2023 Reading Challenge
I am not often one to participate in “reading challenges”. I read what I like to read, and that is just what it is. However, I noticed that some of my favorite books in 2022 were from genres that aren’t generally my “go to,” which means that it’s time to step outside of my comfort zone. Enter my new 2023 reading challenge. If this works well for this year, maybe it will be a recurring thing!
I will say that this concept was inspired by Rachel Dawson from alltheradreads, but mine has pulled from various Pinterest pins, TikTok videos, or whatever inspired me.
The 2023 Reading Challenge
- A book with a place in the title
- A book with a color in the title
- A book set in a country you want to visit
- A book written by a person of color
- A new release
- A book with more than 500 pages
- A book with a one-word title
- A classic you haven’t read before
- A book first published in another country
- A book that features royalty
- A banned book
- A book chosen purely for its cover
Now, my only rule is that ONE book cannot count for multiple categories. If you need to move them around throughout the year, that’s totally fine. However, you cannot read one book that is more than 500 pages, chosen for its cover that’s also written by a person of color. Twelve categories. Twelve books.
Reading Challenge Resources
Now, I’m not just going to drop this challenge on you and leave you to track down books. I want to be sure you have plenty of resources to complete the 2023 reading challenge successfully!
- A book with a place in the title
- A book with a color in the title
- One of my absolute favorites I read in 2022: The House in the Cerulean Sea
- A book set in a country you want to visit
- Italy: The Villa
- Australia: The Soulmate (really, anything by Sally Hepworth), Reckless Girls
- Space (no, it’s not technically a country, but you might want to go into space!): The Martian or Project Hail Mary
- United Kingdom: The Family Game, The It Girl, anything by Ruth Ware
- A book written by a person of color
- Check out this list from Buzzfeed (from 2020)
- Plenty of lists on Goodreads
- Oprah’s list from 2022 (Specifically Black authors)
- A new release
- I have actually pre-ordered a few books this year (and it might be my new favorite thing to do). I have ordered Off the Deep End by Lucinda Berry and The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty. I’ve also gotten a few advanced reader copies of books coming out in 2023, so keep an eye on the blog and my social media channels for those!
- A book with more than 500 pages
- Another one of my favorite series is The Daevabad Trilogy, and all three books are more than 500 pages (if you feel like being an overachiever).
- There are some lists that include Life After Life, but don’t read that book. That book was awful.
- A book with a one-word title
- One of my favorite YA series is comprised of all one-word titles! Check out Uglies.
- Lisa Scottoline also has a new book coming out in March of next year called Loyalty (it’s also set in Italy!).
- A classic you haven’t read before
- A book first published in another country
- One of my favorite series EVER was originally published in France, so go grab The Mirror Visitor series!
- A book that features royalty
- Remember: There is royalty ALL OVE THE WORLD, so these don’t just have to be about the UK royalty. Do some historical fiction or, yes, read Spare. This is a judgement-free zone.
- A banned book
- The banned books list updates every year, but this is a great resource from Reader’s Digest of 30 banned books you need to read ASAP. I can personally vouch for The Handmaid’s Tale and Brave New World. There’s also this article from CNN of the 50 most-banned books in America (from November 2022).
- A book chosen purely for its cover
- I mean, you could go a million different ways with this one. Weird covers, eye-catching covers, beautiful covers…
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