2021 Book Challenge December Check-in: Jaelithe

I can’t believe it’s already December.

Okay, sticklers, I know I’m posting this on Nov 30th. But turkey has already been eaten, and holiday decorations are popping up everywhere. And while I’ll enjoy the heck out of my last day of November, I can’t help but feel the year is almost over.

And, as in my mid-year book challenge check-in post, I still have no idea how the year continues to fly by so quickly!

As of November 30th, I’ve completed 210 out of my revised 200-book Goodreads goal. But, as you know, Amy, Aubrie, & I made our 2021 Book Challenge list obscure on purpose to try to stretch our reading this year. I just have two list items left for the last month of the year (for the ones I’d already completed mid-year, I have just left the title and author here; if you want my full description of how I chose those you can pop over to the original mid-year check-in post):

1) Lights, Camera, Action: Read a book that was made into a movie DONE

I just finished Don’t Point That Thing at Me (Charlie Mortdecai #1), the first book of a series that was made into a movie called Mortdecai starring Johnnie Depp. It’s about an art thief who gets into lots of trouble, and is supposed to be in the style of Wodehouse (think Wooster & Jeeves, but darker). I have never seen the movie and so can’t compare, but other Goodreads reviews suggest the movie is somewhat different from the book. This is fine, as the book was only okay, but I feel like critics also didn’t like the movie, so do with it what you will.

2) Blast from the past: Read something written before you were born DONE

Midwinter Murder short story collection by Agatha Christie (and my review of it)

3) Shelf control: Finally get to a book you’ve had on your bookshelf, unread, the longest DONE

Tiger Queen by Annie Sullivan (NO relation to the Tiger King documentary series).

4) Get ‘er done!: Finish a series DONE

The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold (and my review of them).

5) Be the change: Read a non-fiction book about social justice NOT Done

I haven’t been actively avoiding this one. And it’s not like I don’t read non-fiction because I’ve read quite a few non-fiction books this year, mostly about health. And so, as I’m writing this, I have downloaded two books to my device so that I don’t accidentally get to the end of the year without completing this one.

6) A is for Apple: Read a book whose title starts with the first letter of your name DONE

Jo & Laurie by Margaret Stohl & Melissa De La Cruz (a reimagined Little Women story, and Aubrie’s review of it).

7) Man’s best friend(s): Check out a book that involves animals of some kind DONE

I’m going to count Six Crimson Cranes by Elizabeth Lim for this one. It has animals in the title, and because the MC’s brothers are turned into cranes early on, animals are a big part of the book. This book also happens to have a dragon, but I’m using it in this category as I feel like it will be easy to find another dragon book by the end of the year.

8) This one, too: Pick a book you’ve never read by an author you already like DONE

The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley.

9) Spread your wings: Get a book with a dragon NOT Done

For this one, I’m thinking it’s time to continue with Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series — basically the Napoleonic wars but with dragons as an ‘air force.’ The first one was really good, and I imagine I’ll love the second as well.

10) Open your mind: Read a book about someone who has a different background from you DONE

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali.

11) Visit the past: Read a book considered to be a “classic” that you’ve always meant to read but never have DONE

I ended up reading Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I thought it was going to be a re-read, but a few chapters in I realized I must have DNFed it the first time because I only remembered the part with the sheep and had no idea what would happen from that point forward.

12) Judge a book by its cover: Pick a book with a beautiful cover without knowing what the story is about DONE

The Lady Rogue by Jenn Bennett.

 

Looks like I’ve got 2 categories still to go before the end of the year.

How about you? Are you taking our reading challenge this year? Let us know in the comments which books you’ve read that fit the categories, and share some recommendations!