2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi all!

We're nominating for the last summer month! Luckily the summer is not over yet. The theme of August is Neighbours.

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 June 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 A Man Called Ove because it's about what happens when a man (Ove) gets new neighbors.

From the synopsis:
"A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door."

I'll second A Man Called Ove

Has The Couple Next Door been discussed in this group yet? If not, I would like to nominate that!

I'd like to nominate The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. It was nominated for Goodreads Choice for Mystery last year. It has great reviews, and its a mystery around what happens when a couple goes for a visit at the neighbors and leaves their daughter in their house alone.

Daph wrote: "Has The Couple Next Door been discussed in this group yet? If not, I would like to nominate that!"

Second that!

I want to read them both but I'll third A Man Called Ove :) The plot sounds a lot like Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino"

I nominate Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

It is a story about how a group of very different people move into the same apartment building and become not only neighbors but an unlikely family unit.

I nominate A Man Called Ove. It taught me that you need to stick it out with neighbors and not right them off. Sometimes they are in your life for a long time.

Susy wrote: "Daph wrote: "Has The Couple Next Door been discussed in this group yet? If not, I would like to nominate that!"

Second that!"

Third that.

I agree with "The Couple Next Door", looking forward to this one.

I'm sixth-ing The Couple Next Door. :D

I nominate My Sunshine Away. The story takes place in a neighborhood and the narrator keeps tabs on his neighbors "disturbia style". really great read.

I nominate Uprooted by Naomi Novik - a very powerful wizard lives next to and looks after a village but his price is a girl every ten years. The community also have to pull together against the dangers of the Wood. It's not a conventional relationship between neighbours but it's certainly interesting...
I hope this is enough of a connection to the theme. If not, I can expand if need be.

I would like to nominate Everything, Everything but Nicola Yoon. This is about a girl who can never go outside because of her illness and the relationship that develops with the boy who moves in across the street.

I second My Sunshine Away since it's been on my TBR shelf for a while ;)

I'd also like to second (or fifth?) a Man called Over, it being on my tbr. ;-)

I am so in for The Couple Next Door.

Thank you all ^^

Kristina wrote: "I nominate A Man Called Ove because it's about what happens when a man (Ove) gets new neighbors.

From the synopsis:
"A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on it..."

THIS! :)

I second Everything, Everything!!

I would so love to do the book, "The Summer I Saved the World in 65 Days" by Michele Weber Hurwitz.
This book follows a teenage girl as she goes around her neighborhood making kind changes as well as changing herself. This book is so amazing and so sweet as well as inspiring. It would make the perfect group read.

Rachael wrote: "I nominate Uprooted by Naomi Novik - a very powerful wizard lives next to and looks after a village but his price is a girl every ten years. The community also have to pull together..."

I would like to second Uprooted by Naomi Novik. Never read it but it sounds like my kind of book!

I love The Man Called Ove, but as I've already read it, I'll 'second' The Couple Next Door

Lisa wrote: "I want to read them both but I'll third A Man Called Ove :) The plot sounds a lot like Clint Eastwood's "Gran Torino""

Not at at! AMCO is Swedish with a lot of European references. Plus the authors writing style is very natural and lures you in. Its funny, heartfelt and you wont be able to put it down. :)

I nominate Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. It is the first book in her Gilead triology and involves the lives of two ministers who are neighbors but whose lives follow somewhat different trajectories.

I'm going with the Couple Next Door as well.

I would nominate The Life Before Us. This is a brief summary:

Momo has been one of the ever-changing ragbag of whores' children at Madame Rosa's boardinghouse in Paris ever since he can remember. But when the check that pays for his keep no longer arrives and as Madame Rosa becomes too ill to climb the stairs to their apartment, he determines to support her any way he can.
This sensitive, slightly macabre love story between Momo and Madame Rosa has a supporting cast of transvestites, pimps, and witch doctors from Paris's immigrant slum.

What a great suggestion, Annn! I second The Life Before Us, I hadn't heard of this author before but this sounds incredible.

I want to recommend Jane Austen's Persuasion. At it's heart it is about love and neighborly affections, and how those things can hurt and help people. Anne breaks off her engagement and after her former fiancé returns from sea, he finds her family in financial ruin. Does he do something to help them despite his heartache caused by Anne? I believe it speaks to neighborhood politics as well as romance.

katie wrote: "What a great suggestion, Annn! I second The Life Before Us, I hadn't heard of this author before but this sounds incredible."

I've read it and it's amazing, so well written and incredible characters!

Annn wrote:
I've read it and it's amazing, so well writ..."

Wow! Well it's on my TBR regardless now!

Anyone in UK - A couple next door is 99p on kindle on Amazon.co.uk daily deal today

Christina Roso wrote: "I second Everything, Everything!!"

I third it

I would like to vote for My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It relates to the theme of 'neighbors' since two of the main cast of characters are neighbors.

Olivia wrote: "I would like to vote for My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick. It relates to the theme of 'neighbors' since two of the main cast of characters are neighbors."

Thank you Olivia:)

I was away during weekend and as such nomination thread will be closed tomorrow. Hopefully I will have the poll up too. Last day of nominating!

I myself will second or more like third or fourth probably Everything Everything since I had it gifted to me recently ^^

I'd like to vote for Everything, Everything

Jennifer wrote: "I'd like to vote for Everything, Everything"

The poll will get up soon and then you can vote. Whenever a book is chosen twice in nominations it's almost always directly into the poll because all seconded books go first and after that it's rating. You can vote for the book, just scroll down on main page to find poll when it is up :)

CLosing nominations, poll coming soon!!

Poll is up!! https://www.goodreads.com/poll/list/5...