2025 Reading Challenge discussion

My Personal Challenge for 2025 is 75+ Books

Status: 66/75
Updated: 09/03/2025

The Bible (1)



UPDATE: Reduced goal to reading the entire Old Testament as could not keep pace, and read the entire New Testament last year.

Status: 0/1 (55%)

Genesis - 01/20/2025
Exodus - 01/31/2025
Leviticus - 02/09/2025
Numbers - 02/27/2025
Deuteronomy - 03/17/2025
Joshua - 03/27/2025
Judges - 04/02/2025
Ruth - 04/03/2025
1 Samuel - 04/22/2025
2 Samuel - 04/30/2025
1 Kings - 06/11/2025
2 Kings - 06/24/2025
1 Chronicles
2 Chronicles
Ezra
Nehemiah
Esther
Job
Psalms - IN PROCESS
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Solomon
Isaiah - IN PROCESS
Jeremiah
Lamentations
Ezekiel
Daniel
Hosea
Joel
Amos
Obadiah
Jonah
Micah
Nahum
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi

KPL Murals (17)

Status: 7/17

# - The Mystic Rose by Stephen R. Lawhead (The Celtic Crusades #3)
# - The Great Platte River Road: The Covered Wagon Mainline via Fort Kearny to Fort Laramie by Merrill J. Mattes
# - The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
3 - Pioneer Girl : Growing Up on the Prairie by Andrea Warren - 01/25/2025
# - O Pioneers! by Willa Cather (Great Plains Trilogy #1)
# - Local Wonders: Seasons in the Bohemian Alps by Ted Kooser
X - Black Elk Speaks: Being the Life Story of a Holy Man of the Oglala Sioux by John G. Neihardt - Read Previously
7 - Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman - 06/08/2025
# - "I Am a Man": Chief Standing Bear's Journey for Justice by Joe Starita
# - Old Jules by Mari Sandoz

1 - The Oregon Trail: A New American Journey by Rinker Buck - 01/20/2025
4 - Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger - 02/09/2025
# - Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (The Wicked Years #1)
# - The Street of a Thousand Blossoms by Gail Tsukiyama
X - The Princess Bride by William Goldman - Read Previously
X - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - Read Previously
2 - The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler - 01/21/2025
X - The Firm by John Grisham - Read Previously
X - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien (Middle Earth #1) - Read Previously

X - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White - Read Previously
X - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling - Read Previously
X - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak - Read Previously
# - Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
X - A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - Read Previously
5 - Matilda by Roald Dahl - 02/13/2025
6 - Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary (Ramona Quimby #2) - 04/12/2025
X - The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie - Read Previously

Open Book Club/Summer Reading Book Club (9)

Status: 7/9

X - People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry - Read in 2024
X - The House Is on Fire by Rachel Beanland - Read in 2024
X - How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley - Read in 2024
1 - The Measure by Nikki Erlick - 02/16/2025
X - Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - DNF
2 - Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain - 05/05/2025
3 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - 05/31/2025
4 - The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel - 06/19/2025
X - The Masterpiece by Fiona Davis - DNF
6 - The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters - 08/17/2025
5 - Hello Stranger by Katherine Center - 08/06/2025
7 - The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd - 08/20/2025
# - The Antidote by Karen Russell - ON HOLD

Diverse Authors - Fiction (6)

Status: 5/6

1 - Guilt and Ginataan by Mia P. Manansala - 01/19/2025
2 - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - 01/29/2025
3 - Invisible Kitties: A Feline Study of Fluid Mechanics or The Spurious Incidents of the Cats in the Night-Time by Yu Yoyo - 02/07/2025
4 - Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune - 04/22/2025
5 - The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo - 05/25/2025

Diverse Authors - Non-Fiction (6)

Status: 4/6

1 - The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer - 02/18/2025
2 - The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya - 03/04/2025
3 - The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell - 06/14/2025
4 - Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell - 08/20/2025

2025 Publications (6)

Status: 10/6

1 - Loose Lips by Kemper Donovan - 02/25/2025
2 - The Notorious Virtues by Alwyn Hamilton - 04/09/2025
3 - Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins - 04/15/2025
4 - Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping on a Dead Man by Jesse Q. Sutanto - 05/03/2025
5 - Make Magic: The Book of Inspiration You Didn't Know You Needed by Brad Meltzer - 05/19/2025
6 - My Friends by Fredrik Backman - 05/30/2025
7 - The Quiet Librarian by Allen Eskens - 06/03/2025
8 - The Maid's Secret by Nita Prose - 07/01/2025
9 - Kills Well with Others by Deanna Raybourn - 07/18/2025
10 - Coded Justice: A Thriller by Stacey Abrams - 08/26/2025
# - The Undercutting of Rosie and Adam by Megan Bannen - TBR
# - The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin by Alison Goodman
# - The Usual Desire to Kill by Camilla Barnes - SUBMITTED PURCHASE SUGGESTION
# - Glorious Rivals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - ON HOLD
# - The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman - Expected publication 09/25/2025
# - Brigands & Breadknives by Travis Baldree - Expected publication 11/11/2025
# - Anatomy of a Betrayal by Grace D. Li - Expected publication 01/01/2026
# - Seven Brides for Beau McBride by Amy Barry - Expected publication 04/21/2026
# - Untitled by Shannon Chakraborty - Expected publication 04/23/2026

TBR Cleanup (12)

Status: 8/12

1 - Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto - 02/04/2025
2 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - 04/01/2025
3 - The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley - 04/05/2025
4 - A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson - 06/25/2025
5 - Primer by Jennifer Muro - 06/26/2025
6 - The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman - 06/30/2025
7 - Table for Two by Amor Towles - 07/13/2025
8 - Funny Farm: My Unexpected Life with 600 Rescue Animals by Laurie Zaleski - Laurie Zaleski

Reading Challenge/Other Personal Challenge Adjacent (18)

Status: 12/18

1 - The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum - 01/09/2025
2 - The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst - 01/11/2025
3 - Father Christmas and Me by Matt Haig - 01/12/2025
4 - The Tangled Tale of the Woolgathering Castoffs by Sharon J. Mondragón - 03/01/2025
5 - Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - 03/16/2025
6 - The Stolen Hours by Allen Eskens - 03/20/2025
7 - Beezus and Ramona by Beverly Cleary - 04/02/2025
8 - The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley - 04/25/2025
9 - The Undermining of Twyla and Frank by Megan Bannen - 05/13/2025
10 - The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook by Hampton Sides - 05/15/2025
11 - Games Untold: An Inheritance Games Collection by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - 06/24/2025
12 - The Rachel Incident by Caroline O'Donoghue - 07/25/2025
# - That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones - UP NEXT
# - Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe - ON HOLD
# - A Flower Traveled in My Blood: The Incredible True Story of the Grandmothers Who Fought to Find a Stolen Generation of Children BY Haley Cohen Gilliland - ON HOLD
# - The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather
# - My Ántonia by Willa Cather

Reader's Choice

Status: 13

1 - Stewards of Eden: What Scripture Says about the Environment and Why It Matters by Sandra L. Richter - 01/17/2025
2 - The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy - 01/17/2025
3 - On the Come Up by Angie Thomas - 01/28/2025
4 - Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine Rundell - 02/21/2025
5 - The Accidental Homesteader: What I’ve Learned About Chickens, Compost, and Creating Home by Kathi Lipp - 03/10/2025
6 - What in the World?!: A Southern Woman's Guide to Laughing at Life's Unexpected Curveballs and Beautiful Blessings by Leanne Morgan - 03/23/2025
7 - Not Nothing by Gayle Forman - 03/27/2025
8 - The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon - 04/17/2025
9 - How To Be A Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals bySy Montgomery 05/07/2025
10 - Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher - 06/15/2025
11 - Starter Villain by John Scalzi - 07/07/2025
12 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel - 07/13/2025
13 - Simon Sort of Says by Erin Bow - 07/29/2025
# - The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig - IN PROCESS
# - Safe People: How to Find Relationships That Are Good for You and Avoid Those That Aren't by Henry Cloud - ON HOLD
# - Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus, Become Like Him, Do As He Did by John Mark Comer - ON HOLD
# - Spy Secrets That Can Save Your Life: A Former CIA Officer Reveals Safety and Survival Techniques to Keep You and Your Family Protected by Jason Hanson - IN PROCESS
# - The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work: A Practical Guide from the Country's Foremost Relationship Expert by John M. Gottman - TBR

Wow, Shelley - Love the organization and setup! Looks like you're ready to kickoff the new year already! 😊

Some really great choices you've got listed. Looking forward to seeing what you think of them.
Have fun and have a fantastic 2025!

Lisa wrote: "Wow, Shelley - Love the organization and setup! Looks like you're ready to kickoff the new year already! 😊 ..."

Thank you! I've been wanting to say I have read all of the books on our library's mural for a long time. They are planning a new mural for the other side of the building, so it is time to get to work! Not sure I will be able to complete that one this year, but that is okay.

I'm excited for the 2025 Reading Challenge yearly challenges and am thankful that Serial Readers is going again next year. I have a few from 2024 that are still on hold!

Hi Shelley! Looks like you're crushing your goal! Way to go!

Love that your library has a book mural. Some great and diverse books! My local library has a children's book mural. We've always had fun trying to figure out what the books are - no titles listed.

I'm grateful for the Serial Readers challenge, too. I knew but never thought too much about how much of my reading were series.

Wishing you all the best on your reading journey! Happy reading!

JennH wrote: "Hi Shelley! Looks like you're crushing your goal! Way to go! "

Thank you! I probably will not be able to complete all of the mural books this year, as there are a few I have not been able to find on audio. I do hope to get through those that have been recorded this year and carry over the others.

I think this is the first year I have intentionally included new releases as a goal. Almost every book on my 2025 list is part of a series. It's crazy!

Shelley wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi Shelley! Looks like you're crushing your goal! Way to go! "

Thank you! I probably will not be able to complete all of the mural books this year, as there are a few I have not been..."

Even if you don't finish the mural books, it just seems like a fun ongoing project. :)

Shelley, you're almost there with your goal! Hope you've been enjoying your 2025 reads so far!

JennH wrote: "Shelley, you're almost there with your goal! Hope you've been enjoying your 2025 reads so far!"

Thanks for the encourage! I feel I've stalled out a bit in the past few weeks.