2022 Recommended Reading Challenge - Master Thread

[Mike, Host & Producer of IRCB!]

This is the master list and discussion thread for IRCB's 2022 Recommended Reading Challenge. Use it to discuss the challenge books you're reading, ask questions, and announce when you've completed the entire list.

Those who finish the challenge by December 16th, 2022 will get a personal shout-out on the podcast, and will get to help pick our January 2023 Book of the Month!

Also:
Progress Thread: for tracking your progress
Official Tracking Widget

RULES:
- You can join in at any point
- Books you have already read count towards the challenge
- Read all 11 picks from the podcasters/GR mods
- Pick the remaining 13 (or more if you’re up for it!) books from 2022 Books of the Month and Patreon supporter picks


From The Podcast Crew / Mod:
Tia - The Black Monday Murders, Volume 1: All Hail, God Mammon
Paul - The Book Tour
Kait - Algeria Is Beautiful Like America
Kara - Afterlife with Archie, Vol. 1: Escape from Riverdale
Kate - Guts
Brian - Spider-Man: The Spider's Shadow
Nick - The Way of the Househusband, Vol. 1
René - Burn the Witch, Vol. 1
Zander - The Good Asian, Vol. 1
Mike - Aster of Pan
Erin - The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott

Patreon:
Kyle D - Two Brothers
Matt D - Dragon Hoops
Paul G - Incredible Doom
Jolamprex - Star Wars: Jango Fett - Open Seasons
Stephanie - Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts
Geoff - Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1
Brandon - The Many Deaths of Laila Starr
Tom - Vinland Saga, Vol. 1
Peter - Ultramega vol. 1

[David]

I'm so excited! I joined the IRCB crowd too late in 2021 to catch up, but planning on reading these for 2022!

[Paul]

Wow, folks, this looks like a great list. So much of it is titles I've read (okay, a few of them were "meh"), or already plan to read. I don't see a single dreaded title in the list.

[Brandon]

Wow I've already read 11/20 books, halfway done I guess! Some I'm looking forward to re-reading for this challenge, some I am 100% not looking forward to re-reading but hey maybe they're better the second time around.

Some cool picks here I've had on my to-read list for a while. I'm particularly excited to check out Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts, it sounds great.

[Erin]

That was part of why we went with the "read the podcasters books then pick from the remaining items" format, to hopefully avoid some dreaded re-reads! :)

[Lenny]

I think the Ultramega link goes to the volume in Italian, this might be the main link here (and I combined several vol 1 editions so it's easier as well) - Ultramega by James Harren, Vol. 1

[Ashleigh]

It states on the rules - Read all 11 picks from the podcasters/GR mods - but I'm only counting 10.

Did I miss something?

[Canavan]

Ashleigh asked: Did I miss something?

I noticed this discrepancy as well. I thought it might just be a typo. I do notice upon closer inspection that the Mod/Podcast section doesn’t contain a selection for Erin, but that there is a selection for Erin (different Erin?) in the Patreon section. Maybe this is the source of the discrepancy.

[Mike, Host & Producer of IRCB!]

Canavan, you have it right - I put Erin in the wrong group! I'll update things here and in the other threads.

Thanks for the callout Ashleigh!

[Francis]

I'm back! It's taken me a while to get my head back to the point I can keep up with the IRCB Goodreads after the pandemic. So I'm not thinking I can read this whole list before the end of the year, but I'll give it a good go. I'm really pleased that a few of the books here are available as a Amazon Prime/Kindle Unlimited subscriber, so I'll get of to a good start there.

[Jessica]

Question! Can we use Books of the Month from previous months as part of our challenge? For example, if I missed September's Book of the Month theme but read it in November instead, would that count?

[Canavan]

Jessica asked: Question! Can we use Books of the Month from previous months as part of our challenge?

I’m not one of the mods, Jessica, but I’m certain no one would raise a ruckus.

[Erin]

Jessica wrote: "Question! Can we use Books of the Month from previous months as part of our challenge? For example, if I missed September's Book of the Month theme but read it in November instead, would that count?"

Hi Jessica,
I would say that it counts! :)

[Erin]

Finished up at the last second!

Of the non-BotM picks, my favorites were Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 and Incredible Doom - so so good! Can't believe I slept on Witch Hat for so long, what a shame!

Least faves were probably BURN THE WITCH 1 and Ultramega by James Harren, Vol. 1.

[Paul]

Good year of recs! My average rating of picks (excluding my BotM choices) is 3.6, putting it squarely between “meh/okay, others might like it more” and “enjoyed and would recommend.”

My faves that I hadn’t read already were The Book Tour and Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1.

[kaitlphere]

I made it with a few days to spare! I liked marking off books I read previously in a different way this year (with a dash). It helped me focus on things I hadn't read yet.

My favorites were The Good Asian, Vol. 1, Dragon Hoops, and The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott.

I really enjoy how we get such a wide variety of picks every year!

[Erin]

Hi All!

The thread to nominate the January BotM for challenge finishers is now up!

If you finished in time, come help decide next month's BotM!

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...