First things first as they say, let’s talk about reading. Are you going to be following any reading challenges this year? Last year I only accomplished half of my goal of 40 books, which is kind of surprising given that we were in quarantine for most of the year. You’d have thought that I could spend hours and hours just reading. Guess not. Anyway, this year I am following the Popsugar Challenge list again. I think I’m going to try to go through the list and see what categories I can fill using the books I already have, that way I can donate the ones I don’t want to keep. That will help with one of my Focus areas, decluttering the house!
So far I have read one book this year, “Hiding Cracked Glass” by my friend, James J. Cudney. This is the second book about the Glass Family in a series he calls Perceptions of Glass. It is the sequel to his first book, “Watching Glass Shatter.” I loved both books and particularly favor the way he writes them, switching character perceptions each chapter. It makes it easier for me to keep track of everybody.
I had just finished reading the most recent book in his Braxton Campus Mystery series, “Frozen Stiff Drink,” the sixth book in that series. He has another one set to come out in a couple months. So far I’ve read them all and haven’t been able to figure out who done it in any of them! I didn’t realize until just recently that his titles are a play on words, Frozen Stiff and Stiff Drink. The next one is titled, “Legally Blind Luck.” (Legally Blind, Blind Luck). Pretty clever, huh? I can usually count on Jay’s books to help me fill some of the categories in the challenge. “Hiding Cracked Glass” filled “book in a different format” since I usually read the actual book and this was in e-book form. The new one could fill the “book that’s published in 2021” category!
Now I am reading “Becoming” by Michelle Obama. I am at the point where she has just started dating Barack. Really looking forward to reading the rest. It will fill, “book found on a Black Lives Matter reading list.”
For ‘book that has the same title as a song, I’m thinking of “Helter Skelter” because I’ve had that one on the shelf for a long time.
Book whose title starts with “Q” “X” or “Z” I’m going to use “Dr. Zhivago” by Pasternak.
“Such A Pretty Fat” by Jen Lancaster will match “book that discusses body positivity.”
I’m also going to try and hit some of the books that are on the scratch off poster that I got for Christmas a couple of years ago. Those are classics but I’m sure I can manage to fill a category or two with them as well.
Last thing is that our “SoCS” is hosted by the Lovely Linda. Thanks Linda!
Janet's Smiles 
I did the Goodreads challenge the past few years, but I’m just going to read and not track it this year. So far this year, I’ve read two books by Lauren Graham, who was Lorelai Gilmore on Gilmore Girls. Not heavy reading — enjoyable way to ease into a new year!
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I hear that. Sometimes I do find a book that doesn’t quite “fit” a category and read it anyway!
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I loved “Becoming”! I read it shortly after it came out.
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I’m at the part where Barack just proposed. :).
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I am ambivalent about doing a reading challenge. On one hand, it would force me to read different kinds of books than I normally read. I might find something great. On the other hand, I only have limited reading time. I may not want to spend it reading a book just to satisfy a category in a reading challenge. I can’t decide!
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Laurie, that’s why I started doing them. I found I was just reading mysteries and there are so many other good books out there. I kind of like the challenge of finding new things. Plus, getting books I already have on my shelves to fill the categories is fun too.
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I downloaded Modern Mrs. Darcy’s worksheet for creating your own reading challenge. I intend on using it to create my own 2021challenge, but so far haven’t done so. I am such a slacker!
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I have seen her reading challenges but I didn’t this year. I’ll have to go look. I use her reading log to keep track of what I read and when.
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Thank you for sharing. So grateful to see this post. You are fantastic. 🙂
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No prob! When I like something it’s easy to write about it!
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Looks intersting. Good luck!
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Thanks John. Hopefully I can get closer to my goal this year!
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Right now I am reading “Ragamuffin Gospel” I was told it was a life changing book and lots of Christians feel refreshed and have a new perspective in their faith after reading it. I’m 40 pages from finishing and honestly theres been no ground shattering revelations for me lol. Its mostly telling me what I had figured out in my own in what the book calls “the second call” most Christians have between 30-60 🤷♀️
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I had that experience with “Tuesdays With Morrie.” I was expecting some earth shattering life lesson.
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I didn’t have any expectations going into it other than I had read the same author about 20 years ago and loved it lol! I really enjoyed the book but I agree, no earth shattering lesson haha
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