2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Mallory Heart wrote: "Yesterday I updated mine, msg, 69, but forgot to post so.

Have a question: I am reading more than one short story or poem on some days--do I count the number of days I've read, or the total number..."

I'm sorry I missed your question earlier! In the spirit of an advent calendar, you should only count one story per day - though of course you may read any number of stories in addition to that. :) I want to say this is ultimately flexible, though - the holidays are definitely a stressful time for lots of us with unpredictable reading times, so if you need to juggle some story-reading in a way that means you read "ahead" (or play catch-up), the calendar elves won't be that upset. I promise.

Mallory, I'm reading several per day too (on some days at least). For now I'm just keeping track of how many days I read a short story, since that's the challenge. I am curious to see how many stories I end up with by the end of the month, though!

EDIT: I see that Karina beat me to an answer. :)

Yesterday I read one online from Tor, Tear Tracks: A Tor.Com Original (link to full text here) by Malka Older. I liked this one quite a bit - it was about a meeting with an alien species to set up a treaty agreement.

And from Dark Beyond the Stars:
Nos Morituri Te Salutamus - Annie Bellet
Protocol A235 - Teresa Kay

7/31

8/24

5th- Eternal Bounds by Monica La Porta in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors
6th- Coming Home by Sam Kates in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors
7th- Purple Passion by Lanette Curington in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors
8th- Crescent Moon by Ela Lond in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

This collection is decent, but so far nothing has really stood out for me.

8/24

Thanks to Karina and Cassandra for clarification:)

Updated msg 69

I have completed 9/31 - updated message 15

8/25

9/24 finished to date

good morning Lovely readers! I completely forgot to post my updates for this challenge the last few days but i love it! I read every night and that is something i have wasted to get in the habit of.

9/20
9/24-should have picked a more boring book to divide having a hard time stopping!

I hope this will be a tradition, i want to do it next year, I just had to much I needed to finish ^^

7/24 "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Jazz Age Stories)

8/24 "What You Want To Do Fine" by Lorrie Moore (Birds of America)

9/24 "The Christmas Kid" by Pete Hamill (The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories)

I've never loved short stories, but something about this challenge is making me enjoy them more than I ever have. I'm considering just making mini challenges for myself of reading one short story collection per month with one story or so per day. LOVE this challenge!

Yesterday I had to cram a story in at the last minute to stay on track, so I read Roog, another of Philip K. Dicks very short stories. I wasn't a fan, but it got me through!

8/31

9/25

I borrowed a book of Christmas stories from the library today.
First Story: Christmas at Thompson Hall by Anthony Trollope
~9/24

Jane: That's awesome!

I fell into these apocalypse anthologies more enthusiastically than I expected to, so they're derailing me from the stories I'd planned on reading, but, well, also causing me to read a lot of short stories, so that's ok.

Everyone updated to here!

Updated message 11 with my next two short stories from Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors:
Deadly Beauty
The Frog Prince
A couple of twisted fairy tales

10/24 now :)

10/24 10/20 loving this challenge!

Just finished my tenth chapter.

9/24

10/24

10/24 for me, too. :) And updated to here.

December 9
Winner Takes All - Elle Casey
Carindi - Jennifer Foehner Wells
Animal Planet - Patrice Fitzgerald

9/31

10/24 "Real Estate" by Lorrie Moore (Birds of America)

11/24 "People Like That Are The Only People Here:Canonical Babbling in Peed Onk" by Lorrie Moore (Birds of America)

Msg 69 updated

11/20
11/24

really enjoying both books!

December 10
Paycheck - Philip K. Dick

10/31

I am 11/24 through my Emily Dickinson poems (35 of 80 read) and 11/24 through my sliced-up novel Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier.

I love Emily Dickinson! Do you enjoy them? My teacher introduced me to her, and even though I find some of them hard, I think she writes very on point in many of them. And beautiful :)

11/24

12/24

12/24

I'm afraid I will have to drop out of this very nice challenge. I've opened all windows until the 24th, oops! I couldn't wait.

Karina wrote: "Theresa~OctoberLace: Aw, sorry to see you go!

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*Everyone else is updated to here.*
-

I'm really enjoying my morning short story and spiced tea! Maybe I want to keep this ritual for the coming y..."

Oh, those The End stuff seem so interesting, I might check them too. Are writers in same order every book? After reading Gaiman and King almost two weeks, I would like some cheerier stuff (yeah, apocalypse may not be that..) maybe I should try to check if I find unread Agatha murder mysteries or something. Updated progress in
msg 74

12/24 Completed

9th- Buck Hunt by Livia Harper inStories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

10th- Flashlight by Griffin Carmichael in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

11th- Wild by Selena Fenech in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

12th- Chip Assassin by Mark Gardner in Stories on the Go: 101 Very Short Stories by 101 Authors

I actually liked these past four that I've read from this collection! Finally, because the previous ones were just meh. So far Buck Hunt and Wild are my favorites from this collection.

12/20
12/24

December 11
The Event - Autumn Kalquist
Dragonet - Sara Reine
Lulu Ad Infinitum - Ann Christy

11/31

Updated Msg. 69

Patricia: Hah! Well, congrats on picking a too-tempting book. :)

Reija: The different authors' stories are not in the same order in every book - so I need to chase through the indexes (indici?) between each part. Not a huge problem, though.

*Everyone updated to here!*

Sorry everyone I am out. I just couldn't find the time to complete it

Sorry to see you go, Patricia & Monique. Happy Holidays!

Sorry to see you go, Monique!

12/24 "Dalyrimple Goes Wrong" by F. Scott Fitzgerald (Jazz Age Stories)

13/24 "6/6/44," "The Trial of Red Dano," "Leaving Paradise," "Lullaby of Birdland," "The Boarder" by Pete Hamill (The Christmas Kid: And Other Brooklyn Stories)

The stories by Hamill are so short and sweet, I just can't stop myself!

13/24

13/24
13/20

hope everyone is enjoying the books they choose
I am still reading
1Crazy Bitch 13/24
Crazy Bitch 13/20

Message 11 updated with my next 2 stories so now at 12/24

So my progress in short stories is:

1. "Taste"
2. "Lamb to the Slaughter"
3. "Man from the South"
4. "My Lady Love, My Dove"
5. "Dip in the Pool"
6. "Galloping Foxley"
7. "Skin"
8. "Neck"
9. "Nunc Dimittis"
10. "The Landlady"
11. "William and Mary"
12. "The Way Up to Heaven"
13. "Parson's Pleasure"

All the stories are part of the book Tales of the Unexpected

So I am right on track. In my novel I am in chapter VI of XII and I am reading half a chapter per day. So if all goes well I will finish my challenge on time!

The Louis-d'Or by François Coppée
#13/24

Msg 69 updated, I'm halfway through. A very mind-expanding challenge.

14/24 - it looks like I'm almost done A Feast for Crows but there are still 275 pages left. The home stretch.