2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Closing the Chapter: Your 2024 Reading in Review

As the year comes to a close, we want to thank our members for spending another year reading with us. Your enthusiasm, creativity, and passion for books make our community truly special. We invite you to reflect on your 2024 bookish adventures and share highlights from your reading journey. Take a moment to think about the stories that moved you, the challenges you conquered, and the surprises that shaped your reading year.

- How many books did you read?
- Did you reach your reading goal?
- Which book was your favorite?
- Which book was your least favorite?
- Which book had your favorite cover?
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy?
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year?
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year?
- What was an unpopular book you loved?
- What book was overhyped in your opinion?
- What was the most frustrating book you read?
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"?
- What was the longest book you read this year?
- What was the shortest book you read this year?
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
- What book had the most unique concept?
- What book did you read that you would reread?
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
- What book made you laugh out loud?
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
- What book do you wish more people would read?
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
- What moment from a book has stuck with you?
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why?
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices?
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal?


Let’s celebrate your 2024 reading journey and set the stage for an even more exciting 2025!

I'll be back to finish since I'm still reading and also don't have enough time to think about every question since my goal has been upped to 275 books and I'm nearly there.

- How many books did you read? 274 by Dec 29, but it will go up to 275 by the 31st.
- Did you reach your reading goal? Yes, my initial goal was 100 books which I raised several times. Technically, I failed in that I was trying to keep it down to 100 or a bit more :)
- Which book was your favorite? No one favourite
- Which book was your least favorite? this was a tie of several books I hated but were short so I finished them for a competitive reading game

- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? Not sure, but a number in each of those categories

- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? Buddy reads, plus leading one of the monthly challenges
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? Sure, but I have no idea for which month yet and also would want one I am interested in.
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Keigo Higashino is one of a number of new authors I enjoyed that I found due to the intense reading game.
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? There were a few, but among them is Detective Kyoichiro Kaga, and I especially remember him from the second book I read in that series Newcomer
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Where do I start? I like to read books that are published by smaller publishers and not just support the big ones so always find a number of these

- What book was ove-rhyped in your opinion? Dial A for Aunties - I gave 5 stars to one of her books, but this was one of my 1 star reads
- What was the most frustrating book you read? There were a few, but I don't have time to go through all of them carefully to figure out the most frustrating one.

- What was the longest book you read this year? It's showing at the top of my year in books as 0 pages, so can't tell you.
- What was the shortest book you read this year? 72 pages


- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest average rating was the New Testament.
Lowest average rating Northanger Abbey 3.09 and I didn't think it deserved any higher since I gave it 3 stars.

- What book do you wish more people would read?
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? A few for a big game such as Steampunk.

- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? N/A
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? No games or difficult challenges; I want to increase my average rating.
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? 100 books

How many books did you read? 109 so far this year and should finish 1 or 2 more by 31 December

Did you reach your reading goal? Yes, my goal was 101 books

Which book was your favourite? Murtagh by Christopher Paolini, We Solve Murders by Richard Osman, Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torz

Which book was your least favourite? Neil Gaiman’s Likely Stories

Which book had your favorite cover? Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? 7 yearly challenges in this group, 1 yearly challenge from another group (Mount TBR), 4 quarterly challenges, 12 monthly challenges, 1 bonus challenge (happy 30k members), 3 Readathons in this group, 1 other Readathon, continuing with 2 personal lifetime challenges

What other group activities or events did you enjoy? I have done a few buddy reads and enjoyed the discussions we had about the books

Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? Maybe

Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. I discovered 40 new to me authors. I really enjoyed Rebecca Yarros who wrote Fourth Wing and Iron Flame (Onyx Storm which continues this series is out early 2025!)

Who were your favourite main characters of the year? El from the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik (first book: A Deadly Education), Vera Wong from Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto, Vella from the Millennium's Rule series by Trudi Canavan (first book: Thief's Magic)

What was an unpopular book you loved? It's not unpopular per se, I just don't think a lot of people know about A Witch in Time by Constance Sayers

What book was overhyped in your opinion? The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

What was the most frustrating book you read? Raven's Gate by Anthony Horowitz. I did not finish it years ago and even though I did give it another go, I didn't really enjoy it

What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie

What was the longest book you read this year? Bleak House by Charles Dickens (1,088 pages)

What was the shortest book you read this year? Eve's Diary by Rachel Caine (3 pages)

What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

What book had the most unique concept? The Book That No One Wanted to Read by Richard Ayoade

What book did you read that you would reread? Terciel and Elinor by Garth Nix

What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest rated: Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (average rating: 4.73), lowest rated: The Shadow in the Glass by J.J.A. Harwood (average rating: 3.12). I agree with Fourth Wing being really good but think readers have been a bit harsh about Shadow in the Glass.

What book made you laugh out loud? Bream Gives Me Hiccups by Jesse Eisenberg

What book made you cry or deeply emotional? The Sentence by Christina Dalcher

What book do you wish more people would read? One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake

What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? I'm not much of a romance Reader but I did pick up Bride by Ali Hazelwood this year. It helped that there were fantasy elements too

What book do you regret not picking up sooner? The Last Continent by Terry Pratchett

What moment from a book has stuck with you? The ending of A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor

If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Naomi Novik - I have loved all of her mainstream published works and admire her as being a founding member of AO3

After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? I want to do some rereads, more library loans and more Netgalley approvals

Did you set a 2025 reading goal? 101 books again

- How many books did you read? Will be 104 once I finish my current read.
- Did you reach your reading goal? Yes! My original goal was 92, but I upped it to 104. I should finish my 104th book today!
- Which book was your favorite? Excluding Beach Read (which I've read before), my favorite was Part of Your World.
- Which book was your least favorite? A Quitter's Paradise
- Which book had your favorite cover?
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? Yearly: 1; Monthly: 8?; Quarterly: 3
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? Secret Santa
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? Yes! I would be down to lead.
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Abby Jimenez
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Gus from Beach Read and Zach from A Cowboy to Remember
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Out of my 5-star rated books, the book with the lowest rating was A Special Place for Women with a 3.47.
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? Little Fires Everywhere
- What was the most frustrating book you read? A Quitter's Paradise
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? N/A: I don't intentionally watch adaptations.
- What was the longest book you read this year? Fifty Shades of Grey: 514 pages
- What was the shortest book you read this year? Kill Joy: 119 pages
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? A Cowboy to Remember. I guess I like cowboys...lol.
- What book had the most unique concept? Maybe not unique, but different than all the other books I read this year. The Measure
- What book did you read that you would reread? Part of Your World
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest: All My Rage: 4.49. Lowest: A Quitter's Paradise: 2.85. And yes, I agree with both ratings.
- What book made you laugh out loud? I know there were books. I don't specifically remember which ones, though. Possibly The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires.
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? Again, I don't remember all of them. The last one that made me cry was Riverbend Gap.
- What book do you wish more people would read? I enjoyed The Siren, which I don't hear a lot about.
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? I read a lot more non-fiction books (6) and classics (3) than I normally do.
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? Part of Your World. Wasn't sure it would live up to the hype.
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? Not sure of a specific moment, but I read The Siren in January and still can remember almost everything from that book.
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Emily Henry: She's one of my favorite authors. I love her writing. I would probably read her grocery list if she let me. Lol.
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? I started and/or continued 18 series in 2024. My goal is to try and finish all the series.
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? Yes. It will be 104 again, which is 2 books per week.

Hi, everybody! I'm still reading, and I might even finish Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey before the end of 2024 (but if it's my first book on 2025, I'm still going to be happy with my 2024 reading).

-How many books did you read? Current count at 33 books.
- Did you reach your reading goal?Yes, I wanted to read 7,500 pages, and I'm over 9,000 now, so it's a success! I prefer counting the pages, and not the books, because I'm a middle school teacher, and I read quite a few middle school books, and those skew the stats.
- Which book was your favorite? Hard to say! The one that stayed with me the longest is The Secret History by Donna Tartt, but The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James is a strong contender too.
- Which book was your least favorite? Silverview by John Le Carré. I wanted to branch out of my favourite genres, and I was not convinced at all.
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. I had heard of Donna Tartt, but I had never read one of her book before, and I was blown away! I also discovered Elizabeth Gaskell, another resounding success!
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Henry Winter, in The Secret History, I love ambiguous characters!
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? Yellowface by R.F. Kuang. In fact, I didn't even finish this book, and I saw everyone giving it 4 or 5 stars...
- What was the longest book you read this year? The Portrait of a Lady : my edition had 906 pages, and it was so worth it!
- What book had the most unique concept? Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Another very good read.
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? Many of the books I read this year were about difficult subjects, but one that stuck was Germinal by Émile Zola. It's hard not to feel sorry for those men and women, trapped in (sometimes litterally!) the mines, in the 1880s. And the glimpse into the women's fate was truly sobering.
- What book do you wish more people would read? Hard question! Can I choose several books? Because I loved The Portrait of a Lady and The Secret History, but they are both very slow-paced, so I feel they're not to everyone's taste. Otherwise, a consensual choice would be Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, even if I feel poor Fanny deserved better!
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? It was back to the classics at the end of the year, and I've been enjoying the best reading streak in a long while!
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? In The Age of Innocence, when the whole family conspires to separate Newland Archer and Ellen Olenska, and the main characters doesn't realise until the very end...
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? I'd love to talk to Donna Tartt about her characters, and also, ask her thoughts about the concept of "unreliable narrator", because I think she's the queen of crafting morally suspicious characters...
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Reading more big / long classics! Those were my favourite this year! I have my eye on Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family by Thomas Mann.
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? Yes, I want to read 26 books (same number as this year) but a bit more pages (8,000 instead of 7,500).

Rachael wrote: "How many books did you read? 109 so far this year and should finish 1 or 2 more by 31 December

Did you reach your reading goal? Yes, my goal was 101 books

Which book was your favourite? Murtagh b..."

I loved The Scholomance series too! But I prefered A Deadly Education and The Last Graduate, because they take place inside the school. I felt like The Golden Enclaves was one long trip for El, with quick pitstops along the way... What did you think of the different books?

- How many books did you read? 25, working on 26
- Did you reach your reading goal? Yes! My original goal was 12, I doubled that & then some
- Which book was your favorite? A tough choice but I’ll give it to The Medicine Woman of Galveston
- Which book was your least favorite? Soul Ties
- Which book had your favorite cover? Absolutely gorgeous cover for
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? 0 haha I’m new here but I’ve signed up for a couple in 2025
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? Also n/a but The group reads and monthly themes look really interesting
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? Not yet!
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. A lot new! I could name so many but Ashley Poston & Lee Hollis stand out
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Ugh Tuscia, excuse me, Dr. Hatherley!!
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Merry Ever After has a pitiful 2.78 rating on Goodreads but I actually enjoyed it so much haha
- What book was overhyped in your opinion?Small Things Like These Maybe I need more historical context & another go at it but I didn’t really get what all the fuss is about…
- What was the most frustrating book you read? Turkey Trot Murder I DNF it because it was painfully cringe
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? I didn’t watch many besides It Ends With Us
- What was the longest book you read this year? Dune With 658 pages but I cheated (listened to the audiobook so you could count Soul Ties with its 480 pages
- What was the shortest book you read this year? All by My Elf was only 55 pages
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? The Wedding People it was so thought provoking for me
- What book had the most unique concept? The Ballad of Black Tom
- What book did you read that you would reread? The Seven Year Slip
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? highest rated Soul Ties I couldn’t disagree more, the 1 star I gave it was generous. Lowest rated All by My Elf I agree, it was pretty bad lol
- What book made you laugh out loud? Can’t think of one tbh
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? The Medicine Woman of Galveston I cried so much but it hit extremely close to home. Literally detailing the most deadly natural disaster in US history that almost obliterated my hometown… Yeah there were waterworks!
- What book do you wish more people would read? The Bible?
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? Historical fiction, and I’m a fan!
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? hmm that’s tough
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? Tuscia finding Toby
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Um my knuckles would like a word with Ryle Kincaid so
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Exploring new genres & making more time to read
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? 52 books & 24 different genres

Anna Rachel wrote: " - What book was overhyped in your opinion?Small Things Like These Maybe I need more historical context & another go at it but I didn’t really get what all the fuss is about…"

I agree with you. "Small Things Like These" felt unfinished to me. It could have been the first few chapters of an amazing longer novel, but the author stoped writing as soon as the main character (I can't remember his name) decides to help! But I was left with too many questions : what will his wife do? And his daughters? What will be the social consequences?

How many books did you read?
- Did you reach your reading goal? YES
- Which book was your favorite? The Paris Bookseller
- Which book was your least favorite? One about Trump I DNF'd that one
- Which book had your favorite cover? Christmas By the Book. Gorgeous colours!!

- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? The only One I completed was NFN - and I read one memoir for that.
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? NO Sorry.
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Kerri Maher.
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Sylvia Beach (the Paris Bookseller) and Nora Walden (Christmas by the Book.)
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? The Martian. The ONLY adapatation I read this year.
- What was the longest book you read this year? Chris Christie's Memoir.
- What was the shortest book you read this year? A Perry Mason book about Parrots.
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? Christmas by the Book
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Yearly challenges and NFN only!!
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? YES. This years goal was 10. I just made it. My Goal for 2025 is 13 - which is Half the Alphabet.

- How many books did you read? 105
- Did you reach your reading goal?
I updated it twice and still surpassed by 20 books
- Which book was your favorite?
I'll limit it to 5:
Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments
Little Women
There There
The Beekeeper of Aleppo
London

- Which book was your least favorite?
The Echo of Old Books

- Which book had your favorite cover?
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder

- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
Fir this group: yearly: 5, quarterly: 8. I don't do monthly. I am in many other challenge groups though

- What other group activities or events did you enjoy?
the buddy reads

- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year?
Not sure, I need to know what us involved and how often I would be expected to update

- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
Patti Smith

- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year?
Jo March, Holden Caulfield, Jake Barnes, Monk Ellison, Anne Shirley

- What was an unpopular book you loved?
Erasure

- What book was overhyped in your opinion?
The Women

- What was the most frustrating book you read?
The Women

- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"?
Erasure and The Remains of the Day

- What was the longest book you read this year?
London

- What was the shortest book you read this year?
An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (but I barely consider this a book)

- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
There There

- What book had the most unique concept?
Say You're One of Them

- What book did you read that you would reread?
There There

- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
Highest: The Women. I do not agree, I thought the writing was a little lazy, disliked Frankie and disliked the romance in the second part
Lowest: Pemberley: Or Pride and Prejudice Continued. I also disagree, I thought she captured the characters very accurately and the reviews often gave it a low rating just because they didn't;t want anyone trying to use these characters not any particular criticism of the book.
- What book made you laugh out loud?
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe

- What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
The Beekeeper of Aleppo

- What book do you wish more people would read?
The Beekeeper of Aleppo

- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
none really I always read a lot of genres

- What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
There There I've wanted to read it since I first read the review and have had it for years. What was I waiting for?
- What moment from a book has stuck with you?
the endings of Beekeeper and There There

- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why?

Jo March, who is also pretty much Louisa May Alcott. I want to ask more questions about being an independent women in a constraining time

- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices?
Reading from my bookshelves or Kindle rather than buying/borrowing new books. Stop being so competitive and realize it's ok to set lower goals, like 15 of 20 quarterly prompts instead of all of them. I want to focus on yearly challenges and not get distracted trying to find fits for quarterly ones that stray from books I own. Does this make sense?

- Did you set a 2025 reading goal?
Yes, 80 books (20 per quarter)

- How many books did you read?
19.

- Did you reach your reading goal?
Yes. I've planned to read 17 books.

- Which book was your favorite?
I've read some 5-star books this year but if I had to choose one, it would be An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield.

- Which book was your least favorite?
The Illustrated On the Shoulders of Giants: The Great Works of Physics and Astronomy by Stephen Hawking. I gave it 3 stars, even though it had been difficult to read.

- Which book had your favorite cover?
An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield

- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
The 2024 personal challenge.

- What other group activities or events did you enjoy?
None, but sometimes I wrote in the currently reading discussion.

- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year?
No.

- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
Hanga E. Pavel

- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year?
1. George and Annie from the George series by Lucy Hawking and Stephen Hawking.
2. Thomas Rhodes and Kinsley Green from Our Darkest Summer by Hanga E. Pavel.

- What was an unpopular book you loved?
Ezt nem lehet megúszni by Akos Kovacs. It was the least popular book on my list with 3.40 of total ratings, which don't really make it unpopular, though.

- What book was overhyped in your opinion?
None.

- What was the most frustrating book you read?
And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave. I enjoyed this book, despite being upsetting.

- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"?
Rémusz bácsi meséi by Endre Vázsonyi. This book was based on the Uncle Remus stories by Joel Chandler Harris. A Hungarian live action/puppet tv film was made back in 1967.

- What was the longest book you read this year?
George and the Ship of Time by Lucy Hawking, 413 pages.

- What was the shortest book you read this year?
The Half of It: A Memoir by Madison Beer, 168 pages.

- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
The Half of It: A Memoir

- What book had the most unique concept?
You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes: Photographs from the International Space Station by Chris Hadfield

- What book did you read that you would reread?
Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics by Leonard Mlodinow

- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
1. Highest: Rémusz bácsi meséi: 4.64.
2. Lowest: Ezt nem lehet megúszni: 3.40.
I don't really agree. I think, the lowest book is better than that.

- What book made you laugh out loud?
Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics has some really funny parts.

- What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
Stephen Hawking: A Memoir of Friendship and Physics contains emotional parts as well. The other one is The Half of It: A Memoir.

- What book do you wish more people would read?
If you speak Hungarian, you should read the following book about Hungary's part in space research from the 1950s to nowadays: Magyarország és a világűr: Szerepünk a világ űrtevékenységében by Tamás Simon.

- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
None. But I mostly read science books.

- What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
None.

- What moment from a book has stuck with you?
What was awaiting for Blue Bunny, and the truth about CP
and DP from The Christmas Pig by J.K. Rowling.

- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why?
Eric from the George books. I could learn so much from him about the Universe.

- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices?
Read more books in Hungarian, continue reading science books, and read some books about neurodiversity as well.

- Did you set a 2025 reading goal?
Yes. I want to read 24 books.

How many books did you read?
158; 40,200 pages

Did you reach your reading goal?
Surpassed it, originally set at 100, then changed to 140

Which book was your favorite?
in hardcopy: Small Things Like These; in audio: Remarkably Bright Creatures

Which book was your least favorite?
Had a few:
* Blind Sight - Tanya Taylor
* Food of Ghosts - Marianne Wheelaghan
* The Houseguest and Other Stories - Amparo Dávila
* Seeing People Off - Jana Beňová
* The Sister - Louise Jensen

Which book had your favorite cover?
A Council of Dolls

How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
26 group, 9 personal

What other group activities or events did you enjoy? Assistant Moderator in a different group (help when needed)

Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year?
Already signed up for one for the first time!

Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
100 in total (76 women, 24 men). It would be easier to tell you which ones I didn't enjoy, so I'm going to go with one of whom I read more than 1 book: Claire Keegan

What was an unpopular book you loved?
The Fury - Alex Michaelides

What was the longest book you read this year?
The Women, 471 pages

What was the shortest book you read this year?
Xingu by Edith Wharton, 32 pages

What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
have a number of them:
Abigail - Magda Szabó
The Art of Losing - Alice Zeniter
Our Missing Hearts - Celeste Ng
Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
The Teacher - Michal Ben-Naftali
Three Apples Fell from the Sky - Narine Abgaryan

What book had the most unique concept?
West Heart Kill

What book did you read that you would reread?
Anything written by Claire Keegan

What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
4.81 The Smallest Island in the World, and yes, totally agree;
3.03 West Heart Kill, and I do not at all agree. I gave it a 5 because of its uniqueness.

What book made you laugh out loud?
Remarkably Bright Creatures

What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
Remarkably Bright Creatures

What book do you wish more people would read?
Why I'm No Longer Talking to White People About Race

What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
The Dogs and the Wolves - Irène Némirovsky

After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices
Series, have spent too much time away over the last few years, have a lot to catch up on;
Location settings: world countries, US and Mexico states, Canada regions.

Did you set a 2025 reading goal?
Yes, crazily 145 and that does not include group reads that haven't been set yet.

- How many books did you read? - 70
- Did you reach your reading goal? - Yes
- Which book was your favorite? - How to become a Rain Maker, Educated, Emotional Intelligence, Secrets of Millionaire Mind, A little history of the world, An Economic History of the World since 1400
- Which book was your least favorite? - To Free the Captives, The Hero with 1000 faces, Acres of Diamond, Wabi Sabi
- Which book had your favorite cover? - None; I liked all
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? - Just 1 - Yearly
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? - None, because I don't know about group activities
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? - I don't think I'm qualified
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. - Prof Adam Grant
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? - None
- What was an unpopular book you loved? - The Dhandho Investor
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? - To Free the Captives, The Hero with 1000 faces, Acres of Diamond & Wabi Sabi
- What was the most frustrating book you read? - The Hero with 1000 faces
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? - Beautiful Boy
- What was the longest book you read this year? - Vijaya Mahadevi novel by Sandilyan
- What was the shortest book you read this year? - Wabi Sabi
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? - Vijaya Mahadevi novel by Sandilyan
- What book had the most unique concept? - An Economic History of the World since 1400
- What book did you read that you would reread? - An Economic History of the World since 1400
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? - N/A
- What book made you laugh out loud? - None
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? - Educated by Tara Westover
- What book do you wish more people would read? - An Economic History of the World since 1400
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? - None
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? - None
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? - ???
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? - None
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? - Harry Potter series, Leadership, Finance & History
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? - I'm searching for that page for last 2 days!!

Aargee wrote: "- How many books did you read? - 70
- Did you reach your reading goal? - Yes
- Which book was your favorite? - How to become a Rain Maker, Educated, Emotional Intelligence, Secrets of Millionaire M...

Hi I just wanted to say that there are a ton of other group activities and they are all in our monthly message: we have monthly challenges, yearly challenges quarterlies and tons others. If you need help after getting the monthly message let us know.

It's been a great reading year for me and a lot of that is due to the challenges here.
I read 92 books, which is about 12 more than my average.
GR says I read just over 30 000 pages.
My 2 favourite fictions were Water and I Cheerfully Refuse
My fav non-fiction was the spectacular Coffee First, Then the World: One Woman's Record-Breaking Pedal Around the Planet

I learned to put aside books that I don’t enjoy, allowing for far more winners.

Thanks to all the mods for your behind-the-scenes work. 🧡

- How many books did you read? 488 by year-end
- Did you reach your reading goal? yes
- Which book was your favorite? My Friends by Hisham Matar
- Which book was your least favorite? The Wasp Factory by Iaian Banks
- Which book had your favorite cover?

Enlightenmentby Sarah Perry
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? I do the TBR Jar challenge every year
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Michael Frayn, China Mieville, Ian W. Toll, Barry Unsworth
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Khaled of My Friends, Un-Charles and The Wonk from Service Model, Diamond from Swift River, Suhail from Voyage of the Basilisk, Nai Nai from The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls, Theo from Looking Glass by Andrew Mayne
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Netherlandby Joseph O’Neill
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young – just dreadful in my opinion, Also Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel – she did little to no research and it shows
- What was the most frustrating book you read?Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? Q & A by Vikas Swarup (Slumdog Millionaire) – I didn’t see the film, but the book is fabulous!
- What was the longest book you read this year? Revolutionary Spring: Europe Aflame and the Fight for a New World, 1848-1849 by Christoper Clark (1152 pages)
- What was the shortest book you read this year? Millard Fillmore by Heidi Elston (42 pages)
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? Playground by Richard Powers
- What book had the most unique concept? What I Know About You by Eric Chacours
- What book did you read that you would reread? Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest: Pacific Crucible: War at Sea in the Pacific, 1941-1942 by Ian Toll – yes, I agree – it’s in my top 10 favorites of the year, Lowest: Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet, No I don’t agree – I gave it 4 stars versus the 2.84 average on GR (I think it would be higher if it had ended differently)
- What book made you laugh out loud? Skios by Michael Frayn
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? Time of the Child by Niall Williams, Pod by Laline Paull
- What book do you wish more people would read? Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives by Siddharth Kara
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? I read more Fantasy this year than I have in the past. I guess I am trying (mostly unsuccessfully) to see why others like it so much.
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? The flight of the cloud-cutter in Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Author Richard Powers – he is brilliant, and I’ve heard from people who have met him that he is a very nice person
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Trying to read more current releases and more of what I want to read versus reading for challenges.
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? Yes, 325 books

- How many books did you read? 161
- Did you reach your reading goal? Yes!
- Which book was your favorite? Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Which book was your least favorite? I had 11 DNF's this year.
- Which book had your favorite cover?
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? A lot, I didn't keep track.
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? I like the buddy reads, but didn't participate this year for some reason
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? No thanks, not enough time.
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Yes Name one you enjoyed. Freida McFadden
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Stephanie Plum
- What was an unpopular book you loved? ??
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? Trust and Verity
- What was the most frustrating book you read? Library for the War-Wounded
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? ?? don't see many movies
- What was the longest book you read this year? 512 pgs
- What was the shortest book you read this year? 81 pgs
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
- What book had the most unique concept?
- What book did you read that you would reread? The Little Liar, Remarkably Bright Creatures and I'm sure there are more
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Reflections 4.66 was the highest, not sure how to find the lowest rated book?? This might be the lowest: All Fall Down 3.65. Yes, I agree.
- What book made you laugh out loud? Dirty Thirty - this series always makes me laugh!
- What book made you cry or was deeply emotional? Reflections
- What book do you wish more people would read? Second Star To The Right
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? Read more thrillers this year
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? None
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? The catastrophe in Nineteen Steps, the same incident has been in other books I read this year.
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Janet Evanovich, would like to know how she gets all her ideas and if she's as funny as her books are.
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Want to read more books that I own
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? For sure!

How many books did you read? 75

Did you reach your reading goal? yes and no- my general goal was 75, so yes. But I did four annual challenges and didn't finish any of them (1-3 books short for each, some of those books combined for more than one).

Which book was your favorite? I am so bad at choosing one. I would say my favorites included The Last Thing You Surrender, The Nickel Boys, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, The Reformatory, Small Great Things, The World Played Chess

Which book was your least favorite? And the Category Is.: Inside New York's Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community

Which book had your favorite cover?


How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? I did four yearly challenges (one not on this group, and three that were). I also did a couple of quarterly challenges.

What other group activities or events did you enjoy? This was the first year I participated in buddy reads and that was fun. Also my first time doing a readathon and I loved it. Looking forward to doing another this year.

Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? No, I am too buried in multiple things to commit to that this year.

Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. I really liked Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, who was new to me. Planning on reading The Serviceberry this year.

Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Maybe Eleanor Oliphant

What was an unpopular book you loved? The Soup Has Many Eyes: From Shtetl to Chicago - One Family's Journey Through History- I found this at a thrift store and it just sounded interesting. I liked the title, but I didn't have super high expectations because it doesn't have a lot of reviews. I would recommend it.

What book was overhyped in your opinion? That's hard to say. I don't really pay attention to hype, or I generally agree haha.

What was the most frustrating book you read? And the Category Is.: Inside New York's Vogue, House, and Ballroom Community- because I wanted to like it and just wasn't interested. Otherwise, in the story itself: Snow Falling on Cedars and probably Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? I don't know- I barely watch TV or movies.

- What was the longest book you read this year? Lord of Chaos (1011 pp)

What was the shortest book you read this year? Just Help!: How to Build a Better World (32 pp)

What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? Snow Falling on Cedars (the last one I finished)

What book had the most unique concept? The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August. I really liked this one too, and it was one of my first reads of the year.

What book did you read that you would reread? Several, but I rarely reread because my priority is usually on new books.

What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest: The Last Thing You Surrender (I agree); lowest: Gorgeous Gruesome Faces (I somewhat agree, but I had really low expectations so it wasn't as bad as I expected)

What book made you laugh out loud? I can't remember literally, but these made me laugh: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It, Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine, First Grave on the Right, Remarkably Bright Creatures

What book made you cry or deeply emotional? The World Played Chess, Elegy for Mary Turner: An Illustrated Account of a Lynching, The Last Thing You Surrender, Remarkably Bright Creatures, A Monster Calls, The Reformatory...probably more

What book do you wish more people would read? Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants and Elegy for Mary Turner: An Illustrated Account of a Lynching

What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? I read my first Manga book One Piece, Volume 1: Romance Dawn

What book do you regret not picking up sooner? Elegy for Mary Turner: An Illustrated Account of a Lynching

What moment from a book has stuck with you? I'm afraid of creating spoilers.

If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? I think it would be interesting to have a conversation with Eli Saslow, who wrote Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist. I'd love to learn more about uniting our country and also changing minds away from bigotry.

After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? I'm choosing a lot of shorter books to balance with a handful of long ones. I'm slowly getting through The Wheel of Time series and think I'm going to be reading it until I die lol. I usually get two done each year. Chose some repeat authors and trying not to choose only sad/emotionally draining books.

Did you set a 2025 reading goal? Yes, 75 again, with 4 yearly challenges again.

La_mariane wrote: "Hi, everybody! I'm still reading, and I might even finish Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey before the end of 2024 (but if it's my first book on 2025, I'm still going to b..."

I'm curious about Germinal- would you consider it something you could read as a stand alone?

How many books did you read?
449

Did you reach your reading goal?
Yes, and then some

Which book was your favorite?
No way I can pick only one! My 5-star reads included My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, most of the Washington Poe series, most of the Thursday Murder Club series, many of the Inspector Gamache series, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Martian, The Blonde Identity, most of the Asian Saga.

Which book was your least favorite?
Again, a few are competing: Go Set a Watchman, But I Love You Today, The Malevolent Seven, Xoe.

Which book had your favorite cover?
The Temeraire series has some great cover art as does the Asian Saga. Rivals by Jilly Cooper. A Thousand Splendid Suns.

How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
Yearly: 13. Quarterly: 4. Monthly: about 100, if you count each buddy read separately.

What other group activities or events did you enjoy?
Secret Santa is very fun! I enjoyed the Serial Reader and Magical Mystery Tour challenges a lot.

Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year?
Sure!

Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
Yes, so many! MW Craven is one I particularly enjoyed.

Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year?
Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw. Millie the Maid. Cotton Malone. Cal Rogan. Max Rupert.

What was an unpopular book you loved?
My reviews tended to go the other way… popular books I didn't like.

What book was overhyped in your opinion?
Any cozy mystery set in a tiny picturesque town where the MC runs a bakery/coffee shop/etc. Special negative points when it's explicitly stated that the MC has a boyfriend on the local police force, but he's happy to let the MC play detective, basically usurping his own job.

What was the most frustrating book you read?
The 7-1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. So much talent and creativity went into the writing, and I wanted to love it. I just… didn't.

What was the best "adaptation to the screen"?
Misery

What was the longest book you read this year?
The Count of Monte Cristo (1,276 pp)

What was the shortest book you read this year?
Night of the Moon: A Muslim Holiday Story (32 pp)

What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
To Kill a Mockingbird

What book had the most unique concept?
Here

What book did you read that you Would reread?
My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece. David Tennant audio book. I've lost track how many times I reread that in 2024.

What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
Dracula, But the Count Runs Half Marathons 4.75) and
Another Sun (Anne Marie Laveaud #1) (2.97). I agree with both of them.

What book made you laugh out loud?
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch: How I Survived Nellie Oleson and Learned to Love Being Hated

What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
The Storyteller

What book do you wish more people Would read?
The Max Rupert series. Max is an amazing character, and each book gets better and better.

What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
I read more sci fi this year.

What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
The Armand Gamache series

What moment from a book Has stuck with you?
Dirk Straun's fate in Tai-Pan.

If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, Who Would it be and why?
Without doubt, Atticus Finch from Mockingbird. You just know he'd bring so much calm and peace to any conversation you had with him!

After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices?
Being more organized about the challenges I join and sticking with books I'm most interested in reading.

Did you set a 2025 reading goal?
Yes! 365 books

2024 - what a year! My goal was to read 20 books and I surpassed it by a few books!

I really enjoy the Twin-Reads in this group!

I can´t decide on a favourite book but these are my 5-star-reads:
Tom Lake
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble

There was one book I had to DNF (and I almost never dnf): Hello Beautiful
In my opinion this is/was just purely overhyped - I didn´t like the characters, I didn´t enjoy the writing style and to this day I am asking myself why so many people are loving it haha.

I think I read 4 books/series that have a screen adaption:
The Fellowship of the Ring - a masterpiece of course
A Good Girl's Guide to Murder - the screen adaption is good - I recommended it to a few friends that don´t read but like when I tell them about new series and films that are coming out
Save Me - honestly the book was kind of cringe and toxic but the screen adaption was perfect for a weekend binge full of romance haha
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I think the screen-adaption was good however the movie was too long in my opinion

As I just picked up reading as a hobby again in 2024 I discovered Taylor Jenkins Reid - Only after a few month I realised that I read several books that were written by her.

I think I´d like that more people read Allow Me to Introduce Myself a book about a young woman that grew up as an child-influencer (her Mom is a family influencer). I think this topic is really important and shows how harmful it is to post your kids online for everyone to see.
Also I´d like more people to read Regrettably, I am About to Cause Trouble - I just loved this book and I feel like not many people know about it.

I think my reading in 2024 went really well. I want to continue this hobby and even increased my goal - I want to read 30 books this year. I do have a few books on my TBR that I want to prioritize but afar from that I´ll just read whatever I´m in the mood for at the moment

@Whitney, Beth, Denise, and any others who may be interested in leading a challenge sometime:

The first two post in the Member Challenge Ideas thread tells about our themes and what we're looking for in challenge ideas.

The second post is an FAQ that includes challenge leader information and answers questions like Denise's about what is involved and how often updates are expected.

-How many books did you read?
160
Did you reach your reading goal?
Yes. I don't remember if my goal was 120 or 150 but either way I beat it.
Which book was your favorite?
Fourth Wing or Piranesi or Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
Which book was your least favorite?
Cloud Cuckoo Land
Which book had your favorite cover?
but the book was horrible.
How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in?
7 yearlies, 4 quarterlies, 11 monthlies
What other group activities or events did you enjoy?
Buddy reads!
Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed.
Quite a few mystery-type ones that I'll read more of: Wendy Webb, C.J. Tudor, Darcy Coates... I know that's more than 1. I can't pick.
Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year?
The sisters in The Girls at the Kingfisher Club
Piranesi
Alex Stern from Ninth House
Nova from Planet Earth Is Blue
What was an unpopular book you loved?
The Secret. Very few ratings but it was fun!
What book was overhyped in your opinion?
Mexican Gothic
What was the most frustrating book you read?
Shadowsong maybe? The first book was really good but the second was awful
What was the best "adaptation to the screen"?
Wicked? I don't know I don't watch a lot of movies anymore
What was the longest book you read this year?
Divine Intimacy: Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year
What was the shortest book you read this year?
The Gift
What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about?
A bunch for different reasons. Most of my favorites listed above
What book had the most unique concept?
Ducks, Newburyport, which I absolutely loved.
What book did you read that you would reread?
I don't re-read a lot but if I did, Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries for feel-goods or Uprooted
What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
He Leadeth Me was highest and yes, I agree. Beautiful book.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth was lowest and yes, agreed. It was horrible.
What book made you laugh out loud?
Ducks, Newburyport and Hell Bent (that I recall)
What book made you cry or deeply emotional?
Lone Wolf maybe? I don't remember
What book do you wish more people would read?
What they want.
What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
Biographies/memoirs of musicians. I read 2
What moment from a book has stuck with you?
I don't know.. the end of Iron Flame

I slightly exceeded my goal of 70, reading 72 books.

32 Fiction, 40 Non-Fiction
52 Audiobooks, 17 Print copies, 3 E-books/Online

My favorite was probably Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat

My least favorite was hands down The Archer. Literally the only positive thing I can say about this book is that it was mercifully short. I also learned to drop any books that I really did not feel were worth my time early, so I discontinued several after a few chapters to minimize frustration.

I took part in 8 yearly challenges and every quarterly challenge, but I did not participate in the monthlies last year.

The two most overhyped ones are The Archer (Coelho is grossly overrated, IMO) and Eastbound (it's really, really bad - I don't know why it made it to the top of NY Times and several other lists of must-read books of 2023!)

The highest-rated book I read was apparently Just Mercy with 4.63 - I was far less impressed, rating it just 3. The topic is important but the book was meh.

The lowest-rated one were How to Wear Jewelry: 55 Styles at 3.08 (but it's based off only 65 ratings) and The Red Badge of Courage at 3.29. Neither was bad, they merited their 3-ish rating (and that's what I gave them).

I really wish more people read Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives and learned the true cost, human and environmental, of 'green' energy.

I set my 2025 reading goal at 60 - let's see how it goes. I just started a new job in December, and I am working on a certificate, so I won't have as much time to read as I as I had, but we will see.

How many books did you read? 38
- Did you reach your reading goal? No
- Which book was your favorite?
- Which book was your least favorite?
- Which book had your favorite cover? because of the cutouts.
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? 15 but in other groups
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? n/a
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? nope
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Eileen Goudge
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Sydney in , and Elizabeth Zott in
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? All Fours
- What was the most frustrating book you read? Lessons in Chemistry
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? Doctor Zhivago
- What was the longest book you read this year? Doctor Zhivago 592 pages
- What was the shortest book you read this year? The Little Yellow Bottle
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? We Were the Mulvaneys
- What book had the most unique concept? First Lie Wins
- What book did you read that you would reread? Lessons in Chemistry
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree? Highest rated: 4.35 for The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921, Lowest rated: A tie at 3.61 for The Wave and A Christmas to Remember - I would agree with both ratings.
- What book made you laugh out loud? Lessons in Chemistry
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? Lessons in Chemistry
- What book do you wish more people would read? The Burning: Black Wall Street and the Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year?
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner? We Were the Mulvaneys
- What moment from a book has stuck with you? When the daughter was sent away to her aunt's house because her dad couldn't look at her in We Were the Mulvaneys
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Character: The mother in We Were the Mulvaneys
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? More from my bookshelf
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? 36 (24 print, 12 audio)

Jennifer wrote: "La_mariane wrote: "Hi, everybody! I'm still reading, and I might even finish Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey before the end of 2024 (but if it's my first book on 2025, I..."

Sorry for the late reply, I'm not getting notifications!

And yes, Germinal, like all the other novels in the "Rougon-Macquart" series, can be read as a stand-alone. They are not sequential, more like loosely related books.

Hi there, here we go:
- How many books did you read? 76
- Did you reach your reading goal? Yes, it was 65
- Which book was your favorite? Flowers for Algernon
- Which book was your least favorite? The Housemaid's Secret
- Which book had your favorite cover? Yellowface
- How many yearly, monthly, or quarterly challenges did you participate in? Yearly : 3 (completed), Quaterly: 5 (completed), monthly: 3 (2 completed)
- What other group activities or events did you enjoy? Monthly reading and Buddy read (7 in total)
- Would you like to lead any group challenges in the new year? Not in 2025, maybe later :)
- Did you discover any new-to-you authors this year? Name one you enjoyed. Ambrose Parry
- Who were your favorite main character(s) of the year? Jem Flockart like in Beloved Poison
- What was an unpopular book you loved? Still thinking...
- What book was overhyped in your opinion? Funny Story
- What was the most frustrating book you read? The Storm Sister
- What was the best "adaptation to the screen"? Wolf Hall
- What was the longest book you read this year? The Mirror & the Light
- What was the shortest book you read this year? La beauté sans vertu
- What is a book you haven’t stopped thinking about? Flowers for Algernon
- What book had the most unique concept? Yellowface
- What book did you read that you would reread? Beartown
- What were the highest-rated and lowest-rated books you read this year on Goodreads, and do you agree?
- What book made you laugh out loud? What I Ate in One Year
- What book made you cry or deeply emotional? none
- What book do you wish more people would read? Flowers for Algernon
- What genre did you explore for the first time (or more deeply) this year? Mystery novels set in Victorian era, involving doctors or nurse.
- What book do you regret not picking up sooner?
- What moment from a book has stuck with you?
- If you could meet one author or character from the books you read, who would it be and why? Thomas Cromwell, because of Hilary Mantel
- After your 2024 reading, what are you prioritizing in 2025 in your reading choices? Fantasy genre, I am craving that kind of stories after few years without! I am back to it.
- Did you set a 2025 reading goal? yes, same as 2024, so 65