2025 Reading Challenge discussion

How exciting--it looks like the very first books are being sent! Post here when you receive your book.

What did your Secret Santa send you? Any guesses as to who your Secret Santa is?

(Please note: if you've signed up, you will be provided with a Secret Santee after you send me your address and information. If you send this information to me but do not receive a Secret Santee within 48 hours, please let me know.)

Some fun facts:
- We had 43 participants!
- Our participants came from seven different countries
- The vast majority of participants preferred physical books (86%)

I got my book. :) And I know who my santa is, because it said so in the kindle email, but I never would have been able to guess. Boy's Life is absolutely something I want to read, by an author I had no prior knowledge of! I'll likely dive into it as soon as the current TBR twin read is done.

Thank you, Santa!

I've got my book as well. I got it through Kindle so I know who it was. I received the Goblin King by Shona Husk which has been on my wishlist for ages. I'm really looking forward to reading it and seems like a good road trip book for my mini-vacation on December 22!

Karina - I really hope you enjoy Boys Life. I'm a fanatic with that book and have pretty much forced every person in my life who reads to pick it up and so far everyone has loved it :)

Alesia is the very first person who received a physical book through Secret Santa!

How exciting--I can't wait to see what everyone gets.

I received my book today!!! I would like to thank my Secret Santa - Alicia E. for sending me Ghost Story. I can't wait to start reading it!!

Happy Holidays Alicia!!

I got my book :) I received The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold. I am looking forward to reading this and it will be a part of my 2013 Reading Challenge.

Thanks, Santa :D

I got my book today! It's an Isaac Asimov book I've not heard of before, Gold: The Final Science Fiction Collection. I love it! Great job and thank you, Santa. :)

Not 100% certain this is from my Secret Santa here-but who else would know I would love this-Deadlocked: Complete First Series
I had read the first in the series for Free Book Dude (review) some months ago, and I was totally enraptured; so colour me "super-ecstatic"!!! THANK YOU, SECRET SANTA!

Yay! I got my book from Santa today . Many thanks to my secret Santa (A from Canada) you made my day. :)The Duff: Designated Ugly Fat Friend

I don't know how long my book was waiting for me, but I got my book today when I walked into my parent's home for the first time in over a year! Thank you for The Book Thief Santa!

Thank you, Santa from Indiana, for the beautiful copy of The Picture of Dorian Gray. You are right, it is a beautiful cover!!!

I just wanted to let my Secret Santa know not to worry about whether or not my book has gotten to me .... I won't be home for the semester until Thursday but I'm sure my book is waiting for me :)

Thank you Secret Santa from my home state, OR! I love the book you chose The Book Thief I enjoyed the lovely card you sent also. I know my Santa's last name but a search of Where in the World wasn't successful. So it is a mystery, but much appreciated.

Yay I got my books today!!
My book came with a gift reciept so I know who my secret santa is! Thanks Kristen K for my book and the nice note that came with it!!!! I'm so excited to read it!

I received my book today! It also came with a beautiful matching bookmark. I probably should have waited for Christmas to open it but I couldn't. Thanks Secret Santa - don't know who it is but it did come from Grants Pass, OR.

Not only did I receive my book, The Sense of an Ending- I just finished reading it! What a wonderful book that is short in size, but is largely rewarding. I highly recommend. Thank you, Carrie S.!

Alesia wrote: "Not only did I receive my book, The Sense of an Ending- I just finished reading it! What a wonderful book that is short in size, but is largely rewarding. I highly recommend. Thank you, Carrie S.!"

I enjoyed that book too, Alesia! I read it last year.

My book came in today. thank-you secret Santa your right everyone could use a little humor in their life.

I got my book. It was a Mary Higgins Clark book. Thanks Santa!

I got my book! Thanks secret Santa!

I got my book! It is Life of Pi :) I've been waiting to read this forever, so thank you Secret Santa :) Amazing job!

It's so exciting to see people getting their books!

For those who haven't received theirs yet--don't despair! Mail around this time of year always takes extra time.

For those who haven't SENT their books yet: please do so ASAP. If you have decided that you can no longer participate, please send me a message so that your Santee isn't left hanging. No hard feelings--I just need to know.

Thank you, all, for participating!

I got my book. Thank you Santa!!

I'm still worried my secret santee hasn't received their book. The mail said the delivery date was the 18th, but they haven't posted if they have received it or not. We live in the same state so it shouldn't take that long, and I mailed it on the 13th. Hmmmm.

Ashley, maybe they are like me and had no clue this thread existed until today. I think if you are really concerned there is no harm in reaching out through message- it does somewhat impact the 'secret' part I suppose, but return addresses end up doing that anyhow :)

I am also worried that my secret santee hasn't received their (e-)book, which was sent a couple of weeks ago. :o

Good point, Kate! I would be happy to reach out to the Santees who had books sent to them but have not yet received them. I can send out those messages tomorrow.

Also, if you've sent your book but have not let me know, please message me.

Thanks, all!

Sara wrote: "Received my book! It's called Unwind. I can't wait to read it! Thanks to my Santa! :)"

You got Unwind?!? That's a really good book and you should read it soon! Honestly, it's a great book. :)

I haven't received mine yet. I understand if they forgot or are late, I would just like to know whether I am getting one or not as I keep looking in the mail hoping it has arrived.

Sara wrote: "Received my book! It's called Unwind. I can't wait to read it! Thanks to my Santa! :)"

I'm glad you like it! I had such a hard time deciding what to get you because I was worried you would already own it haha! I really hope you enjoy the story. I'm madly in love with the series and I'll happily get you the second one in the future if you would like to own it. I'm not sure how you feel about mixing hardbacks and paperbacks (I know I can't stand doing it), otherwise I probably would have gotten you both! Also I want to apologize for not writing a note or anything, I meant to but we were being rushed at the Post Office ^.^;

Thank you Gina for my book and the handwritten note! I received The Murderer's Daughters. It looks very interesting! Can't wait to start reading :)

I just got my book : )The Iron King Thankyou so much SS. I have wanted to read that book for a long time : )

Opened my present this morning from my secret Santa from Carbondale, Il. Thank you so much forA Game of Thrones. It was very nice of you to get me a book off my secret Santa shelf. Merry Christmas!!

D. Ann wrote: "Lorelei wrote: "Thank you Secret Santa from my home state, OR! I love the book you chose The Book Thief I enjoyed the lovely card you sent also. I know my Santa's last name but a search of Where i..."

Awesome that you also got the same book! Would you like to Buddy Read it? Thanks so much again!

Sharon wrote: "I received my book today! It also came with a beautiful matching bookmark. I probably should have waited for Christmas to open it but I couldn't. Thanks Secret Santa - don't know who it is but i..."

Hi Sharon, I'm your SS. Glad to hear you enjoyed the book and the bookmark. I didn't know we were supposed to wait til Christmas!!

Ashley wrote: "My book came in today. thank-you secret Santa your right everyone could use a little humor in their life. "

I hope you enjoy it, and can't wait to see your review once you've read it! :)

Nathaly wrote: "Opened my present this morning from my secret Santa from Carbondale, Il. Thank you so much forA Game of Thrones. It was very nice of you to get me a book off my secret Santa shelf. Merry Christmas!!"

Ahhh! You got it! I was getting sooo sooo worried! If you want, you can join us for the buddy read in January! We're going to be reading it. :)

Wildangelkuri wrote: "Thank you Gina for my book and the handwritten note! I received The Murderer's Daughters. It looks very interesting! Can't wait to start reading :)"

I hope you like it and had a great Holiday!!

I received my book from my Santa! My Vacation in Hell by Gene Twaronite . It's a new to me author and looks great! I think it will fit in my New to Me Challenge in another group!! Thanks so much!!

Lorelei wrote: "Sharon wrote: "I received my book today! It also came with a beautiful matching bookmark. I probably should have waited for Christmas to open it but I couldn't. Thanks Secret Santa - don't know ..."

I don't think we had to wait until Christmas to open them :) Thanks so much, it will be one of the first books I read in the new year (I have too many challenge books to finish for this year to start it yet!)

A little anxious on two fronts...first my secret Santa hasn't posted that she received her book yet although it was mailed two weeks ago. And also anxiously awaiting my own arrival. Every trip to my mailbox is exciting until I open it to find nothing there. It's ok if it never arrives I would just like to know so I can stop looking for it.

Missy wrote: "A little anxious on two fronts...first my secret Santa hasn't posted that she received her book yet although it was mailed two weeks ago. And also anxiously awaiting my own arrival. Every trip to m..."

I'm in half of your boat! I also have not received my book and would just like to know if I should stop expecting it or not. =]

I got my book! I know mail takes forever, but still got it! Thanks for The Ruins of Gorlan, Secret Santa :D And my Santee got her book too, so we're all set.

Crystal messaged to let me know she received her book and says, "I also got the book from my secret santa and would like to pass along a message that I love the book she sent and look forward to reading it :)"

To those of you who have not yet received your books, I'm following up with our Santas today. Please keep in mind that mail is AWFULLY slow around the holidays (especially internationally), so it could take a bit longer than expected. But I promise that everyone will receive a book eventually. We will make it work.

Just to throw it out there that if some people can no longer SEND books, I would be willing to send another. I would hate for a participant not to receive a book. I have a lot of books in my library that I would be more than happy to send off.

I second Alesia! I am also available to send out another book. =]

Thank you so much! This group is so wonderful--I've gotten quite a few people volunteering to send additional books if needed. You guys rock.

I just went through the whole list. The good news is that almost all the books have been sent. There are 13 books that have so far been sent but not received. A handful of these were shipped internationally. A lot of them are probably stuck in transit right now, and I'm sure they'll get to their destinations.

Amazingly, of our 48 participants, there are only six I don't know about. I've followed up with all six today.

So sorry to have forgotten to post, but I received my book a few weeks ago. It's crazy around here with two kids during the holidays, so I've been away from the computer more than usual. Thanks to my secret Santa!
Carrie

Thank you Santa for my book which arrived yesterday. Can't wait to get started reading My Grandfather's War: A Young Man's Lessons from the Greatest Generation

Got my book yesterday but was out of town, so when I came back today it was waiting for me! Thank you Santa all the way from Germany for this awesome memoir: A Year in Provence by Peter Mayle! Never heard of it, but it sounds very interesting!!