Though I’ll finish a couple more books by the end of the year, I thought this would be a good time to report on a couple of reading challenges I participate in.

Shelly Rae at Book’d Out hosts the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Shelly has twelve different categories that we can aim for. Or we can be a “Nonfiction Grazer” and make our own goals. I chose the latter course, because I was only interested in a handful of the categories listed.

My own goals for this challenge and the results were (linked to my reviews):

Memoirs/Biographies:

• Being Elisabeth Elliot by Ellen Vaughn
• A Boy’s War by David Michell
• Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
• I Can Only Imagine by Bart Millard
• Lenten Lands: My Childhood with Joy Davidman and C. S. Lewis by Douglas H. Gresham
• Life Without Limits: Inspiration for a Ridiculously Good Life by Nick Vujicic
• The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria Augusta Trapp
• Waking Up in the Wilderness: A Yellowstone Journey by Natalie Ogbourne

Books About Writing:

• Adorning the Dark: Thoughts on Community, Calling, and the Mystery of Making by Andrew Peterson. I loved this so much and wanted to soak up even more of it, so I immediately read it again after finishing it.
• Create: Stop Making Excuses and Start Making Stuff by Stephen Altrogge
• How to Write a Sentence and How to Read One by Stanley Fish
• Write a Must-Read: Craft a Book That Changes Lives—Including Your Own by A, J. Harper

Bible Study Books:

• 2 Corinthians for You by Gary Millar
• Be Alert (2 Peter, 2 & 3 John, Jude): Beware of the Religious Impostors by Warren W. Wiersbe
• Be Comforted (Isaiah): Feeling Secure in the Arms of God by Warren Wiersbe
• Be Complete (Colossians): Become the Whole Person God Intends You to Be by Warren Wiersbe
• Be Decisive (Jeremiah): Taking a Stand for the Truth by Warren Wiersbe
• Be Hopeful (1 Peter): How to Make the Best of Times Out of Your Worst of Times by Warren Wiersbe
• Be Satisfied (Ecclesiastes): Looking for the Answer to the Meaning of Life by Warren W. Wiersbe
• Be Skillful (Proverbs): God’s Guidebook to Wise Living by Warren Wiersbe
• Isaiah for You: Enlarging Your Vision of Who God Is by Tim Chester

Christian Living Books:

• Help for the Hungry Soul: Eight Encouragements to Grow Your Appetite for God’s Word by Kristen Wetherell
• Proverbs for Life for Women compiled by Lila Empson
• Read This First: A Simple Guide to Getting the Most from the Bible by Gary Millar
• Stop Asking Jesus Into Your Heart: How to Know For Sure You Are Saved by J. D. Greear

Letters/Journals:

The Collected Letters of C. S. Lewis, Volume III. I’m maybe halway through this one.

A Book by C. S. Lewis I Have Not Read:

Same as above.

Organization/Productivity:

• The Lazy Genius Way: Embrace What Matters, Ditch What Doesn’t, and Get Stuff Done by Kendra Adachi
• Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies for Keeping Your House Under Control by Dana K. White

Related to a Holiday:

• Jesus, Keep Me Near the Cross: Experiencing the Passion and Power of Easter compiled by Nancy Guthrie
• Everyday Gospel Christmas Devotional by Paul David Tripp
• Winter Fire: Christmas with G. K. Chesterton by Ryan Whitaker Smith (hope to finish this soon)

The only category I missed was aging/midlife.

By my count, that’s 28 nonfiction book (or 29 if I count reading Adorning the Dark twice. I’m satisfied–all these were informative and some were profound.

The Intrepid Reader hosts the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I like a variety of fiction categories, but historical fiction is probably what I read most. I aimed to read fifteen for the Medieval category. I completed twenty-four.

Linked to my reviews:

• Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer
• All My Secrets by Lynn Austin
• An Honorable Deception by Roseanna M. White
• Beneath a Golden Veil by Melanie Dobson
• Bespoke: A Tiny Christmas Tale by Amanda Dykes
• The British Booksellers by Kristy Cambron
• By Way of the Moonlight by Elizabeth Musser
• Christmas at Sugar Plum Manor by Roseanna M. White
• Christmas at the Circus by Joanne Bischof
• Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
• The Edge of Belonging by Amanda Cox
• For a Lifetime by Gabrielle Meyer
• Hope Between the Pages by Pepper Basham
• Martin Chuzzlewit by Charles Dickens
• Mrs. Tim of the Regiment by D. E. Stevenson
• Mrs. Tim Carries On by D. E. Stevenson
• The Painted Castle by Kristy Cambron
• A Noble Scheme by Roseanna M. White
• The Secret Keepers of Old Grocery Depot by Amanda Cox
• Shadowed Loyalty by Roseanna M. White
• Whose Waves These Are by Amanda Dykes
• The Winter Rose by Melanie Dobson
• Written on the Wind by Elizabeth Camden
• Yours Is the Night by Amanda Dykes (MTBR)

I love that there are classics here as well as some hot off the press, old favorites as well as newly-discovered authors.

Next week I’ll share my completed list of books read this year and my top favorites.