Reading Challenge Progress 2023

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

I've read 27 books so far. 

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

16th Annual Canadian Reading Challenge

1. Where Have You Been Bobby Marr by Morris Dalla Costa. Finished July 15

2. Windy Days by Deborah Kerbel and Miki Sato. Finished September 5

3. This is the Boat that Ben Built by Jen Lynn Bailey and Maggie Zeng. Finished September 25

4. Animals Move by Jane Whittingham. Finished October 1

5. Birds on Wishbone Street by Suzanne Del Rizzo. Finished October 6

6. Act of God by Jill Ciment. Finished October 15

7. A Sky-Blue Bench by Bahram Rahman, illustrated by Peggy Collins. Finished November 15

8. Dinos Driving by Lynn Leitch and Scot Ritchie. Finished November 20

9. Bear Has a Belly by Jane Whittingham. Finished November 23

10. The Witch of Babylon by D.J. McIntosh. Finished November 26

11. Let's Add Up! by Victoria Allenby, illustrated by Maggie Zeng. Finished November 27

12. If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It by Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac, illustrated by Scot Ritchie. Finished December 11

13. Serena Singh Flips the Script by Sonya Lalli. Finished December 16

14. Dusk in the Frog Pond and other stories by Rummana Chowdhury. Finished December 20

15. Zolitude by Paige Cooper. Finished January 7

16. Snitch by Allison van Diepen. Finished January 8

17. A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8

18. Sari Not Sari by Sonya Singh. Finished January 12

19. The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr. Finished January 31

20. The Madness of Crowds by Louise Penny. Finished February 11

21. A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny. Finished February 14

22. Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25

23. Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11

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The 52 Book Club's 2023 Reading Challenge

More information can be found here.

The main list
1. A book with a subtitle

2. Featuring an inheritance

    Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun. Finished January 6

3. Title starting with the letter "G"

4. Title starting with the letter "H"

5. Title starting with the letter "I"

6. Under 200 pages

    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11

7. A city or country name in the title

8. Dystopian fiction

9. A book with a dedication

10. Takes place during the Roaring 20s

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 

14. A survival story

15. Set in Australia

16. Featuring one of the "seven deadly sins"

17. By a Caribbean author

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

21. A second-hand book

22. A body-positive message

23. An alliterative title

    The Suite Spot by Trish Doller. Finished January 14

24. Nordic noir

25. A fashionable character

26. Has an epilogue

    Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25

27. Newberry Medal winner

28. Includes a funeral

29. Sends you down a rabbit hole

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

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

37. Written in present tense

38. An enemies to lovers plot

    Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Finished March 14

39. The final book in a series

40. Written by a comedian

41. A character who is a refugee

42. Time in the title

    A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8

43. A book "everyone" has read

44. A contemporary setting

45. First word in the book is "the"

46. Script font on the spine

    The Winter Garden by Nicola Cornick. Finished March 1

47. Set in the city of Dublin

48. A book by Octavia E. Butler

49. Books on the cover

50. Related to the word "murder"

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

* From an animal's point of view

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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

You or Me

    Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11

Chess Piece

Celebration

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)

***

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.. 

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.  

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

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

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.  

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

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

D Do You Take This Man by Denise Williams. Finished March 14

E

F For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10

G

H

I

J

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

O

P

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

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

Z Zolitude by Paige Cooper. Finished January 7

Authors A-Z

A A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong. Finished January 8

B

C Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun. Finished January 6

D  The Suite Spot by Trish Doller. Finished January 14

E

F

G A Villa in Sicily: Figs and a Cadaver by Fiona Grace. Finished February 8

H

I Ties that Tether by Jane Igharo. Finished February 25

J

K Six Weeks with You by Janet Koops. Finished March 11

L

M The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr. Finished January 31

N

O

P  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

U

V

W For the Throne by Hannah Whitten. Finished February 10

X

Y

Z

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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

* A #BookTok favourite by a BIPOC author

* A fantasy by a Pan-Asian author

* An LGBTQ+ romance

* 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

* 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

* A book by a Latinx author

* A historical fiction set outside Europe

* A memoir by an LGBTQ+ author

***