2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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January - This or That?

Welcome! to This❓ or That❓
I couldn't resist leading this fun challenge. I'm looking forward to seeing y'all's answers and the books you choose to read.
To have your challenge updated on the participants list, please post an update comment. Be sure to include both your original message number and progress:
Example: Updated msg #10: 2/8
If you decide to drop out of the challenge, please don’t delete your original sign-up post. Just update and let me know. Thanks!
I will post updates on Thursdays.
❓Signed Up❓
Anissa Msg #42 0/2
Berit Msg #155 0/3
Brianna Msg #65 0/4
Caraina Msg #56 0/10
D.L. Msg #17 0/4
Jenn Msg #60 0/10
Jodi Msg #46 0/10
Leslie Msg #35 0/4
Lori Msg #33 0/4
Nina Msg #37 0/2
QueenEternity Msg #46 0/10
Sayonee Msg #19 0/3
Sherry Msg #32 0/2
Suzanne Msg #40 0/10

Amber Msg #24 4/5
Ashley Msg #48 2/4
Chloe Msg #41 3/4
Erika Msg #66 4/10
Izajen Msg #55 1/5
Kylie Msg #8 2/10
Lynn Msg #138 8/10
Mouse333 Msg #6 2/10
Rachael #2 Msg #36 2/6
SarahKat Msg #16 6/10
Sharon Msg #13 7/10
Vicki Msg #45 8/10
Violeta Msg #72 1/2

AurorainBookland Msg #49 2/2
Liza Msg #29 5/5
Laurie Msg #26 1/1
Rachael #1 Msg #9 3/3
Amy (Other Amy) Msg #73 3/3
Catsalive Msg #100 10/10
Janine Msg #57 4/3
Beth Msg #28 5/5
Emily Msg #11 3/3
TerryJane Msg #31 10/10
Elaine Msg #43 10/10
Debra Diggs Msg #5 3/3
Gail Msg 21 2/2
Megan Msg #25 6/6
Ashleigh Msg #38 2/2
Sarah Msg #7 10/10
Sunny Msg #3 2/2
Patricia Msg #12 4/4
Allie #2 Msg #22 4/4
Allie #1 Msg #14 5/5
Kristina Msg #20 10/10
Carmen Msg #10 10/10
Hina Msg #30 7/7
Ariail Msg #15 10/10
Theresa Msg #4 2/2
Brianna Raquel Msg #52 10/10
Jaida Msg #18 5/5
Ashly Msg #44 2/2
Amy Msg #54 5/5
Agnieszka Msg #50 10/10
Kaitlin Msg #60 6/6

Progress: 2/2
✔3.)
✔10.) Thunderstorm or

3/3
Completed
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
✔ 5. Mountains or ocean? - Summit Lake by Charlie Donlea
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn? -
✔ 8. Ghost tour or historical tour? - The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
✔ 9. Country or city? - Dead People by Ewart Hutton
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?

1. Early bird or night owl? - The Duke and the Lady (night on the cover)
2. Costume party or pool party? - After Midnight (in book)
3. Cats or dogs? - The Princess and the Hound (dog on the cover)
4. Music festival or art festival? - Rock Me (MCs go to a music festival)
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons? - Freestyle (about a dance school)
7. Spring or autumn? - Autumn Nights (title)
8. Ghost tour or historical tour? - I Thee Wed (historical)
9. Country or city? - Morning Comes Softly (setting)
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm? - Into the Storm (snowstorm in book)










Progress: 10/10-COMPLETED
✅1. Early bird or night owl?- Night Owl (title) (20/1/23)
✅2. Costume party or pool party?- Pool Party (title and setting) (11/1/23)
✅3. Cats or dogs?- Clifford the Big Red Dog (title and character) (1/1/23)
✅4. Music festival or art festival?- Remix (setting) (3/1/23)
✅5. Mountains or ocean?- Last Hours on Everest (setting) (7/1/23)
✅6. Cooking class or dance lessons?- Dancing Lessons (title and setting) (2/1/23)
✅7. Spring or autumn?- Make Way for Ducklings (setting) (6/1/23)
✅8. Ghost tour or historical tour?- Ghost Walk (setting) (12/1/23)
✅9. Country or city?- Lost London (setting) (6/1/23)
✅10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?- Snowbound Bride (setting) (15/1/23)

Progress 2 / 10
1.
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10.

COMPLETED: 3/3
✔️
✔️
✔️ Spring

Count me in, please 😉
PROGRESS: 10/10
❎1.
❎2.
❎3.
❎4. Music festival
❎5.
❎6. Cooking class
❎7. Spring
❎8.
❎9.
❎10.

3/3 - Completed 1/17/2023
2. Costume party or pool party? - That Summer by Jennifer Weiner - completed 1/17/2023
3. Cats or dogs? - Finding Gobi: The True Story of a Little Dog and an Incredible Journey by Dion Leonard - completed 1/11/2023
8. Ghost tour or historical tour? - The Shining by Stephen King - completed 1/8/2023

0/2
1. Early bird or night owl? - The Allegra Biscotti Collection - The main character is a night owl.
9. Country or city? - At Your Service. The main character lives in a city and she works in a hotel.

Progress 5/5
✔️1. Early bird or night owl? NIGHT OWL Midnight Never Come
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
✔️5. Mountains or ocean? OCEAN Reckless Girls
✔️6. Cooking class or dance lessons? COOKING CLASS Double Fudge Brownie Murder
7. Spring or autumn?
✔️8. Ghost tour or historical tour? GHOST TOUR Holy Ghost
✔️9. Country or city? CITY The Twist of a Knife
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?

6/10
Blue Moon Rising by Simon R. Green
Cats. The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun
Mountains (on cover): The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Dance: Dance of a Burning Sea by E.J. Mellow
Historical (Ancient Greece setting): Daughters of Sparta by Claire Heywood
Snow Storm: Snow Angels by Jeff Lemire

Progress: 0/4
3. Cats or dogs? (Cats) The Cat Who Ate Danish Modern
6. Cooking class or dance lessons? (Cooking class) A Spoonful of Murder
9. Country or city? (Country) Low Country Hero
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm? (Snowstorm) Winter Fire

5 / 5 read
1. Cats or dogs? The Hunger Games
2. Mountains or ocean? Sinners Condemned
3. Spring or autumn? An Enchantment of Ravens
4. Ghost tour or historical tour? The Dollhouse Family
5. Country or city? Days Gone Bye

Progress: 0/3
🌻 Cats or
~ The White Tiger
🌻 Spring or
~ Black Spring
🌻
~ The Paris Library

January 01 - January 31
Progress: 10/10
✅ 1. Night owl: Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott
✅ 2. Costume party: The Yellow Wife: A Novel by Sadeqa Johnson
✅ 3. Cats: Cat Sense: How the New Feline Science Can Make You a Better Friend to Your Pet by John Bradshaw
✅ 4. Music festival: A Little Bit Country by Brian D. Kennedy
✅ 5. Ocean: The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness by Sy Montgomery
✅ 6. Cooking class: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
✅ 7. Autumn: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
✅ 8. Historical tour: Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain
✅ 9. City: The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America by Erik Larson
✅ 10. Snowstorm: A Winter's Promise by Christelle Dabos

Progress: 2/2
✔8. Ghost Tour or Historical Tour: Ghost Tour: The Haunted:; Read: 1/21/2023
✅9. Country or City: Country: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six. Read: 01/13/2023

Progress: 4/4
✅ 1. Early bird or night owl? Death's End
✅ 4. Music festival or art festival? Frog Music
✅6. Cooking class or dance lessons? Hummus and Homicide
✅ 8. Ghost tour or historical tour? North and South
[redacted]

4/5
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?dog

4. Music festival

5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour? ghost

9. Country or city?city

10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?

1. Night owl - Ruin Me, If You Dare by Alyssa Clarke - completed
2. Costume party - Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann - completed
4. Music festival - Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson - completed
6. Dance lessons - A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers - completed
8. Historical tour - Man Called Horse: John Horse and the Black Seminole Underground Railroad by Glennette Tilley Turner - completed
9. City - The Key to My Heart by Lia Louis - completed
6/6 - challenge completed!

Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
1/1
❎Ghost tour or historical tour? Historical Tour
Memoirs of a Monticello Slave: As Dictated to Charles Campbell in the 1840’s by Isaac, One of Thomas Jefferson’s Slaves

January 2023
Please include me for five.
5/5 completed
1. Early bird or night owl?
The Lion of Comarre and Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke - 1/16 ★★★★
4. Music festival or art festival?
The Songs of Distant Earth by Arthur C. Clarke - 1/2 ★★★★
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
Beef by Andrew Rimas and Evan D.G. Fraser - 1/9 ★★★
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
The City of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (part of The Cemetery of Forgotten Books series) - 1/5 ★★★★
9. Country or city?
The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston - 1/12 ★★★★

Update: 5 books.
----
Progress: 5/5 --- FINISHED :-)
5. Mountains or ocean? ---> Mountains: Fuori dal mondo, by Ragnar Jónasson, pg. 226
2. Costume party or pool party? ---> Pool party Ballo di famiglia, by David Leavitt, pg. 193
9. Country or city? ----> Country La verità su Bébé Donge, pg. 170
1. Early bird or night owl? ---> Early Bird Servo e serva, pg. 300
6. Cooking class or dance lessons? ---> Cooking Delitto al pepe rosa

January 1st - January 31st
Progress: 7/7
1. Early bird or night owl?
Raft of Stars by Andrew J. Graff 20/1
4. Music festival or art festival?
The Songs You've Never Heard by Becky Jerams 29/1
5. Mountains or ocean?
Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman 5/1
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
Chef's Kiss by T.J. Alexander 18/1
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
Margaret the First by Danielle Dutton 21/1
9. Country or city?
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley 2/1
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice 7/1

Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
Progress: 10/10 -- COMPLETE
❓ 1. Early bird or night owl? The Night Olivia Fell
❓ 2. Costume party or pool party? The Last American Vampire
❓ 3. Cats or dogs? Before the Coffee Gets Cold
❓ 4. Music festival or art festival? You Don't Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles
❓ 5. Mountains or ocean? GodPretty in the Tobacco Field
❓ 6. Cooking class or dance lessons? Beat Until Stiff
❓ 7. Spring or autumn? One Two Three
❓ 8. Ghost tour or historical tour? 20th Century Ghosts
❓ 9. Country or city? Bettyville: A Memoir
❓ 10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm? The Glass Woman


PROGRESS
4/4
COMPLETED
4. Music Festival/Art Festival
Murder at Lambswool Farm/Sally Goldenbaum
6. Cooking class or dance lessons
Plum Tea Crazy/Laura Childs
9. Country or city
Her Amish Adversary/Vannetta Chapman
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm
The Secret of Snow/Viola Shipman

Everyone thru Msg #33 has been added to the list in #3. Check and be sure everything is correct.

1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Progress: 0/2

---
Tracking
2/2
1. Early bird or night owl? - Things We Do in the Dark
2. City or Country? - North and South

I have updated through Msg #38
35 have signed up
187 books have been pledged
Jan 1st is almost upon us!
My next update will be: Jan 5th
Happy Reading, Y'all!

January - This or That?
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
Progress: 10 out of 10
Like a virtual party game, this challenge involves choosing favorite answers from pairs of opposites. Read one relevant book for each of your answers. How you interpret the question, and how you relate the book to your answer, is up to you.
You many choose only one answer per question, even if both are suitable. To join, post a comment telling the challenge leader how many books you will read. So what's it gonna be... this or that?
1. Early bird or night owl?
The Owl & Moon Cafe by Jo-Ann Mapson - **** - 1/31/2023 - 357 Pages
2. Costume party or pool party?
- Pool Party
Unfinished Symphony by V.C. Andrews - **** - 1/14/2023 - 268 Pages - Pool Party in Story
3. Cats or dogs?
- Cats
Junkyard Cats by Faith Hunter - **** - 1/4/2023 - 141 Pages
4. Music festival or art festival?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - ***** - 1/6/2023 - 368 Pages - Music Festival
5. Mountains or ocean?
- Ocean
Part of Your Nightmare by Vera Strange - *** - 1/5/2023 - 218 Pages
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley - **** - 1/14/2023 - 336 Pages
7. Spring or autumn?
- Spring
Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - ***** - 1/21/2023 - 309 Pages - Springish cover
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
A Christmas Memory by Richard Paul Evans - ***** - 1/30/2023 - 192 Pages - Ghost in the Story
9. Country or city?
- Country
Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living by Nick Offerman - ***** - 1/15/2023 - 352 Pages
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Dark Skye by Kresley Cole - ***** - 1/31/2023 - 420 Pages - Thunderstorm











PROGRESS: 3/4
2. Costume party or pool party?
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
9. Country or city?
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

This Or That?
Duration: January 1-31, 2023
Goal: 2 ; Progress: 0/2
1.
2.

Jan. 1-31
10/10 Completed
1. Early Bird The Happy List 1-8-23
2. Pool Party Getting His Due 1-16-23
3. Cats Wanted: Tender Daddy 1-6-23
4. Art Festival Mr. Mustachio Is Falsely Accused 1-5-23
5. Mountains Subpar Parks: America's Most Extraordinary National Parks and Their Least Impressed Visitors 1-5-23
6. Cooking Class Second Act 1-9-23
7. Spring Spring Strings 1-14-23
8. Ghost Tour Jon and Mack's Terrifying Tree Troubles 1-13-23
9. Country This Could Work 1-4-23
10. Snowstorm Dark Whisper 1-2-23









2/2 read
1. Early bird or night owl? Coyote, Vol. 1 - 1/31/23, 5 stars
9. Country or city? ILYBSM: I Love You Both So Much - 1/11/23, 4 stars

January - THIS OR THAT?
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
Progress: 8/10
You may choose only one answer per question, even if both are suitable. To join, post a comment telling the challenge leader how many books you will read. So what's it gonna be... this or that?
1. Early bird or night owl?
- Night Owl

Things We Do in the Dark (Dark in title; dark cover) 1/01/23
2. Costume party or pool party?
- Pool Party
3. Cats or dogs?
- Dogs

The Honest Truth (Beau is a dog and a MC) 1/09/23
4. Music festival or art festival?
- Music Festival

Full Tilt (Kacey was in a band but quit) 1/29/23
5. Mountains or ocean?
- Ocean

Behind Every Lie (Set on an island) 1/14/23
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
- Dance Lessons

Paris, My Sweet: A Year in the City of Light (Amy "dances all night") 1/11/23
7. Spring or autumn?
- Spring

The Beekeeper's Promise 1/27/23 (Takes place during Easter, so spring).
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
- Historical Tour

The Book Woman's Daughter MPG Historical Fiction 1/04/23
9. Country or city?
- City

All Good People Here Set in Wakarusa, Indiana 1/02/23
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
- Thunderstorm
THIS OR THAT?
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
book 0/10
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
book 0/10
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?

5/4
1. Early bird or night owl?
Early Bird - How Lucky
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn
Autumn - The 5th Horseman
8. Ghost tour or historical tour
Historical tour - Jane Eyre
9. Country or city?
City - All Eyes on Me
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Snowstorm - Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous

0/2
this or that?
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party? Costume party

3. Cats or dogs? Cats [I like both though]

4. Music festival or art festival? Art festival

5. Mountains or ocean? Mountains [cliff is a type of mountain?]

6. Cooking class or dance lessons? Cooking [baking counts]

7. Spring or autumn? [I like both] autumn

8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city? Country [a forest counts right?]

10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm? Thunderstorm


Duration: 1/1/23 - 1/31/23
Completed: 10/10
No page minimum,
1. Early bird or night owl? Night owl: Louisiana Longshot by Jana Deleon 5* 1/9 - Fortune (MC) is a night owl
2. Costume party or pool party? Costume party: The Thirteenth Santa by Joanne Pence 3* 1/3 - thirteen men costumed as santa are at the center of the story
3. Cats or dogs? Dogs: From the Dog Shelter to the White House: The Story of Major Biden by Kalea Martin & Kennedi Rianne 3* 1/4 - dog-MC and on the cover
4. Music festival or art festival? Art festival: The Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club Book Two by Ann Warner 4* 1/20 - art is a vital part of this book in series (again)
5. Mountains or ocean? Mountains: Undercover Santa by Wendy Davy 4* 1/4 - set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia
6. Cooking class or dance lessons? Dance lessons: Wedding Cake Carnage book 2 in Murder in the Mix Boxed Set by Addison Moore 3* 1/26 - the MCs go to dancing lessons in the course of their investigation
7. Spring or autumn? Autumn: The Babbling Brook Naked Poker Club: Book One by Ann Warner 4* 1/7 - set mainly in autumn
8. Ghost tour or historical tour? Ghost tour: Red Velvet Vengeance book 3 in Murder in the Mix Boxed Set by Addison Moore 1.5* 1/18 - MC's mother set up ghost tours in her B&B
9. Country or city? Country:

10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm? Snowstorm:

message 50 updated! 10/10 books read!
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10/10
1.
2. Costume party or
3. Cats or
4. Music festival and art festival? Rise to the Sun
5.
6.
7. Spring or
8. Ghost tour or
9.
10. Thunderstorm or
I'm in for all 10!
0/10
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
0/10
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Books mentioned in this topic
Daisy Jones & The Six (other topics)The Owl & Moon Cafe (other topics)
Fake It Till You Bake It (other topics)
Dark Skye (other topics)
Into the Water (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Taylor Jenkins Reid (other topics)Jo-Ann Mapson (other topics)
Jamie Wesley (other topics)
Kresley Cole (other topics)
Kennedi Rianne (other topics)
More...
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2023
Like a virtual party game, this challenge involves choosing favorite answers from pairs of opposites. Read one relevant book for each of your answers. How you interpret the question, and how you relate the book to your answer, is up to you.
You many choose only one answer per question, even if both are suitable. To join, post a comment telling the challenge leader how many books you will read. So what's it gonna be... this or that?
1. Early bird or night owl?
2. Costume party or pool party?
3. Cats or dogs?
4. Music festival or art festival?
5. Mountains or ocean?
6. Cooking class or dance lessons?
7. Spring or autumn?
8. Ghost tour or historical tour?
9. Country or city?
10. Thunderstorm or snowstorm?
Sunny volunteered to lead this challenge. Thank you most kindly, Sunny!