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
    

 

 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. 

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.” 

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

AUGUST- A Book and a Song “Read a book with the same title as a song you’ve heard.”

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.

OCTOBER- Spellbinding or Spooktacular “Read a book that involves something spooky or magical or both.”

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.”

DECEMBER- White-out “Read a book with a wintry setting or a book with a mostly white cover.”

 

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.

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.

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.

12. Wild card classic. Any classic book you like, any category, as long as it's at least 50 years old!  

 

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 –
F –
G – The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
H –
I –
J –
K –
L – Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
M –
N –
O – Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger

P –
Q –
R –
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 –
W –
X –
Y –
Z –

 

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. 
   

History
Memoir/Biography
Crime & punishment
Science
Health
Travel
Food
Social Media
Sport
Relationships
The Arts
Published in 2023

 

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
    

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
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander 
UNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
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

 

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)
    

 

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

Alaska

Arizona

Arkansas

California - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Colorado

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia

Florida - Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Georgia - Concealed by Christina Diaz Gonzalez

Hawaii

Idaho

Illinois

Indiana

Iowa

Kansas

Kentucky

Louisiana

Maine - The Greatest Thing by Sarah Winifred Searle

Maryland - Be With the Dead by Matty Dalrymple

Massachusetts

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

Nebraska

Nevada

New Hampshire

New Jersey

New Mexico

New York

North Carolina

North Dakota

Ohio

Oklahoma

Oregon

Pennsylvania - A Serpent's Tooth by Matty Dalrymple

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas

Utah

Vermont

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!