2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hey everyone!
While I set personal reading "aims" every year, this year will be my first proper reading challenge - I'm looking forward to it! My goal for 2021 is 21 books :)

I have some books that are burning a hole in my to read pile, so I"m going to start with those. Here are some of the books I'm planning on reading this year:

✓ Eileen
✓ Death in Her Hands
Trick Mirror: Reflections on Self-Delusion
The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter—And How to Make the Most of Them Now
✓ A Certain Hunger
The Portrait of a Mirror
A Little Life
Severance
The Queen's Gambit (loved the Netflix series, so hoping the book is even better!)

Any recommendations are welcome - as well as friend requests :) I don't have many friends who are super into reading, so finding some new friends along the way would be great!

Best of luck, Declan! :)

Happy New Year and best of luck with your challenge, Declan! :)

I hope you go beyond your 21 book resolution! Best of Luck!

Ilona wrote: "Best of luck, Declan! :)"

Thanks Ilona!

Lisa wrote: "Happy New Year and best of luck with your challenge, Declan! :)"

Thank you! Happy New Year, hope you have a safe and happy 2021 :)

Blagica wrote: "I hope you go beyond your 21 book resolution! Best of Luck!
"

Thank you! I'm aiming to go beyond 21, but wanted to start off with a modest goal (better to over-achieve imo)! If you have any recommendations I'd love to check them out :)

Book 1: Eileen
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
This was a dark read, and definitely had some great character development. Overall, it was a slow burn and I kind of wished that more of the novel was like the final ~60 pages. The story was less unputdownable than My Year of Rest and Relaxation but still a great read.

Book 2: Death in her Hands
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
I don't know how I feel about this one... I wish there was some sort of resolution to Magda's story, but I lost hope for this as the novel went on and Magda's significance became clear. This gave me chills though, and the transition from a classic thriller to an all-out psychological collapse was enjoyable and unexpected. I did have a soft spot for Vesta, but after 150 or so pages with little plot development, this felt middle-of-the-road, so a 3/5 it gets.

Good luck with your challenge!!

Barbara wrote: "Good luck with your challenge!!"

Thank you! :)

Book 3: Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
I devoured this! Sometimes I loved Eleanor, sometimes she annoyed me, but this was a heartwarming read about trauma and the importance of everyday acts of kindness. The one thing holding me back from 5 stars is the fact that it felt a bit trope-y with the "makeover-makes-people-like-me" narrative (also the word "mummy" gives me the ick).

Book 4: The Vanishing Half
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
My first 5/5 of 2021! This was absolutely incredible. I genuinely think this might be one of the best books I’ve ever read. Bennett’s exquisite writing deals with identity (and so much more) in so many ways and I would genuinely recommend this to anyone. I would give this 10 stars if I could!

Book 5: The Hunting Party
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
This was a solid read! A little slow and really character development-focused, and I would’ve liked some more action to keep the story going in the middle. The twists were great, but the characters were generally unlikeable and not relatable. Not bad, but not my favourite either!

Book 6: The Tattooist of Auschwitz
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Ohhhhh my god the tears were real. This was incredible and so touching - highly recommend!

Did anyone read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert?

Book 7: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Rating: ★★ (2/5)
Damnnnn I was really looking forward to this - it had been on my TBR forever. Maybe it’s me, I don’t know, but is this a case of the emperors new clothes? The writing is really gorgeous at times but I really struggled to overlook how purple it gets so often - e.g. “Then his eyelashes. You could hear them think.” Also, not sure I got the point of the animal gore scene in the first part. Part 2 was the best IMO and I hoped the rest would’ve followed similarly but it didn’t happen. For every nice quote I read (which there were quite a few of!) there were a dozen of eyeroll moments for me. But that’s just my opinion.

Sameer wrote: "Did anyone read Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert?"

Hey Sameer! This thread is for me to track my reading challenge progress, but there might be someone who has read it on their thread :)

Book 8: American Psycho
Rating: ★★★(3/5)
This was a good read, and Patrick Bateman is a perfect example of an unreliable narrator - which I enjoyed. Despite the gore, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this until around the last 50 or so pages, when it got overly repetitive and I found myself skim reading to get through it. Overall, a good one - but by far not my favourite book!

A Little Life is gonna wreck you, but it'll be worth it!

Felicia wrote: "A Little Life is gonna wreck you, but it'll be worth it!"

I'm starting it next weekend - kind of terrified, kind of ready!

Book 9: A Certain Hunger
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Oh my god did I LOVE this book. After my three-star-American Psycho-experience, I was reluctant to read another gruesome and grotesque novel so soon but I am so glad I read this. Dorothy's cutting (no pun intended) narrative was such a delight to read, and some parts of this were laugh-out-loud funny. I'll be adding this to my re-read rotation!

Book 10: The Girl on the Train
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Wow... What a wild ride... This was fast-paced and had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming - which I loved. That being said, I found literally all of the characters in this unlikeable (maybe that’s the point?) so I wasn’t really invested in what happened to them specifically, I was more invested in the mystery itself. The plot was so gripping and it would have been 5 stars if I had really felt more for any of the characters. I’d recommend this to anyone who hasn’t read it, but it isn’t up there with my favs nor is it on my re-read rotation.

Zeejane (Sara) wrote: "Declan wrote: "Book 9: A Certain Hunger
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Oh my god did I LOVE this book. After my three-star-American Psycho-experience, I was reluctant to read anot..."

I actually just ordered it! Thanks so much for the recommendation :)

Book 11: Hadley & Grace
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
I got this as part of Amazon First Reads, and it was a good read! I’m glad I took a pause from my TBR to read something I hadn’t planned on reading, as I found this to be fast-paced and enjoyable! That said, something about the writing style didn’t click with me - there was a lot of “Grace said...” “Hadley did...” so I didn’t connect as much as I’d hoped to with the characters. Overall, it was enjoyable, but not one of my favourites.

Book 12: A Little Life
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
I did it! It’s over! Maybe I can read for fun again (for a while)!

Was this book astonishing? Yes. Did it make me cry? Yes. Do I think some of it could’ve been cut out and you wouldn’t have lost anything? Yes.

Overall, this was a read I was semi-prepared for going into it, and it really didn’t let me down in terms of the array of awful and horrific moments throughout it. It’s hard to say I “enjoyed” reading this, it got a little repetitive and tedious - at certain points I’d put the book down and find it hard to pick up again (who willingly depresses themselves?!) - but it is incredible. I don’t recommend reading this without reading content warnings and being fully prepared to deal with anything triggering in vivid detail.

Book 13: Bunny
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
I am (finally) getting out of my A Little Life induced reading slump. This was wild, intense and totally bizarre. I had some fun with this, but ultimately I did feel lost at times and there were too many unanswered questions for me to give 5 stars. Overall, a complete and utter mindfuck (in a good way).

Book 14: My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress
Rating: ★★ (2/5)
I think I’ve exhausted every Delvey-related source I can find now, so this was a nice way to round it all off and it gave me some of the juicy inside details that I was looking for. This book wasn’t exceptionally written and, for the most part, I found it so hard to sympathise with the narrator (beyond the obvious: “oh you got scammed, that sucks”). When I tell you that our narrator felt (so) shocked that she literally spends around half the book describing how (so) shocked she was, I mean it - like... we get it. I feel that (obviously) our narrator uses this memoir to paint herself in a solely favourable light, but fails to really admit to happily using her friendship with Anna in order to indulge in expensive dinners, hundred dollar workout sessions and pricey spa treatments without footing the bill.

Overall, a worthwhile read if you’re interested in the story, but if you’re looking for a gripping, well-written and thrilling book, look elsewhere.

Book 15: The Whisper Man
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Bloody hell that was creepy… I really enjoyed this one! The plot is easy to follow, and the narrative style was pretty straightforward - which left me able to really get into the plot. Some of those later chapters really spooked me lol.

Book 16: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
One word: wow. I loved this so so much, I totally lost myself in the atmosphere and gorgeous writing, and even more so in the amazing story that I wasn’t expecting going into this. I particularly enjoyed the excerpts of tabloids throughout, as well as the dual-plot throughout the book (I cared a little less about Monique’s story… but I understood it’s importance). If you’re going to read anything, read this!

Declan wrote: "Book 10: The Girl on the Train
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
Wow... What a wild ride... This was fast-paced and had some twists and turns that I didn’t see coming - which I loved. That being s..."

I was going back and forth this weekend about starting this book but I ended up choosing another book (which I'm so far not loving). This is definitely on deck now for my next read!

Book 17: Carol
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
I love the Haynes adaptation of this novel, so I was disappointed that I didn’t connect with the novel as much as I had expected to. Nonetheless, I adored the gorgeous prose, I mean come on: “I feel I am in love with you, […] and it should be spring. I want the sun throbbing on my head like chords of music. I think of a sun like Beethoven, a wind like Debussy, and birdcalls like Stravinsky. But the tempo is all mine.” Gorg.

Book 18: The Great Gatsby
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
I enjoyed this waaaay more than I had expected. It’s length meant that it was one of the more approachable classics, but the plot itself was intriguing and kept me guessing. Seriously so good (as we already know) but just didn’t quite hit the 5 star mark for me.

Book 19: Convenience Store Woman
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
Quirky, yes. Hilarious, not so much. I enjoyed this read - super quick and a great way to spend an afternoon but I think it was a little oversold as “hilarious”. The plot sounds rather dull (akin to My Year of Rest and Relaxation) but unlike Moshfegh’s MYORAR, there wasn’t the deadpan humour to carry the plot (which I was expecting). Overall, a good read but not one I’d reach for in future.

Book 20: Piranesi
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Wow. That was absolutely incredible. I’m not usually one for fantasy novels but this took my breath away! Absolutely gorgeous writing, pacing that never left me waiting for something to happen and a story that gripped me (once I got past the confusing first few pages). I read this without any idea of what to expect and I seriously suggest that you do the same - it’s so worth it.

Book 21: Nightbitch
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Woohoo, 21 books done - and what better way to complete my reading challenge than with Nightbitch (and another 5/5 read). I leaned into the weirdness for this one and oh my god was it weird. I was totally hooked by the combination of suburbia à la Desperate Housewives, outlandishness à la Bunny and blood-thirst à la A Certain Hunger. Give me a feminist artist who turns into a dog and I’m sold. A totally weird, amazing and fascinating 5/5 read.

Declan wrote: "Book 20: Piranesi
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Wow. That was absolutely incredible. I’m not usually one for fantasy novels but this took my breath away! Absolutely gorgeous writing, pacing t..."

I agree. After I read it I looked up Piranesi on Wikipedia. It was worth reading and I wished I had done that before reading the book.

Book 22: Husk
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
In one week I’ve gone from mother-turned-dog (Nightbitch) to gay actor-turned-zombie with this weirdly enjoyable novel. I surprisingly liked reading this, it’s fast paced and never short of gore. I never pictured myself as the zombie novel type but Husk made me rethink that! Definitely a worthy read if you like gore and gay zombies.

Book 23: Memorial
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
What I loved most about Memorial was the representation and diversity throughout the novel. This was a quick read - all told in vignettes, which made the novel itself easy to digest. While this form can be great, it definitely made it harder for me to really sink my teeth into Mike and Ben’s relationship, as well as all the other plot lines throughout. The ending was a major letdown for me, I’m okay with an ambiguous ending from time to time but I loathe a collection of untied loose ends. I feel this could have been polished up a little neater, with less clunky dialogue and a more satisfying (or heartbreaking) ending.

Book 24: Girl, Interrupted
Rating: ★★★ (2.5/5 - 3/5 rounded up)
If I could give 2.5 stars, I would. Girl, Interrupted was a quick, emotional and reflective read and really did it’s job of shedding light on mental health in the 60s. The pacing was way too slow for me, and the writing style wasn’t really my vibe. A good read, but not a favourite.

Book 25: The Push
Rating: ★★★★ (4/5)
A 3.5 read rounded up to 4 stars… This was a slightly above-average read, with all of the expected elements that make a family drama/psychological thriller. I found that the “twists” weren’t really twists at all - I like to be kept on my toes and this just didn’t do it for me. The writing is good and the plot has some intrigue, although trope-y. I wish the ending was more shocking, with more payoff for certain events throughout the novel.

Book 26: Our Woman in Moscow
Rating: ★★★ (3/5)
This was… okay! I enjoy most historical fiction, so the history part was great. What I had trouble getting into was the characters and their individual plot-lines. From rushed love stories to hopping back and forth in time, this felt a little disjointed for me. Still enjoyable and a good read if you’re interested in the premise.

Book 27: Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
This really surprised me! A really interesting structure with a storyline but told through 4 vignette-like chapters. Heartwarming and cosy, I think I’ll definitely reread this in winter. I loved the characters and I really connected with the story which I loved! All round 5 star.

Book 28: The Echo Wife
Rating: ★★★★ (3.75 rounded up to a 4)
Finally I’m back to reading (after a super super busy few months). The Echo Wife surprised me! I really enjoyed this book, even though I’m not a major fan of sci-fi adjacent things at the best of times. The story was thought-provoking and rarely lost my interest. Two or three of the chapters near the end got a little blurry for me but, other than that, a solid read!

Book 29: Life, Unscheduled
Rating: ★★★ (2.5 rounded up to 3/5)
This was by no means an unenjoyable read - I liked it but it was just okay. Something simple, easy to read and an uncomplicated storyline was what I was looking for and I found that here. I felt the ending was rushed a little, and I was so close to deducting a star purely for the incessant use of “omigod”. Not a fav, not the worst, but a good read overall.

Book 30: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Rating: ★★★★★
Ugh this was amazing. I loved every second of this book - and I think it’s something everyone should read. This was the perfect balance of thought-provoking, insightful, and accessible. Giving this anything less than 5/5 would be an injustice.