2017 Reading Challenges - My Wrap Up Post

Here is my wrap-up post for the various challenges I participated in during 2017. Not a very satisfactory result overall due to reviews not being posted though I will catch up on some of them over the coming months. While 2017 was not a good year for my reviews, I'm happy to
say it was still a great year for reading!


AUSSIE AUTHORS CHALLENGE

2017 was my third year participating in this challenge. I opted for the Wallaby level, which meant I had to only read and review three books. Below are the three books I nominated to read for this challenge. All were read, but only one review posted, though I have draft reviews awaiting a final check.

Daughter of Mine by Fiona Lowe
The Currency Lass by Tea Cooper 
The Ballad of Desmond Kale by Roger McDonald

I've read a total of 34 books by Australian authors in 2017, a mixture of male and female writers. This total is 11 more than last year which in itself is a good result.

I'm signing up for this challenge again in 2018 and, as always, I hope to do better.

AUSTRALIAN WOMEN WRITERS CHALLENGE

2017 was my fourth year participating in this challenge. The level of participation I opted for was:

Franklin - read 10 books, if reviewing review at least six.

I managed to read more than ten novels, a mixture of old and new publications, but only reviewed five, with three more reviews in draft form sitting on my computer. I'm counting this challenge as completed even though I didn't review the required number of books.

Here are the books I read and reviewed:

01. The Currency Lass by Tea Cooper
02. Daughter of Mine by Fiona Lowe
03. Skylarking by Kate Mildenhall
04. Ambulance Girls by Deborah Burrows
05. Whispers in the Wind by Janet Woods
06. Salt Creek by Lucy Treloar 
07. Perseverance by L.F. McDermott
08. The Unmourned by Meg Kenneally, Tom Keneally
09. Poppy's Dilemma by Karly Lane
10. If Wishes Were Horses by Karly Lane
11. Troubadour by Isolde Martyn
12. The Woolgrower's Companion by Joy Rhoades
13. May's Rose by Kaye Dobbie
14. The Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey
15. Daughter of the Murray by Darry Fraser
16. The Country Wedding by Barbara Hannay
17. Willow Tree Bend by Kaye Dobbie
18. Home Before Sundown by Barbara Hannay
19. We That Are Left by Lisa Bigelow
20. A Time of Secrets by Deborah Burrows
21. A Stranger in My Street by Deborah Burrows
22. Lighthouse Bay by Kimberly Freeman


BACK TO THE CLASSICS

To start off this challenge I selected Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens. In hindsight this was not the best book to start with as I found it very difficult to get into and abandoned it after a few chapters, although I had every intention of  picking it up again at a later date. Unfortunately, this was the only classic I attempted in 2017 until Brown on Resolution by C.S. Forester in December. This is a 20th century classic, but one I hadn't nominated for the challenge. My review is still pending.

As in previous years, I've failed this challenge but am I giving up? No! I'm signing up again for 2018, determined to complete at least six of the twelve categories offered. 

BRITISH BOOKS

I easily read the twelve books needed to complete this challenge, but only reviewed half of them. So another failure, but I'm not discouraged as I read over 50 books by British authors this year.

Here are the books I read and reviewed for this challenge (not my original list):

01. Coachman by Sue Millard
02. Late Harvest by Fiona Buckley
03. The Hourglass by Tracy Rees
04. The Vanishing by Sophia Tobins
05. The Devil's Feast by M.J. Carter
06. The Silent Boy by Andrew Taylor
07. Set in Stone by Robert Goddard
08. The Bishop's Girl by Rebecca Burns
09. The Crown Spire by Catherine Curzon and Willow Winsham
10. Parthena's Promise by Valerie Holmes
11. Illusion by Stephanie Elmas
12. Remember, Remember the 6th of November by Tony Morgan

GOODREADS

I fell short of my target for 2017, reading only 114 of 120 books (95%). For 2018 I'm aiming for 120 books again.

HISTORICAL FICTION

My goal for 2017 was 50+ books, which I read comfortably, but again didn't review as many as I would've liked. You can see my list of books read and reviewed here.

I'm determined to successfully complete this challenge so I'm signing up again in 2018.





POPSUGAR READING CHALLENGE

As always this challenge was a bit of fun. I ticked off 23 out of a total of 52 book prompts.  Not a bad result considering I mostly read historical fiction. 

 I've decided not to participate in this challenge in 2018 as I've decided to concentrate on other challenges.






Well, that's it, my wrap up for 2017. Not a very good result overall but I'm not stressing over it too much as another reading year of challenges has begun and with it another chance for success. 

 2018 already looks like being an exciting year, with many of my favourite authors releasing new books.