSmall Book and #PBSMasterpiece Review
  15. Own Voices Story #NetGalley #ARCReview: Barefoot Dreams of Petra Luna by Alda P. Dobbs
  16. Published in the 1800s
  17. Local Author Being Ethel: In a world that loves Lucy by Michele Olson
  18. Longer Than 400 Pages: Demagogue: The Life and Long Shadow of Senator Joe McCarthy by Larry Tye
  19. A Book Turned Into a TV Series: The Duke and I (Bridgertons) Did not review.
  20. A Book That Makes You Think
  21. A WWII Story The Last Correspondent by Soraya M. Lane
  22. A Highly Anticipated Book The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
  23. Eye-Catching Cover From Blood and Ash (Blood and Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  24. A Summer Read
  25. Coming of Age Story 2021 Newbery Medal Winner: When You Trap a Tiger by Tae Keller
  26. Bestselling Memoir No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality by Michael J. Fox
  27. Book Club Favorite #ReesesBookClub #TheGuestList by Lucy Foley
  28. A Book About Friendship Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe (Whistle Stop, AL #1) by Fannie Flagg
  29. An Audiobook The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
  30. Set in Australia When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O’Neal (Okay, so it’s New Zealand, but that’s pretty close)
  31. By a Nobel Prize winner
  32. About an Immigrant
  33. Time Travel Novel
  34. An Author You Love That Time of Year: A Minnesota Life by Garrison Keillor
  35. Childhood Favorite The Clue in the Jewel Box (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories #20)
  36. Classic Read in High School #AllCreaturesGreatandSmall Book and #PBSMasterpiece Review
  37. Borrowed from the Library #ReesesBookClub Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
  38. Nonfiction New York Times Bestseller
  39. From an Indie Publisher
  40. Fantasy Spellbreaker by Charles M. Holmberg
  41. A Sequel The Wonder Boy of Whistle Stop (Whistle Stop, AL #2) by Fannie Flagg
  42. Recommended by a Librarian
  43. Psychological Thriller Mirrorland by Carole Johnnstone
  44. Book Club Pick
  45. A Book About Technology No Filter: The Inside Story of Instagram by Sarah Frier
  46. Title with Three Words #NetGalley ARC Review #TheLastTiara by M.J. Rose
  47. Debut Novel of Famous Author
  48. Genre You Don’t Usually Read A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire (Blood and Ash #2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
  49. A Book Everyone Is Talking About
  50. You Own But Haven’t Read The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
  51. Borrowed from a Friend
  52. A 2021 New Release The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah

Not too much progress on this challenge, but still ahead of the curve. 31down, 21 to go.

So far so good. How are you doing on your reading challenges?

3 comments

  2. Good luck with the challenges! ❤ Right now, I'm only doing two (Audiobook – Also a marathoner! & Goodreads – I'm being very ambitious and going with 300.) I might look at my reads from this year and I might actually be able to fit another topic challenge in, but I'm not sure yet. 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  3. I’m doing the 2021 Audiobook Challenge too. I took part for the first time last year and surprised myself by listening to 39. This year I just wanted to increase that total. Sounds like you are on track to hit Marathoner level.

    Good luck in your other challenges too.

    Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.