A Century of Books Challenge

I was really excited to hear about the A Century of Books challenge on The Readers podcast. What an interesting idea. Basically you read 100 books one for each year. This is right up my alley. I figure it will take me a few years to complete the challenge but I am excited to do this. It will give me a chance to read books from different eras. I have decided to do the 100 books starting in 1915. I looked on Goodreads and wow there are so many good books from that year. I am excited to get started. I am just going to keep track of the books I read in this blog entry. I may every once in a while do a separate blog entry to update on books read or do some book reviews on the books I have read. Let me know in the comments what your favorite book is from each decade!

1915

1916

1917

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1927

1928

1929

1930

1931

1932

1933

1934

1935

1936

1937

1938

1939

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945-- Heaven to Betsy by Maud Hart Lovelace

1946

1947

1948

1949-- Practically Seventeen by Rosamond du Jardin

1950

1951--The Mystery of the Fire Dragon by Carolyn Keene

1952

1953

1954

1955-- Beezus & Ramona by Beverly Cleary

1956-- Fifteen by Beverly Cleary

1957

1958

1959

1960

1961

1962

1963

1964

1965

1966

1967

1968-- Ramona The Pest by Beverly Cleary

1969

1970

1972

1973

1974

1975

1976-- Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice

1977

1978

1979

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984-- Cold Sassy Tree by Olive Ann Burns

1985

1986

1987

1988-- Debbie: My Life by Debbie Reynolds

1989

1990

1991

1992 -- Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

1993-- The Vicious Vet by M.C. Beaton

1994-- Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener by M.C. Beaton

1995--Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton

1996--Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage

1997-- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J. K. Rowling

1998--The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

1999-- Death Du Jour by Kathy Reichs

2000

2001--The Piano Shop on the Left Bank by Thad Carhart

2002

2003

2004-- The Deadly Dance by M.C. Beaton

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009-- Love Letters by Katie Fforde

2010

2011-- Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

2012-- Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

2013-- Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

2014-- Land of Love and Drowning by Tiphanie Yanique

2015--

2014 Wrap Up!

I love books and reading. There is nothing better than getting lost in a good book. No matter what is going on in your life you can always get distracted or cheer up with a book. 2014 has been a wonderful year for me in many ways but especially since I had a wonderful reading year.
I read 205 books in 2014 with a total of 68,442 pages. Technically not all of them were actually read but a lot were audiobooks so listened to. I am happiest with the fact that 152 of the books were library books. My goal was to check out more books from the library and not spend so much money on books. I also completed  a few challenges this year.

What's In A Name 7
I just finished this challenge today on the last day of the year! I read The Longest Winter: The Battle of the Bulge and the Epic Story of World War II's Most Decorated Platoon by Alex Kershaw to complete the a reference to time category. You can read about the other categories read in this post. Honestly this is a challenge I usually forget about and it just happens that I read books that fit into the categories. Hopefully next year I can purposely complete this challenge.

Thankful Reading
I had so much fun thankful reading this year. You can read all about it in here, here, here, here and here. I ended up completing five books and reading parts of two more for this challenge.

Empty Shelf Challenge
Jon Acuff challenged his followers to read more books in 2014. I will have to say this was the push I had to read more books than I have in the last few years. I have always been a huge reader but starting and owning my own business for the last few years had put reading on the back burner. I completed 211 books for this challenge as it started a little before the new year. I wasn't great about posting every book to the Empty Shelf Challenge Pinterest board but I tracked them all in Goodreads. Another great thing was discovering so many new books through the Pinterest board from what others were reading.

2015 Challenges
As of right now the challenges I am planning on participating in are
What's In a Name
2015 Mount TBR  (Pike Peak's Level-12 books)
Thankful Reading in November (of course).

Edited to add:
I have decided to do two more challenges in 2015: 26 Books and A Century Of Books.

It has been a wonderful 2014. Happy New Year and here's to a wonderful 2015! Thanks for reading!

Susan

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Wrap Up Post

Well it was another fun Thankfully Reading Weekend. I wish I could have participated more the last two days. But family and sick pets take precedence over reading. Shocking I know!
I ended up reading five books in total and parts of two other books. Out of those there was one Nook book, two audiobooks, four print books and one library book. I read 1,844 pages.
I would say it was successful. I read books that have been on my physical TBR pile for awhile. I enjoyed everything I read. I do wish I could have participated more in the challenges and on Twitter but I just ran out of time. I am already looking forward to next year!

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Sunday

8:30 pm

It has been another crazy day. So much for a relaxing weekend of reading. But I had a wonderful day with my family. I spent this morning with my sister and then the rest of the day at my Grandmothers house. I had a photo shoot with my baby cousin and then helped my sisters decorate Grandmas Christmas tree.

It was definitely a fun day. But then we ended up getting stopped in terrible traffic on the way back so I just got home. I am 186 pages into Frostbite and it is really getting good. Finally some action is happening. I also started a new audiobook The Wonderful Bed by Gertude Knevels. It is a children's adventure book that reminds me a little of Narnia except they are accessing a secret world through a bed and not a wardrobe. I have to prepare for a photo shoot tomorrow so hopefully I can get more reading done after I finish that. I will check in later. 

10:20 pm

I finished Frostbite. I was a little disappointed that most of the book just led up to one big scene and that was pretty much it. I did enjoy the new characters and fleshing out the main characters more. I don't think this series is a trilogy which makes it a little more palatable to have a slower book. I will still read the next one but won't jump to grab it.

I am 150 pages in to Deja Dead. This book is a little slower for me to get into because the subject matter is pretty grisly and I don't want to read it at night. So far I am not really getting sucked into the story or writing style. I will keep reading it after this weekend and hopefully it will pick up.

I will try to do a Thankfully Reading wrap up post this week. It has been a great weekend and I am really sad it is over. Don't forget to check me out on Twitter and Goodreads! 

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Saturday

2 pm

I managed to get some good reading in today despite the hours I have spent at the vet. My poor little kitty has been sick for over a week and not getting better. She was very unhappy at the vet today. She was literally climbing the walls. She is sleeping now so hopefully she will feel better soon.

I am about half way through Frostbite. It's a little slower than the first Vampire Academy book and a little annoying how she has three guys falling all over her. But I do love that they are in a ski lodge. I love any books written about people at ski lodges. I wish I was at one now in front of a big roaring fire. I haven't read any of Deja Dead today so I probably won't be finishing that one this weekend. I am on the last chapter of The Racketeer so I am trying to find another audiobook to read after that one. I am headed out on the road in a couple of hours so probably won't get any more reading done except by audiobook this weekend. 

11:30 pm

Just got back from an amazing Butch Walker concert. It was SO good. In my opinion he is one of the most talented singer/songwriters in music today. He went back to his hometown and had the show at the local theatre. The music was wonderful and it was just a perfect evening!

I finished The Racketeer. It was really good and I really didn't see the end coming. 

I am about halfway done with Frostbite. I will probably finish it tomorrow. I am headed to bed now but I can't wait to check in with everyone and see what you have been reading. 
Don't forget to check me out on Twitter and Goodreads! 

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Friday

Jenn asked us what book we are most thankful for this year. I would have to say that is To Kill a Mockingbird. I actually read it for the first time in July. I can't believe I have never read it before. Sometimes there are these books that are so hyped up that they end up disappointing you. This book did not. It was a wonderful, beautifully crafted story. It brought forth so many emotions. It was a beautiful book.

9 pm

Well today has pretty much been a bust reading wise between sick animals and other distractions. I did finish Cinder. I definitely enjoyed it. I really want to read the next one in the series.

I just have a few chapters left in The Racketeer audiobook. The one thing I don't like about audiobooks is that it is hard to go back and figure out who people are if you forget the names of characters. 

I started DeJa Dead by Kathy Reichs this afternoon. It is the first Temperance Brennan book. I love her YA adult series The Virals. This book has started out good but it is pretty graphic so I may have to switch to something else for night time reading. I have been known to have nightmares after reading scary/graphic/bloody books at night.

I just edited my Thanksgiving phtoos and put on Facebook. I know my family hates that I take so many photos at family celebrations but I think it is really important to document our time together. It is rarer than ever these days to all be in the same house. I got some good group photos this year. I know what everyone is getting for Christmas!

11 pm

Decided to take a break from the grisly Deja Dead and start Frostbite by Richelle Mead. And there is a massacre in the first 20 pages. So not a good choice either! I am just going to go ahead and expect nightmares tonight. I have had Frostbite on my Nook for a few months now. I love that I am getting a chance to clear off books that I have been neglecting on my TBR pile since I have been reading so many library books.
Don't forget to check me out on Twitter and Goodreads! 

Thankfully Reading Weekend 2014: Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving y'all! What an amazing, fun filled day full of family and food. I ate way too much and laughed so much. It has been a busy and crazy day but so fun! I love my family and Thanksgiving really is one of my favorite holidays. This is just part of our amazing spread!

As far as reading goes I haven't been able to do much. I read a little of Cinder this morning and more tonight. I am really getting into this book. It feels a little different from a lot of books I have read lately and I am looking forward to seeing how it develops. I also love a good alternative twist to an old fairy tale. I have had lots of driving/cooking time to listen to the audiobook The Racketeer. I am definitely loving this book. I am already trying to predict the MCs next move and where this book is going and so far I haven't been able to figure it out. I can't wait to see what happens with this one. 

I am pretty tired from this day (food coma) so I think I will call it a night soon. But I am looking forward to tomorrow which will hopefully be a read all day kind of day. What books have you been enjoying on this Thanksgiving Day? 

Don't forget to check me out on Twitter and Goodreads!