2025 Reading Challenge discussion

JANUARY

1. White Bird by R. J. Palacio
2. The Forest of Lost Souls by Dean Koontz
3. Dark Territory by A. C. Cobble
4. Balloons Can Be Murder by Connie Shelton
5. All American Adventure by James Patterson
6. Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
7. The Spy Coast by Tess Gerritson
8. The Dream Daughter by Diane Chamberlain
9. I Was A Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones
10. Bone Rattle by Marc Cameron
11. The Silk Finisher by Daniel Melchior
12. Sundial by C. F. Fruzzetti
13. Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
14. Bless Your Heart by Lindy Ryan
15. Stay Close by Harlan Coben
16. Tiny Nightmares by Lincoln Michel
17. Took: A Ghost Story by Mary Downing Hahn
18. Ghoster by Jason Arnopp
19. It Waits in the Woods by Josh Malerman
20. The Forgotten Letters of Esther Durrant by Kayte Nunn
21, The Chosen by Chaim Potok
22. And They Called Her Spider by Michael Coorlim
23. The Wanderers by Meg Howrey
24. Doctor Ice Pick by Claire Prentice
25. Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries by Tanya Kappes
26. Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

FEBRUARY

27. If the Fates Allow by Rainbow Rowell
28. Blue Skies by T. C. Boyle
29. The Dungeon Antichrist's Cookbook by Matt Dinniman
30. The Unmothers by Leslie Anderson
31. The Mistress of Life and Death by Susan Eischeid
32. The Last Heir to Blackwood Library by Hester Fox
33. The Witches of Moonshyne Manor by Bianca Marais
34. The Surgeon by Leslie Wolfe
35. Christmas, Criminals & Campers by Tonya Kappes
36. The Only Woman in the Room by Marie Benedict
37. Canyons, Caravans & Cadavers by Tonya Kappes
38. Trail of the Lost by Andrea Lankford
39. The Last Coin by James P. Blaylock
40. Insects, Ivy & Investigations by Tanya Kappes
41. The Cursed Carnival by Rick Riorden
42. Kickbacks, Kayaks & Kidnapping by Tanya Kappes
43. Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin
44. The Purgatorium by Eva Pohler
45. The Medicine Woman of Galveston by Amanda Skenandore
46. The Happiest Man on Earth by Eddie Jaku
47. Appalachian Daughter by Mary Salyers
48. The Broken Road by Richard Paul Evans
49. The Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana Trigiani
50. City Under One Roof by Iris Yamashita
51. Small Island by Andrea Levy
52. I am Amelia Earhart by Brad Meltzer
53. I am Helen Keller by Brad Meltzer
54. I am Anne Frank by Brad Meltzer
55. I am Lucille Ball by Brad Meltzer

MARCH

56. Granny's Ghost and the Haunted Homicide by Sloane Finley
57. The Mesmerist by Ronald L. Smith
58. The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
59. Treasure Hunters: The Plunder Down Under by James Patterson
60. A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan
61. Sugar by Bernice McFadden
62. Framed by John Grisham
63. Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
64. Ruin Road by Lamar Giles
65. Wild, Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
66. We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee
67. The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird by Louisa Morgan
68. Irena's Gift by Karen Kirsten
69. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
70. The Sleeping Armadillo by T. B. Kendrick
71. Vanishing Treasure by Katherine Rundell
72. Grim Horizons by Andrew Van Wey
73. The Deerfield Massacre by James L. Swanson
74. A Sunlit Weapon by Jacqueline Winspear
75. What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama
76. The Bodies in the Library by Marty Wingate
77. Three Fires by Denise Mina
78. The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Feret-Fleury
79. Acacia by Paul Bondsfield
80. Christmas Sweets by Joanne Fluke
81. The Paris Orphans by Suzanne Kelman

APRIL

82. Trap Line by Timothy Zahn
83. California Dreamin" by Penelope Bagieu
84. Patchwork Quilt Murder by Leslie Meier
85. The Queen of Sugar HIll by ReShonda Tate
86. The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton
87, The Grey Wolf by Louise Penny
88. Curdle Creek by Yvonne Battle-Felton
89. Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
90. Inhuman Land by Jozef Czapski
91. Scout's Delicious Day by Natalie Horseman
92. Bewitching Blend by Kennedy Layne
93. The Big Burn by Timothy Egan
94. The Unclaimed by Pamela Prickett
95. Keeper of Enchanted Rooms by Charlie N. Holberg
96. Deadly Gamble by Connie Shelton
97. The French Girl by Felicia Donovan
98. Exiles by Jane Harper
99. Hour of Need by Ralph Shayne
100. The Fixer Upper by Mary Kay Andrews
101. My Brother the Killer by Alix Sharkey
102. Lady Rample Steps Out by Shea MacLeod
103. A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra

MAY

104. Slot Machine Fever Dreams by Chris Bohjalian
105. Don't Sleep With the Dead by Nghi Vo
106. The Sublet by Greer Hendricks
107. 24 Hours in Paris by Romi Moodi
108. Romance of the Three Kingdoms by LuoFuanzhong
109. The Nazis Next Door by Eric Lichtblau
110. Funny Story by Emily Henry
111, Paris Letters by Janis MacLeod
112. Victorian Psycho by Virginia Feito
113. The Kitsch Killer by Mel Morgan
114. Keep It In the Family by John Marrs
115. House of Bone and Rain by Gabino Iglesias
116. More Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
117. The Ice Coven by Max Seeck
118. The Empusium by Olga Tokarczuk
119. Mickey7 by Edward Ashton
120. Death in the Air by Ram Murali
121. The Seekers by John Jakes
122. The Saturday Night Supper Club by Carla Laureano
123. Deadly Animals by Marie Tierney
124. Beyond the Tracks by Michael Reit
125. The Bitter End by Alexa Donne
126. Don't Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews
127. Cinco de Mayhem by Ann Myers
128. Randy Rainbow and the Marvelously Magical Pink Glasses by Randy Rainbow
129. The Blanks by Grady Hendrix
130. Constituent Service by John Scalzi
131. What Fire Brings by Rachael Howzell Hall

I hope you are enjoying your 2025 books selections. Ooh! I see a Bohjalian title that I need to seek out.

You're right on track to reach this year's goal, so YAY! 👍

TerryJane wrote: "I hope you are enjoying your 2025 books selections. Ooh! I see a Bohjalian title that I need to seek out.

You're right on track to reach this year's goal, so YAY! 👍"

The book by Chris Bohjalian is an Amazon Original...so a quick read. I liked it and am glad I read it because I love his work but it's not a novel. Thanks for the encouragement.

JUNE

132. An Election by John Scalzi
133. The Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
134. Mission Unpluckable by Aaron Blabey
135. Shy Creatures by Clare Chambers
136. The Furball Strikes Back by Aaron Blabey
137. Uncommon Measure by Natalie Hodges
138. Gulp by Mary Roach
139. King of the Armidillos by Wendy Chin-Turner
140. Curse of Penryth Hall by Jess Armstrong
141. Homeward by Angela Jackson-Brown
142. Becoming Mrs. Abbott by Kierston Modglin
143. Lady at the O. K. Corral by Ann Kirschner
144. Dark Screams, Volume One by Brian James Freeman
145. 21st Century Yokel by Tom Cox
146. Elphie by Gregory Mcguire
147. The Waiter by Matias Faldbakken
148. Fantasticland by Mike Bockoven
149. Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris
150. The Last Bookstore on Earth by Lily Braun-Arnold
151. Hartford 1944 by S. Michael McAllister
152. What Time the Sexton's Spade Doth Rust by Alan Bradley
153. Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
154. Death in the Dark Woods by Annelise Ryan
155. Whistling Past the Graveyard by Susan Crandall
156. Lowcountry Boil by Susan Boyer
157. Tilt by Emma Pattee

JULY

158. Dark Screams, Volumn 2 by Robert McCammon
159. Olivetti by Allie Millington
160. Every Time I Go On Vacation, Someone Dies by Catherine Mack
161. Mermaid Beach by Sheila Roberts
162. The Lifecycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight
163. Hostile Tac-over by Gretchen Allen
164. Deep Past by Eugene Linden
165. My Son's Secret by Roberta Kagan
166. The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo
167. The Storyteler's Death by Ann Davilla Cardinal
168. Colorless by Haruki Murakami
169. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (audio version)
170. The Resurrectionist by A. Rae Dunlap
171. A Story to Kill by Lynn Cahoon
172. Jane and Dan at the End of the World by Colleen Oakley
173. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson (Kindle version)
174. My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek
175. Wild New World by Dan Flores
176. Irena's Children by Tilar J. Mazzeo
177. Weyward by Emilia Hart
178. The Troubled Girls of Dragomire Academy by Anne Ursu
179. Dance With the Dead by H. P. Mallory
180. What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez

Hi Bev! Looks like you are crushing your goal! Hope you are reading lots of fantastic books so far this year. Happy reading!

JennH wrote: "Hi Bev! Looks like you are crushing your goal! Hope you are reading lots of fantastic books so far this year. Happy reading!"

Thank you so much. I have read some wonderful books on purpose, some wonderful books by happenstance and some duds...I consider that a great outcome!!! I have some doozies coming up for the rest of the year. Hope your experience has been as wonderful!! The lady at McDonald's says Happy Reading to me every morning!!! I love that, so thanks again!!

Beverly wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi Bev! Looks like you are crushing your goal! Hope you are reading lots of fantastic books so far this year. Happy reading!"

Thank you so much. I have read some wonderful books on p..."

Yep, some of my favorite books this year, I did not plan or expect to read.

That is so sweet of the lady at McDonald's. Are you going to McDonald's with a big book, is that why she says that to you?? I love it, too.

JennH wrote: "Beverly wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi Bev! Looks like you are crushing your goal! Hope you are reading lots of fantastic books so far this year. Happy reading!"

Thank you so much. I have read some wond..."

Actually, she's a big reader as well. I have 50 plus library books...on just about any day of the week...piled up in my back seat and she loves to comment on whether the pile is going down or up any. If they have to pull me up she always say, "they'll bring it out to you in a bit...just read one of those books back there." She loves to bring new employees up to the window to see my TBR stack!!! She's just a sweetie and helps to start my day out right!

AUGUST

181. The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs
182. Sunlight on My Shadow by Judy Liautaud
183. Eddie Winston is Looking For Love by Marianne Cronin
184. The Ultimate Quest by James Patterson
185. The Wild Child by Anselm Feuerbach
186. The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritson
187. Monstrous by Sarah Myer
188. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon
189. Kate in the Land of Myths and Wonders by J. P. H. Tan
190. The Bad Guys: Attack of the Zittens by Aaron Blabey
191. The Bad Guys: Intergalactic Gas by Aaron Blabey
192. The Bad Guys: Alien vs Bad Guys by Aaron Blabey
193. The Staircase in the Woods by Chuck Wendig
194. The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
195. Mousse Hysteria by Gretchen Allen
196. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
197. Night by Elie Wiesel
198. Secrets of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene
199. Medicine River by Mary Annette Pember
200. All Better Now by Neal Shusterman
201. Final Winter by Iain Rob Wright
202. Restless Dolly Maunder by Kate Grenville
203. What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher
204. Andy Kaufman, The Truth Finally by Bob Zmuda
205. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
206. 1000 Nights by Eli Gardner

Beverly wrote: "JennH wrote: "Beverly wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi Bev! Looks like you are crushing your goal! Hope you are reading lots of fantastic books so far this year. Happy reading!"

Thank you so much. I have ..."

Aw, that is so sweet! She sounds like such a sweetheart! What a great way to start the day!

SEPTEMBER

207. Lovers in Auschwitz by Karen Blankfeld
208. The Hitchcock Hotel by Stephanie Wrobel
209. Hansel and Gretel by Neil Gaiman
210. The Storm of the Century by Al Roker
211. Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng by Kylie Lee Baker
212. What the River Knows by Isabel Ibanez
213. Eerie Basin by Ivy Pochoda
214. O Pioneers by Willa Cather
215. Welcome to Moonlight Manor by Sheila Roberts
216. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
217. Last Seen by J. T. Ellison
218. Automatic Noodle by Annalee Newitz
219. The Hartford Circus Fire by Michael Skidgell
220. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
221. Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
222. Beast of the North Woods by Annelise Ryan
223. The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong
224. Eight Perfect Numbers by Peter Swanson
225. Spirit Crossing by William Kent Krueger
226. Tantrum by Rachel Eve Moulton
227. Monday Mourning by Kathy Reichs
228. The Christmas Bookshop by Jenny Colgan
229. Hansel and Gretel by Stephen King and Maurice Sendak
230. A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander
231. Big Top Burning by Laura A. Woolett

OCTOBER

232. Pumpkin Heads by Rainbow Rowell
233. Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman
234. Something in the Walls by Daisy Pearce
235. Malice House by Megan Shepherd
236. Vampire Kid by Bran Burns
237. Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon by Kate DiCamillo
238. The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine
239. The Good, the Bad and the Furry by Tom Cox
240. Al Capone Shines My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
241. The Names by Florence Knapp
242. A Guest in the House by E. M. Carroll
243. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
244. Home in a Lunchbox by Cherry Mo
245. Mayra by Nicky Gonzalez
246. The Panda of Death by Betty Webb
247. Leroy Ninker Saddles Up by Kate DiCamillo

Bev, I hope you are enjoying your 2025 books as you are getting closer to your goal!

Thank you so much!!! I definitely am. It's been an adventure this year. So many books that I may never have found if not for recommendations from friends and family and librarians (also friends). Some have been clinkers but most have been great! Hope you've read something wonderful as well!