Reading Challenges Update

I have added a few more books to both lists, but I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to read books set in multiple states and starting with multiple letters. I keep repeating ones.... I need to stop that.

A-Z Challenge Update:

E - Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave (review here)

P - Pericles by William Shakespeare

S - Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell 

Z - Zoo by James Patterson (although I haven't finished it and wasn't able to renew it so it may be a while)

Previously completed:

B- BADD by Tim Tharp

C- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke

D- Dead End by Jason Myers

F- Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

L- Like Water for Chocolate by Briana Esquivel

M- The Missions by Jason Myers

R- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

T- This is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

U- Underwire by Jennifer Hayden

Needed: A, G, H, I, J, K, N, O, Q, V, W, X, Y

As far as states go, the books I added above successfully completed California and New York, two states which I already had.

The only new one I get to add to this list is:

Pennsylvania - Bossypants by Tina Fey (review to come) (The letter B was already taken and it might not be fair to put this book in Pennsylvania since only a part of it takes place there, but I'm stretching my imagination.

I am also reading Maybe Someday by Colleen Hoover, which may or may not be set in Texas. I will have to double check. Until then, hang on to your hats.

Completed:

Iowa, Alabama, California, New York, Oregon, Nebraska, and New Jersey.

I have a list going of books I want to read, but I am always looking for recommendations as well, so, any book you want to recommend, I want to read.

Reading Challenge 50 States

The other day, I discussed that I was trying to read a book for every letter of the alphabet. Another one of my goals has always been to read a book set in every state. Going off of the list of books I have read so far this year, I have achieved Iowa, Alabama, California, New York, Oregon (tentative), Nebraska, and New Jersey.

If anyone can actually confirm that Fight Club did in fact take place in Portland (I know there is much debate on it), please tell me and define your evidence. If you think it took place somewhere else, please let me know that too.

I seem to have a problem where I keep reading books set in New York. I have three that I have read set there and I am currently reading Sex In The City. I need to be consciously aware to be reading things set in different states.

Last year, I missed Tennessee, Wisconsin (although I just found Shotgun Lovesongs and I plan on reading that for Wisconsin this year), Rhode Island, North Dakota, and New Hampshire, which always seem hard to find books. Some other states I might have stretched if the book had multiple settings. Okay, I admit in some cases, one or two scenes took place in a state and I used it. This year, there are no cutting corners. The book's major setting must be the state it counts for.

Is anyone else doing similar reading challenges for 2015? Anybody have any reading challenges to recommend?

If not, anyone have any favorite books set in states I haven't read yet?

Reading Challenge A-Z

I have always wanted to read a book for each letter of the alphabet in a year. I will update my progress at least once a month and keep my blog updated on my progress.

Unfortunately, I find a lot of books I want to read have the same first letter as books I have already read. So, therefore, I keep repeating "T" and "L" and I need to stop doing that.

So far, I have accomplished B, C, D, F, L, M, R, T, and U. 

B- BADD by Tim Tharp

C- Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanna Fluke

D- Dead End by Jason Myers

F- Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

L- Like Water for Chocolate by Briana Esquivel

M- The Missions by Jason Myers

R- Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

T- This is How You Lose Her by Junot Díaz

U- Underwire by Jennifer Hayden

I will try to get reviews going, but I may skip over a few of the ones listed above. If you have any questions, or want to know what I thought of any of them, please feel free to ask. Also, if you have any recommendations for books that I should read (that may begin with unusual letters like "Q" or "X") please let me know! I am always looking for new and different things to read.