2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Hi fellow readers!

I'm only aiming for 26 books in 2025, but I love the "Turn the Pages" challenge, so I'll up my goal again : I'll shoot for 8,000 pages. In short, I'll try to read bigger books, because, in 2024, my favourite ended up being litteral bricks! They were :
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
Germinal by Émile Zola

The only short book I really liked was Piranesi by Susanna Clarke.

So I'll aim for big classic books, and see where my reading path is taking me from here.

Edit : we can add The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton to the list of short books I enjoyed in 2024. Still firmly on the "classics" shelf.

Great goals, Mariane!
Are you focusing mostly on classics, or is it just a coincidence that most of the ones you enjoyed were classics?

Would you recommend Germinal? I have been thinking about getting to some Zola this year, but was considering Thérèse Raquin. Have you read that?

"Let's Turn Pages" and "Clear the Shelves" are both my favorite yearly challenges.
Wishing you all the best with your reading journey in 2025. I hope you discover even more favorites amongst the classics this year.
Happy reading!

Lisa wrote: "Great goals, Mariane!
Are you focusing mostly on classics, or is it just a coincidence that most of the ones you enjoyed were classics?

Would you recommend Germinal? I have been thin..."

Sorry for the late reply. For some reason, I'm not getting notifications right now.

And yes, I'd go with "Germinal" over "Thérèse Raquin", if you want to read some Zola. Not that "Thérèse Raquin" is bad, but I think "Germinal" is more powerful.

First book read this year, Wool Omnibus, but in French : "Silo". 622 pages, and 5 stars for an excellent dystopian novel. I knew I was right to begin the year with a big book!

OK, I've refined my reading plan! Time to get strapped in!

I was scrolling book videos on Youtube, when I found this woman who did a "DIY literature degree", with 3 categories : a time period for English lit classics, a "specialty" (she did the Golden Age mystery novels for her fist "year") and a literay mentor. I've tweaked her idea a bit, and here is what I came up with:

1) Classcis of French literature : I'm not limiting myself to a time period, like the Middle Ages or the 18th century, but the idea is to read at least 3 French classics. The more variety the better, but I know my love for the 19th and 20th century, so...

2) When I find a classics I love, and that inspires me, I'll use it as a "seed" : I'll reseach and find 2 other classics connected to this book, and read those. The connection can be anything (except the author, that's cheating) : time period, theme, literay device, ... I'll update this thread when I find my first "seed", wich will hopefully bloom into a beautiful garden.

3) A literay mentor : I'll go with Jane Austen first. I've read lots of her books, but not all. The plan is to read the 2 major novels I haven't read yet : Emma and Persuasion, and maybe re-read a novel I already know. If I can find a good biography in French, I'll also add it to my "literay mentor" list.
Edit : I'm adding Lady Susan to the TBR pile, it sounds fantastic.

4) A miscellaneous/catch-all part : fantasy, SF, books "just for fun", classics that don't go into another category, ... I just don't want to limit my reading options.

I give myself 6 months (or a semester!) to read those 8 or 9 books, and we'll see if I manage to stick to the plan (for once in my life!).

Tell me what you think of this plan, and if you have suggestions of classics that you think I might like, don't hesitate to leave a comment!

Just finished The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden, a 3 stars fantasy novel, the first of a trilogy.

I'll pick up Jane Austen next, to start the "literay mentor" part of my "DIY uni degree".

Just finished Persuasion by Jane Austen, first book for my "DIY Uni degree", in the "literay mentor" category. I really enjoyed this book (I gave it a solid 4 stars). I found it an easy and light read, not as dense as Mansfield Park.

In typical Austen fashion, there were many humourous moments. The first chapter, in particular, is made of gold, with the description of Anne's father. Is there a more ridiculous man anywhere? There were elements of satire too, with Anne's family being too vain and proud (they value their title and their looks, but they're a lot of empty-headed and cold quidams).

And everybody loved the Navy, and those Navy officers, too! They're not only good-looking men, but they all have an outstanding character too! I'm not too sure about this point, but I can understand how an Englishwoman in 1817 (with brothers in the Navy) could have this opinion.

The love story was not my favourite part, even if I liked both Anne and Captain Wentworth. They only had one true conversation, where they really talked about their feelings, at the end of the novel. For the rest of the book, they just try to be coldly polite, to not show their feelings openly! It felt a bit "light" for the romance aspect, but it's my only quibble with this book.

4th book : Lady Susan by Jane Austen, 2nd book in my "literay mentor" course, for my own DIY uni degree. I've read all of her major works, except "Emma", wich is next on my list.

I liked "Lady Susan" : I gave it 3 stars. I really love epistolary novels (this one is very short, more like a novella). The main character was the "villain", but she was so funny!

5th book : Le Chant d'Achille by Madeline Miller (The Song of Achilles in English). The is a modern version of Achilles's story, told by Patroclus. Madelline Miller leans in the "they were lovers" side of the story, and I kinda agree with her : you don't ask to be buried with someone unless you love them, and Greeks did not think of sexuality as we do, so the "straight/gay" way of thinking is more modern than ancient.

I liked this novel, even if I sometimes got "stuck", I think when the other Greek kings got too unbearable! My favourite part was when they were living with the centaur Chiron. I also liked the ending. Achilles's son (Neoptelemus or Pyrrhus, he has 2 names) is so chilling : he is brought up by the goddess Thetis, and he ends up being a cold war machine, withouth a shred of pity or decency. The message being : being mortal was what made Achilles great. Madeline Miller chose to emphasis Achilles human side, because we get the story through Patroclus's eyes, so we know all of Achilles tender and human moments.

6th book, The Epic of Gilgamesh, I read the translation into French by Jean Bottéro, L'épopée de Gilgames : Le grand homme qui ne voulait pas mourir. I loved this book, I would give 4.75 stars, and I rounded it up to 5 stars.

And this gave me the "seed" for my reading plan : "Gilgamesh" is going to be my inspiration for exploring further classics. I'll try to read about grief and mourning in the Ancient World. I wanted to do "grief and mourning when you lose a brother at arms", like Achilles and Gilgamesh, but it was a too restrictive, and an internet search yielded no more books I could read.

So, a few idea for my theme : "The Iliad" by Homer (I know the story, of course, but I've never a full-length translation), "Metamorphosis" by Ovide (I'm thinking about Orpheus and his wife). I'll try and think of more titles later.

7th book this year, Le Zoo pétrifié by Joris Chamblain, a very cute "graphic novel" / BD, meant for children. Cute story, cute art. I picked it up at the library because I'm STUCK in "A Hundred Year of Solitude", wich is quite good, but not cute at all.

8th book : L'Africain by J.M.G. Le Clézio, who was awarded the Nobel Prize en 2008 (I think).

Not my favourite : 2.5 stars, but Le Clézio is not my favourite author. I can never find interst in his storylines, and his style is very "meh" to me.

Anyways, I'm glad I read this one, the passages about his father's psychology were interesting, but I could have done without the rest of the book.
It was very short, about 100 pages, autobiography, so a genre I'm fed up with. I find it very self-centered to write with yourself as the main subject. It's fine if it's someone who has done something amazing during their life, but it's not the case for most authors... Just do like everybody else, write a journal for yourself (and never publish it)!

Edit : I'm also glad I read this one because I'll count it as my first book for the "French classics" part in my "DIY uni degree".

Forgot to comment : 9th book (should be 8th, and "The Africian" should be 9th) : Un jour, je serai fantasticologue !, cute comics.

10th book : Suzanne et la rivière by Charlotte Bellière. 3 stars, I liked the art more than the story.

I'm in the middle of a wicked reading slump, wich is why I'm only loging BD/comics or kids' books. I'm sure I'll see the end of it, but I'd like to find a book I can "get into".

Still in the reading slump from hell. I should call it "the reading abyss, where my motivation goes to die".
Still, I finished Animal Farm by George Orwell. 13th book, I believe.

Edit : 11th and 12th books were both "graphic novels", one for kids and one very much for late teens/adults :
Le Livre d'Hector by Joris Chamblain
La Mort de Staline by Fabien Nury

OK, I've started 1984 by George Orwell, and I've revised my reading plan ("DIY university degree").

1. French lit : still only one book read, need 2 more (one novel and one other : I think a play).

2. Literay "garden" : I'm changing my plan completely, I'll never manage to read both "Metamorphosis" and the Iliad, so I'll go with the theme "political fiction", because I've re-read Animal Farm, and I'm reading "1984" right now. It means I need to find another "political fiction", and I've decided I need a book writen in English, to stay cohesive with my previous reads.

3. Literay mentor : still Jane Austen, just need to read Emma, wich should be my next pick, after I finish 1984.

I've read some new books :
La prophétie des grenouilles by Jacques-Rémy Girerd, for middle-schoolers, read for work.
La cité des livres qui rêvent by Walter Moers (in English : The City of Dreaming Books) : an amazing fantasy YA, with out-of-this-world worldbuiling!

Hi La Mariane! Looks like you're making great progress on your goal. And despite your reading slump! I am so impressed, and inspired, by your reading plan! Currently doing mental gymnastics to see if I can somehow swing this literature degree in the latter half of the year while still reading what I plan and "need" to read....

I've been making my way through Jane Austen as well. Though with a more modest goal of one a year. I've found that I need to read her books more than once to appreciate them. I'm reading Pride and Prejudice again for the 5th or 6th time but I do love this book. At this point, I've read all Austen's major works except Lady Susan. That'll be put on my TBR for next year. I hadn't realized that it was an epistolary.

Wishing you all the best as you continue your DIY university degree, and may you find many more new favorite literary bricks! Happy reading!

JennH wrote: "Hi La Mariane! Looks like you're making great progress on your goal. And despite your reading slump! I am so impressed, and inspired, by your reading plan! Currently doing mental gymnastics to see ..."

Thanks for the kind message (that I'm only seeing now...).
All my plans went out of the window, but that's life... I've decided to give myself a (generous) extension (untill the end of the year). I don't want to rush through "Emma", and I'm due for a re-read of "Pride and Prejudice" too. Just like for you, it's a favourite of mine. I also have other books to read for my work : I'm not too excited about most of them, but, you know, work...

Quick update:
New books read : 3
Pages read in total : 4785
1984 by George Orwell : excellent work, amazingly relevent! But it took me forever to read : I first read it when I was 11 (far too young) and I managed to traumatize myself for the "rats scene" at the end... so I dreaded reading it again, and I was right, it was quite bad... (not as in "badly written", but as in "why I am doing this to myself?").

Le Horla by Guillaume Sorel : a very free adatation of Maupassant's short story "Le Horla". Beautiful artwork (it was a graphic novel / bd).

The Wall by Marlen Haushofer : very good novel, about a woman living on her own, as she's the last person alive after the end of the world. A very introspective novel, about living in the forest, with pets / animals. Beautifully written. I want to read other books by Marlen Haushofer.

I finished another book yesterday, a fun YA nearly-fantasy novel : La Vie suspendue by Timothée de Fombelle (first tome in the "Tobie Lolness" duology). Fun story with a good premise : a entire society of 1.5 mm people are living in a tree! I loved the characters and the world-building.

Book #20 : Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin.
I'm glad I read this book, it was beautifully written, and it's been in my TBR for a while. It is such a cruel book though : in my opinion, it's all about self-hate. The narrator hates himself because of his sexuality, and his self-hatred makes him cruel to everybody, inlcuding himself. And all the characters are more or less functionning the same way : dysfunction 101, or how to make yourself unhappy.
Very intresting, and I'm glad my mind doesn't work that way!

La_mariane wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi La Mariane! Looks like you're making great progress on your goal. And despite your reading slump! I am so impressed, and inspired, by your reading plan! Currently doing mental gymn..."

Ah, yes, that is indeed life. Absolutely nothing wrong with taking a little longer for your DIY literature degree. Darn work getting in the way of your reading for pleasure! 😉

JennH wrote: "La_mariane wrote: "JennH wrote: "Hi La Mariane! Looks like you're making great progress on your goal. And despite your reading slump! I am so impressed, and inspired, by your reading plan! Currentl..."

Work! Exactly! I try to comfort myself with the knowledge that no work means no money for books!

Book #21 : Silo Origines by Hugh Howey (Shift in English) : 700 pages prequel (but also companion book) to "Wool". I liked the story on the whole but the multiple POV were a bit much for me, I was mostly interested in the 1st silo, the one where the "bad guys" are.

Book #22 : Les clients du Bon Chien Jaune by Pierre Mac Orlan. It's a short middle school novel about pirates, like a knock-off Treasure Island.

book #23 : Manuel de Survie du Sorcier Frugal dans l'Angleterre médiévale by Brandon Sanderson (The Frugal Wizard’s Handbook for Surviving Medieval England in English). It's a mix a sci-fi and fantasy, with a main character who's lost all his memories. He's trying to make sense of the new world he's in, after travelling through dimensions.

This book was OK, I gave it 3 stars, mostly because I really like the ending. It has a humorous tone, but it was not my thing. I liked the world-building, the characters and the pacing, so I'll try to read another book by Brandon Sanderson, one more serious in tone.