2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi Everyone!

Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a nice and safe celebration. We have a new year of books to explore and you can help us decide our group read for March. The theme is Women.

Please remember to state a connection to the theme when you nominate. Thank you :)

Here are some short rules for nominating books:

~ 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 include the name of the book and the author or link to the 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.

~ When nominating, please state a connection to the theme.

~ You cannot nominate a book which has previously been a group read. Past buddy reads are fine. (See Group Reads in the bookshelf)


This thread will be closed by January 25th, and we will choose ten books for the poll. If there are more than ten books nominated, we will choose the ten most nominated. 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 nominate Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie comes out this weekend, and I'm so excited about this story!

Megan, 100% that's what I came in here to nominate! I'll enthusiastically second it.

I nominate Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly

I nominate Louisiana Longshot by Jana DeLeon.

Megan wrote: "I nominate Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie comes out this ..."
I'd like to third this nomination!

I'd like to nominate The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Fits the theme perfectly!

I'm the 4th to nominate Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly

The Handmaid's Tale was my choice too, I second that ;)

Eileen wrote: "The Handmaid's Tale was my choice too, I second that ;)"

I third The Handmaid's Tale.

I would like to third The Handmaid's Tale

Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg. It is about women in the working world.

I would like to nominate the novel Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff. The novel is about a strong female protagonist that must fight for her family and her Maori community. A good book--lots of heartache, but something I always recommend to people.

Kara wrote: "Megan, 100% that's what I came in here to nominate! I'll enthusiastically second it."

Haha, great minds:)

Grace wrote: "I'd like to nominate The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. Fits the theme perfectly!"

Love this book and cannot wait to see the TV show. Good choice!

The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge. The MC is a strong young girl in the 1800s who is fascinated by science but is actively discouraged because of the time period. This books is such a strong feminist novel and is an amazing and haunting read :)

I'm also in for The Handmaid's Tale. Have always wanted to read it.

I will nominate The Handmaid's tale <3

I would like to nominate:
The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra by Helen Rappaport

I nominate Hidden Figures as well.

I nominate the classic Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Saint Mazie by Jami Attenberg

Inspired by the life of a woman who was profiled in Joseph Mitchell's classic Up in the Old Hotel, Saint Mazie is infused with Jami Attenberg's signature wit, bravery, and heart. Mazie's rise to "sainthood" - and her irrepressible spirit - is unforgettable.

Annie wrote: "I nominate Little Women by Louisa May Alcott"

Unfortunately we read this one this year. A beautiful book! We don't have a book twice as a group read. Maybe there's another book you can nominate? :)

I nominate The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis

I'm also in for Hidden Figures.

Drithi wrote: "I nominate The Female of the Species by Mindy McGinnis"

If I hadn't cast my nomination already, I would've backed that one up. Great book :)

Call me crazy but I'd love to read The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir

I'll also confirm the nomination for Hidden Figures!

I'll nominate All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation because it's all about women

One of my goals this year is to read more nonfiction about historically significant women so this could be perfect! I'd like to nominate The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II.

I have not made up my mind yet but .. The handmaid's tale is a very good book.
But beware: I have been haunted by it ever since I read it.

I want to read all of the books nominated!

Meg wrote: "I'll nominate All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation because it's all about women"

I would like to second this! A couple of my colleagues have read it and thought it was really interesting and well researched.

I would like to throw my hat in for The Feminine Mystique. I know it has a lot of history in the women's movement and I have wanted to read it for a while now, but a lot these books sound good. I imagine I will be happy with whatever is chosen :)

I would like to nominate The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Henrietta Lacks just might have been one of the most important women in history and she never knew anything about it.

Megan wrote: "I nominate Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race by Margot Lee Shetterly. The movie comes out this ..."

I would also like to nominate Hidden Figures!

I'd like to second The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.

Another vote for Hidden Figures.

Jill wrote: "I nominate Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly"

I second Lilac Girls :)

I am also in for The Handmaids Tale. :)

And once more : The handmaid's tale

I'll third Lilac Girls

I want to nominate Still Alice because it is about a successful woman dealing with Alzheimer's and all that entails- how it affects her family and her own sense of self, but in the end she is still Alice. Feels appropriate.

I'd like to third The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloo

Still Alice is fantastic. My grandmother had early-onset Alzheimer's and died when I was pretty young, so it helped me understand what she and my family went through.

Exposure by Helen Dunmore.Had to read a "spy" book for my bookclub.This is about the effects on the wife and children...

Oh dang, Still Alice has always sounded like an appealing book. I'm SO excited for the results for this month!!! :) I think it's going to be a close one!!

Thank you so much for the numerous nominations!

Cassandra wrote: "Still Alice is fantastic. My grandmother had early-onset Alzheimer's and died when I was pretty young, so it helped me understand what she and my family went through."

Someone in my family has extreme memory issues, not Alzheimer's but will likely develop into something like that, and I am hoping that reading the book will give me peace about it, because I worry a lot. Will be reading it regardless this year, but thought it would be fun if I could read it with other people :)

Little Women, Hidden Figures, The Handmaid's Tale or Jane Eyre - I can't pick just one! I would be totally pumped if any of those 4 were chosen. Little Women is one of my all time favorites and the other 3 have been collecting dust on my TBR list!