Book By Book: 2024 Reading Challenges

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2024 hosted by My Reader's Block.

This year, I am setting my goal at Mt. Vancouver, 36 books from my TBR shelves. 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!

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.

Since I am also on YouTube, I will also reference the Read What You Own challenge there, hosted by Criminolly.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson
As They Were by MFK Fisher
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
Honey by Victor Lodato
The East Indian by Brinda Charry
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Trust by Hernan Diaz
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
Holly by Stephen King
The Last Ranger by Peter Heller
The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin
Chances Are ... by Richard Russo
November Road by Lou Berney
The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
Dead Wake by Erik Larson
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

2024 Motif Reading Challenge hosted by Tanya and Kim at Chapter Adventure.

This is one of my favorite annual challenges, with a slightly different name and the same hosts but now at a new blog. The idea is simple: read a book to fit each month's motif. Their monthly themes are always fun! Here are the motifs for 2024:

𝗠𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗬 𝗠𝗢𝗧𝗜𝗙𝗦⁠

JAN- “Red Carpet Reads” Read a book that has won an award or been nominated for one.⁠ Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

FEB- “Dynamic Duos” Read a book with a couple of characters that make the perfect pair- whether in business, friendship, or in love.⁠ Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

MAR- “Thrill Me” Read a thriller- Psychological thriller; Action thriller; Crime thriller; etc.⁠ Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen

APR- “Who’s In Charge Here?” Read a book where the character’s involvement in Royalty, Government, a Kingdom, or any ruling body plays a roll.⁠

MAY- “Face Off” Read a book with a face on the cover. Bonus points if you take a #bookface photo!⁠ - My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar

JUN- “Comedy Club” Read a book that’s guaranteed to make you laugh.⁠ Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

JUL- “Creature Feature” Read a book with an animal in the story- real or mythical. ⁠Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon

AUG- “Seasons, Elements, Weather” Read a book where the season, weather, climate, or elements play a roll in the plot.⁠ The Ferryman by Justin Cronin

SEP- “Story of Survival” Read a book where the character stays strong and survives something. ⁠Holly by Stephen King

OCT- “Wicked Good Reads” An ode to Girlxoxo’s annual WGR event. Ghosts, Witches, Vampires, Creeptastic or Magical books.⁠ Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

NOV- “An Oldie But A Goodie” Read a Historical Fiction book or a book published before 2000.⁠ Dead Wake by Erik Larson (history)

DEC- “Cover Love” Read a book with a cover you love! A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Classics Challenge

In a sad turn of events, the Back to the Classics Challenge that I joined every year stopped after 2022. I looked all over again this year and couldn't find another that fits me (just one that requires 12 classics that fit into monthly themes, which is too strict for me). So, I guess I'm on my own again this year! Like last 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, which I've been hitting for the past few years.

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. Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Le Blanc

3. A classic by a woman author. The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin

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.

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. The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

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. As They Were by MFK Fisher

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!

2024 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've enjoyed it ever since! 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 three 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 - Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane

B - A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson

C - Countdown by Deborah Wiles

D - Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy

E - The East Indian by Brinda Charry

F - Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

G - The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel

H - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

I - I Am Not Alone by Francisco X. Stork

J - Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Igeoma Ogunyemi

L - Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe

M - My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar

N - November Road by Lou Berney

O - Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng

P - Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang

Q - Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

R - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

S - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy

T - The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

U - Uprooted by Ruth Chan

V - A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

W - Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

Y - You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg

Z -

2024 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Book'd Out.

I always sign up for a nonfiction challenge, and I've enjoyed this one the past three years. I am once again signing up for the Nonfiction Nosher category and shooting for reading at least 12 (which I did in 2023) and hitting as many of the 12 categories as I can (last year I got 9 of the 12 categories).

As They Were by MFK Fisher
The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge
Why We Read by Shannon Reed
A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver
The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel
Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi
Dead Wake by Erik Larson
Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia
Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan
Uprooted by Ruth Chan

Categories:

History - The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel
Memoir/Biography - The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge
True Crime
Science - Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton
Health - Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
Food - As They Were by MFK Fisher
Culture - Uprooted by Ruth Chan
Transportation - Dead Wake by Erik Larson
The Future
Pets - Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia
Architecture
Published in 2024 - Why We Read by Shannon Reed

Diversity Reading Challenge 2024 hosted by Celebrity Readers.

This is also a familiar challenge for me that I enjoy every year. I read 40 diverse books last year (53%), a little less than in 2022, so I will aim to hit that high of 45 this year! This challenge also includes monthly mini challenges (I hit 8 of them last year) and a link-up for reviews.

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
I Am Not Alone by Francisco X. Stork
Look on the Bright Side by Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Igeoma Ogunyemi
Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge
Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane
Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy
The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel
You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg
My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar
Honey by Victor Lodato
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
Look on the Bright Side by Lily Williams & Karen Schneeman
New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith
Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai
Girls Like Us by Gail Giles
The Sky at our Feet by Nadia Hashidi
The East Indian by Brinda Charry
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Uprooted by Ruth Chan
The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin
Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
Nightmare Island by Shakirah Bourne
Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton
Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka
Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi
Chicago by Brian Doyle
The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich
People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara
The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

JANUARY – diverse folktales/culture/mythology; or diverse retelling; or non-western setting Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng (Japanese folktales)
FEBRUARY – poc: Black/African American Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
MARCH – #ownvoices; or gender: female authors in male-dominated genres/non-fiction Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang
APRIL – poc: Middle Eastern/South Asian
MAY – poc: East Asian/Southeast Asian/Pacific Islander - My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar, The East Indian by Brinda Charry
JUNE – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
JULY – LGBT+ pride summer: sexuality and gender identity
AUGUST – mental health/addiction Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
SEPTEMBER – poc: hispanic/latinx
OCTOBER – physical/sensory/cognitive/intellectual/developmental disabilities; chronic illness - Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu
NOVEMBER – poc: Native American Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton
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 2024! Last year, I read 23 books set outside the U.S., visiting 25 different countries through my reading. This year, I hope to visit some places I have never been before in my books!

A Blizzard of Polar Bears by Alice Henderson - Canada (Manitoba)
As They Were by MFK Fisher (France)
Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (Ghana)
Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Igeoma Ogunyemi (Nigeria)
Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai (Vietnam)
Iceberg by Jennifer Nielsen (UK and Atlantic Ocean)
The Girl Who Sang by Estelle Nadel (Poland)
The Audacity by Ryan Chapman (unidentified tropical island?)
Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy (UK)
My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar (India)
The East Indian by Brinda Charry (India)
A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum (Palestine)
The Women by Kristin Hannah (Vietnam)
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon (Scotland)
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr (Constantinople - 1450)
Trust by Hernan Diaz (Switzerland)
Uprooted by Ruth Chan (Hong Kong, Canada)
The Last Garden in England by Julia Kelly (UK)
Arsene Lupin vs. Herlock Sholmes by Maurice Le Blanc (France)
Nightmare Island by Shakirah Bourne (Caribbean)
Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi (Iran)
Dead Wake by Erik Larson (UK, Germany)
People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara (Micronesia)

2024 Literary Escapes Challenge hosted by Escape with Dollycas Into a Good Book.

I love tracking where I read domestically, as well. In 2023, I read books set in 32 different states (one of my best years). I'm looking forward to reading in even more states this year!

Alabama - Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Alaska

Arizona - Leave Only Footsteps by Conor Knighton

Arkansas

California - Look on the Bright Side by Lily Williams and Karen Schneeman, Parachute Kids by Betty C. Tang, The Women by Kristin Hannah, As They Were by MFK Fisher, Look on the Bright Side (3:15 at the link) by Lily Williams & Karen Schneeman, The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler, Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan

Colorado - Sand by Hugh Howey

Connecticut

Delaware

District of Columbia - Read Dangerously by Azar Nafisi

Florida

Georgia - My Beloved Life by Amitava Kumar

Hawaii

Idaho - Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr

Illinois - Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe, Chicago by Brian Doyle

Indiana - People in the Trees by Hanya Yanagihara

Iowa

Kansas - If Something Happens to Me by Alex Finlay

Kentucky

Louisiana - New Orleans Mourning by Julie Smith

Maine - Home Away From Home by Cynthia Lord, Almost Midnight by Paul Doiron, Sunshine by Jarrett Krosoczka

Maryland - Countdown by Deborah Wiles, Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippma

Massachusetts - Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Igeoma Ogunyemi, Chances Are ... by Richard Russo, The Giant's House by Elizabeth McCracken

Michigan - Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

Minnesota - Not Quite a Ghost by Anne Ursu

Mississippi - Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall

Missouri

Montana - The Last Ranger by Peter Heller

Nebraska

Nevada - November Road by Lou Berney

New Hampshire

New Jersey - Honey by Victor Lodato

New Mexico

New York - I Am Not Alone by Francisco X. Stork, Ask Again, Yes by Mary Beth Keane, The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane, You Are Here by Karin Lin-Greenberg, The Sky at our Feet by Nadia Hashidi, A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum, Mr. Nice Guy by Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer, A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan, Trust by Hernan Diaz

North Carolina - Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldo, The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers

North Dakota - The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

Ohio - Holly by Stephen King

Oklahoma

Oregon - The Invisible Girls by Sarah Thebarge

Pennsylvania - Why We Read by Shannon Reed

Rhode Island

South Carolina

South Dakota

Tennessee

Texas - Dear Sweet Pea by Julie Murphy, Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry, Bad Girls Never Say Die by Jennifer Mathieu, Butterfly Yellow by Thanhha Lai, Girls Like Us by Gail Giles

Utah - Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

Vermont

Virginia - The East Indian by Brinda Charry, The Curse of Crow Hollow by Billy Coffey

Washington - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

West Virginia

Wisconsin - The Westing Game by Ellen Rankin

Wyoming - The Last Ranger by Peter Heller

Big Book Summer Challenge (link to 2023; 2024 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). The idea is simply to read bigger books (400 or more pages)--just one or two or however many you want. And you have the whole summer to do it! I already have a BIG stack of Big Books picked out. Hope you'll join me for the laid-back fun this summer!

The Women by Kristin Hannah
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley
Mr. Nice Guy by Jennifer Miller and Jason Feifer
Hereafter by Tara Hudson
Drums of Autumn by Diana Gabaldon
Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
The Ferryman by Justin Cronin
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune
Trust by Hernan Diaz

R.I.P. Challenge

I participate in this one every fall! It runs through September and October and is all about reading darker stuff in the fall, which I love. That doesn't necessarily mean scary books, like horror (though those certainly count!) but anything darker: mystery, suspense, thriller, paranormal, dystopian, etc.)