2017 Challenge wrap-up

A few weeks ago, I was still a little stressed out by the number of un-checked boxes, not necessarily because of the number, but more because I was having difficulty finding something in that category I would enjoy reading.  Since I had made a truly valiant effort to read a book in every category, I gave myself permission to check off the last half-dozen boxes with books I tried to read but couldn't finish for a variety of reasons.  With this bit of leniency, I'm pretty pleased with my performance.

Read a book about:
Non-Western history: Life along the Silk Road, Susan Whitfield
An Indigenous culture: The land of naked people: Encounters with Stone Age islanders, Madhursee Mukerjee
Philosophy: We are all stardust: Scientists who shaped our world talk about their work, their lives, and what they still want to know, Stefan Klein
Women in war: The Queen's accomplice, Susan Elia MacNeal
Japanese philosophy: Ikigai: The Japanese secret to a long and happy life, Hector Garcia and Frances Miralles
Science: The tale of the dueling neurosurgeons: The history of the human brain as revealed by true stories of trauma, madness, and recovery, Sam Kean
An immigrant or refugee to the U.S.: A different pond, Bao Phi
Current events: Stepping stones: A refugee family's journey , Margriet Ruurs, artwork by Nizar Ali Badr, translated by Falah Raheem
Psychology: The 5 love languages of children, Gary Chapman and D. Ross Campbell
Someone's journey-- inner or outer: Someone to hold, Mary Balogh
Religion: The lost book of the Grail, Charlie Lovett
Your favorite hobby: Sheet pan suppers: 120 recipes for simple, surprising, hands-off meals straight from the oven, Molly Gilbert
A difficult topic: Boy, Anna Ziegler

Read a book: 
Before you see the movie: R.I.P.D., Peter Lankov (*1)
Set in the Middle East: Pride of Baghdad, Brian K. Vaughan and Niko Henrichon
[That's mentioned in another book: Guns, germs, and steel: The fates of human societies, Jared Diamond]
Based on mythology: The sword of summer, Rick Riordan
[From a genre/subgenre you've never heard of: The island of the day before, Umberto Eco]
Recommended by an author you love: Farmer in the sky, Robert Heinlein
With pictures: Age of reptiles, Ricardo Delgado
With an unreliable narrator: Right behind you, Lisa Gardner
Set in the wilderness: Woods runner, Gary Paulsen
That's been on your TBR list too long: Crosstalk, Connie Willis
From a nonhuman perspective: Flashmob, Christopher Farnsworth
Involving travel: The space between the stars, Anne Corlett

Read a(n):
Graphic novel written by a woman: The night bookmobile, Audrey Niffenegger
Children's book aloud: Jennifer, Jennifer, Jennifer, Hannah E. Lowe
Memoir by someone who identifies as LGBTQIA: Hunger: A memoir of (my) body, Roxane Gay
Espionage thriller: Cold barrel zero, Matthew Quick
Work of post-apocalyptic fiction written by a woman: The book of Phoenix, Nnnedi Okorafor
Feminist sci-fi novel: Y negative, Kelly Haworth
First book in a series you've never read: Touched by an alien, Gini Koch
Translated book: Beartown, Fredrik Backman
Contemporary collection of poetry: You don't have to say you love me, Sherman Alexie
Book by a modernist woman writer: Herland, Charlotte Perkins Gilman
Set in Antarctica: South Pole Station, Ashley Shelby
Book of letters: Sorcery and Cecelia, Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer
Collection of comics: Love and capes, vol. 2, Thomas Zahler
Audiobook: Stiff upper lip, Jeeves, P.G. Wodehouse
Science fiction book written by a man: Artemis, Andy Weir
Classic you've always wanted to read: The Swiss family Robinson, Johann Wyss
Book written over a century ago, then read a retelling of the book: Jane Eyre, Charlotte Bronte, and Jane Steele, Lyndsay Faye
Graphic novel that's a retelling of a classic book: Jane, the fox and me, Fanny Britt, illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault, translated by Christelle Morelli and Susan Ouriou
Children's book you didn't read as a child: Thunder Boy Jr., Sherman Alexie
Book that has less than 100 pages: Bound with love, Megan Mulry
Book that was adapted to film.  Watch the film, then compare and contrast it with the book: The Indian in the cupboard, Lynne Reid Banks, and The Indian in the cupboard with Hal Scardino
Auto/biography of a woman, written by a woman: Trials of the earth, Mary Mann Hamilton
Murder mystery written by a woman: The corpse with the diamond hand, Cathy Ace
Book by a female author that deals with a serious topic: In our backyard: Human trafficking in American and what we can do to stop it, Nita Belles, read by Nicol Zanzarella
Murder mystery written by a man: The late show, Michael Connelly
[Auto/biography of a man, written by a man: Empire made: My search for an outlaw uncle who vanished in British India, Kief Hillsbery]
Bestseller from 2016: A man called Ove, Fredrik Backmann (*2)
Bestseller from a genre you don't normally read: If not for you, Debbie Macomber
Reread your favorite book from your childhood: The island stallion, Walter Farley

Read a book written by a(n):
Woman under 25: St. Lucy's home for girls raise by wolves, Karen Russell
Author born in an African country: Wife of the gods, Kwei Quartey
Author born in Asia: A rising man, Abir Mukherjee
Author born in China: Little white duck, Na Liu
Author born in Australia/Oceanai: The secret river, Kate Grenville
Author born in a European country: Nation, Terry Pratchett, read by Stephen Briggs
Author born in India: The Bollywood affair, Sonali Dev
Author born in North America: Heat: Adventures in the world's fiery places, Bill Streever
Author born in South America: Innocent Erendira and other stories, Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Author born in the Caribbean: Wide Sargasso Sea, Jean Rhys
Or about a person who has a disability: Wrinkles, Paco Roca
Multiple authors: nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E., Warren Ellis and Stuart Immonen

Read a book of:
[Essays: A slip of the keyboard: Collected nonfiction, Terry Pratchett, read by Michael Fenton Stevens] (*3)
Classic literature written by a woman: From the mixed-up files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, E.L. Konigsburg
Classic literature written by a man: The little prince, Antione de Saint-Exupery
Fiction set during wartime: Eagle and empire, Alan Smale.

Notes:
(*1): I checked out the DVD several times but could never fit it in to my schedule.  Since the task doesn't explicitly say I have to watch the movie during the same year, whoever, I decided not to worry about it.
(*2): I've read a number of books that fit into this category, but they were all prepubs I read *in* 2016: Curious minds, Grunt, The revenant, What if?, and The Martian were easy finds.
(*3): I want(ed) so much to finish this, but my audio download expired and there's a holds list!  I considered using my librarian powers for evil and buying more copies so I could get it quicker, but the spending was all done for the year.  :`(