Epistolary Reading Challenge 2023

 Another I'm bringing back next year.

The challenge will be to read books written in the form of letters, diaries, blogs, e-mails and such, either completely or partially written this way. 

Guidelines:

• Challenge will run from January 1 to December 31, 2023.  Books must be started on or after January 1 to count.  Re-reads will be allowed as long as they are read during the specified time period.
• Books may cross over to other challenges in which you are participating.  
• Fiction (all genres and subgenres) and nonfiction that fit the challenge description may be read.
• All book formats are allowed (paper, audio, electronic, graphic novels/manga, picture books). 
• No levels.  I will let you choose how many books to read.
• You do not need a blog to sign up.  You may keep tract of your progress on Goodreads, Amazon or other similar sites with a shelf dedicated to this challenge.  Or sign up on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitter.
• You do not need to post reviews, nor will there be any check-ins.
• Sign up below in the comments. I will not be using linkys this year.

Need ideas for reading? Here are some links to get started:

Goodreads: Epistolary Novels Books

100 Must-Read Epistolary Novels From the Past and Present

11 Epistolary Novels That Will Make You Miss the Days of Letter Writing

Amazon Best Sellers: Epistolary Novels

My Books:

1. This is Where We Live--Janelle Brown
2. The Love Hypothesis--Ali Hazelwood
3. Tending Roses--Lisa Wingate
4. Three Sisters, Three Queens--Philippa Gregory
5. Lost Autumn--Mary-Rose MacColl 
6. Parable of the Talents--Octavia E. Butler
7. They Both Die at the End--Adam Silvera
8. Tokyo Dreaming--Emiko Jean
9. The Ex Talk--Rachel Lynn Solomon
10. Meet Cute Dairy--Emery Lee
11. Kiss & Tell--Adib Khorram
12. Red--Alison Cherry
13. Seven Days in June--Tia Williams
14. I Kissed Shara Wheeler--Casey McQuiston
15. Verity--Colleen Hoover
16. The Girls of Atomic City--Denise Kiernan
17. For Everyone--Jason Reynolds
18. The Reunion--Meghan Quinn
19. Dear Edward--Ann Napolitano
20. Lost Roses--Martha Hall Kelly
21. Love, Lists & Fancy Ships--Sarah Grunder Ruiz
22. What Looks Like Crazy on an Ordinary Day--Pearl Cleage
23. Death of a Blueberry Tart--Lee Hollis
24. The Jew in the Lotus--Rodger Kamenetz
25. The Undertaker's Assistant--Amanda Skenandore
26. 1022 Evergreen Place--Debbie Macomber
27. Sunflower Sisters--Martha Hall Kelly
28. Summer on the Bluffs--Sunny Hostin
29. Orange, Volume 1--Ichigo Takano
30. Gender Queer--Maia Kababe
31. Irish Gold--Andrew M. Greeley
32. The Villa--Rachel Hawkins
33. Odd One Out--Nic Stone
34. The Hotel Nantucket--Elin Hilderbrand
35. The Deal--Elle Kennedy
36. Maame--Jessica George
37. One of Us is Lying--Karen M. McManus
38. Here I Go Again--Jen Lancaster
39. All American Boys--Jason Reynolds
40. With the Might of Angels--Andrea Davis Pinkney
41. A Summer Affair--Elin Hilderbrand
42. Orange Volume 2--Ichigo Takano
43. One of Us is Next--Karen M. McManus
44. The Proposal--Jasmine Guillory
45. The London Seance Society--Sarah Penner
46. Wow, No Thank You--Samantha Irby
47. A Woman is No Man--Etaf Rum
48. Olga Dies Dreaming--Xochitl Gonzalez
49. Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York--Gail Parent
50. Solito--Javier Zamora
51. Love on the Brain--Ali Hazelwood
52. Carrie Soto is Back--Taylor Jenkins Reid
53. Pineapple Street--Jenny Jackson
54. Bad Fat Black Girl--Sesali Bowen
55. The Odd Women--George Gissing
56. The Christmas Box--Richard Paul Evans
57. Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six--Lisa Unger
58. A Song for a New Day--Sarah Pinsker
59. Dear Santa--Debbie Macomber
60. I Am Not Who You Think I Am--Eric Rickstad
61. Gingerbread--Helen Oyeyemi
62. The Twelve Dates of Christmas--Jenny Bayliss
63. The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square--Rosina Lippi

Calling challenge complete on December 29

Creativity Reading Challenge 2023

Another I'm bringing back.

This challenge is about reading books on creativity, art, crafts, writing, film making, photography, cosmetology, DIY, cooking, music and any other topic that helps you live a more creative life. 

Challenge Guidelines

• Runs January 1 to December 31, 2023. 

• I won't be creating different levels. Read as many books as you want.

• Books may be nonfiction, memoir, how-to, self help, coffee table books, instructional, picture books, and even fictional books if they are about people who are creative.

• You may include books of any format including traditional books, ebooks or audiobooks

• You may reread books. 

• Books may count towards other reading challenges in which you are participating.
• Sign below in the comments. I have decided not to use linkys this year.

Need ideas for reading? Here are some links to get started:

40 of the Best Books to Unlock Your Creativity

Fiction Books Involving Art

11 Essential Art History Books

10 Novels About Art You Won't Put Down

My Books:

1. This is Where We Live--Janelle Brown
2. The Office BFFs--Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
3. They Both Die at the End--Adam Silvera
4. The Ex Talk--Rachel Lynn Solomon
5. My Name is Asher Lev--Chaim Potok
6. Meet Cute Dairy--Emery Lee
7. Kiss & Tell--Adib Khorram
8. The Gallery of Vanished Husbands--Natasha Solomons
9. Red--Alison Cherry
10. Seven Days in June--Tia Williams
11. Checked Out For Murder--Allison Brook
12. The Gift of Asher Lev--Chaim Potok
13. Blueprints--Barbara Delinsky
14. Yerba Buena--Nina LaCour
15. Open Book--Jessica Simpson
16. Verity--Colleen Hoover
17. Secrets of the Tulip Sisters--Susan Mallery
18. For Everyone--Jason Reynolds
19. The Minimalist Home--Joshua Becker
20. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk--Kathleen Rooney
21. Famous Father Daughter--Jamie Bernstein
22. The Magic in Changing Your Stars--Leah Henderson
23. The Villa--Rachel Hawkins
24. The Garden of Small Beginnings--Abbi Waxman [re-read]
25. Once More With Feeling--Elissa Sussman
26. The Clue in Blue--Betsy Allen
27. Islandborn--Junot Diaz
28. How to Murder Your Life--Cat Marnell
29. The Da Vinci Code--Dan Brown
30. Nothing But Trouble--Jacqueline Davies
31. North American Indian Portraits--James D. Horan
32. Pure Hollywood--Christine Schutt
33. Wow, No Thank You--Samantha Irby
34. Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York--Gail Parent
35. Sister Stardust--Jane Green
36. The Story of Rock--Lindsay Sagar Caterpillar
37. A Song for a New Day--Sarah Pinsker
38. Dear Santa--Debbie Macomber
39. The Twelve Dates of Christmas--Jenny Bayliss
40. The Masterpiece--Emile Zola
41. Kinetic Sculpture Racing--Hobart Brown
42. The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square--Rosina Lippi

Calling challenge complete on December 29

Humor Reading Challenge 2023

I will be bringing this one back again.

 

Choose a level from below.  You may go up a level, but not down.

Cartoonist: 1-5 books

Humor Columnist: 6-10 books 

Comedy Writer:  11-15 books

Stand Up Comedian: More than 15 books 

Guidelines for the Challenge:

• Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2023. Books must be started on or after January 1 to count. Re-reads are allowed as long as they are read during the specified time frame.
• Books may cross over to other challenges in which you are participating.
• Any book (fiction, nonfiction, memoirs, graphic novels, poetry collections, plays, picture books) labeled as humor counts. As such, all book formats (paper, audio, electronic) may be read.
• You do not need a blog to sign up. You may keep tract of your progress on Goodreads, Amazon or other similar sites with a shelf dedicated to this challenge. Or sign up on Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc. 
• There will be no checkins, nor do you need to post reviews.
• Sign up below in the comments. I have decided not to use linkys this year.

 

Need ideas? Here are some links to get started:

Goodreads: Funniest Books Ever

Goodreads: Books that Made Me Laugh Out Loud

Goodreads: Humor Books

B&N: 50 of the Funniest Books Ever Written

Amazon Best Sellers: Best Humor

 

My Books:

1. Snow White and the Seven Robots--Stewart Ross
2. The Office BFFs--Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
3. The Love Hypothesis--Ali Hazelwood
4. Almost American Girl--Robin Ha
5. Tokyo Dreaming--Emiko Jean
6. The Ex Talk--Rachel Lynn Solomon
7. Meet Cute Dairy--Emery Lee
8. Kiss & Tell--Adib Khorram
9. Red--Alison Cherry
10. I Kissed Shara Wheeler--Casey McQuiston
11. Checked Out For Murder--Allison Brook
12. Lust & Wonder--Augusten Burroughs
13. Stuntboy, In the Meantime--Jason Reynolds
14. The Pretty One--Keah Brown
15. Yerba Buena--Nina LaCour
16. Open Book--Jessica Simpson
17. The Tryout--Christina Soontornvat
18. Secrets of the Tulip Sisters--Susan Mallery
19. Tell Me Lies--Jennifer Crusie
20. Abby in Wonderland--Sarah Mlynowski
21. The Reunion--Meghan Quinn
22. I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool--Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
23. The Best Man--Richard Peck
24. Love, Lists & Fancy Ships--Sarah Grunder Ruiz
25. Cool For the Summer--Dahlia Adler
26. Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World--Benjamin Alire Saenz 
27. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk--Kathleen Rooney
28. The Best At It--Maulik Pancholy
29. Gender Queer--Maia Kababe
30. Taste: My Life Through Food--Stanley Tucci
31. The Garden of Small Beginnings--Abbi Waxman [re-read]
32. Once More With Feeling--Elissa Sussman
33. How to Murder Your Life--Cat Marnell
34. Lumberjanes Vol 3: A Terrible Plan--Noelle Stevenson
35. Oh My Gods!--Stephanie Cooke
36. The Hotel Nantucket--Elin Hilderbrand
37. The Deal--Elle Kennedy
38. One of Us is Lying--Karen M. McManus
39. Spare--Prince Harry
40. Here I Go Again--Jen Lancaster
41. Nothing But Trouble--Jacqueline Davies
42. Bad Hair Day--Sarah Mlynowski
43. One of Us is Next--Karen M. McManus
44. The Proposal--Jasmine Guillory
45. Savannah Breeze--Mary Kay Andrews (re-read)
46. Limericks--Michael Palin
47. Bite Me--Christopher Moore
48. Pure Hollywood--Christine Schutt
49. Heart Bones--Colleen Hoover 
50. Pizza and Taco: Dare to Be Scared--Stephen Skaskan
51. Paw Patrol: Halloween Heroes!
52. Wow, No Thank You--Samantha Irby
53. Dirty Thirty--Janet Evanovich
54. Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York--Gail Parent
55. Good Morning Zoom--Lindsay Rechler
56. Once Upon a December--Amy E. Reichert
57. Love on the Brain--Ali Hazelwood
58. Kiss Me--Susan Mallery
59. Carrie Soto is Back--Taylor Jenkins Reid
60. Pineapple Street--Jenny Jackson
61. Merry Christmas, Mouse--Laura Numeroff
62. You're My Little Christmas Cookie--Nicola Edwards
63. Bad Fat Black Girl--Sesali Bowen
64. The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog--Dave Barry
65. Sister Stardust--Jane Green
66. The Running Dream--Wendelin Van Draanen
67. The Story of Rock--Lindsay Sagar Caterpillar
68. T. Rex Time Machine--Jared Chapman
69. Here Comes Santa Cat--Deborah Underwood
70. Alan's Big, Scary Teeth--Jarvis
71. A Song for a New Day--Sarah Pinsker
72. Winter Street--Elin Hilderbrand
73. Dear Santa--Debbie Macomber
74. The Swimmers--Julie Otsuka
75. Gingerbread--Helen Oyeyemi
76. The Twelve Dates of Christmas--Jenny Bayliss
77. Kinetic Sculpture Racing--Hobart Brown
78. The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square--Rosina Lippi

Calling challenge complete on December 29

Favorite Halloween Humor

 Reposting some favorites from previous years:

Mental Health Reading Challenge 2023

 

This will be returning in 2023 for a fifth year. This is a topic very important to me.

General Rules:

• Any book depicting mental health counts, whether fiction or non-fiction.
• Challenge takes place from January 1 to December 31, 2023. All books must be read during that time to count.
• All book formats (print, audio, e-books) are accepted.
• Books may cross over to other challenges in which you are participating.
• No levels, read as many books as you like.
• Need ideas for books? Check this Goodreads page for several lists of books on the topic.
• You do not need a blog to participate. You may sign up on Goodreads, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc. 
• Sign up below in the comments. I have decided not to use linkys this year.

Need reading ideas? Here are some links to get started:

Goodreads Lists of Mental Health Reads

Amazon: Best Sellers in Mental Health

Oprah Daily: 11 Best Mental Health Books 2021

11 Enlightening and Empathetic YA Novels about Mental Illness

My Books:

1. Anxiety Disorder--Lisa Fletcher
2. This is Where We Live--Janelle Brown
3. Beach House Reunion--Mary Alice Monroe
4. Tending Roses--Lisa Wingate
5. Almost American Girl--Robin Ha
6. Tokyo Dreaming--Emiko Jean
7. Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head: Poems--Warsan Shire
8. Seven Days in June--Tia Williams
9. Lust & Wonder--Augusten Burroughs
10. A Long Way Gone--Ishmael Beah
11. Stuntboy, In the Meantime--Jason Reynolds
12. The Pretty One--Keah Brown
13. Yerba Buena--Nina LaCour
14. Verity--Colleen Hoover
15. The Girls of Atomic City--Denise Kiernan
16. Ellen Foster--Kaye Gibbons
17. Tomb of Sand--Geetanjali Shree 
18. The House of Broken Angels--Luis Alberto Urrea
19. Dear Edward--Ann Napolitano
20. The Jew in the Lotus--Rodger Kamenetz
21. The Minimalist Home--Joshua Becker
22. Josee, the Tiger and the Fish--Seiko Tananbe
23. The Astonishing Color of After--Emily X.R. Pan
24. The Black Kids--Christina Hammonds Reed
25. Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World--Benjamin Alire Saenz 
26. Memoirs of an Addicted Brain--Marc Lewis
27. Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk--Kathleen Rooney
28. The Path Made Clear--Oprah Winfrey
29. The Other Side--Juan Pablo Villalobos
30. The Best At It--Maulik Pancholy
31. All Boys Aren't Blue--George M. Johnson
32. The Lies I Tell--Julie Clark
33. Orange, Volume 1--Ichigo Takano
34. Gender Queer--Maia Kababe
35. The Pale-Faced Lie--David Crow
36. Sitting Pretty--Rebekah Taussig
37. So-Called Normal--Mark Henick
38. Committed--Elizabeth Gilbert
39. The Garden of Small Beginnings--Abbi Waxman [re-read]
40. Odd One Out--Nic Stone
41. How to Murder Your Life--Cat Marnell
42. Maame--Jessica George
43. One of Us is Lying--Karen M. McManus
44. Maid--Stephanie Land
45. Spare--Prince Harry
46. When They Call You a Terrorist--Patrisse Kahn-Cullors
47. All American Boys--Jason Reynolds
48. Orange Volume 2--Ichigo Takano
49. One of Us is Next--Karen M. McManus
50. Macbeth--Jo Nesbo
51. A Queer History of the United States for Young People--Michael Bronski
52. The Midnight Club--Christopher Pike
53. The Vision--Dean Koontz
54. An Unkindness of Ghosts--Rivers Solomon
55. The London Seance Society--Sarah Penner
56. A Woman is No Man--Etaf Rum
57. Olga Dies Dreaming--Xochitl Gonzalez
58. Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York--Gail Parent
59. Love on the Brain--Ali Hazelwood
60. Pineapple Street--Jenny Jackson
61. The Seven Purposes--Margaret Cameron
62. Whereabouts--Jhumpa Lahiri
63. Sister Stardust--Jane Green
64. The Running Dream--Wendelin Van Draanen
65. The Swimmers--Julie Otsuka
66. I Am Not Who You Think I Am--Eric Rickstad
67. The Twelve Dates of Christmas--Jenny Bayliss
68. The Pajama Girls of Lambert Square--Rosina Lippi

Memoir Reading Challenge 2023

It's back, once again using a checklist. Some categories have been changed, however. To participate, you must read a minimum of five memoirs from any of the categories listed. One book can only count for one category. Re-reads are acceptable. All book formats count. 

Other Rules:

• Books must be read on or after January 1, 2023 to count.
• Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2023.
• Books may cross over to other challenges in which you are participating. 
• Books must be labeled as memoirs to count. 
• You do not need a blog to sign up.  You may keep tract of your progress on Goodreads, Amazon or other similar sites with a shelf dedicated to this challenge.  Or sign up on Youtube, Facebook, or Twitter. Sign up below in the comments.

If you need reading ideas, here are some links to get started:

Goodreads: Best Memoir/Autobiography

Goodreads: Memoirs by Women 

Amazon Best Seller Memoirs

B&N: 50 Essential Memoirs

Here are the categories:

1. Mental Illness Memoir: Memoirs of an Addicted Brain--Marc Lewis
2. Other Illness Memoir: Sitting Pretty--Rebekah Taussig
3. Political Memoir: Peril--Bob Woodward
4. Food Memoir: Taste: My Life Through Food--Stanley Tucci
5. Animal Memoir: The Shepherd, the Angel and Walter the Christmas Miracle Dog--Dave Barry
6. Music Memoir: Famous Father Daughter--Jamie Bernstein
7. Travel Memoir: The Jew in the Lotus--Rodger Kamenetz
8. Written by a person of color: A Long Way Gone--Ishmael Beah
9. Written by a woman: The Pretty One--Keah Brown
10. Written by a person who identifies as LGBTQIA: Lust & Wonder--Augusten Burroughs
11. Written by an actor or a comedian: The Office BFFs--Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
12. Written by an author or journalist: I Need a Lifeguard Everywhere But the Pool--Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
13. Written by any other celebrity: Open Book--Jessica Simpson
14. Written by someone under 40: Gender Queer--Maia Kababe
15. Written by someone over 40: Wow, No Thanks You--Samantha Irby
16. Written by someone from a country different from your own: The House at Sugar Beach--Helene Cooper
17.  One you find thought-provoking: The Pale-Faced Lie--David Crow
18.  Made into a movie: Maid--Stephanie Land
19.  Graphic Novel memoir: Almost American Girl--Robin Ha
20.  Bestselling memoir: Committed--Elizabeth Gilbert
21.  Humorous memoir: The Tryout--Christina Soontornvat
22.  Fictional memoir: The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman--Ernest J. Gaines
23.  In translation: Whereabouts--Jhumpa Lahiri
24.  Won an award: Barbarian Days: A Surfing Life--William Finnegan
25.  Published in 2023: Spare--Prince Harry
26.  Published in 2022 or earlier: All Boys Aren't Blue--George M. Johnson
27.  Under 300 pages: The Peddler's Grandson--Edward Cohen
28.  Over 300 pages: How to Murder Your Life--Cat Marnell
29.  One you want to re-read: 
30.  On a favorite topic: So-Called Normal--Mark Henick
31.  By a favorite celebrity: 
32.  Free choice: When They Call You a Terrorist--Patrisse Kahn-Cullors
33.  Free choice: Solito--Javier Zamora
34.  Free choice: Bad Fat Black Girl--Sesali Bowen

Calling challenge complete on December 8

Beyond The Bookends’ 2023 Reading Challenge

It's getting to be that time! One of my favorite challenges is already up for next year. I was just beginning to think about when to start posting my own ones for '23 (I will soon be working on them).

This is the one at Beyond the Bookends. One of the one ones with monthly themes.

January: They Both Die at the End--Adam Silvera

February: Night Fire--Catherine Coulter

March: Open Book--Jessica Simpson

April: Homegoing--Yaa Gyasi

May: Death of a Blueberry Tart--Lee Hollis

June: The Path Made Clear--Oprah Winfrey

July: The Villa--Rachel Hawkins

August: Maid--Stephanie Land

September: With the Might of Angels--Andrea Davis Pinkney

October: The City We Became--N.K. Jeminsin

November: Once Upon a December--Amy E. Reichert

December: Dear Santa--Debbie Macomber


Challenge completed on December 15