2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

Welcome to my Personal Reading Challenge! So, I set a goal to read 40 books this year, and I'm not entirely sure if I can do it, but hopefully! I'm a bit behind, but I will try to catch up. So, I'm going to be busy in February because of school stuff and reading commitments. Therefore, every last week of the month, I will update my reading challenges and this one! It's like my personal reading diary challenge! I will talk more about books and probably some of my day. Enjoy!🥳🥳


So, the first book I actually read this January is "Landline" by Rainbow Rowell because it's on my TBR list and it's one of my book of the month selections in my book club. Unfortunately, this book didn't capture my interest, and it ended up on my DNF shelf. It's sad because it will be another book added to my "did not finish" shelf. But it's okay, at least I tried reading this one!
Landline

MY JANUARY READING MONTH
Landline
Room to Dream
The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

I read "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser. It's a middle-grade book, and I chose to read it because it's part of the reading challenge that I joined. I really love middle-grade books because they remind me of my childhood, and I grew up with them. The family in the story moves to another city, and it's hard for them because moving is hard. It's about the journey of a family and their five kids. This book is just average for me. I mean, it's a nice book, but it would be better suited for a kid younger than me. However, I did learn something from this book. Moving to another house is hard, especially if the house you've stayed in is special to you. I also experienced moving to a new house, and wow, it really made me feel new and like an outcast. It was hard to cope at that time, but when you get used to it, you will realize the value and the memories you made in that house. And now, that house feels like home.


The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street

It's February! It's fast how time flies😭😭But it's fine. I've been busy but still have time for reading<3

It's almost the end of March! Happy reading, everyone! I've been busy with my schoolwork, but it's fine! Next Monday will be our exam, so I have less time for reading my books because I am studying with my notebooks! I'm so nervous! It's almost the end of our school year, and I'm going to miss my classmates so much! But let's not talk about it now! During February, I read Icebreaker, What Lives in the Woods, and Under the Whispering Door. I usually read 4 books per month. Of all the books I read in February, only 1 book is my favorite! The other 2 books are just not to my interest, so I gave them 3 stars.

I'm not sure which books I read in April, but I will make plans for it. Maybe tomorrow or now, but I'll try! I also want to feel like adding new books again, although I have piles of books to read on my TBR list. Still, I want to add more. I was thinking of reading ARCs this April so I can support authors and also read advance books. So, the challenge I will be taking on this month is Monthly Challenges and Quarterly. Although, I'm not sure if I could read 5 books this April, so I will aim to read 4 books per month.

Good luck on your exams. You can do it. Of course you want to add new books to your TBR. ARCs would add an element of pizzazz, mystery, and adventure. Have a successful April, and please remember that your Goodreads "family" is rooting for you and are firmly in your corner.

Thank you, Elizabeth, for your support! I appreciate it so much, and I've had such a good time! My exam went well, and I aced all my tests. Thank you so much! I'm back to reading again, and luckily it's a holiday in our country the next day. So, I'm going to have a little time to relax and read :)

For now, I will write a review of the books I read this March. Tomorrow, I will share my reading plans for April, challenges that I joined in this group, questions about book stuff, and updates on my currently reading books!

Congratulations on doing so well on your exams. Enjoy your holiday, and may your reading adventures and experiences be all you hope for and more.

Thank you guys for your support:3 I appreciate it so much❤️❤️

So here are the books I read this March

March
The Paris Apartment
- The Paris Apartment is a good fit for readers who enjoy unraveling intricate mysteries and uncovering secrets in a closed-knit community setting, all while being immersed in the charm and allure of Paris. - ⭐⭐⭐/3 stars

The 24-Hour Café
- The 24-Hour Café is a great fit for readers seeking an uplifting story about the power of friendship, the beauty of ordinary lives, and the comforting warmth of a community found in a London café. - ⭐⭐⭐/3 stars

Lovelight Farms
- Lovelight Farms is a good fit for readers who enjoy heartwarming stories about best friends discovering romantic feelings for each other, set against the backdrop of a small town Christmas with a touch of humor and fake dating antics. - ⭐⭐⭐/3 stars

Mapapansin Kaya?
- Mapapansin Kaya? by Jonaxx is a good fit for readers who enjoy stories about persevering in love despite misunderstandings and societal expectations. - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars

I've had a good time reading those books and I'm glad that I read those:) March is a good month for me. I've read new books and yeah, I've enjoyed it so far. I was thinking, if I could add the book 2 of Lovelights Farms, maybe I would try to read it and I would like it. March has been a busy month for me, but I made time for reading those books.

Question for this week is:
Are there upcoming releases you’re looking forward to in the next few months?

- Yes! Like some of them, like Kathi Daley's books, the sequel of The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, and more middle-grade books. I can't wait to read them even though I have lots of piles of books waiting for me! I mean, I am so excited to read them because it's worth waiting for. And for middle-grade books, I found a website that recommends middle-grade books, and I love it! Thanks for that website, I could discover more great middle-grade books!

I'm currently reading A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser because I chose this book as my Monthly Challenge. I've read one of Karina Yan Glaser's books, which is The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street series. That book is also good, and I plan to continue reading that series. Anyway, I also want to read it because I'm in a book slump, and reading middle-grade books brings me back to reading again. I don't know why, but I guess it's my comfort zone.❤️❤️

Happy April, everyone! It's been a busy week for me, but I'm still continuing my reading. I'm halfway through my book and I'm enjoying it so far. So, I should finish reading it by Friday!

What is the most recent (or most memorable) book you have struggled to finish?
- I think it's "The 24-Hour Café" by Libby Page. I struggled reading this one because I guess it was a slow-paced book and the plot is not really intriguing. But it's fine after all, and maybe this book is not really for me:)

Happy Reading Everyone! It's already April 8, 2024 here and it's Monday!

So, I already finished reading A Duet for Home and I enjoyed reading that one. Next, I'm currently reading Never Lie by Freida McFadden, which is going to be exciting! I'm really excited about reading Freida McFadden's books because they are really interesting to me! I hope I'm going to love this one!

I love your page. It's very upbeat and conversational. I too love middle-grade books. I think it makes up about 30-40% of my reading each year if not more. I just finished a Goosebumps yesterday and am reading a Nancy Drew now. And of course "modern" middle grade is awesome too.

D.L. wrote: "I love your page. It's very upbeat and conversational. I too love middle-grade books. I think it makes up about 30-40% of my reading each year if not more. I just finished a Goosebumps yesterday an..."

Thank you so much! I appreciate it and I was hoping to be more creative on my page. I thought it was boring and not really interesting. I just really love to talk about book stuff and I thought I was being too talkative and boring. But thank you so much because you loved it as much as I do. I love middle-grade books too, and Nancy Drew is on my TBR list, and I was hoping to read it soon. I love to discover more middle-grade books.

Happy May to everyone! April has been a busy month for me. I just read 3 books. But I hope in May, I will read more books. So, here are the books I read in April.

April

Never Lie
- Never Lie by Freida McFadden is a good fit for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers and are interested in unraveling mysteries through listening to intimate patient interviews. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 stars

The Teacher
- The Teacher by Freida McFadden is a good fit for readers who enjoy fast-paced psychological thrillers and are interested in delving into the complexities of human nature, exploring themes of cheating, deception, and the struggle to uncover the truth.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/4 stars

A Duet for Home
- A Duet for Home by Karina Yan Glaser is a good fit for empathetic middle grade readers who enjoy stories about friendship, music, and overcoming difficult circumstances, such as homelessness and family struggles, set in the diverse and vibrant context of NYC.
⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 3 stars

So, I am currently reading Lily and the Octopus. It was good so far and I thought I would finish it next week.

Hey Patricia!
From the looks of things, you're doing awesome so far!

I 100% agree with D.L. on the praise for your style and setup here. I do the same thing on my page (or at least, if I had been maintaining it this year... Woops!)
But I agree that it makes it a lot more dynamic and fun to engage with :) So keep it up! I'm looking forward to check back in and see what else has been going on with you and your reading journey :)

Have fun and happy reading!
Wishing you lots of luck reaching your reading goals!

Lisa wrote: "Hey Patricia!
From the looks of things, you're doing awesome so far!

I 100% agree with D.L. on the praise for your style and setup here. I do the same thing on my page (or at least, if I had bee..."

Hi Lisa! Oh my gosh thank you so much for your compliment to my page. It just really warmed my heart that you guys love my reading goals here. Thank you so much for your support and I really appreciate it so much! I'd love to see your page Lisa and maybe I will love it! I'm looking forward to chatting with you again Lisa:>

Happy June Everyone! Finally, it's already Summer here so there are a lot of books I can read. I hope you guys have a great month and great reading coming up!

June Reading Plans

*Currently Reading: Paola Santiago and the River of Tears

BOOKS THAT I'M GOING TO READ THIS JUNE
- With the Fire on High
- It’s Boba Time for Pearl Li!
- Things We Never Got Over
- Beach Read

Happy June indeed! ☀️
I'm usually really proud of my page, but sadly I haven't been maintaining it AT ALL in 2024, so there's not much to see. I'm not sure I will bother with bringing it up-to date before the end of the year, but I hope 2025 will be a better year for keeping track of things :D

I hope you enjoy Beach Read. Looking forward to seeing what you thought of it :)

Have a fantastic June, filled with amazing books and sunny weather.

Happy July Everyone!🥳🥳Sorry for the late reply😅😅. I've been busy again, but still, I enjoyed my summer and reading. It's almost the start of the classes here soon, and I'm so nervous. I've always been nervous about meeting new people and talking with them, but I'm currently working on my social anxiety yet. I'm taking care of myself and I watched some self-care videos about it, and yeah, it's been really helpful❤️❤️

Anyway, back to our July plans. I'm currently reading Twisted Love by Ana Huang, and finally! I am so excited to read this one! It's been a popular book, and I even see this book everywhere on Instagram. I have three books left for this month to read.

July Reading Plans

- The How and the Why
My TBR twin and I picked this book to read for this month. I am actually interested in reading it, so why not try?

- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
A good girl needs to read this murder book, doesn't she? Actually, my book club chose this book to read for this month, and I need to read a mystery/thriller book right now.

- The Mulligan Curse: A Novel
Another arc from Netgalley! I loved reading free arcs, and I can't stop choosing a book to read from the Netgalley! I loved reading books in Advanced because I'm super excited to read them. But still, I loved paperbacks.

It's been raining here in our area all week! So, mostly, I stayed at my house because I just wanted to cuddle my cat and read my books. I am actually thinking of creating a schedule for my reading. Yeah, I should create one. Anyway, I'm going to share my reviews of the books that I read last month. Most of them probably get 4 stars, which is good.📚📚📖📖

My reviews in June

- Beartown by Fredrik Backman - ⭐⭐⭐
📚I forgot why I chose to read this book. Oh, I remember now. It's me who picked this book, and I was like, why? Sometimes, I'm bad at picking my own books! I actually finished this book, and I'm not really so intrigued to read it, but I finished reading it because I liked reading hockey books.
You can see my full review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

- Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚Ok, don't ask me who picked this book, because it's definitely not me. But who cares? Anyway, I liked mythology and adventure types of books because I imagined myself being there in them. Unbelievable right? This one didn't fail me. I'm even surprised I even liked it. But I could actually give this book a whole 5 stars if it didn't have long chapters. Why do I even hate long chapters?
P.S. I thought my review was too long, but I hope it is still interesting to read.
My full review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

- With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚I went to my local library, and I saw it on the shelf. This book caught my attention because of the cover. But I put this on my TBR and bought this book because I couldn't help it. And finally, I read this book, and it was fire on high. I mean, not literally, but it came from the title of the book. I liked this book, and I would totally recommend it.
My full review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

- Beach Read by Emily Henry - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚Emily Henry books! This book is everywhere on Instagram! Even on Booktok. Right? I've heard nice reviews of this book, and I was so interested in reading it that I finally did. Should I continue reading some of her books?
My full review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

- Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score - ⭐⭐⭐⭐
📚This book is the story I never got over. Yeah, it came from the title again. Anyway, I also loved reading romance books because I just wanted to feel butterflies in my stomach while reading a book. Also, I loved the flowers on the cover. It's also my last review for the month of July. It has a good ending, and I would love to recommend it.
My full review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


Happy Reading everyone!🥳🥳