We’re in the home stretch on reading challenges, so here’s an update on where I am. I still have a lot to read in three months, but I would like to close these out. If you’re working on any of these challenges, I’d love to hear what you have left or what you’re struggling with. Two of these challenges have Goodreads groups if you’re looking for ideas.
The 52 Book Club
The 52 Book Club asks you to complete 52 prompts, one for each week of the year.
- Book set in fall that is not contemporary fiction, historical fiction or romance. For fall, I’m going to read Ray Bradbury’s The Halloween Tree.
- A prequel: I’m reading Alice Hoffman’s Magic Lessons, a prequel to Practical Magic.
- Told in verse: I plan to read Laurie Halse Anderson’s Shout
- An author who releases more than one book a year: something by T. Kingfisher. I love her but I can’t keep up with her releases.
- Breaks the fourth wall: I’m going to re-read The Princess and the Goblin
- Related to the word “Puzzle”: I’m planning to read The Bletchley Riddle by Rita Sepetys.
The Jewish Genre Reading Challenge
For this challenge, I have three more categories to read:
- Read a book set in Israel: To the End of the Land by David Grossman
- Read a book featuring Jewish foods I’ve never tasted: This is a hard one for me. Most books about Jews feature things like latkes or babka and rugelach, all things I’ve had. I haven’t found a book that features food I haven’t had, though I’m going to look at some cookbooks. A few ideas I got from the group on Goodreads are The 100 Most Jewish Foods: A Highly Debatable List and Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table.
- Read a book featuring a main character from a place I’ve never been: I’m looking at Songs for the Brokenhearted by Ayelet Tsabari or Unholy Land by Lavie Tidhar
The Nonfiction Reading Challenge
I’ve read a lot of great nonfiction this year, but I still find myself with four categories outstanding (out of 12, so not so good).
- Science: I’m planning to read To Boldly Go Where No Book Has Gone Before by Luke O’Neill, recommended by It’s Only Words Web
- Travel: I’m going to read The Best American Food and Travel Writing 2024
- Islands: I’m reading The Outrun by Amy Liptrot
- Myth, Legend and Folklore: I’m planning to read Pandora’s Jar by Natalie Haynes
If you want to see the books I’ve already read for these challenges, you can find them here. Are you working on any of these challenges, and if so, how are you coming along?
