All Things Books

My 2023 Challenge Recap!

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I can’t believe another year has flown past – how exciting!!! I felt that this year I did a great job with my challenges (bar one) so let’s break it down!!!

Goodreads Reading Challenge

So, my goal for this year was to read 100 books. Last year, I read 136 so I was feeling pretty confident. I can now confirm that I had a SUPER successful reading year and this year I read 168 books!!! If you include my DNFs I have read 177.

2023 Sequels Challenge

Now I started the year with 24 books from 24 different series. I knew I wasn’t going to read them all, I’m not stupid, so I focused on reading 12 from my list. To be honest, there was one moment where I was worried about completing this challenge but I can confirm I read 15 sequels his year! I also did read more than just one book from some series and read some sequels that didn’t even make it onto my list as I didn’t know a sequel was coming out!

  • January –

    • Twilight Princess, Vol.2 – Akira Himekawa
    • The Promised Neverland, Vol. 7-11 – Kaiu Shirai

  • February –

    • The Promised Neverland, Vol. 12-13 – Kaiu Shirai

  • March –

    • The Promised Neverland, Vol. 14 – Kaiu Shirai
    • Murder in Mesopotamia – Agatha Christie
    • The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 2 – Nagabe

  • April –

    • Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 2 – Ryosuke Takeuchi
    • The Promised Neverland, Vol. 14-20 – Kaiu Shirai

  • May –

    • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 5 – Kanehito Yamada
    • The Mill House Murders – Yukito Ayatsuji
    • The Burning God – R.F. Kuang

  • June –

    • Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels – Tola Okogwu
    • Cards on the Table – Agatha Christie
    • Blue Exorcist, Vol. 2 – Kazue Kato

  • July –

    • Death on Gokuman Island – Seishi Yokomizo
    • Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 – Naoko Takeuchi

  • August –

    • Black Coffee – Agatha Christie

  • September –

    • Haikyu!! Vol. 4 – Haruichi Furudate

  • October –

    • The Girl from the Other Side – Nagabe

  • December –

    • The Christmas Appeal – Janice Hallett
    • Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night – Sophie Hannah

I spent more time this year starting new series or finishing long manga series instead of reading a bit of everything on my list. I also made some decisions to not continue series for a myriad of reasons. So, the books I will be taking over into 2024 are.

  • The Atlas Paradox – Olivie Blake
  • The Bullet That Missed – Richard Osman
  • Foxglove – Adalyn Grace
  • The Republic of Thieves – Scott Lynch
  • The Shadow Cabinet – Juno Dawson
  • A Torch Against the Night – Sabaa Tahir
  • A Very Lively Murder – Katy Watson

Physical TBR Challenge

So, last year I failed exponentially at this challenge so I made this year a do-over. Read 30 books from my Physical TBR. I am very happy to say that this year I succeeded on this challenge and read 41 books!

  1. A Magic Steeped in Poison – Judy I. Lin
  2. Ashes of London – Andrew Taylor
  3. Becoming – Michelle Obama
  4. Children of the Whales, Vol.1 – Abi Used
  5. Death on Gokuman Island – Seishi Yokomizo
  6. Drifting Dragons, Vol.1 – Taku Kuwabara
  7. Elantris – Brandon Sanderson
  8. Ember Shadows and the Fates of Mount Never- Rebecca King
  9. Final Acts – Martin Edwards (Editor)
  10. The Land of Sand – Hiromu Arakawa
  11. Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir
  12. Hilda: The Wilderness Stories – Luke Pearson
  13. Hilda: The Trolberg Stories – Luke Pearson
  14. Hooky – Miriam Bonastre Tur
  15. Hotel Magnifique – Emily J. Taylor
  16. Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones
  17. InuYasha, Vol.1 – Rumiko Takahashi
  18. Legendborn – Tracey Deonn
  19. Legends and Lattes – Travis Baldree
  20. Love in Focus – Yoko Nogiri
  21. Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind, Vol. 1 – Hayao Miyazaki
  22. Night Train to the Stars – Kenji Miyazaki
  23. Promise Boys – Nick Brooks
  24. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon, Vol. 2 – Naoko Takeuchi
  25. Scarlet – Genevive Cogman
  26. She and Her Cat – Makoto Shinaki
  27. Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol.1 – Sorata Akiduki
  28. The Burning God – R.F. Kuang
  29. The Faraway Paladin, Vol.1 – Kanata Yanagino
  30. The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi
  31. The Invisible life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab
  32. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride- Roshani Chokshi
  33. The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels – Janice Hallett
  34. The Skeleton Key – Erin Kelly
  35. The Story of Classic Crime in 100 Crime Books – Martin Edwards
  36. The Wind Child – Gabriela Houston
  37. This How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
  38. Whose Body? – Dorothy L. Sayers
  39. Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Ortaku – Fujita
  40. The Trial of Lotta Rae – Siobhan MacGowan
  41. Yellowface – R.F. Kuang

Tor.com Challenge

Now this is where we need to start being honest as I dropped this challenge pretty early into the year. I think I read about 3 short stories for this challenge when my goal was to read 12. I just caught up with all the other books.

IndiaReadsALot Prompt Challenge

And now finally, the challenge I have been waiting ages to talk about. This challenge was all about themes. Each month had a dedicated theme and I had to read 3 books from each theme. I smashed this challenge I will not lie. I did such a great job. In some months I went beyond the 3 books and read more! Let’s jump into it.

  • January – Manga Month

    A bit of a cheeky one to start off with but I wanted to bump up my reading count early 😉

    • Twilight Princess, Vol.2 – Akira Himekawa
    • The Promised Neverland, Vol.7 – 11 – Kaiu Shirai
    • Snow White with the Red Hair, Vol.1 – Sorata Akiduki
    • The Faraway Paladin, Vol.1 – Mutsumi Okubashi
    • Drifting Dragons, Vol.1 – Taku Kuwabara
    • Children of the Whales, Vol.1 – Abi Umeda

  • February – Romance Month

    • The Last Tale of the Flower Bride – Roshani Chokshi
    • The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue – V.E. Schwab
    • This How You Lose the Time War – Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone
    • My Killer Vacation – Tessa Bailey
    • Inuyasha, Vol.1 – Rumiko Takahashi
    • Blood in the Thread – Cheri Kamei
    • Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku – Fujita

  • March – Murder Mystery Month

    • Tokyo Express – Seicho Matsumoto
    • Whose Body? – Dorothy L. Sayers
    • Usotoki Rhetoric, Vol. 1 – Miyako Ristu
    • Promise Boys – Nick Brooks
    • Murder in Mesopotamia – Agatha Christie

  • April – Historical Month

    • The Ashes of London – Andrew Taylor
    • Moriarty the Patriot, Vol.1 – Ryosuke Takeuchi
    • Scarlet – Genevieve Cogman
    • Yona of the Dawn, Vol.1 – Mizuho Kusanagi

  • May – Epic Fantasy Month

    This was originally going to be in July but last min I changed the months.

    • Elantris – Brandon Sanderson
    • Claymore, Vol.1 – Norihiro Yagi
    • The Burning God – R.F. Kuang
    • Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End – Kanehito Yamada
    • Nausicaa of the Valley of the Winds, Vol.1 – Hayao Miyazaki
    • A Wizard from Earthsea – Ursula K. Le Guin

  • June – Middle Grade Month

    • The Case of the Lighthouse Intruder – Kereen Getten
    • Onyeka and the Rise of the Rebels – Tola Okogwu
    • Hilda: The Wilderness Stories – Luke Pearson
    • Hilda: The Trolberg Stories – Luke Pearson
    • Hilda: The Night of the Trolls – Luke Pearson
    • Luna and the Treasure of Tlaloc – Joe Todd-Stanton
    • Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones
    • Ember Shadow and the Fates of Mount Never – Rebecca King

  • July – Cosy Fantasy Month

    • The Gilded Wolves – Roshani Chokshi
    • Master of Death – Olivie Blake
    • Mountains Made of Glass – Scarlett St. Clair
    • Every Heart a Doorway – Seanan McGuire
    • Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Fairies – Heather Fawcett

  • August – India’s Picks/Attempted 30 Books in 30 Days

    Originally it was just going to be me picking up books that grabbed me in the moment which was technically still the case but I took it one step further and tried to read 30 books in 30 days.

    • Beast in the Shadows – Edogawa Rampo
    • Behind a Broken Smile – Penny Jones
    • She and Her Cat – Makoto Shinkai
    • All Systems Red – Martha Wells
    • A Psalm for the Wild Build- Becky Chambers
    • A Fortunate Woman – Polly Morland
    • This Thread of Gold – Catherine Joy White
    • The Wind Child – Gabriela Houston
    • You’re not Supposed to Die Tonight – Kalynn Bayron
    • In a Lonely Place – Dorothy B. Hughes
    • Black Coffee – Agatha Christie
    • Under the Moon – E.M. Faulds
    • Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
    • The Land of Sand – Hiromu Arakawa
    • I’m Not Your Final Girl – Claire C. Holland
    • Emergency Skin – N.K. Jemisin
    • The Last Conversation – Paul Tremblay
    • Breakable Things – Cassandra Khaw
    • A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder – Holly Jackson
    • The Skeleton Key – Erin Kelly

  • September – Academia Month

    • Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 1 – Kamome Shirahama
    • Love in Focus – Yoko Nogiri
    • Haikyu!! Vol.4 – Haruichi Furudate

  • October – Spooky Month

    • Garlic and the Witch – Bree Paulsen
    • The Girl from the Other Side, Vol. 3 – Nagabe
    • Witch Hat Atelier, Vol. 2 – Kamome Shirahama
    • We Have Always Live in the Castle – Shirley Jackson
    • Starling House – Alix E. Harrow
    • I Feed Her to the Beast and the Beast is Me – Jamison Shea
    • Every Exquisite Thing – Laura Steven
    • Gideon the Ninth – Tamsyn Muir

  • November – Non-Fiction Month

    • Beyond the Story- BTS
    • Always Take Notes- Simon Akam & Rachel Lloyd
    • Pandora’s Jar- Natalie Haynes
    • I Want to the Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki – Back Se-hee
    • Becoming – Michelle Obama

  • December – Christmas Month

    • The Christmas Appeal – Janice hallett
    • Hercule Poirot’s Silent Night- Sophie Hannah
    • Mystery in White – J. Jefferson Farjeon
    • The Christmas Swap – Taila Samuels

And there we are a full update on my entire set of challenges of 2023. I have done some reflecting on the way I set challenges for myself and in my 2024 reading plan you will see some slight changes.

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