2023 Reading Challenges

I’m tracking my 2023 reading challenge progress here. I’m limiting myself to challenges that might push me a little out of my comfort zone or at least mix up my habitual reading patterns.

The challenge buttons and names link to to the signup/information posts at the challenge host’s website if you’d like to join me!

End of Year Summary: I had a reading slump this year. I think it stemmed from a couple of really long books that didn’t grab me but I refused to give up on them. The lesson that I probably still haven’t learned: If a book isn’t working for you, feel free to give up on it. You aren’t being graded on it. I’ll add a summary to each challenge too.

Reading Challenges I’m Hosting

Books in Translation Reading Challenge

Hosted here at Introverted Reader. I’m signing up at the Conversationalist level, 4-6 books. #2023booksintranslation

Summary: I fell short. Blame it on the slump. Shubeik Lubeik and The Attack were fantastic though. I’m not a foodie or a big fan of magical realism, so Like Water for Chocolate wasn’t my favorite book.

1. Shubeik Lubeik, written, illustrated, and translated by Deena Mohamed
2. Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, translated by Thomas Christensen and Carol Christensen
3. The Attack by Yasmina Khadra, translated by John Cullen

Southern Literature Reading Challenge

Hosted here at Introverted Reader. I’m signing up at level four, 7+ books. #2023southernlit

Summary: I fell very short on this challenge, I believe for the first time ever. I don’t know what happened to me.

1. Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, read by J. D. Jackson
2. How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

Challenges I’m Participating In

2023 Nonfiction Reader Challenge

Hosted by Shelleyrae at Book’d Out. I’m joining at the Nonfiction Nosher level to read 12 books, one from each of 12 categories. #ReadNonFicChal | Instagram: @shelleyrae _bookdout | Mastodon: @shelleyrae@aus.social

Summary: Complete as of December 27!

• History Stamped from the Beginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi
• Memoir/Biography Educated by Tara Westover
• Crime & Punishment Forensics: What Bugs, Burns, Prints, DNA and More Tell Us About Crime by Val McDermid
• Science Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us by Sam Keane
• Health Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen
• Travel Tracks: A Woman’s Solo Trek Across 1700 Miles of Australian Outback by Robyn Davidson
• Food Tender at the Bone: Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl
• Social Media The Hype Machine: How Social Media Disrupts Our Elections, Our Economy, and Our Health–and How We Must Adapt by Sinan Aral
• Sport Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports by Ann McCallum Staats
• Relationships It Ended Badly: Thirteen of the Worst Breakups in History by Jennifer Wright
• The Arts Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury
• Published in 2023 The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening by Ari Shapiro

2023 Classics Reading Challenge

Hosted by Tea and Ink Society. I’ve done pretty well in the five-year long Classics Club challenge but I signed up for Tea and Ink Society’s challenge to help steer my choices in 2022. I wasn’t completely successful but it definitely kept classics on my radar. I’m signing up again this year.

Summary: So I didn’t necessarily read the books in the month I was supposed to, but I’m counting what I can, where I can. I still held true to the spirit of the challenge.

• January: A classic detective novel The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, read by Derek Jacobi
• February: A book with a character’s name in the title Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
• March: A classic fairy tale collection Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
• April: A classic Japanese novel
• May: A book with a movie/TV adaptation you’ve already seen
• June: A classic set at sea Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
• July: A narrative poem or collection of poetry
• August: A classic by a Latin American author Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel, translated by Thomas Christensen and Carol Christensen
• September: A Dickens novel
• October: A nonfiction classic
• November: A classic fantasy novel The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper
• December: A classic set in a place you want to visit

Monthly Motif Reading Challenge

Hosted by girlxoxo. I took part in their Monthly Key Word Challenge last year but this one spoke to me more this year. Read one book that fits the motif for that month. #MonthlyMotifGXO

Summary: So I didn’t necessarily read the books in the month I was supposed to, but I’m counting what I can, where I can. Keeping that in mind, this challenge was a success in its own way.

• 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.) One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi
• February: If You Have A Garden and a Library…“Read a book with a plant or flower on the cover.” Beauty by Robin McKinley
• March: Animal, Number, Color, Name “Read a book with an animal, number, color, or name in the title.” Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede
• April: I Like Big Books “Read a book over 400 pages long or listen to an audiobook over 14 hours long.” Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend
• May: In It To Win It “Read a book that involves a game or contest of some sort.” i.e., 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.” Thrill Seekers: 15 Remarkable Women in Extreme Sports by Ann McCallum Staats
• 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 Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by S. A. Chakraborty
• July: I Need Only One Word “Read a book with only one word as the title.” Blitz by Daniel O’Malley
• August: A Book and a Song “Read a book with the same title as a song you’ve heard.” Eruption by Steve Olson
• September: Speculative Stories “Read a book from the speculative fiction subgenre” Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells
• October: Spellbinding or Spooktacular “Read a book that involves something spooky or magical or both.” How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix
• 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 Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1) by Becky Chambers
• December: White-out “Read a book with a wintery setting or a book with a mostly white cover.” The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper

Creativity Reading Challenge 2023

Hosted by Whatever I Think Of! “This challenge is about reading books on creativity, art, crafts, writing, film making, photography, cosmetology, DIY, cooking, music and any other topic that helps you live a more creative life.” The base requirement is one book but I’m going to aim for three.

Summary: I barely squeezed one in before the end of the year.

1. Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury

Epistolary Reading Challenge 2023

Hosted by Whatever I Think Of! Read at least one book written either completely or partially in the form of letters, diaries, blogs, e-mails, etc. I do love a good epistolary book but rarely find them. I hope this challenge reminds me to look for them. I’m going to aim low for two epistolary books.

Summary: Oh well. One is better than none, right? At least this one was a delight. Our “ladies of liberty” were a surprisingly feisty bunch when you read their correspondence!

1. Ladies of Liberty written and read by Cokie Roberts

Gaia/Nature Reading Challenge

Hosted by Gum Trees and Galaxies. Read at least one book, fiction or non-fiction, related to nature, the environment or the climate. I do love nature writing so I’ll aim for 4 books.

Summary: A challenge I legitimately completed! Woohoo!

1. Caesar’s Last Breath: Decoding the Secrets of the Air Around Us by Sam Keane
2. The Hour of Land: A Personal Topography of America’s National Parks by Terry Tempest Williams
3. Eruption: The Untold Story of Mount St. Helens by Steve Olson
4. How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery
5. How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals by Sy Montgomery (I liked this so much, I read it twice back to back!)

2023 Bookish Resolutions Challenge

Hosted by Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life. Set 5+ bookish/blogging/writing goals with opportunities for check-ins three times a year and a giveaway at the end of the year. I set these same goals last year and I won’t say that I failed miserably but I did fail. I’m going to adjust downwards a little to build a realistic habit and then hope I can increase my goals next year.  #BookishRes2023

1. Only post Weekly Updates and Top Ten Tuesdays when I know I have time to visit and comment on other blogs. I don’t want to be someone who only takes from the community without giving back. This means I will probably post less often but it also means I’ll be a bit more plugged in to what other readers are doing.
   • Summary: I did better with this than I usually do but I wasn’t perfect. Unfortunately, that also meant that I didn’t blog much at all this year. I don’t know how so many of you make time for blogging, reviewing, and visiting. I just can’t find a balance. Hats off to you!
2. Return all blog comments. I’ve been horrible about this since most of my comments tend to come in on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. If you take the time to visit me, the least I can do is visit you. I think my first goal will help with this one.
   • Summary: I haven’t been posting much lately, so I don’t have a good feel for my progress on this. I know I haven’t returned all comments but I think I’ve done better than past years.
3. Respond to all comments here. My hope is to write a response but I can at least like your comments to acknowledge that I’ve seen and read them. Again, the first goal will help with this one.
   • Summary: I haven’t been posting much lately, so I don’t have a good feel for my progress on this. I know I haven’t responded to all your comments but I think I’ve done better than past years.
4. Review… 50% of the books I read. I lowered this from 75% last year. Surely 50% is a realistic number. I’ll try to stop reading and start reviewing if I get 3 books behind. Sometimes I finish a few at one time or I’m out of town so I need to give myself a little leeway.
   • Review 100% of my reading challenge books I usually have pretty good success with my reading challenges but I barely review them and link up to the host. I really want to make this a firm goal this year.
     • Summary: Oh boy. Complete and utter failure on these two goals. I’ve barely reviewed anything at all this year.
5. Read fewer books. I hit a new high in 2021, with 180 books read. I did lower it to 109 in 2022 but I think I filled in that extra time with podcasts. I’ve got other non-bookish projects to work on, like sorting through the seemingly thousands of photos we take throughout every month. I need to put some of my books down and get to work on those.
   • Summary: I think I’ll be right around 100 books for the year and I’ve worked on some other bookish projects, but not as many as I would like.
6. Journal every day, even if it’s just a few sentences. I’m trying to build a writing habit and this seems like a good place to start. I was pretty consistent with this, though I did start slacking off in December. I have a different journal for 2023 that I think will work better for me.
   • Summary: Another complete and utter failure. I actually didn’t like that journal. I switched to an online journal, because I type and think way faster than I physically write. I like that format but never formed a habit of it. With us moving around so often and our schedules constantly changing, it’s very hard for me to form new habits. I’ll try again next year.
7. Join a read-a-thon. I never learn about read-a-thons far enough in advance to join in but I’ll make an effort to make one work this year.
   • Summary: Fail. I was so unplugged this year, I have no idea what events happened when. I even missed out on events I usually do participate in.
8. Make progress on five book series I’ve already started. I am terrible about finishing book series and I would like to correct that this year. I don’t know what the series will be but I’ll at least set a vague goal.
   • Summary: I blew this one out of the water. When I hit that reading slump, series books were almost the only thing that appealed to me. Of course, I did start a few new series this year, but we’ll call it an overall win.
     1. The Golem and the Jinni series by Helene Wecker (Caught up! Woohoo!)
     2. Lore Olympus series by Rachel Smythe (Progress)
     3. The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells (Briefly caught up)
     4. Don Tillman series by Graeme Simsion (Complete!)
     5. Nathaniel Fludd, Beastologist series by R. L. LaFevers (Progress)
     6. The Bliss Bakery series by Kathryn Littlewood (English language series complete!)
     7. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich (Progress)
     8. The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club by Theodora Goss (Complete)
     9. Kingdom on Fire series by Jessica Cluess (Complete!)
     10. Mure series by Jenny Colgan (Progress)
     11. The Trials of Apollo series by Rick Riordan (Complete!)
     12. Nevermoor series by Jessica Townsend (Caught up!)
     13. The Kingston Cycle by C. L. Polk (Complete!)
     14. Small Spaces series by Katherine Arden (Complete!)
     15. The Cliffton Chronicles by Jeffrey Archer (Progress)
     16. Shady Hollow series by Juneau Black (Progress)
     17. The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Progress)
     18. Giant Days series by John Allison (Progress)
     19. Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs (Caught up!)
     20. Arthur Trilogy by Kevin Crossley-Holland (Complete!)
     21. Mistress of the Art of Death series by Ariana Franklin (Complete!)
     22. The Checquy Files by Daniel O’Malley (Complete!)
     23. The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne (Progress)
     24. March trilogy by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin (Progress)