2023 Reading Challenges Wrap-Up and 2024 Challenges

I'll recap the highlights and results of my 2023 Reading Challenges below, but you can see the details (including lists of books) at the link. 

And, I am joining all the same reading challenges in 2024! I know, kind of boring, but I've done all these challenges for multiple years and they fit my reading approach: helping me to stretch and meet my goals without being too prescriptive. I'll link below to the 2024 information for each of them so you can join the fun, too! Visit my 2024 Reading Challenges page for details, including monthly prompts and categories.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by My Reader's Block.

I haven't been doing very well on this one! Last year, I lowered my goal from 48 books from my own shelves to just 36 ... and I still fell short! I read only 30 books from my own shelves in 2023. However, the challenge allows you to count audiobooks and e-books also, and I have always just counted print books actually physically on my shelf. Since I listened to 29 audiobooks last year, that only left a total of 47 (and some were e-books and some library books).

I am joining the Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2024, sill hosted by My Reader's Block. I considered including audios and e-books this time, but I really do need to work down my mountain of print books (my TBR bookcase now has double rows on two shelves!), so I will again set my goal for 36 books from my own shelves.

 

2023 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

One of my favorites every year! I love seeing which of my books fits the theme for the month. In 2023, I hit 9 of the 12 monthly motifs.

This year, the challenge has a slightly different name but from the same hosts who are now at a new blog: 2024 Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Tanya and Kim at Chapter Adventure.

 

Classics Challenge

In a sad turn of events, the Back to the Classics Challenge that I join every year was not running in 2023. I looked all over and couldn't find another that fits for me, so I did it on my own! I used the 12 categories from the Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 because they make it more fun, and I set my goal at 6 classics - and I met my goal of 6 classics in 6 different categories!

 

2023 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

In 2023, as in 2022, I read titles that fit into 21 of the 26 letters of the alphabet. I even got a Z last year! I just reread the rules and had forgotten that for Q, X, and Z, you can count any word in thew title, not just the first word, so I'll keep that in mind for 2024.

For this year: 2024 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge.

 

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I signed up for the Nonfiction Nosher category, aiming to read at least 12 nonfiction books and hitting as many of the 12 categories as I can (last year I got 9 of the 12 categories). I read 12 nonfiction books in 2023 and hit 9 of the 12 categories.

This year's 2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge.

Diversity Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is a familiar challenge for me that I enjoy every year. I read 40 diverse books in 2023 (53% of my total books), and I hit 8 of the 12 monthly mini challenges. 

This year: Diversity Reading Challenge 2024.

 

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories (great blog!)

I signed up for this one back in 2014, so this is a continuation (it's a perpetual challenge. In 2023, I read 23 books set outside the U.S., visiting 25 different countries in my reading. That was almost double my numbers from 2022.

 

2023 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

This one is focused on tracking where I read here in the U.S. In 2023, I read books set in 32 different U.S. states, which was higher than 2022's 25 states.

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge.

 

Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Book By Book (me!)

My own annual challenge that I host each summer, beginning Memorial Day weekend (end of May) and running until Labor Day (first Monday of September). Hope you'll join me for the laid-back fun this summer! In summer 2023, I read 13 books with 400 or more pages. (But you only have to read  1 Big Book to join the fun!)

The new 2024 Big Book Summer Challenge page will go up on May 24, 2024.

 

R.I.P. Challenge

I love this annual fall challenge for reading spooky stuff in September and October. In 2023, I read 18 books that fit the darker themes of fall (mystery, thriller, dystopian, etc.).