Book By Book: 2021 Reading Challenges

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2021 hosted by My Reader's Block

I am once again setting my goal at Mt. Ararat, at 48 books from my TBR shelves (which I just barely missed last year with 44). Note that the challenge allows e-books and audios to count, but my main goal is to get through some of the physical books I own (my TBR bookcase now has double rows), so I only count physical books. This challenge has monthly review link-ups.

The River by Peter Heller
Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong
Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
All Together Now by Hope Larson
Rabbit, Run by John Updike
Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
Flamer by Mike Curato
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
Force of Nature by Jane Harper
7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up by Jimmy Gownley
End of Watch by Stephen King
The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray
The Air You Breathe by Frances de Ponte Peebles
Blackout by Connie Willis
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter
The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
The Sense of Reckoning by Matty Dalrymple
Broken Harbor by Tana French
The House on Tradd Street by Karen White
Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher
No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Other Boys by Damian Alexander
Lift by Kelly Corrigan
All Clear by Connie Willis
Friends Forever by Shannon Hale

38.A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet

2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

I enjoy this challenge every year! I only missed one monthly motif last year, so I will try to hit them all in 2021! This also has monthly review link-ups.

JANUARY- Once Upon A Time. Read a book from the Fantasy, Fairytale, Mythology, or Folklore Sub Genres. Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson (short story collection with fantasy & mythology elements)

FEBRUARY- Laughter and Love. Read a relationship story, romance, comedy, or feel good contemporary. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

MARCH- Countries and Cultures. Read a book set in a country, or about a culture, that’s different than your own and that you’d like to learn more about. The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (Ireland)

APRIL- Books on the Menu. Read a book that features food, restaurants, cafes, cooking, or baking, on the cover or in the story. A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles - food is very important to the main

MAY- Magnificent Middle Grade. Read a Middle Grade book – a book that is marketed toward ages 8-14.
7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up by Jimmy Gownley

JUNE- The Great Outdoors. Read a book featuring a garden, nature, country, or harvest setting or plot. The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Julia Grames

JULY- Short But Fabulous. Read a novella, comic, graphic novel, manga, or short book of poetry. Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter

AUGUST- Bag of Tricks. Read a book featuring any kind of magic, illusion, super powers, or enchantments. The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

SEPTEMBER- Back to School. Read a book with a school setting, featuring a student or educator OR read a book to educate yourself on a topic you’re interested in learning more about.
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

OCTOBER- Lurking in the Shadows. Read a book that has a gray, black, and/or white cover OR a book that shows a shadow on the cover. Illegal by Francisco X. Stork

NOVEMBER- In the Library with the Candlestick. Read a mystery- cozy, detective, spies, true crime, whodunnit, or the like. Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

DECEMBER- That’s History. Read a historical fiction book or a book about a true historical event. All Clear by Connie Willis

Back to the Classics Challenge 2021 hosted by Books and Chocolate.

Another challenge I return to each year. I usually set my goal at 6 classics (in 6 categories), and that works well for me - I did it last year! Here are the categories for 2021:

1. A 19th century classic: any book first published from 1800 to 1899:
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

2. A 20th century classic: any book first published from 1900 to 1971. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1971 and posthumously published. Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote

3. A classic by a woman author.

4. A classic in translation, meaning any book first published in a language that is not your primary language. You may read it in translation or in its original language, if you prefer.

5. A classic by BIPOC author; that is, a non-white author.

6. A classic by a new-to-you author, i.e., an author whose work you have never read.

7. New-to-you classic by a favorite author -- a new book by an author whose works you have already read.

8. A classic about an animal, or with an animal in the title. The animal can be real or metaphorical. (i.e., To Kill a Mockingbird). Rabbit, Run by John Updike

9. A children's classic.

10. A humorous or satirical classic.

11. A travel or adventure classic (fiction or non-fiction). It can be a travelogue or a classic in which the main character travels or has an adventure.

12. A classic play. Plays will only count in this category. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde

2021 AtoZ Reading Challenge hosted by Bookstacks and Golden Moms.

This is a new challenge for me, but it's described as a laid-back challenge, so that sounds right up my alley! You just track the books you read, trying to cover all letters of the alphabet (first letter of the title, not counting articles). There are also monthly mini challenges, which convinced me to to add this one.

A – All Together Now by Hope Larson
B – Beartown by Fredrik Backman
C – Clock Dance by Anne Tyler
D – Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick
E – End of Watch by Stephen King
F – Furious Thing by Jenny Downham
G – A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
H – A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor
I – The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
J –
K –
L – The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray
M – Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
N – Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
O – One Way or Another by Kara McDowell
P –
Q –
R – The River by Peter Heller
S – The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
T – Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
U – Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
V – The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
W – Whisky for Breakfast by Christopher P. Mooney
X –
Y – Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher
Z – Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Mini Challenges:

JANUARY – A book you purchased in 2020 but didn’t read - The River by Peter Heller
FEBRUARY – A book with non-romantic love (siblings, parent-child, friendships) - The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
MARCH – A book written by a person of a different race than you - Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
APRIL – A book with an Autistic main character (April is Autism Awareness)
MAY – A book about a nurse (Nat. Nurses Week 2021 is May 6-12) The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
JUNE – A co-written book (2 authors)
JULY – A Christmas book (Christmas in July!)
AUGUST – A book by an Indie author (self-published or independent)
SEPTEMBER – A memoir/biography Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
OCTOBER – A book written by a new-to-you author Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher
NOVEMBER – A book outside your normal genre I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
DECEMBER – A backlist title (published BEFORE Jan 1, 2021) All Clear by Connie Willis

2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge hosted by POPSUGAR.

I was looking for a pure fun reading challenge last year and saw this one at Helen's Book Blog, and it sounded like just what I was looking for! There are no sign-ups or link-ups, just a printable checklist of a wide range of 50 different categories and lots of ways to connect via social media. So, I'm in!

Rather than retyping all 50 categories here, I will just list the ones I check off each month.

Book you've seen on someone else's bookshelf: Beartown by Fredrik Backman
A genre hybrid: Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson
Book set mostly or entirely outdoors: The River by Peter Heller
Book about fresh starts: A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor
Book by a blogger, vlogger, or other online personality: Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
A book with a heart on the cover: Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg
A book set in multiple countries: The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
A book by an indigenous author: The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
A book in a different format than you normally read: A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong
A book you think your best friend would like: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz
The shortest book on your TBR list: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
A book about forgetting - My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares
A book featuring 3 (actually, 5!) generations - Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur
A book that has the same title as a song - All Together Now by Hope Larson
A book with fewer than 1000 review on Amazon/Goodreads - Whisky for Breakfast by Christopher P. Mooney
A book everyone seems to have read but you - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
A free book from your TBR list - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart
A book where the main character works at your current job - Forest Dark (writer)
A book that discusses body positivity - Flamer
Pop Sugar prompt from a previous challenge: A book published in 2020 - One Way or Another
Book with something broken on the cover - The Silent Patient
Book about social justice - The Vanishing Half
Book on your TBR list with the ugliest cover: I figured End of Watch by Stephen King counts for gruesomeness!
Book from your TBR list you meant to read last year: The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray
Book from your TBR list chosen at random: All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor (a lucky pick!)
Book published in 2021: Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter
Book with a black and white cover: Blackout by Connie Willis
Book by an author who shares your Zodiac sign: The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson
The book on your TBR with the prettiest cover: The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin
A book about art or an artist - The Lying Game by Ruth Ware
Longest book on your TBR - Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
A book that won the Women's Prize for Fiction: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (2020)
A book from your TBR you associate with a favorite person, place, or thing: I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara (my son's girlfriend, who loves true crime!)
A book by a Muslim Amercian author: Sabina Khan (Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan)
A book whose title starts with a Q, X, or Z: Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan
A book set in a restaurant: Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I always sign up for a nonfiction challenge, and I enjoyed this one last year! I read 15 nonfiction books in 2020, so I will sign up for the Nonfiction Know-It-all category and shoot for reading at least 12.

The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert
Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky
Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System by Matt Richtel
No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
Other Boys by Damian Alexander
Lift by Kelly Corrigan

As an extra challenge, there are different categories:

1. Biography Becoming by Michelle Obama

2. Travel - Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

3. Self-help - Make Time: How to Focus on What Matters Every Day by Jake Knapp and John Zeratsky

4. Essay Collection

5. Disease - An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System by Matt Richtel

6. Oceanography The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert

7. Hobbies Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang

8. Indigenous Cultures

9. Food

10. Wartime Experiences - The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen

11. Inventions

12. Published in 2021 - No Cure For Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear) by Kate Bowler

Diversity Reading Challenge 2021 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is also a familiar challenge for me that I enjoyed last year. Since I read 38 diverse books last year, I will shoot for 40 this year! This challenge includes quarterly link-ups for reviews.

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong
The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich
Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg
Twins by Varian Johnson and Shannon Wright
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur
One Way or Another by Kara McDowell
Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss
Flamer by Mike Curato
Astray by Emma Donoghue
Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
Becoming by Michelle Obama
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up by Jimmy Gownley
End of Watch by Stephen King
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Julia Grames
The Air You Breathe by Frances de Ponte Peebles
Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag
Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd
The Sense of Reckoning by Matty Dalrymple
Illegal by Francisco X. Stork
Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher
An Elegant Defense: The Extraordinary New Science of the Immune System by Matt Richtel
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen
Other Boys by Damian Alexander
Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune
Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

This challenge includes optional monthly themes. Last year, I hit the monthly themes 6 months (out of 12), so I will sign up for Da Bomb Level for the Mini Challenges (reading on-topic 5-8 months):

JANUARY – diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting
FEBRUARY – poc: Black/African American A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong

MARCH – #ownvoices; or gender: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction
APRIL – poc: Middle Eastern/South Asian Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss (Israel)
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline
JUNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Julia Grames

JULY – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity The Air You Breathe by Frances de Ponte Peebles

AUGUST – mental health/addiction
SEPTEMBER – poc: hispanic/latinx
OCTOBER – physical/sensory/cognitive/intellectual/developmental disabilities
Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher

NOVEMBER – poc: Native American
DECEMBER – religious minorities Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge hosted by Mom's Small Victories

I signed up for this one back in 2014, so this is a continuation (it's a perpetual challenge) - I can't wait to see what places I visit in books in 2021! In 2020, my books took me to 33 places outside the U.S., covering 18 different countries.

The River by Peter Heller (Canada)
Not the End of the World by Kate Atkinson (UK)
Beartown by Fredrik Backman (Sweden)
Furious Thing by Jenny Downham (UK)
The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde (UK)
The Sixth Extinction by Elizabeth Kolbert (Panama, Iceland, Australia, Peru)
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne (Ireland)
Whisky for Breakfast by Christopher P. Mooney (UK)
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Russia)
Forest Dark by Nicole Krauss (Israel)
Astray by Emma Donoghue (UK, Canada)
Force of Nature by Jane Harper (Australia)
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (UK)
The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Julia Grames (Italy)
The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray (Czech Republic, Austria)
The Air You Breathe by Frances de Ponte Peebles (Brazil)
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton (Australia)
Blackout by Connie Willis (UK)
After the Flood by Kassandra Montag (Canada, Caribbean, Arctic)
The Accidental Further Adventures of the 100-Year-Old Man by Jonas Jonasson (Indonesia, Sweden, North Korea, Denmark, Kenya, Tanzania, NY)
The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag (Canada)
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Russia)
A Better Man by Louise Penny (Canada)
The Book of Longings by Sue Monk Kidd (Israel, Egypt)
The Lying Game by Ruth Ware (UK)
A Corner of White by Jacalyn Moriarty (UK)
Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty (Australia)
Broken Harbor by Tana French (Ireland)
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict (UK)
Young Man with Camera by Emil Sher (Canada)
The Ghost of Midnight Lake by Lucy Strange (UK)
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell (UK)
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner (Korea)
The Sisters of Auschwitz by Roxane van Iperen (Netherlands)
All Clear by Connie Willis (UK)
Miss Benson’s Beetle by Rachel Joyce (New Caledonia)

2021 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2020, I read books set in 24 different states. I'm looking forward to reading in even more states this year!

Alabama

Alaska

Arizona One Way or Another by Kara McDowell, Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver

Arkansas

California - The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz, A Map to the Sun by Sloane Leong, All Together Now by Hope Larson, Allergic by Megan Wagner Lloyd & Michelle Mee Nutter, Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang, I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamar, Lift by Kelly Corrigan

Colorado

Connecticut - A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Conno, The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Julia Grames

Delaware Nature's Best Hope by Douglas Tallamy

District of Columbia

Florida

Georgia

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois Becoming by Michelle Obama

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas After the Flood by Kassandra Montag

Kentucky

Louisiana The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Maine The Summer Guest by Justin Cronin, The Sense of Reckoning by Matty Dalrymple

Maryland Clock Dance by Anne Tyler

Massachusetts - Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson

Michigan

Minnesota

Mississippi

Missouri

Montana

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire - Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg

New Jersey Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick

New Mexico

New York Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote, The Mighty Queens of Freeville by Amy Dickinson, The Lost Time Accidents by John Wray, All of This Is True by Lygia Day Peñaflor

North Carolina

North Dakota - The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

Ohio Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline, End of Watch by Stephen King

Oklahoma

Oregon - Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

Pennsylvania - Rabbit, Run by John Updike, A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet

Rhode Island

South Carolina The House on Tradd Street by Karen White

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas Illegal by Francisco X. Stork, Zara Hossain Is Here by Sabina Khan

Utah Friends Forever by Shannon Hale

Vermont - Heart Spring Mountain by Robin MacArthur

Virginia - My Name Is Memory by Ann Brashares

Washington - The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise by Dan Gemeinhart

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play most months! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along!

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!