Jess' 2023 Reading Challenges

[JessicaMHR]

Last year I read 137 books (goal was 150) and coming up short on all but one of my challenges, I feel like I need to try this again!

I am planning on reading those books I didn't finish (I wouldn't feel right leaving them incomplete).

So, with a lower goal of reading 50 books, here we go again! I will be doing the ATY52, Popsugar, and the AtoZ Challenges, as well as the 50 States (I am still working on the 2021, 2022 and now the 2023). Last Year I had added the Book Riot Read Harder but after only completing 16/24 I am not trying that one again, although I do want to try to finish the 2021 version.

I REALLY want to complete one whole challenge this year before the end of the year. I am going to focus mostly on Popsugar and if my books fit in the other places all the better.

As was the case last year, I also want to catch up on my book club reading when I can. Last year I also added a book club (Read with Jenna) since I found that some of the books I was reading were also on that list.

Book Clubs:
Our Shared Shelf (only from Jan 2016- Dec 2020)
Hello Sunshine (Reese's Book Club)
Oprah's Book Club
Read with Jenna

Below are my finished reads for each challenge.

[JessicaMHR]

All Finished Books of 2023:

Reading Challenge goal of 50 books.

79/50

1. The Hacienda - Isabel Canas
2. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
3. The Cherry Robbers - Sarai Walker
4. Wyoming Tough - Diana Palmer
5. Wyoming Fierce - Diana Palmer
6. The Sun is also a Star - Nicola Yoon
7. Wyoming Bold - Diana Palmer
8. Counterfeit - Kirsten Chen
9. Me - Elton John
10. Wyoming Strong - Diana Palmer
11. The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo - Amy Schumer
12. A Hard Day for a Hangover - Darynda Jones
13. Ejaculate Responsibly - Gabrielle Blair
14. A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler
15. Chloe Flavor - Chloe Coscarelli
16. Wyoming Rugged - Diana Palmer
17. Taste - Stanley Tucci
18. Happy Place - Emily Henry
19. Bunny - Mona Awad (DNF)
20. The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hilderbrand
21. You Shouldn't Have Come Here - Jeneva Rose
22. 100 Things to do Before You Grow Up
23. The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
24. Wings in the Wild - Margarita Engle
25. Treasure in the Lake - Jason Pamment
26. All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
27. Your Heart, My Sky - Margarita Engle
28. Rima's Rebellion - Margarita Engle
29. Under One Roof - Ali Hazelwood
30. Stuck with You - Ali Hazelwood
31. Empire of wild - Cherie Dimaline
32. Below Zero - Ali Hazelwood
33. The Best American Short Stories 2018 - Roxane Gay
34. From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
35. Starfish - Lisa Fipps
36. Why Didn't you Tell Me? - Carmen Rita Wong
37. Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood
38. The Skull - Jon Klassen
39. The Villa - Rachel Hawkins
40. Wonder Woman - Nancy Holder
41. Thirst - Varsha Bajaj
42. In Her Boots - KJ Dell'Antonia
43. Maizy Chen's Last Chance - Lisa Yee
44. The Secret History - Donna Tartt
45. Turtles of the Midnight Moon - Maria Jose Fitzgerald
46. Dear Edward - Ann Napolitano
47. The Longmire Defense - Craig Johnson
48. The Wishbone Wish - Megan McDonald
49. The Essential Calvin and Hobbes - Bill Watterson
50. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie - Laura Joffe Numeroff
51. The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams
52. Next Year in Havana - Chanel Cleeton
53. When We Left Cuba - Chanel Cleeton
54. Maus I - Art Spiegelman
55. The Last Train to Key West - Chanel Cleeton
56. Top Story - Kelly Yang
57. A first time for everything - Dan Santat
58. It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover
59. Brides for Brothers - Debbie Macomber
60. Maus II - Art Spiegelman
61. Saving Shiloh - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
62. Finding Me - Viola Davis
63. It Starts with Us - Colleen Hoover
64. If the Shoe Fits - Julie Murphy
65. A Shiloh Christmas - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
66. An Elderly Lady is up to no Good - Helene Tursten
67. The Marriage Risk - Debbie Macomber
68. The Little Prince - Antoine de Sait-Exupery
69. Pachinko - Min Jin Lee
70. Finally Seen - Kelly Yang
71. Owl at Home - Arnold Lobel
72. Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
73. The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Beatrix Potter
74. Johnathan Livingston Seagull - Richard Bach
75. An Elderly Lady Must Not be Crossed - Helene Tursten
76. The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba - Chanel Cleeton
77. The Nutcracker by Daniel Walden - E.T.A. Hoffmann
78. My Evil Mother - Margaret Atwood
79. Anatomy - Dana Schwartz
80.
81.

[JessicaMHR]

A to Z Reading Challenge - Book Titles

A: All the Missing Girls
B: Book Lovers
C: The Cherry Robbers
D: Dear Edward
E: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
F: The Five-Star Weekend
G: The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo
H: The Hacienda
I: In Her Boots
J: Johnathan Livingston Seagull
K: The Kingdom of Sweets
L: Love, Theoretically
M: Me
N: Next Year in Havana
O: Owl at Home
P: Pachinko
Q: Queenie
R: Rima's Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny
S: The Sun Is Also a Star
T: Treasure in the Lake
U: Under One Roof
V: The Villa
W: Wyoming Tough
X: XOXO
Y: You Shouldn't Have Come Here
Z: From the Desk of Zoe Washington

[JessicaMHR]

Ultimate Popsugar Challenge 2023:
*Finished Reading.....50/50

REGULAR
1. A Book You Meant to read in 2022
Counterfeit Kirstin Chen
2. A Book you bought from an independent Bookstore
The Crossover
3. A Book about a vacation
A First Time for Everything Dan Santat
4. A Book by a First-Time Author
Finding Me Viola Davis
5. A Book with Mythical Creatures
Empire of Wild Cherie Dimaline
6. A Book about a Forbidden Romance
When We Left Cuba Chanel Cleeton
7. A Book with "Girl" in the Title
All the Missing Girls Megan Miranda
8. A Celebrity Memoir
Me Elton John
9. A Book with Color in the Title
A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler
10. A Romance with a Fat Lead
If the Shoe Fits - Julie Murphy
11. A Book about or Set in Hollywood
The Second Murderer: A Philip Marlowe Novel
12. A Book Published in Spring 2023
Happy Place Emily Henry
13. A Book Published the Year You Were Born
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie Laura Joffe Numeroff
14. A Modern retelling of a Classic
Geekerella Ashley Poston
15. A Book With a Song Lyric as its Title
Stuck with You Ali Hazelwood
16. A Book Where the Main Character's Name is in the Title
From the Desk of Zoe Washington Janae Marks
17. A Book with a Love Triangle
The Villa Rachel Hawkins
18. A Book That was Banned or Challenged in 2022
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History Art Spiegelman
19. A Book that Fulfills a Favorite Past Challenge
Why Didn't You Tell Me? Carmen Rita Wong
20. A Book Becoming a Show in 2023
Dear Edward Ann Napolitano
21. A Book set in the Decade you Were Born (1980's)
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury Bill Watterson
22. A Book with a Queer Lead
Top Story Kelly Yang
23. A Book with a Map
Turtles of the Midnight Moon Maria Jose Fitzgerald
24. A Book with a Rabbit on the Cover
The Velveteen Rabbit Margery Williams
25. A Book with Only Text on the Cover
The Best American Short Stories 2018 Roxane Gay
26. The Shortest Book (by Pages) on your TBR List
My Evil Mother Margaret Atwood
27. A #Booktok recommendation
It Ends with Us Colleen Hoover
28. A Book You Bought Secondhand
Queenie
29. A Book Your Friend Recommended
Maus II : And Here My Troubles Began Art Spiegelman
30. A Book That's on a Celebrity Book Club List
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman
31. A Book About a Family
The Cherry Robbers Sarai Walker
32. A Book Released During the Second half of 2023
Love, Theoretically Ali Hazelwood
33. A Book about an Athlete/Sport
Home Field Advantage Dahlia Adler
34. A Historical Fiction Book
Rima's Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny Margarita Engle
35. A Book about Divorce
It Starts with Us - Colleen Hoover
36. A Book You Think Your Best Friend Would Like
Wyoming Bold Diana Palmer
37. A Book You Should Have Read in High School
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass
38. A Book You Read More Than 10 Years Ago
Charlotte's Web E.B. White
39. A Book you WIsh you COuld Read for the First Time Again
Next Year in Havana Chanel Cleeton
40. A Book By an Author With the Same Initials as you
You Shouldn't Have Come Here Jeneva Rose

ADVANCED
41. A Book Written During NaNoWriMo
The Hacienda Isabel Canas
42. A Book Based on a Popular Movie
Wonder Woman: The Official Movie Novelization Nancy Holder
43. A Book that Takes Place Entirely in One Day
The Sun Is Also a Star Nicola Yoon
44. A book That Was Self-Published
The Tale of Peter Rabbit Beatrix Potter
45. A Book that Started Out as Fan Fiction
Below Zero Ali Hazelwood
46. A Book with a Pet Character
Your Heart My Sky Margarita Engle
47. A Book with a Holiday That's Not Christmas
The Wishbone Wish Megan McDonald
48. A Book that Features Two Languages
Wings in the Wild Margarita Engle
49. The Longest Book (by Pages) on Your TBR List
The Secret History Donna Tartt
50. A Book with Alliteration in the Title
A Hard Day for a Hangover Darynda Jones

[JessicaMHR]

Around the Year in 52 Books Challenge 2023:

This one is broken down into a book a week. But I tend to skip around and fit books in as I read them.

*Finished Reading: 52/52 topics

*1. A book set in a location the begins with A, T, Y
Wonder Woman: The Official Movie Novelization – Nancy Holder
*2. A book by an author you read in 2022.
Love, Theoretically - Ali Hazelwood
3. A Book that Fits a Suggestion that Didn't Make the 2023 List
Rima's Rebellion: Courage in a Time of Tyranny - Margarita Engle
4. A Book with an Interracial Relationship
The Sun Is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon
5. A Book with 4 or More Colors on the Cover
Ejaculate Responsibly: A Whole New Way to Think about Abortion - Gabrielle Blair
6. A Book Where Books are Important
In Her Boots - KJ Dell'Antonia
7. A Book with ONE of the Five "W" Question Words in the Title
Why Didn't You Tell Me? - Carmen Rita Wong
8. An Author's Debut Book
Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History Art Spiegelman
9. A Book Nominated for an Award Beginning with W
Maus II : And Here My Troubles Began Art Spiegelman
10. A Book Related to one of the Spice Girls' "Personalities"
Next Year in Havana Chanel Cleeton
11. A Book about a Person/Character with a Disability
Wyoming Fierce - Diana Palmer
12. A book Connected to Birds, Bees, or Bunnies
The Velveteen Rabbit Margery Williams
13. A Book That Has an Object That is Repeated on the Cover
Dear Edward - Ann Napolitano
14. A Book with a Con, Deception, or Fake
Wyoming Tough - Diana Palmer
15. Three Books, each of which is Set in a Different Century: Book 1
The Hacienda - Isabel Canas
16. Three Books, each of which is Set in a Different Century: Book 2
Me - Elton John
17. Three Books, each of which is Set in a Different Century: Book 3
The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hilderbrand
18. A Book Related to Science
Below Zero - Ali Hazelwood
19. A Book Related to the arts
Finding Me - Viola Davis
20. A Book with a Cover or Title that Includes a Route of Travel
The Last Train to Key West - Chanel Cleeton
21. A Book by an Asian Diaspora Author
Pachinko Min Jin Lee
22. A Book with a Faceless Person on the Cover
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
23. A Book with a Body of Water in the Title
Treasure in the Lake - Jason Pamment
24. A Character that Might be Called a Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, or Spy
If the Shoe Fits - Julie Murphy
25. A Book with a Tropical Setting
Wings in the Wild - Margarita Engle
26. A Book Related to Pride
Top Story - Kelly Yang
27. A Book by an author from Continental Europe
The Little Prince - Antoine de Saint-Exupery
28. A Book that is Dark
You Shouldn't Have Come Here - Jeneva Rose
29. A Book that is Light
The Essential Calvin and Hobbes: A Calvin and Hobbes Treasury - Bill Watterson
30. A Book Related to a Chess Piece
The Longmire Defense - Craig Johnson
31. A Book Found by Inputting a Favorite Author on http://www.literature-map.com
Happy Place - Emily Henry
32. A Book Set in a UNESCO City of Literature
Our Last Days in Barcelona - Chanel Cleeton
33. A Book by an Author with a First Name Popular in 1923
The Secret History - Donna Tartt
34. A Novella
Under One Roof - Ali Hazelwood
35. A Book with a School Subject in the Title
Anatomy - Dana Schwartz
36. A Book that has Been Translated rom Another Language
An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good - Helene Tursten
37. A Book with the Theme of Returning Home
All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
38. A Book with the Sun, Moon, or Stars on the Cover
Turtles of the Midnight Moon - Maria Jose Fitzgerald
39. A Western
Wyoming Bold - Diana Palmer
40. A Book with a Full Name in the Title
From the Desk of Zoe Washington - Janae Marks
41. A Book from the NPR "Books We Love" Lists
Taste: My Life through Food - Stanley Tucci
42. A Book Related to a Ghost, Spirit, Phantom, or Specter
Empire of Wild - Cherie Dimaline
43. A Book that Involves a Murder
The Villa - Rachel Hawkins
44. A Book Where the Cover Design Includes Text that is not Completely Horizontal
Home Field Advantage - Dahlia Adler
45. A Book Whose Author has Published more than 7 Books
Wyoming Strong - Diana Palmer
46. A Title that Contains a Word Often Found in a Recipe
The Cherry Robbers - Sarai Walker
47. A Book Related to a Geometric Shape
Counterfeit - Kristin Chen
48. A Book with an Unusually Large Version of an Animal in the Story
Maizy Chen's Last Chance - Lisa Yee
49. A book Posted in One of the ATY Best Books of the Month Threads in 2022 or 2023
A Spool of Blue Thread - Anne Tyler
50. A Second Book that Fits Your Favorite Prompt
Your Heart My Sky - Margarita Engle
51. A Book Published in 2023
A First Time for Everything - Dan Santat
52. A Book with an Unusual or Surprising Title
Starfish - Lisa Fipps

[JessicaMHR]

50 States Reading Challenge - 2023
(If I have books to fulfill 2021 and 2022 I will update the list on my posts from last year)

1. Alabama: March: Book Two - John Lewis
2. Alaska: Tooth and Claw - Craig Johnson
3. Arizona:
4. Arkansas:
5. California: Counterfeit - Kristin Chen
6. Connecticut: The Cherry Robbers - Sarai Walker
7. Colorado: Three Weeks To Say Goodbye - CJ Box
8. Delaware:
9. Florida: Home Field Advantage - Dahlia Adler
10. Georgia: Geekerella - Ashley Poston
11. Hawaii: Hula - Jasmine Iolani Hakes
12. Idaho:
13. Illinois: Hope Rides Again - Andrew Shaffer
14. Indiana:
15. Iowa:
16. Kansas:
17. Kentucky:
18. Louisiana:
19. Maine: Happy Place - Emily Henry
20. Maryland: Homicide (Graphic) Part One - Phillippe Squarzoni
21. Massachusetts: The Five-Star Weekend - Elin Hilderbrand
22. Michigan: Tom Lake - Ann Patchett
23. Minnesota: Maizy Chen's Last Chance - Lisa Yee
24. Mississippi: Brooms - Jasmine Walls
25. Missouri:
26. Montana:
27. Nebraska:
28. New Hampshire: Why Didn't You Tell Me? - Carmen Rita Wong
29. New Jersey: Are You There God? It's Me Margaret - Judy Blume
30. New Mexico: The Five Wounds - Kirstin Valdez Quade
31. New York: The sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon
32. Nevada:
33. North Carolina: All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
34. North Dakota: Badlands - CJ Box
35. Ohio: Incredible Doom, Vol. 2 - Matthew Bogart
36. Oklahoma:
37. Oregon: Wildfire - Breena Bard
38. Pennsylvania: The House of Eve- Sedeqa Johnson
39. Rhode Island: Pineapple Street - Jenny Jackson
40. South Carolina:
41. South Dakota:
42. Tennessee:
43. Texas: Wyoming Strong - Diana Palmer
44. Utah:
45. Vermont:
46. Virginia:
47. Washington: Weather Girl - Rachel Lynn Solomon
48. West Virginia: Saving Shiloh - Phyllis Reynolds Naylor
49. Wisconsin:
50. Wyoming: Wyoming Tough - Diana Palmer

Bonus:
51. Washington D.C.: Yellowface - R.F. Kuang
52. Puerto Rico:
53. US Virgin Islands: Troubles in Paradise - Elin Hilderbrand
54. Guam:
55. American Samoa:

[JessicaMHR]

Books I did manage to read from my book clubs in 2023:

Our Shared Shelf (only from Jan 2016-Dec 2020): 1
Hello Sunshine (Reese's Book Club): 2
Oprah's Book Club: 1
Read with Jenna: 2

[JessicaMHR]

So here it is April 2025 and I finally finished both the Popsugar and the AtoZ challenges!