2019 Reading Updates: Reading Challenges

So about a quarter of the year has gone, and it’s led me to ask: how good am I doing, actually. Sure, I’ve gotten quite a bit of reading done. But how am I really doing on my reading challenges? Well, I’d say it’s about time to find out, right? So here’s an extra special addition to my 2019 reading updates – reading challenges edition!

1. Personal challenges

• Read at least 5 books in French: 1 so far
• Read at least 5 books in Dutch: already surpassed this, with 7 books!
• Read at least 1 book in a language other than English, French, or Dutch: nope. Not happened yet. I can hope, right?
• Read at least 5 non-fiction books: yes! Exactly 5 already, and we’re not even at a quarter of the year!
• Read and finish at least one series: yes! I read and finished the Malory Towers-series, as well as the Prince of Wales Mysteries-series

2. Modern Mrs Darcy

As for the Modern Mrs Darcy-challenge, I’m not doing too shabby.

1. A book you’ve been meaning to read: A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
2. A book about a topic that fascinates you: Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge
3. A book in the backlist of a favourite author: The Undomestic Goddess, Sophie Kinsella
4. A book recommended by someone with great taste: I’d Rather Be Reading, Anne Bogen (published – and as such: recommended) by none other than the creator of this reading challenge!)
5. Three books by the same author: Malory Towers-series, Enid Blyton
6. A book you chose for the cover: The hapiness project, Pippa James
7. A book by an author who is new to you: the Prince of Wales Mysteries-series, Peter Lovesey
8. A book in translation: the first 6 books of the Malory Towers-series, Enid Blyton
9. A book outside your (genre) comfort zone: Vous N’aurez Pas Ma Haine, Antoine Leiris
10. A book published before you were born: Persuasion, Jane Austen (exactly 176 before I was born, to be exact!)

Yeah, uhm… I’m not entirely sure how this happened either. Apparently I’ve finished this challenge already? Woops? It’s a good thing, probably, because the next one? Well, that one has historically proven itself to be at least *slightly* harder for me to complete!

2. PopSugar

1. A book becoming a movie in 2019:
2. A book that makes you nostalgic: the Malory Towers-series, Enid Blyton
3. A book written by a musician (fiction or nonfiction):
4. A book you think should be turned into a movie:
5. A book with at least one million ratings on Goodreads: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger (it has, as of my writing this, 1,431,526 ratings!)
6. A book with a plant in the title or on the cover: the Wildflower Park series, Bella Osborne
7. A reread of a favorite book: Persuasion, Jane Austen
8. A book about a hobby:
9. A book you meant to read in 2018: A Brief History of Time, Stephen Hawking
10. A book with POP, SUGAR, or CHALLENGE in the title:
11. A book with an item of clothing or accessory on the cover:
12. A book inspired by myth/legend/folklore:
13. A book published posthumously:
14. A book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie:
15. A retelling of a classic:
16. A book with a question in the title:
17. A book set on college or university campus:
18. A book about someone with a superpower: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger
19. A book told from multiple POVs:
20. A book set in space:
21. A book by two female authors: the Malory Towers-series, Enid Blyton & Pamela Cox
22. A book with SALTY, SWEET, BITTER, or SPICY in the title
23. A book set in Scandinavia
24. A book that takes place in a single day:
25. A debut novel:
26. A book that’s published in 2019: The Printed Letter Bookshop, Katherine Raey
27. A book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature:
28. A book recommended by a celebrity you admire:
29. A book with LOVE in the title: The Man I Fell in Love With, Kate Field
30. A book featuring an amateur detective: the Prince of Wales Mysteries-series, Peter Lovesey
31. A book about a family:
32. A book author from Asia, Africa, or South America:
33. A book with a zodiac sign or astrology term in title:
34. A book that includes a wedding:
35. A book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter:
36. A ghost story:
37. A book with a two-word title: Carnegie Hill, Jonathan Vatner
38. A novel based on a true story: Vous N’aurez Pas Ma Haine, Antoine Leiris
39. A book revolving around a puzzle or game:
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading challenge:

Advanced

1. A “cli-fi” (climate fiction) book:
2. A “choose-your-own-adventure” book:
3. An “own voices” book: Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge
4. Read a book during the season it is set in:
5. A LitRPG book:
6. A book with no chapters / unusual chapter headings / unconventionally numbered chapters:
7. Two books that share the same title (1):
8. Two books that share the same title (2):
9. A book that has inspired a common phrase or idiom:
10. A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent:

Okay,s o I’m not doing too shabby – but still, 13 out of 50 is only just on schedule. And for these things? Well, suffice it to say that I much prefer being ahead of schedule. After all, all you need is one big reading slump, and you’re stuck. I guess I could maybe try and make some of the books I read work double, but again: I prefer not to. I will, if it’s the only way for me to finish this reading challenge. But even so – I’ve not succeeded at actually doing so even once in the 4 years I’ve already done the PopSugar challenge. Who’s to say the 5th year will be any better?

Either way, how are you doing on your reading challenges? Are you where you wanted to be, at this point of the year? Or not quite? Be sure to let me know below!

-Saar