• Books and reading

    2024 Challenges

    Once again I am signing up to reading challenges for the coming year, as a way to add to my reading diet and explore new areas of knowledge and understanding.

    In 2024, I will take part in these challenges:

    • Non Fiction Reading Challenge
      My goal is to become a ‘Non Fiction Nibbler’, reading 6 books from any 6 of the 12 categories (details about the challenge, hosted by Book’d Out, here)
    • Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
      Of course! I’m aiming for the ‘Mediaeval’ level of 15 books.
      This one is hosted by the Intrepid Reader. Sign up and find out more here.
    • Books by First Nations authors
      This one is my own personal challenge, not an official one. I’m aiming for 6 books by Australian (or other) First Nations authors.
    • Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge
      Hosted by Carol’s Notebook (check out the blog here)
      This is a new one for me; I’m having a go for fun, as I do enjoy a good crime/mystery read.
      The challenge also includes thriller/suspense/true crime books.
      I’m aiming to become an ‘Amateur Sleuth’ by reading between 5 – 15 books in these genres.

    So, that’s my reading sorted. Oh, and add the book group choices already programmed for the year, plus ones I review for publishers…I’ll be behind a book somewhere if you need me.


    Have you joined a reading challenge or reading group, and if so, did it help you to expand your reading repertoire?

  • Books and reading

    Welcome 2021: New reading challenges

    As noted in an earlier post, 2020 was (apart from everything else that was so very wrong about it) a bumper reading year for me. I embark on the new year in a spirit of optimism that I’ll be able to keep up my reading to similar levels, and to that end I am once again signing up for several reading challenges.

    First, the 2021 Non Fiction Reader Challenge. I’ll opt for the Non Fiction Nibbler category, in which I’ll aim to read 6 non fiction books from any of the Challenge’s 12 categories.

    The Australian Women’s Writers Challenge is one I have participated in for several years now, and as the majority of books I read do tend to be by Australian women, I’m confident of meeting the target of the Franklin challenge, which is to read 10 books (and review at least 6 of them)

    The Aussie Author Challenge overlaps with the AWW Challenge, except books can be by male and female authors. In 2021 my goal is to reach the Kangaroo level, where I’ll have read 12 books (4 by male, 4 by female, 4 by authors new to me, and across at least 3 different genres).

    I’m adding a new challenge for 2021: the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, which I’m pretty sure will be a shoo-in as I adore historical fiction. I’ll read at least two books set in the 20th Century and five set in Victorian times for this one.

    A personal challenge of mine, begun a few years ago, is to read as many books by First Nations authors as I can. It’s a delight to see so many wonderful works being published nowadays so this one is indeed a pleasure.

    Whatever else 2021 might bring, I do hope it’s a year of entering new worlds, different times and places, adventure, mystery, love and warfare, faith and hope – all through the pages of some great books.

    Happy New Year everyone.

    Image by Magda Ehlers at pexels

    #2021ReadNonFic
    #AWW2021
    #AussieAuthor21
    #histficchallenge