2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Could be pushing my luck here as I'm not the fastest reader. Try to read as many different genres as possible so I'll need to try and make up some sort of list.
Anyway first book I've started is Silent Killer by Beverly Barton.
Let's see how it goes.

Good luck Alan! I look forward to seeing all the books you read.

Going to set myself a wee challenge. My plan is that I can only use each letter of the alphabet once as the first letter in the title of the book. If that makes sense? Currently reading Silent Killer so that will be 'S' ticked off.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
T
U
V
W
Q
Y
Z

Silent Killer finished really enjoyed it kept me guessing to the end. Next on the list and a major change from my last book. The wind in the willows. Can't believe I've never read this.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Really can't make my mind up about The Wind in the Willows. Didn't really take to the characters and I just can't imagine myself reading this book when I was at school. In a strange way it works but just wasn't for me.

I like your idea of using just the first letter of the book for the A-Z challenge. Any ideas for the tricky letters?

I haven't got a clue to be honest. I don't have a list of books that I'm definitely going to read just whatever appeals to me at the time as long as it fits into my challenge. Something should appeal to me for the tricky letters if not I'll ask for suggestions.

Onto my next book lets see how it goes. Letter D - Dambusters by Max Arthur


A
B
C
DAMBUSTERS
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

can't wait to see what you get for x.

There's a couple I'm worried about and X is right at the top. Must be something good out there but I'll probably leave it till near the end unless I stumble across something

I haven't read any of them, but there are several books simply titled X. You could Google them and see if they interest you. :)

Managed to find a couple beginning with X. one is a Jeffrey Deaver book and I like him so that could be my choice.

I'm glad to hear you like Jeffrey Deaver. My dad needed a new author, so I bought him a Deaver book from the secondhand bookstore. He hasn't read it yet, though, so I don't know how it will go over with him. Keeping my fingers crossed!

I've not read all of Jeffrey Deaver's books but the one's I have read I like so fingers crossed your dad likes it

Finished Dambusters and loved it. Different from anything I had read before. Rather than telling the story like most books it had the people involved telling the story. You got to read what it was like for them before, during and after the attack. You also got to hear what it was like for the people affected. Some of the language isn't suitable for nowadays but that's how it was. Can't change it.

Next book. I know xmas is past but it's freezing outside and snowing on and off so I think I can get away with this. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

A CHRISTMAS CAROL
B
C
Dambusters
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Good to know, Alan! Thank you. :)

Finally finished A Christmas Carol. Seen so many different versions of this so was good to finally read the book.

That is an awesome challenge. I should have thought of that. Lol. My challenge is 24 books. I don't read that much cause I have a ton of hobbies and work. I'll be interested in your list. Good luck :).

My original challenge was 25 books but unless something has changed there is 26 letters in the alphabet lol, deliberate mistake honest

Sounds good to me. Hahahahaha.

It doesn't look like you will have any problems finishing your 25 (or 26) book challenge. You've started off great. I am doing the same A-Z title challenge and was surprised when I started checking that J isn't an easy letter to find titles for.

I thought x would be hard too but I found one on my shelf I never read. It's called X, Y and it was part of the Abyss horror line from the 90s.

I never thought about J being a hard letter so I'm glad you told me that. X was definitely one I thought I would struggle with. Now I know the book I want to read its just a matter of getting it. Good luck with both of your challenges. If I'm struggling with any letter I might need to ask for a little help :)

Bit of crime for my next book. Been sitting on my bookshelf feeling sorry for itself for too long. Book 5 - Gone by Mo Hayder

A Christmas Carol
B
C
Dambusters
E
F
GONE
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

Gone done and dusted. Really liked this book, it was twisted, just the way I like a crime book to be. Definitely be reading Mo Hayder again.

No idea why I'm reading this next book its guaranteed to scare the life out of me haha. Not a fan of open water, just never know what's down there. So reading a book about something in the ocean killing people probably isn't my best idea by hey ho. Book 6 - Below by Ryan Lockwood

A Christmas Carol
BELOW
C
Dambusters
E
F
Gone
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
W
X
Y
Z

I LOVE this twist on the reading challenge. How cool. You are a much more creative person than I.

Most likely, I would start off strong and then revert to Sue Grafton books as filler :-).

I thought it might be fairly easy to do at first how wrong I was haha. Never realised how many books start with 'The' I liked the last book I read by Mo Hayder and was tempted to read more of hers but think as an extra challenge I'll try and not repeat an author.

I don't think it would be cheating if you ignored "The". So if the book was The Wind in the Willows, you could count it for W. A lot of places sort by title while ignoring the The in the front. It's all up to you, of course!

I know it wouldn't be cheating to not count 'The' just makes it a bit harder :) Its not set in stone so I'll see how it goes.

Finished Below. scared the life out me lol. not a fan of the open water so a book about a species suddenly becoming a man eater was never going to be easy lol. saying that I did enjoy the book and was another that at one time I'd probably not even have looked at.

Struggling to find a book to take my fancy just now. not sure what kind of book I want to read next. think a visit to the library could be in order

Alan wrote: "Struggling to find a book to take my fancy just now. not sure what kind of book I want to read next. think a visit to the library could be in order"

I always find inspiration wandering around the library. And I usually come home with way too many books:)

Next book in my challenge Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Not sure how this will go seen a few mixed reviews. Looking forward to it anyway.

A Christmas Carol
Below
C
Dambusters
E
F
Gone
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
WOLF HALL
X
Y
Z

Alan wrote: "Next book in my challenge Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Not sure how this will go seen a few mixed reviews. Looking forward to it anyway."

I liked Wolf Hall a lot but the writing style takes a bit to get used to.

I see what you mean about the writing style Megan. Read the first couple of chapters will definitely take a bit of getting used to.

Alan wrote: "Next book in my challenge Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Not sure how this will go seen a few mixed reviews. Looking forward to it anyway."

I almost read Wolf Hall a few weeks ago but didn't. I will have to check back and see what you think.

Definitely struggling with this book.

going to have to scrap this book. can't get into it at all

There is X Y Z by Anna Katharine Green which you can find on the internet for free as it is public domain.

Well 'W' didn't quite go to plan. For 'M' I'm trying Mind of Winter.

A Christmas Carol
Below
C
Dambusters
E
F
Gone
H
I
J
K
L
MIND OF WINTER
N
O
P
Q
R
Silent Killer
The Wind In The Willows
U
V
W
X
Y
Z