My 2023 Reading Challenge Wrap Up

I have a confession to make. While I started off on the right foot with my 2023 challenges, I lost my focus early on. It is fortunate I tend to choose challenges and set goals that fit my regular reading patterns or else I might not have done so well with all of them. I am proud to say I did even better than I expected, especially in terms of reading books from my TBR shelves and wish list. 

With an overflowing TBR pile I hoped to whittle down a little more this year, I signed up for the Mount TBR Challenge hosted by My Reader's Block. I kept my goal on the lower side to allow myself room for those shiny new books I have trouble resisting as well. My goal: Pike's Peak (read 12 books I already own - prior to 2022). Final 2023 Count: 27 (Mount Blanc)

 Books Read:
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

Much like the Mount TBR Challenge, I decided to tackle The Backlist Reader Challenge hosted by The Bookwyrm's Hoard to get through some of my older TBR and wish list books.  My goal: Read 10 books from my wish list/TBR pile that have been there since 2021. Final 2023 Count: 33

Books Read:

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams
The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows (#1) by Leigh Bardugo
Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Flunked (Fairy Tale Reform School #1) by Jen Calonita
Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre edited by Tracy Chevalier
Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson
Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour
Well Played (Well Met #2) by Jen DeLuca
Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 
Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger
Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger
Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger
Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger
Lodestar (Keeper of the Lost Cities #5) by Shannon Messenger
Nightfall (Keeper of the Lost Cities #6) by Shannon Messenger
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
Falling by T.J. Newman
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Immortal in Death (#3) by J.D. Robb
Rapture in Death (#4) by J.D. Robb
The Moon Within by Aida Salazar
A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab
Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton

 

I seem to read more nonfiction when I take part in the Nonfiction Reading Challenge hosted by Book'd Out and, wanting to make at least a small dent in my nonfiction TBR stack, I jumped at the chance to take part this year. My goal: Nonfiction Nipper (at least 3 books). Final 2023 Count: 7 (Nonfiction Nibbler)

Books Read: 

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith

We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys by Erin Kimmerle

Untangled: Guiding Teenage Girls Through the Seven Transitions into Adulthood by Lisa Damour

Life Lessons from a UFO Catcher: An Autobiographical Manga, Vol. 1 by Kenny Loui and Yamawe

In an effort to get back into reading historical fiction this year, I took on the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by The Intrepid Reader. I love that this particular challenge is fairly broad in scope--any genre works as long as it qualifies as historical. My goal: Victorian Level (at least 5 books). Final 2023 Count: 10 (Renaissance Reader)

Books Read: 

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (#1) by Heather Fawcett
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The London Séance Society by Sarah Penner
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning with the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith
Playing It Safe (Electra McDonnell #3) by Ashley Weaver
The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead

The Bookish Books Reading Challenge hosted by Bloggin' 'bout Books sounded too good to resist being that I enjoy books with bookish themes! My goal: Toe in the Door (read between 1-10 books with a bookish theme). I feel like I cheated with this one because I read six volumes of a manga series, but if ever there was a manga series focused on books (including the care and repairing of them), this one would be it. Final 2023 Count: 11 (Picking and Perusing)

Books Read: 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

Exes & O's by Amy Lea

Magus of the Library, Vol. 1 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 2 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 3 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 4 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 5 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

Magus of the Library, Vol. 6 by Mitsu Izumi (translated by Hiroto Hamada)

The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney

Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders

Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew

I cannot seem to get enough of cozy mysteries these days, and so joined the Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews. My goal: Snoop (10 Cozies of my choice). Final 2023 Count: 13

Books Read:

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley
Death by Demo (Renovations Mystery #1) by Callie Carpenter
Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano
Murder at a London Finishing School (Beryl & Edwina Mystery #7) by Jessica Ellicott
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality (Saffron Everleigh Mystery #2) by Kate Khavari
The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern
The Fatal Folio (Cambridge Bookshop #3) by Elizabeth Penney
A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn
Witch Upon a Star (Witch Way Librarian Series #4) by Angela Sanders
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto 
The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren
Mrs. Morris and the Witch (Salem B&B Mystery #2) by Traci Wilton
Murder by the Seashore (California Bookshop #1) by Samara Yew

One of my personal goals this year was to read more poetry than I managed to read the year before, and I decided to join up with the Poetry Reading Challenge hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit again for a little extra motivation. My goal: 3 poetry books and a poem a day from A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter. Well, I did not follow through with reading a poem a day from Hunter's anthology, but I did better with the other half of my goal. Final 2023 Count: 4 poetry collections

Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams

The Moon Within by Aida Salazar

Mom, Can I Do My Laundry at Your House?: Poems from Your Adult Child by Olivia Roberts

Flutter, Kick by Anna V.Q. Ross

I figured COYER Challenge hosted by Because Reading, Mom With A Reading Problem, and Once Upon a Chapter would be an easy reading challenge to take on, especially the first Chapter: It's a Cold Summer (January through April), in which anything goes. I never officially signed up for Chapters 2 and 3 despite my intention to. I did not set a numeric goal for this challenge. I just wanted to have fun with it. 

Books Read (Chapter 1): 

The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams

The Secret of Bow Lane (Kat Holloway #6) by Jennifer Ashley

Shadow and Bone (#1) by Leigh Bardugo

Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun (Finlay Donovan #3) by Elle Cosimano

Speaker of the Lost (Lark Nation #1) by Clara Coulson

Dreyer's English: An Utterly Correct Guide to Clarity and Style by Benjamin Dreyer 

Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Exes & O's by Amy Lea

Guts (Smile #3) by Raina Telgemeier

Find Her. Keep Her. by Renaada Williams

The Deep End (The Country Club Murders #1) by Julie Mulhern

A Perilous Undertaking (Veronica Speedwell #2) by Deanna Raybourn

The Vampire Knitting Club (#1) by Nancy Warren

Witch Hat Atelier, Vol, 10 by Kamome Shirahama (translated by Stephen Kohler)

Under the Whispering Door by T.J. Klune

This past summer, I took part in the Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Sue of Book By Book. The challenge was to read one, two or however many books I chose that were over 400 pages long between May 25th and September 4th. I did not set a numeric goal. Final 2023 Count: 5

Books Read: 

Keeper of the Lost Cities (#1) by Shannon Messenger (544 pages)

Exile (Keeper of the Lost Cities #2) by Shannon Messenger (592 pages)

Everblaze (Keeper of the Lost Cities #3) by Shannon Messenger (609 pages)

Neverseen (Keeper of the Lost Cities #4) by Shannon Messenger (672 pages)

A Gathering of Shadows (Shades of Magic #2) by V.E. Schwab (513 pages)

And there you have it! I managed to complete all the challenges I signed up for (at least officially), even surpassing my goals for most of them. At least in terms of reading the books, even if not managing to post all the reviews. For me, that's a win. 

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© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

A Year in Review: 2022 (And Looking Ahead)

What a year 2022 was! My reading and blogging both took big hits because of stuff going on in my offline life.  If it were not for all the Manga my family talked me into trying, my total of books read would have been much lower. Thank you to all of you for your visits and comments this past year. It means so much to me. I am so glad to be a part of this community and to be able to connect with all of you--whether through my own blog or yours. I have enjoyed visiting with you and look forward to seeing what this year will bring us, both in books and in life. 

Some Fun Meaningless 2022 Reading Statistics:

Number Of Books Read: 80

Genres Read:

(Some of what I read falls under more than one genre. Here, I count them under the genre I most identified with the book. Also of note, my categorization of each book by sub-genre using broad definitions).

Fantasy - 23

Manga - 20 

Romance - 2

Fantasy - 10

Crime Fiction - 8

Crime Fiction/Mysteries - 14

Cozies (contemporary setting) - 9 (7 paranormal/fantasy)
Historical - 2 (1 paranormal) 

Fantasy - 2 (1 historical)

Thriller/Gothic - 1

Fiction - 9

Humor - 3

Literary/General Fiction - 3

Romance - 1

Historical - 1

Classic - 1 

Romance - 6

Fantasy/Paranormal - 2

Contemporary - 2

Historical - 1

Classic - 1

Nonfiction - 3

Memoir - 1

History - 1

Children's Health - 1

Graphic Novels - 3 (all Fantasy)

Science Fiction - 1

Horror - 1

Of the books I read, 2 were audiobook, 47 were e-books, and 31 were in print (hardcover or trade).

The longest book I read was The Count of Monte Cristo (1276 pages) and the shortest was Uncle From Another World, Vol. 1. (160 pgs)

I will be sharing my all around top ten favorite books read list tomorrow for Top Ten Tuesday, and hope you will stop in and see what they are! 

How did your reading 2022 year in reading shape up? 

2022 Goals

I did not set a lot of goals for 2022. I took a break from formal reading challenges, but let's take a look at how I did on the goals I did set for myself: 

1. Read The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas over the course of the year ~ This was a hard book to stretch out for an entire year. I finished it quite early. I can see why The Count of Monte Cristo is so popular. I thoroughly enjoyed this grand adventurous tale. 

2. Catch up on my series reading ~ (inspired by Katherine of I Wish I Lived in a Library) From the outset, this has been a perpetual goal, one that I will continue to work on in years to come. I am happy to say I feel like I did make progress, even if not as much as I might have liked. 

3. Read more from my existing TBR ~ Another perpetual challenge as I work my way through my TBR collection. I don't think there will ever be an end to this one. But I am not complaining.

4. Catch up with my review writing and stay on top of it ~ Nope. I failed utterly at this one. I have notes on all I have read and still plan to put together reviews for them, but events this year got the better of me and I was unable to keep up. 

Did you set any goals for this past year? How did you do?

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My participation in reading challenges tends to be all over the place. Some years I go all out, other years I only take part in one or two or even none at all (like this past year). This seems to be the year I am drawn to participate in many. I blame it on those of you who posted the challenges you will be taking on! There is also the added bonus of supporting some of my fellow bloggers who are hosting these challenges. While I would love to participate in everyone's challenges, I know that isn't a realistic goal. And, truth be told, my reading plans already lean in the direction for many of these, so why not join in the challenge fun?

It has been years since I took on a TBR or Backlist Challenge. Considering how huge my TBR collection is, these two challenges will help motivate me to read more of the books I already own. 

Mount TBR Reading Challenge, hosted by My Reader's Block ~ Goal: Pike's Peak (read 12 books I already own - prior to 2022) 

The Backlist Reader Challenge, hosted by The Bookwyrm's Hoard ~ Goal: Read 10 books from my wish list or TBR pile that have been there since 2021. [Note: I consider TBR books to be books I actually own, hence the use of "wish list" above which are books I would like to read but do not own.]

I seem to read more nonfiction when I take part in Shelleyrae's Nonfiction Reading Challenge. And I really do enjoy nonfiction when I read it; not to mention I have two or three shelves of unread nonfiction I can choose from!

Nonfiction Reading Challenge, hosted by Book'd Out  ~ Goal: Nonfiction Nipper (at least 3 books)

I did not read nearly as many historical novels as I normally do this past year and I want to get back to reading them more this year. I love that this particular challenge is fairly broad in scope--any genre works as long as it qualifies as historical. 

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge, hosted by The Intrepid Reader ~ Goal: Victorian Level (at least 5 books)

How can I resist a challenge involving reading books in which one of the main themes is books? I like that the rules for this challenge are laidback and loose because I tend to be a mood reader and flexibility is a must. 

Bookish Books Reading Challenge, hosted by Bloggin' 'bout Books ~ Goal: Toe in the Door (read between 1-10 books with a bookish theme).

I cannot seem to get enough of cozy mysteries these days, and so I thought it would be fun to take part in Yvonne's cozy mystery reading challenge this year. 

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge, hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews ~ Goal: Snoop (10 Cozies of my choice - committing to so many books in one subgenre makes me nervous, but I'll do my best!) 

One of my personal goals this year is to read more poetry than I managed to this past year. I am looking forward to taking part in Serena's poetry challenge this year.

Poetry Reading Challenges, hosted by Savvy Verse & Wit ~ Goal: Read 3 poetry collections and a poem a day from A Nature Poem for Every Night of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter (which I'll have to start later this month--I'm waiting on my copy to arrive in the mail)

I announced my participation in COYER last month, but I am adding it here to document all of my challenges together in one post. It's the 10th anniversary of COYER, so how could I not want to take part? I love the COYER community and look forward to joining in a year of reading fun. I will be taking part in both the challenge and community aspects of COYER. 

COYER Challenge, hosted by Because Reading, Mom With A Reading Problem, and Once Upon a Chapter.

Goal: I am not setting a numeric goal and am going to just have fun with this one.

• Chapter One: It's a Cold Summer (January through April) - Anything goes (any format, any price, no limits)
• Chapter Two: Get On Board (May through August) - It's a board game! 
• Chapter, Three: Back to the Beginning (September through December) -  Exclusively free or low cost e-books or audiobooks)

Are you participating in any reading challenges this year? Have you set any personal reading goals? 

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© 2023, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

My 2021 Reading Challenges

At the beginning of each new year, I often feel ambitious. Read more poetry. Read more nonfiction. Read more of my TBR books. Catch up on my series reading. Catch up on my review reading. Read more in general. More often than not I fall short because I want to do all these things and then real life (and sometimes my reading mood) gets in the way. 

Here I am though, planning big. This past year, I had difficulty focusing on reading and seemed to thrive on lighter, less complicated reading fare. My best guess is that this coming year will not be much different. There are still many challenges ahead of us. And yet I feel the need to add some sort of structure to my reading--to a small degree anyway. My goal is always to have fun while reading, and I am excited about taking part in the following reading challenges.

(I am including some book possibilities for each challenge--which are just that, possibilities.)

I have been craving historical fiction. Not that I need an excuse to read it. Joining the 2021 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge hosted by Marg, the The Intrepid Reader, will be a fun way to give myself an extra boost of encouragement. The Victorian level (5 books) sounds right up my alley. 

Possible reading choices: 

Remembrance Rita Woods

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

Treacherous is the Night (Verity Kent #2) Anna Lee Huber

Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang

Three Souls by Janie Chang

Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert

The Alice Network by Kate Quinn

The Hummingbird's Diary by Luis Alberto Urrea

Murder in Old Bombay by Nev March

I also will be taking part in the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae of Book'd Out. My shelves of unread nonfiction books have been calling to me, and I am hoping this challenge will help motivate me to clear a few off. I am taking on the Nonfiction Nibbler level with plans to read 6 nonfiction books over the course of the year.

Possible reading choices: 

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Dear Fahrenheit 451: Love and Heartbreak in the Stacks by Annie Spence

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers Who Helped Win World War II by Liza Mundy

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore

Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande

The Princess Spy: The True Story of World War II Spy Aline Griffith, Countess of Romanones by Larry Loftis

Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened by Allie Brosh

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander

Of course I will be taking part in the 2021 Poetry Challenge hosted by Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit again! My goal is to read at least 3 books of poetry and feature them on my blog. I have a subscription to Poetry Magazine and hope to find a poem or two I can share on my blog from time to time as well. 

Possible reading choices: 

In the Lateness of the World by Carolyn Forché 

The Death of Sitting Bear by N. Scott Momaday

Bone by Yrsa Daley-Ward

All Cats Are Introverts by Francesco Marciuliano

Great Goddesses: Life Lessons from Myths and Monsters by Nikita Gill

Of Yesteryear by Lauren Eden

I am excited about this year's Clean Out Your E-Reader Challenge (COYER) hosted by Michelle and Berls of Because Reading Is Better Than Real Life. This coming year it will last all year long and is being split into seasons. Participants can take part in one, some, or all of the seasons. For details check out the sign up page for the COYER challenge. The Winter COYER Challenge (January & February) follows the more strict COYER rules: for books to count toward the challenge, they must be in electronic format (e-books or audiobooks). Books read must be free or nearly free. This includes review books and books under $2 (audiobooks under $5). 

I am keeping it simple because low pressure is my goal for this next year. My aim is to read four review e-books for Winter COYER. If I manage more, even better!

Possible reading choices: 

The Dark Archive (Invisible Library #7) by Genevieve Cogman

How to Catch a Queen by Alyssa Cole

The Russian Cage (Gunnie Rose #3) by Charlaine Harris

The Ruthless Lady's Guide to Wizardy by C.M. Waggoner

Murder in the East End (Kat Holloway Mystery #4) by Jennifer Ashley

A Glimmer of Death (#1) by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Fairy Godmother, Inc. (#1) by Saranna DeWylde

Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Etched in Bone (The Others, #5) by Anne Bishop

Just one more. I love the name of the Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge and decided this coming year would be a good year to participate. Mysteries usually are near the top of the number of books I read, but this year that was not the case. I love mysteries and hope to change that next year. Joining the Cloak and Dagger Challenge hosted by Carol of Carol's Notebook is an added incentive! Like with the other challenges I am joining in 2021, I am aiming low. I will be participating at the Amateur Sleuth level, reading between 5 to 15 mysteries. I like that the challenge allows for a broad range of subgenres. 

Possible reading choices: 

No Graves As Yet (#1) by Anne Perry

One by One by Ruth Ware

Bait and Witch (#1) by Angela Sanders

Death of an Unsung Hero (Lady Montfort #4) by Tessa Arlen

The Body Under the Piano (Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen #1) by Marthe Jocelyn

The Girl Who Knew Too Much (Burning Cove #1) by Amanda Quick

The Wife Upstairs by Rachel Hawkins

Death at a Country Mansion (Daisy Thorne #1) by Louise R. Innes

Magpie Murders (Susan Ryeland #1) by Anthony Horowitz

Do you have any reading goals for the new year? Are you taking part in any challenges? 

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© 2020, Musings of a Bookish Kitty. All Rights Reserved. If you're reading this on a site other than Musings of a Bookish Kitty or Wendy's feed, be aware that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.