Okay, let’s try to think happy thoughts, like maybe I will actually live to see 2018. (That’s looking pretty iffy with the incoming administration, but stranger things have happened.) So let’s take a look at the upcoming reading challenges.
The PopSugar reading challenge has become something of a staple in my life, so I will be setting up a 2017 shelf for that one. I have just now discovered the Goodreads group devoted to this one, and I am pleased to see that PopSugar has been paying attention to its discussions and suggestions. Another Goodreads challenge group I joined this year is the one for Book Riot’s Read Harder Challenge. I stand a solid chance of completing that one this year! I’m looking forward to next year’s, but as far as I know, they haven’t posted it yet. I’m also looking forward to next year’s Award-Winning Science Fiction & Fantasy Reading Challenge, even though I’m still behind on the 3-month version running through the end of this year.
I am continuing my Completist Christie Challenge, of course, and I welcome people to join me. I don’t feel like administering others’ involvement, but discussion on the post is certainly fine. Likewise, I will be repeating my Personal Reading Challenge in 2017, so watch for that post. (Yes, I know, I still need to go in and do a massive update on the 2016 post.)
And now my friend Michelle Stockard Miller has created an entire Facebook group just for reading challenges, the aptly named Sleep Less – Read More. And…wow…okay, let’s see what I’m letting myself in for.
I am selecting the Mt Vancouver challenge level in the Mt TBR Reading Challenge 2017. That’s 36 books from my TBR piles. Here’s hoping I upgrade and scale even larger peaks as the year goes on! It looks like I will be joining several of the challenges posed by Bev Hankins. The Follow the Clues Mystery Challenge puts a clever spin on the game by requiring links in a “chain of evidence.” I’m going for a six-book “infraction” to start with and maybe I’ll be able to level up! Oh, and sure, let’s do the Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunts. Both of them, why the hell not! I’ve just printed off the checklists and noted the date ranges on them, and my goal is at least six checks on each list.
Jamie Ghione is running several challenges in 2017, and I think I will give the Humor Reading Challenge a shot at the Cartoonist (1 to 5 books) level.
I was considering using the Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge to bridge 2016 and 2017, but I just don’t think I’m up for it this time. It starts next week, and I need to get focused on NaNoWriMo instead.
I might host a real challenge myself for 2017. I’ve been trying to make “Start Less – Finish More” my personal reading mantra, and I track my ratio. I’m not doing all that well. So the No Book Left Behind Challenge would be for encouraging me to go find all those books I have abandoned and either finish them or give up on them. It should be a nice complement to Bev’s Mt TBR challenge. And maybe I can find a Keep Them Moving challenge over on the BookCrossing forums. Oh, dear, that’s another dangerous place!
Exploding Steamboats 
Thanks so much for joining me on my various challenges (as you can tell, I have a bit of a problem resisting them). Hope you have fun!
They’re addictive, aren’t they?!
Hi, thanks for your interest in my Humor challenge. Can’t wait to see what you read. Don’t forget to link your sign up post to my post.
I haven’t been able to get the linky app to show up on the humor challenge page. I’ve tried it on my phone as well as my laptop. Any ideas?
Hi, I have deleted the linky from my blog posts and will now have participants sign up in the comments. I needed to upgrade to display more than one linky at a time on my different posts, but did not wish to do so, so signing up in the comments is the best fix I could come up with. Sorry for the inconvenience.
I’ve just made an attempt. We’ll see if Blogspot cooperates. Sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. Let me know if it doesn’t come through for approval.
Hi, yes I did get your comment. I don’t know what is really going on. Thanks you for your interest.
Ah, good, I’m looking forward to participating!
I might have a go at your personal reading challenge as that sounds like a laugh,
Welcome! I’ve just now updated with titles I’ve read so far for 2016, and I’ll be posting the 2017 challenge soon. It should be a significantly shorter list.
Pingback: My 2017 Personal Reading Challenge | Exploding Steamboats
Here is what I have so far for the Follow the Clues challenge:
1. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie
— cup of liquid on the cover —
2. Untitled by Julie Kaewert
— library scene on the cover —
3. File M for Murder by Miranda James
— animal(s) on the cover —
4. Persona by Genevieve Valentine
— set in Paris —
5. The House of Shattered Wings by Aliette de Bodard
— a tower on the cover —
6. In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
— set in Kansas —
7. In the Dead of Winter by Nancy Mehl
— starts with a snowy travel scene —
8. Murder at Hazelmoor by Agatha Christie
— “Murder” in the title —
9. Murder in Retirement by John Miles
— author hiding behind a pseudonym —
10. The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson
— set in London —
11. The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman
— paranormal characters —
12. Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon
— main character converses with a character nobody else can see —
13. Afterparty by Daryl Gregory
And I hope to keep going, but please let me know if any of the clues need clarification.
I have submitted my trail of clues over at https://myreadersblock.blogspot.com/2017/12/follow-clues-present-your-evidence-trail.html.
The Vintage Mystery Cover Scavenger Hunt was a massive fail for me. My copy of The Plague Court Murders had a penguin logo on the cover, and my copy of Murder at Hazelmoor had a variety of elements, including a skeletal hand. And that’s it for me on that one.
I think I’m going to skip the more complicated challenges this year and go for listy kinds of challenges.