2022 Southern Literature Reading Challenge

Another I am doing again next year, at Introverted Reader.

Definition of “The South”

• Alabama
• Arkansas
• Florida
• Georgia
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• North Carolina
• Oklahoma
• South Carolina
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Virginia
• West Virginia

Levels

Level 1–C’mon in the house! Read 1-2 books.

Level 2–Pull up a seat and stay a while! Read 3-4 books

Level 3–Have a glass of sweet iced tea, honey. Read 5-6 books

Level 4–Y’all come back now, y’hear! Read 7+ books

My Books:

1. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt
2. Angel of Greenwood--Randi Pink
3. The Fixer Upper--Mary Kay Andrews
4. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald--Therese Anne Fowler
5. Zelda Sayre Fitzgerald--Linda Wagner-Martin
6. Cat Me If You Can--Miranda James
7. The English Breakfast Murder--Laura Childs
8. The Omnivore's Dilemma--Michael Pollan
9. Beach House for Rent--Mary Alice Monroe
10. The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
11. The Brightest Star--Fern Michaels
12. Book Lovers--Emily Henry
13. Postcards From the Dead--Laura Childs
14. Finding Me--Viola Davis
15. Devonshire Scream--Laura Childs
16. Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale--Lynda Rutledge
17. Calypso--David Sedaris
18. Last in a Long Line of Rebels--Lisa Lewis Tyre
19. The Summer of Lost and Found--Mary Alice Monroe
20. The Christmas Pearl--Dorothea Benton Frank
21. Glitter Bomb--Laura Childs
22. Drop Dead Chocolate--Jessica Beck

Challenge completed on December 31

2022 Books in Translation Reading Challenge

 Doing this one again, getting as many books as possible.

• You can read a book that’s been translated from any language into the language of your choosing. The challenge is not limited to translations to or from English.
• You can read any genre
• You can read books meant for any age group
• Crossovers with other challenges are fine
• Any format that you choose is also acceptable

My Books:

1. Martina the Beautiful Cockroach--Carmen Agra Deedy
2. Mulan: The Legend of the Woman Warrior--Faye-Lyn Wu
3. My Invented Country--Isabel Allende
4. The Island of Sea Women--Lisa See
5. The Little Paris Bookshop--Nina George
6. Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio--Pu Songling
7. Maigret and the Headless Corpse--Georges Simenon
8. The Safety Net--Andrea Camilleri
9. The Story of Blue-Beard--Charles Perrault
10. In the Midst of Winter--Isabel Allende

Calling challenge complete on December 7

Romance Throughout the Year Challenge for 2022

I missed there being a general challenge for reading romance last year. Now there are several offered for 2022, and it was hard deciding on one, but this is the one I chose.

January: Time Travel Romance: The Time Traveler's Wife--Audrey Niffenegger

February: Regency Romance: The Masqueraders--Georgette Heyer

March: Discover a New Culture! – For this month, we recommend finding a romance that centers a culture that’s not your own: Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating--Adiba Jaigirdar

April: Historical fiction other than Regency – For this month, we recommend finding a romance from a historical period you’d like to learn more about!: Dragonfly in Amber--Diana Gabaldon

May: Celebrity Romance: I'll Be the One--Lyla Lee

June: LGBTQIA+ Romance: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding

July: Shared Hobby Romance – A romance where the love interests share a hobby like reading, baking, etc.: People We Meet on Vacation--Emily Henry

August: Fantasy Romance: Timeless--Gail Carriger

September: Retelling a Romance: The Kiss Quotient--Helen Hoang

October: Science Fiction Romance: The Bride of Casa Dracula--Marta Acosta

November: 2022 Release: Funny You Should Ask--Elissa Sussman

December: Winter Holiday Romance: Coming Home For Christmas--RaeAnne Thyne

Challenge completed on December 15

Book Bingo 2022 @ Unruly Reader

 I first did this one in 2020, but passed last year. Will get as many squares as possible.

This year’s theme is Time — because we kept thinking of topics that evoked different aspects of time.

My books:

1. Timely Title: When It Happens to You--Molly Ringwald
2. Coming of Age: The Rivals--Daisy Whitney
3. Period Piece: The Red Queen--Philippa Gregory
4. Librarian Recommended: When You Trap a Tiger--Tae Keller
5. One-syllable author surname: Unfriended--Rachel Vail
6. Ability Diverse: A Curse So Dark and Lonely--Brigid Kemmerer
7. New York Times Bestseller: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt
8. Immersion: Here to Stay--Sara Farizan
9. News: Ace--Angela Chen
10. Afro Futurism: Parable of the Sower--Octavia E. Butler
11. Positive Psychology: How to Be an Antiracist--Ibram X. Kendi
12. Free Time: The Rainbow Comes and Goes--Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt
13. Biography: Sisters in Law--Linda Hirshman
14. Wanderlust: The Wonder Trail--Steve Hely
15. Slow: Hunger--Roxane Gay
16. Vintage: Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio--Pu Songling
17. Seasonal: The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding
18. Fast: Fast Food Nation--Eric Schlosser
19. Play: The Merchant of Venice--William Shakespeare
20. One-Hit Wonder: Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt
21. Fleeting Fancy: We Came, We Saw, We Left--Charles Wheelan
22. Time Capsule: The Anthropocene Reviewed--John Green
23. Subculture: First Trip--Cheryl Taylor
24. Native American Author: Firekeeper's Daughter--Angeline Boulley
25. 1980s Classic: White Noise--Don DeLillo

Challenge completed on December 10

Fun Stuff for Christmas

 With Christmas just a week away, here is some fun stuff for the holiday:

Reading Challenge: #ReadQueerToo2022

 Will be doing this one again, at Enthralled Bookworm, reading as many LGBTQ+ books and filling as many bingo squares as I can next year.

My Books:

1. When It Happens to You--Molly Ringwald
2. Glass--Ellen Hopkins
3. Several People Are Typing--Calvin Kasulke
4. Jay's Gay Agenda--Jason June (Gay MC)
5. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt (Crime)
6. Meet Cute--Jennifer L. Armentrout & others
7. Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating--Adiba Jaigirdar (Fake Dating)
8. Here to Stay--Sara Farizan (Sports)
9. Ace--Angela Chen (Ace Spec)
10. Cinderella is Dead--Kalynn Bayron (Fairy Tale Retelling)
11. The Rainbow Comes and Goes--Anderson Cooper & Gloria Vanderbilt (Free Space)
12. I'll Be the One--Lyla Lee (Celebrity)
13. It Never Goes Away--Dr. Anne L. Koch (Trans)
14. Hunger--Roxane Gay
15. The Summer of Jordi Perez--Amy Spalding (Best Friends to Lovers)
16. The Guncle--Steven Rowley (Loud and Queer)
17. Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max--Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis (Lesbian MC)
18. Vanilla--Billy Merrell (Poetry)
19. Technically, You Started It--Lana Wood Johnson (Bi MC)
20. The Best American Short Stories 2014--Jennifer Egan (ed.)
21. People We Meet on Vacation--Emily Henry
22. The Last Chance Library--Freya Sampson
23. Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt
24. Pet--Akwaeke Emezi (Non-Binary)
25. The Emperor's Children--Claire Messud
26. The Lies That Bind--Emily Giffin
27. With the Fire on High--Elizabeth Acevedo
28. The Summer Deal--Jill Shalvis (Rom Com)
29. People of Pride--Chase Clemesha, MD
30. Somebody's Daughter--Ashley C. Ford
31. Black Cake--Charmaine Wilkerson (BIPOC Lead)
32. She Drives Me Crazy--Kelly Quindlen (Enemies to Lovers)
33. The Book of Salt--Monique Truong
34. Drag Teen--Jeffery Self (Drag Queen)
35. Aurora Rising--Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff (Space Travel)
36. Conversations With Friends--Sally Rooney
37. Felix Ever After--Kacen Callender (Genderqueer/Genderfluid MC)
38. The Taking of Jake Livingston--Ryan Douglass (Horror)
39. The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea--Maggie Tokuda-Hall (Fantasy)
40. City on Fire--Garth Risk Hallberg
41. Calypso--David Sedaris
42. Bangkok 8--John Burdett
43. Funny You Should Ask--Elissa Sussman
44. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow--Gabrielle Zevin
45. Girl Online On Tour--Zoe Sugg
46. In a Holidaze--Christina Lauren

Calling challenge complete on December 23

What’s in a Name 2022

 Yet another favorite is now up.

In 2022, choose 6 books that have titles that contain a:

(Click on the links for more examples and info)

• Compound word: Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil--John Berendt
• Speed: Fast Food Nation--Eric Schlosser
• Person and their description: The Quiet Little Woman--Louisa May Alcott
• Mythical being: Unicorn on a Roll--Dana Simpson
• Season: Guenevere Queen of the Summer Country--Rosalind Miles 
• Color: The Red Queen--Philippa Gregory

Challenge completed on June 12