2023 Reading Challenges

Source: PNGtree

Happy New Year! For those of you using the Gregorian calendar, welcome to the start of another year. I am lucky enough to have a four day weekend, and I'm getting some reading done. I've also decided to try reading challenges again. I took a break for a few years and I'm ready to try again. I picked four, all repeats except for the Thrifty Thursday. That's been a meme for several years and is now a challenge too. Click on the each challenge's name to go the sign up post, and get more information.

1) Library Love  I use my library a lot, both personally and professionally. I actually did this challenge in 2022 and ended up reading over 100, including books for my classroom. This year, I'm aiming for Library Card on Fire: Read 60+ books. 

2) Thrifty Thursday Between sales and author newsletters, I get a lot of freebies every month. Which, more books + no money = AWESOME. But...they tend to languish on my Kindle. So I'm aiming to read and review one a month, more if I can manage it.

3) Mount TBR I'm sure it's no surprise that I have a large pile, virtual and physical, of unread books. I'm going for level 2, Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s. Books owned, requested, or ordered before today, January 1st, 2023, count. Also, rereads count, yay! But ideally, they'll be books I haven't read yet.

And finally the, Goodreads challenge. I do this one every year. Last year's goal was 250 and I almost doubled that. Note: I count all books I read in the classroom, and count rereads. Cuz toddlers love repetition. If they only want to listen to a book once, they don't like the book. This year's goal is 300. 

Are you doing any reading challenges this year? Tell me about them! And, good luck and have fun reading.

Thrifty Thursday Review: Unleashed by Emily Kimelman

Series: The Sydney Rye Mysteries #1
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Emily Kimelman
Source: Amazon, free at purchase
Purchase Date: June 29, 2019
Release Date: June 27th, 2011
Buying Links: Amazon* | Apple Books*  | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Google Books | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

The Sydney Rye series of mysteries features a strong female protagonist and her rescue dog, Blue. This series is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!

When the series begins Sydney Rye is named Joy Humbolt. She does not like people telling her what to do, so it comes as no surprise that she was just fired from her last job. When she buys Charlene Miller's dog-walking business on Manhattan's exclusive upper east side, it seems like the perfect fit: Quiet environment, minimal contact with people.

But then one of her clients turns up dead, and Charlene disappears. Rumors say Charlene was having an affair with the victim--and of course, everyone assumes Joy must know where she is. Joy begins to look into the crime, first out of curiosity then out of anger when there is another murder and threats start to come her way.

When police detective Mulberry is assigned to the case, Joy finds a kindred spirit--cynical and none-too-fond of the human race. As they dig deep into the secrets of Manhattan's elite, they not only get closer to the killer but also to a point of no return. One last murder sends Joy Humbolt hurtling over the edge. Her only chance of survival is to become Sydney Rye.

Thrifty Thursday Review: Antiques Roadkill by Barbara Allan

Series: A Trash 'n' Treasures Mystery #1
Read As A Stand Alone: Yes
Publisher: Kensington
Source: Amazon, free at purchase
Purchase Date: March 2nd, 2011
Release Date:
Buying Links: Amazon*  | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo |
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

Determined to make a new start in her quaint hometown on the banks of the Mississippi, Brandy Borne never dreams she'll become the prime suspect in a murder case. . .

Moving back in with her eccentric, larger-than-life mother, Brandy Borne finds small-town Serenity anything but serene. It seems an unscrupulous antiques dealer has swindled Vivian out of the family's heirlooms. But when he is found run over in a country lane, Brandy becomes Murder Suspect Number One--with her mother coming in a very close second. . .

The list of other suspects is impressive--the victim's business seems to have been based on bilking seniors out of their possessions. And when the Borne "girls" uncover a few very unsavory Serenity secrets, they become targets for a murderer whose favorite hobby seems to be collecting victims.

Thrifty Thursday Review: Cat VS Cocker by Jody Wallace

Publisher: Meankitty Publishing
Source: author newsletter
Release Date: February 18th, 2020
Buying Links: Apple Books*  | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Story Origin  Perma-FREE at these links
* affiliate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

Blurb from goodreads:

A very good story about a very bad cat. Originally in the Cocky Cockers anthology.

Raziel has everything a cat could want – her own house, her own human, and lots of tuna and cuddles. When her soft, wonderful human is seduced by a hairy, dog-scented male, Raziel does what any smart cat would do and resists the change, unwilling to give up her human’s attention and the best spot in the bed.

Her stealthy resistance comes to an abrupt halt, however, when the humans try to introduce a dog into the household, and Raziel is forced to escalate her resistance into a literal campaign of terror. Have the humans been brainwashed by canine tail wags and fawning obedience, or can Raziel save the day?

Tropes: This romance short story features pets as matchmakers, sort of, and “the other woman”, if that is indeed a trope.

This short story is not intended for children unless you like to read cuss words to children.