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2026 Activities and Challenges
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Rabbit Hole Reporting
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Booknblues
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Dec 23, 2025 12:24PM
This is the topic for reporting your Rabbit Hole Reads beginning in January.
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@Fran - I suggest you 'pin' this thread to the top so that it can easily be found. It will always be first.
Fran, do you want us to report as we go along, or do a report at the end of each month? Whatever makes life easier for you.
Fran, did you want me to also use this thread for shelving? Or did we want a separate thread? Thanks!By the way, for anyone who wants to shelve their own, the tag/shelf is called "down the rabbit hole". Thanks!
KateNZ wrote: "Fran, do you want us to report as we go along, or do a report at the end of each month? Whatever makes life easier for you."My first instinct is to report as you go along, just because it is fun for everyone to see the choices people are making.
The other part of it is that Cindy puts them on a shelf, although I don't think she will be able to do so in January.
One more factor is what is easiest for everyone.
I don't really need you to put your review here if you have placed it in the PBT tag of the month folder or Other Reads folder.
What I want is how it fits in a particular rabbit hole and which one and the points for the book.
LibraryCin wrote: "Fran, did you want me to also use this thread for shelving? Or did we want a separate thread? Thanks!By the way, for anyone who wants to shelve their own, the tag/shelf is called "down the rabbit..."
Cindy, the answer is yes, but I wondered about January and when your operation is.
I've been having a problem posting today and tried to post the above many times.
KateNZ wrote: "Brilliant thanks Fran :)"I really tried to answer in a more timely manner.
I think I will post details in my Member's Challenge tracking and once a month, after I finish reading, the results of what I read for the challenge here
Booknblues wrote: "Cindy, the answer is yes, but I wondered about January and when your operation is...."This is perfect! Thank you.
My surgery is mid-Jan (14th), With everything in one thread, though, it makes is so much easier for me to do smaller portions (I can catch up to where people left off and mark this is where I ended shelving OR I can just mark it and say with message number I stopped at).
When I do our month tags, because they are all separate threads and if someone comments in one it moves them around, I pretty much have to do them all at once (though last year I did occasionally not do that and made a note of which page I ended at AND which title was the very first one. If something else was the first title when I came back to it, I knew I needed to back up a thread or two to double check).
Oh, I should add that I don't need the entire review, but both title and author are ideal.
Heading down the rabbit hole of ancient heroes (and some monsters of the human sort): just finished Clytemnestra (review at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...) - tagged ‘history’ x 84.Now I have another book about the same people by a different author and it will be so interesting to compare them.
Second book in my ancient hero rabbit hole: Daughters of Sparta (review at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...). While this one didn't work for me, I'm looking forward to continuing my romp through Trojan War books. Obsessed? Moi?Tagged ‘history’ x 28.
In January; 5 tags, 4 books, 3 categories; (one was a double rabbit hole). All Match the Tag of History (5+5 + 10 points for January)Medieval Category
Bohemian Gospel by Dana Chamblee Carpenter
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tagged Medieval - 24
Tagged History - 6
World War One Category
Wrapped in the Stars by Elena Mikelsen
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Not Tagged WWI - but should be. Major setting that advances the story. Not many tags at all for this book...
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
History Tag - 109
Ancient Heroes and Monsters
Lovely War by Julie Berry
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
History Tag - 109
Pilate's Wife by Antoinette May
1 tag captured
Link: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Roman - 6; (History - 10)
Rabbit Hole: World War I (Book #1)Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - Erik Larson
Tagged world-war-i by 214 people
Tagged history by 4,246 people
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Rabbit Hole: MedievalSir Gawain and the Green Knight
Tagged Medieval by 541 people
Tagged History by 108
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Third in my ‘Ancient Heroes’ rabbit hole: The Women of Troy. Review at https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/.... Tagged ‘history’ x 64. Switching focus from Troy now - heading into Athens and then to Rome.
Rabbit Hole: Medieval (1/5)✔ Avram Davidson - Peregrine Primus
Early Middle Age picaresque adventure.
review
Rabbit Hole Reporting January 2026 , Book 1.Journey to the stars
Challenger: A True Story of Heroism and Disaster on the Edge of Space by Adam Higginbotham, 4 + stars
“Higginbotham reveals the history of the shuttle program, the lives of men and women whose stories have been overshadowed by the disaster as well as the designers, engineers, and test pilots who struggled against the odds to get the first shuttle into space.”
Tags : 173 space tags, 753 history tags
Teaches Important lessons about ethics, managerial decision makings, and the arrogance of develops in famous organizations.
Journey to the stars Book #1Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
From the book description:
This memoir of a veteran NASA flight director tells riveting stories from the early days of the Mercury program through Apollo 11 (the moon landing) and Apollo 13, for both of which Kranz was flight director.
History Tags: 408
Rabbit Hole: Book #2World War I
Lady Clementine - Marie Benedict
tagged World War I x18
tagged history x51
Rabbit HoleJourney to the Stars
Constituent Service - John Scalzi
Science Fiction - 162 tags
Aliens - 28 tags
All but a couple characters are aliens from various planets currently living on earth
Rabbit Hole World War 1
The Winter Soldier
review - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
History
World War 1 - 47 tags
History - 18 tags
Rabbit Hole: Journey to the Stars - Book #2I Am Spock
I used the literal interpretation of the Rabbit Hole - this book describes a detailed behind the scenes look at the making of Star Trek (a fictional world where humans and aliens explore the stars). This also fits the author's journey to stardom portraying one of Hollywood's most recognizable characters: Mr. Spock.
History Tags: 8
Science Fiction: 22
Rabbit Hole:World War I (book #3)
The Facemaker - Lindsey Fitzharris
WWI tagged x14
History tagged x351
Rabbit Hole:Journey to the Stars (1/5)
Inherit the Stars by James P. Hogan; 3* ; review
Tagged science-fiction 483X; hard-sf 12X;
Rabbit Hole :Medieval (1/5)
The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England - Dan Jones
My Review
Tagged - medieval x197; history x2,753
Matches Monthly Tag
Ancient Heroes & MonstersBook 1/5 for January:
Grendel by John Gardner - 3.5* - My Review
From the book's description: "The first and most terrifying monster in English literature, from the great early epic Beowulf, tells his side of the story."
PBT Review
Tagged history x10
PlayBook 2/5 for January:
Shadowplay by Joseph O'Connor - 4.5* - My Review
From the book's description: "Henry Irving, the Chief, is the volcanic leading man and impresario; Ellen Terry is the most lauded and desired actress of her generation, outspoken and generous of heart; and ever following along behind them in the shadows is the unremarkable theatre manager, Bram Stoker."
PBT Review
Rabbit Hole: World War I (book #1)Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman
WWI tagged x20
History tagged x6
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Rabbit Hole : Journey to the Stars (2/5)✔ Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand by Samuel Delany ; 4*
review
Rabbit Hole: Journey to the Stars - 1/5 January theme readsHeavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao - 3 stars
My Review
Space tag - 8x
no history tag
Rabbit Hole: Jouney to the Stars3. For We Are Many
Link to my review
This book continues a series about a replicated human and his potentially unlimited copies exploring the universe. From the book description: "Bob and his copies have been spreading out from Earth for 40 years now, looking for habitable planets."
History Tags: NA
Rabbit Hole: World War I (book #4)This Side of Murder - Anna Lee Huber
WWI tagged x13
History tagged x7
Rabbit Hole Reporting January 2026 , Book 2. Medieval times
The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
“The year is 1327. Franciscans in a wealthy Italian abbey are suspected of heresy, and Brother William of Baskerville arrives to investigate “
tags: 507 Medieval tags, 777 History tags.
Rabbit Hole Reporting January 2026 , Book 3Medieval times
Eleanore of Avignon by Elizabeth DeLozier
“ Provence, 1347. Eleanore (Elea) Blanchet is a midwife and budding herbalist with remarkable skills.”
“Eleanore of Avignon is the story of a woman who is unwilling to bend to the limitations her society places upon her when she becomes the unlikely apprentice to the pope’s physician at the most challenging and dangerous moment in medieval European history.”
Tags: 57 Medieval tags, 9 History tags.
Rabbit Hole Reporting January 2026 , Book 4Ancient world
Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon
“On the island of Sicily amid the Peloponnesian War, the Syracusans have figured out what to do with the surviving Athenians who had the gall to invade their city. ….
“Lampo and Gelon, two unemployed potters with a soft spot for poetry and drink …. hatch a plan to direct a full-blown production of Medea. After all, you can hate the people but love their art.”
Tags: 114 Mythology, 24 Ancient Greece, 62 history , 12 ancient world
World War IBook 3/5 for January:
The Remembered Soldier by Anjet Daanje - 1/13/26 - 4* - My Review
Quote from book's description: "After serving as a soldier in the Great War, Noon Merckem has lost his memory and lives in a psychiatric asylum."
PBT Review
Tagged history x12
Tagged WWI x14
Rabbit Hole: World War I (1/5)✔ War Horse by Michael Morpurgo ; review
also tagged History for January 135X
Rabbit Hole :Medieval (2/5) Also works as a play!!!
Becket - Jean Anouilh
My Review
Tagged - medieval x10; history x11
Matches Monthly Tag
Rabbit Hole :Medieval (3/5) Also works as a play!!!
Murder in the Cathedral - T.S. Eliot
My Review
Tagged - medieval x17; history x47
Matches Monthly Tag
Ancient Heroes and Monsters (4/5)Heroes: Mortals and Monsters, Quests and Adventures
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tagged history x 633
Book #1Journey to the Stars
Exiles by Mason Coile - 5 stars - My Review
From book blurb:
"The human crew sent to prepare the first-ever colony on Mars arrives to find their brand new base half-destroyed and the three robots sent to set it up in disarray—the machines have formed alliances, chosen their own names, and picked up some truly disturbing beliefs."
Tags:
Sci-fi - 229
Space - 32
Book #2
Medieval Times
The Once and Future Sex by Eleanor Janega - 5 stars - My Review
From blurb: "What makes for the ideal woman? How should she look, love, and be? In this vibrant, high-spirited history, medievalist Eleanor Janega turns to the Middle Ages, the era that bridged the ancient world and modern society, to unfurl its suppositions about women and reveal what’s shifted over time — and what hasn’t."
Tags:
History - 354
Medieval - 64
Rabbit Hole: MedievalThe Kingmaker's Daughter / Philippa Gregory
(sorry, faster and easier for me to paste the entire review than to copy and paste a separate link to the review)
It's set toward the end of the Medieval period.
It is also tagged "medieval" by 58 people.
4 stars
Anne Neville was the younger daughter of the man nicknamed “The Kingmaker”, as he always seemed to be on the side (including fighting for) of whoever became king during the Wars of the Roses. When her father fought against Edward IV, though, he lost his life. Anne and her sister, Isabel managed to each marry Edward’s two brothers, George and Richard (who later became Richard III, and Anne later became Queen). Richard always remained faithful to Edward, but there were always arguments. Isabel and Anne always worried that Edward’s wife, Elizabeth Woodville (suspected to be a witch) had a curse on the two of them because their father had Elizabeth’s father killed.
I quite liked this, though it showed Elizabeth Woodville (and her daughter, Elizabeth of York) in a less-than-flattering light and I like both of them (at least what I’ve read about them, so far). Of course, it is from Anne’s POV. I know it’s fiction, but I like that this filled in gaps from the nonfiction I read (not-too-long-ago) about Anne. But that’s the beauty of fiction – you can fill in those gaps. I see other reviews are commenting on this being of opposite view to “The White Queen”, but it’s been far too long since I read that one to really remember! Based on my own review, it was also the first I’d read about Elizabeth Woodville at all (and it sounds like it was the first I’d read about any of this group of people).
Journey to the Stars(I posted one for that category earlier in the month, but it was a stretch, this one is perfect) - Space Opera - 63 tags. Space 19
Full Share
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
January Rabbit Holes🐰 Medieval Times - Tagged Medieval 668x
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett - 5 Stars - 1/14/26
Review
Tagged History 1216x
Points for Book - 1 point
Points for Matching Tag - 1 point
Cum Total - 2 points
🐰Play - Tagged Plays 40x
Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent - Judi Dench - 4 Stars - 1/1/26
Review
Tagged History 34x
Points for Book - 1 point
Points for Matching Tag - 1 point
Cum Total - 4 points
🐰Journey to the stars - Tagged Space 232x
Atmosphere - Taylor Jenkins Reid - 4 Stars - 1/9/26
Review
Tagged History 96x
Points for Book - 1 point
Points for Matching Tag - 1 point
Cum Total - 6 points
🐰World War I - Tagged WWI 50x
Switchboard Soldiers - Jennifer Chiaverini - 4 Stars - 1/11/26
Review
Tagged History 42x
Points for Book - 1 point
Points for Matching Tag - 1 point
Cum Total - 8 points
🐰 Ancient Heroes & Monsters - Tagged Monsters 42x
Beowulf - Unknown - 4 Stars - 1/12/26
Review
Tagged History 515x
Points for Book - 1 point
Points for Matching Tag - 1 point
Cum Total - 10 points
Bonus Points - 5 pts for 5 books, 1 in each rabbit hole
Total for January = 15 pts
Medieval TimesBook 4/5 for January:
The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer - 1/14/26 - 5* - My Review
PBT Review
Tagged history x2,729
Tagged medieval x331
Play Book Tag
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