2017 Reading Challenges and Bout of Books 18

This year, in addition to hosting my own challenge (The Old School Kidlit Reading Challenge, details here!), I'm also going to participate in a few different challenges to help me organize and focus my reading throughout the year.

The first two are challenges for adult books. I have always been a children's book blogger, and that's not going to change, but after I stopped reviewing new children's books this fall, I realized how much I missed reading the occasional book about characters closer to my own age. I started reading cozy mysteries over the summer, and wound up buying a bunch of paperbacks that have taken over my nightstand. Then I discovered a couple of contemporary romance authors, and now my to-read list is ten miles long for those, too. I know there is no way I will get around to reading all of them unless I intentionally carve out the time, so I tracked down a couple of challenges that I think will be manageable.

Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge

 

Hosted by Andi's ABCs.
Goal: 3rd Base: read 11 – 15 books (I'm hoping to read one per month.)
Social Media: #ContRom2017

Craving for Cozies 2017

Hosted by Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

Goal: Famished – 11 – 20 Cozy Mysteries (Again, I'm shooting for one per month.)

Social Media: Facebook group

In terms of kidlit, I'm trying to focus mainly on older books, so I have a couple of challenges in mind  to help me do that. I expect the two Newbery challenges to overlap quite a bit with each other and with my Old School Kidlit challenge, but I'm also hoping the goals for each will get me to read more overall. The Picture Book challenge is really just to help me keep better track of the books I'm reading with the girls. My record-keeping got a little iffy this past year. It's also fun to have categories in mind when I'm browsing the library shelves and/or searching the catalog to place holds. And there are a ton of picture books in my house that I also have not read.

Newbery Through the Decades 

Hosted by Hope is the Word (challenge is not up yet, but I'm told it's happening!)

Goal: From January to October, this challenge assigns a different decade to each month. Goal is to read Newbery winners and honors from that decade and link up at the end of the month. 

Newbery Reading Challenge 2017 

Hosted by Smiling Shelves
Goal: Spinelli: 30 - 44 points (I am hoping I can make it to 30 points.)

2017 Picture Book Reading Challenge

Hosted by Becky's Book Reviews

Goal: Minimum of six books. I'm going to try to complete the entire checklist.

Bout of Books 18 

Bout of Books is my favorite read-a-thon. It happens three times a year, and the first one of 2017 is the week of January 2-8. I hope it will give me a good solid start to all of these challenges! Here is the official blurb:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, January 2nd and runs through Sunday, January 8th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 18 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team