It’s time for a mid-year challenge check in! This is my first check-in of the year, and I’ll share my final challenge results in December or January. How have I done so far? Keep reading to find out:
1. 2026 Goodreads goal:
I’m hoping to hit 50 books by the end of June, and I still have about a week, so we’ll see how close I can get. This number is as of today. I’m pretty happy with my progress, especially since some of the books I’ve read this year have been simply amazing!
2. Bookforager’s Picture Prompt Bingo:
I am behind with this challenge, but to be honest, I sort of forgot about it, lol. For now, I’ve filled in five spaces, but I’m pretty sure I can finish this by the end of the year.
Here is my status so far:
1. A teacup and saucer
2. A set of weighing scales
3. A moth – Bodies of Work by Clay McLeod Chapman (butterflies play a part in the story – close enough!)
4. A hand holding playing cards
5. A hot air balloon
6. An acorn – Nightshade & Oak by Molly O’Neill (I mean, it’s in the title!)
7. A human eye – The Sixth Nik by Daniel Kraus (the main character’s eye is a focal point in the story and has deep meaning)
8. A cooking pot hanging over a campfire
9. A griffin
10. A large old key – The Children by Melissa Albert (keys play an important part in the story)
11. A hand holding a threaded needle – Obstetrix by Naomi Kritzer (the main character is kidnapped by a cult and has to darn clothes)
12. An octopus –
13. A plant being repotted
14. A skull and crossbones
15. A decorative water fountain
16. A pinch-clip purse
Check out Mayri’s post here for more information if you’d like to join in!
3. Alphabet Reading Challenge:
This challenge is going very well considering I’m only halfway through the year! But of course, I have the “hard” letters left: P, Q, U, X, Y and Z. Hopefully I can fill those in in the next 6 months.
4. 2026 Speccy Fiction Challenge:
I’ve pretty much aced this challenge already! I only have one more prompt to fill – Cozy Fantasy (which I’m shocked I haven’t read yet).
Published in 2026 – The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer
A speculative novella (less than 250pgs) – We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune
A translated speculative novel – Teddy Bears Never Die by Cho Yeeun
The first book in a speculative fiction duology/trilogy/series – The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Romantic speculative fiction – A Widow’s Charm by Caitlyn Paxson
Speculative fiction that features a creature (animal/monster) – Agnes Aubert’s Mystical Cat Shelter by Heather Fawcett
A cozy fantasy novel
Dark Fantasy – The Children by Melissa Albert
A fantasy based on myth, legend or folklore – A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter
A scifi that takes place on a spaceship or space station – Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart
Dystopian – The Verdant Cage by Jess Lourey
A scifi featuring conscious technology – Nobody’s Baby by Olivia Waite
Check out Shelleyrae’s post here if you’d like to join too:-D
5. This Challenge Killed the Bookworm:
I also forgot about this challenge, so it’s early days still, lol. But I do like the prompts, and I’m certain I can fill most of them in by the end of the year. Here’s my progress:
Scaled creatures –
Dark Academia –
Faeries are Bad –
Faeries are Good –
Artificial Stupidity Intelligence –
Set Far Far Away –
A Book by T. Kingfisher – Wolf Worm
Pretty Cover – The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula
Creepy Cover –
Space Travel – Detour by Jeff Rake & Rob Hart
Cozy Fantasy –
Such a Fungi
There’s probably a deity involved somehow –
A Fun Book –
“Weather” –
Witchcraft
Retail Therapy –
Working in Stem –
The End of the World – We Burned So Bright by T.J. Klune
Bookish – The Book Witch by Meg Shaffer
Bargain –
It’s a Mystery – A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James
Paranormal Romance –
Beware of the Woods – A Forest, Darkly by A.G. Slatter
Water Works –
Check out the kick-off post here if you’d like to participate too:-D
Read my Purchased Books/Past Due ARCs:
Soooo…yeah. I have only read two purchased books this year so far. But I do have plans to read a few more, so I haven’t given up on this challenge yet!
It sounds like you’re doing great challenge wise, I can’t believe how far ahead you are with your Goodreads goal and how close you are to finishing two of the others here!! I need to check in with my own challenges sometime although I already know that my 26 for 2026 won’t go well, I got side tracked and decided to make reading everything from my first most anticipated titles post a priority instead lol. Thats going pretty well at least. Good luck with finishing these off, I’m sure you can do it. I’m not great at getting to 0wned books either instead ARCs and library titles sidetrack me.
I will change my GR challenge to 100 and that’s what I’m aiming for. I like to start out with a lower number because I don’t like to see the words “you’re behind,” lol.
You’re doing really great on your challenges! I only do the Goodreads one and the Mythology and history bingo but I’m on track with both!
That’s the way to ace your challenges, just do a few:-)
The curiosity one is right up my alley, wow! Wish I had seen that sooner! You’re doing great!
Thanks! I like that one too, but I do need to go back and find other books I’ve read that will fit the prompts.
Awesome job!
Thanks Bree!
I am always amazed at how many challenges you take Tammy!
They always seem like a good idea in the beginning of the year, lol.
You are killing these! I really like the prompts on that bingo board and I would expect no less from you than having almost completed the speculative fiction challenge. Keep up the awesome reading!
The Speccy Fic challenge is a little too easy for me, I think it’s meant more for readers who don’t read spec fiction as much.
Look like good progress to me!
Thanks, I’m pretty happy:-)
Great nob!
Thanks Stormi!
Good progress! I’m so behind on mine, ahaha, but I’m trying to be philosophical.
Yeah, sometimes you have to just let it go. I’m sure you’ll catch up!
Welp, you just reminded me that I need to make this post myself. I think you are doing great with these. I really like the sound of This Challenge Killed the Bookworm. The prompts really are great. Best of luck in the second half of the year with these!
Thanks Alicia! I love the Bookworm challenge too. Good luck with your challenges!
Great progress! I really intended (and still intend) to read more of the books I already own… but as always, I’ve gotten wrapped up in ARCs and new releases rather than making time for the books on my shelves. At leas there’s still half a year to go!
I haven’t updated my goodreads page in a while now so I’ve no clue how I’m doing compared to my goal, but I hope to get caught up soon, so we’ll see… Looks like you’re doing pretty good, even with challenges you forget about. 🙂
Looks like mostly great progress! I know what you mean, though, about forgetting about challenges. It can be super easy to do! That’s one reason I don’t usually try to plan my reading based on the challenges as much, and instead fill them in after the fact.
You’re doing so well and you’ve reminded me that I need to do a check in with the Picture Prompt challenge.
Lynn 😀
You’re doing great! I always forget about all the challenges if they aren’t in my reading journal haha.
I still have the “hard” letters left on my alphabet challenge, but one of them left is K, and I can’t believe that is a hard one!! And you’d think Y would be easy, because surely I’m reading a book that starts with the word “You”, right? lol. Looks like some good progress on some of your challenges! I’m debating if maybe next year instead of doing all my challenges every month in my monthly update, I’ll save time and just do a mid-year for the majority of them. Maybe even stop doing it with my July wrap-up to save some time. We shall see!
https://lisalovesliterature.bookblog.io/2026/07/01/the-looooong-and-the-short-of-it-june-2026-wrap-up-post-and-looking-forward-to-july/