2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

I plan to read at least this many books, and will be back with any modifications or updates later.

I am doing a few challenges, but the personal one I have made for myself is that the first 100 books are going to be by authors that fit American race demographics (I am a dual citizen, but living in the US so opted for this one first). After that I am not sure if I'll do a different country's demographic or if will save starting a new one (or even a city's--one of the Canadian cities I used to live in has a visible minority majority now) until 2022. Since I have a new favourite author (I never have just one favourite everything) plus will probably read a few series, I am going by book rather than author because this is much easier to keep track of. Also, I am rounding up, so black/African American will be 14, for example.

But I can meet or exceed with minorities, so if it ends up being more than 14 for black or 26 for visible race minorities, so be it. I am going by one specific demographic website to make things simple.

PS I see there is another Karin on here, so hello!

HI! I have never seen the same spelling as mine, a nice surprise. Your challenge sounds good and I wish you luck !

Karin wrote: "HI! I have never seen the same spelling as mine, a nice surprise. Your challenge sounds good and I wish you luck !"

Thanks--I have met a few with our spelling; one year we even had a neighbour with it who had the same birthday as me (different year). It's more common in Scandinavia, and is the older spelling. Pleased to meet you--it's not often I get to do this!

All started in January
Finished in January:
1. Cocaine Blues January
2. How to Raise an Elephant January
3. Stand Up Straight and Sing! January
4. 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos January
5. Get Well Soon January
6. Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn
7. Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh
8. The Royal We by Heather Cocks
9. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass
10Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes
11. Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn
12. Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher
13. The Resisters by Gish Jen
14. The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
15. Can I Get a Witness? by ReShonda Tate Billingsley
16. The Humans by Matt Haig
17. Suckered by Gina LaManna by Matt Haig



Finished in February:

Wow, I am so far behind! I've read 111 books but have forgotten to come here. Suffice it to say I won't be updating the normal way.

BUT, I will put in my first 101 books; January will be duplicated. It won't be in exact order, because it's my Personal Demographics challenge that I recently finished.

So, first 101 books of the year--note that I read one extra book before completing this challenge, so it's 101 and not 100.

First 100 books - American demographics
White
1 - Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (Australian author)
2 - How to Raise an Elephant by Alexander McCall Smith (Scottish author)
3 - 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson (Canadian author)
4 Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern (American)
5 Of Mutts and Men by Spencer Quinn (American)
6 Lion of Babylon by Davis Bunn (American)
7 Colour Scheme by Ngaio Marsh (New Zealander)
8 The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (American)
9 Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes (American)
10 Dragon's Milk by Susan Fletcher (American)
11 The Humans by Matt Haig (British)
12 Suckered by Gina LaManna (American author)
13 The Sapphire Sea: A Gemstone Thriller by John B. Robinson (American author)
14 Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone by Brené Brown (American)
15 Trouble in Nuala by Harriet Steel (British)
16 Lady Osbaldestone's Christmas Goose by Stephanie Laurens (British)
17 Before I Called You Mine by Nicole Deese (American) February
18 Lady Osbaldestone and the Missing Christmas Carols by Stephanie Laurens February (Australian author born in Sri Lanka/Ceylon)
19 Up on Cloud Nine by Anne Fine February (British author)
20 Oksana, Behave! by Maria Kuznetsova (Ukrainian born) February
21 The Island by Victoria Hislop (American) February
22 Flight of the Dragon Kyn by Susan Fletcher (American)
23 - A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler (British)
24 - Ring of Bright Water by Gavin Maxwell (Scottish) February
25 - Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline March (American)
26 - Sugared by Gina LaManna March (American
27 Roseanna (Martin Beck #1) (Swedish) March
28 Hand Me Down World by Lloyd Jones (New Zealander) March
29 - Sprouted by Gina LaManna (American) March
30 - The Promise of Rayne by Nicole Deese (American) March
31 - Dear Miss Kopp by Amy Stewart (American) March
32 - A New Shade of Summer by Nicole Deese (American) March
33 - The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus by Richard Preston March (American)
34 - The Song by Chris Fabry March (American)
35 - Sign of the Dove by Susan Fletcher March (British)
36 - The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis March (British)
37 0 Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke March (American)
38 - Ancient, Strange, and Lovely by Susan Fletcher March (British)
39 - The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas April (French)
40 - The Last Anniversary by Liane Moriarty April (Australian)
41 - Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo: The Secret History of Yodeling Around the World by Bart Plantenga April (Dutch)
42 - The Man in the Queue by Josephine Tey April (Scottish)
43 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery April (Canadian)
44 - 25 Days 'Til Christmas by Poppy Alexander April (British)
45 - Shaved by Gina LaManna April (American
46 - An Elderly Lady is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten April (Swedish)
47 - Miss Iceland by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir April (Icelandic)
48 - Sliced by Gina LaManna April (American)
49 - Teaching Singing to Children and Young Adults, Second Edition by Jenevora Williams April (British)
50 - Shadows in Bronze by Lindsey Davis (British) April
51 - In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides April (American)
52 - The Last Pearl Fisher of Scotland by Julia Stuart April (British)
53 - Daylight by David Baldacci April (American)
54 - The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White (American) May
55 - O is for Outlaw by Sue Grafton May (American)
56 - The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman May (British
57 - The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick May (British)

Black
1 - Stand Up Straight and Sing! by Jessye Norman (American author)
2 - Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass (American author)
3 - Can I Get a Witness? by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (American)
5 The Pastor's Wife by ReShonda Tate Billingsley (American)
6 Murder in G Major by Alexia Gordon February (American)
7 Black No More by George S. Schuyler February (American)
8 Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones (American) February
9 Saeed Jones (American) Feb (be back with book title...)
10 Death in D Minor by Alexia Gordon (American)
11 - Killing in C Sharp by Alexia Gordon (American) March
12 - Fatality in F by Alexia Gordon March
13 - Sula by Toni Morrison
14 - Execution in E by Alexia Gordon (American) March

East Asian
1 The Resisters by Gish Jen (American)
2 Stalker in the Shadows by Camy Tang (American)
3 Protection for Hire by Camy Tang (American)
4 Sushi for One? by Camy Tang March (American)
5 A Dangerous Stage by Camy Tang March (American)
6 - Only Uni by Camy Tang May (American)

First nations, Métis and Inuit including Hawaiian and Pacific Islanders
1 The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera January (Kiwi)
2 Halfbreed by Maria Campbell May (Canadian)

Two or more races
1 The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride (American)
2 My Lord, What a Morning by Marian Anderson April (American)
3 Young Jane Young by Gabrielle Zevin (American) May

Hispanic or Latino
1 Crossing the Line by Simone Elkeles (American)
2 Being Latino in Christ: Finding Wholeness in Your Ethnic Identity by Orlando Crespo February
3 Mexican Whiteboy by Matt de la Pena February (American)
4 A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende February (Chilean)
5 With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo February (American)
6- I'll Be Your Blue Sky by Marisa de los Santos (American) March
7 - Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez March (Argentinian-American)
8 - Random Acts of Kittens by Yamile Saied Méndez April (Argentinian-American)
9 - Shaking Up the House by Yamile Saied Méndez April (Argentinian-American)
10 - Becoming Naomi León by Pam Muñoz Ryan April (American)
11 - I'd Give Anything by Marisa de los Santos April (American)
12 - Connect the Stars by Marisa de los Santos April (American)
13 - Saving Lucas Biggs by Marisa de los Santos April (American)
14 - Paint the Wind by Pam Muñoz Ryan April (American)
15 - The Distant Marvels by Chantel Acevedo May (American)
16 - Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan May (American)
17 - How the García Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez May (Dominican-American, came to the States when she was 10)
18 - The Dreamer by Pam Muñoz Ryan May American

extra finished book (s) that messed this up

Asian - The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (Vietnamese) May