Here is where I will track the reading challenges I'm working on for 2023.
I've read 175 books so far.
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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
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]
[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
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)
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 book by an Indigenous author
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
D 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
H 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
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 #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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