2025 Reading Challenge discussion

A SOLAR-BRATION
Duration April 1 – April 30, 2024

Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. To solar-brate this spectacular phenomenon read books set in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. To join us where the sun don't shine, post a message below to tell the challenge leader how many books you plan to read.

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

Hello everyone, and welcome to the A Solar-Bration Challenge.
I am excited to be leading it and hope we will have fun on our journey following the sun (or lack thereof)!

Also, to post some more of the information Carmen posted in her original challenge idea, in case someone wants to pick books according to the specific locations:
Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,) Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)
-----------------------------------------------------
Or if you want to be more precise you can read books set in the 10 most populous cities in the path of the eclipse:
1. Montréal
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Austin
5. Forth Worth
6. Indianapolis
7. Durango
8. Hamilton
9. Torreón
10. Mazatlán
-----------------------------------------------------
Or if you want to be more thorough you cand add other locations around the world: Marquesas Islands, Svalbard (Norway), Iceland, Ireland, western parts of Great Britain, north-west parts of Spain and Portugal, the Azores and Canary Islands.

📚 To sign up, please post a comment below and include the number of books you plan to read for this challenge! 📚

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

Updating your progress:

When updating your progress, please include your sign-up message number plus the current progress using this format:
Update to Message # xx: books read/ books pledged

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! :)

If at any point you have questions, please feel free to ask!

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

📝Recruits:📝
Caraina 0/10
Fiona 0/23
JennH 0/4
Suzanne 0/6

🔭Aspiring:🔭
Carmen 19/25
Jenn 15/25
Linda 2/4
Saravzee 1/5

💫Astronomers:💫
Brianna Raquel 9/9 - COMPLETED!
Catsalive 5/5 - COMPLETED!
Ciara 5/5 - COMPLETED!
Frankie 7/7 - COMPLETED!
Kendra 3/3 - COMPLETED!
Laurie 3/3 - COMPLETED!
Rachael 3/3 - COMPLETED!
Sarah 8/8 - COMPLETED!
Sheila 22/10 - COMPLETED!
Teresa 10/7 - COMPLETED!
TerryJane 22/15 - COMPLETED!
Theresa 3/3 - COMPLETED!

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

20 Recruits Signed Up
📚137/180 books read (76.1 %) 📚

Updated up to Message#50

Happy Reading to all of you!

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

I actually could not find time for this challenge in April, so had to withdraw.

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,) Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)

7/7 Completed. Finished

1.Texas,USA:Kinda Don't Care-Lani Lynn Vale 4/01/24
2.Ohio,USA:Shamed-Linda Castillo 4/07/24
3.Mexico:King Peso-Carmen Amato 4/10/24
4.Canada:A Photo Finish-Elsie Silver 4/10/24
5.Pennsylvania:The Girl and the Unexpected Gifts-A.J. Rivers 4/11/24
6.Indiana:State of Betrayal-Thomas L. Scott 4/12/24
7.Arkansas:Long Gone-Denise Grover Swank 4/17/24

I will go for 5 books!

I'll join with a goal of 3 books. Progress: 3/3

✔Dolores Claiborne Little Tall Island-Maine-United States (Apr. 8)
✔Lock Every Door Manhattan-New York, NY- United States (Apr. 24)
✔The Wright Sister Kansas City-Missouri-United States (Apr. 30)

Please sign me up for 3 books.

COMPLETED: 3/3
1. The Secret Life of Bees (South Carolina, USA) finished 18 April, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
2. Kindred (California, USA & Maryland, USA) finished 21 April, ⭐⭐⭐⭐
3. Glass Houses (Texas, USA) finished 28 April, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I will go for 4 books.

0/4

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

Hello everyone, and welcome to the A Solar-Bration Challenge.
I am excited to be leading it and hope we will have fun on our journey following the sun (or lack thereof)!

Also, to post some more of the information Carmen posted in her original challenge idea, in case someone wants to pick books according to the specific locations:
Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,) Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)

[redacted}

I'm in for 10

A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge
Duration: April 1, 2024 - April 30, 2024

Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,) Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)

Completed: 0/10

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️

Progress 3/3 - DONE

Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. To solar-brate this spectacular phenomenon read books set in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

☀️🌑 Mexico:
✔The Hummingbird's Daughter

☀️🌑 United States:
✔ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

☀️🌑 Canada:
✔The Forgotten Daughter

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️

Sheila from NC signing on and I’ll try for all ten locations.

Hola!
Count me in, please 😉

PROGRESS: 19/25

🇲🇽Mexico
🌞Sinaloa: ✔️
🌚Durango: ✔️
🌞Coahuilia: ✔️

🇺🇸USA
🌞Texas: ✔️ ✔️
🌚Oklahoma: ✔️
🌞Arkansas: ✔️
🌚Missouri:
🌞Kentucky: ✔️
🌚Indiana:
🌞Ohio: ✔️
🌚Pennsylvania: ✔️
🌞New York: ✔️
🌚Vermont: ✔️
🌞New Hampshire: ✔️
🌚Maine: ✔️

🇨🇦Canada
🌞Ontario:
🌚Quebec: ✔️
🌞New Brunswick:
🌚Prince Edward Island: ✔️
🌞 Cape Breton:
🌚Newfoundland: ✔️

OTHER SETTINGS:
🌞Marquesas Islands:
🌚Iceland: ✔️
🌞Ireland:
🌚Spain: ✔️

Hey everyone - TerryJane noticed that 'Illinois' was missing in the list originally posted above, so the corrected version is:
Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine,) Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)

Sorry for the confusion and have fun reading! :)

I'll join in for 5 :)

eta: well this challenge was a dud for me ugh, lol. I didn't realize just how many books I read that have European and fantastical settings.

1/5

1. My Killer Vacation -U.S.
2.
3.
4.
5.

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

9/9

Mexico:
1. Like Water for Chocolate🪴
2, North of Happy🪴
3. Santiago's Road Home🪴

USA:
1. The Perfect Family🪴
2. How We Fall Apart🪴
3, Good as Gone🪴

Canada:
1. The Girl from the Sea🪴
2. Like Home🪴
3. Blood Like Magic🪴

☀️ A SOLAR-BRATION - Monthly Challenge
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024
Progress: 22/15 -- COMPLETE

Mexico
☀️ Sinaloa - Hunting El Chapo: The Inside Story of the American Lawman Who Captured the World's Most Wanted Drug-Lord
☀️ Durango - Blood Meridian
☀️ Coahuila - The Power and the Glory

USA
☀️ Texas - In Bloom
☀️ Oklahoma - Thirteen Moons
☀️ Arkansas - True Grit
☀️ Missouri - Pudd'nhead Wilson
☀️ Kentucky - Starling House
☀️ Illinois - Leave No Scone Unturned
☀️ Indiana - All the Bright Places
☀️ Ohio - Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis
☀️ Pennsylvania - Wolf Hollow
☀️ New York - Dance With The Devil
☀️ Vermont - Grandma Gatewood's Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail
☀️ New Hampshire - The Night Strangers
☀️ Maine - Evvie Drake Starts Over

Canada
☀️ Ontario - The Bear
☀️ Quebec - The Home for Unwanted Girls
☀️ New Brunswick - The Sisters from Hardscrabble Bay
☀️ Prince Edward Island - Emily of New Moon
☀️ Nova Scotia - Watching You Without Me
☀️ Newfoundland - Amelia & Me

I will commit to reading four books for this challenge.

4/4

✔ Texas - Old Yeller, by Fred Gipson
✔ Arkansas - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, by Maya Angelou
✔ New York - Washington Square, by Henry James
✔ Maine - Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, by Gary D. Schmidt

Aiming for 5

☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024
5/5

Books set in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

1. Imitation in Death by J.D. Robb 9/4 3.5★
2. Murder is a Piece of Cake by Elaine Viets 10/4 3★
3. I'm In No Mood For Love by Rachel Gibson 19/4 2★
4. Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper 24/4 3.5★

Ireland
1. The Oyster Catcher by Jo Thomas 4/4 3.5★

Sign me up for 8 books

8/8-COMPLETED

Mexico
✅1. Houlihan's Wake and Other Fragments of Mexico (29/4/24)
✅2. Adelita: A Mexican Cinderella Story (30/4/24)

The United States
✅3. Moral Compass (27/4/24)
✅4. The Boxcar Children (28/4/24)
✅5. Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League (28/4/24)

Canada
✅6. Study for Obedience (22/4/24)
✅7. Elvis, Me, and the Lemonade Stand Summer (29/4/24)
✅8. Miss Confederation: The Diary of Mercy Anne Coles (30/4/24)

I live in one of the cities that will experience totality for 4 minutes or so! It's pretty exciting, but there are a lot of people here who couldn't care less, lol. I am happy that I will have the day off work because the population of the city is expected to be double what it is now, thus so will traffic. I'll hunker down with my books safely inside the home lol.

I'll aim for 7 books for this challenge!

April 1 to April 30
Goal: 7
Completed: 10!

I don't have time to link books at the moment, but these are all the books I read in April that fit the challenge!

book 1: The Peach Keeper - location, North Carolina, USA
book 2: The Spellman Files - location: California, USA
book 3: Curse of the Spellmans - Location: California USA
book 4: The Mistake - Location: Massachusetts USA
book 5: R is for Ricochet - Location: California USA
book 6: Garden Spells - Location: North Carolina USA
book 7: Beautyland - Locaiton: Pennsylvania USA
book 8: The Girls I've Been - Location: California USA
book 9: Inheritance Games #1 - Location: Texas USA
book 10: Time of Death - Location: NYC USA
book 11: Survivor in Death - Location: NYC USA

2024 Reading Challenge
April - A Solar-Bration
Duration: April 1 – April 30, 2024

Progress: 0 out of 6

Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. To solar-brate this spectacular phenomenon read books set in Mexico, the United States, and Canada. To join us where the sun don't shine, post a message below to tell the challenge leader how many books you plan to read.

Read books set in the 10 most populous cities in the path of the eclipse:

1. Montréal = Still Life (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #1) by Louise Penny

2. San Antonio = Fangirl Down (Big Shots, #1) by Tessa Bailey

3. Dallas = The Fiery Heart (Bloodlines, #4) by Richelle Mead

4. Austin = Emergency Contact by Mary H.K. Choi

5. Forth Worth = Lonesome Dove (Lonesome Dove, #1) by Larry McMurtry

6. Indianapolis = Turtles All the Way Down by John Green

I would like to sign up for 25- thanks 🙂

Lina wrote: "☀️🌑 A Solar-Bration - Monthly Challenge 🌑☀️
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2024

Hello everyone, and welcome to the A Solar-Bration Challenge.
I am excited to be leading it and hope we will have fun..."

Lina, what parts of Great Britain are you talking about from a UK member x

Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia)
USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)
Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)
-----------------------------------------------------
Or if you want to be more precise you can read books set in the 10 most populous cities in the path of the eclipse:
1. Montréal
2. San Antonio
3. Dallas
4. Austin
5. Forth Worth
6. Indianapolis
7. Durango
8. Hamilton
9. Torreón
10. Mazatlán
-----------------------------------------------------
Or if you want to be more thorough you can add other locations around the world:
Marquesas Islands
Svalbard (Norway)
Iceland
Ireland
Western parts of Great Britain,
North-west parts of Spain
Portugal
The Azores
Canary Islands

I'm in for 23 if possible lol.

Welcome to everyone that has joined so far! I have updated the participant's list till here.

Fiona, this site has an image with the parts of the UK where a partial eclipse will be visible and at what times:
https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/ad...

I had originally listed Dance With The Devil for Sinaloa, Mexico, but after reading it, I found that none of the book's settings are anywhere in Mexico. I'll move that one to New York instead.

If anybody has been considering that title for Sinaloa based on my plan, don't do it!

Updated message 7. Progress: 1/3

Hi Lina,
Please drop me out of the challenge. I'm feeling overwhelmed by too many commitments. Thanks!

Update on Message #5

4/7 Completed

Hi! I'm joining you all extremely late, but I know I can do at least three books for this one :)

🌑🌞🌑 Progress so far: 3 /3


📚 Reading List:
✅ Maine & Nova Scotia The Berry Pickers
✅ New England anonymous Their Vicious Games
Vermont House of Ash and Bone
✅ New York & Connecticut The Cherry Robbers
Pennsylvania Catherine House or The Wicked Unseen
Oklahoma The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
Texas The Secret Language of Birds

-----------------
Mexico (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia)
USA (Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine)
Canada (Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton, Newfoundland)
--------------------

Update on Message #5

6/7 Completed

Updated message 8: 1/3

Update to msg #32:
Done!

🌑🌞🌑 Progress so far: 3 /3

Updated message 8: 2/3

Update #12

Progress 1/3

Monday, April 8, 2024, a total solar eclipse will cross North America. To solar-brate this spectacular phenomenon read books set in Mexico, the United States, and Canada.

☀️🌑 Mexico:
The Hummingbird's Daughter

☀️🌑 United States:
✔ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

☀️🌑 Canada:
The Forgotten Daughter

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

Updated till here!

21 Recruits Signed Up
📚15/182 books read (8.2 %) 📚

Congratulations to Kendra for already completing her challenge! ☀️

I hope you will all continue to have fun reading!

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑

Update Message #5

7/7 Completed. Finished

Msg 20 updated: 5/5

Update to Message #18 : 22/15

Complete! I read a book in each of the 22 states and provinces in the path of totality. 😊

Thanks for leading, Lina! 🤗

Update to message #5: completed! I read 5/5 books!

1. White Cat, Black Dog: Stories - Kelly Link (Vermont)
2. Rainbow Black - Maggie Thrash (Montreal)
3. Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI - David Grann (Oklahoma)
4. Starter Villain - John Scalzi (Illinois)
5. The Night of the Storm - Nishita Parekh (Texas)

Update #12

Progress 3/3 - DONE - Thanks for a fun challenge!

☀️🌑 Mexico:
✔The Hummingbird's Daughter

☀️🌑 United States:
✔ The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

☀️🌑 Canada:
✔The Forgotten Daughter

☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️🌑☀️

Updated original post: 3/3. Challenge completed, thanks

Updated message 7. Progress: 3/3

updated! I completed 10, out of a goal of 7!

Message 22 updated
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Message 21 Updated

8/8

CHALLENGE COMPLETED

Update to message #14

PROGRESS: 19/25

Thanks! 🤗

Update to message no.24 - 15/25

U.S.A.
1. The Love Wager
2.How to Love Your Neighbor
3.My Stubborn Heart
4.No More Bad Dates
5.Curvy Girls Can't Date Bullies
6.So That Happened
7.Betting on You
8.Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks
9.The Man Who Walked Between the Towers
10.The Imposter
11.Who Was Frank Sinatra?
12.The Hero Two Doors Down: Based on the True Story of Friendship between a Boy and a Baseball Legend
13.The Cricket in Times Square
14.What Was the Great Chicago Fire?
15.She Persisted: 13 American Women Who Changed the World

Sheila from NC- I just completely missed that April had ended! I managed 22/10 for the whole path of the eclipse! Sorry for the late update and thanks for hosting.

Mexico - (Sinaloa, Durango, Coahuilia), Depth of Winter, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
2. Acapulco, Emilia Cruz, Hat Dance, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
3. 2.USA -Texas, Death Come Quickly, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
4. Texas, Track of the Cat, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...
5. Oklahoma, Ghost at Work, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
6. Arkansas-Shakespeare’s Landlord, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...
7. Missouri, - A Bad Day for Sorry, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...
8. Indiana, Falling to Pieces, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
9. Indiana, A Perfect Square, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
10. Indiana, Material Witness, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1....
11. Ohio- A Killer Sundae, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
12. Kentucky , - Insects, Ivy, and Investigations , https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5..., New York,
13. Vermont- Truly Devious, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
14. Vermont,- The Golden Spoon, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... Hampshire,
15. Maine, Dead and Berried, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
17. Maine, Murder on the Rocks, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
18. Maine, Winter at the Door, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
19. Canada Cape Breton, Songbird Cottage—https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
20. Ontario, Every City is Every Other City, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
21. Quebec, Deja Dead, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
22. New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland)