2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Karen wrote: "Message 44 updated! 34/25 books read!
3 piles completed."

Darinda wrote: "updated message #54 - 10/10 completed"

Congratulations :)

Update message #38 - 18/20, raising my goal as well.

Update: MSG #8 6/15

Updated message 7. Progress: 6/15

Original goal: I'm going to go for 5 piles, each having at least 5 books. Minimum book: 25
Result: 12 piles, each having at least 5 books. Total books: 90

Pile 1
1. Behind Her Eyes
2. eyes - Their Eyes Were Watching God
3. God - Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
4. are - We Are All the Same in the Dark
5. we - We Have Always Lived in the Castle
6. we - We Found a Hat (The Hat Trilogy Book 3)

Pile 2
1. I Am Quiet: A Story for the Introvert in All of Us
2. quiet - All Quiet on the Western Front
3. front - The Kitchen Front
4. kitchen - Inspector Chen and the Private Kitchen Murder (Inspector Chen Cao #12)
5. murder - Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide
6. your- You Can Go Your Own Way
7. way - Love the Way You Lie (Houes of Crows #4)
8. love - Enemies, A Love Story
9. story - Indianapolis: The True Story of the Worst Sea Disaster in U.S. Naval History and the Fifty-Year Fight to Exonerate an Innocent Man
10. sea - In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
11. tragedy - Olive Oatman: Explore The Mysterious Story of Captivity and Tragedy from Beginning to End
12. beginning - The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events, #1)
13. bad - Bad Mother Vol. 1

Pile 3
1. A Heart That Works
2. that - The War That Saved My Life (The War That Saved My Life #1)
3. life - Scott Pilgrim's Precious LIttle Life
4. little - Little Women
5. women - Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War
6. war - X Troop: The Secret Jewish Commandos of World War II
7. secret - Zero Fail: The Rise and Fall of the Secret Service
8. secret - Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids
9. power - Thomas Jefferson: The Art of Power

Pile 4
1. All the Missing Girls
2. all - All My Darkest Impulses (House of Crows, #1)
3. my - Does My Body Offend You?
4. you - I Remember You: A Ghost Story
5. story - Folsom Untold: The Strange True Story of Johnny Cash's Greatest Album
6. true - The Search for the Green River Killer: The True Story of America's Most Prolific Serial Killer
7. green - In the Great Green Room: The Brilliant and Bold Life of Margaret Wise Brown
8. great - Haiku U: From Aristotle to Zola, 100 Great Books in 17 Syllables
9. books - Q's Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books
10. love - I Love My Body Because
11. body - Whose Body?

Pile 5
1. This Is Not My Hat (The Hat Trilogy Book 2)
2. hat - I Want My Hat Back (The Hat Trilogy Book 1)
3. back - Carrie Soto Is Back
4. is - Black Is a Rainbow Color
5. black - The ABCs of Black History
6. history - Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History (Maus, #1)
7. tale - The Handmaid's Tale

Pile 6
1. The Green Eyes of Bast
2. green - The Girl in the Green Raincoat (Tess Monaghan, #11)
3. girl - The Girl on the Train
4. train - The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot, #6)
5. mystery - Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot, #20)
6. mystery - Swing: A Mystery

Pile 7
1. Under the Egg
2. under - Under Her Care
3. her - Dying to Be Her (Empty Coffin, #2)
4. be - Demystifying Disability: What to Know, What to Say, and How to Be an Ally
5. what - The Night Dad Went to Jail: What to Expect When Someone You Love Goes to Jail (Life's Challenges)
6. dad - Dad Is Fat
7. is - No Dream Is Too High: Life Lessons From a Man Who Walked on the Moon
8. life - Yes, I'm Hot in This: The Hilarious Truth about Life in a Hijab
9. about - Pear Shaped: The Funniest Book So Far This Year About Brain Cancer
10. book - The Graveyard Book

Pile 8
1. A Brew Most Bitter (33rd Street Roastery Cozy Mysteries Book 1)
2. most - Fred & Rose West: Britain's Most Infamous Killer Couples
3. killer - My Sister, the Serial Killer
4. my - How Green Was My Valley
5. green - Green Eggs and Horror: A Children's Story Inspired Anthology
6. story - Disney Before the Story: Anna Finds a Friend

Pile 9
1. The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There
2. tales - The Storyteller: Tales of Life and Music
3. life - Taste: My Life Through Food
4. through - Obeying Evil: The Mockingbird Hill Massacre Through the Eyes of a Killer
5. massacre - Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre

Pile 10
1. Demon Copperhead
2. demon - A Demon in My View
3. my - My Mother Was Nuts
4. was - Who Was Dr. Seuss? (Who Was?)
5. who - The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (George Smiley, #3)
6. spy - Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy

Pile 11
1. Huda F Are You?
2. you - How Do You Spell Unfair?: MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee
3. how - Choosing Brave: How Mamie Till-Mobley and Emmett Till Sparked the Civil Rights Movement
4. civil - Heroines of Mercy Street: The Real Nurses of the Civil War
5. war - The War I Finally Won (The War That Saved My Life, #2)

Pile 12
1. The Long Haul (Diary of a Wimpy Kid, #9)
2. long - Long Black Veil: A Novel
3. black - Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History (Vashti Harrison)
4. little - Little Bear
5. bear - The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear
6. red - All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)

Message 22 Updated

Progress: 7/15

Update to message 27 - 17/50 books read.

Update to message #19

PROGRESS: 32/70

Update to message #26 - 15/30 books read!

Message #30 updated! Finished! 10/10

Update message #28:


Progress: 5 / 45

Update message #38 - 23/25, raising goal along the way

Updated message #12: 9/25

The participants list has been updated till here. We are almost halfway!

Updated message #12: 10/25

Update message #38 - 24/25

Updated msg 34

Love Report by Shellee Marie. I enjoyed the main characters and their development a lot. I wish I had read the first book in the series because there are a few more references than is typical in a romance series. I liked the concept, but the plot seemed to stall at times. I’ll be interested to see what this author does next. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 stars

5/20

Update to post 158

I'm closing out this challenge. I wound up with 12 piles for a total of 90 books.

Updated message 7. Progress: 7/15

Update to Message #11: 50/25
Complete!

Thanks so much, Ilona!

1. House 23: A Thriller
2. The House Next Door
3. House Made of Dawn
4. The House in the Pines
5. The Red House Mystery
6. 30 Red Dresses
7. Red Dust
8. Red Desert
9. Red Planet
10. Tomato Red
11. Red Leaves
12. The Red Badge of Courage
13. A Red Herring Without Mustard
14. The Girl in Red
15. The Girl Who Lived Twice
16. The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye
17. Who Is Vera Kelly?
18. Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
19. A Most Beautiful Thing: The True Story of America's First All-Black High School Rowing Team
20. The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America’s Favorite Planet
21. They All Fall Down
22. All I Want
23. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
24. All about Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business
25. You Don't Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles
26. You Should See Me in a Crown
27. If You Leave Me
28. Between You & Me
29. Funny, You Don't Look Autistic: A Comedian's Guide to Life on the Spectrum
30. A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow
31. The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories
32. The Other People
33. The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science
34. Like No Other
35. Like a Sister

1. The Well
2. The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well
3. The Way I Heard It: True Tales for the Curious Mind with a Short Attention Span
4. Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life
5. Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch
6. Here for It; Or, How to Save Your Soul in America: Essays
7. The Emperor's Soul

1. Rose Cottage
2. The White Rose: Munich, 1942-1943
3. Black Dahlia & White Rose: Stories
4. White Sand Blues
5. White Bird
6. Wild Bird
7. A Psalm for the Wild-Built
8. Daisies for Innocence

Please amend my challenge goal to 10. Thanks!

Update to message 27 - 24/50 books completed.

Update to message #26 - 16/30 books read!

Update to message #19

PROGRESS: 38/71

Updated!

We're halfway 2023, time for some statistics:

We have 62 participants, and together we have read 419 books, out of 1024 books pledged. That is 41%. Great job, everyone!

Beth and TerryJane, congratulations on completing the challenge!

Update message #38 - added another pile, now 29/30

Update Message #16

Progress: 12/20
Added another pile, increased goal to 20

Message 22 Updated

Progress: 11/15

Update to message #26 - 22/30 books read!

Update to message #19

PROGRESS: 43/72

Update: MSG # 8 8/15

Updated!

Updated message 63-- 13/15

Updated message #12: 13/25

Updated message #12: 14/25

Update to message #26 - 27/30 books read!

Updated message #12: 16/25

Update to message 27 - 29/50 books read.

Update to message #19

PROGRESS: 46/72

Update to message 23: 1 pile (out of 5) finished (finally!)!

Update to message #6: 10/15

Updated message 7. Progress: 8/15

Update message #38 - finished with 30/30 and 6 piles

Chrissie wrote: "Update message #38 - finished with 30/30 and 6 piles"

Woo congratulations!

Updated till here.

Updated msg 34

Just completed The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Louise Erdrich. I love this author’s writing and the way she thinks! I appreciate that she conveys her culture throughout. She is unflinching in her depictions of the genocide and destruction wrought by white supremacy, but she does so in a straight-forward manner. She focuses on her character’s lives and history rather than the colonizers. Truly masterful! Definitely worth reading! 5 stars

6/6 - completed!

Please change my goal to six, and this read will complete this challenge for me. Thanks!

Update to message #6: 13/15

Updated: MSG #8 10/15

Update to message 35: 5/25 - It took me forever, but I have my first pile!
message 35