2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi! I will only count books that I both started and completed in 2015. I still have some lingering in my currently reading pile from last year that I need to take care of, quickly!

I don't always review, but I'll try to at least put a star rating and a few lines for each book. Looking forward to reading along with you all this year!

January
1 - Saga #1 Brian K. Vaughan- Read 1/1/2015, 4 stars
2 - The View from the Cherry Tree Willo Davis Roberts- Read 1/3/2015, 4 stars
3 - Ms. Marvel, Vol. 1: No Normal G. Willow Wilson- Read 1/3/2015, 3.5 stars
4 - Bad Feminist: Essays Roxane Gay- Read 1/6/2015, 4.5 stars
5 - Here Richard McGuire- Read 1/8/2015, 3 stars
6 - The Glass Menagerie Tennessee Williams- Read 1/10/2015, 3 stars
7 - The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald- Read 1/12/2015, 5 stars
8 - As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride Cary Elwes- Read 1/15/15, 4 stars
9 - Brown Girl Dreaming Jacqueline Woodson - Read 1/17/15, 5 stars
10 - Marmee and Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother Eve LaPlante - Read 1/20/2015, 5 stars
11 - Summer of My Amazing Luck Miriam Toews - Read 1/20/2015, 4 stars
12 - Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly Anthony Bourdain - Read 1/28/2015, 3 stars
13 - Mansfield Park Jane Austen - Read 1/29/2015, 3 stars
14 - Batman: The Killing Joke Alan Moore - Read 1/30/2015, 4 stars

February
15 - Can't We Talk about Something More Pleasant? Roz Chast - Read 2/8/2015, 5 stars
16 - Dear Life: Stories - Alice Munro - read 2/18/2015, 4 stars
17 - Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro - read 2/21/2015, 4 stars
18 - The Woman in Black Susan Hill - read 2/26/2015, 4 stars
19 - Drama High: The Incredible True Story of a Brilliant Teacher, a Struggling Town, and the Mag ic of Theater Michael Sokolove - read 2/28/2015, 3 stars

March
20 - Alex + Ada, Volume 1 Jonathan Luna, read 3/1/15, 3 stars
21 - Candide by Voltaire, read 3/2/15, 4 stars
22 - Magic Bites Ilona Andrews, read 3/8/15, 4 stars
23 - Magic Burns Ilona Andrews, read 3/12/15, 4 stars
24 - Magic Strikes Ilona Andrews, read 3/14/15, 4 stars
25 - Magic Bleeds Ilona Andrews, read 3/15/15, 4 stars
26 - Magic Slays Ilona Andrews, read 3/18/15, 4 stars
27 - Magic Rises Ilona Andrews, read 3/22/15, 4 stars
28 - Magic Breaks Ilona Andrews, read 3/25/15, 4 stars
29 - How to Be a Woman Caitlin Moran, read 4/1/15, 4 stars

April
30 - Yes Please Amy Poehler, read 4/22/15, 3 stars
31 - Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster Jon Krakauer, read 4/25/15, 5 stars
32 - Doctor Who Series 3 Volume 1: The Hypothetical Gentleman Andy Diggle, read 4/25/15, 2 stars
33 - Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 1 Scott Tipton, read 4/25/15, 3 stars
34 - Star Trek: The Next Generation / Doctor Who: Assimilation2, Volume 2 Scott Tipton, read 4/27/15, 3 stars
35 - We Should All Be Feminists Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, read 4/28/15, 5 stars

May
36 - The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun Gretchen Rubin, read 5/1/2015, 3 stars
37 - Rat Queens, Vol. 1: Sass & Sorcery Kurtis J. Wiebe, read 5/2/2015, 4 stars
38 - Pierrot Mon Ami Raymond Queneau, read 5/3/2015, 3 stars
39 - The Shining Stephen King, read 5/5/2015, 4.5 stars
40 - The Paying Guests Sarah Waters, read 5/12/2015, 3.5 stars
41 - Lumberjanes, Vol. 1 Noelle Stevenson, read 5/12/2015, 4 stars
42 - Saga, Vol. 2 Brian K. Vaughan, read 5/16/2015, 4.5 stars
43 - Saga, Vol. 3 Brian K. Vaughan, read 5/16/2015, 4.5 stars
44 - The Mezzanine Nicholson Baker, read 5/19/2015, 2 stars
45 - Lumberjanes, Vol. 2 Noelle Stevenson, read 5/18/2015, 4 stars
46 - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie, read 5/16/2015, 5 stars

Ooh! How was Ms. Marvel? There's a lot of good buzz with that comic.

I want to read Ms. Marvel too!

Ms. Marvel was pretty good; I really liked the art and the main character, but the plot didn't quite hook me in the first volume. I gave it 3.5 stars, but will still probably check out the next one. I think the concept is worthwhile. Let me know what you guys think if you read it!

Just finished The Great Gatsby. What a great book!

Oh, I just finished The Great Gatsby as well. It was really good. I loved the writing style.

I loved the writing style too, Arushi! I think I will plan to reread it next year and see how it holds up. I think it is one that will get better each time. Have you read any of Fitzgerald's other works?

Good luck with your challenge, Rachel! What is your favorite book of the year so far?

Thanks, Cassandra! I think right now, it's a toss up between Bad Feminist and The Great Gatsby. But I have several coming up that I'm really looking forward to reading, so we will see what happens. How about you? What has been your favorite so far?

I'm currently reading Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King, which has really great descriptions and a story that sucked me right in. I'm still less than halfway through, but I think that will end up being my favorite so far. I have quite a few that I'm looking forward to as well.

Great! That one is on my to-read list for sure, so I'm glad to hear it's good. I think there is a sequel coming out later this year? Stephen King writes books faster than I can read them!! It's amazing.

I know! And they're not short books, either. I was surprised to see that it was listed as a trilogy on Goodreads, so I'm sure you're right.

Rachel wrote: "I loved the writing style too, Arushi! I think I will plan to reread it next year and see how it holds up. I think it is one that will get better each time. Have you read any of Fitzgerald's oth..."

No, I haven't Rachel but I'm planning on reading more of his books. I'm currently reading The Game of Thrones series, though.

Arushi wrote: "Rachel wrote: "I loved the writing style too, Arushi! I think I will plan to reread it next year and see how it holds up. I think it is one that will get better each time. Have you read any of F..."

Cool, Arushi! Game of Thrones is really fun to read. I need to refresh my memory on all the characters before I try reading A Dance with Dragons again. I tried reading it a year ago or so, and was really confused, haha. I guess I waited too long to start it. Which book in the series are you reading now?

Just finished Brown Girl Dreaming. Such a beautiful, uniquely written book. I read a library copy, but will definitely be buying this for my own shelves.

January Wrap-Up

14/52 = 26.9% of goal

Not a bad start this year! I just got a bunch of paper- and audiobooks from the library yesterday, so I'm also looking forward to what February has in store for me.

Favorite Fiction: The Great Gatsby
Favorite NF: Marmee and Louisa: The Untold Story of Louisa May Alcott and Her Mother
Favorite Graphic Novel: Saga, Volume 1
Biggest Surprise: Brown Girl Dreaming - I don't think of myself as a person who likes poetry, but this book is amazing. I could read it over and over again.

How is everyone else's challenge going?

Challenge is going well so far, thanks for asking:) I'll have to take a look at Brown Girl Dreaming.

Ooh, Megan, I see you are reading A Suitable Boy right now too! I'm just starting Book 7 now, what do you think of it? My cousin and I have a plan to read a little each week and then talk about it. I am really enjoying it so far. Glad your challenge is going well!

Rachel wrote: "Ooh, Megan, I see you are reading A Suitable Boy right now too! I'm just starting Book 7 now, what do you think of it? My cousin and I have a plan to read a little each week and then..."

I'm actually struggling with it right now. Because of the cultural differences and the different frame of reference, I have to work hard to understand everything that's happening in the book. I'm trying to read a few pages at a time but it's slow going. The fact that you're ahead of me and still enjoying it is encouraging. Thanks!

February wrap-up


Well, February wasn't such a great reading month for me after all! That's ok. I still enjoyed most of the books I read this month, especially Never Let Me Go.

19/52 = 36.5% of total

April wrap-up

Oops! Been away for a bit. I have been reading, but it's been a bit scattered and hard for me to stay focused. This tends to happen to me in March for some reason. However, I did read the entire Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews and really liked it! Urban fantasy is a great way to escape sometimes. I've already pre-ordered her next release in August :)

35/52 = 67.3% of total. Yay! I'm going to have to increase my goal!

You're doing great, Rachel! What have been some of your favorites this year?

I'll be reading Never Let Me Go with my TBR twin this month.

Cassandra wrote: "You're doing great, Rachel! What have been some of your favorites this year?

I'll be reading Never Let Me Go with my TBR twin this month."

Oh, I hope you like it Cassandra! That one is definitely in my top 5 of the year so far. I also couldn't put down Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mount Everest Disaster and Brown Girl Dreaming. I just finished The Shining for this month's Buddy Read and it was really, REALLY good. So compelling.

It's been a good year so far, but I have a lot left to look forward to. What have been some of your favorites?