Saturday, December 26, 2015

2015 Challenge Wrap Up!

Holy Cow! What an insane year it was for reading. I read more books than usual and I read a much wider variety of books too.  Here are a list of my challenges, links to my reviews and the end of year totals.
 
 
Personal Re-Read Challenge
My goal was to read 15 books.
 This challenge is COMPLETE! I didn't think I would get there on this one but I managed.
1. North of Need
5. Nobody's Prize
7. Om Kas Toe
8. Secret Santa
9. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
10. Thirty Nights with a Highland Husband
11. Highland Guardian
12. Rikki Tikki Tavi
13. Bunnicula
14. Fire
15. King of the Wind



Personal Children's Book Challenge
This Challenge is COMPLETE! I got a little carried away with this challenge as I do every year, but I will try to keep it under control next year.
1. Peter Loves Penguin
13. Again!
 35. I Took the Moon for a Walk
36. We're Going on a Bear Hunt
37. The Little Red Caboose
38. Happy to Help!
39. Pony Brushes his Teeth
40. A Hole in the Road
41. The Lost Dinosaur Bone
42. Grandpa & the Truck 2
43. Emergency Vehicles
44. C is for Cornhusker
45. Curious George and the Dump Truck
46. Curious George Goes Fishing
47. Mr. Mischief
48. The Best Show & Share
49. Frogs!
50. The Mitten
51. Curiouse George Goes to a Bookstore
52. Oscar the Almost Butterfly
53. Elmo ABCs book with Sound
54. Happy Easter, Curious George
55. Littlest Bunny in Rhode Island
56. The Happy Man and His Dump Truck
57. The Thank You Prayer
58. Pout Pout Fish in the Big Big Dark
59. Scuffy the Tugboat
60. I'm a Bulldozer
61. The Pout Pout Fish
62. A Rainbow of My Own
63. Follow the Leader
64. The Bear Went Over the Mountain
65. Five Green and Speckled Frogs
66. Twinkle Twinkle Little Star
67. Five Little Monkeys Sitting in a Tree
68. Jesus Loves Me
69. Winnie the Pooh
70. Tadpole Trouble
71. Mr. Cheerful
72. A Cuddle for Little Duck
73. Time Together: Me and Mom
74. Wheedle and the Noodle
75. Just a Little Music
76. Mr. Noisy
77. Rain!
78. Storm Song
79. The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry and the Big Hungry Bear
80. The Best Teacher Ever
81. Tow Truck Trouble and Lights Out
82. Pete the Cat: Rock On Mom and Dad
83. Look, A Book!
84. Mr. Perfect
85. Outer Space Bedtime Race
86. Pete the Cat: Construction Destruction
87. Meet the Penguins
88. Mr. Strong
89. The Sandcastle
90. Otter in Space
91. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day
92. Curious George Gets a Medal
93. Numbers! Take the Dog Out
94. Whose Nose and Toes
95. Mr. Funny
96. Llama Llama Mad at Momma
97. Llama Llama Home with Mama
98. No More Hitting
99. Letters from Felix
100. Elmo's First Babysitter
101. Astronauts
102. Bye Bye Mom and Dad
103. Little Critter Astronaut
104. The Night before Preschool
105. Mr. Slow
106. Octonauts and the Undersea Eruption
 107. The New Bear at School
108. Slowly, Slowly, Slowly said the Sloth
109. Sweet Dreams Pout-Pout Fish
110. Daylight, Night Light
111. Octonauts and the Colossal Squid
112. The Jolly Postman
113. Giraffes Can't Dance
114. Pete the Cat and his Magic Sunglasses
115. There's No Place like Space
116. Look and Find Elmo
117. Book of Planets
118. Big Book of Space
119. Trapped in Toyland
120. When Will it Snow
121. The Gingerbread Man
122. It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown
123. How to Read a Story
124. Sixteen Runaway Pumpkins
125. Otis and the Scarecrow
126. Pete The Cat: The First Thanksgiving
127. Dinosaur Christmas
128. Tractor Mac Saves Christmas
129. Froggy's Best Christmas
130. Corduroy's Christmas Surprise
131. Worms for Lunch



Personal Beginning Reader Challenge:
This Challenge is COMPLETE! My goal for this challenge was 30 books.  Next year will be a little different but expect to see many more of these books.
1. Charlie's Snow Day
2. Monsters Munch Lunch
3. Brave Dragon
4. Kick Pass and Run
5. Charlie The Ranch Dog: Where's the Bacon
6. Big Bear, Little Bear
7. Chase on the Case
8. Look for Lorax
9. Curious George, Dinosaur Tracks
10. Danny and the Dinosaur
11. Curious George Colors Eggs
12. Penguins!
13. Pete's Big Lunch
14. Dusty Flies High
15. Ponies Love Pets
16. Just Saving My Money
17. Go, Go, Go!
18. Play Ball
19. Biscuit and the Lost Teddy Bear
20. The Three Little Grouches
21. To the Rescue
22. Just Helping My Dad
23. Little Critter: This is My Town
24. Danny and the Dinosaur Go to Camp
25. Amelia Bedelia Goes Camping
26. Going to the Sea Park
27. Life in Space
28. Best Chef in Second Grade
29. Dixie
30. Mittens at School
31. What's That Mittens
32. Dixie and the Class Treat
33. Moonwalk
34. Snowball Soup



Personal Read Across the States Challenge
Obviously there are 50 books in this challenge. It took some changes of books and a lot more stress towards the end but I managed to COMPLETE this Challenge! I am glad I took the time to do this one, I read a lot of books outside my comfort zone and enjoyed reading the personality of each of those states.

Alabama  - A Redbird Christmas
Alaska - If you Lived Here
Arizona - Veil of Roses
Arkansas - A Suitable Wife
California - Starter Wife
Colorado - Calves in the Mud Room
Connecticut - A Whole Latte Life
Delaware - A Catered Affair
Florida - Because of Winn Dixie
Georgia - Deep Dish
Hawaii - Birth
Idaho - Whatchago Stew
Illinois - The Untouchables
Indiana - The Sun Tea Chronicles
Iowa - Little Heathens
Kansas - A Dog Named Christmas
Kentucky - Bluegrass State of Mind
Louisiana - Taste the Heat
Maine - Stone Bay
Maryland - Dinner at Homesick Restaurant
Massachusetts - The Dante Club
Michigan - South of Superior
Minnesota - Pontoon
Mississippi - The Help
Missouri - The Borrower
Montana - The Smoke Jumper
Nebraska - C is for Cornhusker
Nevada - The Missing Ink
New Hampshire - Love and Leftovers
New Jersey - The Fighting Ground
New Mexico - Pegasus
New York - The Magicians
North Carolina -  Peach Keeper
North Dakota - Codename Zero
Ohio - Dragons of Spratt Ohio
Oklahoma - True Grit
Oregon - Rose Suitors of Seattle
Pennsylvania - The Turncoat
Rhode Island - By the Sea Tess
South Carolina - Girls in Trucks
South Dakota - Buffalo Gal
Tennessee - When Love Finds you in Camelot Tennessee
Texas -  Friday Night Lights
Utah - Wright on Time - Utah
Vermont - Lumberjack Love
Virginia - Crazy VA
Washington - Silver Linings
West Virginia - Locking Horns
Wisconsin - Blankets
Wyoming - Stone Fox


Audio Book Challenge
This challenge is COMPLETE! I surpassed my original goal of I believe 10 very easily and I have become obsessed with audio books. I will definitely be upping the number for 2016.

 1. The Fighting Ground
2. The Last Valentine
3. Deep Dish
4. The Tao of Pooh
5. Little Heathens
6. Veil of Roses
7. The Borrower
8. Winnie The Pooh Classic Tales
9. Rush
10. The Song of Achilles
11. The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America
12. The Smokejumper
13 The Turncoat
14. Fever
15. Classic Love Poems
16. Burn
17. Searching for Beautiful
18. Searching for Always
19. Pontoon
20. The Help
21.  The House at Pooh Corner
22. Dante Club


Graphic Novel Challenge
This Challenge is COMPLETE! Again, this is a challenge I really enjoy, I could definitely add to it but I am trying to limit the number I read each year.

1. Tiny Book of Tiny Stories Vol. 3
2. Blankets
3. Shadows of Endor
4. From Fabletown with Love
5. The Books of Magic
6. Mouse Guard: Winter 1152
7. Korgi Vol.2: Cosmic Collector
8. Thor: God of Thunder Vol. 1: The God Butcher
9. Fables are Forever
10. Fables Vol. 4: March of the Wooden Soldiers
11. Saga Vol. 1
12. Saga Vol. 2
13. Hinterkind Vol.1: The Waking World
14. Ravine Vol. 1
15. Ares: Bringer of War
16. Donald Hamlet, Prince of Dunemark
17. Loki Vol. 1 Agent of Asgard: Trust Me
18. Persepolis: A Story of a Childhood
19. Fables Vol. 5: The Mean Seasons
20. Swamp Thing Vol. 1
21. Hinterkind Vol. 2: Written in Blood
22. Northlanders Vol. 3: Blood in the Snow
23. An Age of License
24. Fables Vol. 6: Homelands
25. The Unwritten Vol. 2: Inside Man
26. Camelot 3000


Series Challenge
This Challenge is COMPLETE with a full 7 series read! I didn't get all the series read that I had wanted to but a couple of them have been waiting for quite some time to be completed and some were rather long too! I will continue with series challenges in the future.

1. The Hearts of Anemoi - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4 - COMPLETE
2. Pride Series - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book .5, Book 7, Book 8, Book 9 - COMPLETE
3. Princesses of Myth Series - Book 1, Book 2
4. Warrior Series - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6 - COMPLETE
5. Bluegrass Series - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 3.5 - COMPLETE
6. Searching For Series -  Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 2.5 - COMPLETE
7. Throne of Glass Series - Book 1, Book 2, Book 3, Books .1-.5, Book 4 - COMPLETE
8. Daughters of the Glen Series - Book 1,  Book 2, Book 3, Book 4, Book 5, Book 6, Book 7, Book 8 - COMPLETE


TBR Challenge
I set a goal of 50 books and obviously COMPLETED this challenge far to easily. I am definitely going to have to set a higher goal for myself next year since I own nearly all the books I plan to read!
1. Girls in Trucks
2. Because of Winn Dixie
3. Athena the Brain
4. Nubiana
5. Persephone the Phony
6. The Fighting Ground
7. Aphrodite the Beauty
8. The Last Valentine
9. Artemis the Brave
10. By The Sea, Book One, Tess
11. Hickory Daiquiri Dock
12. Locking Horns
13. Stone Bay
14. Dragons of Spratt, Ohio
15. Deep Dish
16. Stone Fox
17. Dragon in the Sock Drawer
18. Birth
19. The Tao of Pooh
20. West of Want
21. South of Surrender
22. Taste the Heat
23. If You Lived Here I'd Know Your Name
24. Fish Perfume
25. More Than Pancakes
26. Reading Between the Lines
27. I'll Never Forget
28. This Point Forward
29. Risking It All
30. East of Ecstasy
31. Sand Dollar
32. Glassblowers Apprentice
33. A Whole Latte of Life
34. Every Sunday
35. Missing Ink
36. Little Heathens
37. Toe to Toe
38. Warrior Beautiful
39. Buffalo Gal
40. To Serve a King
41. Veil of Roses
42. Francesca's Kitchen
43. Wright on Time - Utah
44. My Favorite Witch
45. Aure the Topaz
46. A Catered Affair
47. The Scot The Witch and the Wardrobe
48. Storm Glass
49. If You're Reading This
50. Sea Glass
51. The Borrower
52. Spy Glass
53. Whatchagot Stew
54. Into the Wild
55. Rush
56. Hush: An Irish Princess' Tale
57. Fire and Ice
58. The Mane Attraction
59. The Song of Achilles
60. Crazy, VA
61. A Suitable Wife
62. Forest of Secrets
63. The Mane Squeeze
64. Rose
65. Rising Storm
66. Beast Behaving Badly
67. The Last Continent
68. Big Bad Beast
69. A Dangerous Path
70. Howl For It
71. The Smoke Jumper
72. Darkest Hour
73. Bear Meets Girl
74. Bluegrass State of Mind
75. Dead Heat
76. Risky Shot
77. Wolf with Benefits
78. The Turncoat
79. Bite Me
80. Codename Zero
81. Fever
82. The Peach Keeper
83. Burn
84. Searching for Someday
85. Searching for Perfect
86. The Sun Tea Chronicles
87. Reckless
88. True Grit
89. Throne of Glass
90. Lumberjack in Love
91. Pontoon
92. Dinner at Homesick Restaurant
93. Soul of a Highlander
94. A Highlander of her Own
95. Crown of Midnight
96. The Help
97. A Highlander's Destiny
98. South of Superior
99. Heir of Fire
100. The Assassin's Blade
101. Highlander's Homecoming
102. Healing a Highlander
103. Highlander's Curse
104. Achilles in Vietnam
105. The Dante Club
106. The Starter Wife
107. The Magician
108. Pegasus
109. Friday Night Lights



Requested Reviews My original limit of only 25 books this year which I clearly went over, the ease of Netgalley was far too appealing. It was a little much I think though for one year and I will be cutting way back on the number of requested reviews I will be accepting.
1. Dear Hank Williams
2. Jesper Jinx and the Sneezing Season
3. Calves in the Mud Room
4. Gooseberry Island
5. Dizzy Miss Lizzie
6. Just Not Ready Yet
7. Poole's Paradise
8. Darkness
9. Don't Forget Me Bro
10. Paint
11. Spawn of Medusa
12. The Queen's Dagger
13. One of the Guys
14. Me and Grandpa
15. The Unleashing
16. Jesper Jinx and the Turkish Pepper
17. The Novice
18. HA Rey Treasury of Stories
19. Irona700
20. Parsen Holt- Slinger
21. Rules of Riders
22. Persephone
23. Ratha's Creature
24. Paladin
25. Daughter of Earth and Sky
26. Sonnets
27. How to Live Life
28. Summer Haikus
29. Nostromo the Dwarf
30. How 2 Live Life
31. Summer Haikus
32. Jesper Jinx Goes Fishing
33. Broken
34. Simon
35. In From the Cold
36. Get Yourself Organized for Christmas
37. A Cherry Cola Christmas
38. The Right Hand Rule
39. Gearteeth
40. Next Stop: Nina
41. Dark Sun, Bright Moon





Goodreads Challenge - COMPLETE My Goodreads challenge is complete, I am past my original goal of 312 and am sitting at 389.  I wasn't quite able to reach 400 but I am beyond thrilled with the amount of books I read this year and the variety as well!


As far as my other goals and resolutions . . .
- I did a really good job with keeping up with my letters and mailings this year, and I have met some new and wonderful people I hope to continue corresponding with in the future.
-For the most part I managed to keep up with painting my nails every week (often twice a week) and it was nice to have something to make me feel pretty.
-As far as my goal to spend more time together as a family and give Munchkin some new and fun experiences, I did okay. Munchkin definitely got to experience a lot this year, and it is so much fun now that he is old enough to do these things. Though I wasn't able to get much time with Hubby and definitely no dates.



Total # of Books Read in 2015: 390
Total # of Pages Read in 2015: 56,646
Total Hours Listened in 2015: 198:04 (that is the equivalent of 8 days, 6 hours & 4 minutes!)


Favorite Books in 2015

   
  


Least Favorite Books in 2015

  
 
  
 




Check in next week to see my goals for 2016 reading and personally!




2 comments:

  1. You always do so many challenges and I'm always so impressed with how well you do! Good job! I did one challenge and barely squeaked through.

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    1. I am lucky in the fact that I have so few things to distract me from my reading. I really have no social life and with Hubby gone every night it really opens up the reading time for me. I think you did great and read some really interesting books this year!

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