TV Tuesday: Home Before Dark

When I finally joined the 21st century and got a smartphone last summer, an iPhone, a free year of Apple TV came with it. I had wanted to see The Morning Show, the Jennifer Aniston/Reese Witherspoon drama (review of that one later), so I accepted the offer. Now, we are exploring additional offerings on Apple TV before our free year runs out. Our favorite so far is Home Before Dark, a classic murder mystery/suspense show ... except that the "detective" is a 9-year-old girl.

Hilde Lisko, played by Brooklynn Prince, isn't too happy about her family's recent move from urban Brooklyn to a small town in Washington state where her Dad grew up. Her father, Matt, played by Jim Sturgess, isn't too happy about it, either, but there are hints that he lost his journalism job over some sort of scandal. He and his wife, Bridget (played by Abby Miller), and their three daughters try to adjust to small town life while getting reacquainted with Matt's dad, played by Reed Birney, who has dementia. Oddly, no one in Matt's home town seems particularly glad to see him again. Hilde wants to be a journalist just like her dad and wrote her own newspaper back in Brooklyn, so she starts up again here in remote Washington. After an unexpected death soon after they arrive, Hilde quickly finds out why her dad is not being welcomed back. Decades earlier, her father's best friend, Richie, was kidnapped and never found. Police arrested a young Native American man named Sam, played by Michael Greyeyes, and convicted him, but Matt--just a child about Hilde's age--testified at the trial that he was not the man in the van who took Richie. Now, Matt is back, with his determined young daughter, this latest death has a link to those old events, and the cold case is again dividing the town. Hilde and her friends bike, scooter, and walk all over town to try to solve both the recent death and the decades-old case, despite pushback from the police who insist the right man is in prison.

This show has all the features of any good mystery/suspense/thriller show with a murder at its center, but the young girl leading the investigation makes it something special. You might think that a little girl investigator would be too cutesy, but young Brooklyn Prince does an outstanding job in the role, with a fierce determination for justice that would put most adult detectives to shame. The story is actually based in truth, on real-life 9-year-old journalist Hilde Lysiak who really did solve a murder in her town. So, it's not as far-fetched as you might think. The other children and the adult actors are also excellent in their roles, as you struggle to figure out who are the good guys and who are the bad guys. The mystery itself is complex and twisty, with plenty of unexpected reveals and red herrings. Best of all, the show has emotional depth and a sense of humor, which we always appreciate, especially in a show that might otherwise be too dark. My husband and I both enjoyed this show very much. We usually juggle 6-8 shows at once, but we kept coming back to this one and were sorry when it ended. Luckily, season one ended with an unexpected twist, so we can't wait for season two!

Home Before Dark is an Apple TV show, so it is available exclusively on that streaming service (which is free for one year for anyone who buys an Apple device).

Movie Monday: The Peanut Butter Falcon

In order for me to stay up until midnight on New Year's Eve, I need plenty of diversion, so we watched two movies that night. Though they were both good, one of them, The Peanut Butter Falcon, left us with huge grins on our faces. It would have definitely made my Best of 2020 list, if I had been able to review it sooner, so I guess it will be my first favorite of 2021!

Zak, played by Zack Gottsagen, is a 23-year-old man with Down's Syndrome who is living in a nursing home with the elderly and infirm. It is definitely not where Zak belongs, but he has no family, and this is where he ended up. So, his elderly roommate is more than happy to help him break out one night, greased up to slide through the bars on the window. Now dressed in nothing but his underwear, Zak takes off running. He soon encounters Tyler, played by Shia LeBeouf, who is also on the run for entirely different reasons and has been struggling emotionally since the loss of his brother. The two of them end up teaming up and heading south, through the marshes of the North Carolina coast on land and sea, to follow Zak's dream of becoming a professional wrestler. They are heading to meet the Salt Water Redneck, played by Thomas Haden Church, who is Zak's idol from the very old VHS tapes he has watched hundreds of times. Meanwhile, back at the nursing home, a supervisor named Eleanor, played by Dakota Johnson, is being held responsible for Zak's escape and is sent out to find him. She does catch up with Zak and Tyler, but convincing Zak to return to the quiet home after his exciting life on the road is not going to be easy.

We both loved this original, heartwarming movie about friendship, family, and healing. It's an outstanding cast, including Zachary Gottsagen in his first movie role, and the writing is excellent. We were frequently laughing out loud while watching their carefree, full-of-life journey, but there was also suspense to keep us on our toes. Mostly, though, this film is full of heart, examining the depth of love and what it means to be family. It will leave you with happy tears in your eyes and a huge smile on your face!

Released in 2019 by Roadside Attractions, The Peanut Butter Falcon is currently available on Hulu and on Amazon Prime.

I guarantee this trailer will make you smile!

It's Monday 1/18! What Are You Reading?

Whew, super-busy here last week! We celebrated our youngest son's 23rd birthday, and his older brother (and his girlfriend) came home for the occasion. We had a lovely socially-distanced celebration, with his favorite take-out, a homemade banana cake (both sons request it for every birthday!), and a pile of gifts. We were all happy to be together. 

Socially-distanced birthday celebration (other son and GF in kitchen!)

 

The very next day, though, our older son's mild symptoms turned into full-blown strep throat. He was in terrible shape, shaking with fever and his throat so sore he could barely swallow water. We were all glad we'd worn masks and kept our distance the night before! He and I are extra-susceptible to bacterial infections because of our immune disorder, so we knew it was strep. Thankfully, our doctor responded quickly and got him on antibiotics; 24 hours later, he was feeling much better. So, it wasn't quite the fun week at home he'd planned on, but at least he was comfortable, and I could take care of him.

So, the first half of my week was all birthday prep, and the second half was calling the doctor, running to the drugstore, cooking a lot, and trying to find something he could swallow (I made pudding, applesauce, and smoothies!). By Saturday, he felt great, and they left on Sunday afternoon.

Like I said, busy week! I did manage to fit in two of my 2020 wrap-up posts on Monday and Friday (movies and TV), and of course, we all make time for books! Our son visited two local bookstores while he was home. Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I am still working my way through a nonfiction self-help book, Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. I heard about this book (a 2018 release) from my friend, Chris Wolak, on one of my favorite book podcasts, Book Cougars, that she hosts with Emily Fine. I felt like I needed some new inspiration this year, as last year a lot of important things just didn't get done in my life. These two former Google employees share what they've learned about focusing on priorities to get the most important things done, which is just what I need right now! I am already using one of their tips: to set a focus or Highlight for each day. You may do lots of things in a day, but this concept means setting a priority for one thing that will be your primary focus for that day. The book is written in a fun, casual style (and illustrated with cartoons), and I'm enjoying it so far ... and getting inspired. My new year is off to a good start. Thanks, Chris!

If I were to read a book about getting things done before bedtime, I would never get any sleep, so at night, I made my way through a book of short stories, Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson, which I just finished. I started this collection in April last year! As you can see, dipping in and out of a collection just doesn't work well for me. Instead, last week I read one short story each night, and I enjoyed them far more that way. I also noticed subtle links between some of the stories once I started reading them together. All of the stories are set in the real world but often with a slight fantastical twist, though some are entirely real-world and some have a heavy dose of fantasy. Sometimes, the twist comes unexpectedly at the end and sometimes, you know all along something bizarre is going on, like in the story Evil Doppelganger. Atkinson is a wonderful storyteller (her novel Life After Life is one of my all-time favorites), and she has a great sense of humor, so I very much enjoyed her imaginative short stories.

Now, I have started my next book group selection, Beartown by Fredrik Backman. I've only just begun this novel, but it's set in a remote small town in Sweden. The town is surrounded by forest, and youth hockey is at the heart of the town. In fact, it is failing economically, and most people see hockey as their way back to a thriving town. Decades ago, Peter Andersson led the town's junior hockey team to the national championship and then headed off to Canada to play in the NHL. Now, Peter is back and in charge of the hockey program in Beartown, and a new young star named Kevin seems to have the same kind of talent that Peter did back in the day. The junior team is headed for the national semi-finals, and they have a shot at winning. But the whole town is counting on them, and that means a lot of pressure on this group of teen boys. The novel opens with a brief and mysterious passage about a teenager shooting someone else, so there is quite a bit of tension in knowing that violent act is coming. It's good so far, and I enjoyed Backman's A Man Called Ove.

On audio, I started the new year with a middle-grade novel I have been wanting to read, A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor. I loved her novel Waiting for Normal so much that I almost drove off the road laughing and sobbing and reaching for the box of Kleenex while listening to it! In this novel, thirteen-year-old Lydia has just lost her mother to a heart condition. She moves to Connecticut to live with her mother's sister, her Aunt Brat, and her wife, Eileen. The two women also have a dog and soon add another. There is a lot for Lydia to adjust to: a new home in a new, rural town in a new state, new school, new friends, and of course, the loss of her mother with whom she was very close. As always, Connor writes beautifully about loss and love and ordinary life with warmth and humor. I'm enjoying it very much so far.

My husband, Ken, finished one of his many bookish Christmas gifts, Body Broker by Daniel M. Ford, book one in the Jack Dixon series.When I called my local indie bookstore to order books for my family for Christmas, the bookseller who answered the phone happened to be the one who runs their Mystery Lovers' Book Club. She and I always enjoy trading book recommendations, and I had a typically fun conversation with her. She told me the book club had just read this one and based on what my husband likes, she thought he'd enjoy it. This is the great thing about indie bookstores! In this series, Jack Dixon is a high school dropout, ex-cop, and ex-cook who lives in a houseboat and works as a PI. In this first book, he investigates the disappearance of a teen from a local elite boarding school. My husband was surprised to find that much of the action takes place right here in northern Delaware where we live, so he enjoyed all the local references as well as the fast-paced plot.

Now, my husband has moved onto another Christmas gift and his most-anticipated one: The Sentinel by Lee Child and Andrew Child (Lee's brother). This is Ken's favorite author and all-time favorite series, and each year, he looks forward to reading the next book (which conveniently is always released before Christmas). This book is #25 in the Jack Reacher series. It takes place in Tennessee, where Reacher encounters a nerdy IT guy being beat up and intervenes. He discovers the man has been accused of a cyber attack on the town, but he says he is innocent. Reacher decides to find out what really happened. Ken says he is noticing a slight difference with the addition of the co-author, though he is still enjoying the novel.

Our son, 26, finally had time to finish Age of Swords, book two of The Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan, one of his favorite series, while he was sick last week. We gave him this one for his birthday this summer. He loves this author, and is enjoying this series very much. He also loves The Riyyria Chronicles series by that same author. A fellow book blogger, Beth Fish Reads, told me about these series and this author originally, so thanks to her. 

In addition to his stops at two local bookstores last week, our son also got a nice stack of new fantasy novels for Christmas, so he has plenty to choose from! Before he left yesterday, he told me he was planning to read Shadowblack by Sebastien de Castell, book 2 in the Spellslinger series, next. First, though, he plans to re-read book 1, Spellslinger, even though he just read it last summer when we gave it to him for his birthday! He always does that and will reread an entire series before reading the latest. He's a super-fast reader, so it works for him, and he enjoys having the previous book fresh in his mind when he starts the next one. And I love finding series that he loves so much he wants to re-read them!

Blog posts from last week:

Favorite Movies Watched in 2020 - my annual round-up of great movies

Favorite TV Shows of 2020 - my picks for best TV shows on a variety of platforms

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

 

Favorite TV Shows of 2020

It's time for my annual TV wrap-up. 2020 was an unusual year for TV for us, since we usually watch mostly cable shows, but so many of those were interrupted by the pandemic. That led us to explore streaming services more.

Listed down at the bottom of this post are all of the shows that I reviewed here on my blog in 2020. TV shows here include those on network TV, cable, and On Demand, as well as on the major streaming services (and many shows are available on network websites, too). I have also added all of these to my TV Reviews tab on the blog, so you can come back anytime to see ALL of the shows I have ever reviewed here. 

I only review shows I enjoy, so anything listed here or on the TV Reviews tab is worth trying!

Best of TV
First a few superlatives - my favorite shows reviewed last year in each category/genre - always tough choices to make because TV shows are just getting better and better (and more and more!). Some of these I almost made two-way or three-way ties, but I stuck to the rules. Remember that we enjoyed all of the shows reviewed - see the full list at the bottom of the post. Links are to my reviews, including trailers and details on where to find each show.

 Best Comedy
The Good Place (A, C, N, P)

We finally tried it ... and everyone was right!

 

Best Drama

The Queen's Gambit (N)  

My husband's vote is Yellowstone (A, C, P, Paramount) - a close second for me - though he loved Queen's Gambit also.

 

Best Dramedy

 Atypical (N)

Outstanding in every way - can't wait for season 4 in 2021!

 

Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Legal/Action

 Lie to Me (A, IMdB)

(a tough call - lots of good shows - but we like the mysteries plus humor)

 

Best Sci Fi

Russian Doll (N)  

(don't be put off by the sci fi label - hilarious Groundhog Day-like show!)

All TV Shows Reviewed in 2020

So much good TV last year, though it's depressing how many great new shows we enjoyed have already been cancelled! That's the flip side of having so many choices.

KEY: Available on:

A = Amazon Prime

C = Cable and/or Cable On Demand

CBS = CBS All Access

H = Hulu

IMdB

N = Netflix

P = Peacock
S = Showtime

(Offerings from subscription services change all the time, so double-check. Also, some shows are available for an additional fee on Amazon Prime whether you subscribe or not. Most networks offer some episodes of every show for free at their own websites. Click the links below for my review and details on where it is available.)

Comedy

The Good Place (A, C, N, P)

Miracle Workers: Dark Ages (A, C)

 

Drama

All Rise (A, C, CBS)

The Good Fight (A, CBS)

The Queen's Gambit (N)

Quiz (A, C, AMC)

Yellowstone (A, C, P, Paramount)

 

Dramedy (both drama and comedy combined)

Atypical (N)

Dash and Lily (N)

Sex Education (N)

Zoe's Extraordinary Playlist (A, C,  H, P)

 

Crime/Mystery/Thriller/Legal/Action

Better Call Saul (C, N, AMC)

Dublin Murders (A, H, Starz)

Lie to Me (A, IMdB)

Lincoln Rhyme: Hunt for the Bone Collector (cancelled but hoping NBC will put it on Peacock)

The Stranger (N)

 

Sci Fi

Russian Doll (N)

Snowpiercer (A, C, TNT)

Star Trek: Picard (CBS)

Favorite Movies Watched in 2020

Notice my title photo for my 2020 movie wrap-up features a television screen instead of a theater screen? Yeah, it was that kind of a year. We watched exactly one movie in a theater before everything shut down, so the rest of our movies were watched on the small screen, at home, and only a few were new releases.

Nonetheless, it was still a good year for movies at our house! 

We watched only 13 movies last year, down from 16 in 2019 and 22 in 2018, as the TV options continue to expand and improve with so many streaming options in addition to cable. Actually, I see from my notes that we watched 19 movies in 2020, but I only reviewed 13 of them. That's a shame because some of those not reviewed, like The Goldfinch and The Town were quite good. You can see the full list of 2020 movie reviews and genres below, with my favorites marked with *, but I only review movies that I like, so all of the movies listed below are worth watching. I didn't see any documentaries (second year in a row!) or musical drama (I did watch but didn't review Hamilton). It was tough to categorize many of the movies, as more and more, movies are blurring the genre lines: funny mysteries, dramas with plenty of humor, action/comedy/romance, etc.

You can see my full list of movie reviews, covering several years at the Movie Reviews tab.

And now, for my top picks (full reviews at the links):

Best Action/Suspense/Thriller

I See You

Unique and super-twisty

(it's a weird movie poster so don't judge it by that)

 

Best Drama

 The Rainmaker

Great courtroom drama with all-star cast based on Grisham novel

Best Comedy & Best Movie of the Year

 Hunt for the Wilderpeople

Warm, funny, action-packed adventure set in New Zealand

Best Sci Fi

The Vast of the Night

Teens in 50's-era town investigate strange noise

Best Family Movie

The Call of the Wild

Disney remake of classic adventure novel about a man and dog

 

All Movies Reviewed in 2020:
My favorites are marked with *, but I only review movies I enjoy, so all of these are worth a try: 

Action/Suspense/Thriller

* I See You

The Lovebirds

Rebecca 

* Serenity

* Transsiberian

* We Own the Night

 

Drama

* The Rainmaker

 

Comedy

* Enola Holmes

* Happiest Season

Holidate

* Hunt for the Wilderpeople

 

Sci Fi

* The Vast of the Night

 

Family & Animated 

The Call of the Wild

It's Monday 1/11! What Are You Reading?

Happy Monday! I started my day today with phone calls to find out where my supplement shipment, sent 12/22, is (lost in the USPS mess) and to our health insurance to find out why they rejected my annual OB/GYN check-up that they've covered for the past 33 years. I still need to call our dental insurance about rejecting our son's preventative visit ... after I called before the visit--twice--to confirm he was still covered. Fun times!

Last week was defined by highs and lows, as has been typical for me lately. I did manage to finish my look back at 2020 and my 2021 planning, with some new approaches in place that I am excited about. I always enjoy the start of a new year, with its fresh start feel. And our son came over Saturday to help us take down the tree and all the other Christmas decorations. It's nice that it's all done and everything is cleaned up, but it makes me kind of sad to put it all away. Our two wreaths are still up, indoors and out. As you can see, our tree was very dry and left a LOT of needles for my husband to clean up!

 

On the downside, the mysterious worsening of my chronic illness that began last March is still continuing, and I had four days last week when I was couchbound and too sick to do what I'd planned. I'm trying to have a good attitude about what I call Plan B Days, but sometimes (like yesterday), it gets to me and I indulge in a brief pity party before settling into a quiet day of caring for myself. I am continuing to try to get to the bottom of this downturn, but it's difficult.

On a brighter note, I made lots of progress here on the blog last week and am enjoying wrapping up 2020 and looking forward to 2021! I joined my 2021 reading challenges this weekend and will be writing my Best Of posts this week for books, TV shows, and movies. See links below for last week's posts.

And, of course, we have our books to comfort us always! Here's what we've all been reading this past week:

I finished The River by Peter Heller, a Booktopia author I like (I enjoyed Celine) and a book that my husband and many friends had enjoyed. It's the story of two young men, college students and best friends, who have taken time off to paddle the lakes and rivers of Canada on a float trip leading to Hudson Bay. They are in a remote and isolated area, paddling and camping, and have rarely seen any other people on their trip. One day, after hiking to the top of a hill, they see a huge forest fire in the near distance and soon they can smell the smoke and char in the air as it advances. They need to make the rest of their trip as fast as possible in order to outrun the fire, but they soon encounter other obstacles. In the fog one night, they hear a man and woman arguing on shore, and the next day, they encounter the man, alone. What happened to his wife? This is a gripping, super-suspenseful novel with the young men battling both natural and man-made horrors as they race against time. It was excellent and compelling.

Next, in that New Year frame of mind, I chose a nonfiction self-help book, Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky. I heard about this book (a 2018 release) from my friend, Chris Wolak, on one of my favorite book podcasts, Book Cougars, that she hosts with Emily Fine. I felt like I needed some new inspiration this year, as last year a lot of important things just didn't get done in my life. These two former Google employees share what they've learned about focusing on priorities to get the most important things done, which is just what I need right now! I am already using one of their tips: to set a focus or Highlight for each day. You may do lots of things in a day, but this concept means setting a priority for one thing that will be your primary focus for that day (mine today was making those phone calls I would normally procrastinate on). It's written in a fun, casual style, and I'm enjoying it so far ... and getting inspired. Thanks, Chris!

If I were to read a book about getting things done before bedtime, I would never get any sleep, so at night, I have been making my way through a book of short stories, Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson (which I see is on sale for just $1.99 on Kindle right now). I started this collection in April last year! As you can see, dipping in and out of a collection just doesn't work well for me. Instead, this week I have been reading one short story each night, and I am enjoying them more this way. I'm also noticing subtle links between some of the stories now that I am reading them together. All of the stories are set in the real world but often with a slight fantastical twist, though some are entirely real-world. Sometimes, the twist comes unexpectedly at the end and sometimes, you know all along something bizarre is going on, like in the story Evil Doppelganger. Atkinson is a wonderful storyteller (her novel Life After Life is one of my all-time favorites), and she has a great sense of humor, so I'm enjoying her imaginative short stories.

On audio, I started the new year with a middle-grade novel I have been wanting to read, A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor. I loved her novel Waiting for Normal so much that I almost drove off the road laughing and sobbing and reaching for the box of Kleenex while listening to it! In this novel, thirteen-year-old Lydia has just lost her mother to a heart condition. She moves to Connecticut to live with her mother's sister, her Aunt Brat, and her wife, Eileen. The two women also have a dog and soon add another. There is a lot for Lydia to adjust to: a new home in a new, rural town in a new state, new school, new friends, and of course, the loss of her mother with whom she was very close. As always, Connor writes beautifully about loss and love and ordinary life. I'm enjoying it very much so far.

My husband, Ken, is still reading one of his many bookish Christmas gifts, Body Broker by Daniel M. Ford, book one in the Jack Dixon series.When I called my local indie bookstore to order books for my family for Christmas, the bookseller who answered the phone happened to be the one who runs their Mystery Lovers' Book Club. She and I always enjoy trading book recommendations, and I had a typically fun conversation with her. She told me the book club had just read this one and based on what my husband likes, she thought he'd enjoy it. This is the great thing about indie bookstores! In this series, Jack Dixon is a high school dropout, ex-cop, and ex-cook who lives in a houseboat and works as a PI. In this first book, he investigates the disappearance of a teen from a local elite boarding school. My husband was surprised to find that much of the action takes place right here in northern Delaware where we live, so he's enjoying all the local references as well as the fast-paced plot.

Last I heard, our son, 26, was still reading Age of Swords, book two of The Legends of the First Empire series by Michael J. Sullivan, one of his favorite series. We gave him this one for his birthday this summer. He loves this author, and is enjoying this series very much. He also loves The Riyyria Chronicles series by that same author. A fellow book blogger, Beth Fish Reads, told me about these series and this author originally, so thanks to her. He says he hasn't made much progress because he's been busy with his girlfriend. He got a nice stack of new fantasy novels for Christmas, so those should keep him busy for a while.

 

Blog posts from last week:

December Book Reviews - mini reviews of the 7 books I read last month--all very good!

My Summary of Books Read in December - see what I read and how I did on my challenges

2020 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up - check out my final summary on 2020 challenges

2021 Reading Challenges - All signed up! See which  challenges I chose for this year

What Are You Reading Monday is hosted by Kathryn at Book Date, so head over and check out her blog and join the Monday fun! You can also participate in a kid/teen/YA version hosted by Unleashing Readers.

You can follow me on Twitter at @SueBookByBook or on Facebook on my blog's page.   

What are you and your family reading this week?

2021 Reading Challenges

It's that time of year again! I always enjoy participating in reading challenges. For 2021, I've mostly decided to again sign up for the same challenges I did in 2020 because they really fit my reading goals: to read from my own shelves, to squeeze some nonfiction into my mostly-fiction reading life, to track where my books take me, to read a few classics, and to have fun! But I couldn't resist just adding one more to the list.

My 2021 Reading Challenges:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2021 hosted by My Reader's Block

I am once again setting my goal at Mt. Ararat, at 48 books from my TBR shelves (which I just barely missed last year with 44). Note that the challenge allows e-books and audios to count, but my main goal is to get through some of the physical books I own (my TBR bookcase now has double rows), so I only count physical books. This challenge has monthly review link-ups.

2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

I enjoy this challenge every year! I only missed one monthly motif last year, so I will try to hit them all in 2021! This also has monthly review link-ups.

JANUARY-  Once Upon A Time. Read a book from the Fantasy, Fairytale, Mythology, or Folklore Sub Genres.

FEBRUARY- Laughter and Love. Read a relationship story, romance, comedy, or feel good contemporary.

MARCH- Countries and Cultures. Read a book set in a country, or about a culture, that’s different than your own and that you’d like to learn more about.

APRIL- Books on the Menu. Read a book that features food, restaurants, cafes, cooking, or baking, on the cover or in the story. 

MAY- Magnificent Middle Grade. Read a Middle Grade book – a book that is marketed toward ages 8-14.

 JUNE- The Great Outdoors. Read a book featuring a garden, nature, country, or harvest setting or plot.

JULY- Short But Fabulous. Read a novella, comic, graphic novel, manga, or short book of poetry. 

AUGUST- Bag of Tricks. Read a book featuring any kind of magic, illusion, super powers, or enchantments.

SEPTEMBER- Back to School. Read a book with a school setting, featuring a student or educator OR read a book to educate yourself on a topic you’re interested in learning more about.

OCTOBER- Lurking in the Shadows. Read a book that has a gray, black, and/or white cover OR a book that shows a shadow on the cover. 

NOVEMBER- In the Library with the Candlestick. Read a mystery- cozy, detective, spies, true crime, whodunnit, or the like.

DECEMBER- That’s History. Read a historical fiction book or a book about a true historical event.

 

Back to the Classics Challenge 2021 hosted by Books and Chocolate.

Another challenge I return to each year. I usually set my goal at 6 classics (in 6 categories), and that works well for me - I did it last year! Here are the categories for 2021:

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published.

3. A classic by a woman author.

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer. 

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read. 

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird).

9. A children's classic. 

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure. 

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category.

 

2021 AtoZ Reading Challenge hosted by Bookstacks and Golden Moms. 

This is a new challenge for me, but it's described as a laid-back challenge, so that sounds right up my alley! You just track the books you read, trying to cover all letters of the alphabet (first letter of the title, not counting articles). There are also monthly mini challenges, which convinced me to to add this one.

A –
B –
C –
D –
E –
F –
G –
H –
I –
J –
K –
L –
M –
N –
O –
P –
Q –
R –
S –
T –
U –
V –
W –
X –
Y –
Z –

Mini Challenges:

JANUARY – A book you purchased in 2020 but didn’t read
FEBRUARY – A book with non-romantic love (siblings, parent-child, friendships)
MARCH – A book written by a person of a different race than you
APRIL – A book with an Autistic main character (April is Autism Awareness)
MAY – A book about a nurse (Nat. Nurses Week 2021 is May 6-12)
JUNE – A co-written book (2 authors)
JULY – A Christmas book (Christmas in July!)
AUGUST – A book by an Indie author (self-published or independent)
SEPTEMBER – A memoir/biography
OCTOBER – A book written by a new-to-you author
NOVEMBER – A book outside your normal genre
DECEMBER – A backlist title (published BEFORE Jan 1, 2021)

 

2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge hosted by POPSUGAR.

I was looking for a pure fun reading challenge last year and saw this one at Helen's Book Blog, and it sounded like just what I was looking for! There are no sign-ups or link-ups, just a printable checklist of a wide range of 50 different categories and lots of ways to connect via social media. So, I'm in!

Rather than retyping all 50 categories here, I will just list the ones I check off each month.

 

2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I always sign up for a nonfiction challenge, and I enjoyed this one last year! I read 15 nonfiction books in 2020, so I will sign up for the Nonfiction Know-It-all category and shoot for reading at least 12.

As an extra challenge, there are different categories:

1. Biography

2. Travel

3. Self-help

4. Essay Collection

5. Disease

6. Oceanography

7. Hobbies

8. Indigenous Cultures

9. Food

10. Wartime Experiences 

11. Inventions

12. Published in 2021

Diversity Reading Challenge 2021 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is also a familiar challenge for me that I enjoyed last year. Since I read 38 diverse books last year, I will shoot for 40 this year! 

 

This challenge includes optional monthly themes. Last year, I hit the monthly themes 6 months (out of 12), so I will sign up for Da Bomb Level for the Mini Challenges (reading on-top 5-8 months):

JANUARY – diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting
FEBRUARY – poc: Black/African American
MARCH – #ownvoices; or gender: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction
APRIL – poc: Middle Eastern/South Asian
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander
JUNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
JULY – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
AUGUST – mental health/addiction
SEPTEMBER – poc: hispanic/latinx
OCTOBER – physical/sensory/cognitive/intellectual/developmental disabilities
NOVEMBER – poc: Native American
DECEMBER – religious minorities

 

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories 

I signed up for this one back in 2014, so this is a continuation (it's a perpetual challenge) - I can't wait to see what places I visit in books in 2021! In 2020, my books took me to 33 places outside the U.S., covering 18 different countries.

2021 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2020, I read books set in 24 different states. I'm looking forward to reading in even more states this year!

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine

Maryland

Massachusetts

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

Virginia

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

 

 

 

Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play most months! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along!

 

Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book By Book (me!)

My own annual challenge that I host each summer, beginning Memorial Day weekend (end of May) and running until Labor Day (first Monday of September). Hope you'll join me for the laid-back fun this summer!

 

2020 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up

I participated in some great reading challenges last year, had a lot of fun, and read some outstanding books! You can see my final stats, including lists of the books I read for each challenge on the 2020 Challenges page.

Here is a summary of each reading challenge I signed up for in 2020 and how I did:

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2020 hosted by My Reader's Block

My goal was Mt. Ararat, at 48 books from my TBR shelves. I almost made it! I read a total of 44 books from my own shelves last year (one less than in 2019). Forty-four sounds like a lot, yet somehow our TBR bookcase still has double rows! I will definitely join a TBR challenge again this year.

 

2020 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

This is another challenge that I join every year, just for fun! There is a monthly theme, and you try to read a book that fits into the theme. I met that goal 11 out of 12 months last year, only missing August, Creature Features, because I spent most of that month reading David Copperfield by Charles Dickens! You can see all of the monthly themes and the books I read for them on my 2020 Challenge Page. 

 

Back to the Classics hosted by Books and Chocolate.

This is another reading challenge I join every year, to encourage myself to read some classics and not just the latest, shiny new books! Every year, I set my goal at six classics, and I usually come up short, but I did it in 2020!! I read six classics in six different categories (you can see the categories on the Challenge Page). The classics I read in 2020 were:

1. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
2. The Call of the Wild by Jack London
3. Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut (a longtime goal of mine to read Vonnegut)
4. The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. DuBois
5. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
6. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

 

2020 PopSugar Reading Challenge hosted by POPSUGAR.

This is a quirky reading challenge, with a list of 50 different categories, ranging from A Book with a Pun in the Title to A Book by an Author with Flora or Fauna in Their Name (just got in Michael J. Fox at the end of the year!) to A Book with an Upside-Down Image on the Cover (that's one I missed). In all, I checked off 39 categories, leaving only 11. Check out the full list of fun categories I hit on the Challenge Page.

 

2020 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I usually sign up for a nonfiction challenge each year, but this was a different one for me, and I enjoyed it. It included categories of different kinds of nonfiction books. My goal was to read 12 nonfiction books, and I read 15 in all! I hit 8 of the 12 categories, plus some category repeats, like History and Memoir. See all of my nonfiction reads and the categories on the Challenge Page. 

 

2020 Diversity Reading Challenge hosted by Celebrity Readers.

My goal was to read 40 diverse books in 2020. I almost managed that, with 38 in total, but that was one more than in 2019! There were optional monthly categories that I  hit six of the twelve months. See my full list of diverse books and the categories on the Challenge Page.

 

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories 

This is a continuing (rather than annual) challenge that I signed up for back in 2014. I love to travel to new and interesting places through my reading! In 2020, I read 33 books books set outside the United States, covering 18 different countries (lots of books set in UK and Ireland last year). This surpasses 2019, when I read 23 books set in 18 different countries. You can see my full list of 33 books and where they were set on the Challenge Page. I can't wait to see where my reading takes me in 2021!

 

2020 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2020, I traveled to 24 states in my books! That's a few less than in 2019 (28). So many books are set in New York!

 

Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book By Book (me!)

My own annual challenge to read books of 400 or more pages attracted a record number of participants last summer (I think we were all looking for distraction and a bit of fun!). I read 10 Big Books (including both print and audio) from end of May to beginning of September, same as in 2019. I hope you'll join the Big Book Summer fun in 2021 (you only need to read one Big Book all summer to participate).

1. Faithful Place by Tana French
2. A Beginning at the End by Mike Chen
3. Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty  
4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
5. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins
6. Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King
7. Doomsday Book by Connie Willis 
8. American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
9. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
10. A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena

 

Readers Imbibing Peril RIP XV Challenge

This seasonal challenge is all about reading darker books in the fall! I love to read with the seasons, and I read a total of 16 suspenseful, creepy, dark, gripping books in September and October (vs. 18 in 2019).

1. The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson
2. Feed by M.T. Anderson
3. The Dry by Jane Harper  
4. The Door by Andy Marino
5. Sycamore by Bryn Chancellor  
6. The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton
7. The Witch Elm by Tana French
8. All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban
9. The Sense of Death by Matty Dalrymple
10. August Snow by Stephen Mack Jones
11. Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
12. Trespassers by Breena Bard
13. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
14. One Year at Ellsmere by Faith Erin Hicks 
15. Follow Me by K.R. Alexander 
16. Back to Blackbrick by Sarah Moore Fitzgerald

 

Did you join any reading challenges in 2020? Which one(s) did you enjoy the most?