I'm stealing a Series Challenge idea from Reader's Paradise, a discussion group on Goodreads that has a plethora of Reading challenges that are available to participate in. Using their format, I'm creating my own personal challenge to follow along with.
Finishing up my 2014 reading challenges, I'd been searching the interwebz for more reading challenge ideas and stumbled across this particular one. Since I've got a great many number of series under my belt and I like reading series anyway, I figured this would be another fun one to challenge myself with some tweaks here and there.
Even though the timeframe is from February 2014 onward, I will begin counting books read from September 2014 onwards, just to be fair. Otherwise it won't seem like much of a challenge to me since I've already finished at least three of these challenge categories if we start counting if we start counting from February of this year. And to make the challenge more challenging, I'm thinking of including a specific number of series required for each challenge category and I may even start by listing specific series that I fully intend to finish reading, but never got around to doing so. I will not be counting novellas towards the "# of books left" in the series unless they are longer than 100 pages, but I will be reading them anyway (assuming I can get ahold of them).
Then again, this challenge is for fun anyway, so whatevs.
So starting from September 2014 until February 2016, I will have a little under two years to complete my challenges. These books will, of course, also crossover with other challenges, but I want to make sure that they don't crossover with each other within this large challenge.
The sheer number of proposed books and series included in this series' challenge feels overwhelming, but it is meant to motivate me to read books that have been on my TBR for a long time with few exceptions. It really only serves as a guide and I may or may not switch things up a little as the challenge year progresses into 2016.
I both love and hate reading lists because I read books dependent on my mood and hate to feel like I'm forcing a "required read"; while at the same time, having a list gives me an idea of what I want to read next or what I should read next, and keeps me on track of my goals.
Updated: 9/27/2015
In light of all the In Real Life chaos going on lately, I believe I have no choice but to admit that my previously planned out reading strategy had been a little bit arrogant. While this reading challenge is technically a personal challenge I created for myself, I still try to keep myself restricted to the rules I created for myself. Unfortunately, I have to genuinely admit that I will not be able to finish the challenge by my originally decided date of February 2016--it's just not going to happen.
Because, not only did I tweak this challenge's original goals into my own, thinking I'd make it a little more challenging for myself, but I also added one too many goals, thinking that I'd have enough time to finish everything. So at this point, I'm going to give myself some leeway to finish the rest of these challenge goals and extend the deadline to exactly 2 years from when I started into this challenge. That will give me exactly one more year to complete all my challenge goals.
If, by then, I cannot complete this challenge, then I will admit defeat. Otherwise, I suppose I'll try to continue having fun with it. To be honest, I think I've made pretty good progress with this challenge anyway.
Last updated: 9/25/2015
Original Timeframe: February 15, 2014 to February 15, 2016
(This Challenge officially began for me in September 2014)
Updated Timeframe (as of 9/27/2015): September 1, 2014 to September 1, 2016
Tentative Number of Books TBR: ~159
Tentative Number of Proposed Series to be Completed: 37
Number of Books Read: 107
Number of Series Completed: 15
The Challenge:
Challenge #1: -- COMPLETED 10/25/2015
Complete a series in which you only have one book left to read.
My Goal: Finish 5 series. Tentatively pre-chosen.
Five Hundred Kingdoms by Mercedes Lackey -- Completed 10/10/2014
1. The Fairy Godmother -- Read in 2012
2. One Good Knight -- Read in 2012
3. Fortune's Fool -- Read in 2013
4. The Snow Queen -- Read in 2013
5. The Sleeping Beauty -- Read in 2013
5.5. A Tangled Web -- Read in 2013
The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken -- Completed 11/29/2014
1. The Darkest Minds -- Read in 2013
2. Never Fade -- Read in 2013
1.5. In Time -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
2.5. Sparks Rise -- 10/1/2014
Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien -- Completed 6/11/2015
1. Birthmarked -- Read in 2011
2. Prized -- Read in 2012
Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson -- Completed 8/23/2015
1. Ultraviolet -- Read in 2013
Storybound by Marissa Burt -- Completed 10/25/2015
1. Storybound -- Read in 2012
Challenge #2:
Complete a series in which you only have two books left to read.
My Goal: Finish 5 series. Tentatively pre-chosen.
The Arkwell Academy by Mindee Arnett
1. The Nightmare Affair -- Read in 2013
3. The Nightmare Charade
The Elemental Trilogy by Sherry Thomas
1. The Burning Sky -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
3. The Immortal Heights
Splintered by A.G. Howard
1. Splintered -- Read in 2013
2. Unhinged
3. Ensnared
1.5. The Moth in the Mirror
Soul Eater by Eliza Crewe
1. Cracked -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
2. Crushed
3. Crossed
The Lotus Wars by Jay Kristoff
1. Stormdancer -- Read in 2013
2. Kinslayer
3. Endsinger
0.5. Praying For Rain
0.6. The Last Stormdancer
1.5. The Little Stormdancer -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept)
Challenge #3:
Complete a series in which you have more than 10 books left to read.
My Goal: Finish the following pre-chosen series.
Bishop/Special Crimes Unit by Kay Hooper
1. Stealing Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
2. Hiding in the Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
3. Out of the Shadows -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
16. Fear the Dark
Challenge #4:
Complete a series in which you have more than 5 books left to read.
My Goal: Finish the following pre-chosen series.
Haruhi Suzumiya by Tanigawa Nagaru
1. The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2012
2. The Sigh of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2013
3. The Boredom of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
4. The Disappearance of Haruhi Suzumiya -- Read in 2014 (pre-Sept.)
6. The Wavering of Haruhi Suzumiya
7. The Intrigues of Haruhi Suzumiya
8. The Indignation of Haruhi Suzumiya
9. The Disassociation of Haruhi Suzumiya
10. The Surprise of Haruhi Suzumiya (combined books 10 and 11)
Challenge #5:
Pick a completely new series and read all the books in that series.
My Goal: Finish 10 series. Tentatively pre-chosen.
Stillwater Trilogy by Brenda Novak -- (1) Completed 10/5/2014
Walker Brothers by Leslie Kelly -- Series Review -- (2) Completed 10/13/2014
1. She Drives Me Crazy -- 10/12/2014
2. She's Got the Look -- 10/13/2014
The Last Stand by Brenda Novak -- (3) Completed 11/3/2014
Storm Front by Sharon Sala -- (4) Completed 12/3/2014
1. Blown Away -- 11/16/2014
2. Torn Apart -- 11/26/2014
3. Swept Aside -- 12/3/2014
Shadowfell by Juliet Marillier -- (5) Completed 2/27/2015
Deadly by Cynthia Eden -- (6) Completed 4/21/2015
Dept 6 Hired Guns by Brenda Novak -- (7) Completed 5/27/2015
1. White Heat -- 4/27/2015
2. Body Heat -- 5/25/2015
3. Killer Heat -- 5/27/2015
His Fair Assassin by Robin LaFevers
1. Grave Mercy -- 11/21/2014 -- Review to come
2. Dark Triumph
3. Mortal heart
-- Unchosen series --
-- Unchosen series --
Challenge #6:
Create your own series challenge.
My Goal: Finish the following 5 series challenges listed.
#1) -- Read 5 Romantic Suspense series. --
Savannah by Lisa Jackson -- Completed 10/29/2014
Black Ops, Inc. by Cindy Gerard -- Completed 1/27/2015
7.5. Dying to Score -- 1/28/2015
Doucet by Tami Hoag
4. A Thin Dark Line
For Me by Cynthia Eden
1. Die For Me: A Novel of the Valentine Killer -- 6/7/2015
2. Fear For Me: A Novel of the Bayou Butcher
3. Scream For Me: A Novel of the Night Hunter
Mann Family by Kate Brady
1. Where Angels Rest
2. Where Evil Waits
#2) -- Start/Continue/Finish Any 5 YA series. --
Legend by Marie Lu -- Completed 5/6/2015
0.5. Life Before Legend -- 4/14/2015
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
1. The Raven Boys -- Read in 2013
2. The Dream Thieves -- Read in 2013
4. The Raven King -- Publication 2/23/2016
Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer
1. Cinder -- Read in 2013
4. Winter -- Publication 11/10/2015
0.5. Glitches -- 10/31/2014
1.5. The Queen's Army -- 10/31/2014
3.6. The Princess and the Guard
Skylark by Meagan Spooner
1. Skylark
2. Shadowlark
3. Lark Ascending
The Ward by Jordana Frankel
1. The Ward
2. The Isle -- Publication 1/19/2016
#3) -- Read 10 1sts each for 2014/2015 series. --
2014 1sts -- Completed 8/25/2015
3. The Young Elites (The Young Elites) by Marie Lu -- 11/17/2014
5. A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird) by Claudia Gray -- 12/7/2014
9. The Vault of Dreamers (The Vault of Dreamers) by Caragh M. O'Brien -- 3/31/2015
2015 1sts
4. Magonia (Magonia) by Maria Dahvana Headley -- 7/21/2015
6. Ink and Bone (The Great Library) by Rachel Caine
7.
8. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files) by Amie Kaufman, Jay Kristoff
9. Walk on Earth a Stranger (Gold Seer Saga) by Rae Carson
10.
#4) -- Start/Continue/Finish Any 5 series. --
FBI/US Attorney by Julie James
1. Something About You -- Read in 2013
2. A Lot Like Love -- Read in 2013
3. About That Night -- Read in 2013
Nikki Heat by Richard Castle
6. Raging Heat
7. Driving Heat
Tracers by Laura Griffin
9. Shadow Fall
10. Deep Dark -- Publication 4/19/2016
2.5. Unstoppable -- 3/27/2015
KGI by Maya Banks
8. After the Storm
9. When Day Breaks
10. Darkest Before Dawn
11. Untitled book -- Publication in 2017 -- N/A for this challenge
5.5. Softly at Sunrise -- 7/12/2015
One-Eyed Jacks by Cindy Gerard
2. The Way Home
3. Running Blind
4. Taking Fire -- Publication 2/23/2016
#5) -- Read 10 1sts for Any series. -- COMPLETED 9/23/2015
2. Enchanted (The Woodcutter Sisters) by Alethea Kontis -- 1/4/2015
4. A Question of Honor (Morgan's Mercenaries) by Lindsay McKenna -- 4/13/2015
Whew!
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