Friday, December 6, 2024

2025 Books in Translation Reading Challenge

 Will be doing this one again at Introverted Reader.

You can read a book that’s been translated from any language into the language of your choosing. The challenge is not limited to translations to or from English.

You can read any genre

You can read books meant for any age group

Crossovers with other challenges are fine

Any format that you choose is also acceptable

The challenge will run from January 1 through December 31, 2025


My books:

  1. Klara and the Sun--Kazuo Ishiguro
  2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold--Shikazu Kawaguchi
  3. The Master and Margarita--Mikhail Bulgakov
  4. Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby
  5. Around the World in 80 Days--Jules Verne
  6. The Travelling Cat Chronicles--Hiro Arikawa
  7. Banned Book Club--Kim Hyun Sook
  8. Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind--Shunryu Suzuki
  9. Sue & Tai-chan, Volume 2--Konami Kanata

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Christmas Humor--Thursday 13

Colleen at The Thursday 13 holds a weekly blogging prompt where bloggers make a list of 13 things on Thursdays. The topic is for you to choose. The blog host doesn't have any official graphics to display on the Thursday 13 posts, so I decided to whip one up myself. 🙂  



Sharing some old and new favorites as we come to the end of the first week of December.
















Wednesday, December 4, 2024

2025 Southern Literature Reading Challenge

 Doing this one again at Introverted Reader, getting as many books as possible.


Welcome to the 2025 Southern Literature Reading Challenge! We’ll focus on books and authors from the southeastern region of the United States.

Definition of “The South”

Definitions of the South are flexible, so I’ve decided to base my definition on the current makeup of the Southern Legislative Conference:

  • Alabama
  • Arkansas
  • Florida
  • Georgia
  • Kentucky
  • Louisiana
  • Mississippi
  • Missouri
  • North Carolina
  • Oklahoma
  • South Carolina
  • Tennessee
  • Texas
  • Virginia
  • West Virginia

That said, I’m not looking for a debate and I’m flexible. These are only guidelines so use your best judgment.

Rules

  • Read books by Southern authors set largely in the South
  • You can read any genre, including fiction or nonfiction, classics, or contemporary works
  • You can read books meant for any age group
  • Crossovers with other challenges are fine
  • Any format that you choose is also acceptable
  • The challenge will run from January 1 through December 31, 2025
  • A blog is not required for participation; you can also link to reviews on other sites such as GoodReads or Instagram
  • Sign up anytime throughout the year
  • I’ve tried to keep this simple but if you have any questions, reach out in the comments, via social media (links in my sidebar), or my contact form.
  • Most importantly, have fun!

My Books:

  1. Everyone Knows You Go Home--Natalia Sylvester
  2. The Quilts of Gee's Bend--Susan Goldman Rubin
  3. Yellow Wife--Sadeqa Johnson
  4. An American Marriage--Tayari Jones
  5. Prodigal Summer--Barbara Kingslover
  6. Beautiful Creatures--Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
  7. Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books--Kirsten Miller
  8. The Beach House--Rachel Hanna
  9. On Agate Hill--Lee Smith
  10. Whiteout--Dhonielle Clayton
  11. Sinister Sprinkles--Jessica Beck
  12. Whiskers in the Dark--Rita Mae Brown
  13. A Spark of Light--Jodi Picoult
  14. The Love Haters--Katherine Center
  15. The Summer Pact--Emily Giffin

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

2025 RAD Reading Challenge

 Another I have been doing for several years now. I like how this one only has nine prompts ;)



  1. Flower on the cover: Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby
  2. Work of fanfiction: Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict--Laurie Viera Rigler
  3. Retelling of a classic: Cold Hearted--Serena Valentino
  4. From a library display: The Guncle Abroad--Steven Rowley
  5. Novella: Happily Ever Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red--Melanie Cellier
  6. Name in the title: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird--Josie Silver
  7. Debut novel: The Reading List--Sara Nisha Adams
  8. About sports or athletes: Openly Straight--Bill Konigsberg
  9. Banned book: East of Eden--John Steinbeck

Challenge completed on June 25

Reading With Wrigs 2025

 A new one that started last year at a private Facebook group (must join the group to participate):


  1. Translated into at least 25 languages:
  2. Immigrant author:
  3. MC is nurse or doctor: Before the Coffee Gets Cold--Shikazu Kawaguchi
  4. Insect on cover: Home is Not a Country--Safia Elhillo
  5. "Classic" western: Rider of Lost Creek--Louis L'Amour
  6. About happiness or gratitude: Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby
  7. Religious theme: The Blackbird Girls--Anne Blankman
  8. Featuring a carnival or circus: Two Peas in a Pod--Sarah Mlynowski
  9. Featuring the Dust Bowl: East of Eden--John Steinbeck
  10. Set in a confined Space: Whiteout--Dhonielle Clayton
  11. Title containing an element from the Periodic Table:
  12. Book with a map: Lalani of the Distant Sea--Erin Entrada Kelly

December Bookish Bingo

The new card is here.

My Books:

  1. An Ugly Truth--Sheera Frankel & Cecilia Kang (6 squares): E-Book, Nonfiction, Not in a Series, Dreams/Wishes, Cheating, Book Club Read
  2. A Bad Kitty Christmas--Nick Bruel (5 squares): Audiobook, In a Series, Free Space, Elves, Presents
  3. Santa Baby--Lisa Jackson & others (7 squares): Shelf Love, Not in a Series, Set in Winter, Holiday Romance, Holiday Covers on Cover, Not a New Release, Physical Book
  4. The Nutcracker--Susan Jeffers (1 square): Royalty
  5. Memphis--Tara M. Stringfellow (2 squares): Library Book, Indigenous
  6. The Gingerbread Man Loose at Christmas--Laura Murray (1 square): Food on Cover
  7. Heart Berries--Terese Marie Mailhot (1 square): Free Book
  8. Inseparable--Simone de Beauvoir (1 square): Finish in Time to Count for 2024
23 squares completed on December 31

Monday, December 2, 2024

2025 PopSugar Reading Challenge

 One I always look forward to doing has arrived for 2025.


Main

1. A book about a POC experiencing joy and not trauma: Whiteout--Dhonielle Clayton

2. A book you want to read based on the last sentence: The Wednesday Sisters--Meg Waite Clayton

3. A book about space tourism: Dawn--Octavia E. Butler

4. A book with two or more books on the cover or "book" in the title: The Reading List--Sara Nisha Adams

5. A book with a snake on the cover or in the title: Ninth House--Leigh Bardugo

6. A book that fills your favorite prompt from the 2015 PS Reading Challenge

7. A book about a cult: Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind--Shunryu Suzuki

8. A book under 250 pages: Eleven--Tom Rogers

9. A book that features a character going through menopause: I Feel Bad About My Neck--Nora Ephron

10. A book you got for free: The Signature of All Things--Elizabeth Gilbert

11. A book mentioned in another book

12. A book about a road trip: Are You Listening?--Tillie Walden

13. A book rated less than three stars on Goodreads: This Side of Married--Rachel Pastan 

14. A book about a nontraditional education

15. A book that an AI chatbot recommends based on your favorite book

16. A book set in or around a body of water: Lalani of the Distant Sea--Erin Entrada Kelly

17. A book about a run club: Ghost--Jason Reynolds

18. A book containing magical creatures that aren't dragons: Gods of Jade and Shadow--Silvia Moreno-Garcia

19. A highly anticipated read of 2025: The Love Haters--Katherine Center

20. A book that fills a 2024 prompt you'd like to do over (or try out)

21. A book where the main character is a politician: In This Grave Hour--Jacqueline Winspear

22. A book about soccer: Openly Straight--Bill Konigsberg

23. A book that is considered healing fiction: The Travelling Cat Chronicles--Hiro Arikawa

24. A book with a happily single woman protagonist

25. A book where the main character is an immigrant or refugee: The Last Train to London--Meg Waite Clayton

26. A book where an adult character changes careers

27. A book set at a luxury resort: The Beach Club--Elin Hilderbrand

28. A book that features an unlikely friendship: The Blackbird Girls--Anne Blankman

29. A book about a food truck

30. A book that reminds you of your childhood: The Great Boy Chase--Janet Quin-Harkin

31. A book where music plays an integral part of the storyline: Under the Same Stars--Libba Bray

32. A book about an overlooked woman in history: The Small and the Mighty--Sharon McMahon

33. A book featuring an activity on your bucket list: 

34. A book written by an author who is neurodivergent: Popcorn--Rob Harrell

35. A book centering LGBTQ+ characters that isn't about coming out: The Guncle Abroad--Steven Rowley

36. A book with silver on the cover or in the title

37. Two books with the same title (1): The Beach House--Rachel Hanna

38. Two books with the same title (2): The Beach House--Jane Green

39. A classic you've never read: East of Eden--John Steinbeck

40. A book about chosen family: Table for Five--Susan Wiggs


Advanced Prompts

Easy

41. A book by the oldest author in your TBR pile: A Man For All Seasons--Robert Bolt

42. A book with a title that starts with the letter Y: Yellow Wife--Sadeqa Johnson

43. A book that includes a nonverbal character

44. A book you have always avoided reading: The Mammoth Hunters--Jean M. Auel

Medium

45. A book with a left-handed character: The Case of the Missing Marquess--Nancy Springer

46. A book where nature is the antagonist: Maya and the Rising Dark--Rena Barron

47. A book of interconnected short stories: Before the Coffee Gets Cold--Shikazu Kawaguchi

Hard

48. A book that features a married couple who don't live together: An American Marriage--Tayari Jones

49. A dystopian book with a happy ending: Beautiful Creatures--Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

50. A book that features a character with chronic pain: The Last Letter--Rebecca Yarros