2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

My place for keeping track of 2025 Reading Challenges/Buddy Reads

January Buddy Read - All That Remains

February Buddy Read - Cruel & Unusual

March Buddy Read - The Body Farm

April Buddy Read - From Potter's Field
April Buddy Read - Sunrise on the Reaping

May Buddy Read - Cause of Death
May Buddy Read - Little Women
May Buddy Read - Reluctant Immortals
May Buddy Read - Murder by Cheesecake
May Buddy Read - By Any Other Name

June Buddy Read - Unnatural Exposure
June Buddy Read - Hope Never Dies
June Buddy Read - The Bell Jar

July Buddy Read - Point of Origin
July Buddy Read - Hope Rides Again
July Buddy Read - The Poppy Fields ---Moved to August
July Buddy Read - The Paris Express

August Buddy Read - Black Notice
August Buddy Read - I Know This Much Is True
August Buddy Read - Feel the Bern
August Buddy Read - The Maid's Secret
August Buddy Read - The Word is Murder

September Buddy Read - The Last Precinct
September Buddy Read - Weyward
September Buddy Read - The Knight and the Moth
September Buddy Read - The Perfect Stranger
September Buddy Read - The Sentence is Death

October Buddy Read - Blow Fly
October Buddy Read - Sisters of the Lost Nation
October Buddy Read - The Ghostwriter
October Buddy Read - Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
October Buddy Read - A Line to Kill

November Buddy Read - Trace
November Buddy Read - The Blue Hour
November Buddy Read - The Grace Year
November Buddy Read - The Library
November Buddy Read - One of Us Is Lying
November Buddy Read - The Twist of a Knife

December Buddy Read - Predator
December Buddy Read - One of Us Is Next
December Buddy Read - The Mad Wife
December Buddy Read - Close to Death
December Buddy Read - Marley

Quarter 1: Sadness
EMBRACING THE BLUES (Message #66)
Duration: January 1, 2025 - March 31, 2025

(view spoiler)[Completed: 8/6 Message #66

Books with Blue Covers
(hide spoiler)]

Monthly Reads:
January: Cozy - The Spellshop
February: Time - One Hundred Years of Solitude
March: Food - The Midnight Feast
April: Games - Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (Already Read)
May: Mother - Little Fires Everywhere (Already Read)
June: Sisterhood - Little Women (Already Read)
July: Island - Great Big Beautiful Life
August: Sunflower - The Perks of Being a Wallflower
September: Whimsy - The House in the Cerulean Sea (Already Read)
October: Supersitition - Weyward (Already Read)
November: Pets - The Travelling Cat Chronicles
December: White - The Frozen River

Popsugar Challenge 2025 Message #27

Progress: 20/20
(view spoiler)[1. A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance Completed
2. A book you want to read based on the last sentence The Book Thief Completed
3. A book about space tourism Artemis
4. A book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title Book Lovers Completed
5. A book with a snake on the cover or in the title Galápagos
6. A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge - A book published in 2015 A Court of Thorns and Roses Completed
7. A book about a cult The Family Upstairs Completed
8. A book under 250 pages Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories Completed
9. A book that features a character going through menopause The Change
10. A book you got for free Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me
11. A book mentioned in another book The Diamond Eye Completed
12. A book about a road trip One Plus One Completed
13. A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads
14. A book about a nontraditional education Ninth House Completed
15. A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book - Behind Closed Doors Completed
16. A book set in or around a body of water The Wedding People Completed
17. A book about a run club
18. A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons Under the Whispering Door Completed
19. A highly anticipated read of 2025 Sunrise on the Reaping Completed
20. A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out) Prompt 18 - A book set in space - The Martian Completed
21. A book where the main character is a politician
22. A book about soccer
23. A book that is considered healing fiction
24. A book with a happily single woman protagonist
25. A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee The Book of Unknown Americans Completed
26. A book where an adult character changes careers
27. A book set at a luxury resort And Then There Were None
28. A book that features an unlikely friendship
29. A book about a food truck
30. A book that reminds you of your childhood
31. A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline High Fidelity
32. A book about an overlooked woman in history The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
33. A book featuring an activity on your bucket list
34. A book written by an author who is neurodivergent
35. A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out The Three Lives of Cate Kay Completed
36. A book with silver on the cover or in the title The Silver Star Completed
37. Two books with the same title (1)
38. Two books with the same title (2)
39. A classic you've never read - Little Women Completed
40. A book about chosen family

Advanced Prompts

Easy
41. A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile
42. A book with a title that starts with the letter Y You Completed
43. A book that includes a nonverbal character
44. A book you have always avoided reading

Medium
45. A book with a left-handed character
46. A book where nature is the antagonist
47. A book of interconnected short stories

Hard
48. A book that features a married couple who don't live together Jane Eyre
49. A dystopian book with a happy ending - Ready Player One Completed
50. A book that features a character with chronic pain Needful Things (hide spoiler)]

TBR JAR CHALLENGE Message #29

I will join for 16 random books chosen from my TBR list

Progress: 14/16

1. One Plus One - Jojo Moyes Completed
2. The Rosie Project - Graeme Simsion Completed
3. The Night We Lost Him - Laura Dave Completed
4. The Book of Unknown Americans - Cristina Henriquez Completed
5. Dear John - Nicholas Sparks Completed
6. One of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus Completed
7. The Walls Around Us - Nova Ren Suma
8. Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier Completed
9. The German Wife - Kelly Rimmer Completed
10. Blockade Billy - Stephen King Completed
11. Boy, Snow, Bird - Helen Oyeyemi Completed
12. I Know This Much Is True - Wally Lamb Completed
13. Anna Dressed in Blood - Kendare Blake
14. Eat, Pray, Love - Elizabeth Gilbert Completed
15. Resistance - Anita Shreve Completed
16. The Awakening - Kate Chopin Completed

A-Z Women Authors Message #12

Progress: 25/26

A. The Power - Naomi Alderman Completed
B. Summertime Punchline - Betty Corrello Completed
C. All That Remains - Patricia Cornwell Completed
D. The Spellshop - Sarah Beth Durst Completed
E. The Wedding People - Alison Espach Completed
F. The Crash - Freida McFadden Completed
G. Reluctant Immortals - Gwendolyn Kiste Completed
H. Ugly Love - Colleen Hoover Completed
I. So I Lied - Chelsea Ichaso
J. The Perfect Divorce - Jeneva Rose Completed
K. Christmas Shopaholic - Sophie Kinsella Completed
L. The Night We Lost Him - Laura Dave Completed
M. Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty Completed
N. Our Missing Hearts - Celeste Ng Completed
O. Before I Go - Colleen Oakley Completed
P. By Any Other Name - Jodi Picoult Completed
Q. The Diamond Eye - Julia Quinn Completed
R. One True Loves - Taylor Jenkins Reid Completed
S. Triptych - Karin Slaughter Completed
T. The Reformatory - Tanarive Due Completed
U. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 - Lisa Unger Completed
V. Blood on Her Tongue - Johanna van Veen Completed
W. The Silver Star - Jeannette Walls Completed
X. The Dragonian's Witch - Meg Xuemei X Completed
Y. A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara Completed
Z. Julie Chan Is Dead - Liann Zhang Completed

Serial Reader 2025 Challenge Message #24

Progress: 39/30

Series I want to continue

Kay Scarpetta Series by Patricia Cornwell
All That Remains - January Buddy Read Completed
Cruel & Unusual - February Buddy Read Completed
The Body Farm - March Buddy Read Completed
From Potter's Field - April Buddy Read Completed
Cause of Death - May Buddy Read Completed
Unnatural Exposure - June Buddy Read Completed
Point of Origin - July Buddy Read Completed
Black Notice - August Buddy Read Completed
The Last Precinct - Sept Buddy Read Completed
Blow Fly - October Buddy Read Completed
Trace - November Buddy Read Completed
Predator - December Buddy Read Completed

Series I want to complete

Dublin Murder Squad by Tara French
Broken Harbor Completed
The Secret Place
The Trespasser

Series I plan on starting

Will Trent Series by Karin Slaughter
Triptych Completed
Fractured Completed
Undone

Hannah Swenson Series by Joanne Fluke
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Completed
Strawberry Shortcake Murder Completed
Blueberry Muffin Murder Completed
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder Completed
Fudge Cupcake Murder Completed
Sugar Cookie Murder Completed
Peach Cobbler Murder Completed
Cherry Cheesecake Murder Completed
Key Lime Pie Murder Completed
Carrot Cake Murder

The Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros
Fourth Wing Completed
Iron Flame Completed
Onyx Storm Completed

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
A Court of Thorns and Roses Completed
A Court of Mist and Fury Completed
A Court of Wings and Ruin

Hawthorne & Horowitz Series by Anthony Horowitz
The Word is Murder Completed
The Sentence is Death Completed
A Line to Kill Completed
The Twist of a Knife Completed
Close to Death Completed

Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi
1. Shatter Me Completed
1.5 Destroy Me Completed
2. Unravel Me Completed
2.5 Fracture Me Completed
3. Ignite Me Completed

TBR Twins January Challenge

My January buddy is Tanu and we're reading The Reformatory

January Cozy Reads Message #18

Progress: 5/4

1. The Spellshop Completed
2. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder Completed
3. Strawberry Shortcake Murder Completed
4. Blueberry Muffin Murder Completed
5. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder Completed

Let's Turn Pages Message #59

Progress: 63,244/40,000 pages

January Pages: 5,540
(view spoiler)[The Spellshop 384 Done
Christmas Shopaholic 424 Done
The Reformatory 565 Done
All That Remains 373 Done
Triptych 393 Done
Cher: The Memoir, Part 1 413 Done
Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder 448 Done
Strawberry Shortcake Murder 320 Done
Blueberry Muffin Murder 328 Done
Ugly Love 320 Done
A Little Life 720 Done
Lemon Meringue Pie Murder 324 Done
Fourth Wing 528 Done (hide spoiler)]

February Pages: 6,721
(view spoiler)[Our Missing Hearts 335 Done
Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance 256 Done
The Crash 384 Done
Dear John 276 Done
One Hundred Years of Solitude 417 Done
The Bullet Swallower 272 Done
The Rosie Project 292 Done
The Rosie Effect 344 Done
The Wedding People 384 Done
Keep It in the Family 369 Done
Cruel & Unusual 273 Done
The Night We Lost Him 298 Done
Here One Moment 512 Done
Iron Flame 623 Done
Girl with a Pearl Earring 233 Done
Solenoid 840 Done
Book Lovers 373 Done
The Years 240 Done (hide spoiler)]

March Pages: 5,897
(view spoiler)[All That We Have Lost 416 Done
Breakable Things 250 Done
Fudge Cupcake Murder 313 Done
People We Meet on Vacation 361 Done
Sugar Cookie Murder 380 Done
Summertime Punchline 320 Done
Life of Pi (319) Done
Just for the Summer 432 Done
The Only One Left 383 Done
The Midnight Feast 354 Done
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 291 - DNF
Once There Were Wolves 258 Done
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires 404 Done
Peach Cobbler Murder 294 Done
The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom 256 Done
The Body Farm 351 Done
Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories 142 Done
The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us 288 Done
Under the Whispering Door 376 Done
(hide spoiler)]

April Pages: 7,141
(view spoiler)[The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes 528 Done
Sunrise on the Reaping 382 Done
How to Sell a Haunted House 413 Done
Onyx Storm 527 Done
From Potter's Field 383 Done
Ready Player One 480 Done
The Book Thief 550 Done
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store 385 Done
The Perfect Divorce 288 Done
Emma of 83rd Street 383 Done
A Court of Thorns and Roses 419 Done
The Diamond Eye 435 Done
The Power 341 Done
Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 384 Done
Sweet Water 285 Done
The Book of Unknown Americans 286 Done
Drowning Ruth 368 Done
Beautiful Ugly 304 Done (hide spoiler)]

May Pages: 7,682
(view spoiler)[One True Loves 331 Done
A Court of Mist and Fury 626 Done
Before I Go 309 Done
The Silver Star 267 Done
Cause of Death 340 Done
Corrections in Ink: A Memoir 336 Done
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder 390 Done
Little Women 816 Done
Reluctant Immortals 307 Done
White Oleander 390 Done
Memory Slips: A Memoir of Music and Healing 240 Done
Night 120 Done
Last Twilight in Paris 336 Done
Murder on the Red River 199 Done
The Tenant 368 Done
The Family Upstairs 352 Done
Murder by Cheesecake 336 Done
By Any Other Name 525 Done
Now My Heart is Full: A Memoir 272 Done
Mercy 400 Done
Charlie, Presumed Dead 272 Done
Things We Never Got Over 550 Done (hide spoiler)]

June Pages: 6,182
(view spoiler)[Unnatural Exposure 370 Done
The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits 384 Done
We All Live Here 450 Done
Pride and Prejudice 400 Done
Three Days in June 165 Done
Funny Story 400 Done
Rush 416 Done
Hope Never Dies 301 Done
Summer Sisters 399 Done
Broken Country 330 Done
The Bell Jar 264 Done
Blood on Her Tongue 353 Done
Behind Her Eyes 307 Done
The Three Lives of Cate Kay 294 Done
Wild Dark Shore 302 Done
Look Me in the Eye 302 Done
Julie Chan Is Dead 311 Done
The Favorites 434 Done (hide spoiler)]

July Pages: 6,953
(view spoiler)[Point of Origin 440 Done
The Paris Express 288 Done
The House of Eve 384 Done
The God of the Woods 476 Done
One Last Stop 418 Done
One Plus One 368 Done
Project Hail Mary 476 Done
Of Mice and Men 107 Done
Peter Pan 155 Done
Raven Black 384 Done
A Wrinkle in Time 218 Done
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz 154 Done
The Light Between Oceans 362 Done
Fahrenheit 451 237 Done
1984 368 Done
The Joy Luck Club 288 Done
Hope Rides Again 288 Done
Eye of the Needle 368 Done
The Guest List 330 Done
Beauty Queens 396 Done
The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy 448 Done (hide spoiler)]

August Pages: 8,480
(view spoiler)[Great Big Beautiful Life 416 Done
Black Notice 441 Done
The Word is Murder 400 Done
The Perks of Being a Wallflower 218 Done
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers 339 Done
The House in the Cerulean Sea 398 Done
The Poppy Fields 304 Done
You 464 Done
Intermezzo 454 Done
The Pull of the Stars 296 Done
Watching You 320 Done
The Hunting Wives 356 Done
Fractured 388 Done
The Dragonian's Witch 268 Done
The Maid's Secret 336pgs Done
The Alice Network 503 Done
Carrie Soto Is Back 384 Done
The Long Walk 370 Done
Feel the Bern 256 Done
Girl in the Blue Coat 301 Done
What Does It Feel Like? 133 Done
James 303 Done
Homeseeking 512 Done
The Surrogate Mother 320 Done (hide spoiler)]

September Pages: 7,924
(view spoiler)[I Know This Much Is True 897 Done
Deep Cuts 277 Done
The Last Precinct 565 Done
The Knight and the Moth 400 Done
Eat, Pray, Love 368 Done
The Sentence is Death 384 Done
The September House 352 Done
You Shouldn't Have Come Here 292 Done
Weyward 392 Done
Falling Like Leaves 352 Done
Blockade Billy 112 Done
The Martian 384 Done
The Perfect Stranger 339 Done
Party Girl 320 Done
When Life Gives You Lululemons 343 Done
Things We Hide from the Light 574 Done
The Salt Grows Heavy 106 Done
Cherry Cheesecake Murder 352 Done
The Enchanted Greenhouse 375 Done
The Fall Risk 81 Done
After I Do 352 Done
The Berry Pickers 307 Done (hide spoiler)]

October Pages: 8,650
(view spoiler)[The Haunting of Hill House 182 Done
A Line to Kill 375 Done
Behind Closed Doors 293 Done
The Corrections 568 Done
Blow Fly 467 Done
Things You Won't Say 352 Done
The German Wife 448 Done
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy 262 Done
The Giver 208 Done
Ninth House 461 Done
Maybe in Another Life 342 Done
Key Lime Pie Murder 342 Done
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls 482 Done
Southbound 480 Done
Sisters of the Lost Nation 338 Done
Boy, Snow, Bird 308 Done
Baby Teeth 304 Done
Dragonsong 192 Done
Shatter Me 338 Done
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue 448 Done
The Pumpkin Spice Café 384 Done
The Stepford Wives 144 Done
Steve Jobs 630 Done
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex 302 Done (hide spoiler)]

November and December pages

Yearly Goal - 150 books
150 books .... Changing to 150

Progress: 244/150

First 100 books read in 2025
(view spoiler)[1. The Spellshop
2. Christmas Shopaholic
3. All That Remains
4. Triptych
5. Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
6. Cher: The Memoir, Part 1
7. Strawberry Shortcake Murder
8. The Reformatory
9. Blueberry Muffin Murder
10. Ugly LoveDear John
11. A Little Life
12. Lemon Meringue Pie Murder
13. Fourth Wing
14. Our Missing Hearts
15. The Crash
16. Courage to Soar: A Body in Motion, a Life in Balance
17. Dear John
18. The Rosie Project
19. The Bullet Swallower
20. One Hundred Years of Solitude
21. The Rosie Effect
22. Keep It in the Family
23. Cruel & Unusual
24. The Wedding People
25. The Night We Lost Him
26. Here One Moment
27. Iron Flame
28. Girl with a Pearl Earring
29. Solenoid
30. Book Lovers
31. The Years
32. All That We Have Lost
33. Breakable Things
34. Fudge Cupcake Murder
35. People We Meet on Vacation
36. Sugar Cookie Murder
37. Summertime Punchline
38. Life of Pi
39. Just for the Summer
40. The Only One Left
41. The Midnight Feast
42. Once There Were Wolves
43. Peach Cobbler Murder
44. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
45. The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom
46. The Body Farm
47. Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Three Stories
48. The Genius of Judy: How Judy Blume Rewrote Childhood for All of Us
49. Under the Whispering Door
50. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes
51. Sunrise on the Reaping
52. How to Sell a Haunted House
53. Onyx Storm
54. From Potter's Field
55. Ready Player One
56. The Book Thief
57. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
58. The Diamond Eye
59. Emma of 83rd Street
60. A Court of Thorns and Roses
61. The Diamond Eye
62. The Power
63. Close Your Eyes and Count to 10
64. Sweet Water
65. The Book of Unknown Americans
66. Drowning Ruth
67. Beautiful Ugly
68. One True Loves
69. A Court of Mist and Fury
70. Before I Go
71. The Silver Star
72. Cause of Death
73. Corrections in Ink: A Memoir
74. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder
75. Little Women
76. Reluctant Immortals
77. White Oleander
78. Night
79. Memory Slips: A Memoir of Music and Healing
80. Last Twilight in Paris
81. Murder on the Red River
82. The Tenant
83. The Family Upstairs
84. Murder by Cheesecake
85. By Any Other Name
86. Now My Heart is Full: A Memoir
87. Mercy
88. Charlie, Presumed Dead
89. Things We Never Got Over
90. Unnatural Exposure
91. The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits
92. We All Live Here
93. Pride and Prejudice
94. Three Days in June
95. Funny Story
96. Rush
97. Hope Never Dies
98. Summer Sisters
99. Broken Country
100. The Bell Jar (hide spoiler)]
Books 101-200 read in 2025
(view spoiler)[101. Blood on Her Tongue
102. Behind Her Eyes
103. The Three Lives of Cate Kay
104. Wild Dark Shore
105. Look Me in the Eye
106. Julie Chan Is Dead
107. The Favorites
108. Point of Origin
109. The Paris Express
110. The House of Eve
111. The God of the Woods
112. One Last Stop
113. One Plus One
114. Of Mice and Men
115. Project Hail Mary
116. Peter Pan
117. Raven Black
118. A Wrinkle in Time
119. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
120. The Light Between Oceans
121. Fahrenheit 451
122. 1984
123. The Joy Luck Club
124. Hope Rides Again
125. Eye of the Needle
126. The Guest List
127. Beauty Queens
128. The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy
129. Great Big Beautiful Life
130. Black Notice
131. The Word is Murder
132. The Perks of Being a Wallflower
133. Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers
134. The House in the Cerulean Sea
135. You
136. The Poppy Fields
137. Intermezzo
138. The Pull of the Stars
139. Watching You
140. The Hunting Wives
141. Fractured
142. The Dragonian's Witch
143. The Maid's Secret
144. The Alice Network
145. Carrie Soto Is Back
146. The Long Walk
147. Feel the Bern
148. Girl in the Blue Coat
149. What Does It Feel Like?
150. James
151. Homeseeking
152. The Surrogate Mother
153. I Know This Much Is True
154. Deep Cuts
155. The Last Precinct
156. The Knight and the Moth
157. Eat, Pray, Love
158. The Sentence is Death
159. The September House
160. You Shouldn't Have Come Here
161. Weyward
162. Falling Like Leaves
163. Blockade Billy
164. The Martian
165. The Perfect Stranger
166. Party Girl
167. When Life Gives You Lululemons
168. Things We Hide from the Light
169. The Salt Grows Heavy
170. Cherry Cheesecake Murder
171. The Fall Risk
172. The Enchanted Greenhouse
173. After I Do
174. The Berry Pickers
175. The Haunting of Hill House
176. A Line to Kill
177. Behind Closed Doors
178. The Corrections
179. Blow Fly
180. Things You Won't Say
181. The German Wife
182. The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
183. The Giver
184. Ninth House
185. Maybe in Another Life
186. Key Lime Pie Murder
187. Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
188. Southbound
189. Sisters of the Lost Nation
190. Boy, Snow, Bird
191. Baby Teeth
192. Dragonsong
193. Shatter Me
194. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue
195. The Pumpkin Spice Café
196. The Stepford Wives
197. Steve Jobs
198. In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
199. The Ghostwriter
200. The Coworker (hide spoiler)]
201. Destroy Me
202. Lucky Man
203. The Twist of a Knife
204. The Ministry of Time
205. Unravel Me
206. Trace
207. Fracture Me
208. The Haunting of Maddy Clare
209. Cat’s Cradle
210. The Travelling Cat Chronicles
211. The Genius of Birds
212. The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective
213. What Happens in Amsterdam
214. The Blue Hour
215. End of Story
216. The Library
217. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone
218. One of Us Is Lying
219. The Art of Racing in the Rain
220. The Last Anniversary
221. The Awakening
222. The Grace Year
223. Atmosphere
224. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream
225. Resistance
226. A Christmas Carol
227. Marley
228. The Hunting Party
229. The Stranger
230. The Mad Wife
231. The Nightmare Before Kissmas
232. The Frozen River
233. Broken Harbor
234. Lust & Wonder
235. Close to Death
236. Imperial Bedrooms
237. The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
238. Ignite Me
239. The Snow Child
240. Predator
241. The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays
242. Forget Me Not
243. The Girl You Know
244. Horrorstör

February Time Warp Message #16

Progress: 2/2

This challenge is based on the song and dance from the cult classic musical, Rocky Horror Picture Show. Follow the lyrics and prompts below; or, if you prefer, travel through time doing your own 'time warp' by reading books from different centuries or decades. Let's do the time warp again!
3.
Let's do the Time Warp again
It's just a jump to the left
And then a step to the right
Put your hands on your hips
You bring your knees in tight
Read a book featuring sports or dance, or with a body part on its cover.
Completed on 2/5/25

4.
But it's the pelvic thrust
That really drives you insane
Let's do the Time Warp again
Let's do the Time Warp again
Read a romance or erotica book, or a book that changes your perspective.
Completed on 2/6/25

RACING THROUGH TIME
Duration: February 1 - February 28, 2025 Message #13

Step into the past, present, and future with this challenge all about time. This open challenge invites you to find books with "time" or related words/expressions in the title or books featuring any kind of timepiece on the cover. After all, “Every second tells a story.”

Progress: 3/3



Finished - One Hundred Years of Solitude, The Night We Lost Him, Here One Moment

Completed challenge on 2/21/25

February TBR Twins Challenge

My buddy, Jenny and I are reading The Bullet Swallower

Feb 21 - Mar 2 Readathon

(view spoiler)[Blue Ribbon Readers

Here are the books I've chosen to read

Warwick Prize for Women in Translation
- Finished 2/27/25

Goodreads Choice Award
- Finished 2/27/25

Braum Stoker Award
- Finished 3/2/25

Dublin Literary Award
- Finished 2/26/25

RNA Award
- Finished 3/1/25 (hide spoiler)]

GASTRONOMICAL READS
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2025 Message #7

Progress: 4/4

🍳 1. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, tea or supper?
Read a book with any of the above meal terms in the title.
- Finished 3/26/25

🥫 2. Acquired taste
Read a book from an author, genre, or series that you didn’t initially like, but now enjoy.
- Finished 3/12/25

🥮 9. Celebrate
Read a book with a banquet, festival or similar celebration involving food.
- Finished 3/15/25

🍕 10. Feast for the eyes
Read a book with a food or beverage on the cover or in the title.
- Finished 3/20/25

READING PICNIC
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2025

Message #6

Pack your basket and blanket—it’s time for a Reading Picnic! This challenge invites you to explore books featuring food in the title or on the cover that represent delicious treats you’d bring to a picnic. Whether it’s a cozy mystery with cupcakes or a novel about wine and cheese, let’s feast on literary delights together. A picnic isn’t complete without a book!

Progress: 5/5 Completed 3/19/25


Completed: Fudge Cupcake Murder, Sugar Cookie Murder, Summertime Punchline, Life of Pi, Peach Cobbler Murder

March TBR Twins

Nika and I are reading The Only One Left

Quarter 2: Joy - A POP OF JOY Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2025

Progress: 6/5 Message #4

(view spoiler)[-Spark Joy ( Read a book that has been on your TBR for over 2 years)
-Joy (Read a book with 'yellow' in the title or with a yellow cover)
-Joy Ride Read a book with less than 120 pages, so you can zip through
-Joy of Missing Out (Read a book with less than 500 reviews on Goodreads)

Finished Sweet Water (4/25), Before I Go (5/6), Corrections in Ink (5/9), Memory Slips (5/16), Night (5/16), Broken Country (6/20)

A RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS - Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2025

Progress: 10/8 Message #5

A dash of delight, a sprinkle of smiles, and a heaping spoonful of your favorite reads—mix them all together, and you have the perfect recipe for happiness! This open prompt challenge is all about embracing what makes you happy as a reader.

You will need:

* A cupful of your favourite genre –
* A spoonful of your favourite author –
* A pinch of an anticipated new release –
* A drop of a long unread book from your TBR pile – , ,
*And the cherry on top: Book(s) with a pretty cover –

Finished Sunrise on the Reaping (4/3), Onyx Storm (4/9), From Potter's Field (4/9), The Book Thief (4/13), The Perfect Divorce (4/17), The Book of Unknown Americans (4/27), Drowning Ruth (4/29), Beautiful Ugly (4/30), By Any Other Name (5/22) (hide spoiler)]

BOOK SCRABBLE!
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2025

Love word games? Then this open challenge is for you! Your goal is to spell out one or more game-related words, such as RUMMY, SCRABBLE, or KNIGHT You may use the first letter of one main word from each book title (omitting a, an, the, etc.). The longer your word(s), the more challenging it becomes!

Progress: 5/5 Message #5

C - Close Your Eyes and Count to 10 - Lisa Unger Finished 4/24/25
H - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - James McBride Finished 4/15/25
E - Emma of 83rd Street - Audrey Bellezza Finished 4/18/25
S - Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins - Finished 4/3/25
S - Sweet Water - Christina Baker Kline - Finished 4/25/25

CHILD'S PLAY
Duration: April 1 - April 30, 2025

Progress: 5/5 Message #5

1. Red Rover - Read a book with a red cover, with alliteration in the title, or about someone changing sides or perspectives.
- Finished 4/12/25
3. Freeze Tag - Read a book with a hand in the cover art, set in a cold environment, or involving a runner.
Finished 4/24/25
4. Capture the Flag - Read a book set in a country other than yours, with a character who has been incarcerated, or set during a war.
Finished 4/23/25
6. Ring Around the Rosie - Read a book with a flower or circle on the cover, including illness or death, or with the letters R-I-N-G in the title.
Finished 4/29/25
7. Follow the Leader - Read the next book in a series, a book by a bestselling author, or friend's recommendation.
- Finished 4/9/25

April TBR Twin Challenge is Catrin and we're reading The Book Thief

THE SWEETEST GIFT
Duration: May 1 – May 31, 2025

This month, we honor mothers and their unwavering love through a challenge inspired by the heartfelt song "The Sweetest Gift." Originally written in 1942 and later recorded by Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris in the 1970s, this song tells the touching story of a mother visiting her son in prison, offering him the only thing she could—a smile full of unconditional love.

Message #4 - Progress: 5/5

1. Read a book about an incarcerated mother, or about an errant child of any age who brings heartbreak. - White Oleander - Janet Fitch Finished 5/15/25

3. Read a book involving any aspect of parole, or involving pardon from guilt. - Corrections in Ink: A Memoir - Keri Blakinger Finished 5/9/25

4. Read a book with "silver" in the title, or with something silver on the cover. - The Silver Star - Jeanette Walls Finished 5/7/25

6. Read a book with any form of "smile" in the title, or with a smiling woman on the cover. - Murder by Cheesecake - Rachel Ekstrom Courage Finished 5/22/25

8. Read a book exploring memories of a mother, or about the loss of a mother. - Now My Heart is Full: A Memoir - Laura June Finished 5/26/25

MOTHERS & OTHERS
Duration: May 1 - May 31, 2025

Most Mother's Day celebrations around the world occur in May, so we are focusing on these special women and others. In this open challenge, we honor all mothers, mums, and mamas -- biological, foster, and adoptive -- as well as step-mothers, aunts, and grandmothers who often serve in a mother-like role. Whether your own mother is living or not, whether you yourself are a mother or not, Mother's Day is the perfect time to remember the women in our lives who give life and love.

Message #3 Progress: 7/6

1. Find Mother's Day gifts in the cover art of your May reads.


Books Read: One True Loves (5/3), Before I Go (5/6), The Family Upstairs (5/19), By Any Other Name (5/22), Mercy (5/27), Charlie, Presumed Dead (5/31), Thing We Never Got Over (5/31)

May TBR Buddy is Madeline and we're reading A Good Girl's Guide to Murder

DAILY TRACKING AND DISCUSSION
2025 Continents/Heritage: Individual Readathon
Duration: May 16 to May 18, 2025

Message #9 .... Progress: 5/4

(view spoiler)[Friday, May 16: Night, Last Twilight in Paris, Memory Slips: A Memoir of Music and Healing
Books read: 2
Pages read: 100
Hours listened: 11
Prompts completed: 1, 2, 3

Saturday, May 17: Last Twilight in Paris Murder on the Red River
Books read: 1
Pages read: 92
Hours listened: 3.5
Prompts completed: 2, 5

Sunday, May 18: Murder on the Red River The Family Upstairs The Tenant
Books read: 2
Pages read: 370
Hours listened: 2
Prompts completed: 5, 2, 1

Totals:
Books read: 5
Pages read: 562
Hours listened: 16.5
Prompts completed: Completed two books I had in progress on TBR (Memory Slips: A Memoir of Music and Healing and The Tenant). One book by an author from a continent that I do not live in (Night). Two books read that took place on a different continent than me Last Twilight in Paris, The Family Upstairs (75% completed). One book with characters who have a different heritage from me (Murder on the Red River) (hide spoiler)]

THE TIES THAT BIND
Duration: June 1 – June 30, 2025

Progress: 3/3 Message #10

Celebrate the bonds of sisterhood this June—whether by blood, by choice, or by circumstance. From supportive siblings to soul sisters, this challenge honors the unique relationships between women who stand by one another through life’s joys and challenges.

1. Read a book featuring biological sisters or siblings as main characters. - Pride and Prejuidce - Jane Austen - Finished 6/12/25

4. Read a book with "sister," "sis," or a synonym in the title. - Summer Sisters Finished 6/19/25

7. Read a book set in a sorority, convent, or other all-female communal space. Rush Finished 6/17/25

SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING BOOKS
Duration: June 1 - June 30, 2025

Progress: 6/8 Message #5

For the theme of Sisterhood, this open challenge is inspired by the young adult novel, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and will allow readers to travel through the pages of books that are related to each other. Let's put on our traveling pants and book a trip!

Will begin my journey reading 👖The Griffin Sisters' Greatest Hits - Jennifer Weiner, using the books GoodReads page to continue my journey with what "Readers Enjoyed" from the prior books Goodreads page...
👖We All Live Here
👖Three Days in June
👖Broken Country
👖Wild Dark Shore
👖The Favorites
First-Time Caller
Say You'll Remember Me

🔹 Begin your trip by reading a book that involves sisters or sisterhood (biological, adoptive, sorority, etc.).
🔹 Visit its Goodreads page and choose your next read from one of its Genres, or from the Readers Also Enjoyed area. (See note below.)
🔹 Continue toward your goal using one of the travel styles below, repeating until you reach your destination.

Staycation Style: Each book is selected from the starting book's page in day trip or weekender fashion.
Road Trip Style: Each book is selected from the prior book's page in a linear or cross-country fashion.

Finished Reading:

June TBR Buddy is C-Line, but she hasn't responded. Arijana and I are buddying up to read Funny Story. C-Line got back to me and we're reading Look Me in the Eye

Quarter 3: Anger
RAGE ON THE PAGE
Duration: July 1 - September 30, 2025

Progress: 10/6

For this open-ended quarterly challenge, we are focused on the theme of Anger.
▪ Read books about handling anger -- seeking revenge, controlling anger, compromising, etc. - I Know This Much Is True (full of controlling anger) - 9/4/25
The Hunting Wives - wrongly accused of murder - 8/15/25
▪ Read books with titles containing rage, anger, annoyance, or similar words
▪ Read books with covers in shades of red


The Paris Express - 7/4, Great Big Beautiful Life - 8/1, Fractured 8/17, Deep Cuts - 9/6, The Sentence is Death - 9/11, The September House - 9/14, When Life Gives You Lululemons - 9/23, The Salt Grows Heavy, 9/25

RECREATIONAL ANGER
Duration: July 1 - September 30, 2025

Progress: 9/9

2. The Upside of Anger, 2005 - This family drama involves a woman whose husband has disappeared, their four daughters, and a romance with a neighbor.
Read a romance, a book involving a disappearance, or a book with a sibling group. - One Plus One (romance) - Finished 7/13/25

3. To Sleep with Anger, 1990 - Danny Glover stars as an evil but charming drifter, who visits an old acquaintance, and brings trouble to a his family.
Read a book by a BIPOC author, a book published in the 1990’s, or a book with a manipulative character. - I Know This Much Is True (Published in the 90s) - Finished 9/4/25

4. Day of Anger, 1967 - In this violent spaghetti western, a garbage boy becomes the pupil of a violent gunfighter.
Read a book set in Southern Europe, with a weapon on the cover, or about a teacher-pupil relationship. - Eye of the Needle Finished 7/26/25

5. Look Back in Anger, 1959 - Originally a UK stage play, this film tells of a disillusioned university graduate with a grudge against middle-class values.
Read a book published in the 1950’s, a play, or a book that’s been adapted to or from another medium. - Fahrenheit 451 (Published in the 50s) Finished 7/23/25

6. Praying with Anger, 1992 - In M. Night Shyamalan’s first film, we meet an Americanized teenager of East Indian heritage who is sent back to India, where he discovers his roots.
Read a book by an Asian author, one that explores religion or spirituality, or an author’s debut novel. - The Joy Luck Club - Finished 7/25/25

8. Halls of Anger, 1970 - During desegregation, students at an all-black inner city school are opposed to having white kids transferred in, and a tough black teacher is brought in to assist.
Read a book involving race relations, a book set in a school, or a historical fiction novel. - The House of Eve (historical fiction) - Finished 7/7/25

10. Anger, 2024 - This Italian action film involves a gambling addiction, illegal drugs, and undercover police work.
Read a new release, a book involving an addiction, or a crime novel. The Idaho Four: An American Tragedy - Finished 7/31/25

13. Absolute Anger, 2023 - In this Canadian psychological noir thriller, a detective tries to solve a series of murders amidst a cat-and-mouse game with the killer.
Read a psychological thriller, a book by a Canadian author, or a detective novel. - You (psychological thriller) Finished 8/9/25

15. Queen Bee's Anger, 1958 - This Japanese crime film was released in 1958.
Read a book set in Asia, involving royalty, or with an insect on the cover. - Beautiful Disaster (insect on the cover)

17. Anger of the Dead, 2015 - This horror film features a pregnant woman struggling to survive in a world where a virus is creating zombies.
Read a horror novel, a survival/adventure story, or a book with a pregnant main character. - The Long Walk (Horror) Finished 8/22/25

18. Mad Max, 1979 - The first film in the Mad Max franchise, this post apocalyptic movie involves an Australian policeman trying to stop a violent motorcycle gang.
Read a dystopian book, a book set in Australia, or a book that’s the first in a series. - One of Us Is Lying (first in a series)

Read:

HOW ARE YOU GETTING THERE?
Duration: July 1 - July 31, 2025

Progress: 5/5

Planes, trains, boats, and beyond—this month, we’re traveling in style! Inspired by Goodreads' “ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!” summer reading guide, this open-ended challenge invites you to explore books where how you get there is just as important as where you’re going. You are not limited to the books in the Goodreads list—let it serve as inspiration, not a restriction. Any book featuring travel, a journey, or a notable mode of transportation counts. Whether the story unfolds on the open sea, across scenic railways, or through the skies, let the way characters move shape your reading adventure.

All aboard the July reading adventure—your ticket is your TBR!



Finished reading The Paris Express (7/4) (Train), The God of the Woods (7/9) (Summer Camp), One Last Stop (7/10) (Train), One Plus One (7/13) (Car), Project Hail Mary (7/17) (Space)

TREASURE ISLAND
Duration: July 1 - July 31, 2025

Progress: 4/5

Embark on a literary adventure across the seven seas and hidden isles! In this challenge you might read books that feature treasure hunts, pirate tales, island getaways, or stories of mythical riches. Discover hidden treasures within the pages of your favorite books and chart your course to reading glory!

1. Spanish Doubloons: Read a book with gold or silver in the title or on the cover. Raven Black - Completed 7/19/25

5. Exotic Getaway: Read a book set on an island. The Guest List - Completed 7/28/25

6. Survival Story: Read a book about characters stranded on an island. Beauty Queens - Completed 7/30/25

9. Mythical Isles: Read a book featuring mythical islands or a magical realism book set on an island. The House in the Cerulean Sea

10. Treasured Past: Read a historical fiction book set on an island. The Light Between Oceans - Completed 7/22/25

My July TBR Twin is Amitha and we're reading The House of Eve

2025 Summer Readathon: Through the Decades Team Readathon
Duration: July 18th-27th

My Tracking

(view spoiler)[Started Raven Black yesterday. On page 46 when the Readathon began

Day 1 (7/18) Reading: Raven Black, Peter Pan, A Wrinkle in Time
Day 2 (7/19) Reading: Raven Black, A Wrinkle in Time
Day 3 (7/20) Reading: A Wrinkle in Time, The Light Between Oceans, 1984
Day 4 (7/21) Reading: The Light Between Oceans, 1984, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
Day 5 (7/22) Reading: The Light Between Oceans, 1984
Day 6 (7/23) Reading: 1984, Fahrenheit 451
Day 7 (7/24) Reading: 1984, The Joy Luck Club, Eye of the Needle
Day 8 (7/25) Reading: The Joy Luck Club, Eye of the Needle
Day 9 (7/26) Reading: Eye of the Needle, The Guest List
Day 10 (7/27) Reading: The Guest List

Singles:
Read a book published in the year or decade you were born - Eye of the Needle (pub 1978) Finished

Doubles:
Read 2 books with a year or date in the title. - 1984 Finished
Read 2 books with a unit of time in the title - A Wrinkle in Time Finished
Read 2 books published or set in the 1900s - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (pub 1900) Finished
Read 2 books published or set in the 1910s - Peter Pan (pub 1911) Finished
Read 2 books with an older adult main character - The Joy Luck Club Finished
Read 3 books published or set in the 1950s - Fahrenheit 451 (pub 1953) Finished

Triples:
Read 3 books published or set in the 2000s - Raven Black (pub 2006) Finished
Read 3 books published or set in the 2010s. - The Light Between Oceans (pub 2012) Finished

Bonus - Only if all other prompts are completed...
Read a book published or set in the 2020s - The Guest List (pub 2020) - Finished 190 pgs

Other Completed Books:
Hope Rides Again (hide spoiler)]

I SPY CHALLENGE

Duration: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 30/30 (Signed up June 23 to read 30 books for the remainder of the year) (Message #533)

1. In your heart - happy, love, shame - (Happiness)
2. In the color wheel - crimson, green, sunshine - (Yellow)
3. In the living room - sofa, television, laptop - (Window Blinds)
4. In autumn - leaf, pumpkin, Halloween ( Autumn Leaves)
5. In a cave - crystal, bat, spider
6. Of the body - arm, heart, eye (Eyes, Nose)
7. At the amusement park - rollercoaster, balloons, clown
8. On the table - napkin, hamburger, lamp (knife)
9. On the farm - hay, tractor, sheep
10. In the church - angel, pew, candle
11. In communication - phone, typewriter, letter (typed pages)
12. In the toy box - jacks, blocks, stuffed animal (Chess)
13. On the beach - sea, umbrella, towel (Waves)
14. In the library - book, video game, record - (book)
15. In celebration - balloons, fireworks, cake - (Balloons)
16. At the zoo - bear, snake, elephant (Lion) (Snake)
17. In the garden - vine, rose, tree (Trees) (Tuplips)
18. In a glass - wine, milk, water
19. At the ballpark - ball, hot dog, hat
20. In the castle - throne, princess, crown
21. In the hospital - doctor, needle, patient
22. In fiction - dragon, satyr, fairy - (Diviner)
23. In your free time - puzzle, sewing machine, stamps
24. In school - book, locker, pencil
25. At the museum - art, statue, dinosaur
26. In the closet - jacket, scarf, vacuum - (suitcase)
27. At the police station - detective, case, cell - (Hand Gun)
28. In the family - brother, dad, aunt - (Twin Brothers)
29. In the city - people, street light, school - (Subway)
30. In time - hour, year, later - (Clock)
31. Under the sea - fish, seaweed, coral - (Ocean)
32. In the sky - bird, kite, cloud - (Sky, Clouds, Bird)
33. In the armory - gun, sword, helmet - (Stiletto)
34. In space - star, asteroid, alien - (Astronaut) (stars)
35. In the world - Canada, Asia, Atlanta - (Hiking the A.T.)
36. In music - cello, notes, melody

Van Gogh For It!
Duration: August 1 - August 31, 2025

Progress: 5/4

📚🌻3. France: Read a translated French classic, a book set in France, or one with French culture words in the title like bread, wine, bakery, Paris, etc. - The Alice Network Finished 8/21/25

📚🌻4. Yellow: Read a book with a yellow cover, with art tools in the cover art, or about character who is a visual artist.
- Finished 8/19/25

📚🌻5. Netherlands: Read a book by a Dutch author, one set in Netherlands, or with iconic Dutch elements on the cover like canals, tulips, windmills, cheese, etc. - Girl in the Blue Coat Finished 8/24/25

📚🌻7. Starry Night: Read a book with a dark cover, with celestial motifs in the cover art, or from the dark academia, fantasy or mystery genres. -The Pull of the Stars Finished 8/14/25

📚🌻10. 10. V-I-N-C-E-N-T-V-A-N-G-O-G-H: Read a book that has 5 or more letters from the artist's name in the title, with a name in the title, or one written by an author named Vincent, Vince, Vinnie, etc. - Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers - Finished 8/7/25

HERE COMES THE SUN
Duration: August 1 – August 31, 2025

Progress: 4/4

🌞1. Intermezzo - Sally Rooney Finished 8/12/25 Yellow Cover
🌞2. Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal - Christopher Moore
🌞3. Carrie Soto Is Back - Tara Jenkins Reid - Finished 8/21/25 Yellow Cover
🌞4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Finished 8/5/25 Yellow Cover
🌞5. The House in the Cerulean Sea - Finished 8/8/25 Heartwarming Story

This August let’s bloom where we’re planted. This challenge invites you to explore books that feel like sunshine, encourage growth, or simply make you happy. Whether it’s a story that warms your soul, a character who grows against all odds, or a plot that just makes you smile—if it feels like summer and sunshine, it belongs here. Want to judge a book by its happy cover? Read any book featuring a yellow cover, sunflower, or yellow flowers—those count too!🌻

August TBR Buddy is Catrin and we're reading Watching You

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE
Duration: September 1 - September 30, 2025

Progress: 6/6

🐇 A book that starts a series or sends you on a journey - The Knight and the Moth - Finished 9/10/25
🌹 A book with red on the cover or in the title - The September House - Finished 9/14/25
🫖 A book where characters gather, dine, or drink - The Last Precinct (Main characters have dinner and drinks on Christmas) - Finished 9/9/25
🔍 A book that’s a mystery or made you say “what is going on?!” - The Perfect Stranger - Finished 9/20/25
🎩 A book you chose for no logical reason at all - Party Girl - Finished 9/21/25
📖 A book that’s fantasy, surreal, or speculative fiction - Weyward - Finished 9/16/25
⏱️ A book that’s been on your TBR for far too long - Things You Won't Say

Dark Academia Individual Readathon - September 26 to September 28, 2025

VERY SUPERSTITIOUS
Duration: October 1 - October 31, 2025

Progress: 11/11

1. (Un)Lucky Numbers: Read a book with 3, 4, 7, 8, or 13 in its title or series number. Each of these numbers is considered lucky in one culture while unlucky in another.
A Line to Kill by Anthony Horowitz (#3 in series) - Finished 10/2/25
2. Don't Walk Under a Ladder: Read a book in which someone purposefully walks, hikes, or climbs.
Southbound by Lucy Letcher & Susan Letcher - Finished 10/17/25
3. Find a Four-Leaf Clover: Read a book set in Ireland or a book with a green cover.
- Finished 10/21/25
4. Find a Horseshoe: Read a book that includes horses, or a book with a door on the cover.
Finished 10/4/25
5. Have a Lucky Wedding: Read a book featuring something old, something new, something borrowed, or something blue.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (Daughter introduced me to a new book series) - Finished 10/22/25
6. Don't Break the Mirror: Read a book where a mirror is used as a plot device, or with something broken on the cover.
- Finished 10/21/25
7. Knock on Wood: Read a book with a tree on the cover, or a book including a carpenter or builder.
- Finished 10/10/25
8. Don't Let a Black Cat Cross Your Path: Read a book with a cat on the cover, or involving witchcraft.
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix - Finished 10/17/25
9. Lucky Penny: Read a book about making money, or with a unit of currency in the title.
Steve Jobs - Finished 10/30/25
10. Don't Spill the Salt: Read a book featuring a cook, or with the letters S-A-L-T in the title.
Sisters of the Lost Nation by Nick Medina - Finished 10/18/25

BONUS: Don't Swim After You Eat: After reading all 10 regular prompts, read a book about swimming or one that is set on the water.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - Finished 10/31/25

Quarter 4 - Fear Factor

Progress: 4/5

Completed Books:

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme. This makes the challenge accessible to everyone, whether you're drawn to terrifying tales or prefer quieter, more thoughtful interpretations of fear. You could read a ghost story, a novel set on a plane, a memoir about anxiety, or even a cozy mystery with a dog on the cover—if someone, somewhere, fears it… it counts.

Quarter 4 - Here's to Fears

Progress: 10/10
🔎 1. Fear of the unknown
Read a book that involves secrets, or where someone ventures into a unknown place or territory.
Blow Fly - Finished 10/7/25
📖 2. Gripped by fear
Read a book where fear controls someone's decisions, or where a character holds onto something or someone for dear life.
🧊 3. Paralyzed with fear
Read a book about a someone with a disability, or where a character faces a difficult decision.
⚡ 4. Struck with fear
Read a book involving a natural disaster, or where a character's choices affect the rest of the story.
A Christmas Carol - Finished 12/1/25
🧠 5. Fear is the mind-killer (Dune)
Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book, a book that involves any sort of training, or a book that involves murder.
Key Lime Pie Murder - Finished 10/15/25
🏚️ 6. Live in fear
Read a book where a character is threatened, or a book that features a house on the cover or in the title.
- Finished 10/1/25
💪 7. No fear
Read a book with a character who shows no fear, or a book with a negative in the title.
🎭 8. Instill fear
Read a book where someone is controlling or being controlled, or a book with a weapon on the cover or in the title.
🙏 9. Fear and trembling
Read a book where someone is not in control of their actions, or a book where someone is scared.
The Grace Year by Kim Liggett - Finished 11/28/25
🗡️ 10. Strike fear into the heart
Read a book where a character is feared by others, or with a body part on the cover or in the title.
- Finished 10/17/25
⛪ 11. Put the fear of God into someone
Read a book about religion or spirituality or lack thereof, or read a book that features a religious leader (priest, rabbi, preacher, etc.).
🎖️ 12. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself
Read a book where a character overcomes an obstacle, or a book with a repeated word in the title.
👁️ 13. Fear rears its ugly head
Read a book where something or someone resurfaces after a time, or a book with an adjective in the title.
🥶 14. Frozen with fear
Read a book set in a cold place, set in winter, or with wintry elements on the cover or in the title (snow, ice, frost, etc.).
⚖️ 15. A healthy dose of fear
Read a book about medicine or healthcare, a character that works in those fields, or a book that celebrates life.
📺 16. Fearmongering
Read a dystopian book, a book involving politics, or a book about influencing others.
The German Wife - Finished 10/9/25
💀 17. Fear for one’s life
Read a survival story, a thriller, or a book that involves a death.
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex - Finished 10/31/25
🌒 18. Fear casts a long shadow
Read a horror book, a book set at night or in a dark place, or a book that involves trauma.
The Blue Hour - Finished 11/21/25
🏃 19. Driven by fear
Read a book involving any mode of transportation, or where emotions influence a character's decision.
🛑 20. Out of fear
Read a book where a character makes a morally gray choice because they were afraid, or read a book with fear or similar words (e.g. scared, terror, panic, etc.) in the title.
The Nightmare Before Kissmas - Finished 12/7/25

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025

Progress: 9/9 ...Message #17

Love animals? Love books? For this month’s challenge, we’re celebrating our furry, feathered, finned, and scaly friends! Your goal is to read books whose first letters of the titles spell out a pet’s name. You can choose a common pet (Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird, Snake, Hamster, Turtle, Guinea Pig), your own pet’s name (past or present), or even a pet from a book. Let’s read our way through the animal kingdom one letter at a time!

C - The Coworker - 11/2/25
H - The Haunting of Maddy Clare - 11/13/25
A - The Awakening - 11/26/25
R - Resistance - 11/30/25
L - Lucky Man - 11/3/25
O - One of Us Is Lying - 11/24/25
T - Trace - 11/10/25
T - The Twist of a Knife - 11/4/25
E - End of Story - 11/22/25

CURIOUS COMPANIONS

CURIOUS COMPANIONS
Duration: November 1 - November 30, 2025

Progress: 3/3 (Message #15)

1. Read a book with an animal as a main character or narrator.
The Art of Racing in the Rain - Finished 11/25/25
2. Read a book with a mammal in the text, title, or cover art. - The Travelling Cat Chronicles - Finished 11/15/25
3. Read a book with a bird in the text, title, or cover art.
The Genius of Birds - Finished 11/16/25
4. Read a book with a fish in the text, title, or cover art.
5. Read a book with a reptile in the text, title, or cover art.
6. Read a book with an amphibian in the text, title, or cover art.
7. Read a book with an invertebrate in the text, title, or cover art.
8. Read a book about someone who has an animal-based career

SHADES OF WHITE
Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2025

For December's theme of White, this open challenge invites you to read books with white covers, white shades in their titles, or by authors with white names. Some white words are shown below, but you are not limited to these particular shades.

Progress: 6/5



Completed:

❄️✨WHITE WONDERLAND❄️✨
Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2025

Progress: 2/5

1. Read a book with a predominantly white cover.
- Finished 12/4/25

2. Read a book set in the snow or where the characters are trapped in a blizzard.
The Frozen River - Finished 12/9/25

3. Read a book about a December holiday where the characters are celebrating in a warm or hot climate.

4. Read a book that features white animals or a veterinarian, doctor, or scientist who wears a white lab coat.

5. Read a book that another challenge participant has chosen, planned, or read for this challenge.

6. Read a book with “white” or a shade of white in the title, or by an author whose last name is White.
The White Album

7. Read a book that explores a relationship that leads to a wedding.

8. Read a book with white flowers or clouds on the cover or in the title.

ADVENT CALENDAR CHALLENGE
Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2025

A) Starting on December 1 and ending on December 24, read a short story (or poem or essay) every day. Use stories or poems from collections, magazines, or the internet — there's plenty of good short fiction available for free from many publishers. - The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays

B) Starting on December 1: Split a novel into 24 chunks and portion your reading so that you read the last chunk on December 24. (Ideally, the novel has 24 chapters! But as long as you can divide it into fairly even sections, it'll work.)

Ran out of space in Let's Turn Pages post...

November Pages: 8,782
(view spoiler)[The Ghostwriter 328 Done
The Coworker 362 Done
Destroy Me 109 Done
Lucky Man 260 Done
The Twist of a Knife 373 Done
The Ministry of Time 368 Done
Unravel Me 461 Done
Trace 401 Done
Fracture Me 64 Done
The Haunting of Maddy Clare 318 Done
Cat’s Cradle 306 Done
The Travelling Cat Chronicles 277 Done
The Genius of Birds 352 Done
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective 342 Done
What Happens in Amsterdam 384 Done
The Blue Hour 320 Done
End of Story 408 Done
The Library 374 Done
Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone 384 Done
One of Us Is Lying 416 Done
The Art of Racing in the Rain 336 Done
The Last Anniversary 388 Done
The Awakening 195 Done
The Grace Year 416 Done
Atmosphere 352 Done
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream 204 Done
Resistance 284 Done (hide spoiler)]

December: 5,821
A Christmas Carol 184 Done
Marley 288 Done
The Hunting Party 349 Done
The Stranger 123 Done
The Mad Wife 352 Done
The Nightmare Before Kissmas 357 Done
The Frozen River 448 Done
Broken Harbor 450 Done
Lust & Wonder 304 Done
Close to Death 432 Done
Imperial Bedrooms 169 Done
Ignite Me 416 Done
The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom 320 Done
The Snow Child 386 Done
Predator 406 Done
The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays 224 Done
Forget Me Not 325 Done
The Girl You Know 288 Done
The White Album 244

My Reading Space for 2026