As we approach the end of the first quarter of the year – yes, already – I thought I’d check on my progress with the challenges I’m taking part in this year. To find out more about each challenge, click on the name of the challenge to view my sign-up post.
Goodreads 2023 Reading Challenge – on track
When Are You Reading? Challenge 2023 hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words – on track
- Pre 1200 Bellatrix by Simon Turney
- 1200-1499
- 1500-1699
- 1700-1799
- 1800-1899 A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis
- 1900-1919
- 1920-1939
- 1940-1959 The English Führer by Rory Clements
- 1960-1979 Nothing Special by Nicole Flattery
- 1980-1999 Birthright by Charles Lambert
- 2000-Present Ponti by Sharlene Teo
- The Future A Winter Grave by Peter May
What’s In A Name? 2023 hosted by Andrea at Carolina Book Nook – on track
- Punctuation – The Emperor’s Shield by Gordon Doherty
- 7 Deadly Sins
- You or Me – My Mother’s Shadow by Nikola Scott
- Chess Piece
- Celebration – The Last Party by Clare Mackintosh
- Q, X, Z – Bellatrix by Simon Turney
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2023 hosted by Marg at The Intrepid Reader.
I’m aiming for ‘Prehistoric’ level which means reading 50+ historical fiction books. I’ve read 15 so far so I’m just about on track.
This is my own personal challenge, to read two books from the backlists of six authors: Robert Olen Butler, Andrew Miller, John Boyne, Clare Chambers, Jess Kidd and Fiona Kidman.
Hmm, a bit of focus on this one needed – not on track
- A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain (1992)
- Perfume River (2016)
- Ingenious Pain (1997)
- Pure (2011)
- The Heart’s Invisible Furies (2017)
- The Echo Chamber (2021) Read and reviewed
- Learning to Swim (1998)
- A Dry Spell (2000)
- Things in Jars (2009)
- Himself (2017)
- The Infinite Air (2013)
- All Day at the Movies (2016)
Are you taking part in any reading challenges this year? If so, how are you getting on?
Six on Saturday is a weekly meme orignally hosted by 
One – (Left) The bell-shaped flowers of arbutus unedo. I planted two earlier this year which I’m hoping will eventually form part of a low hedge to replace one of box which developed the dreaded blight.
Two – (Right) A butter yellow rose – variety unknown – flowering for the third time this year and pushing its way through the berries on a pyracantha.
Three – (Left) A hebe – variety unknown – rewarding me for chopping back several shrubs that had overwhelmed it by producing a few pale mauve flowers.
Four – (Right) An apple – or possibly pineapple – mint fighting a battle with Japanese anemones that have spread everywhere in this patch of the garden. I think it’s winning at the moment.
Five – (Left) There are only a few berries on this holly bush probably because I gave it a drastic prune a few months ago as it was crowding out one of our apple trees. By the way, is there anything more lethal to a gardener’s fingers than dead holly leaves?
What Cathy Read Next... 