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Challenge Tracking - 2023

                (updated 5/30/23)

Welcome to my Reading Challenge Tracking page. You can check back here at your convenience to see how I'm doing and what books I've read. If you've joined any of the same challenges, I imagine I'll see you on the Linky pages.

My challenge philosophy is simple. I join them to motivate me, introduce me to new genres and authors, and broaden my horizons. I endeavor to complete them, but if I don't, it's no big deal - next year is a new year. The trick to managing multiple challenges, for me, is to choose books that satisfy more than one challenge. So you're likely to see books show up in more than one challenge result. :)  As much as possible I tried to choose books I already own OR that are on my massive TBR list!

 

Here are the 13 challenges I joined for 2023 listed alphabetically by name of the challenge. I've included links to the sign up page in case you want more info or to join in. Click on any book cover image to go to the review.

Hosted by Susan at Bloggin 'bout Books - it's a newly created challenge this year. 

Read books in any format and any sort of bookish connection to qualify as a "book about books", whether writing them, eating them, sniffing them, decorating with them, etc. It's all fair game. There are a few levels and I chose the easiest this time:  Toe in the Door 1-10 books

BOOKS I'M CONSIDERING:

Black Out Book Club

Book Charmer

Book Eaters

Bookseller at the End of the World

Dear Farenheit 451

Dictionary of Lost Words

Littlest Library

Parnassus on Wheels

Summer at Robber's Library

The Bookshop of Yesterdays

The Personal Librarian

The Writing Retreat

Hosted by Carol at Carol's Notebook

Read books in the mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genre. Monthly linkup to share your progress and reviews. I read a lot of mysteries so will add them here when I've completed them.

I chose the Special Agent level o f 36-55 books.   Click the book cover image to go to review.

ten years gone book cover.jpg

botswana

Hosted by Berls & Michelle at Because Reading - celebrating 10 years of this challenge

They've divided the year into three chapters of four months each, each with a different challenge format. Join for one semester or all of them - be sure to add your reviews to the linky and join the fun. In the first semester, every book counts, every format and length, basically anything you read. I'm guessing I'll read 45-50 in the first semester.       Click book cover image to go to review.

CHAPTER ONE (track total books read Jan-Apr)

ten years gone book cover.jpg
world we make book cover.jpg
a monster calls book cover.jpg

CHAPTER TWO (points collected by type of book read May-Aug)

1-european chall

Hosted by Rose City Reading

Read any genre of book set in a European country or written by a European author. A list of the 50 recognized countries of Europe is on the sign up page. You can participate by reading as little as 1-5 books. I arbitrarily picked 10 books.

Click book cover image to go to review.

BOOKS I'M CONSIDERING:

Cold as Hell - Iceland

Eighteen Below - Sweden

I Must Betray You - Romania

The Camino de Santiago - Spain

The Keeper of Lost Causes - Denmark

Venice Sketchbook - Italy

Hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Any sub-genre of Historical Fiction counts: Historical romance, mystery, fantasy, YA, etc. Choose a level and then remember to use the monthly linky to connect with other reviewers.

I picked Medieval - 15 books

Click book cover image to go to review.

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Hosted by Anne at  Books of My Heart -  This is the seventh year for this fun challenge.

This super easy challenge is meant to encourage you to use your library (which I do, extensively). Pick a level and track how many library books you read. Any format, any genre. Easy, peasy. As usual, there is monthly Linky to share your reviews.  My level:  Library Card on Fire: 60+ books and I'm aiming for 70

Click book cover image to go to review.

world we make book cover.jpg

Hosted by Lori at  Dollycas -  This is the seventh year for this fun challenge.

Read a book set in each state and DC (51 books). If the book has multiple states, choose the one where most of the book is set. Any books set outside the US are a "bonus" point. How many points will I end up with at the end of the year? Use and interactive Google Map (mymap feature), or just a list of states. One book per state!

Click book cover image to go to review.

       Virginia         Minnesota             New York             California     Massachusetts      Connecticut          Arizona             N Dakota           Georgia              Colorado

Washington          Tennessee           Nebraska

Hosted by My Reader's Block

This one of a couple TBR challenges I joined. This one targets already OWNED books on your shelf or Kindle before 2023. I made the personal decision not to include ARC's.  (no library books - you need to own the book) 

I'm choosing the lowest mountain:  Pike's Peak - 12 books

Click book cover image to go to review.

a monster calls book cover.jpg

Hosted by My Reader's Block

This one of a couple TBR challenges I joined. This "virtual" challenge targets books on your wish list, your ever-growing TBR. Library books, loaned books, anything to reduce your wish list. My personal caveat is that it has to have been on my list over a year, not something added a couple months ago!

 I'm choosing  Mt. Crumpit - 24 books

Click book cover image to go to review.

Hosted by Shelleyrae at  Book'd Out

Read any nonfiction book, any format. You can choose to participate by a level quantity or with the twelve prompts. I'm choosing the level of Nibbler - 6 books

Click book cover image to go to review.

BOOKS I'M CONSIDERING:

Aroha

Bookseller at the End of the World

Braving It

Dead Wake

Don't Eat the Puffin

Reading With Patrick

Sapiens

Secret Life of Color

Solito

The Camino de Santiago

Tisha: A Young Teacher in Alaska

With Malice Toward None

Popsugar

  2023

A long-running challenge, Popsugar and Read Harder are the two challenges that often are the hardest for me. There are 40 prompts and 10 bonus prompts to encourage broader reading.Goodreads and Popsugar both have groups that offer suggestions for each of the prompts if you need some help (I almost always do).

POPSUGAR prompts & books I'm considering:

1- book meant to read in 2022:      The Venice Sketchbook by Rhys Bowen

2 - bought from an independent bookstore:

3 - about a vacation:   The Vacation by T. M. Logan

4 - by a first time author (debut):   The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz

5 - book with mythical creatures:     Hexed by Kevin Hearne

6 - about forbidden romance:   Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis

7 - with 'girl' in the title:      Girl Beneath the Sea by Andrew Mayne

8 - celebrity memoir:  Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

9 - color in the title:     Red Queen by Juan Gomez-Juardo  (ARC)

10 - romance with a 'fat' lead:

11 - set in Hollywood:      The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy   (ARC)

12 - published spring 2023:       To Shape A Dragon's Breath by Moniquill Blackgoose   (ARC)

13 - published year I was born (1952):   Excellent Women by Barbara Pym

14 - modern retelling of a classic:     The Winter Knight by Jes Battis   (ARC) Arthurian

15 - song lyric as title:   Take My Hand by Dolan Perkins-Valdez

16 - main character's name is in title:      The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

17 - with a love triangle:    The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

18 - banned or challenged in any state in 2022:      Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Thurston

19 - use prompt from previous year: cover with heart/diamond/spade/clubs:     The Paper Magician by Charlie Holmberg

20 - becoming movie or TV show in 2023:      The Power by Naomi Alderman

21 - set in decade I was born (1950s):     The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

22 - with queer lead:

23 - book with a map:    The World We Make by N.K. Jemisin

24 - with a rabbit on the cover:    Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo

25 - with only text on the cover:    The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

26 - shortest book (page count) on my TBR:     Parnassus on Wheels by Christopher Morley  (107)

27 - #booktok recommendation:   This Time Tomorrow by Elizabeth Straub

28 - bought second hand:     Gray Mountain by John Grisham

29 - recommended by a friend:

30 - on a celebrity book club list:      Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver  (Oprah list)

31 - about a family:   LaRose by Louise Erdrich

32 - comes out second half of 2023:  Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab

33 - about an athlete or sport:   The Winners by Fredrik Backman

34 - historical fiction:         Weyward by Emilia Hart   (ARC)

35 - about divorce:   Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

36 - book I think my best friend would like:

37 - should have read in high school:   Romeo & Juliet or The Outsiders by Hinton

38 - read more than 10 years ago:  Cujo by Stephen King

39 - book I wish I could read again for the first time:

40 - by author with my initials (TP):   Doors of Sleep by Tim Pratt

Storygraph Mystery

& Thrillers

Another prompt focused challenge, this one is sponsored by Storygraph (the book review site) and I love the way participation and success is tracked on their site! Only 26 prompts that all relate to mysteries/thrillers.

STORYGRAPH MYSTERY  prompts & books I'm considering:

1- by a popular author I haven't read:   Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

2 - best selling book:    Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

3 - new to me author:    Legacy of Lies by Robert Bailey

4 - favorite author:     A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny

5 - first book in a series:    Iron Lake by William Krueger

6 - book with bad reviews:    The Lola Quartet by Emily St John Mandel   (3.52, lowest on my TBR)

7 - highly rated book:    A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson   (4.35)

8 - paranormal mystery:   Devil's Night by A.N. Willis

9 - historical mystery:    The Witch of Tin Mountain by Paulette Kennedy

10 - novella:    

11 - over 400 pages:  Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger  (428 pages)

12 - ending that surprised:     The It Girl by Ruth Ware

13 - domestic thriller:    The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks

14 - female villain:     Rock Paper Scissors by Alice Feeney

15 - involves travel:    Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

16 - set in a different country:    The Hearts of All on Fire by Alana White  (Italy)

17 - season is important to the plot:

18 - seen on #booktok, instagram, or facebook:

19 - has a cult following:    Fool Moon by Jim Butcher  (Dresden Files)

20 - dual timeline:

21 - should be made into a TV movie:   The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell

22 - out of my comfort zone:    The Brink by Holden Sheppard

23 - involves true crime podcast (real or fiction):    Beneath Devi's Bridge by Loreth Anne White

24 - author not from USA, UK, Australia or Canada:    Thirteen Hours by Deon Meyer  (South Africa)

25 - horror:     Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

26 - has a plant on the cover:    The Devil You Know by P.J. Tracy

Hosted by Jen at  Introverted Reader

Read any book in translation, any format, any genre. You can choose to participate by a level quantity or using the twelve prompts. I'm optimistically choosing the level of Bilingual - 7-9 books

Click book cover image to go to review.

BOOKS I'M CONSIDERING:

Cold as Hell  (Icelandic)

Eighteen Below  (Swedish)

Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda translated by Alison Watts  (Japanese)

Red Queen   (Spanish)

The Keeper of Lost Causes   (Danish)

Thirteen Hours   (Africaans)

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