Reading Challenges Check In: January

What's this? A post not on a Monday? I know, I'm as surprised as you are! But I wanted to check in on my 2017 reading challenges with you guys, and this is the last day of the month!

So for January, the 2017 Diverse Reads Book Challenge mini-challenge theme was "Stories based on/ inspired by diverse folktales/culture/mythology", so my choice for that was:

Shadowshaper by Daniel José Older

Published: June 30th, 2015 by Arthur A. Levine Books
Genre: YA Urban Fantasy
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 297 plus acknowledgements
Part of a series? This is book one of what looks to be a trilogy, and there's a novella. The kindle version of that is only $1.50 and... ooh, I might get that. It sounds good.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Sierra Santiago was looking forward to a fun summer of making art, hanging out with her friends, and skating around Brooklyn. But then a weird zombie guy crashes the first party of the season. Sierra's near-comatose abuelo begins to say "No importa" over and over. And when the graffiti murals in Bed-Stuy start to weep.... Well, something stranger than the usual New York mayhem is going on.

Sierra soon discovers a supernatural order called the Shadowshapers, who connect with spirits via paintings, music, and stories. Her grandfather once shared the order's secrets with an anthropologist, Dr. Jonathan Wick, who turned the Caribbean magic to his own foul ends. Now Wick wants to become the ultimate Shadowshaper by killing all the others, one by one. With the help of her friends and the hot graffiti artist Robbie, Sierra must dodge Wick's supernatural creations, harness her own Shadowshaping abilities, and save her family's past, present, and future.

The part where I talk: I enjoyed this! Review to come soon. Beautiful cover, too.

Now, my Diversity Book Bingo books were:

Confetti Girl by Diana López

Published: June 1st, 2009 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Genre: Contemporary MG
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 194 plus a glossary.
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: I bought it from amazon.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Apolonia "Lina" Flores is a sock enthusiast, a volleyball player, a science lover, and a girl who's just looking for answers. Even though her house is crammed full of books (her dad's a bibliophile), she's having trouble figuring out some very big questions, like why her dad seems to care about books more than her, why her best friend's divorced mom is obsessed with making cascarones (hollowed eggshells filled with colorful confetti), and, most of all, why her mom died last year. Like colors in cascarones, Lina's life is a rainbow of people, interests, and unexpected changes.

The part where I talk: The review/thoughts of this won't be posted when this goes up. I don't think it will actually be posted until... March, actually. I've actually got a whole bunch of stuff scheduled and a ton of posts in general. I know, it's very strange, isn't it? Very quick thoughts - cute, but had a couple problems. Keep an eye out for that post though!

Under a Painted Sky by Stacey Lee

Published: March 17th, 2015 by G. P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Genre: Historical YA
Binding: Hardcover
Page Count: 370 plus an acknowledgement
Part of a series? Nope.
Got via: The library.
Amazon / Book Depository / Indiebound

Summary (from goodreads): Missouri, 1849: Samantha dreams of moving back to New York to be a professional musician—not an easy thing if you’re a girl, and harder still if you’re Chinese. But a tragic accident dashes any hopes of fulfilling her dream, and instead, leaves her fearing for her life. With the help of a runaway slave named Annamae, Samantha flees town for the unknown frontier.

But life on the Oregon Trail is unsafe for two girls, so they disguise themselves as Sammy and Andy, two boys headed for the California gold rush. Sammy and Andy forge a powerful bond as they each search for a link to their past, and struggle to avoid any unwanted attention. But when they cross paths with a band of cowboys, the light-hearted troupe turn out to be unexpected allies. With the law closing in on them and new setbacks coming each day, the girls quickly learn that there are not many places to hide on the open trail.

The part where I talk: I really liked this. Review to come soonish. And by soonish I mean March too. I may have to start posting twice a week if I keep this pace up. Now I have to go dry some dishes and put them away and make a pizza dough for tomorrow (which will actually be yesterday when you read this I think... time is so weird!), but, yeah. Spoiler for my review, but I enjoyed this a lot. So glad I read it, and I probably wouldn't have if it wasn't for doing Bingo!


So here's my bingo card!

Not an amazing amount of progress, but I have several books waiting for me at the library and have ordered more. I have plans! But I am at the mercy of the library, and it took a chunk of January for anything to get here at all. Still 34 books to go, but January totally doesn't count, right? Right.

I've got my February book challenge book ordered and, like I said, more holds waiting to be picked up, so I think I'll make a better dent come February.

I think this is a good start! How about you guys? What did you do this month?

Oh, also, do you guys prefer this on the last day of the month, or would you pefer it on the first day of the next month?

Peace and cookies,
Laina