Reading Challenges for 2024

I completed two out of the three reading challenges I attempted in 2023. As I did last year, I am going to keep things as easy and light as possible. The Hard Times are still an issue for me in terms of reading, so I will just do the best that I can. 

This year I will attempt 3 Reading Challenges. Two of them are challenges I have done before, which I am doing again because they help me keep track of specific readings. The third one is mostly for fun. 

 

The Mount TBR Reading Challenge

 

This is hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block. In 2023, I exceeded my expectations, and I did really well on it. I am not sure I will be able to do as well this year, but I am going to give it a shot. For now, I am committing to the basic level of  Pike's Peak, which is reading 12 books from my own TBR pile. These are books I own that I need to be reading. I will update the list and add review links as I go along. As I did last year, if I read more than 12, I will upgrade the reading level. You can find the sign up page for the challenge with details at the link above. 

List of books read and reviewed for Mount TBR Reading Challenge: 

1. McCalla Ann (author) and Mercenary of Duna (artist), The Anime Tarot Deck and Guidebook.  
2. Mickie Mueller and Dan Mueller, Magical Dogs Tarot (kit with deck and full companion book).
3. Yasmin Boland (author) and Nyx Rowan (illustrator), Moonology Oracle Cards (kit with deck and companion book).
   
4. Ben Counter, The Soul Drinkers Omnibus (Warhammer, 40,000). 
5. Luna Weatherstone and Antonella Castelli, Celtic Astrology Oracle Cards. 
6.  Susie Green and Alan Weston (illustrator), Bird Messages Oracle Cards. 
7. Pamela Chen (author) and Elisabeth Alba (illustrator), Tarot of the Owls. 
8. Inna Segal and Jake Baddeley, Mystical Healing Reading Cards. 
9. Alison Chester-Lambert (author) and Richard Crookes (illustrator), Astrology Reading Cards.
10. Ciro Marchetti (artist) and Lee Bursten (book author), Tarot of Dreams. 
11. Lucy Cavendish (author) and Amy Brown (artist), Faery Blessing Cards. 
12. Athene Noctua, The Unfolding Path Tarot.
13. Ciro Marchetti (artist) and Lee Bursten (book author), Tarot of Dreams. 
14. Tsugumi Oba (author), et.al., Death Note, Volume 3: Hard Run.
15. Jason Engle, Mausolea: Oracle of Souls. 
16. Susie Green, Animal Messages Cards. 
17. Shawn McKenzie (author) and Firat Solhan (illustrator), Tarot of Dragons.
18. Stacey Demarco and Kinga Britschgi, Queen of the Moon Oracle.
19. Donald Tyson, Necronomicon: the Wanderings of Alhazred.
    

 

Update note: 9/1/2024. I thought I had checked in at least once prior to this date on the host site, but it seems I have not. So I am checking in on the site today and catching up. At this date, I am up to 11 books. I do have the 12th review scheduled for later in September, so with that one the initial challenge commitment will be complete. 

Update note: 12/18/2024. I finished reading and reviewing books 12-19. I almost made it to the next tier, but not quite. While I did recently finish a book that would qualify, the review is not quite ready yet, so I will save it for next year's challenge. Overall, pretty good run this year.

 

 

 

Reading by the Numbers Challenge 

Also hosted by Bev, this is a newer challenge, but it is a simple one. It is basically seeing how many books you can get in a year. Given this can be any book, any format, any genre, etc., I figured this can be an easy thing to do. Plus I can count books from other challenges. I am not committing to any specific number at this time. Let's just see how many books I can get in the year. As with other challenges, I will add books to the list and links to reviews as I go.

1. McCalla Ann (author) and Mercenary of Duna (artist), The Anime Tarot Deck and Guidebook. 
2. Yusuke Osawa, et.al., Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Volume 1. 
3. Richard Webster, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Divination.  
4. Brian Michael Bendis (author) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist), The United States of Murder Inc.  
5. Mickie Mueller and Dan Mueller, Magical Dogs Tarot (kit with deck and full companion book).  
6. Yasmin Boland (author) and Nyx Rowan (illustrator), Moonology Oracle Cards (kit with deck and companion book).  
7. Jenna Matlin, Will You Give Me a Reading?  
8. Colin Kaepernick, Robin D.G. Kelley, and Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, eds., Our History Has Always Been Contraband.  
9. Maria Minnis, Tarot for the Hard Work.  
10. Lucy Cavendish, Faery Blessings Cards (kit with deck and companion book).  
11. Mitzi Szereto, Women Who Murder.
    
12. Ben Counter, The Soul Drinkers Omnibus (Warhammer 40,000).
13. Kathryn S. Olmsted, The Newspaper Axis. 
14. Lon Milo DuQuette, Allow Me to Introduce. 
15. Archie Goodwin, Eerie Archives, Volume 1. 
16. R.K. Brislin, Atheist in Appalachia. 
17. Apollo Publishers, Words to Win By. 
18. Al Goldstein, EC Archives: The Vault of Horror, Volume 1.
19. John Wagner, Essential Judge Dredd, Volume 1. 
20. Stan Sakai, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles/Usagi Yojimbo.
21. Garth Ennis, The Punisher: the Complete Collection Volume 1 (Marvel MAX).
22. Arlene R Quaratiello, The College Student's Research Companion.
23. lenny duncan, Psalms of My People. 
24. Valeria Ruelas, The Mexican Witch Lifestyle. 
25. Garth Ennis, The Punisher: the Complete Collection Volume 2 (Marvel MAX). 
26. Athene Noctua, Unfolding Path Tarot.
    

Note for me: Entered titles at website for challenge update on April, 22, 2024, up to 11.

Update note: 12/18/2024. Added in titles from 12 to 26, thus a total of 26 for this challenge. This challenge proved a bit more complicated for me because I often finish books, but I may not get to review them right away. I also often post reviews scheduled into the future rather than right away. Anyhow, this was a good attempt, but I am not likely to try this again.

 

 

 

 

The Netgalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge  

Finally for this year, I am doing once again the Netgalley/Edelweiss Reading Challenge hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. I like doing this one because it encourages me to read those ARCs from the two services that I may be a bit behind on reading and reviewing. Last year I read 11 books, which is one over the initial commitment. I am going to commit again to at least 10 books, Bronze Level, but I am going to try to make it to the next level by year's end. We'll see how it goes. I am still shooting to get as close to that 80% readings completed rating Netgalley tends to like.

1. Yusuke Osawa, et.al., Star Wars: The Mandalorian: The Manga, Volume 1. 
2. Richard Webster, Llewellyn's Complete Book of Divination.  
3. Brian Michael Bendis (author) and Michael Avon Oeming (artist), The United States of Murder Inc.   
4. Jenna Matlin, Will You Give Me a Reading?  
5. G.B. Trudeau, Lewser! More Doonesbury in the Time of Trump. 
6. Kerry Louise Ward, Card of the Day Tarot. 
7. Lea Svendsen, Loki and Sigyn. 
8. Frank Cullotta and Dennis N. Griffin, The Rise and Fall of a 'Casino' Mobster.
9. Lane Smith, 78 Acts of Liberation: Tarot to Transform Our World.
10. Bess Matassa, The Tarot Almanac.  
11. Chuck Tingle, Bury Your Gays. 
12. John Vazquez Mejias, The Puerto Rican War: a Graphic History. 
13. Natalie Goldberg, Writing on Empty. 
14. Sergio Toppi, The Toppi Gallery: Bestiary. 
15. Elliot Adam, Tarot in Love. 
16. Amy Blackthorn, Social Media Spellbook. 
    
17. David Ulin, The Lost Art of Reading. 
18. Fortuna Noir, Tarot Magic. 
19. Chris L. Terry and James Spooner, eds., Black Punk Now. 
20. Brian Keene, Island of the Dead. 
21. Andrea Freeman, Ruin Their Crops on the Ground.
22. Emily C. Hughes, Horror for Weenies.
     

 

Note for me: Checked in to challenge page in April up to 4.  

Checked in to challenge page on August 29, up to 17. I completed the initial challenge commitment at book 10. Will try to see if I can go up to the next tier, which is 25. 

Update note 12/18/2024. Read and reviewed books 18-22. I almost made it to 24 and the second tier, but not quite. Still, this was a pretty good run this year, and I got a few more of those older galleys read and cleared. I hope to try it again in 2025.