2025 Reading Challenge discussion

I'm kind of late in posting my challenge this year. For 2020 I decided I'm probably just going to post summaries of the books I've read each month. I feel like I got a good start in January and read a lot of enjoyable books.

Here is my January summary - feel free to comment on my thread

Sam's Letters to Jennifer - So this was the number one book on my tbr and I decided this year to knock down the books that I've had on there awhile. I read this in pretty much a day. It was an easy read and I'm pretty sure I read it before. Thankfully with Goodreads I don't have that problem anymore but before Goodreads I'm confused on if I've read some books or not. Needless to say I enjoyed the book. It was a light fun read and I rated it 4 stars.

Tell Me Three Things - This was another quick fun read. It was a good YA novel. The author's note at the end of the book made it more special. I couldn't put it down and I really liked the characters. I rated it 5 stars.

Never Have I Ever - Some of this was kind of hokey but regardless I rated it 4 stars. The ending was kind of disturbing but the mystery of what was going on kept me reading on. It was suspenseful.

Mrs. Kennedy and Me: An Intimate Memoir - I did this book as an audio and really loved it. I'd recommend it. The narrator was great and there were a lot of details in there that I hadn't heard before about the Kennedy's. I rated it 5 stars.

Every Heart a Doorway - I expected to like this more. I only rated it 3 stars. I'll continue the series as I think the other books I'll find more interesting but it was a fun little novella that one the Hugo Award.

5/60

February was an interesting reading month. I read Finding Jake which I read for a prompt that was read a book from your tbr that you don't remember putting there. I thought what a horrible prompt but this was really an enjoyable book that I had put on my tbr that I forgot about. It was a five star read for me. As a parent it resonated with me. Wondering what happened with Jake kept me turning the pages.

In Cold Blood I listened to on audio and I did not like the reader. I think my perspective would have been different if I didn't listen to it on audio. It was an important book for me to read because my mother had a connection with the book. She grew up in that area and was attacked by a man that was on death row that was mentioned in the book. I remember her telling me the story of how she was reading it and came across his name. I ended up rating it 3 stars.

Junkyard Cats - I listed to this on audio as a freebie from audible. I wasn't really into the story and I'm not sure it gave that much world building to know what was going on. I'm also not sure that they did and I was just disinterested. I rated it one star.

The Christmas Train - I liked parts of the story but overall I just thought it was kind of cheesy. The characters weren't really deep characters. I rated it 2 stars.

Inside Out - This was a great audio book. Having Demi narrate it was pretty awesome. It was hard to listen to parts of the book because it was pretty raw. I feel like she didn't hold back. I learned a whole lot about her and I feel like it gave me a different perspective on things. I rated it 5 stars.

Caffeine: How Caffeine Created the Modern World - Another audible freebie but I enjoyed this one. I did learn a couple of things. I rated it 3 stars.

Cut and Run: A Light-Hearted Dark Comedy - Another audible freebie. I thought a lot of it was fun. It was just hard to listen them make jokes about stealing someone's kidney. Over all it was fun to listen to and I liked the narrators. I rated it 3 stars.

Whiskey in a Teacup: What Growing Up in the South Taught Me About Life, Love, & Baking Biscuits - As deep as Demi's book was is as light as Reese's book was. It was refreshing to listen to. She narrated it which made it pretty fun. Demi's book and Reese's book were on two different spectrums. Reese definitely kept my attention but overall I was looking to learn a little more about her personally. I rated it 3 stars.

Tinaca Jones - I'm not sure what that was. It was an audible freebie. After this one I will probably be more selective about even choosing some of the free ones. There were a couple of funny parts but overall it was a one star for me.

Hidden Bodies - I rated this 4 stars. I love how the author writes with Joe's inner monologue and dark humor. It kept me turning the pages to see what Joe did next.

15/60

Sometime during March Good reads took off the audible only books I listened to which is weird. I added them back.

March was a slow reading month for me. I only read 4 and that is counting The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz which I finished in April technically.

The Silent Wife - I thought this was written extremely well. I loved the flow of her writing. I was all prepared to get more of her books and then I found out that this was her debt book and then she died. I was bummed about that. I rated it 4 stars though even though I kinda guessed the ending.

This Is How It Always Is - I enjoyed this book about parents raising a child with gender dysphoria. I've known parents and kids who go through this and I thought it was an accurate depiction. I loved the family banter in this book. It made you feel like you were there in the conversations. I rated it 4 starsl

The Husband's Secret - I think I expected more so I was underwhelmed. I did like the story and the characters. I kind of guessed what was going to happen but I still thought it was an enjoyable read. I rated it 3 stars.

I listened to The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz. I was disappointed.. The narrator just didn't keep my attention and I didn't enjoy the flow of the book I rated it 2 stars.

19/60

April was kind of a slow month for me as well. With Covid I've actually had to work more.

Today Will Be Different - I found this funny and I liked it much more than Where'd You Go, Bernadette. I think I rated them somewhat the same though. I enjoyed the quick wit and it made me laugh out loud a couple of times. I rated it 4 stars.

One with You - I've had this book forever and I finally finished this series. I ended up rating it 4 stars because the characters grew on me. It was easy to get back into and it was fun for a light read.

Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President - I listened to this on audio and I learned a lot. I rated it 5 stars. The narrator did a good job too. It had some history of Alexander Graham Bell in there also which I found really interesting. I rated it 5 stars.

The Fifth Risk - I learned a lot on this audio as well. I rated it 4 stars. The last chapter or two was not as interesting but I was riveted up until then. I learned a lot about the different departments of the government.

The Red Badge of Courage - I read this short classic. I think I was supposed to read it in 10th grade English and I think I actually might have because I seemed to remember some of it. War stories aren't really my thing but I wanted to tick this classic off of my list. It had a blurb in there about the author and about how he wrote the book on a dare/bet. I thought that was really interesting. I rated it 3 stars.

After - This was a fun spring read that drew me in. Even though the characters were whiny and immature I got sucked into the drama. I did not see that ending coming either. I rated it 4 stars.

25/60

May was another slow month. I need to start picking it up and so far June isn't going that well either. I haven't even finished one book yet.

The Egg and Other Stories - A couple of these stories were good but it wasn't memorable. I listened to it on audio. I ended up rating it 3 stars.

Flowers for Algernon - I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I was going to. I was a little scared in the beginning that I was going to hate it but it ended up being a really great story. I've always known that it was a book I wanted to read but I didn't really know what it was about so it was a nice surprise. As he went through the different phases it was interesting to see his take on things. I rated it 5 stars.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - I thought I knew what this book was about but it was different than I thought it was going to be. I enjoyed the story and I will probably continue the series at some point. I rated it 4 stars. I feel like I had some questions in spots.

Delirium Stories: Hana, Annabel, and Raven - I had bought this awhile ago and I finally decided to read it. It really wasn't all that great. I was interested in Hana's story the most out of them. I rated it 3 stars which was pretty generous.

29/60

Still kind of in a slump. I'm hoping with vacation for a week in July that July will be better.

Heart-Shaped Box - It was fun reading the horror genre again. It's pretty much what I started reading with in my teens but got bored of it and I've stayed away for awhile. I really liked halfway through this book and then it got a little crazy for me. BUT I love the way it was tied up. It didn't keep you wondering how everything ended up and if anyone got in trouble for all of the things that happened. I thought that was the best part. Otherwise I usually feel slighted at the end of the book and thinking that could have never happened in real life. But if it's tied up and explained I feel like it is more believable. It was my first Joe Hill book and I rated it 4 stars. I'll be reading more of his books.

Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are - Once again half of this book was so interesting I was glued to listening to it. The narrator was pretty good. It was amazing how much you can learn by the number of google search hits and how it compares to actual surveys. I thought it was fascinating. But the second half wasn't as interesting to me and that's why I ended up rating it a 4. It was still interesting but didn't hold my attention like the first part did.

Down Among the Sticks and Bones - I kind of picked this series up on a whim. I saw the first book in the library when I was looking for something else. I wasn't planning on reading it. The story held my attention pretty much but I wouldn't say I'm completely invested in the lives of the characters. I'll probably pick up more books in the series to read but I'm not rushing out there to do so. I kind of kept getting confused between the twins. Overall I rated it 3 stars.

The Tattooist of Auschwitz - I did really enjoy these characters and I was definitely invested in the story. I read it pretty quick which is a miracle for me lately. It gave you a feeling of knowing what it might have been like to be in a concentration camp. I rated it 4 stars.

33/60

I'm ahead on my overall reading challenge for the year but I'm 3 behind in my Around the Year Challenge in 52 books. I'm hoping to catch up but it's almost taking me 2 weeks to read a book lately.

Us Against You - I rated this one 4 stars. I thought it was pretty good for a sequel. I rated Beartown 5 stars. I couldn't put it down the last 100 pages or so. The author's hints were getting sort of annoying though. You would expect one thing to happen and then it went a totally different direction. I just found it a little frustrating after awhile.

The Hot Zone: The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus - I listened to this on audio. I did learn some things and I found it interesting. Some of it wasn't so interesting which is why I rated it 3 stars.

Recursion - I thought this was a pretty good Sci-Fi book. I read it pretty quickly. There was some repetitiveness in it but to me it added to the suspense. I rated it 5 stars.

The Handmaid's Tale: The Graphic Novel - this was a fun way to revisit the story without re-reading the whole book. I rated it 4 stars. I thought the graphics were pretty good. It made me feel like I was reading the original book.

Life Will Be the Death of Me: . . . and You Too! - I listened to this on audio. It was a fun and emotional read. She told a lot about her life. The only part that bored me was the dogs which is why I rated it 4 stars.

Artemis - Another sci-fi read this month! I was hoping I would like it as much as I loved The Martian but unfortunately it was a three star read for me. The last third just reminded me of a young adult novel. It just didn't seem to fit. I read young adult so nothing against that genre it just felt weird.

The Last Anniversary - This is my least favorite so far of Liane Moriarty's books. I wasn't a fan of the characters and towards the last quarter I just wanted it to end. I did like the mystery part of it.

40/60

Here is my August wrap up. I had some diversity in reading.

I read Where the Sidewalk Ends. I needed it for a summer challenge and I always meant to read it as a kid. It was a fun book to read and the illustrations were great. I wish I had a creative mind like that. It did feel a little repetitive after awhile. I rated it 3 stars.

All the Light We Cannot See - It took me awhile to get through it. I'm glad I finally read it. I liked the first half much more than the second half I would say. The book did a good job of thinking what it would be like to be blind. It was interesting how all of the characters came together. I rated it 4 stars. The writing was really pretty.

The Ones That Got Away - I rated this 2 stars. I liked maybe two of the short stories. They were horror stories. Some of them I didn't even get. I remember about two stories. It wasn't a memorable book.

The Confession - This was number 2 on my want to read list. I put it on there back in 2014. I thought it was time to read it. I really enjoyed it but I think the story could have ended earlier. I listened to this one on audio and I thought the narrator did a really good job. All in all it was a solid 3 star read.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - I finally read this short classic. It took me forever to get through even though it was short. I did think some of it was funny. I enjoyed the beginning much more than the second half of the book. I rated it 3 stars.

Book Love - This was a cute graphic book that I think we all on Goodreads can relate to. The illustrations were cute and I found myself laughing out loud. I rated it 5 stars.

46/60

Keep being awesome!

Here is my reading wrap up for September. It was a pretty good month. I'd say my reading was diverse again. From a trashy romance, to a classic re-read, to a morbidly funny book, it was an interesting month.

After We Collided - Ok, this book could have been so much shorter by cutting out at least 3 ridiculous fights and misunderstandings. Dear Lord, I wanted it to end. There were a couple of parts I liked but not much. I was generous and gave it two stars probably rounded up from a 1.5. I endured 674 pages. At this point I can't see myself continuing the series but for me it's hard to not ever pick up a series book again.

Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: And Other Questions About Dead Bodies - What a welcomed surprise! I loved this book. I listened to it on audio and the author narrated and she was hilarious. There were only a few parts that I did not care about which is why I gave it a 4 star rating. This definitely satisfied my morbid humor for awhile. I highly recommend this book and to listen to it on audio.

Animal Farm - I listened to this on audio as a re-read. I rated it lower than when I read it the first time but I think it was mostly because of the narrator. I might just read it a third time to decide. I read George Orwell in high school and he was always my favorite books out of what I was reading then. I'm interested to see what I think of 1984 now. I think I actually read 1984 in 1984. I rated Animal Farm 3 stars.

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - I liked this better than I thought I was going to. It was on its way to a four star review up until the third part of the book. It just seemed to have a different tone or something from the rest of it. I rated it 3 stars but I recommend it to any of the Hunger Games fans. My daughter refuses to read it however because she hates Snow from the other books (Insert rolling eye emoji here).

Pumpkinheads - This was a cute little graphic novel that is good to read during fall. It was on the Goodreads awards list for 2019 so I decided to try it. It was a little corny but cute overall and the graphics were well done. I rated it 4 stars.

The Bridges of Madison County - I picked this up used at a goodwill store. I think I actually picked up a first edition of it. I never saw the movie but I have always been interested in reading it. It turns out it was a sappy book. The writing was good and it was kind of like a Nicholas Sparks book. I think I'm just over sappy. I did rate it 3 stars though. I had issues with some of the morality of it. I think I'm just getting old.

An Anonymous Girl - Now this is what I'm talking about! This was a good psychological thriller. It wasn't the typical psychological thriller characters. It wasn't a boyfirend/girlfriend or wife/husband stalker kind of thing. I got the heebie jeebies reading it and it was definitely suspenseful. The twists weren't drop your mouth exciting but they were solid twists. The antagonist of the story was creepy. I read it pretty quickly and would have devoured it in a day if I had time. I rated this 4 stars.

54/60

I found that my book count was off and I never posted Finding Jake that I read back in January/February. This was a great read I picked out while strolling through the library. It had been on my reading list for 5 years and I just happened to cross it while walking through the stacks. It was a heart wrenching story and I could feel the parents anguish in the book. It was hard to read for that reason. The emotion really got to me. I rated it 5 stars. It was one of the few tear jerkers I read this year.

Actually I see that I did post about it. I see where my book count got off. This book deserved a second review on it. I'm reading Columbine now and that book makes me think of this one. Finding Jake is a book I won't forget. Those are the books that deserve 5 star reviews. I feel like I'm a lot harder on my book reviews than I have been in the past. I was sitting here thinking that An Anonymous Girl was really good but I can't remember the exact ending. Oh wait now I remember. But that's why it gets 4 stars. I feel like in awhile I won't remember that but the book was great while reading it.

I'm a little behind on my October wrap up. 2021 Budgets and Covid are my excuses. My co-workers sons got Covid so I had increased workload along with budgets due for 2021. Her sons are fine. They had somewhat mild cases other than the high fevers.

My reading has definitely dropped the last couple of months. I'm wondering if it is because of the annual 52 week challenge that I have done the last several years. I'm thinking of not participating next year or at least not concentrate on finishing it but making sure I'm reading the books that I want to. The last several prompts or so this year aren't inspiring me which I think is leading to my decreased reading level.

I'm definitely going to need the help of audio books to complete my ATY in 52 books challenge.

Columbine - I learned a lot in this audio. I either didn't know or had forgotten about all of the pipe bombs that they made that thankfully didn't go off. I learned about the killers as well as the victims. It was a good read and a hard read since my daughter is in high school and my son is in college. I'll never forget the day when their high school had a lock down for a shooter. Thankfully it turned out that nothing happened. My daughter was in middle school across the street from the high school and my son was in the high school taking the PSAT and did not have his phone. She was frantic because he wasn't answering. A bad memory for all of us that thankfully is not anything like what Columbine went through. Just going through what we did - I can't even imagine going through the real thing. How much PTSD they all must live with every day. I rated the book 4 stars and I highly recommend.

Truly Madly Guilty - I rated this book 4 stars also. I really enjoyed the first three quarters of it but felt like it could have been wrapped up quicker. I love Moriarty's characters and the feelings they have feel so valid and you can understand their struggle.

The Woman in Cabin 10 - I read this book pretty quickly and I could not put it down. The twists were pretty good and it was so easy to read. I ended up rating it 4 stars also. The ending wasn't my favorite. I thought a part of the ending could have been cut out.

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper - I listened to the audio book. I was into the first two victims and wasn't all that interested in the last three. It was a good book to learn what the women went through during those times. Women's rights have come a long way. These women were easily discarded given the thinking during those times. I recommend the book. I rated it 3 stars.

Fauci - Audible had this free and I learned a lot about the man. I thought it was really good. It was really short and a good listen. I rated it 4 stars.

59/60

November and December Wrap up

I finally read Dracula. It took me a month to get through but I did enjoy it. I kind of liked the first part of the book the best but it was overall enjoyable and it gave that creepy edge that I was looking for. I rated it 4 stars.

I listened to The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life. I actually found a lot to use in this book. I thought it was pretty good and probably will listen to again to remind me what is important and what is not important. It gave a different perspective of thinking and I think my kids could benefit from reading it. I rated it 4 stars.

I read Dorothy Must Die. I really enjoyed the first book. It was a fun dark take on The Wizard of Oz that I enjoyed. I found it relaxing to read and I liked the world building. I also rated this one 4 stars.

The second book in the series was still good but not as good as the first. The Wicked Will Rise was an enjoyable extension of the first book. I rated it 3 stars. I think I still enjoyed the world building but maybe the characters were falling a little flat for me. I rated it three stars.

Yellow Brick War was much the same as the second but part of it took place in Kansas which I guess I thought was a little dumb. I thought the characters were better in this one but the one that is all evil I thought was kind of dumb. I did turn the pages pretty fast so for that reason I rated it 3 stars.

I finally read Room. I wanted to read this book for awhile. It will be a book I remember that is for sure. I thought having it told by the child made it extra creepy and I give the author lots of kudos because she pulled off that perspective really well. A lot of it creeped me out and disturbed me. It did give you kind of an understanding what it would be like to be captive. Because it creeped me out so bad I rated it 3 stars.

Tiny Pretty Things - This was kind of like a guilty pleasure book and I loved it!! It was like mean girls take ballet. The things they did to each other were horrible but it kept you turning the pages. You also fell in love with the characters. I read the second one also and I rated it 5 stars and this one 4 stars. I finished the second one in 2021. If you're looking for some drama and some heartfelt sections then this is the book for you. The characters were definitely believable.

66/60