2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi everyone!

Time to nominate books for April! The theme is Games.

~Please remember to state a connection to the theme when you nominate.

~Books we have read less than three years ago are not eligible. To see which books are not eligble, see this google sheet:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/...

~ Each person can nominate 1 book.

~ Book must be available both as a physical copy and as an ebook.

~ Authors: Please do not nominate your own book.

~ Please do not nominate books that are part of a series, unless it is the first book.

~ You can second someone else's nomination, but that will count as your nomination.


This thread will be closed by February 25th, and we will choose ten books for the poll. If there are more than ten books nominated, we will choose "seconded" books first. If there is still a tie to get into the top ten, we'll go back to the Goodreads average rating to see which is highest.

I would like to nominate The Wishing Game. The connection being that game is in the title.

I nominate Playground as that’s where games are played.

I´d like to nominate Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
I read it in late 2023 but it stuck with me and I am seriously debating re-reading it myself even though I never reread something before.

The connection being that video-game design is a huge part of this story.

I nominate Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It’s the latest in the Hunger Games series.
It comes out in March and is about the hunger game that Haymitch won.

Jill wrote: "I nominate Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It’s the latest in the Hunger Games series.
It comes out in March and is about the hunger game that Haymitch won."

I agree with this.

I nominate When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill. It's the story of two girls from different worlds who befriend each other in 19th century Montreal, & what transpires as their friendship becomes more obsessive & dark as they grow up. The connection is in the childhood games that bring them together in their youth, which go from innocent to deadly.

I nominate The House in Cerulean Sea.

I nominate The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Colllins, because I've never read it... I hear it's the worst kind of game... the one powerful people play with others's lives.

Jill wrote: "I nominate Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It’s the latest in the Hunger Games series.
It comes out in March and is about the hunger game that Haymitch won."

Second this

Jill wrote: "I nominate Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It’s the latest in the Hunger Games series.
It comes out in March and is about the hunger game that Haymitch won."

I'll second this because I already have it on my tbr for April and am really excited about it. :)

The Striker by Ana Huang

Ciara wrote: "I nominate When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill. It's the story of two girls from different worlds who befriend each other in 19th century Montreal, & what transpires as their ..."

I'll second When We Lost Our Heads.

I'd like to nominate Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It's set in 2044 about a teenager who only feels alive when he's playing a virtual reality game.

Dubhease wrote: "Jill wrote: "I nominate Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins. It’s the latest in the Hunger Games series.
It comes out in March and is about the hunger game that Haymitch won...."

How on earth did I miss this!! Yes please!

I agree with the earlier comments of sunrise on the reaping!!

I second "The House in Cerulean Sea" :)

La_mariane wrote: "I nominate The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Colllins, because I've never read it... I hear it's the worst kind of game... the one powerful people play with others's lives."

Seconding! :)

I'll third When We Lost Our Heads

Alyssa wrote: "I nominate The House in Cerulean Sea."
BarbaraBrubru_gingertiger wrote: "I second "The House in Cerulean Sea" :)

Alyssa and BarbaraBruBru -- The House in the Cerulean Sea is ineligible since it was selected as group read within the last three years (March 2022). Would you like to nominate or second a different book? If either of you nominate another, please remember to state a connection to the theme of Games. Thanks!

I'd like to nominate The Legend of Bagger Vance: A Novel of Golf & the Game of Life by Steven Pressfield

Connection to the theme is in the title and we're reading about a game of golf :)

This was one of my absolute favorite movies some 25+ years ago and I've always wanted to read the book!

La_mariane wrote: "I nominate The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Colllins, because I've never read it... I hear it's the worst kind of game... the one powerful people play with others's lives."

I second/third this! :)

Valerie wrote: "I nominate Playground as that’s where games are played."

I second Playground.

I nominate the hobbit.

Samantha wrote: "I would like to nominate The Wishing Game. The connection being that game is in the title."

Second

Alyssa wrote: "I nominate the hobbit."

So sorry, Alyssa, but The Hobbit has also been a group read in the last three years (Sept. 2023). I was about to ask you for its connection to the theme, but thought I remembered it being chosen not too long ago, and sure enough, it was.

In the first post of this thread, you'll find the group read guidelines, as well as a link to our spreadsheet showing the choices from the last three years. Those books are not eligible.

Nominations are open until the 25th, so feel free to try again with a book that is both eligible and connected to May's theme of Games. Your first two suggestions are terrific books, just ineligible. 😊

I'd like to nominate Ender’s Game

I will nominate "The Selection" since it is a book about girls competing for the heart of the Prince.

Hi all! Unfortunately, Sunrise on the Reaping cannot be chosen for the group read as it isn't the first in a series, and there is a prequel that was released and is set prior to the book.

We try to make the group read accessible to anyone who may not have read the series at all. Those who suggested or seconded it, please feel free to suggest another book!

A bunch of us will be buddy-reading Sunrise on the Reaping in April, so you can join us there! Sign up in this thread or just jump in when it's posted at the end of March.

Thank you!!

For the theme of *Games* I’m nominating *Never Have I Ever* by Joshilyn Jackson!



It’s a psychological thriller that starts as a simple game but quickly turns into a dangerous battle of secrets and manipulation. Perfect for the theme, because in this game, the stakes are life-changing.

SarahKat wrote: "Hi all! Unfortunately, Sunrise on the Reaping cannot be chosen for the group read as it isn't the first in a series, and there is a prequel that was released and is set prior to th..."

I’m so sorry I didn’t catch this you all. I got so excited about it, had no idea she was writing it and completely forgot it’s not the first book.

I would like to second "Playground"

Closing nominations 😊

Poll is up! Go vote for our next group read!

https://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3...

* Unfortunately I was unable to add The Playground. Sometimes the poll tool won’t find the correct book if there is too many books with similar name.