2025 Reading Challenge discussion

My goal in 2024 is set to 20 books, even though I anticipate that I will surpass this as last year my goal was 15 books and ended up finishing 24. I have no particular list of books that I plan on reading, I mostly just pick off my TBR list based on how I feel.

I am new to the group so I have already finished 11/20 books, which means I am already half way done!

1/20 - The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
2/20 - Resurrection by Derek Landy
3/20 - The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
4/20 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
5/20 - Midnight by Derek Landy
6/20 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
7/20 - A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
8/20 - The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo
9/20 - The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh
10/20 - A ​Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
11/20 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

12/20 - The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green

Awesome progress so far keep it up.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to count any Manga I read towards my goal on this discussion board but in the end I decided it was cool to see the progress (and I can always increase my goal)!

13/20 - フルーツバスケットanother 1 (english) by Natsuki Takaya

A belated welcome to the group, Rhi!
You're off to a fantastic start, so I'm certain you'll reach your goal, no problem 😊

I hope 2024 continues to bring great books into your life.
Have fun, and happy reading!

14/20 - She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

15/20 - Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

16/20 - He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan

17/20 - Mammoths at the Gates by Nghi Vo

18/20 - Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman

19/20 - This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

Congratulations in advance on reaching your reading goals for 2024, Rhi! What will the 20th book be?

If you enjoyed Gaiman's writing style in Norse Mythology, I can definitely recommend American Gods.

Good luck on your reading journey! I hope its filled with lots of fantastic, enjoyable books 📚
Happy reading!

20/20 - The Hunchback of Notre-Dame by Victor Hugo


YAY! Feels fitting that the final book of my challenge was my first Monthly Read! My new goal is to get to at least 25 now!

Way to go, Rhi! 🥳
Did you enjoy the group read experience? Notre-Dame de Paris is one of my all-time favorite French musicals. It's on Youtube if you ever want to watch it. I definitely recommend the original Paris cast.

Here's to (at least) 5 more books - You can do it!

21/20 - The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

22/20 - Beowulf as translated by Seamus Heaney

awesome job on completing your reading goal.

Lisa wrote: "Way to go, Rhi! 🥳
Did you enjoy the group read experience? Notre-Dame de Paris is one of my all-time favorite French musicals. It's on Youtube if you ever want to watch it. I definitely recommend t..."

Thanks Lisa! I did enjoy the experience and have already gotten a head start on The Priory of the Orange Tree for October!

23/20 - The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

Rhi wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Way to go, Rhi! 🥳
Did you enjoy the group read experience? Notre-Dame de Paris is one of my all-time favorite French musicals. It's on Youtube if you ever want to watch it. I definitel..."

Yay! I know it's cliché, but I really believe "the more, the merrier" applies 100% to group reads. It makes discussion so much more interesting, when there are more people sharing their opinions. I'm still waiting on my hold from Libby, and meanwhile also simultaneously still trying to decide whether or not I want to read it. On the one hand: yes, because I'm curious, but on the other: not sure, because I'm not that curious, you know? 😂 lol.

Speaking of, did you enjoy The Wild Robot? It's one of my most favorite, most beloved book ever! I'm so looking forward to watching the movie. Curious to hear your thoughts on it though.

Lisa wrote: "Rhi wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Way to go, Rhi! 🥳
Did you enjoy the group read experience? Notre-Dame de Paris is one of my all-time favorite French musicals. It's on Youtube if you ever want to watch it...."

I did really enjoy it! I know the movie is supposed to be well done, so I decided I wanted to try and read it before I watched it. I was pleasantly surprised that it touched a bit on death as well as life in nature. I wasn't anticipating it because it was middle-grade but I thought it was really well done and a great way to introduce the concept for kids.

I get what you mean! I've definitely noticed that a lot of middle-grade touch on graver subjects like death and such, and I often wonder whether that's always been the case and I just didn't pay that much attention to it when I was reading middle-grade more often, or if it's just become a more common incorporation of mature themes in MG.

Like I read The Secret Horses of Briar Hill a few years ago, and remember looking at the cover, seeing winged horses, and thinking it would be a feel good type MG, and then being heartbroken for the longest time after reading it.

24/20 - The Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

25/20 - The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

26/20 - Fabled Lands by Time-Life Books

27/20 - Under the Oak Tree, Vol. 1 by Suji Kim

28/20 - Jay Lake and the Last Temple of the Monkey King by Ken Scholes

29/20 - The Call of Cthulhu and Other Stories by H.P. Lovecraft

30/20 - The Wild Robot Escapes by Peter Brown

THATS A WRAP! I seriously doubt I will somehow finish another book in one more day so thats it! Very excited to begin my journey in 2025!

Congrats, Rhi!
Here's to a fantastic 2025!