2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

The theme for April is the chocolate. Yummy! Have fun with this one! The theme is completely open to interpretation: as long as you can tell us why you think it should fit the theme, it counts.

Please nominate only one book and ensure you either link the book or give the name of the author as well to avoid confusion. You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your own. Nominations cannot have been chosen for a past group read (past buddy reads are fine).

This thread will be closed by February 22, and we will choose ten books for the poll. If there are more than ten books nominated, we will choose the ten most nominated. If there is still a tie to get into the top ten, we'll go back to the Goodreads average rating to see which is highest.

I nominate Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith. I've never read this book but I have read this authors No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency books and loved them. I also love the title of this book.

I will nominate Seduction and Snacks. I read it a few years ago and thought it was a really fun read.

I nominate Bitter Sweets because the title makes me think of dark chocolate.

I nominate The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier. I've had it on my TBR for awhile. Love the theme for April, BTW:)

I nominate Like Water for Chocolate. It has been on my TBR for a long time. It is an international best seller that I have heard about many times but not gotten around to.

I nominate Appetites: Why Women Want by Caroline Knapp

Chocolate is something most women crave on various occasions and I think this fits the theme by exploring the psychology behind the womens' mind and their desires.

I nominate The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris. This has been on my TBR and it obviously has to do with Chocolate!

I second "Seduction and Snacks," I've been wanting to read that one for awhile. :)

I second The Chocolate War

I also would like to nominate The Chocolate War.

I am going to nominate Before I Go To Sleep because this is when I have Hot Chocolate :)

(Tedious link I know - but quite creative!)

Zara wrote: "I nominate Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith. I've never read this book but I have read this authors No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency books and loved them. I also love ..."

I like the sound of this (and I loved the no. 1 ladies detective agency series). But it is marked as book 2 in a series - do you know if it would require reading book 1 first?

I'm going to go for The Elephant Girl by Henriette Gyland this is a 'choc lit' book which is the name of an independent publisher established in the UK in 2009 specialising in women's fiction with romantic content where the writing clearly develops the hero's point of view.

Here's the blurb

Peek-a-boo I see you…
When five-year-old Helen Stephens witnesses her mother’s murder, her whole world comes crumbling down. Rejected by her extended family, Helen is handed over to child services and learns to trust no-one but herself. Twenty years later, her mother’s killer is let out of jail, and Helen swears vengeance.

Jason Moody runs a halfway house, desperate to distance himself from his father’s gangster dealings. But when Helen shows up on his doorstep, he decides to dig into her past, and risks upsetting some very dangerous people.

As Helen begins to question what really happened to her mother, Jason is determined to protect her. But Helen is getting too close to someone who’ll stop at nothing to keep the truth hidden.

I nominate Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan. I've been wanting to read one of his books for a while.

I second or third Friends, Lovers, Chocolate.

I also have to admit, all of your recommendations have been placed on my list to read!

I'll second Like Water for Chocolate. It's been on my TBR for a long time.

I'll third?? Like Water for Chocolate. Not only is it on my TBR, it's literally on my bookshelf and I haven't read it yet.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory anyone?

I agree with I read it a long time ago and loved it

If we can nominate non-fiction, I nominate Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers by Deborah Cadbury.

If not, I second Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I've never been able to get through the book, although I love the movie. (The original with Gene Wilder)

Somebody dropped Like Water for Chocolate in the mini-library in front of my house so I guess I'll vote that...

I second Chocolate Wars: The 150-Year Rivalry Between the World's Greatest Chocolate Makers. It sounds interesting!

I'll second (or third?) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

I vote for Chocolate wars ☺

I'm going to nominate Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light by Amy Thomas. The full subtitle is "A Year in the City of Light (and Dark Chocolate)"!

The GR blurb says:
Part love letter to New York, part love letter to Paris, and total devotion to all things sweet. Paris, My Sweet is a personal and moveable feast that’s a treasure map for anyone who loves fresh cupcakes and fine chocolate, New York and Paris, and life in general. It’s about how the search for happiness can be as fleeting as a sliver of cheesecake and about how the life you’re meant to live doesn’t always taste like the one you envisioned. Organized into a baker’s dozen of delicacies (and the adventures they inspired) that will tempt readers’ appetites, Paris, My Sweet is something to savor.

Shannon Noel wrote: "I second "Seduction and Snacks," I've been wanting to read that one for awhile. :)"

I'll third "Seduction and Snacks" because of the seductive power of chocolate (and because it's on my TBR list).

Like water for chocolate looks like a good one to me, put me down as another vote for that :)

4th for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Throwing in another vote for The Loveliest Chocolate Shop in Paris. I too have been wanting to read this for a long time.

Just a few more days to get your nominations in. Then keep your eye out for the poll.

I'm going to nominate The Good Humor Man: Or, Calorie 3501 by Andrew Fox because it's about a future where unhealthy foods are banned and chocolate costs more than cocaine on the black market. I've also heard its weird and crazy as hell which I like.

Uh oh I missed the deadline, sorry. I started to check this weekend but got distracted. Story of my life! I did manage to figure out the March pick! Good creative nominations for April. Now I'm hungry tho!

CMac, you can still nominate a book. Nominations close on March 25th.

February 25, right?

Chris wrote: "I'm going to nominate The Good Humor Man: Or, Calorie 3501 by Andrew Fox because it's about a future where unhealthy foods are banned and chocolate costs more than cocaine on the bla..."

That book looks like it belongs on my TBR! (And I could find it on Scribd, yay!)

Jenn wrote: "February 25, right?"

Yes Jenn! Thanks for the catch! Tomorrow is the last day for nominations and then I will post the poll before the end of the week.

I vote for Friends, Lovers and Chocolate. I like the fact that it's part of a series and the characters seem like its one of those read non stop types!

Jodi wrote: "CMac, you can still nominate a book. Nominations close on March 25th."

Thanks! Sorry I must have misread instructions. I'll find a choice to nominate. Still hungry though!

I also vote for The Chocolate War. By Robert Cormier .The Chocolate War

Nominations are now closed. Please check back in a few days and look for the poll to cast your vote.

Please vote for our April group read here. Voting for this poll ends on March 10, 2015

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/1...

I did not include Friends, Lovers, Chocolate in the poll because I noticed that it was book 2 in a series. I haven't read the book, so I don't know if you needed to read book 1 first. I apologize if this was the book you nominated or were hoping to vote for.

One more day to get your vote in for our April group read. Please click on the link above to vote in our poll.