2023 Reading Challenge @ Melbourne Mama

 It looked as if this wasn't going to happen this year, but it's here now. 

MUST READ BOOKS FOR MELBOURNE MAMMA’S 2023 READING CHALLENGE

• A book with 23 letters in the title
• A book with water on the cover:
• A book with a title starting with ‘The’: The Love Hypothesis--Ali Hazelwood
• A book with a three-word title: Meet Cute Dairy--Emery Lee
• A classic
• A book you keep seeing: I Kissed Shara Wheeler--Casey McQuiston
• A book set in a different time period: Night Fire--Catherine Coulter
• A book set in the city / town / state where you live
• A book with a number in the title: Three Sisters, Three Queens--Philippa Gregory
• A bestseller from 2003
• A book with a green cover: Tokyo Dreaming--Emiko Jean
• A book about an inspirational person

EXTRA BOOKS TO READ

• A book you can finish in one day: Almost American Girl--Robin Ha
• Re-read a favourite book
• A book you borrowed from a library: Yerba Buena--Nina LaCour
• A book you bought secondhand
• One of my favorite reads from 2022
• A crime novel

#Jewityourshelf Challenge @ Instragam

 This is another I want to join, at Instagram.  It's only four categories and a bonus one.

1. By an Orthodox Jew: My Name is Asher Lev--Chaim Potok
2. Jewish iconography on cover:
3. Jewish Genre fiction: The Ex Talk--Rachel Lynn Solomon
4. Jewish book published in 2023:

BONUS: National Jewish Book Award Winner: The Gift of Asher Lev--Chaim Potok

Reading Challenge 2023 @The Black Experience

 Another I want to take on. It's a very good and diverse theme to read and explore:

1. Published in 2023:
2. About a single mom: Seven Days in June--Tia Williams
3. By your favorite black author:
4. "Blood" in the title: Blood Like Magic--Liselle Sambury
5. Got from the library: The Pretty One--Keah Brown
6. Book that will improve your life:
7. Historical fiction:
8. Written between 2000-2010:
9. Cozy mystery:
10. By a black man: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman--Ernest J. Gaines
11. Black and white cover: Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems--Warsan Shire
12. Flower on the cover: Parable of the Talents--Octavia E. Butler
13. Graphic novel: Stuntboy, In the Meantime--Jason Reynolds
14. Written before you were born:
15. Non-fiction: White Women--Regina Jackson
16. Book featuring sisters:
17. Interesting font on the cover:
18. Set on an island:
19. Queer protagonist:
20. Door on the cover:

BONUS READING:

1. Explores the supernatural:
2. Features a character being racially profiled:
3. Book of poems:

 

Decisions

It's something I am trying to do right now. It's been so long since I actually had an idea for a story. Meanwhile, I have begun sending my stories out again. One of them at least. I had about two rejections last year and have yet to hear from this one. I haven't sent out my memoir this year. And since I am still without ideas to write, I can't say when my next "book" will be, or what.

Trying to find blog topics for the new year has been hard as of yet. Even though it's not until April, I am already trying to come up with a topic for the A to Z Blogging this year. The A to Z blog has a new header for this year, but no info as of yet on this year's challenge. If I do it again, this will be my third time doing the A to Z.  So far my A to Z blogging themes have been the pandemic in 2021 and Forgotten TV Shows in 2022. Theme are not necessary, but many people choose to have one of the A to Z. Click above to see what the A to Z is about, if you don't already know and haven't seem my previous efforts. I have known about this challenge for years, but was hesitant to try until two years ago. Prior to that, I had seen and commented on other participants' blogs, including one that is no longer up. 

I am also deciding how many more challenges to sign up for. I know I already have a lot, but books can cross over. And some I have done in the past do not appear to be happening in 2023, so I am considering branching out to others. I cannot believe the classics one I have been doing for several years is seemingly not happening. A few I've done in the past I chose to skip this year. And I may just try blogging about books.

Rain and Friday the 13th

Yes, it's today. I've never been superstitious about this date, though in my neck of the woods we have been experiencing rain and floods that is expected to continue through next week sometime. It's been hard getting out, so I mainly have being going where I need to be. There was a break from the rain last Friday and yesterday. 

Again, I'm not superstitious about this date, but even after nearly three years, I still can't help thinking how many people did not seem to notice that the first week the pandemic was declared (in March 2020) included a Friday the 13th. 

As for now I'm trying my best to stay safe during the rain, however long it lasts.

Pro Book Nerds 2023 Reading Challenge

sa It looked as if this one wasn't going to happen this year, but here it is. It's another favorite so I had to do it. 

1. Greek myth retelling
2. A popular YA series
3. Book you ONLY picked for the cover
4. Book with a map: Three Sisters, Three Queens--Philippa Gregory
5. Audiobook narrated by the author: Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems--Warsan Shire
6. The highest or lowest rated book on your TBR
7. A book with a bilingual character
8. A cookbook & make a recipe
9. Read a poetry collection: Romantic Visionary--W.B. Yeats
10. Read a friend’s FAVORITE book
11. A book by an author with a pen name
12. A book about found family

2023 Better World Books Reading Challenge

 I wasn't sure about signing up for anymore challenges but this one tempted me. Some of the ones I did in past years don't seem to be offered this year so I decided to try others.

January: Remarkably Bright Creatures--Shelby Van Pelt

February: A Long Way Gone--Ishmael Beah

March: Race Forever--R.A. Montgomery

April:

May:

June:

July:

August:

September:

October:

November:

December:

2023 Reading Challenge @Blydyn Square Books

 Doing this one again.

1. Pronoun in the title: This is Where We Live--Janelle Brown
2. Number in the title: Three Sisters, Three Queens--Philippa Gregory
3. Author's most recent book:
4. Geographical word (mountain, sea, etc.) in the title:
5. White cover or spine: Lust & Wonder--Augusten Burroughs
6. Set in the 19th century: Night Fire--Catherine Coulter
7. Nonfiction:
8. Child as a character:
9. Verb in the title: Tending Roses--Lisa Wingate
10. One-word title: Red--Alison Cherry
11. Body or medical term in the title:
12. Set in NYC:
13. Written before 1960:
14. Author who uses initials: The Green Ember--S.D. Smith
15. Funny book:
16. Makes you cry:
17. Read when you were younger:
18. Relates to your work:
19. Self-help/self-improvement: Anxiety Disorder--Lisa Fletcher
20. Photograph on the cover: The Pretty One--Keah Brown
21. Book in a series: Lilac Girls--Martha Hall Kelly
22. Prominent character dies: They Both Die at the End--Adam Silvera
23. Set in a seaside community/area: Beach House Reunion--Mary Alice Monroe

January Bookish Bingo

The new card is here. 

My Books:

1. Anxiety Disorder--Lisa Fletcher (3 squares): Audiobook, Diet or Exercise, New Start/Start Over
2. Snow White and the Seven Robots--Stewart Ross (5 squares): E-Book, Curse or Spells, Wish, Vengeance, Unusual Mode of Transportation
3. Back in Black--Lori Foster (3 squares): Shelf Love, Physical Book, In a Series
4. This Where We Live--Janelle Brown (3 squares): Not in a Series, Meant to Read in 2022, Book Club Read
5. The Office BFFs--Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey (3 squares): Library book, Award-Winning, Free Space
6. Beach House Reunion--Mary Alice Monroe (2 squares): House on the Cover, Family or Chosen Family
7. Matchup--Lee Child (ed.): (3 squares): Short Stories/Anthology, Amateur Sleuth, Multiple Authors
8. Parable of the Talents--Octavia E. Butler (2 squares): Sci-Fi/Dystopia, Future Setting
9. The Ex Talk--Rachel Lynn Solomon (1 square): Free Book

25 squares completed on January 28

2023 Four Moon Reading Challenge

 I am once again doing the Four Moon Reviews challenge. This one started last year.

1. A book about/involving mental health

2. A book involving magic: Blood Like Magic--Liselle Sambury

3. A book involving the road not taken (this can be a book character thinking about or reliving a what if situation OR a character who lives a life you once considered living)

4. A book your favorite bookish social media personality loved in 2022.

5. A book with a candy related term in the title (sweet, sugar, sour, hard, chocolate etc.)

6. Grab a random book you've never heard of OR don't know what its about. You can grab it from a book store, a library or your bookshelf, or literally anywhere: A Long Way Gone--Ishmael Beah 

7. 2022 Repeat Prompt!! Read a book and write a review!!

8. A book with bones on the cover: 

9. A book with a shadow or reflection on the cover: They Both Die at the End--Adam Silvera

10. A book with a title that begins with a vowel

11. A book about a controversial topic

12. A book by a bipoc, lgbtq+, indie author

13. A book that has 290-300 pages: Lust & Wonder--Augusten Burroughs

14. A book that reminds you of something else, anything about the book could remind you of literally anything. Ex. A books side character reminds you of someone you know or the shade of blue on a cover reminds you of the sky. Use your imagination and have fun

15. A book with a foot on the cover

16. A book you would consider trashy or a guilty pleasure: Tell Me Lies--Jennifer Crusie

17. A book that was gifted or borrowed

18. A book with multiple POV: This is Where We Live--Janelle Brown

19. Pick One! A Sci-Fi or Horror book (you can pick a genre or a book that is both)

20. Pick One! A Fantasy or Romance (you can pick a genre or a book that is both)

21. Read two books that look alike - book 1

22. Read two books that look alike - book 2

23. The next book in a series

24. A book that has a name in the title: I Kissed Shara Wheeler--Casey McQuiston

25. A book with a title or cover that has something Ocean related (ex. sea, salt, fish, wet etc.): Remarkably Bright Creatures--Shelby Van Pelt

26. 2022 Repeat Prompt!! A Retelling: Snow White and the Seven Robots--Stewart Ross

27. A book that reminds you of a song

28. A book with your favorite trope or on your favorite topic

29. A book with a cover that makes you happy

30. Read a book and recreate the cover through any art form you like

Foodies Read

 Doing this once again.

My Books:

1. Queerly Beloved--Susie Dumond
2. Yerba Buena--Nina LaCour

2023 Poetry Reading Challenge

 Another favorite! Picking option 2.

Levels of Participation:

1. Sign up for the Academy of American Poets Poem-a-Day service
2. Read at least 1 book of poetry; you can find some I’ve reviewed
3. Set a personal reading goal (5 books, 10 books, etc.) and share your reviews or comments with me

My Books:

1. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems--Warsan Shire
2. Romantic Visionary--W.B. Yeats