The amount of dread I’m feeling around starting this post is…okay, I’m not sure how to end this sentence. I’m dreading this. I’m pretty sure I’m not in good shape here.
My plans this year focused on the two series that I’ve started–Literary Locals and Grandpappy’s Corner–both of which are doing okay (sure, there’s the Classic Spenser series that I meant to get back to–I still have time). Then there’s the perennial, “Cut down on my Goodreads Want-to-Read list and the unread books that I own.” How am I doing on that?
| Audio | E-book | Physical | Goodreads Want-to-Read |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| End of 2022 |
5 | 45 | 42 | 143 |
| Current Total | 4 | 44 | 54 | 142 |
Let’s see how I’m doing with the rest of my plans and move on to the Reading Challenges…
2023 Book Challenges
Goodreads Challenge
12 Books
This year’s selections are still looking good–I’m a little behind on the reading, and more behind on the writing. Still, I think I’m doing okay on this.
2023 While I was Reading
I could be doing a little better on this—as usual, I’m not really planning the books for this challenge. When October hits, if I haven’t read everything on the list, I’ll get serious about hunting.
- A book with a protagonist over 40.:
- A book considered a classic.:
- A graphic novel.:
- A book that has been banned or challenged.:
- A book set in a place on your bucket list.:
- A book published before you were born.:
- A book related to a goal you have for 2023.:
- A book by an author of color.:
- A book with a clever title.:
- A book by a famous author you’ve never read:
- A non-fiction book about a topic you love.:
- A novella: Bad Memory by Jim Cliff
Your TBR Reduction Book Challenge
I’m on-target for this one (as much as I can be), and have even got a couple of the Stretch Goals accomplished.
January – End to end temptation I give you permission to read the most recent book you have got on top of your TBR. For many this is one we only get to read eventually but for now I want you to pick up the newest book in Mount TBR and read it. Can you remember the last time you did that? It’s a good habit to get into and January is all about starting good habits: The Perception of Dolls by Anthony Croix, Edited by Russell Day
Stretch Goal – Read the oldest book in Mount TBR it has waited long enough: Bartleby and James: Edwardian Steampunk Chronicle by Michael Coorlim
February – Short steps For the shortest month of the year I want you to read 28 short stories. This can be a TBR collection, anthology or even backlog of magazines that you have. Life is fast but use this challenge to appreciate the skill of the short story writer. Play your skills right you may get more than one book read this way. eh…I get partial credit for this, Noirville contained every short story I had unread, but it’s only fifteen stories. I did read extra novellas for the Stretch Goal, though. So I’m calling this okay?
Stretch Goal – Read four novellas one for each week of the month. Bad Memory by Jim Cliff, Anna and the Vampire Prince by Jeanne C. Stein, and Broken by Don Winslow (which is six novellas).
March – Fresh Starts This time for the beginning of spring you need to start a series you have never read before. Release this work from Mount TBR! Justice Calling by Annie Bellet
Beat the Backlist Reading Challenge;
I’ve got 2 of the 24 categories taken care of. So, I guess I’m behind–but I do have many of the rest picked out. I just need to set some time aside to knock those out.
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I’ve got about half of my list for this drafted, but I’ll save the details until later. Besides, knowing me, I’ll go through four more drafts anyway.
Basically, I’ve got my work cut out for me here.
(Image by Clker-Free-Vector-Images from Pixabay)
WS_BOOKCLUB
I’m a reading slacker compared to you!
HCNewton
pshaw
allyson johnson
I don’t go much for the meme-like challenges (e.g. read a book by an author starting with A, and continue from Anne Tyler or Jane Austen through the alphabet all the way to Zadie Smith). But I do approve of reading books that friends have recommended, and I heartily endorse Chaim Potok’s “The Chosen.” I read this first when I was the only Goyische shiksa teaching at a school in NY which was 95% Jewish. In asking for book reports from the students I learned about Jewish mystery writers (“Saturday the Rabbi Slept Late”) Jewish dynastic/sex sagas (Noah Gordon’s “The Rabbi”), Jewish theatre (“Fiddler on the Roof”) and most engrossingly, Jewish coming-of age stories, of which “The Chosen” is a gem.
HCNewton
I’m embracing these over the last couple of years as a way to chip at Mt. TBR, it’s (sort of) helping.
I am looking forward to The Chosen, too. Am sure there’s a reason it never hit my radar before, but I’m glad it’s on it now.