2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Help! I'm looking for the title of a book that was written perhaps 20 years ago. I had thought it was written by
Tami Hoag but in looking at here book descriptions I can't find anything that sounds like what I'm searching for. I've tried https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/... ,but they are so swamped with requests that I thought a somewhat smaller group like ours, would have some really good book sleuths in it!

Here are some of the things I can remember about this book:

It is a horror or suspense novel

The female protagonist is being abused and possibly gaslighted by her husband who is a cop. For some reason, I think he shaves his head (I have no clue as to why that detail seems to stick with me). I think that he gets jailed for what he has done but possibly escapes and is now looking to murder her. Meanwhile, the wife grows a spine and learns to defend herself -I can't remember if romance blossoms between the self-defense teacher and the protagonist.

Could it be Rose Madder by Stephen King? Published 1995. It fits your description (although I don't think the husband went to jail). There is some supernatural stuff added of course, because Stephen King, but it's not a strong factor until the later parts of the book.

Marc wrote: "Could it be Rose Madder by Stephen King? Published 1995. It fits your description (although I don't think the husband went to jail). There is some supernatural stuff added of course, b..."

It sounds like it could be, but I could swear that the book I was looking for was written by a woman. I'll have to read Rose Madder again since it has been so many years, just to make sure!

However, I just don't remember any supernatural stuff going on and I think there may have been a sequel also.

To be fair, the story outline you described probably matches a lot of thrillers.

Another detail from Rose Maddder that might help you remember if that's the book or not: the protagonist ends up with a job as a voice actor (for recording audiobooks... on cassette probably at that point in time lol. OK, maybe CD's.)

Marc wrote: "To be fair, the story outline you described probably matches a lot of thrillers.

Another detail from Rose Maddder that might help you remember if that's the book or not: the protagonist ends up w..." Very true that this could be many books and that is why I'm hoping to get a lot of opinions!

I found it -The Perfect Husband

Thank you for your help.

So I have this book that I remember bits reading when I was a teen but I cannot remember the title or the author.

This book is a YA novel. I don't know the year it was made but I thought it could be from the 90's or early 2000's. I read it back in 2012 so definitely before then.

The book was about this girl and boy who would call in a radio talk show. In the talk show they would go on adventures with all the other viewers. In school they were a part of the yearbook club. For the yearbook club's photo to go into the yearbook they took a group photo all wearing masks. At the end of the book the girl found out the boy had disappeared and he made it as if he never existed. He took all photos away that was in his house and that's when she realized that must have been the reason he suggested the "fun" idea that they all wear masks in the yearbook photo.

Kristin Katsuye wrote: "So I have this book that I remember bits reading when I was a teen but I cannot remember the title or the author.

This book is a YA novel. I don't know the year it was made but I thought it could ..."


That sounds like a super interesting story to read! Unfortunately, I've never heard of it and have no idea what the title is or who the author might be