2026 Reading Challenge discussion
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December - Advent Calendar
Participants:Blakie
Brianna - 24/24 - Completed!
Bubbles
Carolyn - Completed!
Chalmation - 24/24 - Completed!
Chrissie - 36/36 - Completed!
Debra - 24/24 - Completed!
D.L.
Dubhease - 24/24 - Completed!
E
JennH - 24/24 - Completed!
Jill
jules
Kara
Karin - Completed!
Lina - 24/24 - Completed!
Margie - 24/24 - Completed!
Meredith
NyJaya - Completed!
Sarah - Completed!
Susan - 24/24 - Completed!
TerryJane - 24/24 - Completed!
I had to rethink this Advent calendar. The book I thought I was reading, I had to abandon as my daughter and I gave up on our buddy read. Now, I'm working on the 4 books I want done by the end of the year. I had been reading every day.22/24
ADVENT CALENDAR CHALLENGEDuration: December 1 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 24/24
like to join for Part A. The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays & The White Album
12/1. Read the introduction
12/2. Read The Water Tank
12/3. Read The Binoculars
12/4. Read The Pinking Shears
12/5. Read A Roomful of Kibble
12/6. Read The Viewers of the Viewed
12/7. Read This is Show Business?
12/8. Read The Cat's Meow
12/9. Read The Land of Sweet Forever
12/10. Read Love - in Other Words
12/11. Read Crackling Bread
12/12. Read Gregory Peck
12/13. Read When Children Discover America
12/14. Read Truman Capote
12/15. Read Romance and High Adventure
12/16. Read A Letter from Harper Lee (to finish The Land of Sweet Forever: Stories and Essays
12/17. I've been reading The White Album (short stories), Read Georgia O'Keefe
12/18. Read In the Islands
12/19. Read In Hollywood, In Bed & On the Road
12/20. Read On the Mall
12/21. Read At the Dam and completed The White Album
12/22. Started reading stories from Slouching Towards Bethlehem / Play it as it Lays, Read Some Dreamers of the Golden Dream
12/23. Read John Wayne: A Love Story
12/24. Read Where the Kissing Never Stops
🕯️ ADVENT CALENDAR - Monthly ChallengeDuration: December 1 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 24/24 -- COMPLETE
🕯️ 1. A Small Place
🕯️ 2. Make Magic: The Book of Inspiration You Didn't Know You Needed
🕯️ 3. A Christmas Cruise Caper: A Short Christmas Story
🕯️ 4. The White Cat's Divorce - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 5. Prince Hat Underground - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 6. The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gifts and Abundance
🕯️ 7. The White Road - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 8. The Girl Who Did Not Know Fear - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 9. The Game of Smash and Recovery - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 10. The Lady and the Fox - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 11. Skinder's Veil - White Cat, Black Dog: Stories
🕯️ 12. A Light on the Road to Woodstock - A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael
🕯️ 13. The Price of Light - A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael
🕯️ 14. Eyewitness - A Rare Benedictine: The Advent of Brother Cadfael
🕯️ 15. The Maidens
🕯️ 16. The Maidens
🕯️ 17. The Maidens
🕯️ 18. The Maidens
🕯️ 19. The Maidens
🕯️ 20. The Maidens
🕯️ 21. The Christmas Appeal
🕯️ 22. The 19th Christmas
🕯️ 23. The 19th Christmas
🕯️ 24. The 19th Christmas
Finished: 2025/12/26Not sure which book I'm gonna read, but claiming my spot for now.
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.
Only a bet for Christmas by Lisa F. Olsen 26/26 ✓
Started: 7.12.2025
7.12. - Chapter 1 & 2
8.12. - Chapter 3 - 10
9.12. - Chapter 11 - 26
Disney Adventskalender 2023 10/10 ✓
Started: 10.12.2025
11.12. - (The Little Mermaid) Das heimliche Treffen by Elizabeth Lim ✓
12.12. - (Treasure Planet) Aufbruch zu den Sternen by M.K. England ✓
13.12. - (Beauty and the Beast) Die Heimkehr by Farrah Rochon ✓
17.12. - (Hercules) Nur so ein Gefühl by Jen Calonita ✓
19.12. - (Robin Hood) Eine königliche Schachpartie by Liz Braswell ✓
21.12. - (Cinderella) Die Einladung by Jen Calonita ✓
23.12. - (Brave) Drei Schicksale by Jen Calonita ✓
23.12. - (Bambi) Der widerwillige Prinz by Liz Braswell ✓
25.12. - (The Sword in the Stone) Ein Drache im Schnee by Kristina Pérez ✓
26.12. - (Snow White) Die Verstossene by Livia Blackburne ✓
Please sign me up for the first option.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.
1 Alone by Edgar Allan Poe 12/1/25
2 The Mice And The Weasels by Aesop 12/2/25
3 The Miller His Son And The Ass by Aesop 12/3/25
4 The Terrible Old Man by H.P. Lovecraft 12/4/25
5 The Orator by Anton Chekhov 12/5/25
6 A Chameleon by Anton Chekhov 12/6/25
7 The Fox And The Grapes by Aesop 12/7/25
8 The Cats of Ulthar by H.P. Lovecraft 12/8/25
9 The Pearl of Love by H.G. Wells 12/9/25
10 Holiday Hideaway by Mary Kay Andrews 12/10/25
11 Inheritance: A Visual Poem by Elizabeth Acevedo 12/11/25
12 The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor: A Short Story by Agatha Christie 12/12/25
13 A Burlesque Biography, The Original Short Story (Annotated): Masterpiece Collection: A Burlesque Biography, Mark Twain Famous Quotes, Book List, and Biography by Mark Twain 12/13/25
14 The Wood at Midwinter by Susanna Clarke 12/14/25
15 The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone by Arthur Conan Doyle 12/15/25
16 Imaginary Borders by Xiuhtezcatl Martinez 12/16/25
17 The Two Bags by Aesop 12/18/25
18 The Fighting Cocks And The Eagle by Aesop 12/18/25
19 About Barbers by Mark Twain 12/20/25
20 Swiping Hearts by Jeffery Deaver 12/21/25
21 Meat Cute: The Hedgehog Incident by Gail Carriger 12/21/25
22 The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger by Arthur Conan Doyle 12/24/25
23 The Adventure of the Three Garridebs by Arthur Conan Doyle 12/24/25
24 The Adventure of the Retired Colourman by Arthur Conan Doyle 12/24/25
I'm in for option 1 :) 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.
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by Shane Hawk
1: Kushtuka by Mathilda Zeller
2: White Hills by Rebecca Roanhorse
3: Navajoes Don't Wear Elk Teeth by Conley Lyons
4: Wingless by Marcie R. Rendon and Quantum by Nick Medina
5: Hunger by Phoenix Boudreau and Tick Talk by Cherie Dimaline
6: The Ones Who Killed Us by Brandon Hobson
7: Snakes are Born in the Dark by D. H. Trujillo
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Sign me up for 31 books31/31 - COMPLETED
✅1. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #1 (1/12/25)
✅2. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #2 (2/12/25)
✅3. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #3 (3/12/25)
✅4. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #4 (4/12/25)
✅5. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #5 (5/12/25)
✅6. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #6 (6/12/25)
✅7. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #7 (7/12/25)
✅8. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #8 (8/12/25)
✅9. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #0 (9/12/25)
✅10. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #1 (10/12/25)
✅11. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #2 (11/12/25)
✅12. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #3 (12/12/25)
✅13. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #4 (13/12/25)
✅14. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #5 (14/12/25)
✅15. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2016 Annual, #1 (15/12/25)
✅16. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #6 (16/12/25)
✅17. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #7 (17/12/25)
✅18. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #8 (18/12/25)
✅19. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #9 (19/12/25)
✅20. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #10 (20/12/25)
✅21. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #11 (21/12/25)
✅22. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #12 (22/12/25)
✅23. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #13 (23/12/25)
✅24. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #14 (24/12/25)
✅25. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #15 (25/12/25)
✅26. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers 2017 Annual, #1 (26/12/25)
✅27. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #16 (27/12/25)
✅28. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #17 (28/12/25)
✅29. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #18 (29/12/25)
✅30. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #19 (30/12/25)
✅31. Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, #20 (31/12/25)
A) Starting on December 1 and ending on December 24, read a short story (or poem or essay) every day.Arabian Nights
24/24
Challenge Complete
1. The Introduction of Scheherazade
2. The Story of the Merchant and the Genie
3. The History of the First Old Man and the Hind
4. The History of the Old Man and the Two Black Dogs
5. The History of the Fisherman
6. The History of the Greek King and Douban the Physician
7. The History of the Young King of the Black Isles
8. The History of Three Calenders, Sons of Kings, and of Five Ladies of Baghdad
9. The History of the First Calender, The Son of a King
10. The History of the Second Calender, The Son of a King
11. The History of the Envious Man, and of Him Who Was Envied
12. The History of the Third Calender, The Son of a King
13. The History of the Little Hunchback
14. The Story Told by the Christian Merchant
15. The Story Told by the Purveyor of the Sultan of Casgar
16. The Story Told by the Jewish Physician
17. The Story Told by the Tailor
18. The History of the Barber
19. The History of the Barber's First Brother
20. The History of the Barber's Second Brother
21. The History of the Barber's Third Brother
22. The History of the Barber's Fourth Brother
23. The History of the Barber's Fifth Brother
24. The History of the Barber's Sixth Brother
Signing up for option B again this year - I love this challenge and just read through my notes from the last 2 years again and it's so nice to be able to look back (I read Women Living Deliciously and Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men)! :) 🎄 Advent Calender Challenge - Monthly Challenge 🎄
Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2025
🎄 Progress 24/24 🎄 - COMPLETED!
I have decided to go with option B again (like last year), and will again read a multi-chaptered book, but because I still have so many open reads, I will focus on reading chapters from them every day, starting with The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories, I also want to finally finish Les Misérables.
Tracking my thoughts and quotes from the books in my corner.
🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄
I am in for part B- aiming for 2 booksProgress 2/2- COMPLETE
1. Chain of Thorns #3> Dec 1-30
30 hour audiobook = 1 hour a day
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2. Lasher #2> Dec 1-Dec 28
896 ppages = 32 pages/day
Dec.1- done
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Dec 28-done!!
I'm in for option A. Thanks!Progress: 24/24 - Challenge Complete!
Readings from:
A Very Russian Christmas: The Greatest Russian Holiday Stories of All Time
1. The New Year's Tree - Mikhail Zoshchenko
2. The Boys - Anton Chekhov
3. A Christmas Tree and A Wedding - Fyodor Dostoevsky
4. At Christmastide - Anton Chekhov
5. Dream of the Young Tsar - Lev Tolstoy
6. Makar's Dream - Vladimir Korolenko
7. A Woman's Kingdom - Anton Chekhov
8. A Distant Christmas Eve - Klaudia Lukashevich
9. The Little Boy At Christ's Christmas Tree - Fyodor Dostoevsky
10. Christmas Phantoms - Maxim Gorky
11. A Lifeless Animal - Teffi
12. My Last Christmas - Mikhail Zoshchenko
The Big Book of Christmas Mysteries
13. The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding - Agatha Christie
14. Gold, Frankincense and Murder - Catherine Aird
15. Boxing Unclever - Robert Barnard
16. The Proof of the Pudding - Peter Lovesey
17. The Adventure of the Dauphin's Doll - Ellery Queen
18. Morse's Greatest Mystery - Colin Dexter
19. More Than Flesh and Blood - Susan Moody
20. The Butler's Christmas Eve - Mary Roberts Rinehart
21. The Trinity Cat - Ellis Peters
22. The Burglar and the Whatsit - Donald Westlake
23. Dancing Dan's Christmas - Damon Runyon
24. A Visit From St. Nicholas - Ron Goulart
Sarah wrote: "Sign me up for 31 books0/31
1. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #1
2. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #2
3. Saban's Go Go Power Rangers #3
4. [book:Saban's..."
Love your choice of Advent reading Sarah
I would like to join for Part A. Most likely will dopoems from a Mary Oliver collection I’ve been meaning to read. This will be perfect. Will update when I get going :)
Blākie
Please sign me up for Part B :)To Read: Bravo Unwrapped by Christine Rimmer
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Please sign me up for part A!1. The Little Bear by Elizabeth Rich (Reedsy Prompts)
2. A Family Resemblance by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
3. Father Son And Holy Ghost by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
4. The Lesson by Toni Cade Bambara
5. Pirouette by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
6. Generation by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
7. Echo by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
8. Rites of Passage by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
9. "I have a dream" by Martin Luther King Jr (I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World)
10. Summer Orcale by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
11. Song by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
12. Spring People by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
13. Rooming Houses are Old Women byAudre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
14. Blood Birth by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
15. After a First Book by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
16. Martha by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
17. And What About The Children by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
18. The Dozen by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
19. The Women Thing by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
20. Sweat by Zora Neale Hurston (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
21. A Poem for a Poet by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
22. Conversation in Crisis by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
23. Sowing by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
24. On a Night of a Full Moon by Audre Lorde (The Collected Poems of Audre Lorde)
Please sign me up for Part A! I will be reading Lord of the Butterflies.
There are 38 poems so 14 of the days I will be reading 2 poems.
Dec 1: "Your Life" & "Ivy" ✅
Happy holidays! 🎄🎁
Sign me up for Part A I will be reading House of Light, Poems By Mary Oliver, there are 46 altogether in this book. I will read two every night up the last week. I single it out.
Update message #7 - 26/26Well, the story was so cute I just couldn't stop reading and finished already.
I'll add the 10 stories from Disney Adventskalender 2023 and thus raising the overall goal to 36.
Commenting late, but I have been reading A Heart for Christmas: My Advent Novel . It is an advent book where you open one chapter a day. 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.)
24/24
Chapter 1 - done
Chapter 2 - done
Chapter 3 - done
Chapter 4 - done
Chapter 5 - done
Chapter 6 - done
Chapter 7 - done
Chapter 8 - done
Chapter 9 - done
Chapter 10 - done
Chapter 11 - done
Chapter 12 - done
Chapter 13 - done
Chapter 14 -done
Chapter 15 - done
Chapter 16 - done
Chapter 17 - done
Chapter 18 - done
Chapter 19 - done
Chapter 20 - done
Chapter 21 - done
Chapter 22 - done
Chapter 23 - done
Chapter 24 - done
Books mentioned in this topic
The Adventure of the Veiled Lodger (other topics)The Adventure of the Retired Colourman (other topics)
The Adventure of the Three Garridebs (other topics)
The 19th Christmas (other topics)
The Maidens (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Zora Neale Hurston (other topics)Audre Lorde (other topics)
Jeffery Deaver (other topics)
Gail Carriger (other topics)
Xiuhtezcatl Martinez (other topics)
More...







Duration: December 1 - December 31, 2025
The Advent Calendar Challenge is back as a yearly tradition! Celebrate the magic of December one page at a time. Inspired by the excitement of advent calendars — a countdown filled with daily surprises — this challenge invites you to make reading a joyful part of your December routine. Whether you enjoy festive tales, cozy reads, or winter wonders, there’s a way for every reader to join the fun.
To join, post a message telling the challenge leader how many books you plan to read. If you are new to our group and/or our group challenges, take a moment to check out the Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges - Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.
For this challenge, there are two options:
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.
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.)
If you'd rather keep reading past the 24th, you're welcome to continue through the end of the month!
Thank you, Dubhease, for volunteering to lead this challenge!