MY YEAR IN BOOKS: Final 2017 Reading Challenges Update - August 1-December 31 2017

You might remember back to my mid-year update at the beginning of July that I said I was doing 5 reading challenges? Turns out I had forgotten about one, I was actually signed up for 6:

1. PopSugar's 2017 Reading Challenge

2. Book Riot's 2017 Read Harder Challenge

3. The 2017 Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge over at Melissa's Eclectic Bookshelf

4. My Reader's Block's 2017 TBR Challenge

5. BookBub's Summer 2017 Reading Challenge
6. Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book's 2017 Alphabet Soup Challenge

Yellow Lego Trophy with Curved Handles & Top by David Luders

We looked at my Goodreads challenge numbers back in the early August update too, at that point I was at 167% of my pledged target. So 6 months later where did I end up? Well, you might remember back to my Musing Monday post from September 5 when I updated you on my completion of the Summer Reading Challenge, that thanks to that challenge I blew past 100 books in a year for the first time that I can ever remember. A feat I had been trying to pull off for a decade you guys! Now Fall is usually a crazy busy time for me at work and this year was no different, usually when I am crazy busy I come home too tired to read but that didn't happen this year! No it did not, I kept plugging away, albeit not at the break-neck pace I'd managed to pull off over the summer, or at least it felt like I was going slower. Anyway, my final number for the year, as of 5:07pm ET on December 31, 2017 is 158 books or 303% of my original pledged total!! That is just absolutely crazy to me!! I'm still having an adrenaline spike from excitement over that number.

According to my Goodreads "Your Year in Books" infographic, I read 43,816 pages! That's more than double the 22,249 I read according to 2016's infographic!

And that wasn't the only winning I did this year. For the first time in my history of signing up for reading challenges...I actually completed all of the challenges!!

POPSUGAR 2017 READING CHALLENGE

52 / 52 (100.0%) Completed Dec 31, 2017

REGULAR SECTION

1. A book recommended by a librarian -  The Word for World Is Forest by Ursula K. Le Guin [Recommended by my librarian friend Meredith] (Complete)

2. A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long - The Tree of Seasons by Stephen Gately [It’s been on the TBR shelf for at least 5 years…]  (Complete)

3. A book of letters - Dracula by Bram Stoker (Complete)

4. An audiobook - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (Complete)

5. A book by a person of color - Kampung Boy by LAT (Complete)

6. A book with one of the four seasons in the title - Midwinter Magic by Erica Ridley (Complete)

7. A book that is a story within a story - Redshirts by John Scalzi (Complete)

8. A book with multiple authors - My Brother Sam Is Dead by James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier (Complete)

9. An espionage thriller - The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (Complete)

10. A book with a cat on the cover - White Cat by Holly Black (Complete)

11. A book by an author who uses a pseudonym - The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross [Kathryn Smith] (Complete)

12. A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read - The First Wives Club by Olivia Goldsmith [Chick lit bestseller from the 90s] (Complete)

13. A book by or about a person who has a disability - The Ables by Jeremy Scott (Complete)

14. A book involving travel - Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China by Guy Delisle (Complete)

15. A book with a subtitle - Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (Complete)

16. A book that's published in 2017 - The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Complete)

17. A book involving a mythical creature - Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

18. A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile - Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

19. A book about food - Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (Complete)

20. A book with career advice - This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson (Complete)

21. A book from a nonhuman perspective - Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Complete)

22. A steampunk novel - The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (Complete)

23. A book with a red spine - The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter (Complete)

24. A book set in the wilderness - A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

25. A book you loved as a child - The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (Complete)

26. A book by an author from a country you've never visited - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Complete)

27. A book with a title that's a character's name - Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Complete)

28. A novel set during wartime - Front Lines by Michael Grant (Complete)

29. A book with an unreliable narrator - The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Complete)

30. A book with pictures - Every Thing on It by Shel Silverstein (Complete)

31. A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you - Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Complete)

32. A book about an interesting woman - Shockaholic by Carrie Fisher (Complete)

33. A book set in two different time periods - Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

34. A book with a month or day of the week in the title - Thursday Night Widows by Claudia Piñeiro (Complete)

35. A book set in a hotel - The Dark and Deadly Pool by Joan Lowery Nixon (Complete)

36. A book written by someone you admire - Hag-Seed by Margaret Atwood (Complete)

37. A book that's becoming a movie in 2017 - The Gunslinger by Stephen King (Complete)

38. A book set around a holiday other than Christmas - The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury (Complete)

39. The first book in a series you haven't read before - Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley (Complete)

40. A book you bought on a trip - Demon Road by Derek Landry [Purchased on my trip to England to visit Angie in May 2017 - read on the flight home!] (Complete)

ADVANCED SECTION

1. A book recommended by an author you love: Emma by Jane Austen [Recommended by JK Rowling] (Completed)
2. A bestseller from 2016: Heartless by Marissa Meyer (Completed)
3. A book with a family member term in the title: Rebecca's Daughters by Dylan Thomas (Completed)
4. A book that takes place over a character's lifespan: Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Completed)
5. A book about an immigrant or refugee: Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi (Complete)
6. A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of: Crank by Ellen Hopkins [verse novel] (Complete) 
7. A book with an eccentric character: MASH: A Novel About Three Army Doctors by Richard Hooker (Completed)
8. A book that's more than 800 pages: Inheritance by Christopher Paolini [849 pages] (Complete)
9. A book you got from a used book sale: Bad Move by Linwood Barclay (Completed)
10. A book that's been mentioned in another book: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander & JK Rowling (Completed)
11. A book about a difficult topic: Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy DeLisle [Conflict in Jerusalem/Israel] (Completed)

12. A book based on mythology: The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood [Greek Mythology] (Completed) 

BOOK RIOT READ HARDER 2017 CHALLENGE

24 / 24 (100.0%) Completed Nov 7, 2017

1. Read a book about sports: Double Play by Robert B. Parker (Complete)

2. Read a debut novel: The Gun Seller by Hugh Laurie (Complete)

3. Read a book about books: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (Complete)

4. Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author: Thursday Night Widows by Claudia Piñeiro [set in Argentina, author from Argentina] (Complete)

5. Read a book by an immigrant or with a central immigration narrative: Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return by Marjane Satrapi (Complete)

6. Read an all-ages comic: Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy by Noelle Stevenson (Complete)

7. Read a book published between 1900 and 1950: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis [published October 1950] (Complete)

8. Read a travel memoir: Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China by Guy Delisle (Complete)

9. Read a book you’ve read before: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (Complete)

10. Read a book that is set within 100 miles of your location: Scott Pilgrim, Volume 1: Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O'Malley [set in Toronto] (Complete)

11. Read a book that is set more than 5000 miles from your location: Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld [set in Istanbul, Turkey - 5,148 mi away from my location] (Complete)

12. Read a fantasy novel: Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

13. Read a nonfiction book about technology: Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm (Complete)

14. Read a book about war: Front Lines by Michael Grant (Complete)

15. Read a YA or middle-grade novel by an author who identifies as LGBTQ+: The Tree of Seasons by Stephen Gately (Complete)

16. Read a book that has been banned or frequently challenged in your country: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Complete)

17. Read a classic by an author of color: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Complete)

18. Read a superhero comic with a female lead: Faith, Volume 1: Hollywood & Vine by Jody Houser (Complete)

19. Read a book in which a character of color goes on a spiritual journey: Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi (Complete)

20. Read an LGBTQ+ romance novel: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee (Complete)

21. Read a book published by a micropress: Invaders by Chris Banks [published by Anstruther Press] (Complete)

22. Read a collection of stories by a woman: The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter (Complete)

23. Read a collection of poetry in translation on a theme other than love: Tales of a Severed Head by Rachida Madani & Marilyn Hacker [translator] (Complete)

24. Read a book wherein all point-of-view characters are people of color: Black Panther: A Nation Under Our Feet, Book 1 by Ta-Nehisi Coates (Complete)

With the 30% off coupon I got to the Book Riot store for finishing this challenge I bought a fantastic tshirt to wear to work:

2017 WITCHES & WITCHCRAFT READING CHALLENGE

26 / 20 (130.0%) Completed Oct 28, 2017

1. Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling (Complete)

3. Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (Complete)

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling (Complete)

5. Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz (Complete)

6. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Complete)

7. Demon Road by Derek Landry (Complete)

8. Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

9. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Complete)

10. Blood Prophecy by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

11. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Complete)

12. The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter (Complete)

13. The Tree of Seasons by Stephen Gately (Complete)

14. Royal Street by Suzanne Johnson (Complete)

15. Eldest by Christopher Paolini (Complete)

16. Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero (Complete)

17. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis (Complete)

18.  Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (Complete)

19. Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (Complete)

20. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Complete)

BONUS READS

21.  River Road by Suzanne Johnson (Complete)

22. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini  (Complete)

23. Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige (Complete)

24. Wicked Will Rise by Danielle Paige (Complete)

25. Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige (Complete)

26. White Cat by Holly Black (Complete)

MOUNT TBR CHALLENGE

25 / 24 (104.2%) Completed Dec 9, 2017

Rules: No library books. Books must have been owned prior to January 1 2017

Pledged: minimum 24 books

1. Front Lines by Michael Grant (Complete)

2. The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan (Complete)

3. The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross (Complete)

4. The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross (Complete)

5. The Vampire's Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter (Complete)

6. Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

7. Stardust by Neil Gaiman (Complete)

8. The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter (Complete)

9. The Girl with the Windup Heart by Kady Cross (Complete)

10. Blood Prophecy by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

11. Serpent's Kiss by Melissa de la Cruz (Complete)

12. Storm Front by Jim Butcher (Complete)

13. The Death Cure by James Dashner (Complete)

14. Cinder by Marissa Meyer (Complete)

15. The Tree of Seasons by Stephen Gately (Complete)

16. Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld (Complete)

17. Goliath by Scott Westerfeld (Complete)

18. This Book Is Overdue!: How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All by Marilyn Johnson (Complete)

19. Bad Move by Linwood Barclay (Completed)

20. A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab (Complete)

21. River Road by Suzanne Johnson (Complete)

22. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Complete)

23. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini  (Complete)

24.  Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon (Complete)

BONUS READS

25. Under Nameless Stars by Christian Schoon (Complete)

Since I already posted my completed summer reading challenge back in August I don't think you need me to add it here again. I also linked to it when I first mentioned it in this post.

2017 ALPHABET SOUP CHALLENGE

26 / 26 (100.0%) Completed Dec 28, 2017

A. The Ables by Jeremy Scott (Complete)

B.  Betrayals by Kelley Armstrong (Complete)

C. The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford (Complete)

D. The Darkest Torment by Gena Showalter (Complete)

E. Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Complete)

F. Front Lines by Michael Grant (Complete)

G. The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (Complete)

H. Heartless by Marissa Meyer (Complete)

I. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (Complete)

J. Jerusalem: Chronicles from the Holy City by Guy DeLisle (Complete)

K. Kindred by Octavia E. Butler (Complete)

L. The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich (Complete)

M. Mark of the Crown by Jude Watson (Complete)

N. Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (Complete)

O. Out for Blood by Alyxandra Harvey (Complete)

P. The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood (Completed)

Q. The Queen of the Tearling by Erika Johansen (Completed)

R. Rebecca's Daughters by Dylan Thomas (Completed)

S. Stepford Wives by Ira Levin (Completed)

T. Tao of Pooh by Benjamin Hoff (Completed)

U. Under Nameless Stars by Christian Schoon (Complete)

V. The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride by Kristen Painter (Complete)

W. Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (Complete)

X. X by Sue Grafton (Complete)

Y. Yellow Brick War by Danielle Paige (Complete)

Z. Zenn Scarlett by Christian Schoon (Complete)

Last but certainly not least, here's a few graphs: