2022 Reading Challenges

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2022 Reading Challenge Progress

Goal: read 50 books

50 / 50

 

European Reading Challenge

European Reading ChallengeRead books set in European countries or books by European authors. The books can be of any genre—fiction, nonfiction, novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, whatever. You can participate at different levels, but each book must represent a different country—either written by an author from a different country or set in a different country, no two books from the same country. Goal: FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

  1. Possession by A. S. Byatt (United Kingdom)
  2. Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky (Ukraine)
  3. Ireland by Frank Delaney (Ireland)
  4. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (France)
  5. Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Greece)

Sign up for the challenge here.

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Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Historical Fiction Reading ChallengeRead books set at least 20 years before the year in which they are published (that is my definition of historical fiction, not the challenge host’s). Goal: Renaissance Reader (10 books).

  1. Possession by A. S. Byatt (Victorian England and France and 1980s England and France)
  2. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (1770s Gold Coast/Ghana and US to 2000s Ghana and US)
  3. Ireland by Frank Delaney (1950s-1960s Ireland with stories from earlier in the past)
  4. Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie (1960s-1970s US, mostly Massachusetts)
  5. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride (1850s Kansas and Virginia)
  6. The Familiars by Stacey Halls (1612, Lancashire, England)
  7. A Lullaby for Witches by Hester Fox (half is set in 1870s fictional Tynemouth, Massachusetts)
  8. The Orphan of Cemetery Hill by Hester Fox (1850s Boston)
  9. All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (WWII France)
  10. Death and the King’s Horseman by Wole Soyinka (1940s colonial Nigeria)

Sign up for the challenge here.

10 / 10

 

Monthly Motif Challenge

Monthly Motif Reading ChallengeRead one book each month based on that month’s theme. Goal: read 12 books.

  1. JANUARY—New To You. Celebrate the New Year with something new to you—a new genre, a new author, a new book series, a new book purchase, etc.
    New to me author: In the Midst of Winter by Isabel Allende.
  2. FEBRUARY—Girl Power. Highlighting Women! Female Authors, Fierce female characters, feminism, female body positivity, females in science/government, etc.: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi (re-read).
  3. MARCH—Buzzed About Books. Read a book you saw buzzed about a lot in 2021 but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet.
  4. APRIL—Books to Screen. Read a book that has a movie or TV adaptation made based on it. For an extra challenge, watch the show after reading the book. The Good Lord Bird by James McBride; I also watched the miniseries featuring Ethan Hawke as John Brown.
  5. MAY—Book Lovers Unite. Read a book set in a library or bookstore; with a librarian, author, or book-loving character; OR a book with the word ‘BOOK’ in the title. The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan.
  6. JUNE—Supporting PRIDE through books. Read a book by an author who is a member of the LGBTQIA+ community or a book featuring LGBTQIA+ character(s). Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby
  7. JULY—Summer Lovin’ – Having a Blast. This month it’s all about the beach reads, rom coms,  and/or love stories. Pick something fun and light-hearted.
  8. AUGUST—Quick Lit. Novellas, Graphic Novels, Poetry Collections, books under 200 pages, one-sitting reads.
  9. SEPTEMBER—Title Play. Read a book with a clever title that uses a play on words, a pun, a joke, or titles that have double meanings. 
  10. OCTOBER—Murder or Magic. Read a murder mystery book or a magical realism book.
  11. NOVEMBER—Books in Translation. Read any book that wasn’t originally written in your native language but has since been translated to it.
  12. DECEMBER—The Fire is So Delightful. Read a book that has a fire, flames, candles, smoke, or burning in the title or on the cover.

Sign up for the challenge here.

5 / 12

 

2022 Poetry Reading Challenge

Poetry ChallengeRead a poem a day for one month, read at least one book of poetry, and read as many books of poetry as you can in a year. Goal: complete each of the three challenges.

  1. One month of poetry. I read a poem a day for the month of April, National Poetry Month.
  2. Deaf Republic by Ilya Kaminsky
  3. Additional poetry books
    1. Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz
    2. Eyes Bottle Dark with a Mouthful of Flowers by Jake Skeets
    3. Helium by Rudy Francisco

Sign up for the challenge here.

3 / 3

 

This or That Reading Challenge

This or That Reading ChallengeThis reading challenge has two challenges a month equaling 24 challenges AND you only have to choose one or the other. Goal: 12 books

  1. This: A book that is to be published in 2022: We Don’t Know Ourselves by Fintan O’Toole
  2. That: Cozy up and re-read a favorite book: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
  3. This: A book written by an Irish author: Ireland by Frank Delaney
  4. This: A historical fiction book: Songs in Ursa Major by Emma Brodie
  5. That: A book from a female author that has more than 10 books published: The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan
  6. Book 6
  7. That: A book by an BIPOC author: Admissions by Kendra James
  8. That: A back-list book (anything published in 2021 or before 2021): All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
  9. Book 9
  10. This: A book with orange or purple on the cover: The Brontë Myth by Lucasta Miller
  11. This: Read a book that a family member, friend or someone you admire has recommended: Watercress by Andrea Wang
  12. Book 12

Sign up for the challenge here.

9 / 12

 

Where Am I Reading?

A map of setting locations for books I read in 2022.


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