2025 Reading Challenge discussion

ADVENT CALENDAR CHALLENGE
Duration: December 1, - December 31, 2018

Many countries around the world use advent calendars or Christmas calendars to celebrate the month of December. For some people, the calendar has religious significance, but for others it's a secular, non-religious tradition.

For this challenge, there are two options:

A) Starting on Dec. 1 and ending on Dec. 24, read a short story (or a poem!) every day. Use stories or poems from collections, magazines, or the internet - there's lot of good short fiction available for free from many publishers.

B) Starting on Dec. 1: Split a novel into 24 chunks and portion your reading so that you read the last chunk on Dec. 24. (Ideally the novel has 24 chapters to start with! But as long as you can manage to count out fairly even-sized chunks, it'll work.)

If you'd rather keep reading past the 24th, you're welcome to try for the whole month!

Karina will be leading this challenge. Thank you

It's that time of year AGAIN!

Are you joining in? What are you reading? Am I the only one with a habit of saving up some short story collections for December just for this?

For myself, this year's calendar reading is going to include Not So Stories and, as a rare seasonally-appropriate choice, Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology. Merriness!

PARTICIPANTS

Alisia: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Angela Jr: 48/48 - Complete! \o/
Blagica: 16/31
bookescape: 4/24
Brian: 31/24 - Complete! \o/
Brittany: 0/24
Carmen: 22/22 - Complete! \o/
Caro: 6/24
Catka: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Claire: 55/56
Consuelo: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Crystal: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Debra: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Dee: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Jennifer: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
June: 44/48
Karina: 31/31 - Complete! \o/
Katie: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Kristin: 18/31
Laura: 21/24
Marika: 6/24
Meghan: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Mie: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Mindy: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Mini: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Molly: 22/31
Nicole: 24/24 + 0/24 - Complete! \o
oshizu: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Reija: 24/24 - Complete! \o/
Sarah: 23/31
SarahKat: 24/24 - Complete! \o/

My pick for the calendar will be Flere bitre mandler - 10 Christmas mystery short stories, that I will space out over 24 days 🎄

24/24 - COMPLETE ✔️
✔️ Story 1: Christmas is dead by Michael Katz Krefeld
✔️ Story 2: Christmas in the sun by Lotte & Søren Hammer
✔️ Story 3: The Basement by Susanne Staun
✔️ Story 4: Fairytale of Copenhagen by Annika von Holdt
✔️ Story 5: Once upon a time by Kaaberbøl/Friis
✔️ Story 6: Home robbery by Dennis Jürgensen
✔️ Story 7: A Christmas present by Leif Davidsen
✔️ Story 8: The Manor by Inger Wolf
✔️ Story 9: Sixpence in the Christmas pudding by Anne Fortier
✔️ Story 10: Love.com by Gretelise Holm

Thank you for leading this challenge, Karina!

I will choose Option B to read Stephen King's The Stand, which has 1,348 pages split into 78 chapters.
(Edited to add: I'll be reading 6 of those chapters in November.)

So, I'll be reading 3 chapters/day until December 26
Edited: Due to uneven chapter lengths, I'll be reading approx. 53 pages/day until December 24.
Lol, it sounds so do-able when broken down into daily units!

Progress: 24/24

(In November, I read Chs 1-6, ending at pg 76)
On Day x, I finished page y and chapter z:
✔️Day 1: pg 131 (ch 12)
✔️Day 2: pg 185 (ch 18)
✔️Day 3: pg 237 (ch 24)
✔️Day 4: pg 287 (ch 27)
✔️Day 5: pg 340 (ch 33)
✔️Day 6: pg 396 (ch 36) [25% of 24 days]
✔️Day 7: pg 456 (ch 41)
✔️Day 8: pg 502 (ch 43)
✔️Day 9: pg 558 (ch 44)
✔️Day 10: pg 609 (ch 45)
✔️Day 11: pg 664 (ch 47)
✔️Day 12: pg 726 (ch 48) [50% of 24 days]
✔️Day 13: p771
✔️Day 14: p824 (ch 51)
✔️Day 15: p871
✔️Day 16: p926 (ch 54)
✔️Day 17: p980 (ch 56)
✔️Day 18: p1348 [75% of 24 days]

Warm Worlds and Otherwise
An early collection of 12 sci-fi short stories/novellas by James Tiptree Jr. (1915-1987)
✔️Day 19: "All the Kinds of Yes" (1972) and "The Milk of Paradise" (1972)
✔️Day 20: "And I Have Come upon This Place by Lost Ways" (1972) and "The Last Flight of Dr. Ain" (1969; 1969 Nebula Award nominee)
✔️Day 21: "Amberjack" (1972) and "Through a Lass Darkly" (1972)
✔️Day 22: "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" (1973; 1974 Hugo Award) and "The Night-Blooming Saurian" (1970)
✔️Day 23: "The Women Men Don't See" (1973) and "Fault" (1968)
✔️Day 24: "Love Is the Plan, the Plan Is Death" (1973; 1973 Nebula Award) and "On the Last Afternoon" (1972)

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

I have a book of poetry by Dylan Thomas that I've had for YEARS and not read! I will be reading one poem a day in December from that.
1. A Winter's Tale
2. Being But Men
3. Incarnate Devil
4. The Natural Day and Night
5. When I Woke
6. Since, on a Quiet Night
7. This Side of the Truth (for Llewelyn)
8. We Who Are Young Are Old
9. Lift Up Your Face
10. I Know This Vicious Minute's Hour
11. In the Beginning
12, Especially When the October Wind
13. With Windmills Turning Wrong Directions
14. Foster the Light
15. Sometimes the Sky's Too Bright
16. Shall Gods Be Said to Thump the Clouds
17. The Hand That Signed the Paper
18. You Are the Ruler of this Realm of Flesh
19. Why East Wind Chills
20. Was There a Time
21. Song
22. We See Rise the Secret Wind
23. O Make Me a Mask
24. There's Plenty in this World
25. The Conversation of Prayer
26. Rain Cuts the Place We Tread
27. Nearly Summer
28. Youth Calls to Age
29. Before I Knocked
30. A Letter to My Aunt Discussing the Correct Approach to Modern Poetry
31. Praise to the Architects

I'm also going to read In the manger: 25 Inspirational Selections for Advent


1. The Author of Life
2. Why Would He Come?
3. Just Call Him "Jesus"
4. God Came Near
5. With God Nothing Is Impossible
6. Who Would Believe It?
7. Christ in You
8. Conceived by the Holy Spirit
9. Pacing Outside the Stable
10. Searching the Night for a Light
11. God Dances Amid the Common
12. Linger Near the Manger
13. The Face of the Infant-God
14. Mary's Prayer
15. Joseph's Prayer
16. Too Busy to Notice the Impossible
17. How Long His Love Lasts
18. Seeing Jesus
19. Too Majestic for Words
20. What Love Does
21. Be Numbered Among the Searchers
22.Bloodstained Royalty
23. A Sacred Delight
24. Come and Behold Him
25. A Glimpse of His Majesty

56/56 Challenge compete!

I feel like this challenge needs to be in my life this year count me in for 31

I’m in for 24, sounds fun!

24/24

1. Young Goodman Brown ★★
2. The Cask of Amontillado ★★★★
3. A White Heron ★★★★
4. The Story of an Hour ★★★★
5. The Lady with the Little Dog ★★★
6. Paul's Case ★★★★
7. Araby ★★★★
8. The Rocking Horse Winner ★★★★
9. The Garden Party ★★★★
10. Winter Dreams ★★
11. A Rose for Emily ★★
12. Hills Like White Elephants ★★
13. A Worn Path ★★★
14. Battle Royal ★★★★★
15. Sonny's Blues ★★★★
16. The Shawl by Cynthia Ozick ★★★
17. The Handsomest Drowned Man in the World by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ★★★
18. Child's Play by Alice Monro ★★★★
19. A&P: Lust in the Aisles ★★★★
20. Cathedral by Raymond Carver ★★★★
21. Where are you Going, Where have you Been? by Joyce Carol Oates ★★★★
22. The Lesson ★★★★★
23. Everyday Use by Alice Walker ★★★★
24. The Things they Carried by Tim O'Brien ★★★★

Karina, how do we report updates for this challenge?
Once a week?

Joining as well :)
I'd like to adapt the challenge though... I'm reading lots of books simultaneously right now, so I'm going to go for a minimum of 50 pages per physical book, and one chapter per audiobook per day!
I'll just do up to the 24th for now and see if i want to continue until the 31st later.

Physical books 24/24
(view spoiler)[1. Through the Dark by Alexandra Bracken - 94 pages
2. Through the Dark - 92 pages
3. Gut aber tot by Eva Rossmann - 24 pages
Faefever by Karen Marie Moning - 26 pages
4. Faefever - 50 pages
5. Faefever - 50 pages
6. Faefever - 50 pages
7. Faefever - 50 pages
8. Faefever - 50 pages
9. Faefever - 50 pages
10. Faefever - 50 pages
11. Faefever - 40 pages
Free Four by Veronica Roth - 10 pages
12. Free Four - 6 pages
Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning - 44 pages
13. Dreamfever - 50 pages
14. Dreamfever - 50 pages
15. Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell - 50 pages
16. Down and Out - 50 pages
17. Gut aber tot - 26 pages
Down and Out - 24 pages
18. Dreamfever - 56 pages
Down and Out - 76 pages
The Path to Allegiant by Veronica Roth - 50 pages
19. Dreamfever - 50 pages
Down and Out - 30 pages
20. Dreamfever - 50 pages
21. Dreamfever - 50 pages
22. Gut aber tot - 50 pages
23. Dreamfever - 148 pages
Gut aber tot - 100 pages
24. Gut aber tot - 70 pages
(hide spoiler)]


Audiobooks 24/24
(view spoiler)[1. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling
2. The Big Bad Wolf by James Patterson
3. The Big Bad Wolf
4. The Big Bad Wolf
5. Deathly Hallows
6. Deathly Hallows
7. Deathly Hallows
8. Deathly Hallows
9. The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C. S. Lewis - whole book
10. Divergent by Veronica Roth
11. Divergent
12. Divergent
13. Divergent
14. The Silver Chair by C. S. Lewis - whole book
15. Insurgent by Veronica Roth
16. Insurgent
17. Insurgent
18. Insurgent
19. The Horse and His Boy by C. S. Lewis - whole book
20. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
21. Allegiant
22. Allegiant
23. Allegiant
24. Allegiant
(hide spoiler)]

48/48 total completed!

Count me in. I will enjoy read a new short story or poem each day in December.

1. Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant
2. Concord Hymn by Ralph Waldo Emerson
3. The Snow-storm by Ralph Waldo Emerson
4. The Arrow and the Song by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
5. Still I Rise by Maya Angelou
6. The Builders by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
7. The Day is Done by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
8. Alone by Edgar Allan Poe
9.
10.
11. Paul Revere's Ride by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
12. Annabel Lee by Edgar Allan Poe
13. The Raven by Edgar Allan Poe
14.
15. To Helen by Edgar Allan Poe
16. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Anonymous, Old Ironsides by Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. and Misgivings by Herman Melville
17. I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman
18. I Sit and Look Out by Walt Whitman
19. Miracles by Walt Whitman
20. A Noiseless Patient Spider by Walt Whitman and O Captain! My Captain! by Walt Whitman
21. Bury Me in a Free Land by Frances E. W. Harper
22. Songs for the People by Frances E. W. Harper
23. Because I could not stop for Death by Emily Dickinson
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.

I am in too. Found Mark Twain short stories on project Gutenberg (available for download here in case anyone is interested), so I will read one a day during Advent. They include Adam and Eves diaries' excerpts and other appropriate stories, so it should be fun month.

I'm in for this. I'm thinking I'll just start early on my New Year's Resolution to read through the Bible in chronological order. I'll read 1 chapter every day. I'm thinking I'll just read Luke next month though, as there are 24 chapters.

0/24

I just got two interlibrary loans that'll work great for this :). I'm going to use All Out: The No-Longer-Secret Stories of Queer Teens Throughout the Ages (17 stories) and The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories (10 stories) for a total of 27 stories & 27 days.

22/31
1. "Roja" by Anna-Marie McLemore
2. "The Sweet Trade" by Natalie C. Parker
3. "And They Don't Kiss at the End" by Nilah Magruder
4. "Burnt Umber" by Mackenzi Lee
5. "The Dresser and the Chambermaid" by Robin Talley
6. "New Year" by Malinda Lo
7. "Molly's Lips" by Dahlia Adler
8. "The Coven" by Kate Scelsa
9. "Every Shade of Red" by Elliot Wake
10. "Willows" by Scott Tracey
11. "The Girl with the Blue Lantern" by Tess Sharpe
12. "The Secret Life of a Teenage Boy" by Alex Sanchez
13. "Walking After Midnight" by Kody Keplinger
14. "The End of the World As We Know It" by Sara Farizan
15. "Three Witches" by Tessa Gratton
16. "The Butterfly and the Inferno" by Shaun David Hutchinson
17. "Healing Rosa" by Tehlor Kay Mejia
18. "The Bloody Chamber" by Angela Carter
19. "The Courtship of Mr. Lyons" by " "
20. "The Tiger's Wife" by " "
21. "The Snow Child" by " "
22. "The Erl-King" by " "

oshizu wrote: "Karina, how do we report updates for this challenge?
Once a week?"


Once a week is fine! Or whatever works for you, once a day is also fine. :) I'll be checking in as often as I can and update the list as close to daily as I can manage.

Catka wrote: "I am in too. Found Mark Twain short stories on project Gutenberg (available for download here in case anyone is interested), so I will read one a day during Advent. They include Adam and Eves diari..."

Yay! But correct me if I thought wrong when I put down 24 days for you. :) That's what I've been taught to consider Advent, but to some it's the whole month, and to some it's whatever time span comes between the 1st and 4th Sunday of it, so, um, yeah. Let me know!

I will try to read one of the many books I own and have not got to, especially since I like real books and go through the library. I doubt I have any short stories. So will likely do option B.

Karina wrote: "But correct me if I thought wrong when I put down 24 days for you. :) "
Yes, thanks, I was thinking the period between Dec 1 and 24, as specified for the challenge, but you are right, Advent starts on the first Sunday, Dec 2 :)
Happy reading!

Karina wrote: "oshizu wrote: "Karina, how do we report updates for this challenge?
Once a week?"

Once a week is fine! Or whatever works for you, once a day is also fine. :) I'll be checking in as often as I can..."

Thank you for your response! I'll be posting every six days.

In that connection, could you please change my reading goal to 24 days?
I'm reading 6 out of my book's 78 chapters this month so I can read 3 chapters x 24 days = 72 chapters for this challenge.

I'm in! I have couple of short story collections which I planning to read this during 24 days.

I have just the book for this! The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder, which is a mystery centered on an advent calendar and broken into 24 chapters. It's been on my TBR for years -- what an excellent spur to finally read it!

24/24

I'll join for option B. I will be reading Wisconsin Vamp. I have been putting it off so maybe this way I will be able to get it done.

24/24

*I did miss finishing my chapters on the 17th, I caught up on the 18th.

Hello!

Please count me in!
I will be reading short stories. Still deciding which ones but short stories will be. One every night till the 24.

One of the greatest modern Irish writers, and this compilation contains exactly 31 short stories, making it perfect for this challenge!

The Love Object: Selected Stories by Edna O'Brien

31/31

Day 1: Irish Revel✔️
Day 2: The Connor Girls✔️
Day 3: Tough Men✔️
Day 4: A Scandalous Woman✔️
Day 5: The Rug✔️
Day 6: The Creature✔️
Day 7: The Doll✔️
Day 8: Sister Imelda✔️
Day 9: A Rose in the Heart of New York✔️
Day 10: The Love Object✔️
Day 11: Number Ten✔️
Day 12: Mrs. Reinhardt✔️
Day 13: The Mouth of the Cave✔️
Day 14: Green Georgette✔️
Day 15: "Oft in the Stilly Night"✔️
Day 16: What a Sky✔️
Day 17: Brother✔️
Day 18: The Widow✔️
Day 19: Storm✔️
Day 20: Long Distance✔️
Day 21: Paradise✔️
Day 22: Lantern Slides✔️
Day 23: Shovel Kings✔️
Day 24: Madame Cassandra✔️
Day 25: Plunder✔️
Day 26: My Two Mothers✔️
Day 27: Manhattan Medley
Day 28: Inner Cowboy✔️
Day 29 Black Flower✔️
Day 30: Send My Roots Rain✔️
Day 31: Old Wounds✔️

Mini wrote: "I have just the book for this! The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder, which is a mystery centered on an advent calendar and broken into 24 chapters. It's been on my TBR for years -- what an exce..."
I loved The Solitaire Mystery! I think I'll give this one a try, too.

0/24

I'm reading A Game of Thrones in December and this should help me to pace myself to get through it as it is quite a lengthy read. There are 72 chapters so it works out perfectly to read 3 chapters a day and end on the 24th.

I'll sign up for 24
December

1.Good News Sheppard
2.Christmas at Midnight
3.Changing Places
4.A Walk Through Bethlehem
5.Broom At the Inn

6.Chapter One
7.Chapter Two
8. Chapter Three
9. Chapter Four
10. Chapter Five
11. Chapter Six
12. Chapter Seven
13.Chapter Eight
14. Chapter Nine
15.Chapter Ten
16.Chapter Eleven
17.Chapter Twelve
18. Chapter Thirteen
19. Chapter Fourteen
20.Chapter Fifteen
21.Chapter Sixteen
22. Chapter Seventeen

23. Session One
24. Session Two

I will sign up for 24 poems from the following site

100 best poems on Life

1.Never Ending Rain
2.Just being me
3.Biscuits of Love
4.Walking Alone
5.Fifteen Crosses
6. Standing Alone
7.Door to Decision
8. A Book of Memories
9. A great-grandpa to me
10.Different
11.Respect
12.Within Me
13. Into every Life
14. The Miracle
15. The Road Less Traveled
16. The Mask
17. Endure
18. Children are a Gift from God
19. The Most Beautiful Girl in the World
20. Just Hold Me
21. Poison
22. The Hard Part is Over With
23. Stranger
24. Life's Choices

Sign me up for 24 short stories/poems! I'm not sure what all I will read yet, but I am starting with Florida by Lauren Groff.

Progress: 24/24 COMPLETE!

1. Ghosts and Empties from Florida
2. At the Round Earth's Imagined Corners from Florida
3. Dogs Go Wolf from Florida
4. The Midnight Zone from Florida
6. Eyewall from Florida
7. For the God of Love, for the Love of God from Florida
8. Salvador from Florida
9. Flower Hunters from Florida
10. "On the Pulse of Morning" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
11. "A Brave and Startling Truth" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
12. "Continued" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
13. "Sons and Daughters" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
14. "When Great Trees Fall" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
15. "Million Man March" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
16. "Amazing Peace" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
17. "Mother, a Cradle to Hold Me" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
18. "In and Out of Time" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
19. "Bar Mitzvah Ben Lear" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
20. "Vigil for Luther Vandross and Barry White" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
21. "Prayer" from Celebrations: Rituals of Peace and Prayer
22. Above and Below from Florida
23. Snake Stories from Florida
24. Yport from Florida

Mini wrote: "I have just the book for this! The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder, which is a mystery centered on an advent calendar and broken into 24 chapters. It's been on my TBR for years -- what an exce..."

That book is the reason I've always loved reading my way through December. :) I hope you enjoy it!

I will read a poem every day for 24 days. I will be reading the collection of poems The Sun and Her Flowers.
1. Cemetery ✔
2. Jealousy ✔
3. Pretend ✔
4. The construction site of our future ✔
5. The first mornings without you ✔
6. Hunger ✔
7. Addiction ✔
8. When it goes too soon ✔
9. What love looks like ✔
10. Not your hobby ✔
11. Loyal ✔
12. The human condition ✔
13. Questions ✔
14. The person I fell in love with was a mirage ✔
15. Ghosts ✔
16. Closure ✔
17. I don't need more friends ✔
18. Time ✔
19. Numbness ✔
20. Depression is a shadow living inside me ✔
21. Realisations don't work like that ✔
22. Responsibility ✔
23. Conversations with god ✔
24. The underrated heartache ✔

I'm thinking about reading from this list: https://americanliterature.com/twenty....

I also have several short story print collections on my nightstand.

Mindy

I LOVE this challenge! Sign me up! I have a book that I've set aside for YEARS. You see, I almost exclusively listen to Audiobooks now and this book I have isn't available on audio, so it has been neglected for years now. I'll only have to read 10 pages a day to finish it for this challenge! That is totally doable! Also! I'm doing a children's books advent for my daughter this year, I'll try and record the books I read to her as well :)

Count me in, I think I'll choose a christmas anthology to read, I don't know which yet.
Days: 22/22
I already know 🤣
Gingerbread cookie murder: 3 short stories: 6/6 days ✔

02 ✔-03✔ ♡ Gingerbread cookie murder by Joanna Fluke
04✔-05✔ ♡ The dangers of gingerbread cookies by Laura Levine
06✔-07✔♡ Gingerbread cookies and gunshots by Leslie Meier

The Night before Christmas: 6 short stories: 6/6 days ✔

08 ✔☆ White knight Chritsmas by Lori Foster
09 ✔☆ Snow under by Erin McCarthy
10 ✔☆ Ms. Humbug by Jill Shalvis
11 ✔☆ I'll be home for Christmas by Kathy Love
12 ✔☆ Seduce Scrooge by Catherine Garbera
13 ✔☆ The good girl's guide to a very bad Chritsmas by Kylie Adams

A Christmas to remember: 5 short stories: 10/10 days

14✔-15✔ ● Dream a little dream by Jill Shalvis
16✔-17✔ ○ Every year by Kristen Ashley
18✔-19✔ ● Silent night by Hope Ramsay
20✔-21✔ ○ Have yourself a messy Christmas by Molly Cannon
22✔-23 ✔ ● A family for Christmas by Marilyn Pappano

Just a note.
Last night, I checked the chapter lengths of my book and discovered that my 3-chapter blocks range from 15 pages to 150+ pages.
So, I'll be switching to reading 53 pages a day, which will result in a smoother reading flow (I hope).
My challenge goal remains 0/24 days.

I’m in for 24 days of short stories.

Read 44/48


✔ Day 1: The Descent of Man
✔ Bonus: The Gospel of Luke Chapter 1
Day 2
✔ -The Darling
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 2
Day3
✔- The Christmas Tree and the Wedding
✔- Gospel of Luke Chapter 3
Day 4
✔- The Magic Mirror by George MacDonald
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 4
Day 5
✔- The lighthouse keeper
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 5
Day 6
✔- Goat
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 6
Day 7
✔- The Truth about Owls by Amal El-Mohtar
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 7
Day 8
✔- Black Betty by Nisi Shawl
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 8
Day 9
✔- A Fine Balance by Charlotte Ashley
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 9
Day 10
✔- The Blue Widow
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 10
Day 11
✔- To The Moon by Ken Liu
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 11
Day 12
✔- The Threadbare Magician by Cat Rambo
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 12
Day 13
✔- Queen Lily - Theodora Goss
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 13
Day 14
✔- Greeting Humanity! Welcome to your choice of Species! by Adam-Troy Castro
✔- The Gospel of Luke chapter 14
Day 15
✔- Sing against the Silent Sun by A. Merc. Rustard
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 15
Day 16
✔- The Atonement Path by Alex Irvine
✔- The Gospel of Luke 16
Day 17
✔- The Gifts of Angels- Nina Allan
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 17
Day 18
✔- The Mighty Slinger bu Karen Lord and Tobias Buckell
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 18
Day 19
✔- The Man Who Walked Home by James Triptree
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 19
Day 20
✔- Rusties by Nnedi Okorafor
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 20
Day 21
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 21
Day 22
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 22
Day 23
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 23
Day 24
✔- The Gospel of Luke Chapter 24

We start tomorrow! There's still time to join in. :)

Hi Karina, I think you missed my first post, message 9, where I said I was in for 24. Thanks!

I'd also like to join for 24 stories.
I'll be reading Reins of Destiny first and then follow up with That Way Lies Camelot, which has a total of 15 stories.
For the rest of the days I've still not decided. Either some other short stories or poems. But I'll inform before the 15th.

✔ 1. Reins of Destiny by Janny Wurts
2.-16. That Way Lies Camelot by Janny Wurts
✔ 2. Wayfinder
✔ 3. The Antagonist
✔ 4. Tale of the Snowbeast
✔ 5. The Crash
✔ 6. The Firefall
✔ 7. Silverdown's Gold
✔ 8. Double Blind
✔ 9. The Snare
✔ 10. Dreamsinger's Tale
✔ 11. Tripple-Cross
✔ 12. Dreambridge
✔ 13. Song's End
✔ 14. The Renders
✔ 15. No Quarter
✔ 16. That Way Lies Camelot
Tales from Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
✔ 17. The Finder
✔ 18. Darkrose and Diamond
✔ 19. The Bones of the Earth
20. On the High Marsh
21. Dragonfly
22.
23.
24.

I'll be doing both options & I'm in for 24 Days for both! I'll be reading Poems for Option A & for Option B I'll be reading Grotesque (469 Pages- roughly 19 per day).

Option A:

1. Read some Poems from The Sun and Her Flowers
2. Finished The Sun and Her Flowers
3. The Curtain by Hayden Carruth
4. The Snow Is Deep on the Ground by Kenneth Patchen
5. Sonnet 97: How like a winter hath my absence been by William Shakespeare
6. Winter Love by Linda Gregg
7. Lines: The cold earth slept below by Percy Shelley
8. White-Eyes by Mary Oliver
9. Crossing the Square by Grace Schulman
10. Winter Trees by William Carlos Williams
11. Choices by Tess Gallagher
12. Horses in Snow by Roberta Hill
13. The Darkling Thrush by Thomas Hardy
14. Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost
15. Blizzard by William Carlos Williams
16. Ice by Gail Mazur
17. A Winter Daybreak above Vence by James Wright
18. Beyond the Red River by Tomas McGrath
19. After Apple-Picking by Robert Frost
20. February by Margaret Atwood
21. Christmas by Bill Manhire
22. Christmas Trees by Robert Frost
23. Christmas, 1970 by Sandra M. Castillo
24. A Copywriter's Christmas by Margaret Fishback

Option B:

1. 9 Pages

I'm in! I am going to read Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility. It has 50 chapters so I will read 3 chapters on Dec. 1. and 24. and 2 chapters in other days.

1. Chapters 1-3. A lot of talk about money. One death and one young man who perhaps could be a good husband. Excellent start for the classic book!
2. Chapters 4 -5. In chapter 4, character of Edward is the hot topic. In chapter 5, Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters decide to move to Devonshire. So, it feels that the story is now starting to begin properly.
3. Chapters 6 - 7. The Dashwood family is getting familiar with their new neighbourhood.
4. Chapters 8 - 9. A new young man (Willoughby) enters the stage by saving Marianne.
5. Chapters 10-11. More information is provided about Willoughby and other characters.
6. Chapter 12-13. Very interesting issues are starting to appear to the plot. Ah, Marianne is so in love!
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1/24
I'm currently reading Anything Is Possible

My Advent reading diary:
So, I have made myself an advent calendar with a little chocolate and a name of a short story by Mark Twain I am going to read for each day from this collection. Also, someone posted this book: The Christmas Mystery above, which got my interest, so I will read that too.

Dec 1: first chapter from the Christmas Mystery and two Twain's stories: Italian with Grammar and A Telephonic Conversation
Dec 2: second chapter from the Christmas Mystery and The $ 30,000 Bequest short story
Dec 3: third chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Burlesque Biography short story
Dec 4: fourth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and General Washington's Body-servant short story
Dec 5: fifth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and How to Tell a Story short story
Dec 6: sixth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Letter to the Secretary of the Treasury (very) short story
Dec 7: seventh chapter from the Christmas Mystery and Italian Without a Master short story
Dec 8: eight chapter from the Christmas Mystery and two Twain's stories: The Five Boons of Life and The First Writing-machines
Dec 9: ninth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Dog's Tale (very sad and not at all Christmassy) short story
Dec 10: tenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Cure for the Blues short story
Dec 11: eleventh chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Helpless Situation short story
Dec 12: twelfth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and The Californian's Tale (another sad) short story. I thought those were supposed to be funny.
Dec 13: thirteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and Wit Inspirations of the "Two-years Olds" short story
Dec 14: fourteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and Introduction To “The New Guide Of The Conversation In Portuguese And English” short story
Dec 15: fifteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and two Twain's stories: Advice to Little Girls and Edward Mills and George Benton: A Tale
Dec 16: sixteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and Was it Heaven? Or Hell? (not so) short and quite depressing story.
Oh my, neither of these books was the best choice.
Dec 17: seventeenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and did not finish a short story Does The Race Of Man Love A Lord? - I don't feel like morality tales right now
Dec 18: eighteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and two Twain's stories: Post-Mortem Poetry and Portrait Of King William III
Dec 19: nineteenth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and not really feeling like reading The Curious Book short story, so I won't
Dec 20: twentieth chapter from the Christmas Mystery and Amended Obituaries short story
Dec 21: twenty-first chapter from the Christmas Mystery and The Danger Of Lying In Bed short story
Dec 22: twenty-second chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Monument to Adam short story
Dec 23: twenty-third chapter from the Christmas Mystery and A Humane Word from Satan short story
Dec 24: twenty-fourth chapter from the Christmas Mystery

Other Christmassy reading:
Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot's Christmas
The Christmas Hirelings audiobook

For this reading challenge I got the book 101 Great American Poems edited by The American Poetry & Literacy Project. I had read the first two poems before the start of this month. I read the first one for this challenge just now, William Bryant's Thanatopsis. Wishing everyone luck on their reading.

I found a book with 26 chapters and read the first 2 in november so my plan is to finish The Poppy War by the 24th wish me luck on to chapter 3 for today.

My list:

1. "How the spider got her legs" by Cassandra Khaw (Not So Stories)
* Gorgeous story in haunting voice, which is ofc what Khaw just does.

2. The Eisenberg Constant by Eugen Egner
* A man's comfortable life inside a carefully tailored time loop collapses. Enjoyable read, but lacking story payoff.

3. "Best beloved" by Wayne Santos (Not So Stories)
* Grim colonialism with interesting ghosts.

4. "Samsara" by Georgina Kamsika (Not So Stories)
* Reflection on "passing as white" with 3 generations of women.

5. "Walking with a ghost" by Nick Mamatas, (The People’s Republic of Everything)
* Lovecraft and computers and fun times

6. "Arbeitskraft" by Nick Mamatas, (The People’s Republic of Everything)
* I feel like I must have read this before, but it's well worth the repeat. Can't even make blithe summary beyond the title itself.

7. "Serpent, crocodile, tiger" by Zedeck Siew (Not So Stories)
* Less memorable to me

8. "How the tree of wishes gained its carapace of plastic" by Celeste Ng (Not So Stories)
* Less memorable to me

9. "How the ants got their queen" by Stewart Hotston (Not So Stories)
* Less memorable to me

10. "How the snake lost its spine" by Tauriq Moosa (Not So Stories)
* Very likely a well executed Kiplingesque style thing, but, oh, meh

11. "The cat who walked by herself" by Achala Upendran (Not So Stories)
* Cats, feminism, and a touch of body horror. I like this.

12. "Strays like us" by Zina Hutton (Not So Stories)
* Probably "less memorable" if I hadn't happened to be a hopeless cat person, thus able to recognize a perfect description of that thing where you earn a headbutt from a stranger cat.

13. "How the simurgh won her tail" by Ali Nouraei (Not So Stories)
* I have learned what a simurgh is. Gains a lot from the frame story.

14. "There is such thing as a Whizzy-Gang" by Raymond Gates (Not So Stories)
* One of my favourites in the collection (second to the Khaw story), likely because this is straight-up horror, hiding in hedges.

15. "How the camel got her paid time off" by Paul Krueger
* Funny satirical thing on capitalism, corporations, overwork. The camel/dog relationship makes it shine.

16. "Devil dogs" by Tim Lebbon (Predator: If It Bleeds)

17. "Blood and sand" by Mira Grant (Predator: If It Bleeds)

18. "Tin warrior" by John Shirley (Predator: If It Bleeds)

19. "The people's republic of everywhere and everything" by Nick Mamatas (The People’s Republic of Everything)

20. "Tom Silex, spirit smasher" by Nick Mamatas (The People’s Republic of Everything)

21. "The great armored train" by Nick Mamatas (The People’s Republic of Everything)

22. "The phylactery" by Nick Mamatas (The People’s Republic of Everything)

23. "Absinthe & Angels" by Kelly Armstrong (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

24. "Christmas in Barcelona" by Scott Smith (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

25. "Fresh as the new-fallen snow" by Seanan McGuire (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

26. "Love me" by Thomas E. Sniegoski (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

27. "Not just for christmas" by Sarah Lotz (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

28. "Tenets" by Josh Malerman (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

29. "Good deeds" by Jeff Strand (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

30. "It's a wonderful knife" by Christopher Golden (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

31. "The second floor of the Christmas hotel" by Joe R. Langsdale (Hark! the Herald Angels Scream: An Anthology)

Aand updated to here. Happy December!

Day 1: The husband Stitch in: Her Body and Other Parties

Update msg 4: 2/24

✔️ Story 1: Christmas is dead by Michael Katz Krefeld

Edited msg 41

For Day 1 - I finished yesterday evening by Janny Wurts.

A lovely short story shading light on the uprising and massacre that dethroned the clan High Kings of Havish. It reveals how the future of a royal line was saved and how one of the great mages from the Fellowship of the Seven was rendered discorporate.
It was a great read, but I only recommend it to those who have already read at least one book from Janny's Wars of Light and Shadow series, starting with The Curse of the Mistwraith