The 2020 Book Hoarders Reading Challenge

The only reading challenge I set for myself at the beginning of the year was to read some Pulitzer prize winning novels. I didn't do that at all. Not even a single one... Oops.

I was browsing around for a reading challenge to do in 2021, and I found a group on Facebook called The 2020 Book Hoarder Reading Challenge. I joined the group and while the 2021 challenge hadn't been posted yet, the 2020 was still up and available to do. I looked through the different prompts and realized that I had a few books I could use for this challenge. I went through my Goodreads, looking at books I'd read this year and when I was done, I only had five empty prompts. This was the week of Thanksgiving. I challenged myself to finish the challenge, and by the next week, I had. 

My two favorite books from this challenge were Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah and Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr. The first was an emotional roller coaster and the second was fun and had been on my list to read since watching the movie many, many years ago. It felt really great to finally check that off my list, and it made me want to watch the movie again.

My least favorite was Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo: it just went on and on and on. The writing was dull and the story was not engaging. I struggled to finish that one. 

One of the last prompts I needed was number 12, Rainy day. I stumbled upon The Children Act by Ian McEwan and was so glad I did. It was a very interesting read and this occurrence reminded me why I participate in reading challenge. Those random finds are often pretty good. 

Here is the list of prompts along with the book:

1. Star on the cover or in the title: Secret Star by Nora Roberts

2. You Liar! Word Liar or Lies in Title: Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy by Karen Abbott

3. Flower on the cover or in the title: The Moonflower Vine by Jetta Carleton

4. Read in October: Plain Jane Wanted by Rose Amberly

5. State name in the title: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

6. Read in April: The Bridges of Madison County by James Robert Waller

7. Five star read: Every Breath by Nicholas Sparks

8. Over 350 pages: The Prince of Wales by Jonathan Dimbleby

9. Finally! On TBR forever: Catch Me If You Can by Frank Abagnale Jr.

10. Red-Cover or title: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld

11. Make it a movie: The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff

12. Rainy Day-umbrella or rain on cover: The Children Act by Ian McEwan

13: House on the cover or in the title: Captive Star by Nora Roberts

14. Just a girl (Only a girl on the cover): The Autistic Brain by Temple Grandin

15. I've lost my head (head chopped off at nose): Brazen Virtue by Nora Roberts

16. Just walk away (person walking away on cover): The Suicide Killer by Zach Lamb

17. Read in a day: Uncommon Type by Tom Hanks

18. Love or Hate in the title: Speaking the Truth in Love by Kenneth C. Haugk

19. Random Read: The Au Pair by Emma Rous

20. Clouds on the cover or in the title: Murder at the Village Fete by Catherine Coles

21. Number in the title: The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield

22. Freebie: Try Easy by Jill Brashear

23. Food or drink on the cover or in the title: The Bake Shop by Amy Clipston

24: Two female authors: The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings)

25. Not Your Norm Genre: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson

26. New to you author: Hood by Stephen R. Lawhead

27. Trees on cover: Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

28. Time of day in title: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt

29. Over 1000 ratings on Goodreads: Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng

30. Seasonal: Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah

31. By an author you'd love to meet: Hidden Star by Nora Roberts

32. I can relate (relate to main character): You Are Not Alone by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

Bonus:

1. Won in a giveaway: One Writer's Beginnings by Eudora Welty

2. ARC: Trade Secrets by V.K. Tritschler

3. Over 475 pages: Pieces of Her by Karen Slaughter

4. Non Fiction: Elizabeth the Queen by Sally Bedell Smith

5. Never Ending Story: Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo

I didn't write reviews for all of them because sometimes I forgot, and sometimes I just didn't have much to say. I did give them all a rating on Goodreads, so check them out there!