2025 Reading Challenge discussion

update to message #20: 3/24

Update to Msg #3

3/31

Day 3 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com:

"Real Joy" by Joanna Fuchs

What is Christmas without Jesus Christ?
It’s a holiday full of stuff.
Money and stress, teaching kids greed,
Some people are saying “Enough!”

“Love one another,” our saviour said.
It’s all about love, not things.
Let’s teach our children to serve, and create
The real joy that true Christmas brings.

Update to message 16

3/24 poems completed

Updated message 15. Progress: 3/24

Update to Message #10: 3/24

I finished The Santa Suit faster than I'd planned -- in three days rather than five. I failed to take into account that I would change the playback speed, depending on the audio narrator.

Updated through Msg #56.

🕯️Welcome everyone who has signed-up since my last update!🕯️

We now have 27 participants.

Will update again on Dec 4th.

I confess I wanted to keep reading Ben Hur last night, but I made myself stop at my allotted number of chapters.

And we are down to 22 days 'til Christmas =D

🕯️Happy Advent Reading!🕯️

TerryJane wrote: "Update to Message #10: 3/24

I finished The Santa Suit faster than I'd planned -- in three days rather than five. I failed to take into account that I would change the playback spee..."

Okay ... I'm hearing an audio narrator that sounds like a chipmunk prattling at a 100 mph 😄

Update to message 14

Progress 3/24

Update to message #8

PROGRESS: 4/24 🎄

Updated message #12: 3/24

Sunny wrote: "Okay ... I'm hearing an audio narrator that sounds like a chipmunk prattling at a 100 mph 😄."

Ha! I did that the day before book club once when time was short and the book selection didn't trip my trigger. In this case, though, the narration was kind of slow due to the Southern US setting. I also read more than the alloted time on all three days. More books? No problem. 🤷‍♀️ You are much more disciplined with your Ben Hur. 😊🤗

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 3/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/3 - Chapter 3

Update msg 5: 4 chapters read 🎄

Well, I have been re-reading Saga because there is new chapters coming next year. There is 54 so far but it is very tempting to read so we'll see how it's going.

msg 21
1. 1
2. 2-3
3. 4-6
4. 7

4/24

Update for message 6

4/40

Update for Msg #3

4/31

Day 4 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Jolly Old Saint Nicholas" by Unknown

Jolly Old Saint Nicholas, lean your ear this way.
Don’t you tell a single soul what I’m going to say.
Christmas Eve is coming soon. Now, you dear old man,
Whisper what you’ll bring to me. Tell me if you can.

When the clock is striking twelve, when I’m fast asleep,
Down the chimney, broad and black, with your pack you’ll creep.
All the stockings, you will find hanging in a row.
Mine will be the shortest one. You’ll be sure to know.

Updated through Msg #68.

🕯️21 Days 'til Christmas🕯️

@Carol thanks for sharing the poetry!

Will update again on Dec 9th.

Hope everyone has a good week

🕯️Happy Advent Reading!🕯️

update to message 47


tihylttw: 9 chapters/25 chapters
oas: 4 chapters/20 chapters

overall: 13 chapters/45 chapters

(i've also decided to start reading 'on a sunbeam' by tillie walden starting december 5th)

Editing recent updates in message 78

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 4/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/4 - Chapter 4

Updated message #12: 4/24

Day 5 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Family Means Fun" by Unknown

Family means that they care.
Family means that they are there.
In this beautiful; Christmas time,
Everything looks sweet and prime.
So have fun with your family, because
It’s the holy time,
Merry Christmas to you,
And your family!

Update to Msg #3

5/31

Hi Everyone!

I am looking forward to participating in this! I forgot to post on Dec. 1st, but I have been participating!

I want to do both the A and B styles of this advent challenge.

For the first 12 days of the challenge I will read: Like Streams to the Ocean: Notes on Ego, Love, and the Things That Make Us Who We Are which can easily be broken up into 12 parts.

For the last 12 days of the challenge I will read 12 short stories from the compilation book: Eight Modern Essayists

The 12 short stories will be as follows:
Virginia Wolf:
- Professions for Women
- How Should One Read a Book?
- The Death of the Moth
- A Sketch of the Past
George Orwell:
- Why I Write
James Baldwin:
- Equal in Paris
Joan Didion:
- On Morality
- Goodbye to All That
- On Going Home
- On the Morning After the Sixties
- Why I Write
- On the Road

Thanks!

Update to message 14 - progress 5/24

Message 15 updated. Progress: 9/24

Update to message #8

PROGRESS: 6/24 🎄

Updated message #12: 5/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 5/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/5 - Chapter 5 & 6

I'm posting this for Day 6 since I probably won't have access to my computer tomorrow. From "Academy of American Poets" at poets.org --

"The Black Santa" by Allison Joseph

I remember sitting on his bony lap,
fake beard slumping off his face,
his breath reeking sweetly of alcohol,
a scent I didn't yet know at five.
And I didn't know that Santa
was supposed to be fat, white, merry—
not shaky and thin like this
department store Santa who listened
as I reeled off that year's list:
a child's oven I'd burn my fingers on,
a mini record player of gaudy plastic
I'd drag from room to room
by its precarious orange handle,
an Etch-a-Sketch I'd ruin by twisting
its dials too hard—my requests
as solemn as prayer, fervid, fueled
by too many hours of television,
too many commercials filled
with noisy children elated
by the latest game or toy.
I bet none of them
ever sat on the lap of a Santa
who didn't ho-ho-ho in jolly mirth,
whose sunken red eyes peered
out from under his oversized wig
and red velveteen cap, his teeth yellow,
long fingers tinged with yellow.
I did not find it strange
to call this man Santa,
to whisper my childish whispers
into his ear, to pull on his sleeve
to let him know I really deserved
all that I'd asked for. I posed
for an instant photo with him,
a woolen cap over my crooked braids,
mittens sewn to my coat sleeves.
No one could have convinced me
this Santa couldn't slide down
any chimney, though his belly
didn't fill his suit, and his hands
trembled, just a bit, as he lifted
me from his lap. No one could
have told me that a pink-cheeked
pale-skinned Santa was the only Santa
to worship, to beg for toys and candy.
I wouldn't have believed them,
wouldn't have believed anyone
who'd tell me Santa couldn't look
like me: brown eyes, face, skin.

I’d like to join in.

I will be reading poetry. I will read enough to catch up with today and then see how things go for the rest of the advent calendar.

Update to Msg #3

6/31

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 6/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/6 - Chapter 7

Update to #11

6 of 24

update to message #13: 5/24 (or 5/31). I'm still finishing my entry for Dec 5th, but I'm almost done! 🎄

Day 7 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"The Funniest Face" by Anon

The funniest face
looked out at me
From a silver ball
On the Christmas Tree!

At first I thought
It was Santa’s elf,
But I looked again and
It was just myself!

Update to message #8

PROGRESS: 7/24 🎄

Update to Msg #3

7/31

Updated message #12: 7/24

Update to message #8

PROGRESS: 8/24 🎄

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 7/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/7 - Chapter 8

Update to message 14 - 8/24

Update to Msg #3

8/31

Day 8 - from "24 Christmas Poems for Kids: Festive Advent Calendar" at imagineforest.com

"Our Family" by Unknown

Our family is like a patchwork quilt.
With kindness gently sewn,
Each piece original
With beauty all its own
With threads of warmth and happiness
It’s lightly stitched together.
To last in love throughout the years
Our family is forever.

Updated message #4: 8/24

Update message #6

8/40

Updated message 37: 8/24

Updated message: #7

🎄🎄🎄Progress: 8/24🎄🎄🎄

✔️12/8 - Chapter 9