2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
2025 Members' Corner
>
Robynnes Reading Roster
date
newest »
newest »
4 Dec 2024 (Popsugar Challenge replaced)The 2024 Goodreads Choice awards winners have just been announced.
https://www.goodreads.com/choiceaward...
Only 1 of my picks won its category.
Half of my other picks came in 3rd or 4th, and the rest were in the top 10.
Which, out of 20 books in each category, is not too bad.
The first Yearly Challenge is the I Spy ChallengeI signed up for 12 books - out of 36 - so I am reading 1/3 of the prompts - although I might end up doing more.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Msg 35
The 2nd Yearly Challenge is the Shelf Awareness Challenge. I signed up for 6 books - Msg 18
I am going for the continents.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
January & February
Focus your reading on African authors and/ or settings. - I have 5 books about timbuktu - any one of those will be fine
March & April
Focus your reading on Oceanian authors and/ or settings. - Luminaries (NZ) or Facing Fear by Linda Blair - Aussie girl who sails solo around the Antarctica
May & June
Focus your reading on Asian authors and/ or settings. - Babel or Iron widow
July & August
Focus your reading on European authors and/ or settings. - Tom Felton Autobiography - UK - Growing up with the Harry Potter Movies.
September & October
Focus your reading on South American authors and/ or settings. - the hacienda by Lisa st Auban or any Isabel allende book (Chile)
November & December
Focus your reading on North American authors and/ or settings. - A women of intelligence - set in UN, NYC & DC (Also for I Spy challenge )
There are 2 other Yearly Challenges for 2025 that I plan on doing. A-Z: WOMEN AUTHORS: Read a book for each letter of the alphabet, using women authors’ first names, last names, or initials. Letter rip! (see below)
BOOKWORMS TAKE SHELFIES: Be shelfish about your reading by organizing your reading around these freshly updated virtual bookshelves. Take a shelfie!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Put me down for 8 books please.
I want to do ONE Author Shelf -
Kathleen O'Neal and W. Michael Gear.
I need to read some of their Forgotten Past series!!
People of the Silence - Chaco Canyon Empire - New Mexico
People of the Moon - Collapse of the Chaco Canyon Empire
People of the Canyons - Four Corners Area - South West
People of the Wolf (Book 1) - Crossing the Bering Sea Ice Bridge
People of the Fire (Book 2) - Climate Change - Warming up
People of the Earth (Book 3) - Plains & Basin
People of the Lakes - Great Lakes - Hopewell culture
People of the Song Trail - First Contact with the Vikings
My reading goal for 2025 is going to be 12 or 13 That covers 1 book per month or half the alphabet!!
I probably won't finish all the challenges, but if I can just read at least one book per month to get back into reading, that will be acceptable!!
And just to show how addicted I am, Here's another challenge I may or may not finish. Kayla's Buzzword Challenge for 2025 has just dropped.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6pwI...
Except this year (2025) there are 2 challenges - Words and Cover Images.
Below is the list
=============================================
1. "Truth" and "Lies"
JANUARY BUZZWORD
titles featuring "truth/true", or "lies, liar, lying."
2. Water related words
FEBRUARY BUZZWORD
examples: water, sea, river, lake, ocean.
3. "Thing"
MARCH BUZZWORD
titles that contain "thing." Includes words like "something, nothing, everything."
4. Animals
APRIL BUZZWORD
examples: elephant, bunny, snake, bird
5. "To" and "Too" (but NOT Two)
MAY BUZZWORD
instructional titles encouraged, for example: "how to ___" OR "guide to ___"
6. Memory related words
JUNE BUZZWORD
examples: memory, forget, remember, confuse, know
7. Titles featuring Punctuation
JULY BUZZWORD
titles featuring marks, such as period, comma, and parentheses, used in writing to separate sentences and their elements and to clarify meaning. ; , ) ! ? &
8. "With"
AUGUST BUZZWORD
titles containing the word "with"
The Girl WITH the Dragon Tattoo
9. Events
SEPTEMBER BUZZWORD
titles featuring a time-specific activity, for example: vacation, party, birthday, wedding, retreat, prom
10. Violent words
OCTOBER BUZZWORD
examples: kill, death, attack, villain, weapons, fight etc.
11. "Never"
NOVEMBER BUZZWORD
titles featuring the word "never."
12. Titles featuring Alliteration
DECEMBER BUZZWORD
titles that feature 2 or more words that begin with the same sound. examples: Gone Girl or Summer of Salt.
=========================================================
2025 BOOK COVER Challenge
STARTS: 01 Jan 2025
ENDS: 31 Dec 2025
This is a spinoff of the Buzzword Reading Challenge (which focuses on titles) but each month has a COVER element instead that you read to complete.
Here are links to download images to use in your instagram stories to track your progress: "coloured version" & "black and white version"
Challenge Prompts
1. Cover featuring a PATTERN
JANUARY COVER CHALLENGE
"a repeated decorative design."
2. Cover featuring a SKYLINE
FEBRUARY COVER CHALLENGE
"an outline of land and/or buildings defined against the sky."
BABEL - RF Kuang
3. Cover featuring BOOKS
MARCH COVER CHALLENGE
4. Cover featuring an ANIMAL
APRIL COVER CHALLENGE
5. Cover featuring EYES
MAY COVER CHALLENGE
ideally eyes being the central focus, but any eyes will do
Cassandra in Reverse or Yellowface
6. Cover featuring CELESTIAL OBJECTS
JUNE COVER CHALLENGE
examples: moons, suns, stars, planets, or anything observed by astronomy.
7. Cover featuring TECHNOLOGY
JULY COVER CHALLENGE
anything that requires or releases electricity to function. this includes items that can directly be plugged into a power source like phones, computers, headphones, lamps, cameras but also the items that require an electronic being used: lightbulbs, VHS tapes, vinyl records, film etc.
8. Cover featuring TRANSPORTATION
AUGUST COVER CHALLENGE
anything that gets you from one place to another.
Star Trek - TOS - All Our Yesterdays - A C Crispin - Horse & Rider on the Cover - DONE - My Review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
All Our Yesterdays
9. Cover featuring FOLIAGE
SEPTEMBER COVER CHALLENGE
a representation of leaves, flowers, and/or branches
Encyclopedia of Faeries
10. Cover featuring a WEAPON
OCTOBER COVER CHALLENGE
whatever you might consider a weapon: "a thing designed or used for infecting bodily harm or physical damage." examples: swords, knives, guns
11. Cover featuring FOOD and/or DRINK
NOVEMBER COVER CHALLENGE
My Review - DONE - 1 Jan 2025 - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Love and Saffron -
12. Cover featuring a MONOCHROMATIC colour scheme
DECEMBER COVER CHALLENGE
"containing or using only one color."
A Woman of Intelligence or Yellowface
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...The Womens Author challenge has just opened up
I set my goal for 13 books - half the alphabet - Msg 6
Below is my list of books for this challenge
A - Annie Tremmel Wilcox - A Degree of Mystery - DONE
B - Marie Benedict - The Personal Librarian or Barbara Kingsolver - Demon Copperhead
C - Mya-Rose Craig - The Bird Girl - or Carole Radizwill what remains - or Chantal Cleeton last train to key west
D - Dani Shapiro - Inheritance - DONE
F - Fiona Davis - The Lions of Fifth Avenue
G - Kathleen O'Neal Gear - any of her books
H - Holly Smale - Cassandra in reverse
I - Isabel Allende - any one of her books
J - Jodie Sweetin - Unsweetined
K - Kim Fay - Love and Saffron - DONE
M - Madeline Miller - Song of Achilles
R - Roxanne Snopek - The Ranchers Lost Bride - DONE
S - Dana Stabenow - A Cold Day for Murder - DONE
T - Karen Tanabe - A women in Intelligence
V - Shelby Van Pelt - Remarkably Bright Creatures
W - Wendy Leigh - The Secret Letters of Marilyn Monroe & Jackie kennedy (epistolary novel)
Z - Gabrielle Zevin - tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
26 December 2024I spent most of Xmas Day reading one book.
Loved it. Gave it 5 Stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
My end of year total is now 8 books.
My reading goal was 10 books for 2024.
If I can read maybe 2 more books in the next 5 days, I might be able to pull this off.
27 Dec 2024 I read a sappy romance book today just so I can reach my goal. I have 4 days left. and now I just need to read ONE more book.
This is my Review for the Pumpkin Spice Cafe.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
28 Dec 2024Yippee!!!
I finally finished the other book I have been reading off and on over the last 2 months. The Paris Bookseller.
All about Sylvia Beach and her bookshop, Shakespeare and Company located on the Left Bank in Paris.
The cover is gorgeous!! And below is my review. I gave it 5 Stars!!!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And I have completed my goal!!
Just under the wire, but I made it!!
I am so happy!
Especially after being in a reading slump for so long!!
Next years goal is to read 13 Books. I have several challenges that involve the Alphabet, and I have chosen to read at least HALF of the Alphabet in 2025!!
Just for the record. Below is a link to my 2024 Reading Nook.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I'm going to add another personal challenge. One that I did not complete this year (2024) Towards the end of 2023 we were invited to submit a theme for the year of 2024. I submitted a ROARING TWENTIES Theme, because I love that era and it was exactly 100 years ago.
Sadly my theme idea did not win the poll, so I thought I would do it for myself.
I have 12 Prompts and I plan to read at least one book set in that industry sector or location in the 1920s.
Below are the Prompts.
Writers
Fashion and Flappers,
The Mafia,
Prohibition,
Art Deco,
Paris in the 1920s,
Impressionist Art
Great World Fairs,
Suffragettes, Women
Silent Movies
Jazz Music
Libraries
These can be read in any order...
Libraries - Personal Librarian
Impressionist Art - The Van Gogh Woman OR Vincent & Theo OR The Secret Life of Sunflowers
Paris in the 1920s - Paris - Edward Rutherfurd
IN May I joined another group that does Personal Challenges and posted this challenge for me to do for myself.
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This is with the Reading Challenge group.
https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...
OH What the heck....https://buildyourlibrary.com/2025-bui...
Emily Cook has posted her annual BYL Challenge (BYL = Build Your Library)
I may not be able to do all of these prompts, but I can tick off any that I do read.
The theme for 2025 is - BANNED BOOKS
So Ulysses would be good for this!! (Before 1960)
It was banned in America for quite some time!!
Emily did not do a video for this. And I can see why.
With the theme being Banned books, some of these prompts may end up being a very narrow choice of books.
The List
Female author
LGBTQ+ protaganist (main character?)
Sapphic romance
Banned in your state (or country)
About immigration
About racism
About climate change
Fantasy
Trans author
Memoir
Indigenous author
Civil rights
Graphic novel
Suffrage
Topic important to the reader
About banned books
Non fiction
Disabled Protagonist
Chronic illness
Woman of colour
------------------------------
Reproductive rights
Set in the 1960s
Written before 1960
About Resistance
Dystopian
Lesser known history
About an inspiring person
Apocolyptic
About refugees
Written by Latin american author
Win an award
YA or middle grade
About witches - HP books
Woman ruler
About or set in a library
Written by a black author
In translation
Debunks a historical myth
Released in the last 5 years
On the Top 10 most challenged books list of 2024
=======================================
OK so Sources
Below is the WIKIPEDIA index page for Banned books
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_o...
These are the Most Commonly Banned books
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
The Top 10 Most challenged books for 2024 can be found on the ALA Website (American Librarian Association).
https://www.ala.org/bbooks
Right now the list is still holding 2023 Books - but I do have one book on the 2023 list I can read. It's called Gender Queer - also fits several other prompts as well.
I also picked up Chaz Bono's Memoir some time ago. I can read that as well.
Witches will of course be the Harry Potter Books. I am pretty sure they have all been banned at one point or another...
Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain - that will cover the Racism Prompt... (also before 1960 as well)
Animal Farm - Political & Communism
Anne Frank's diary - Discusses Puberty and Teenage Sexuality
Captain Underpants? Oh Goodie. That will fit the Graphic Novel prompt just fine. I have a whole shelf of these Books that I was reading to my son when he was in elementary school.
Catch 22 - Offensive Language
The Color Purple - Incest
Cujo was banned? Not that I'm going to read that book. The film scared the heck out of me, I aint touching the book!! LOL
Fahrenheit 451 - I guess I can read that one again - Political commentary
The Glass Castle - Memoir - have not read that one yet...
Gone with the Wind - slavery
Grapes of Wrath - Portrays Kern County, California in a Negative Manner. That's it? That was the only reason it was banned?
The Holy Bible. Now this one should be permanently banned, Who in the right mind CHOOSES to follow a god or deity who is jealous, angry, and who encourages slavery, rape, incest and homosexuality. A Deity who demands that his followers kill their children. NOT ME. That's for sure!!
Pretty much any book that teaches Sex education for teenagers and tweens, is on this list. How else are the kids going to learn if the parents wont teach them?
I know my parents did not teach me anything. I was not even given "the talk". When I was 10 I asked one question (what is "rooting?") and I was told by my parents that "we dont talk about that in this house." For the record rooting is an old word for sex. So everything I learned about sex came from romance books. How else was I going to learn? I do not recall seeing any sex education books on the library shelves in the 1970s.
I can read Lolita for being banned in Canada. (State/country) Have not read that one yet.
Date - 2 Jan 2025Time - 0400
I read Love and Saffron on my tablet, yesterday while I was in bed.
I have to wait until I am back at my desk to post my review!!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
This was a fast easy read. Took me just 2 hours. Lots of Name dropping. Including James Garner and Julia Child's famous book - Mastering the Art of French Cooking.
But then again, Joan does live in Los Angeles. So yes, she had access to Hollywood.
I gave this 5 stars.
Cannot wait for the sequel, Kate and Frida. Due out in March 2025.
Date - 2 Jan 2025 Time - 9.30 PM
Sequel to the book Yesterdays Son
Which is a sequel to the Star Trek (TOS) Episode - All Our Yesterdays
Season 3 Episode 23 - Episode 78/79 episodes before series was cancelled
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Our...
I gave this 4 stars - mostly because we do not get to see an HEA for Zar.
My Review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I read this for the Buzzword Challenge (Transportation Prompt) and for the I Spy Challenge - for the TIME Prompt!!
Date 7 Jan 2025 I have completed Book 1 in the The Bookish Cafe cozy mystery series.
Not part of any challenge right now.
I have several books open that I really need to finish before starting any new books.
My Review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Well I finished reading the 2nd book in this Harper Lin series. It was even worse than the first book.
Suffice to say I wont be reading any more.
I gave this one 2 stars.
See my Review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
8 Feb 20258.30 PM
And as always I just spent the last 4 weeks starting several books and not finishing them. Mostly because I get distracted. So now I am making a point of finishing them. I do want to be able to complete my goal.
Below is a link to my Review of The Last Bookseller - a Memoir by Gary Goodman.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
13 Feb 2025 Inheritance by Dani Shapiro.
This is a Memoir about Genetics and the author looking for her Biological Father. Review Linked below.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also added to the A-Z women authors challenge.
Still have not read anything new. Started several books, not finishing them. Mostly following the Politics in the USA - Canada 51st state & Tariffs. So FYI - I have exported my Books list to Storygraph. You can find me there as Robloz55. Am currently exploring & learning my way around and trying to find people I know. Mostly from Booktube (YT)
Ciao.
OK well I have found a new Detective series that looks pretty good. Book 1 - By Dana Stabenow
The Kate Shugak series - set in Alaska.
My Review is here.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Also posted to the A-Z Women Authors Challenge for the letter S.
You would not believe how many books I have started in the last 2 months, and not finished!!! Far too many. I finally managed to finished Penn Holderness' Book - ADHD is Awesome. Took me a few days, but if you read it as more of a memoir rather than a self help book, you might get through it more easily.
Also just remember that Penn has the Hyperactive variation of ADHD. NOT the Inattentive variation. Unless he is hyperfocusing on a specific project, he is always moving, talking, jumping around and losing things. He needs lots of check lists.
This is my Review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Managed to finish off a 2nd Book. So this is my 2nd review of the day. Beyond the Wand - by Tom Felton. AKA Draco Malfoy.
This is my review. I gave it 3 stars.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished off one book for May. A Degree Of Mystery. I gave it 4 Stars. Being a Memoir, and being mostly about a rather techical subject, it kind of really needed a Glossary.
That would have gotten the 5th star.
This is my review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
OK so For June 2025 I have 2 books that I really need to finish. I swear I have started these, but now I gotta finish them.
James - because it won the Pulitzer Fiction Prize in May 2025.
and
Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry - because this is the May Pick for Reese's Book Club in May 2025.
I still have not completed the 2 books mentioned above. I must work on that. But I did manage to finish a romance book today. I needed something light and fluffy to finally reach my goal for the year!!!
Any books I finish from today onwards will be a BONUS!!!
This is my review for the romance book I read.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
October. This is bad!! I read one book today - because it was short and a non-fiction. I usually do much better with non fiction books. Anyway this book I read was called - Channel of Peace - a true acount of being stranded in Newfoundland during and after the 9/11 attacks.
Below is my Review.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The 2026 Popsugar challenge has been released early. https://www.facebook.com/groups/42747...
They muttered something about giving us readers an extra month.
I have not been able to read anything for Non Fiction November. aaarrrrgh!!!!
2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Boys of Riverside: A Deaf Football Team and a Quest for Glory (other topics)Channel of Peace: Stranded in Gander on 9/11 (other topics)
The Red Door Inn (other topics)
Bloodier than Fiction (other topics)
A Book to Kill For (other topics)
More...
I have been following the Politics of the USA far too much.
I am very grateful that I dont live in the USA.
Ok I will try and do some yearly challenges - because those are less time dependent than the monthly or quarterly challenges.
3 Dec 2024
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...