Reading Challenge Progress 2023

Here is where I will track the reading challenges I'm working on for 2023.

I've read 175 books so far. 


First, of course is the Canadian Reading Challenge, for which I am also the host. 

For the first half of the year, I did the 16th Annual Challenge, and finished with 37 books. Here's the wrap-up and list for that

For the second half of the year, I started the 17th Annual Challenge.

1. This Spells Love by Kate Robb. Finished July 10
2. Double Negative by Susan Marshall. Finished July 17
3. Bookworm by Robin Yeatman. Finished July 30
4. A Flower is a Friend by Frieda Wishinsky and Karen Patkau. Finished August 2
5. The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham. Finished August 25
6. Clear Skies, No Wind, 100% Visibility by Theodora Armstrong. Finished September 22
7. The Imaginary Alphabet by Sylvie Daigneault. Finished September 23
8. Lone Wolf by Linwood Barclay. Finished September 25
9. All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay. Finished October 2
10. Cape Diamond by Ron Corbett. Finished October 13
11. Blood on a Saint by Anne Emery. Finished November 5
12. Bay Street by Philip Slayton. Finished November 15
13. A Desperate Fortune by Susanna Kearsley. Finished December 15
14. Look Up High! Things That Fly by Victoria Allenby. Finished December 18
15. Snowstorms & Sleigh Bells by Kelley Armstrong. Finished December 22

***
The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge
More information can be found here.



The main list
1. A book with a subtitle
    Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution's Women by Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray,            Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and E. Knight. Finished April 14
2. Featuring an inheritance
    Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun. Finished January 6
3. Title starting with the letter "G"
    Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilivas. Finished April 30
4. Title starting with the letter "H"
    Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. Finished April 14
5. Title starting with the letter "I"
    Is There a Cow in Moscow by Charles Harrington Elster. Finished May 21
6. Under 200 pages
    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11
7. A city or country name in the title
    The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen. Finished June 28
8. Dystopian fiction
    Hunger by Michael Grant. Finished June 26
9. A book with a dedication
    Nothing But the Truth by Holly James. Finished March 24
10. Takes place during the Roaring 20s
    The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters. Finished July 20
11. A book about secrets
    The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer. Finished January 22
12. High fantasy
    For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10
13. Published posthumously 
    Dissipatio H.G.: The Vanishing by Guido Morselli. Finished September 21
14. A survival story
    What Happened to the Bennetts by Lisa Scottoline. Finished May 16
15. Set in Australia
16. Featuring one of the "seven deadly sins"
    The Doctor of Thessaly by Anne Zouroudi. Finished September 10 (Envy)
17. By a Caribbean author
    The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Finished December 31
18. Set during a war other than WWI or WWII
    The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters. Finished March 10 (set during the English Civil War)
19. Typographic cover
    Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. Finished February 23
20. A book about siblings
    Snowed In for Christmas by Sarah Morgan. Finished March 27
21. A second-hand book
    The Sea Gate by Jane Johnson. Finished March 31
22. A body-positive message
    The Light in Paris by Eleanor Brown. Finished December 2
23. An alliterative title
    The Suite Spot by Trish Doller. Finished January 14
24. Nordic noir
25. A fashionable character
    The Three Lives of Alix. St. Pierre by Natasha Lester. Finished May 10
26. Has an epilogue
    Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25
27. Newberry Medal winner
    Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Finished August 26
28. Includes a funeral
    The War Librarian by Addison Armstrong. Finished April 17
29. Sends you down a rabbit hole
    The Wave in the Mind by Ursula K. Le Guin. Finished June 3
30. An author with a same name as you
31. Set in a workplace
    The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr. Finished January 31
32. Published by MacMillan
    What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Finished December 27
33. A banned book
34. Featuring mythology
35. A book you meant to read last year
    Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann. Finished March 20
36. Chapters have cliffhangers
    The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan. Finished November 14
37. Written in present tense
    Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
38. An enemies to lovers plot
    Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Finished March 14
39. The final book in a series
    The Sibyl in Her Grave by Sarah Caudwell. Finished June 17
40. Written by a comedian
41. A character who is a refugee
    Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini, illustrated by Dan Williams. Finished May 8
42. Time in the title
    A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8
43. A book "everyone" has read
    The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Finished March 22
44. A contemporary setting
    Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley. Finished May 10
45. First word in the book is "the"
    As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee. Finished April 23
46. Script font on the spine
    The Winter Garden by Nicola Cornick. Finished March 1
47. Set in the city of Dublin
    Two for the Road by Roddy Doyle. Finished November 27
48. A book by Octavia E. Butler
49. Books on the cover
    Twelve Angry Librarians by Miranda James. Finished April 2
50. Related to the word "murder"
    The Color of Bee Larkham's Murder by Sarah J. Harris. Finished April 28
51. Doesn't fit any of the other 51 prompts
    Zolitude by Paige Cooper. Finished January 7
52. Published in 2023
    To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters. Finished February 20

February Mini-Challenge
* A time loop
* A shadow on the cover
    For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10
* Set in winter or spring
    The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny. Finished February 11

March Mini-Challenge
* A character who works with animals
    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11
* A feather on the cover
    Not read in March, but the book The Imaginary Alphabet by Sylvie Daigneault. Finished September 23 has a feather on the cover.
* From an animal's point of view
    Easter Morning, Easter Sun by Rosanna Battigelli and Tara Anderson. Finished March 25

April Mini-Challenge
* Featuring chocolate
    Cocoa Magic by Sandra Bradley and Gabrielle Grimard. Finished April 30
* Title includes letters 'E', 'G', and 'G'.
    Ragged Lake by Ron Corbett. Finished April 30
* An egg on the cover
    Egg Shooters by Laura Childs. Finished April 20

For each section, pick one of the options
    Choose your Destination
    * at the beach
        Summer with a Star by Merry Farmer. Finished September 1
    * in the city
        The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett by Annie Lyons. Finished June 7
    * in the woods
        Lone Wolf by Linwood Barclay. Finished September 25
    Choose your travel Buddy
    * a best friend
        We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. Finished June 9
    * a pet
        You Lucky Dog by Julia London. Finished June 4
    * the whole family
        It Started with a Dog by Julia London. Finished July 14
    Choose your Vehicle
    * a camper van (book published in the '60s)
        The Unicorn by Iris Murdoch. Finished September 23
    * a VW bug (book published in the '70s)
        Dissipatio H.G.: The Vanishing by Guido Morselli. Finished September 21
    * a Mustang convertible (book published in the '80s)
        Illumination Night by Alice Hoffman. Finished September 16 (1987)
    Choose your Snacks
    * Hot and Spicy
        Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne. Finished August 7
    * Light and Sweet
        Nurse's Date with a Billionaire by Amelia Addler. Finished August 31
    * Satisfy a Craving
        This Spells Love by Kate Robb. Finished July 10
    Choose your Tunes
    * inspired by Classical music
    * inspired by Rock and Roll
    * inspired by Country
        A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams. Finished August 3
    Choose your Sights to See
    * Famous artwork (on the cover)
        The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier. Finished October 2. 
        [The cover image is a Zena Holloway painting]
    * An historic site (on the cover)
        Evil in Emerald by A.M. Stuart. Finished August 28 
        [The cover image includes the Victoria Theater in Singapore, which still exists]
    * Mountains (on the cover)
        The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai. Finished August 24
    Choose your Mishap
    * out of gas (a series that's not finished yet)
    This Poison Will Remain by Fred Vargas. Finished June 25
    * we're lost ('lost' or 'missing' in the title)
    The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson. Finished June 21
    * detour! (a book you've been avoiding)
    The Invited by Jennifer McMahon. Finished July 1
    Choose your Conclusion
    * it was a blast! Let's do it again (a reread)
    * I'll never forget that journey (memoir)
        All Things Consoled by Elizabeth Hay. Finished October 2
    * Ugh. next time I'm going to fly (airplane on the cover)
        Clear Skies, No Wind, 100% Visibility by Theodora Armstrong. Finished September 22

September Mini-Challenge
    * First word in the book is a proper noun
    The Transatlantic Book Club by Felicity Hayes-McCoy. Finished September 19
    * Includes foreshadowing
    Bittersweet by Susan Wittig Albert. Finished September 4
    * Character is a teacher
    Summer with a Star by Merry Farmer. Finished September 1

October Mini-Challenge
    * Steampunk
    Soulless by Gail Carriger. Finished October 28
    * It was a dark and stormy night
    The Dream Thief by Shana Abe. Finished October 25
    * has a graveyard scene
    Cape Diamond by Ron Corbett. Finished October 13

November Mini-Challenge
    at least 2 different genres of nonfiction
1. Not completed
2. 

December Mini-Challenge
    Favourite Things Bingo
Raindrops on roses
Brown paper packages tied up with string
Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
Silver white winters that melt into spring
    His Christmas Wish by Melissa McClone. Finished December 22 (Mostly takes place in December        snowy mountains, but the epilogue is in spring)
These are a few of my favourite things
    What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Finished December 27 (So many things to love about this         book: librarians, joy, colour, creativity, caring)
Whiskers on kittens
Cream coloured ponies
Sleigh bells
    Snowstorms & Sleigh Bells by Kelley Armstrong. Finished December 22
Warm winter mittens
    Death in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope. Finished December 8 (The main character is a spinner,            weaver, and knitter, so yarn is involved)


****

This reading challenge is not too onerous and it's super fun. The signup page is here.


The idea is to read a book that matches each of the prompts. The book can be in any format. 

This year the prompts are:

Punctuation 
7 Deadly Sins
    Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne. Finished August 7
You or Me
    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11
Chess Piece
Celebration
    The Party by Lisa Hall. Finished June 19
Q, X, Z
    Zolitude by Paige Cooper. Finished January 7

***

European Reading Challenge

I will join at the 5 star level, which requires me to read books from or set in 5 different European countries. 

It's hosted by Rose City Reader, here.


1. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8. (Great Britain)
2. A Villa in Sicily: Figs and a Cadaver by Fiona Grace. Finished February 8 (Italy)
3. A Silent Death by Peter May. Finished March 20 (Spain)
4. The Readers' Room by Antoine Laurain. Finished March 21 (France)
5. Haven by Emma Donoghue. Finished April 18 (Ireland)
6. And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman. Finished April 29 (Sweden)
7. The Doctor of Thessaly by Anne Zouroudi. Finished September 10 (Greece)

***

The Novelist Reading Challenge


This one is by the month

January: Start the new year off right by picking up a 2022 favorite from the NoveList Best of the Year lists.  (These lists require access to the Novelist database, often available at public libraries) I'm limiting myself to a book from one of these four "Best of" lists (Adult Fiction, Adult Nonfiction, Canadian Fiction, Australian and New Zealand Fiction. 

The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr (from the Canadian Fiction list. Finished January 31

February: Read a romance or a love story starring Black characters.  

Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25. (The main female character is black and culture is a strong theme)

March: Read a book made popular by BookTok. Need inspiration? Check out our For Fans of BookTok Recommended Reads Lists.  (These lists require access to the Novelist database, often available at public libraries) I'm limiting myself to a book from the Adult list.. 

I did more than one! Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Finished March 21
    The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Finished March 22

April: Read a book that is being adapted into a movie or TV show in 2023. (NoveList tip: Search GN Page to screen.)  

May: Read a book starring a main character who has a disability.  

June: Use the genre Book Club Best Bets to pick a title.  

I read We Are Not Like Them by Christine Pride and Jo Piazza. Finished June 9

July: Read a mystery or thriller set in the summer.  

I read Girl, Forgotten by Karin Slaughter. Finished July 5

August: Read a book that stars an unreliable or unnamed narrator.  

The majority of my reading of this book was in August, but I finished it in September. 
The Dissipatio H.G. The Vanishing by Guido Morselli. Finished September 21

September: It's time to go back to school! Read a book with the theme dark academia.  

October: Read a book with an orange or black cover.  

The Nodding Canaries by Gladys Mitchell. Finished October 28

November: Give thanks and read a book about chosen family or family gatherings.  

New Beginnings at Rose Cottage by Erin Green. Finished November 10

December: Read a collection of short stories or essays by a non-American author.  

***

Titles A-Z. This year I'm not reading them in alphabetical order
A After the Night by Sandra Marie. Finished February 12
B The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer. Finished January 22
C The Cats Came Back by Sofie Kelly. Finished April 4
D Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Finished March 14
E Easter Morning, Easter Sun by Rosanna Battigelli and Tara Anderson. Finished March 25
F For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10
G Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilivas. Finished April 30
H Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. Finished April 14
I Is There a Cow in Moscow? by Charles Harrington Elster. Finished May 21
J Just Neighbors by Charity Ferrell. Finished September 12
K Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun. Finished January 6
L Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. Finished February 23
M Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva. Finished January 13
N Nothing But the Truth by Holly James. Finished March 24
O Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse. Finished August 26
P Patricia Wants to Cuddle by Samantha Allen. Finished May 24
Q
R A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8
S Snitch by Allison van Diepen. Finished January 8
T To Swoon and to Spar by Martha Waters. Finished February 20
U Unexpectedly Milo by Matthew Dicks. Finished April 26
V A Villa in Sicily: Figs and a Cadaver by Fiona Grace. Finished February 8
W We Came Here to Shine by Susie Orman Schnall. Finished January 21
X
Y You Lucky Dog by Julia London. Finished June 4
Z Zolitude by Paige Cooper. Finished January 7

Authors A-Z
A A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8
B Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey. Finished April 14
C Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun. Finished January 6
The Suite Spot by Trish Doller. Finished January 14
E Is There a Cow in Moscow? by Charles Harrington Elster. Finished May 21
F The Whole Night Through by Christiane Frenette. Finished May 25
G A Villa in Sicily: Figs and a Cadaver by Fiona Grace. Finished February 8
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood. Finished March 22
I Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25
J Nothing But the Truth by Holly James. Finished March 24
K Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11
L The Readers' Room by Antoine Laurain. Finished March 21
M The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr. Finished January 31
N
O
 The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny. Finished February 11
Q
R The Bookshop of Secrets by Mollie Rushmeyer. Finished January 22
S Mr. Dickens and His Carol by Samantha Silva. Finished January 13
T Girls Who Travel by Nicole Trilivas. Finished April 30
U Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. Finished June 17
V This Poison Will Remain by Fred Vargas. Finished June 25
W For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10
X
Y Bookworm by Robin Yeatman. Finished July 30
Z The Doctor of Thessaly by Anne Zouroudi. Finished September 10

***
Read Better Challenge (by Harper Collins Canada)


* A book by an Indigenous author

* A #ReadBetter favourite

* A book that teaches you about social or cultural issues
    Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25

* A book with a neurodivergent main character
    The Color of Bee Larkham's Murder by Sarah J. Harris. Finished April 28

* A #BookTok favourite by a BIPOC author

* A fantasy by a Pan-Asian author

* An LGBTQ+ romance
    Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Finished March 31

* A book set outside North America
    The Winter Garden by Nicola Cornick. Finished March 1

* A book in which a main character has a disability

* A YA coming-of-age story
    Homeroom Diaries by James Patterson and Lisa Papademetriou. Finished July 18

* A thriller by a Black author

* A book by a new-to-you author
After the Night by Sandra Marie. Finished February 12

* A book you think everyone should read
    And Every Morning the Way Home Gets Longer and Longer by Fredrik Backman. Finished April 29

* A book by a Latinx author

* A historical fiction set outside Europe
    Lucky Red by Claudia Craven. Finished June 29

* A memoir by an LGBTQ+ author


***
I came to awareness of this challenge already into the year and didn't really get started on it until a few months in.

January: Read a book by multiple authors
    I didn't read one that fit this in January, but I did in April
    Ribbons of Scarlet: A Novel of the French Revolution's Women by Kate Quinn, Stephanie Dray,            Laura Kamoie, Sophie Perinot, Heather Webb, and E. Knight. Finished April 14
February: Read a book about a unique family
March: Read a book with a map
    The Swift and the Harrier by Minette Walters. Finished March 10
April: Read a book that features food
    Egg Shooters by Laura Childs. Finished April 20
May: Read a book about a disaster
June: Read a fiction book about a real person
    White Slaves by Nicholas Kinsey. Finished June 15
July: Read a Book set in school
    Homeroom Diaries by James Patterson and Lisa Papademetriou. Finished July 18
August: Read a book that takes place during the summer
    Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon. Finished August 4
September: Read a doorstopper
October: Read a book that takes place over a single day
November: Read a book of environmental fiction
December: Read a book published this year
    Look Up High! Things That Fly by Victoria Allenby. Finished December 18

***
The challenge is to read one or more books with at least one of the key words in the title each month.
I didn't note this challenge until July, but went back to see if I could fill in any of the previous months. Synonyms and suffixes are allowed. 

January: Crown, Girl, Whisper, Black, Heart, Guide, All, Ever
    None of my reads fit for this month
February: Please, Might, Return, Shy, Vanish, Book, Ash, Come
    None of my reads fit for this month
March: Crimson, Beyond, Friend, Cry, Wait, Six, Run, Woods
    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11 (Six)
    Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. Finished March 21 (Crimson)
April: Vicious, Ask, Wind, Found, Circle, Broken, Beneath, Drown
    Ragged Lake by Ron Corbett. Finished April 30 (Ragged is a synonym for Broken)
May: Dragon, Day, Chain, Another, Thousand, Begin, Stolen, And
    To Marry and To Meddle by Martha Waters. Finished May 3 (And)
June: Bridge, Everything, Blue, Why, First, Wild, Luck, Tomorrow
    You Lucky Dog by Julia London. Finished June 4
    Lucky Red by Claudia Craven. Finished June 29
July: Final, Clock, This, Way, Poison, Summer, Future, Kiss
    This Spells Love by Kate Robb. Finished July 10
    The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson. Finished July 10
    Three O'Clock in the Morning by Gianrico Carofiglio. Finished July 11
    The Steep and Thorny Way by Cat Winters. Finished July 20
    Poison by Kathryn Harrison. Finished July 27
    Dexter's Final Cut by Jeff Lindsay. Finished July 30
August: Dangerous, Again, Best, Chase, How, Flower, Date, Together
    A Flower is a Friend by Frieda Wishinsky and Karen Patkau. Finished August 2
    Together We Will Go by J. Michael Straczynski. Finished August 6
    How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather. Finished August 9
    The Dangerous Hour by Marcia Muller. Finished August 17
    Before and Again by Barbara Delinsky. Finished August 21
    The Best Man by Kristan Higgins. Finished August 30
    Nurse's Date with a Billionaire by Amelia Addler. Finished August 31
    The Chase by DiAnn Mills. Finished August 31
September: Sign, With, Just, Lies, Grace, Enough, Sleep, Name
    Summer with a Star by Merry Farmer. Finished September 1
    Sign Off by Patricia McLinn. Finished September 7\
    Just Neighbors by Charity Ferrell. Finished September 12
October: Old, After, Take, Shadow, Monster, Haunt, Darkness,Of
    Take Me Home by J.H. Croix. Finished October 4
    That Darkness by Lisa Black. Finished October 8
    The Haunted Season by G.M. Malliet. Finished October 18
    The Probability of Murder by Ava Madison. Finished October 24
November: Paris, Hidden, Sparrow, Realm, Two, Fair, Street, Say
    The Hidden Beach by Karen Swan. Finished November 14
    Bay Street by Philip Slayton. Finished November 15
    Two for the Road by Roddy Doyle. Finished November 27
    The Light of Paris by Eleanor Brown. Finished December 2 (but mostly read in November)
December: Silver, Wish, Forgotten, Dance, Also, My, Fate, Dream
    The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris by Daisy Wood. Finished December 18
    His Christmas Wish by Melissa McClone. Finished December 22
    What You Wish For by Katherine Center. Finished December 27
    The Women with Silver Wings by Katherine Sharp Landdeck. Finished December 27
    The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon. Finished December 31
***

   

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