2023 Reading Challenges

I enjoyed my 2022 Reading Challenges (see how I did at the link), so I'm signing up for the same ones this year.

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by My Reader's Block - Now in its 12th year!

This year, I am setting my goal at Mt. Vancouver, 36 books from my TBR shelves. I missed my goal of 48 the past two years (33 TBR books last year), so this seems more realistic. Even though I rarely buy books for myself, I seem to be losing the battle, and my TBR bookcase now has double rows on two shelves! I realize, though, that with library books for book group, graphic novels from publishers, and new releases for the annual Booktopia event, this is a more reasonable goal.

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, so I usually only count physical books. This challenge has monthly review link-ups.

1. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
3. The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
4. Dead of Winter by Stephen Mack Jones
5. Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
6. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
7. A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates
8. Unlikely Animals by Annie Harrtnett
9. Brother and Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella
10. Billy Summers by Stephen King
11. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
12. Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler
13. Scythe by Neal Schusterman
14. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
15. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
16. Afterland by Lauren Beukes
17. The Night Fire by Michael Connelly 
18. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters
    
19. A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson
20. Bang by Lisa McMann
21. Upgrade by Blake Crouch
22. Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick 
    
23. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 
24. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley 
25. Dreamer by Akim Aliu 
26. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 
27. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
28. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
29.  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

30. Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett

     

 

 2023 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Girlxoxo.

I enjoy this challenge every year! I hit eleven of twelve of the monthly motifs last year, so I will try to hit them all in 2023! This also has monthly review link-ups.

JANUARY- New Year, New Direction “Read a book with one, or more, ‘directional’ words in the title.” ie. (into, over, out, behind, left, right, down, up, north, south, out, etc.)  Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

FEBRUARY- If You Have A Garden and a Library… “Read a book with a plant or flower on the cover.” Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

MARCH- Animal, Number, Color, Name “Read a book with an animal, number, color, or name in the title.“

APRIL- I Like Big Books “Read a book over 400 pages long or listen to an audiobook over 14 hrs long.”

MAY- In It To Win It “Read a book that involves a game or contest of some sort.” ie. Virtual reality, video games, war games, psychological mess-with-your-mind games, characters who participate in a contest, or a story in which the character takes on a personal challenge. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

JUNE- Take the Plunge “Read a book from any genre that is set on or near a body of water- lake, ocean, pool, river, etc.” The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

JULY- I Need Only One Word “Read a book with only one word as the title.” Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

AUGUST- A Book and a Song “Read a book with the same title as a song you’ve heard.” First Cut by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

SEPTEMBER- Speculative Stories “Read a book from the speculative fiction sub-genre” i.e. a book with elements that do not exist in the real world. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

OCTOBER- Spellbinding or Spooktacular “Read a book that involves something spooky or magical or both.” Coraline by Neil Gaiman (UK)

NOVEMBER- Around OR Out of this World “Read a book set in a country other than the one you live in OR read a book that takes place in space or on another planet.” The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

DECEMBER- White-out “Read a book with a wintry setting or a book with a mostly white cover.” Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

 

Classics Challenge

In a sad turn of events, the Back to the Classics Challenge that I join every year is not running in 2023. I looked all over and couldn't find another that fits for me (just one that requires 12 classics that fit into monthly themes). So, I guess I'm on my own this year! I'm posting the 12 categories from the Back to the Classics Challenge 2022 because they make it more fun, and I am again setting my goal to read 6 classics this year (I read 7 last year).

1. A 19th century classic. Any book first published from 1800 to 1899 -

2. A 20th century classic. Any book first published from 1900 to 1972. All books must have been published at least 50 years ago; the only exceptions are books which were written by 1972 and posthumously published. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

3. A classic by a woman author. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck

4. A classic in translation.  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. Any book published by a non-white author. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

6. Mystery/Detective/Crime classic. It can be fiction or non-fiction (true crime). Examples include Murder on the Orient Express, Crime and Punishment, In Cold Blood. Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

7. A classic short story collection. Any single volume that contains at least six short stories. The book can have a single author or can be an anthology of multiple authors.

8. Pre-1800 classic. Anything written before 1800. Plays and epic poems, such as the Odyssey, are acceptable in this category. 

9. A nonfiction classic. Travel, memoirs, and biographies are great choices for this category.

10. Classic that's been on your TBR list the longest. Find the classic book that's been hanging around unread the longest, and finally cross it off your list!  

11. Classic set in a place you'd like to visit. Can be real or imaginary -- Paris, Tokyo, the moon, Middle Earth, etc. It can be someplace you've never been, or someplace you'd like to visit again.

Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs - Africa

12. Wild card classic. Any classic book you like, any category, as long as it's at least 50 years old!  Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

 

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

This type of challenge was a new for me in 2021, and I enjoyed it in 2022, too! You just track the books you read, trying to cover all letters of the alphabet (first letter of the title, not counting articles). The past two years, I filled in 21 of 26 letters. I just read the fine print and learned that for Q, X, and Z, they can be the first letter of any word in the title, so maybe that will help me!

A – Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
B – Be With the Dead by Matty Dalrymple
C – Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez
D – Department of Rare Books & Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
E – Everything the Light Touches by Janice Pariat
F – A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
G –The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
H –The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara
I – It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
J –
K –
L – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
M – The Midnight Children by Dan Gemeinhart
N – The Night Fire by Michael Connelly
O – Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

P – Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley
Q –
R – The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
S – A Serpent's Tooth by Matty Dalrymple
T – Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
U – The Upper World by Femi Fudugba
V – Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
W – We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer
X –
Y –
Z – The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

 

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I always sign up for a nonfiction challenge, and I enjoyed this one the past two years, when I read 13 nonfiction books each year. I am once again signing up for the Nonfiction Nosher category and shooting for reading at least 12 and hitting as many of the 12 categories as I can (last year I got 9 of the 12 categories).

1. The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
   
2. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
3. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater  
4. In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee
5. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

6. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

7. Layers by Pénélope Bagieu
8. Dreamer by Akim Aliu 
9. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 
10. How to Forget by Kate Mulgrew
11. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
12.  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

History Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
Memoir/Biography - The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
Crime & punishment - The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Science - The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman
Health In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee
Travel - A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat
Food
Social Media
Sport - Dreamer by Akim Aliu
Relationships - How to Forget by Kate Mulgrew
The Arts
Published in 2023 - Layers by Pénélope Bagieu

 

Diversity Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is also a familiar challenge for me that I enjoy every year. I read 45 diverse books last year (out of 75 books total), so I will aim to hit that high of 45 again this year! This challenge also includes monthly mini challenges (I hit 8 of them last year) and a link-up for reviews.   

1. Department of Rare Books & Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk
2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
3. The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle
4. Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar 
5. A Serpent's Tooth by Matty Dalrymple
6. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
7. Dead of Winter by Stephen Mack Jones 
8. Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
9. The Upper World by Femi Fudugba 
10. Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott
11. The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
12. It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds
13. This Is Our Place by Vitor Martins 
14. Unlikely Animals by Annie Harrtnett
15. In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee
    
16. Brother and Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella 
17. The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate
18. The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater  
19. The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
20. The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara
21. Into White by Randi Pink 
22. Everything the Light Touches by Janice Pariat 
23. Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen
24. The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar 
25. Afterland by Lauren Beukes 
26. The Night Fire by Michael Connelly 
27. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
    
28. Crash by Lisa McMann
29. Bang by Lisa McMann 
30. When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash 
31. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan  
32. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley  
33. Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith and Boulet 
34. Dreamer by Akim Aliu 
35. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman 
36. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
37. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu 
38. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates
39.  We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

40.  Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruqi

    
    

Mini-Challenges:

JANUARY – diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting - The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
FEBRUARY – poc: Black/African American  Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris
MARCH – #ownvoices; or gender: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction Can You See Me? by Libby Scott and Rebecca Westcott

APRIL – poc: Middle Eastern/South Asian In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
JUNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity  The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara

 JULY – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
AUGUST – mental health/addiction
SEPTEMBER – poc: hispanic/latinx
OCTOBER – physical/sensory/cognitive/intellectual/developmental disabilities
NOVEMBER – poc: Native American
DECEMBER – religious minorities The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman

 

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) - I can't wait to see what places I visit in books in 2023! In 2021, my books took me to 36 places outside the U.S., covering 17 different countries, but in 2022, I only read books in 16 places outside the U.S. and 14 different "countries" (and that was including Mars, Venus, and the Moon - lol). So, I hope to get back on track this year with more global reads.

1. Department of Rare Books & Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk (Canada - Ontario)
2. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck (China)
3. Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar (Mexico)
4. The Upper World by Femi Fudugba (UK - London)
5. A First Time for Everything by Dan Santat (UK, France, Germany, Switzerland)
6. This Is Our Place by Vitor Martins (Brazil)
7. The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (UK)
8. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon (Scotland, France, Jamaica, Hispaniola)
9. In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee (Korea)
10. A Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz (UK - England)
11. Everything the Light Touches by Janice Pariat (India, Italy, Finland)
12. The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar  (India)
13. Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen (England, France, Germany, Austria/Hungary, Russia)
14. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny (Canada - Quebec)
15. Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie (UK)
16. Coraline by Neil Gaiman (UK) 
17. Layers by Pénélope Bagieu (France) 
18. Dreamer by Akim Aliu (Ukraine, Nigeria, Canada) 
19. The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman (Poland) 
20. How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu (Japan) 
21. The Moment of Lift by Melinda Gates (Africa - multiple countries)
23. The Homecoming by Kate Morton (Australia)
24. Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs (Africa)
    

 

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

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2022, I read books set in 25 different states. I'm looking forward to reading in even more states this year!

Alabama - Into White by Randi Pink, Rabbit Cake by Annie Hartnett

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas - Billy Summers by Stephen King

California - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus, Land of the Cranes by Aida Salazar, The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater, The Love Scribe by Amy Meyerson, The Night Fire by Michael Connelly, How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, First Cut by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

Colorado - Upgrade by Blake Crouch

Connecticut - Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley

Delaware - Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler

District of Columbia - Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard

Florida - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, Saving Sunshine by Saadia Faruq

Georgia - Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois - Crash and Bang by Lisa McMann, We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby

Indiana

Iowa  - How to Forget by Kate Mulgrew

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana - The Book of Lost Friends by Lisa Wingate

Maine - The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle, Nine Lives by Peter Swanson

Maryland - Be With the Dead by Matty Dalrymple

Massachusetts - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin

Michigan - Dead of Winter by Stephen Mack Jones

Minnesota - Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

Mississippi - Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris

Missouri

Montana - A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson

Nebraska - The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles, Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick

Nevada

New Hampshire - Unlikely Animals by Annie Harrtnett, Countdown City by Ben H. Winters

New Jersey - In Limbo by Deb JJ Lee

New Mexico

New York - The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray, A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates, Brother and Sister Enter the Forest by Richard Mirabella, The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara, Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley, The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin

North Carolina - When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash

North Dakota

Ohio - It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit by Justin A. Reynolds, The Strangers: book one of Greystone Secrets by Margaret Peterson Haddix

Oklahoma - The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

Oregon - The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy

Pennsylvania - A Serpent's Tooth by Matty Dalrymple

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas - When She Woke by Hillary Jordan

Utah - Afterland by Lauren Beukes

Vermont - We Love to Entertain by Sarah Strohmeyer, A Flaw in the Design by Nathan Oates

Virginia - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Washington

West Virginia

Wisconsin

Wyoming

 

Big Book Summer Challenge (link to 2022; 2023 link will go up in May) 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!

1. Billy Summers by Stephen King
2. The House of Impossible Beauties by Joseph Cassara
3. Voyager by Diana Gabaldon
4. The Strangers: book one of Greystone Secrets by Margaret Peterson Haddix
5. Scythe by Neal Schusterman
6. Everything the Light Touches by Janice Pariat
7. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
8. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles
9. The Secrets Between Us by Thrity Umrigar 
   
10. Lines of Courage by Jennifer Nielsen
11. Afterland by Lauren Beukes  
12. The Night Fire by Michael Connelly 
13. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
    

 

R.I.P. Challenge

1. First Cut by Judy Melinek and TJ Mitchell

2. The Night Fire by Michael Connelly 
3. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny
   
4. Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard
5. Countdown City by Ben H. Winters
   
6. A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson 
7. Crash by Lisa McMann
8. Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie
   
9. Bang by Lisa McMann 
10. Upgrade by Blake Crouch 
11. When Ghosts Come Home by Wiley Cash  
12. Coraline by Neil Gaiman (UK) 
    
13. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan 
14. Nine Lives by Peter Swanson 
15. Down the River Unto the Sea by Walter Mosley  
16. Dangerous Lies by Becca Fitzpatrick 
17. The Stars Did Wander Darkling by Colin Meloy
18. Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith and Boulet