It’s that time of year again when bloggers are making plans for next year’s reading and when reading challenges for 2018 are being announced. I don’t take part in many challenges these days, but there are two that I’m interested in for next year.
The first is a challenge which I used to enjoy but haven’t participated in since 2014. This is the What’s In A Name? challenge, hosted by Charlie of The Worm Hole. The challenge involves reading one book from each of six categories during 2018. I like the sound of the categories Charlie has chosen for us for next year, so I thought it would be fun to join in.
I have listed the categories below, followed by one or two possibilities. I don’t really want to be adding more books to my TBR so I’m going to try to choose from books that I already own.
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- The word ‘the’ used twice (The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden; The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan)
- A fruit or vegetable (The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck)
- A shape (Bleeding Heart Square by Andrew Taylor )
- A title that begins with Z (Zofloya, or The Moor by Charlotte Dacre)
- A nationality (The English Girl by Katherine Webb; The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende, The Scottish Chiefs by Jane Porter)
- A season (The Winter Prince by Cheryl Sawyer; The Corn King and the Spring Queen by Naomi Mitchison; The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell)
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The second challenge I’m signing up for is one I like to partipate in every year, even though it’s not exactly a ‘challenge’ for me! The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is hosted by Passages to the Past and has six different reading levels to choose from:
20th Century Reader – 2 books
Victorian Reader – 5 books
Renaissance Reader – 10 books
Medieval – 15 books
Ancient History – 25 books
Prehistoric – 50+ books
As historical fiction is my favourite genre, I will be aiming for the Prehistoric level again in 2018.
I will be keeping track of both of these challenges on this page.
Will you be taking part in either of these?
She Reads Novels 
Well, now that you mention challenges, I have set two for myself. One is to finish the 1963 list for My Big Fat Reading Project. The other is to read a book per month from lists I have made for the last twelve years; books I want to read but never got to. I already made the list of those! It was fun. Now to see if I get it done.
They both sound like good challenges! Good luck with them. There are a lot of books I have put on previous lists too and never got round to reading, so maybe I should do something similar.
These look like awesome challenges! I know you’ll have fun with them. Good luck! 🙂
Thank you. I’m looking forward to starting them.
I always post my historical fiction for that challenge, but I’ve never actually declared a level or counted how many I read in a year.
I like to keep a list of all the books I read for the challenge, but I don’t worry too much about the number I read. I do usually read enough for the Prehistoric level, though.
I probably do, too. But maybe not. I don’t read as many as you do.
I’m so impressed at you finding a book for the Z category! Both of these sound like fun, but I don’t think I can cope with any more challenges right now, sadly. Have fun with them though – the Prehistoric sounds mega!!
Thank you! I thought I would struggle to find a ‘Z’ book but luckily I had added Zofloya to the TBR when I was going through a gothic novel phase a few years ago. I’m not sure if I really want to read it now, but I don’t have anything else to fit that category.
Lovely! I read A Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet this year and it has been one of my absolute hand down favorites. The writing is…just beautiful. I really enjoyed The Historical Reading challenges and I hope you have awesome fun!! Wishing you Happy Reading and Happy Everything for 2018!
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed The Thousand Autumns…I’ve never read anything by David Mitchell before and I’m curious to see what his writing is like. Happy 2018 to you too!
I have to admit, between you and some other bloggers I follow who have interested me in historical fiction, I signed for this challenge!
That’s great. Good luck – and happy historical reading. 🙂
I am also taking part in the What’s in a Name challenge this year. I also keep meaning to take part in The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge but for some reason I never get round to it! Happy reading. 🙂
I’m looking forward to the What’s in a Name? challenge as it’s been a few years since I last took part in that one.
I hope you have fun taking part again after so long. 🙂