2025 Reading Challenge discussion

📖 2025 Challenges 📖

**NOTE for 2026: Too many challenges (I attempted 12) is overwhelming for me! Be more selective and varied (I have a lot of redundancies in my 2025 challenges) and aim for 5 or 6 AT MOST!

(note for future reference: to get the web address for my exact comment entry in a challenge just click the date stamp on the upper right of the comment and copy the web addy)

Group Reads I Participated In This Year
1. Swan Song- Robert McCammon for Horror or Heaven Group JANUARY (I was late, not finishing until February)
2. Sea of Rust- C. Robert Cargill for Horror or Heaven group APRIL (from Libby) (I was late, not finishing until May)
3. The Girl With All the Gifts- M.R. Carey. For Horror Or Heaven Group JULY.

Yearly Challenges
1. 50+ books for the GR General Reading Challenge
2. 2025 Horror Aficionados Movie Title Challenge
3. Nothing But Reading Challenges Author Alphabet Challenge 2025
4. Horror Or Heaven BINGO Challenges 2025: Horror Bingo Card
5. Horror Or Heaven BINGO Challenges 2025: Sci- Fi Bingo Card
6. Genre Bingo - 2025 Reading Challenge
7. Horror Or Heaven Horror Around the World Challenge
8. Castle Terror- Monster Mash Challenge 2025
9. Nightmares and Dreamscapes Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction Challenge 2025 to 2026

Personal Challenges
10. I tend to emphasize library books over books I own since library books have wait times and due dates. Owned books can be read anytime which often results in them being put off indefinitely.
*CHALLENGE* is to read at least 6 books that I own.

11. *CHALLENGE* read 6+ non-fiction books this year. With an emphasis on Spirituality/ Meditation, but also, death and dying, science, politics, history, etc...

12. For book-keeping: List out ALL series in 3 sections:
a) Series I only have 1 book left to go
b) Series I have begun already and have multiple books left
c) Series I haven't started yet but want to begin
*CHALLENGE* is to read 12 books that are part of a series with priority given to completing, progressing, and then starting series in that order of emphasis.

😱2025 2025 Horror Aficionados Movie Title Challenge 😱

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... (Message 15)

Be sure to tag the books I read for this one with "2025 Movie Title Challenge" and follow this link to be sure each book is counted. https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

🖤MY GOAL: 10 out of the 15 Categories Below🖤
6/10


🔘Silver Bullet - read a book about werewolves
✔️Dawn of the Dead - read a book about zombies It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over
✔️The Ring - curses/cursed object Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1
✔️Annihilation - Cosmic horror Briardark
✔️Event Horizon - read a book with Sci-fi horror The Girl With All the Gifts
🔘The Conjuring - read a book with vengeful spirits
✔️The Nun - religious horror Ararat
🔘Shadow of the Vampire - read a book about bloodsuckers
🔘The Birds - read a book about animals attacking
🔘The Silence of the Lambs - read a book about a serial killer
✔️Bird Box - post-apocalyptic horror Swan Song- Robert McCammon
🔘The Shining - read a book about a haunted house
🔘Beetlejuice - read a book with humorous horror
🔘The Exorcist - read a book about possession
🔘The Thing - read a book with aliens

Nothing But Reading Challenges Author Alphabet Challenge 2025
🔤 My post is message 26. Only need to update my own post. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Duration: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025 📆
Completed: 13/26 🧮

A: Sofia Ajram- Coup De Grâce 2/11/25 ✔️
B: Becky Chambers- A Prayer for the Crown-Shy 2/25/25 ✔️
C: C. Robert Cargill- Sea of Rust 5/10/25✔️
D: Anne de Marcken- It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over 6/28/25✔️
E: Eiren Caffall- All the Water in the World 2/22/25 ✔️
F:
G: Christopher Golden- Ararat 3/21/25 ✔️
H: S.A. Harian- Briardark 4/14/25 ✔️
I:
J:
K:
L:
M: M.R. Carey- The Girl With All the Gifts 7/30/25 ✔️
N: Nagabe- Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1 3/30/25 ✔️
O: Oliver Burkeman- Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals 1/16/25 ✔️
P: Maria Popova- The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder through Science & Poetry 7/15/25 ✔️
Q:
R: Robert McCammon- Swan Song 2/4/25 ✔️
S:
T: Timothy Snyder- On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century 7/3/25 ✔️
U:
V:
E:
X:
Y:
Z:

😈Horror Or Heaven 😇 BINGO Challenge 2025: Horror Bingo Card (Mine is Message 6) *Only need to update my own post. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...



BINGO (O uncompleted, X completed) (format mostly copied from Netanella)

O O O O O
O O O O X
O X O O O
O O O X O
O O X O X

1. Psychological Horror: Coup de Grâce- Sofia Ajram 2/11/25 ✔️
2. Demons: Ararat- Christopher Golden 3/20/2025 ✔️
3. YA Horror- Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1 3/30/25 ✔️
4. Zombies: It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over- Anne de Marcken 6/28/25✔️
5. Horror Book Turned Into A Film- The Girl With All the Gifts 7/30/25 ✔️
6.

👽Horror Or Heaven 🚀 BINGO Challenge 2025: Sci- Fi Bingo Card (Mine is Message 7) *Only need to update my own post. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


BINGO (O uncompleted, X completed) (format mostly copied from Netanella)

O O O O X
X X O O O
O O O O O
O X O O O
O X O O O

1. Apocalypse: Swan Song- Robert McCammon 2/4/25 ✔️
2. Ecological Disaster: All the Water in the World- Eiren Caffall 2/22/25✔️
3. Robots or Drones: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy- Becky Chambers 2/25/25 ✔️
4. Parallel Universe: Briardark- S.A. Harian 4/14/25 ✔️
5. AI Gone Bad: Sea of Rust- C. Robert Cargill 5/10/25 ✔️

📚 Genre Bingo - 2025 Reading Challenge 📚
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... (Mine is message 36 since someone deleted their entry! *Grrrr!*) Duration: January 1, 2025 - December 31, 2025
**TO UPDATE PROGRESS in group, post a new comment in the thread: Example: Update to Message #36 **books read- 13/? **bingos- 0/3

Goal: 3 Bingos (amended for realism from former goal of blackout)
I made my own bingo card Progress: 13/25

X X X O O
X O O O X
O O O O X
O O X X X
X O X X X

I've Read:
B1: Post- Apocalyptic: The Girl With All the Gifts- M.R. Carey 7/30/25
B2: Science Fiction: Briardark- S.A. Harian 4/14/25
B5: Graphic Novel: Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1- Nagabe 3/30/25
I1: Afterlife Fiction: It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over- Anne de Marcken 6/28/25
N1: Self Help: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals- Oliver Burkeman 1/16/25
N4: Poetry Collection: The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder through Science & Poetry- Maria Popova 7/15/25
N5: Dystopian: Sea of Rust- C. Robert Cargill 5/10/25
G4: Political/ Social Justice: On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century- Timothy Snyder 7/3/25
G5: Thriller: Ararat- Christopher Golden 3/20/25
O2: Award Winner: A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - Becky Chambers 2/25/25
O3: Climate Catastrophe:All the Water in the World- Eiren Caffall 2/22/25
O4: Fantasy: Swan Song- Robert McCammon 2/4/25
O5: LGBTQ+: Coup de Grâce - Sofia Ajram 2/11/25

***** Personal Challenge #1 *****

I tend to emphasize library books over books I own since library books have wait times and due dates. Owned books can be read anytime which often results in them being put off indefinitely.

*CHALLENGE* is to read at least 6 books that I own.

1. Swan Song- Robert McCammon
2. Coup de Grâce- Sofia Ajram
3.
4.
5.
6.

***** Personal Challenge #2 *****

Read 6+ non-fiction books this year. With an emphasis on spirituality/ meditation, but also, death and dying, science, politics, history, etc...

1. Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals ✅
2. On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century ✅
3. The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder through Science & Poetry ✅
4.
5.
6.

***** Personal Challenge #3 *****

*CHALLENGE* is to read 12 books that are part of a series with priority given to completing, progressing, and then starting series in that order of emphasis.

1. 2nd, possibly final, book in the Monk And Robot Series- Becky Chambers. A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
2. 1st- Nagabe- The Girl From the Other Side Series Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1
3. 1st- Briardark- S.A. Harian
4. 1st- Sea of Rust- C. Robert Cargill
5. 1st- The Girl With All the Gifts- M.R. Carey
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

-------------List out ALL series in 3 sections------------------
a) Series I only have 1 book left to go:

b) Series I have begun already and have multiple books left:

c) Series I haven't started yet but want to begin:

Oops! This is slightly out of order because I joined this challenge later than all the others.

🌏😱 2025 Horror Around the World Challenge 😱🌏

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(mine is message 11)

4/12 read

January: No horror books read. Catch up asap.
February: CANADA 🍁 Coup de Grâce- Sofia Ajram 2/11/25
March: TURKEY Ararat- Christopher Golden 3/20/25
March: JAPAN Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1- Nagabe 3/30/25
April: Nothing
May: None that qualify
June: Streak of NOPE
July: UNITED KINGDOM The Girl With All the Gifts- M.R. Carey (author from UK) 7/30/25
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:

ANOTHER Challenge!? Yup! And it's out of order too! 😜

🏰😱 Castle Terror Group: Monster Mash Challenge 2025 😱🏰
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
(Mine is Message #19 cuz an idiot deleted their post)
**ONLY NEED to update my own message in challenge thread!

11/44

Spooky - 15 books
Horrifying - 21 books
Nightmare - 30 books
Hard Core - 44 books

BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN

♦ Read a book with a female main character.
♦ Read a book that is set in the mountains
♦ Female on the cover: Siúil, a Rún: The Girl From the Other Side, Vol. 1
♦ Read a book that is set in a foreign country



DRACULA

♦ Read a book with vampires!
♦ Read a book set on an island.
♦ Read a book that is set in a basement or attic.
♦ Read a book that is considered Classic Horror.


FRANKENSTEIN

♦ Read a book by a female author: It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over
♦ Bad Weather: All the Water in the World
♦ Read a book with the color green on the cover.




SWAMP THING

♦ Read a book set close to the sea or a lake.
♦ Read a book with ghosts or demons.
♦ Read a book with a creature in a swamp or jungle.


INVISIBLE MAN

♦ Read a book by an author who uses their initials in their first name. Sea of Rust- C. Robert Cargill
♦ Read a book that is about witches or has witches in the story
♦ Read a book that takes place on a plane or some kind of aircraft
♦ Read a book by an author you have never read.



THE MUMMY

♦ Read a book with tombs or cemeteries.
♦ Story with snow or ice involved: Ararat
♦ Read a book that takes place in a castle or mansion.
♦ Read a book set in space or galaxy.




THE WOLFMAN

♦ Read a book with a shifter.
♦ Read a book with a man on the cover.
♦ Read a book that has some type of haunted artifacts or toys


FREDDY KRUEGER

♦ Read a book where the character uses swords or katanas.
♦ Read a book that the cover is red.
♦ Book set in an RV/Camper... Wagon (!)- A Prayer for the Crown-Shy
♦ Read a book by an author you follow on Goodreads.




MICHAEL MYERS

♦ Read a book that the cover has blood drops or something with blood. The Girl With All the Gifts
♦ Read a book that the character uses knives.
♦ Read a book that has a house involved - can be haunted or the house had a murder.
♦ Read a book that the setting of the book is at night time.




JASON VOORHEES

♦ Read a book where there is a cabin/house in the woods.
♦ Read a book that the cover is blue.
♦ Read a book over 300 pages Swan Song




GHOST FACE

♦ Read a book that takes place on a boat or ship.
♦ Read a book that the cover is black.
♦ Read a book under 50 pages.
♦ Skull on the cover: Briardark




PENNYWISE

♦ Read a book about wicked or bad clowns
♦ Book with sewers or underground tunnels: Coup de Grâce
♦ Non-fiction: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
♦ Read a book that the cover is white

One More?! Why not? 😅

😱🏰🚀Nightmares and Dreamscapes Horror, Fantasy and Science Fiction Challenge 2025 to 2026 😱🏰🚀
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... (My post is message #5)
**ONLY NEED TO update my own post.

🗓️ April 1, 2025 to April 1, 2026.

Levels:

Spooky (Easy) - 5 books
Magical (Medium) - 10 books
Space Cadet (Hard) - 15 books

5/10

Horror prompts:

✔️Read a book that contains some sort of haunting: 6/28/25✔️

✔️Read a book that contains monster on land: 4/14/25 ✔️

*Read a book that contains some sort of ocean monster
*Read a book that takes place in a graveyard or cemetery
*Read a book that takes place sometime around Halloween


Fantasy prompts:

*Read a book that contains dragons
*Read a book that contains a castle
✔️Read a book that is magical or has sorcery: 2/4/ 25 ✔️

✔️Read a book that takes place near the sea/ocean: 2/22/25 ✔️

*Read a book that contains a kingdom or has a king or queen


Science Fiction prompts:

*Read a book that takes place on another planet
*Read a book that contains some sort of spaceship
✔️Read a book that contains apocalyptic event 7/30/25 ✔️

*Read a book that aliens are the main focal part of the story
*Read a book that contains some sort of mutant creature or critter from outer space