#AMonthofFaves Reading Challenges [Recap and New for 2019]

Did you participate in any reading challenges this year? How did you do? Here’s how we did in the reading challenges we participated in.

Monthly Motif Reading Challenge Recap

Number of Challenges Completed

• ✩ KIM – 8/12. I missed APRIL – Read Locally, JULY – Vacation Reads, AUGUST – Award Winners, and OCTOBER – New or Old.
• ✩ TANYA – 9/12. I missed MARCH – Travel the World., APRIL – Read Locally. and MAY- Book to Screen.

Favorite Book Read for the Challenge

• ✩ KIM – The Secret Place, Tana French for JUNE- Crack the Case. Long time fan of Tana French and this did not disappoint.
• ✩ TANYA – The Outsider, Stephen King for JUNE- Crack the Case. It’s a mystery with a bit of a paranormal twist which was so -King.

Least Favorite Book Read for the Challenge

• ✩ KIM – Sadie, Courtney Summers for NOVEMBER – Family. There’s been a lot of praise for this book but I thought it was mostly boring and I hated the format (podcast interview.)
• ✩ TANYA – The Sudden Appearance of Hope, Claire North. for AUGUST- Award Winners. This book is the winner of the World Fantasy Award for Best Novel (2017), but it just didn’t live up to it’s potential for me.

Most “Challenging” Challenge

• ✩ KIM – APRIL – Read Locally. I was surprised this one was my least favorite. There are a lot of good authors from Utah but I just wasn’t interested (or had already read) in any of the books I came across. I finally just picked one and then I couldn’t get it from the library so I let this month slide by.
• ✩ TANYA – NOVEMBER- Family. I didn’t think I’d find a book I wanted to read with this theme as by this point, I was a little burned out on contemporary novels. But Erotic Stories for Punjabi Widows, Balli Kaur Jaswal came available from the library (audiobook) and as I started listening to it, I realized that family played a very important part in the book.
  

Other Reading Challenges

✣ TANYA ✣

My other main reading goal was to read more books by authors of color.

This year, about 40% of my books fell in this category – up from 30% the previous year. So mission accomplished! This is a perpetual goal – something I keep in the mind when choosing books to read. Some of my favorite books by authors this year include …

• Behold the Dreamers, Imbolo Mbue (CONTEMPORARY)
• Binti (1-3), Nnedi Okorafor (SCIENCE FICTION)
• An American Marriage, Tayari Jones (CONTEMPORARY)

2019 Reading & Blogging Challenges

✣ TANYA ✣

ONE. 2019 Monthly Motif Challenge … we are the hosts after-all. GOAL: 12/12

TWO. Keep reading diversely. GOAL: >40% of books

THREE. Last year, I wanted to get back into participating in the Seasonal Reading Challenge (hosted at Goodreads). I didn’t do it – so attempting this again. GOAL: 4 seasons (no points goal this year).

FOUR. I want to keep up with setting a monthly goal and blogging about it in #OneThingThisMonth. GOAL: Set intention every month.

FIVE. Blogging was very inconsistent this year, and I’d like to remedy that because I really do enjoy it. GOAL: Blog post 3-4x/week.

✩ KIM ✩

ONE. 2019 Monthly Motif Challenge … GOAL: 12/12 … I’d also like to evaluate whether or not to continue this challenge in 2020 as participation hasn’t been as high as it has in past years.

TWO. Participate in #OneThingThisMonth. GOAL: Set intention every month.

THREE. Push myself creatively through personal projects including dusting off my sewing machine.

FOUR. I enjoy blogging quite a bit but I’ll admit that 2018 was a tough year for quality content and consistency. Many weeks I felt I had nothing interesting to say. I think this is directly related to my lack of creative pursuits last year (see above.)

FIVE. Stretch my reading. More diversity. More nonfiction. More middle grade. More variety in the genres/authors I frequent.

If you’re participating in #AMonthofFaves [The 2018 Edition] link up to your blog post (or Instagram picture) below.