#MustReadin2014 Challenge Check-in

For 2014, I returned to setting reading goals for myself. I decided to continue with several reading challenges and join a few new ones. It’s not always easy to gauge if the number of reading challenges or books you select for a challenge is right until you get into your reading year. For example, reading 100 nonfiction picture books for Kid Lit Frenzy’s challenge seemed like it might push me a bit as a picture book reader. But I’ve already read 50, and it’s only April 1. So clearly 100 wasn’t enough.

On the other hand, 12 books for the #Nerdbery challenge seemed like I wasn’t really pushing myself at all. But given how tough I find it to make myself read even one of the older Newbery winners, reading twelve this year will be good progress. And since I’m 0/12 for that challenge right now, I was clearly right not to tackle more.

One of the more fun reading challenges I joined this year is Carrie Gelson’s #MustReadin2014 Challenge. I only put 15 titles on my #MustReadin2014 list. I’m close to halfway through the list, so I’m considering revising my goal to finish all 15 titles by the end of June and create a new list for the second half of the year. Because there are so many more books that I feel like I must read right this moment. My TBR pile just keeps growing.

So far, I’ve finished:

I loved all but one of these books, and I’m still glad I read the one I didn’t love. (The one I didn’t love is Jumping Off Swings.) Three of these books are probably going to end up on my best of 2014 reading list: Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock; Doll Bones; and Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass.

The main thing I’ve learned so far is that my nerdy PLN has very good taste in books, because all of these books came highly recommended!

Posted

April 1, 2014

adolescent literature, children’s literature, reading challenge

Elisabeth Ellington

Tags:

#MustReadin2014, best of year, reading challenges

Comments

11 responses to “#MustReadin2014 Challenge Check-in”

Linda Baie

April 1, 2014

Just purchased Yaqui Delgado a few weeks ago, & you’re right, I bet it will be good because of so many good reviews.And I still need to read Leonard Peacock. It does sound wonderful. Thanks for sharing about your goal-setting too. I set the goals for the “must-read”, but I’m also reading new ones, too. Thanks for sharing what you liked!

Reply
1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  April 2, 2014
  
  I loved Yaqui, Linda. It’s my favorite YA of the year so far, and I’ve read some really good YA. But I think it’s so engaging and accessible to readers and sneaky profound. I’m amazed by how many gigantic themes Medina tackles–they’re integrated seamlessly into the story and it never feels like an afterschool special. Impressive work! I also loved Leonard Peacock–so glad my Adolescent Lit students are reading it and loving it too. I definitely want to do a second #MustReadin2014 list for the second half of the year, which means I need to get busy on the remaining titles on my list!
  
  Reply
Lorna

April 1, 2014

Rose Under Fire is on my MustRead list, too and I’m looking forward to it. Glad to hear you liked Doll Bones and Mr. Lemoncello’s Library. Did you end up reading that aloud to your son, or did you do it on your own? Your other titles are all on my great TBR–glad to know still more great books lie around the corner!

Reply
1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  April 2, 2014
  
  I think you will enjoy Rose Under Fire. I ended up reading Mr Lemoncello on my own–decided it was just too complicated for my son. Maybe next year? I actually think my younger son would follow it just fine, but we’re slowly working our way through all the Beverly Cleary books and we still have to read the Clementine series, so it’s going to be awhile before we get to anything else. That’s the beauty of having reading plans–you always know there’s another great book around the corner!
  
  Reply
Michele knott

April 2, 2014

You are doing awesome with your goals! I’ve read a lot just not always off the MustRead list. So many books to get to 🙂 here’s to more reading!

Reply
1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  April 2, 2014
  
  Hear hear! I’ll always toast to more reading! I hadn’t intended to set any specific goals this year but I really got swept along with all the reading goals blog posts I was reading from my PLN! And I’m glad I played along. It’s giving my very wide-ranging reading life a little more focus.
  
  Reply
carriegelson

April 2, 2014

I liked Living with Jackie Chan a LOT – probably made me like Jumping Off Swings more. Just a little plug! Matthew Quick has really wowed me – I had tow of his titles on my list and loved reading them both. Doll Bones for me was also such a well done book. I want to do this with a book club group.

Reply
1. Elisabeth Ellington
  
  April 2, 2014
  
  You mentioned your enjoyment of Living with Jackie Chan when I wrote about my mixed feelings for Jumping Off Swings in a #imwayr post–and knowing that you really enjoyed Living with Jackie Chan is the one thing that’s helping me keep up a little motivation for reading it! I love your idea of doing Doll Bones with a book club group. Several students in my Adolescent Lit class have read it and they all commented on how nostalgic it made them feel about their own childhoods. That aspect would have to be totally missing for an audience of children–they have no reason to feel nostalgic over their childhood, after all, since they’re still living it. So I would imagine they would find a different kind of resonance in the story.
  
  Reply
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 4/7/14 #imwayr | the dirigible plum

April 7, 2014

[…] A check-in on my progress with the #MustReadin2014 Challenge […]

Reply
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? 6/30/14 #imwayr | the dirigible plum

June 30, 2014

[…] check-in made me realize I hadn’t actually finished any titles from my list since the last check-in. So I remedied that by reading two books from my list–both very good. I’ll write more […]

Reply
#MustReadin2014 Update: Summer Check-in | the dirigible plum

July 1, 2014

[…] I’ve read two more books since the spring check-in. […]

Reply