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Challenge Basics:   Name: The Re-Read Challenge Starts: January 1, 2020 Ends: December 31, 2020 Eligible Books: Books you've already read. Why I'm Interested:   Whether it's re-reading for comfort or to revisit old favorites, I want to make sure I enthusiastically dive into re-reading whenever I feel the urge. Some books I'm considering: My Special Shelf favorites , of course. Also, books I liked enough or am curious enough to re-listen to on audio. Books Completed: 1.

Challenge Basics:   Name: Keep the Books Off the Shelf Challenge Hosts: Me! Starts: January 1, 2020 Ends: December 31, 2020 Goal: 15 books Eligible Books: Books you acquire in 2020 Why I'm Interested:   I'm not sure if anyone is actually hosting a challenge like this, but it's a challenge I'm giving myself, again. Last year I read a ton off books I acquired in 2019, and rather than feel bad about neglecting my previously owned books, instead I felt like I was accomplishing something with every new book I acquired and read. And I was! Every year I participate in the Read My Own Books Challenge where I try to read as many books I own as possible. Downside? Those challenges don't count books you acquire during the challenge year, and I think they should! Sure, I know the goal is to read all those books that have been languishing year after year, but what about preventative measures? I think those should be rewarded, too! (I feel like a health insu...

  0/15 books Challenge Basics:   Name: 2020 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge Hosts: Passages to the Past Starts: January 1, 2020 Ends: December 31, 2020 Eligible Books: YA and adult historical fiction books. I'm including non-fiction. Levels: I am going to try for 15 books Why I'm Interested:   Historical Bio and Historical Non-Fiction : These are the weightier, meatier books that I want to make top priority. They go into detail about actual people and events and I'll learn the most from them. I've thrown in the non-fiction books onto this shelf, too. I've been toe-dipping into non-fiction, and I'd like to continue that toe-dip. Historical Fantasy : These vary as far as actual historical learning goes. Some have a ton of historical detail, but most just use a historical setting. Some of my favorite books come from this shelf and I don't want to neglect them just because they're not heavy historical fiction. Historical Lite : The...

5 Challenges...how did I do? The Re-Read Challenge Goal: Re-read as many books as I want Books read:10 Goal achieved? Yes! I ended up re-reading a nice round 10 books this year, none of which were on audio. Audio books were a way I ended up rereading a lot of books, but with my current barely-five-minute commute, I don't have much room for audio books right now. Last year was an unusual year for rereads, with none of the "usual suspects" making an appearance, and I repeated that trend again this year. No Karen White, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, and L. J. Smith. For the third year in a row now, no Anne Bishop and Sarah J. Maas. Instead of turning to these standard comfort reads, I broke out the ultimate comfort read and polished off the Harry Potter series that I had started at the end of 2018. It was wonderful revisiting Hogwarts and I can't believe this is the first time I've reread the series.   Those were definitely comfort reads, but the rest of my re-read...

Pages: 384 Publisher: Berkley Released: October 22, 2019 Received: Finished copy from publisher, ARC via Netgalley Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars Goodreads  *This is the sixth book in the Tradd Street series To say I love this series is an understatement (and not much else of this review will make sense if you haven't read the series, so stop reading this review now and instead read the one I liked above, and then start this series ASAP). That said, I was disappointed with the last book in the series, The Guests on South Battery . It felt forced. The mystery wasn't as engaging (and the first four books had awesome mysteries), the family connections felt stretched beyond reason, and there was contrived romance drama between Mellie and Jack that I did not appreciate. I was seriously getting worried for this series, even while still gobbling it up because it had tons of things that still make me happy. So that was my baggage when I started reading The Christmas Spirits on Tradd Stree...

Pages: 304 Publisher: Berkley Books Released: September 10, 2019 Received: e-ARC from NetGalley Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5 stars Goodreads I hadn't even heard of this book an probably wouldn't have read it if it weren't for the publisher sending me a link to download the book through NetGalley. So, well done, it worked. Again. And, again, I'm very happy this happened because I really enjoyed The Vanished Bride . It's one of those books that maybe isn't perfect and has some room for criticism and improvement, but, for the most part, none of that mattered to me. I started reading the first chapter "just to see" and ended up getting completely sucked into the story. It moved at a nice swift but not breakneck pace, and shorty chapters definitely helped with this. The point of view changed between Charlotte and Emily and I ended up liking both of them a lot even though, objectively, both probably should have annoyed me. Ah, wait, Anne is in this book (she ...