2026 Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
2026 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge
2026 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge
Booklist Queen's 2026 Reading Challenge
2026 52 Club Reading Challenge
2026 Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge
2026 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge
2026 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
2026 Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge
Shelf Reflection Candy Reading Challenge for Kids (and Adults)
2026 Countdown Reading Challenge
Dragon Rambles' Law of Fives Bingo
2026 Southern Literary Reading Challenge
2026 Reading Challenge (by Linz the Bookworm)
2026 Pioneer Book Reading Challenge
European Reading Challenge 2026
2017 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (retired challenge - doing old boards for fun)
2026 Reading Challenge Addict Reading Challenge
The 100 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. Reading Challenge
The Life Skills Reading Challenge
Tuesday, January 07, 2025
Top Ten Tuesdays: 2025 Releases I'm Ready For
Happy New Year! I hope 2025 is off to a good start for everyone. My first week of the year has mostly been spent in packing away Christmas decorations, cleaning my house, and trying to get myself organized for the year to come. The beginning of a new year always feels like a fresh start full of possibilities. We'll see what the year brings.
The first TTT prompt of the year is all about new releases we're excited about: Top Ten Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025. There are a lot of great-looking books coming out and, honestly, I could have done a whole list of just those coming out in January. Or just sequels. I decided to leave out the sequels and choose a variety of titles I haven't talked about before that have been or will be released between January and May.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl.
Top Ten Eleven Most Anticipated Books Releasing in the First Half of 2025
1. Radiant by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson (published January 7)—Set in 1963, this middle-grade verse novel is about a young Black girl who's navigating life in a predominantly white Pennsylvania community. Amid Beatlemania, race riots, and the assassination of JFK, she struggles to find herself and her place in a confusing, chaotic world.
2. Freeze by Chris Priestley (available January 14)—Another middle-grade title, this one is a spooky tale about a girl whose class is given the assignment to write shivery stories with a winter theme. At first, it's fun to hear everyone's creepy ideas read aloud, but when Maya realizes that she features in all of them, she starts to feel a little...uneasy. As snow piles up outside the school, it becomes increasingly obvious that she and her classmates are going to be trapped inside for the forseeable future. Why does it suddenly seem like she's the star of a terrifying horror flick?
3. Mask of the Deer Woman by Laurie L. Dove (available January 21)—Carrie Starr, formerly a Chicago detective, fell apart after her daughter was murdered. In search of purpose, she accepts a job as the tribal marshal on the reservation where her father was raised. An unnerving amount of young women have disappeared from the rez and Carrie is tasked with finding the latest one. The investigation is taking its toll on the still-fragile detective, especially when she sees a mythological creature she recognizes from her father's fantastical tales. Either she's going crazy or something truly unimaginable is happening in her new home.
4. The Crash by Freida McFadden (available January 28)—All the mystery/thriller lovers I know seem to be raving about McFadden's books. I haven't tried her out yet, but her upcoming novel definitely sounds intriguing. The story revolves around a woman who is eight months pregnant and desperate to start a new life. She's driving to Maine to stay with her brother while she figures things out when she's trapped by a surprise blizzard. When a couple offers her a place to stay while she rides out the storm, she thinks she's saved. Then, things take a dangerous turn that will put both her life and that of her unborn child at grave risk.
5. The Frozen People by Elly Griffiths (available February 13)—The first in a new series, this novel stars police officer Ali Dawson, who works on cases so cold, they're practically frozen. Unbeknownst to most, Ali's team is able to travel back in time to investigate old mysteries. When Ali is tasked with clearing the name of an eccentric old man in Victorian England, she finds herself investigating a woman's murder. Things get complicated when Ali gets stuck in the 1850s with no way to get home.
6. Famous Last Words by Gillian McAllister (available February 25)—McAllister's newest mystery/thriller has a simple, but very intriguing premise. A literary agent wakes up on the morning she's supposed to return to work after months of maternity leave only to find her husband gone, with only a cryptic note left in his place. Breaking news informs her that her missing spouse is involved in an escalating hostage situation—as the gunman.
7. The Lost Passenger by Frances Quinn (available February 27)—This historical novel is about a wealthy English woman trapped in a loveless marriage, who is pushed into letting her young son be raised mostly by a nanny. When she is gifted tickets to sail to America onboard the Titanic, she jumps at the chance to get away with her son. The ship's sinking gives her a chance to shed her identity, fleeing a life she doesn't want. With nothing to her name but another woman's identity papers, can she survive on the streets of New York City? What will she do when someone threatens to expose her secret to her husband in England?
8. The Filling Station by Vanessa Miller (available March 11)—In the 1920s, there are few places Black Americans can safely stop to gas up while traveling. The Threatt Filling Station is one of them. It's not just a place to fill up on fuel, but a place to gather for support, community, and strength. After the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre, it's where two sisters find refuge. What they really need is the courage to return to their hometown and rebuild their lives. Can they find what they need at the filling station?
9. Rebellion 1776 by Laurie Halse Anderson (available April 1)—Anderson's newest is a middle-grade historical novel centering around Elspeth Culpepper, a 13-year-old who's desperate to avoid being sent to an orphanage after her father disappears. Alone and scared, the young woman must deal with not just the Siege of Boston but also a smallpox outbreak that has the city in a panic. Can Elspeth safely navigate the chaos to find her missing father?
10. The River Knows Your Name by Kelly Mustian (available April 1)—I loved Mustian's debut novel, The Girls in the Stilt House, so I'm eager to read her second book. It concerns 42-year-old Nell, who was raised, along with her younger sister, by a reclusive mother who never spoke about her past. Nell promised her sister she wouldn't confront their mother about the birth certificate they found—the one that identifies a different woman as Evie's mother—but Nell can't shake the disturbing memories that still linger in her memory that hint at long-buried secrets and dangerous lies.
11. Death in the Cards by Mia P. Manansala (available May 13)—Manansala's YA debut, this mystery stars Danika Dizon, a mystery lover who runs a tarot card reading business between classes. When one of her clients disappears after receiving a death card, Danika takes on the case, eager to prove to her parents that she deserves to be part of her family's detective agency. The more she digs into the missing girl's background, though, the darker—and more dangerous—the case becomes.
There you go, eleven upcoming releases I'm excited to read. How about you? Which 2025 books are you looking forward to? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I'll gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
Wednesday, January 01, 2025
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge: January Book Ideas and Link-Up for Reviews
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Welcome to the 2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge! I'm so glad that you've decided to join me for this fun, totally laidback challenge. All you have to do is enjoy bookish books. Easy peasy. You do not have to post reviews, but it's great if you do. I always like seeing what others are reading and getting recommendations on bookish books that shouldn't be missed. Every month, I will make a post like this one with a Mr. Linky widget for reviews. I also like to yap a bit about the bookish books I think I may read during the current month.
With a fresh new month and a brand new year ahead of me, I have no real idea of what I want to read next. I'm thinking these three are the next bookish books I'll read, whether it's in January or later.
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss—I've mentioned this one before because it sounds super fascinating to me. I've even got it checked out from the library right now, so I have no excuses. It's about, well, exactly what the title says it's about. Imagine that!
The Queens of Crime by Marie Benedict—This historical novel is about a group of famous female crime writers banding together to solve a real mystery. Inspired by true events, it stars Dorothy L. Sayers, Agatha Christie, Baroness Emma Orczy, and more.
The Boxcar Librarian by Brianna Labuskes—Another historical novel, this one is about a disgraced editor who is sent off to Montana to work with a Works Progress Administration (WPA) campaign designed to help unemployed writers get back to work. There, she discovers a mystery revolving around a small town librarian and her colleauge, who hasn't been seen since she ventured into the countryside to deliver books to men working at the area's mining camps.
What about you? What bookish books are you planning to read this month?
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If you are participating in the 2025 Bookish Books Reading Challenge, please use the widget below to link-up your January reviews. If you're not signed up for the challenge yet, what are you waiting for? Click here to join the party.
Out With the Old, In With the New
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Happy New Year! It's my favorite time of the year here on the blog—time to analyze my reading for the last year, time to tidy up the blog and get it all refreshed for the new year. I'm not sure what 2025 is going to bring poitically and personally, but I'm hopeful I'll have a good reading year at least.
2024 was an exceptional reading year for me as far as the numbers go. I read more books than I ever have before. As far as exceptional books, though, I didn't find many. While I dished out a lot of four-star ratings on Goodreads, there were only a few titles I deemed worthy of five. Still, I enjoyed most of what I read, discovered some great new authors, did well with my reading challenges (one of which I also hosted), helped to judge three different book awards programs, and headed up a fun, in-person book club. All in all, it was a successful year of reading.
Let's take a look at the numbers:
Like every year, I set my 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge goal at 200 books. I whizzed past that number, ending with 230 read. That's seven more books than last year and, as I said, more than I've ever read in a year. Go, me! I haven't set my 2025 Goodreads goal yet, but I'm thinking I should up it a little, maybe to 215? Or maybe I'll keep it at 200 so I don't feel too pressured.
No one who hangs out here at BBB will be surprised to know that I, once again, read primarily fiction. Despite serving as a non-fiction judge for the Cybils Awards, I only read 24 non-fiction books this year (although, to be fair, many of the books I read for the Cybils were picture books or middle-grade ones that were under 80 pages, none of which I count toward my yearly total).
This next breakdown has stayed pretty consistent throughout the years, although I did read more middle-grade titles this year than last:
I always like to look at where the books I read throughout the year came from. In 2024, I focused on reading the print books I already own, both those I've purchased and those I've received for review. Looks like I succeeded in my goal, at least more so than last year:
Since mystery/thriller and historical fiction are my favorite genres, these results are no surprise. Although there is a fair amount of crossover between the categories (I read a lot of historical mysteries, for instance), here's a basic breakdrown of the genres I read in 2024:
1. California (13 books)
2. New York (11 books)
3. Tie—North Carolina and Utah (5 books each)
4. Tie—Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Ohio, Texas, and Washington (4 books each)
5. Tie—Florida, Georgia, and Vermont (3 books each)
The first two places are always California and New York, although sometimes the latter wins out.
Not counting the U.S., I visited 17 different countries in my reading. The Top 4 were:
1. England (32 books)
2. Australia (9 books)
3. Tie—Canada, Ireland, Poland and Scotland (4 books each)
4. Tie—China, France, and Russia (2 books each)
In past years, I've tracked the formats (print, digital, audio) of the books I read during the year, but that got to be too much for my aging memory to handle. I did track audiobooks, though. In 2024, I listened to 30 of them.
As for blogging resolutions, I'm not going to make any. I want to keep doing what I'm doing and continue to enjoy it. Actual reviews have been really scarce around here lately, so I am going to try to review more in 2025. That shouldn't be too hard, considering I only posted a handful of reviews in 2024. Oops!
How about you? How did your 2024 reading year go?
Just for my records, here are the books I read in 2024:
- 1. The Nightmare House by Sarah Allen (Jan)
- 2. The Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan* [audio] (Jan)
- 3. Graysen Foxx and the Treasure of Principal Redbeard by J. Scott Savage (Jan)
- 4. The Lion of Lark-Hayes Manor by Aubrey Hartman* (Jan)
- 5. Ditch the Glitch by Camille Smithson (Jan)
- 6. Zeke Zooter and the Eye of Balor by Bruce Jacobs (Jan)
- 7. Never Lore: Journey to Mt. Smolder by Taya and Nathan Okerlund (Jan)
- 8. God Spare the Girls by Kelsey McKinney [audio] (Jan)
- 9. The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon (Jan)
- 10. The Last One by Will Dean (Jan)
- 11. Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire (Jan)
- 12. My Plain Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Jan)
- 13. Hemlock Island by Kelley Armstrong (Jan)
- 14. Daughter of Mine by Megan Miranda* (Jan)
- 15. The Nature of Disappearing by Kimi Cunningham Grant (Jan)
- 16. Myrtle, Means, and Opportunity by Elizabeth C. Bunce* (Jan)
- 17. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson* (Jan)
- 18. More Than a Body by Lindsay and Lexie Kite (Feb)
- 19. All That Is Mine I Carry With Me by William Landay (Feb)
- 20. Slayed on the Slopes by Kate Dyer-Seeley (Feb)
- 21. My Imaginary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
- 22. Kill Her Twice by Stacey Lee (Feb)
- 23. Artifice by Sharon Cameron* (Feb)
- 24. Something About Sophie by Mary Kay McComas (Feb)
- 25. Ill-Fated Fortune by Jennifer J. Chow (Feb)
- 26. My Lady Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Feb)
- 27. Buffalo Flats by Martine Leavitt (Feb)
- 28. Midnight is the Darkest Hour by Ashley Winstead (Feb)
- 29. Murder on Millionaires' Row by Erin Lindsey (Feb)
- 30. Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson (Mar)
- 31. End of Story by A.J. Finn (Mar)
- 32. None of This is True by Lisa Jewell (Mar)
- 33. My Contrary Mary by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand, and Jodi Meadows* [audio] (Mar)
- 34. Where There's Smoke by E.B. Vickers (Mar)
- 35. Disturbing the Dead by Kelley Armstrong* (Mar)
- 36. The Kind to Kill by Tessa Wegert (Mar)
- 37. Lying in the Deep by Diana Urban (Apr)
- 38. Agony Hill by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Apr)
- 39. Swimming in a Sea of Stars by Julie Wright (Apr)
- 40. The Girl Who Wasn't There by Penny Joelson (Apr)
- 41. The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers [audio] (Apr)
- 42. The Secret of Rainy Days by Leslie Hooton (Apr)
- 43. How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin (Apr)
- 44. The Nights the Lights Went Out by Karen White (Apr)
- 45. Flippin' Skaters by Teresa Richards (Apr)
- 46. Love & Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch [audio] (Apr)
- 47. The Expectant Detectives by Kat Ailes* (Apr)
- 48. Dust by Dusti Bowling* (Apr)
- 49. Blood Sisters by Vanessa Lillie (Apr)
- 50. One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware (Apr)
- 51. Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest (Apr)
- 52. The Hunter by Tana French (May)
- 53. Murder at Rough Point by Alyssa Maxwell (May)
- 54. The Hard Parts by Oksana Masters [audio] (May)
- 55. Watch It Burn by Kristen Bird (May)
- 56. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson* (May)
- 57. No Matter What by K.M. Frost (May)
- 58. Death in the Details by Katie Tietjen (May)
- 59. The Silent Sister by Diane Chamberlain [audio] (May)
- 60. Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower [novella] (May)
- 61. An Improbable Season by Rosalyn Eves (May)
- 62. Fire and Bones by Kathy Reichs* (May)
- 63. Borrow My Heart by Kasie West (May)
- 64. Beauty Reborn by Elizabeth Lowham (May)
- 65. Thieves' Gambit by Kayvion Lewis (May)
- 66. The Weight of Everything by Marcia Argueta Mickelson (May)
- 67. Make the Fireflies Dance by Rachel Bateman (May)
- 68. The Lost Girls of Willow Brook by Ellen Marie Wiseman [audio] (May)
- 69. A Death in Door County by Annelise Ryan (Jun)
- 70. Where They Lie by Claire Coughlan (Jun)
- 71. The Shift: 7 Powerful Mindset Changes for Lasting Weight Loss by Gary Foster [audio] (Jun)
- 72. The Underground Library by Jennifer Ryan (Jun)
- 73. A Deadly Endeavor by Jenny Adams (Jun)
- 74. The Mystery of Locked Rooms by Lindsay Currie (Jun)
- 75. Aggie Morton, Mystery Queen, and the Body Under the Piano by Marthe Jocelyn [audio] (Jun)
- 76. The Watchers by A.M. Shine (Jun)
- 77. Deep Water by Jamie Sumner (Jun)
- 78. First Victim by Debbie Babitt (Jun)
- 79. One Big Open Sky by Lesa Cline-Ransome* (Jun)
- 80. Running Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix [audio] (Jun)
- 81. When the Day Comes by Gabrielle Meyer (Jun)
- 82. Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth (Jun)
- 83. The Great Trouble: A Story of London, the Blue Death, and a Boy Called Eel by Deborah Hopkinson [audio] (Jun)
- 84. 49 Miles Alone by Natalie D. Richards (Jun)
- 85. Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell (Jun)
- 86. Trouble Island by Sharon Short (Jun)
- 87. Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn (Jun)
- 88. I Know Who You Are: How an Amateur DNA Sleuth Unmasked the Golden State Killer and Changed Crime Fighting Forever by Barbara Rae-Venter* (Jun)
- 89. Falling Out of Time by Margaret Peterson Haddix (Jun)
- 90. Apple Cider Slaying by Julie Anne Lindsey (Jun)
- 91. First State of Being by Erin Entrada Kelly* (Jun)
- 92. Homecoming by Kate Morton* (Jul)
- 93. The Good Neighbor by Maxwell King* [audio] (Jul)
- 94. Middle of the Night by Riley Sager* (Jul)
- 95. The Secret Library by Kekla Magoon (Jul)
- 96. The Night We Lost Him by Laura Dave (Jul)
- 97. Operation: Happy by Jenni L. Walsh* (Jul)
- 98. Shutter by Ramona Emerson (Jul)
- 99. Anywhere You Run by Wanda M. Morris (Jul)
- 100. The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry by Anna Rose Johnson (Jul)
- 101. The Monsters We Make by Kali White (Jul)
- 102. The Improbable Tales of Baskerville Hall by Ali Standish (Jul)
- 103. Mother-Daughter Murder Night by Nina Simon [audio] (Jul)
- 104. Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney* (Jul)
- 105. A Patchwork of Clues by Sally Goldenbaum (Jul)
- 106. Popcorn by Rob Harrell* (Jul)
- 107. Library Girl by Polly Horvath (Jul)
- 108. Such a Lovely Family by Aggie Blum Thompson (Jul)
- 109. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty (Aug)
- 110. The Outlaw Noble Salt by Amy Harmon (Aug)
- 111. Basket Case by Nancy Haddock (Aug)
- 112. A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett* (Aug)
- 113. Front Country by Sara St. Antoine [audio] (Aug)
- 114. Stowaway by John David Anderson (Aug)
- 115. Consigned to Death by Jane K. Cleland (Aug)
- 116. We Solve Murders by Richard Osman* (Aug)
- 117. Louder Than Hunger by John Schu (Aug)
- 118. Wrong Alibi by Christina Dodd (Aug)
- 119. Peanut Butter Panic by Amanda Flower (Aug)
- 120. Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl (Aug)
- 121. Flight 171 by Amy Christine Parker (Aug)
- 122. Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower [novella] (Aug)
- 123. The Kaya Girl by Mamle Wolo (Aug)
- 124. The Last Word by Gerri Lewis (Aug)
- 125. The Last Kids On Earth by Max Brallier* (Aug)
- 126. Cruzita and the Mariacheros by Ashley Granillo (Aug)
- 127. It Could Be Anyone by Jaime Lynn Hendricks (Aug)
- 128. Return to Wyldcliffe Heights by Carol Goodman (Aug)
- 129. A Winter Grave by Peter May (Aug)
- 130. Laika by Nick Abadzis (Aug)
- 131. Night Will Find You by Julia Heaberlin [audio] (Aug)
- 132. A Quiet Retreat by Kiersten Modglin (Aug)
- 133. How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell [audio] (Aug)
- 134. The Flower Sisters by Michelle Collins Anderson (Aug)
- 135. Peking Duck and Cover by Vivien Chien (Sep)
- 136. Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop by Otto Penzler, ed. (Sep)
- 137. Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko (Sep)
- 138. After the Storm by G.D. Wright (Sep)
- 139. Area 51 Interns: Alien Summer by James S. Murray and Carsen Smith (Sep)
- 140. The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James [audio] (Sep)
- 141. The Wisteria Society for Lady Scoundrels by India Holton (Sep)
- 142. An Uninterrupted View of the Sky by Melanie Crowder* (Sep)
- 143. Up to No Gouda by Linda Reilly (Sep)
- 144. Things We Didn't Say by Amy Lynn Green (Sep)
- 145. Last Gamer Standing by Katie Zhao (Sep)
- 146. Look in the Mirror by Catherine Steadman (Sep)
- 147. Murder at the Library by Ellen Jacobson (Sep)
- 148. A Fatal Collection by Mary Ellen Hughes (Sep)
- 149. All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris [audio] (Sep)
- 150. My Friend Flicka by Mary O'Hara (Sep)
- 151. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose* (Sep)
- 152. Shipwrecked! Diving for Hidden Time Capsules on the Ocean Floor by Martin W. Sandler (Sep)
- 153. Murder is Bad Manners by Robin Stevens (Sep)
- 154. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter* (Sep)
- 155. Morning Sun in Wuhan by Ying Chang Compestine* (Oct)
- 156. The Boy Who Cried Bear by Kelley Armstrong* (Oct)
- 157. Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James* (Oct)
- 158. Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca E.F. Barone (Oct)
- 159. Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan (Oct)
- 160. The Good of the Woods by Liz Moore (Oct)
- 161. History Smashers: Salem Witch Trials by Kate Messner (Oct)
- 162. Stealing Little Moon: The Legacy of the American Indian Boarding Schools by Dan SaSuWeh Jones (Oct)
- 163. The Mesmerist by Caroline Woods (Oct)
- 164. Gone to Hot Pot by Vivien Chien (Oct)
- 165. The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keene (Oct)
- 166. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James* [re-read] (Oct)
- 167. Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez (Oct)
- 168. Unsinkable Cayenne by Jessica Vitalis (Oct)
- 169. Exclusion and the Chinese American Story by Sarah SoonLing Blackburn (Oct)
- 170. A Map to Paradise by Susan Meissner (Oct)
- 171. The Unforgettable Logan Foster by Shawn Peters (Oct)
- 172. Sightseeing With Aliens by Insha Fitzpatrick (Oct)
- 173. Remember This: The Fascinating World of Memory by Monique Polak (Oct)
- 174. The Song of the Jade Lily by Kirsty Manning [audio] (Oct)
- 175. Give Me a Sign by Anna Sortino (Oct)
- 176. Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel V. Reyes (Oct)
- 177. The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare* (Oct)
- 178. Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie (Oct)
- 179. The Enigma Girls by Candace Fleming (Nov)
- 180. The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin (Nov)
- 181. Sleeping Spells and Dragon Scales by Wendy S. Swore (Nov)
- 182. The Soulmate by Sally Hepworth [audio] (Nov)
- 183. Chadwick Boseman: King of Wakanda: A Hero On and Off the Screen by Chris Singleton (Nov)
- 184. The Legend of the Last Library by Frank L. Cole (Nov)
- 185. Barracoon by Zora Neale Hurston/adapted for young readers by Ibram X. Kendi (Nov)
- 186. The Beautiful Game by Yamile Saied Méndez (Nov)
- 187. The Body in the Bookstore by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)
- 188. A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey* (Nov)
- 189. The Bard and the Book: How the First Folio Saved the Plays of William Shakespeare from Oblivion by Ann Bausum (Nov)
- 190. Ruby, Who? by Jill Campbell (Nov)
- 191. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter (Nov)
- 192. A Murder at the Movies by Ellie Alexander [audio] (Nov)
- 193. Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking by Raquel V. Reyes (Nov)
- 194. The Haunting of Moscow House by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (Nov)
- 195. The Midnight Hour by Eve Chase (Nov)
- 196. Uprising by Jennifer A. Nielsen (Nov)
- 197. Animal Climate Heroes by Alison Pearce Stevens (Nov)
- 198. Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson* (Nov)
- 199. Nothing More to Tell by Karen McManus [audio] (Nov)
- 200. Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson* (Nov)
- 201. The Girl Who Fought Back: Vladka Meed and the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising by Joshua M. Greene (Nov)
- 202. Booked for Murder by P.J. Nelson (Nov)
- 203. They Saved the Stallions by Deborah Hopkinson (Nov)
- 204. Cece Rios and the Queen of Brujas by Kaela Rivera (Nov)
- 205. The Burning of Rosemont Abbey by Naomi Stephens* (Dec)
- 206. The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth* [audio] (Dec)
- 207. How to Stop Freaking Out: The Ultimate Guide to Keeping Cool When Life Feels Chaotic by Carla Naumburg (Dec)
- 208. Quantum Interstellar Sports League by J. Scott Savage (Dec)
- 209. A Window into the Ocean Twilight: Twenty-Four Days of Science at Sea by Michelle Cusolito (Dec)
- 210. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens* [audio] (Dec)
- 211. Under the Surface by Diana Urban (Dec)
- 212. Why We Need Vaccines: How Humans Beat Infectious Diseases by Rowena Rae (Dec)
- 213. The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen (Dec)
- 214. The Act of Disappearing by Nathan Gower (Dec)
- 215. Let It Glow by Marissa Meyer (Dec)
- 216. The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James [audio] (Dec)
- 217. The Longest Shot: How Larry Kwong Changed the Face of Hockey by Chad Soon (Dec)
- 218. Murder on the Christmas Express by Alexandra Benedict (Dec)
- 219. Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford (Dec)
- 220. Scar Dakota by Jason F. Wright (Dec)
- 221. The Lawnmonsters by Shannon Cooley (Dec)
- 222. Taffy Nackman's Guide on How to be a Star by Gaylene Wilson (Dec)
- 223. The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore [audio] (Dec)
- 224. Monster Tree by Sarah Allen (Dec)
- 225. The Buried Road by Katie Tallo (Dec)
- 226. Grimmworld: The Witch in the Woods by Michaelbrent Collings (Dec)
- 227. The Mistletoe Mystery by Nita Prose* (Dec)
- 228. The Rush by Michelle Prak (Dec)
- 229. Isabel in Bloom by Mae Respicio (Dec)
- 230. Lockwood & Co.: The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud [audio] (Dec)
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Top Ten Tuesday: Reading Challenge Wrap-Up
It's hard to believe that today is the last day of 2024 as well as the final TTT linkup of the year. Where has the time gone? Today's topic is an appropriate one: Top Ten Best Books I Read in 2024. I named my favorite reads of the year a couple of weeks ago. (To see my favorite adult reads, click here; for children's books, click here.) Today, I'm going to chat about how I did with all of my reading challenges this year. I took on a lot of them and I did pretty well overall.
As always, Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by the lovely Jana over at That Artsy Reader Girl. Thanks for keeping this fun round-up alive, Jana!
The Bookish Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Yours Truly)
Books Pledged: 30
Books Read: 46
I love bookish books (the reason I came up with this challenge in the first place), so it wasn't too tough to read so many of them. Admittedly, I was pretty liberal with my definition of "bookish." Ha ha.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Absolutely!
Literary Escapes Reading Challenge (hosted by Lori @Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book)
Books Pledged: 51 (one for each U.S. state + Washington, D.C.)
Books Read: 51
It wasn't easy, but I read at least one book set in each of the states, plus D.C. I also "visited" 17 other countries in my reading. My top 3 most visited countries? England, Australia, and Scotland.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Of course!
Historical Fiction Reading Challenge (hosted by Marg @The Intrepid Reader and Baker)
Books Pledged: 50
Books Read: 56
I'm a huge hist fic fan, so this challenge is never really challenging, but I still enjoy doing it every year.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
You betcha!
POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (hosted by POPSUGAR)
Books Pledged: 50
Books Read: 36
I've been doing this annual challenge for several years and I think I've only finished it in total once. The prompts can be both odd and difficult, but I'm a purist so I don't like changing them out. So, alas, I fell short with this one in 2024. Oh well.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Yes (especially since the 2025 prompts look easier than those from previous years)!
Booklist Queen Reading Challenge (hosted by Rachael @Booklist Queen)
Books Pledged: 52
Books Read: 52
I always enjoy doing this challenge. It's actually the first one I finished this year. Huzzah!
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Definitely!
52 Club Reading Challenge (hosted by The 52 Club)
Books Pledged: 52
Books Read: 51
Prompt #17: Nominated for the Booker Prize proved to be my downfall for this challenge. I'm not a big literary fiction reader, so I couldn't find a book that fit this prompt that I really wanted to read. Bummer.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Yep!
Build Your Library Reading Challenge (hosted by Emily @Build Your Library)
Books Pledged: 40
Books Read: 37
I didn't quite manage to finish this challenge either. Came very close, though.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
For sure!
Craving for Cozies Reading Challenge (hosted by Lori @Escape With Dollycas Into a Good Book)
Books Pledged: 25
Books Read: 30
Cozies are always fun to read. They're great palette cleansers between heavier reads. I enjoyed lots of them this year.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
I will!
Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge (hosted by Rick @The Mystillery)
This challenge involves counting up the bodies in the murder mysteries you read. I ended up "tying" 543 "toe tags" this year. Yikes! That's a lot of corpses and yet, it only put me in 13th place. I ended in 12th place last year, so I'm consistent at least.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Yes, siree!
Mount TBR Reading Challenge (hosted by Bev @My Reader's Block)
Books Pledged: 100 (My personal twist on the challenge was to read 100 print books from my own bookshelves.)
Books Read: 55
I didn't quite make my goal for this challenge, but it did feel good to read 55 books that had been gathering dust on my shelves. I donated the majority of them, keeping only my most favorite. I'm looking forward to culling even more in 2025.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Yep!
Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge (hosted by Gregory Road @Take a Walk Down Gregory Road)
Books Pledged: 109
Books Read: 99
I'm a serial overachiever when it comes to reading challenges, so I've enjoyed doing this one over the last few years. I always take on the "Freaky Reader" level, which involves checking off 104 of the prompts, using up to two wildcards if you choose. I didn't quite make it, but I got close.
Will I be taking on this challenge again in 2025?:
Yes, but unfortunately, 2025 will be the last year for this challenge as its host is retiring.
Around the Year in 52 Books Reading Challenge (hosted by Emily @Goodreads)
Books Pledged: 52
Books Read: 52
Woot, woot!
Disney Animated Reading Challenge (hosted by Brittany @Shelf Reflection)
Books Pledged: 165
Books Read: 140
The time limit on this reading challenge is flexible. Technically, you can take three years to finish it if you want to take a "blackout" approach to the prompts, which I did. However, some of the prompts are really tough and I'm tired of them, so I'm calling it quits on this challenge. It was fun, but I'm going to focus on other challenges in 2025.
Even though I didn't officially complete all of the challenges I took on in 2024, I did pretty darn well, if I do say so myself. I had fun with my challenges and read books I wouldn't have otherwise, which is why I enjoy doing them in the first place. Although I never take challenges too seriously, I do enjoy the satisfaction of completing them or at least coming close! Good job, me.
If you're curious, here are all the reading challenges I'm planning to do in 2025.
What about you? Did you do any reading challenges in 2024? How did you make out with them? What were your favorite reads of the year? I'd love to know. Leave me a comment on this post and I will gladly return the favor on your blog.
Happy TTT!
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2026 Goodreads Reading Challenge
2024 - Elementary/Middle Grade Nonfiction
2023 - Middle Grade Fiction
2022 - Middle Grade Fiction
2021 - Middle Grade Fiction
2020 - Middle Grade Fiction
