MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge!

janetandjohn
Complete Works of Shakespeare

MODeration in all things (except books!)

Posts: 6,260

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 12:40:03 GMT adelynechan likes this

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 1, 2019 12:40:03 GMT

So here we are again. I did well for my 2018 challenge, and lots of you joined me by challenging yourselves. Some made it some didn't, but that's OK and here's a new year to do it all over again!

This year it's 10 X 3! Could you manage a 30 book challenge yourself? Join me and have fun

.

Read 10 of the longest held books on my shelves

1. Taking Apart the Poco Poco - Richard Francis DNF - dire!

2. Fluke - James Herbert a re-read which I had forgotten the story of.... not bad, not the best.

3. The Weekend - Bernhard Schlink DNF - and this at the third attempt. So - Gone!

4. After the Fire, A Still Small Voice - Evie Wyld DNF - seemed dry as tea.

5. The Parasites - Daphne du Maurier - well written as ever, but didn't enjoy this at all.

6. Lord of Misrule - Jaimy Gordon - Oh! surprise! Really enjoyed that one, for all it's oddity value!

7. That's another Story - Julie Walters -Not going to read. Charity shop

8. Brodeck - Philippe Claudel - Gruelling, clever, beautifully written. Will stay in my mind.

9. All Passion Spent - Vita Sackville-West - Liked this exploration of the last years of a titled lady.

10. The Brave - Nicholas Evans - Enjoyed more than expected, probably because I expected something else altogether!

Read 10 books set before 1950

1. Charms for the Easy Life - Kaye Gibbons (1930s and 40s) Loved it

2. The Prince of Mist - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (1943) OK but not his best

3. The Care and Management of Lies - Jacqueline Winspear (WW1) Brilliant read, super title

4. Not quite Dead Enough - Rex Stout (WW2) Not his best but frankly I love them all!

5. The Golden Apples - Eudora Welty (published 1949) charming style - but not my best read

6. Fair Stood The Wind For France - H E Bates (WW2) Beautifully written - enjoyed

7. The Essence of Malice - Ashley Weaver (1933) Agatha Christie-lite! - enjoyed

8. Song of the Sea Maid - Rebecca Mascull (1750s) Lovely read!

9. White Houses - Amy Bloom (1930s and 40s) Another lovely read.. just loved this one.

10. Edith & Oliver - Michele Forbes - (early 20th century) Didn't enjoy as much as I thought I would

Read 10 books from the upstairs bookcase (most are downstairs - upstairs is overflow)

1. While I was Gone - Sue Miller - should have left it where I found it. Did not like!

2. High Wages - Dorothy Whipple - Loved it!

3. The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion - Ford Madox Ford - Rather dated, and a slow read, but I liked it

4. Mourning Ruby - Helen Dunmore Too sad to "enjoy", but really liked this

Last Edit: Dec 18, 2019 22:00:28 GMT by janetandjohn

mac-adventureswithbooks.blogspot.co.uk is my blog. Do drop in from time to time.

adelynechan
Epic Fantasy Series

Posts: 4,328

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 15:19:06 GMT janetandjohn likes this

Post by adelynechan on Jan 1, 2019 15:19:06 GMT

I really enjoyed making up my own challenge last year, and have been thinking about it again this year! I didn't quite make it in 2018, but I'm happy with how far I got and the point of the challenge was not that it would be easy to fulfil. Loving Mrs Mac's idea of a 10 X 3 challenge so here's my own:

1. Read 10 BFGs. i.e. the BFG challenge. I tend to call BFGs either paperbacks that are >500 pages or hardbacks that are >400 pages long. I won't pick specific titles in advance because that didn't really work well last year, I'll just try to read at least one big book per month (and will probably miss a couple to end up with 10 for the year).
1.1 Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz (19/01/2019)
1.2 Affluenza by Oliver James (12/02/2019)
1.3 Becoming by Michelle Obama (13/02/2019)

1.4 Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell (01/03/2019)

1.5 All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (03/05/2019)

1.6 Free Food for Millionnaires by Min Jin Lee (22/05/2019)

1.7 The President is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson (15/06/2019)

1.8 The Unlucky Lottery by Hakan Nesser (13/07/2019)

1.9 The Sarawak Report by Clare Rewcastle-Brown (29/08/2019)
1.10 Journey Under the Midnight Sun by Keigo Higashino (22/09/2019)

1.11 Six Four by Hideo Yokoyama (10/10/2019)

2. Read 10 books that are not "in easy reach". My bookshelves are triple parked for obvious reasons that I simply have too many books, and when they run out space books I acquire spill out onto the floor next to the bed. Unfortunately this means that when I choose the next read, it tends to come from the front of the shelf (where it promptly gets replaced by the next book to enter the house) or I reach for the pile by the bed. This year, I want to check out what's at the back of the shelves a bit more, it will feel like exploring a bookshop!
2.1 The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern (27/01/2019)
2.2 The Girl Next Door by Elizabeth Noble (16/02/2019)

2.3 Second Chance Summer by Morgan Matson (10/03/2019)
2.4 Now is the Time for Running by Michael Williams (03/04/2019)
2.5 Factfulness by Hans Rosling (18/04/2019)

2.6 See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt (29/04/2019)

2.7 Velocity by Ajaz Ahmed & Stefan Olander (05/05/2019)

2.8 The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold (05/05/2019)

2.9 Born on a Blue Day by Daniel Tammet (12/05/2019)

2.10 Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella (28/05/2019)

2.11 The Accidental Apprentice by Vikas Swarup (10/06/2019)

2.12 Glass Geishas by Susanna Quinn (20/06/2019)
2.13 Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan (30/06/2019)

2.14 The Trophy Child by Paula Daly (02/08/2019)

2.15 Poor Economics by Abhijit Banerjee & Esther Duflo (18/08/2019)

2.16 I Let Him Go by Denise Fergus (28/08/2019)
2.17 Triplet Code by B. B. Johnson (22/10/2019)

3. Read 10 books set someplace that I have not been.

3.1 The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson (10/01/2019), set in California
3.2 In Order to Live by Yeonmi Park (31/01/2019), autobiography 'set' mainly in North Korea (where I definitely have not been!) and a bit in parts of rural South Korea (haven't been either but would like to go)
3.3 The Sky Over Lima by Juan Gomez Barcena (07/02/2019), set in Lima
3.4 A Midsummer's Equation by Keigo Higashino (02/03/2019), set in a fictional Japanese seaside village called Hari Cove
3.5 Songs of Willow Frost by Jamie Ford (06/03/2019), set in Seattle

3.6 The Homecoming by Andrew Pyper (12/03/2019), set somewhere in West Coast USA

3.7 Don't Let Go by Michel Bussi (30/03/2019), set on Reunion Island

3.8 Educated by Tara Westover (06/04/2019), set mainly in Idaho
3.9 Somebody I Used to Know by Wendy Mitchell (11/04/2019), set in York
3.10 Star of the North by D.B. John (24/04/2019), set mainly in North Korea

3.11 We Hope for Better Things by Erin Bartels (29/04/2019), set in Detroit

3.12 The Children of Dynmouth by William Trevor (14/06/2019), set in Devon

3.13 Q&A by Vikas Swarup (14/06/2019), set in India

3.14 Holes by Louis Sachar (21/06/2019), set in Texas

3.15 Two Can Keep a Secret by Karen McManus (28/07/2019), set in Vermont
3.16 The Evidence Against You by Gillian McAllister (01/09/2019), set on the Isle of Wight
3.17 Dark Sacred Night by Michael Connelly (05/09/2019), set in Los Angeles

3.18 Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (06/11/2019), set in North Carolina

On top of this, I'm aiming to also complete the 40+10BC (although there will of course be some overlaps between these).

Edit 11/06/2019: Having finished the 40+10BC early, I'm going to keep counting for these ones and see if I can make 20 of each! Should be do-able... the only one I'm really finding any difficulty with are the BFGs.

Last Edit: Nov 7, 2019 9:21:33 GMT by adelynechan

Currently Reading (F): The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Currently Reading (NF): Post Corona by Scott Galloway
Currently Reading (buddy reads):
Currently Listening To: Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

GR: www.goodreads.com/user/show/18840302-adelyne-chan

pennylane Epic Fantasy Series Posts: 2,835	MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 15:26:53 GMT janetandjohn and geminii like this Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by pennylane on Jan 1, 2019 15:26:53 GMT With working more hours I cannot commit to 30 books so will just stick to the 40 books challenge this year.
	Mandy x

rosemary3
Book Circle Assistant

Posts: 2,298

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 15:53:44 GMT janetandjohn likes this

Post by rosemary3 on Jan 1, 2019 15:53:44 GMT

I won't do 10 x 3 but I do have a couple of major works that I want to get read this year:

Julie, or the New Heloise by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

This is a carryover from last year's challenge and maybe the year before as well ...

A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell.

This is a novel/series in 12 volumes. I read the first one (A Question of Upbringing) right at the end of December to finish the alphabet challenge, and I really enjoyed it, so I have another 11 to read:
~~2. A Buyer's Market~~ Finished 4 November, and I didn't enjoy it nearly so much, but I will try one more ... might not be this year, though!

3. The Acceptance World

4. At Lady Molly's

5. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant

6. The Kindly Ones

7. The Valley of Bones
8. The Soldier's Art

9. The Military Philosophers
10. Books Do Furnish a Room

11. Temporary Kings

12. Hearing Secret Harmonies

Last Edit: Nov 5, 2019 0:28:10 GMT by rosemary3

janetandjohn
Complete Works of Shakespeare

MODeration in all things (except books!)

Posts: 6,260

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 16:01:56 GMT rosemary3 likes this

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 1, 2019 16:01:56 GMT

Jan 1, 2019 15:53:44 GMT rosemary3 said:

I won't do 10 x 3 but I do have a couple of major works that I want to get read this year:

Julie, or the New Heloise by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

This is a carryover from last year's challenge and maybe the year before as well ...

A Dance to the Music of Time by Anthony Powell.

This is a novel/series in 12 volumes. I read the first one (A Question of Upbringing) right at the end of December to finish the alphabet challenge, and I really enjoyed it, so I have another 11 to read:
2. A Buyer's Market

3. The Acceptance World

4. At Lady Molly's

5. Casanova's Chinese Restaurant

6. The Kindly Ones

7. The Valley of Bones
8. The Soldier's Art

9. The Military Philosophers
10. Books Do Furnish a Room

11. Temporary Kings

12. Hearing Secret Harmonies

I have not read any of these myself, but I reckon you have given yourself a nice challenge there!

mac-adventureswithbooks.blogspot.co.uk is my blog. Do drop in from time to time.

geminii
Administrator

Posts: 6,269

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 16:25:04 GMT pennylane likes this

Post by geminii on Jan 1, 2019 16:25:04 GMT

I will be doing the 40 + 10 Book Challenge, plus the A-Z ..
Then I have my Classic challenge of one read per month ..
Otherwise, my greatest struggle will be to read more tree books from my TBR than I add to it ..

Suzanne xx

Currently Reading :

Books Read 2024 : 59
Books Read 2023 : 145
Books Read 2022 : 147 Books Read 2021 : 132
Books Read 2020 : 116 Books Read 2019 : 105
Books Read 2018 : 214 Books Read 2017 : 203

freerange
Novella

Posts: 82

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 17:22:00 GMT janetandjohn likes this

Post by freerange on Jan 1, 2019 17:22:00 GMT

Well, I said goodbye to my brother who has been staying with me over Christmas, put a load of washing on, decided to eat leftovers for tea instead of making something proper, and then failed to do anything else useful like hoovering or washing up...

The 40+10 book challenge list neeeds filling out with books from my TBR... and then I saw this!

So my challenges are:

Read 10 books from Patrick O'Brian's Master and Commander series (I have them all now)
Read 10 books from my TBR and release them via Bookcrossing
Read 10 books again (after reading once years ago) and decide whether to keep them or not

Some will overlap with the 40+10 challenge.

Last Edit: Jan 1, 2019 17:49:05 GMT by freerange

adelynechan
Epic Fantasy Series

Posts: 4,328

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 17:50:45 GMT geminii likes this

Post by adelynechan on Jan 1, 2019 17:50:45 GMT

Jan 1, 2019 16:25:04 GMT geminii said:

I will be doing the 40 + 10 Book Challenge, plus the A-Z ..
Then I have my Classic challenge of one read per month ..
Otherwise, my greatest struggle will be to read more tree books from my TBR than I add to it ..

I'm going to attempt this too, because my bookshelves are desperately out of space! I was going to try to only add 1 for every 2 read, but I think that is too big a feat, so I'm just going to try and add fewer per month than I read (which is about 10-12, so let's see how it goes).

Currently Reading (F): The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Currently Reading (NF): Post Corona by Scott Galloway
Currently Reading (buddy reads):
Currently Listening To: Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson

GR: www.goodreads.com/user/show/18840302-adelyne-chan

sarita
Epic Fantasy Series

Posts: 3,492

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 1, 2019 19:54:36 GMT janetandjohn and sarita like this

Post by sarita on Jan 1, 2019 19:54:36 GMT

So my challenges will be as follows:

Do the 50BC again, in good shape as I started early (took my dog, not) this is done

Read 5 French classics, I'm ashamed when I see some of you reading books I haven't read
Read 2 (La chatte, Bel-Ami) failed miserably

Read 12 books in French, I managed this in 2018 but a number of them were "random" rather than choice
Read 15 (La Cuisinière, Je te vois reine.., La vraie vie, La chatte, Au revoir là haut, Conversations avec mon coiffeur, Hors de moi, Serment d'automne, La tresse, Bel-Ami, N'oublier jamais, La guerre de Troie..., Des marchés et des dieux...) this is done

Read 8 NF over the year
Read 9 (Scale, A Higher Loyalty, Livre d'or des symboles, Blockchain, Des marchés et des dieux, La guerre de Troie. .., Rock, Le Prince, Book of Why) this is done

Be ruthless when I don't like a book, I don't want to waste time anymore, there are so many good ones out there
Yes I did this

Read something each month, whether I feel ok or not (unlike last year). And this too.

I like these beginning of the year resolutions!

I added an additional challenge, starting in August 2019 with no defined completion date. Around the world in books. I travelled to 13 countries/continents as at end December 2019.

Last Edit: Jan 1, 2020 15:14:32 GMT by sarita

peppercricket Book Assistant Batley Townswoman's Guild presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour Posts: 7,073	MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 8:19:49 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:19:49 GMT Doing the 50BC. Doing a 10BC Mr P has set for me. Get more series out of the way - my longest running challenge!
	Last Edit: Jan 2, 2019 8:20:14 GMT by peppercricket

janetandjohn Complete Works of Shakespeare MODeration in all things (except books!) Posts: 6,260	MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 8:35:36 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by janetandjohn on Jan 2, 2019 8:35:36 GMT Jan 2, 2019 8:19:49 GMT peppercricket said: Doing the 50BC. Doing a 10BC Mr P has set for me. Get more series out of the way - my longest running challenge! Which 10 books, though, Janice? (or their subject)
	mac-adventureswithbooks.blogspot.co.uk is my blog. Do drop in from time to time.

peppercricket Book Assistant Batley Townswoman's Guild presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour Posts: 7,073	MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 8:41:39 GMT Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:41:39 GMT He's just followed on from Wendy's challenge, janetandjohn!

janetandjohn
Complete Works of Shakespeare

MODeration in all things (except books!)

Posts: 6,260

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 8:46:13 GMT

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 2, 2019 8:46:13 GMT

Jan 2, 2019 8:41:39 GMT peppercricket said:

He's just followed on from Wendy's challenge, janetandjohn !

... and there was I thinking it would be something like 10 books that mention football, or 10 books that mention gardening, or exquisite murder locations .....

(gawd! what an imagination).

mac-adventureswithbooks.blogspot.co.uk is my blog. Do drop in from time to time.

peppercricket Book Assistant Batley Townswoman's Guild presents the Battle of Pearl Harbour Posts: 7,073	MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 8:47:43 GMT windysisters and janetandjohn like this Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:47:43 GMT Oh, don't worry... there are some stinkers.

windysisters
Administrator

Posts: 5,717

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge! Jan 2, 2019 10:36:33 GMT janetandjohn likes this

Post by windysisters on Jan 2, 2019 10:36:33 GMT

Like Mrs Mac, I want to read 10 of the books I've owned the longest. I've checked on Goodreads and by selecting by "date added" listed my books. These were all added to GR in 2007 and at least 6 of them will complete 40BC categories:

1. ~~Where Old Bones Lie - Ann Granger~~ Read in August
2. Sushi for Beginners - Marian Keyes
3. Other People - Martin Amis
4. Icarus - Russell Andrews
5. The Sixth Lamentation - William Brodrick
6. Gorky Park - Martin Cruz Smith
7. I'll Never by Young Again - Daphne du Maurier
8. ~~Set in Stone - Robert Goddard~~ Read in January
9. The Ravenglass Line - David Crackanthorpe
10. The Sparrow - Mary Doria Russell

I also want to finish the Lydmouth series by Andrew Taylor:
~~6. Death's Own Door -~~ Read in March
7. Call the Dying
8. Naked to the Hangman

and then I'll look at another book series I can complete.

Last Edit: Aug 12, 2019 9:05:11 GMT by windysisters

Currently reading: Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz
Currently listening to: Down a Dark Road by Linda Castillo

MRS MAC's ALL NEW 2019 Challenge!

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 1, 2019 12:40:03 GMT

Post by adelynechan on Jan 1, 2019 15:19:06 GMT

Post by pennylane on Jan 1, 2019 15:26:53 GMT

Post by rosemary3 on Jan 1, 2019 15:53:44 GMT

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 1, 2019 16:01:56 GMT

Post by geminii on Jan 1, 2019 16:25:04 GMT

Post by freerange on Jan 1, 2019 17:22:00 GMT

Post by adelynechan on Jan 1, 2019 17:50:45 GMT

Post by sarita on Jan 1, 2019 19:54:36 GMT

Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:19:49 GMT

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 2, 2019 8:35:36 GMT

Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:41:39 GMT

Post by janetandjohn on Jan 2, 2019 8:46:13 GMT

Post by peppercricket on Jan 2, 2019 8:47:43 GMT

Post by windysisters on Jan 2, 2019 10:36:33 GMT