The Reading Challenge Group discussion

Unfortunately, last year due to some sudden family and personal issues, I ended up mostly abandoning my reading challenge in late March. So, for 2023, most of my goals and many of my planned reads will be the same as what I had planned for 2022, with a few minor changes.

2023 Goals
1. Read 104 Books this year (~2/week)
2. Read at least 2 non-fiction works per month
3. Read at least 1 short story compilation or book of poetry per month
4. Prioritize reading books I already own and haven't read
5. Stop reading after 50 pages if the book does not catch my interest (stop forcing myself to finish books I do not like)
6. Try to write more reviews for some of the books I read

January Reads

1. The Last Jew of Treblinka by Chil Rajchman (read & audiobook) - READ
Genre: Non-Fiction, WWII (Holocaust), Memoir, Auto-Biography
Completed: January 26, 2023
Rating: 5/5 Stars
Reviewed? No

2. Ascendance of a Bookworm: Part 5 Volume 2 by Miya Kazuki - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Issekai, Light Novel
Completed: January 9, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

NOTE: I ended up delaying most of my January and February To-reads to March or April, in favor of re-reading two series I read years ago (The Warrior Cats series for youth and the Chronicles Of Elantra Series by Michelle Sagara) because in both cases, roughly 10 or more new books in the series have been released, but I didn't feel I remembered the previous ones well enough to pick them up without re-reading. It's been really enjoyable to re-read them so far, I am on entirely new content in Chronicles of Elantra and almost done with re-reading to get to new content in Warriors, but I believe starting in March I'll start mixing in continuing to read these series with reading what I originally planned to read.

January Group Reads (Plan to Read in Italicized, not reading strikethrough, but likely behind schedule)
• Historical Fictionistas:
1. The Women of Chateau Lafayette by Stephanie Dray, January 1-31, 2023

• Hugo and Nebula Awards:
1. The City & the City by China Miéville
2. The Big Time by Fritz Leiber
3. Old Man's War Challenge (Winter-Spring Challenge for Hugo
& Nebula Awards) - Old Man's War by John Scalzi

• Non-Fiction Book Club:
1. The Right To Be Cold: One Woman's Story of Protecting Her Culture, the Arctic and the Whole Planet by Sheila Watt-Cloutier (December 2022 - January 2023 read)
2. The Eight Zulu Kings: From Shaka to Goodwill Zwelithini by John Laband (December 2022 - January 2023 read)
3. Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War by Deborah Cohen (January-February read)
4. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein (January-February read)

• Diversity in All Forms!:
1. The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch - country & territories for Jan, Germany
2. The Crown of Columbus by Michael Dorris - author's pick for Jan
3. The Water Keeper by Charles Martin - bonus read for Jan
4. Passing by Nella Larsen - group read for Jan

• Read Women:
1. The Pearl That Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi
2. Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

• Addicted to YA: 2023 seems dead so far? last reads listed in Dec 2022

Groups that do Challenges but no specific reads: Sci-Fi and Heroic Fantasy, Around the World in 80 Books, Ancient & Medieval Historical Fiction,

Re-Reads this month:
Warriors Cats Series, read some of in late Elementary and Middle School, re-reading now
• Into the Wild by Erin Hunter - Jan 24, 2023
• Fire and Ice by Erin Hunter - Jan 25, 2023
• Forest of Secrets by Erin Hunter - Jan 25, 2023
• Rising Storm by Erin Hunter - Jan 25, 2023
• A Dangerous Path by Erin Hunter - Jan 27, 2023
• The Darkest Hour by Erin Hunter - Jan 27, 2023
• Midnight by Erin Hunter - Jan 30, 2023
• Moonrise by Erin Hunter - Jan 31, 2023
• Dawn by Erin Hunter - Jan 31, 2023

February Reads

1. The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - READ
Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming of Age
Completed: February 17, 2023
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed? No (written but not posted)

2. The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - READ
Genre: High Fantasy, Fiction
Completed: February 12, 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed? No (written but not posted)

3. Tokyo Ghoul, Tome 1 (Tokyo Ghoul #1) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 8, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

4. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 2 (Tokyo Ghoul #2) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 8, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

5. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 3 (Tokyo Ghoul #3) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 8, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

6. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 4 Tokyo Guru 4 (Tokyo Ghoul #4) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 10, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

7. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 5 Tokyo Guru 5 (Tokyo Ghoul #5) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 11, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

8. Cast in Flight (Chonicles of Elantra #12) by Michelle Sagara - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy. Epic Fantasy, Paranormal
Completed: February 24, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

9. ハイキュー!! 1 Haikyū!! 1 (Haikyu!! #1) by Haruichi Furudate - READ
Genre: Fiction, Sports, Manga, Young Adult, Shonen
Completed: February 24, 2023
Rating: 4/5
Reviewed? No

10. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 6 Tokyo Guru 6 (Tokyo Ghoul #6) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 11, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

11. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 7 Tokyo Guru 7 (Tokyo Ghoul #7) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 11, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

12. 東京喰種トーキョーグール 8 Tokyo Guru 8 (Tokyo Ghoul #8) by Sui Ishida - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Paranormal, Supernatural, Seinen, Manga, Young Adult
Completed: February 11, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

13. Cast in Deception (Chronicles of Elantra #13) by Michelle Sagara - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy. Epic Fantasy, Paranormal
Completed: February 28, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No




February Group Reads (Plan to Read in Italicized, not reading strikethrough, but likely behind schedule)
• Historical Fictionistas:
1. The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

• Hugo and Nebula Awards:
1. Up the Line by Robert Silverberg
2. The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
3. Old Man's War Challenge (Winter-Spring Challenge for Hugo
& Nebula Awards) - The Ghost Brigades (Old Man's War #2) by John Scalzi

• Non-Fiction Book Club:
1. Last Call at the Hotel Imperial: The Reporters Who Took on a World at War by Deborah Cohen (January-February read)
2. Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein (January-February read)
3. The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland (February-March read)
4. At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson (February-March read)

• Diversity in All Forms!:
1. The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich - author's pick for Feb
2. The Diversity Gap: Where Good Intentions Meet True Cultural Change by Bethaney Wilkinson - group read for Feb
3. The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X - bonus read for Feb
4. Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi - country & territories for Feb, Ghana

• Read Women:
1. How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue
2. The Nesting Dolls by Alina Adams




Re-Reads this month
Warriors Cats Series (continued)
• Starlight by Erin Hunter - Feb 2, 2023
• Twilight by Erin Hunter - Feb 23, 2023
• Sunset by Erin Hunter - Feb 26, 2023

Chronicles of Elantra Series
• Cast in Shadow by Michelle Sagara - Feb 2, 2023
• Cast in Courtlight by Michelle Sagara - Feb 4, 2023
• Cast in Secret by Michelle Sagara - Feb 8, 2023
• Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara - Feb 8, 2023
• Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara - Feb 11, 2023
• Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara - Feb 11, 2023
• Cast in Ruin by Michelle Sagara - Feb 16, 2023
• Cast in Peril by Michelle Sagara - Feb 19, 2023
• Cast in Sorrow by Michelle Sagara - Feb 19, 2023
• Cast in Flame by Michelle Sagara - Feb 22, 2023
• Cast in Honor by Michelle Sagara - Feb 23, 2023

March Reads

1. Cast in Oblivion (Chronicles of Elantra #14) by Michelle Sagara - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy. Epic Fantasy, Paranormal
Completed: March 2, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

2. Cast in Wisdom (Chronicles of Elantra #15) by
Michelle Sagara - READ
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy. Epic Fantasy, Paranormal
Completed: March 4, 2023
Rating: 5/5
Reviewed? No

3. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin - READ, Hugo & Nebula Awards Group Read
Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Adult
Completed: March 8, 2023
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed? No

4. How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue - READ, (February) Read Women Group Read
Genre: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary
Completed:
Rating: 4.5/5
Reviewed? No




Planned Reads This Month:
• ヴィジランテ -僕のヒーローアカデミア ILLEGALS- 1 Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals 1 (My Hero Academia: Vigilantes #1) by Hideyuki Furuhashi
• ヴィジランテ -僕のヒーローアカデミア ILLEGALS- 2 Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals 2 (My Hero Academia: Vigilantes #2) by Hideyuki Furuhashi
• ヴィジランテ -僕のヒーローアカデミア ILLEGALS- 3 Vigilante: Boku no Hero Academia Illegals 3 (My Hero Academia: Vigilantes #3) by Hideyuki Furuhashi
• Crown of Feathers by Nicki Pau Preto
• Scavenge the Stars by Tara Sim
• ハイキュー!! 2 Haikyū!! 2 (Haikyu!! #2) by Haruichi Furudate




Group Reads (Plan to Read in Italicized, not reading strikethrough)
• Historical Fictionistas:
1. The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell

• Hugo and Nebula Awards:
1. Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
2. The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. Jemisin
3. Old Man's War Challenge (Winter-Spring Challenge for Hugo
& Nebula Awards) - The Last Colony (Old Man's War #3) by John Scalzi

• Non-Fiction Book Club:
1.The Escape Artist: The Man Who Broke Out of Auschwitz to Warn the World by Jonathan Freedland (February-March read)
2. At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson (February-March read)
3. You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place by Janelle Shane (March-April read)
4. American Midnight: Democracy's Forgotten Crisis, 1917-1921 by Adam Hochschild (March-April read)

• Diversity in All Forms!:
1. The Master Butchers Singing Club by Louise Erdrich - author's pick for March
2. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - group read for March
3. For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enuf by Ntozake Shange - bonus read for March
4. A Dangerous Place by Jacqueline Winspear - country & territories for March

• Read Women:
1. The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper by Hallie Rubenhold
2. Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Mizuki Tsujimura




Re-Reads this month
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