EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion

We decided to bring it back!

Ready for a new read in 2025? Need to reduce your Want-To-Read Bookshelf too?

This game is a fun way to choose your next great book. Let someone else do it for you! Here’s how to play:

1. Look at the latest message. Browse through their Want-To-Read list and select a book.
2. Reply to the message with your book choice, tell why you chose that book, and indicate you are ready for your new assignment too.
3. Check back for the next message, which should provide your book assignment.
4. Read the assigned book and repeat steps 1 to 4.

Remember, only post when you are ready for your next read. This game is a great way to find new books that you might enjoy, reduce your own TBRs, and make new GR friends too.

Ready, set, relay!

Taya had the last post for the 2024 thread, so we are starting with her comment for 2025. Please pick a book for Taya from the link below:

Taya said: "I don't know if there is going to be a different thread for this in 2025, but if a chooser can select a title from my "owned tbr", that would be great:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... "

yeay im glad you decided to bring it back!
im almost done with the last book picked for me so im ready to see what my next one will be!

Taya for you i pick Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard i havnt read this but i love Tom and hope it will be a good read for you! i heard if you do it on audio he himself reads it!

next person pick it for me

Thank you all for bringing it back again this year! 😄 I'm much obliged! ❤️

Rowiey - for you I choose The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, as that's a book I also hope to get to this year. I hope it's good!

I need a book lined up for after I finish my library book.
Next person, please choose from this shelf.

I am new to this challenge but thought i would give it a try.

Pony - I choose The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner. I read it awhile ago and hope you enjoy it.

The next person choosing for me, please pick from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi Laura - for you I pick Beautiful World, Where Are You because S. Rooney is from Dublin and I loooooved Dublin when I visited couple of years ago. Also I haven't read any of her books but plan to do so soon:-)

I don't have special shelf for this, just regular Want to read https://www.goodreads.com/review/list....
Also, don't be discouraged - I always read many books at once so ignore that and please choose one for me🎉

Hi Zelijka! For you I have chosen “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close”. I hope you enjoy it!

For the next person, I don’t have a special shelf so please choose from my want to read list!

Nathan, for you I pick Black Beauty. It's a good story. I really enjoyed the audio book version because the reader does different voices and accents. It looks like it's been on your TBR since 2011, time to check it off.

Looking forward to what's next in my line-up...

@Adrienne for you i pick "Intereview with the vampire" i just looove an urban fatasy, and i hope you will enjoy this book.

Cant wait what the next person will choose for me ☺️

My last year read was Austenland. Thank you Tiffany, I liked the easy read.

To K. I pick for you Vanishing Girls. Hope you like it!

For me please pick from my Available Now shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Thank you

Debora, for you i pick Ladrões de Elite . It seems very exciting so I hope you enjoy!

Excited to see what will be chosen for me :-)

Dear Haley,
as I enjoyed reading it a while ago, I chose The Starless Sea for you. I hope you‘ll like it.

Please pick one of the books on my up-next shelf (https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...). Thank you :)

Laura H L - Thank you for choosing The Lost Apothecary for me! I had previously DNF'ed a book by Sarah Penner, but I wanted to give her one more chance. She still wasn't my cup of tea, but at least I didn't DNF it this time, lol. It's nice to officially confirm my opinion of her work.

Lena - For you I choose Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T.J. Klune. I really liked another book by him, and I've been looking forward to trying the Cerulean Chronicles sometime this year (I even nominated it for the Bookshelf Catch-Up for April).

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

Mods ~ Thank you for bringing this challenge back!

Pony ~ I had such a tough time choosing just one book for you. I finally decided on Wonder because it truly touched me. (And please friend me, because we have similar tastes in books.)

Next person, please pick from this list

Haley, thank you for the pick! It was like reading a story of a Disney movie.

Marla, for you I pick The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. I liked the Murakami book that I read, and that one seems good too.

For me please pick from my Available now shelf

Nathan, thank you for picking “Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close” - I wanted to read it for a long time and now that I have, my thoughts are mixed - some parts are great, some bored me...(gave it 3* (3,5* rounded to 3). I've seen trailers for movie though and think I might like it better.

Debora for you I pick La falsa pista - i like swedish crime books so I hope you will like it. And it is fairly well rated:-)

Next person please pick from my Want to read shelf. Thank you:-)

Marla - Thank you for choosing Wonder for me. You were right, it was touching (I teared up a few times)! I read a different book by R.J. Palacio earlier this year, so I looked forward to trying this one. After I started it, I realized I'd actually read it before (I think when it was first published)! But I didn't really remember it, so I'm glad I read it again.

Zeljka - For you, I choose Sluškinje. I really enjoyed reading it, and I hope you do too!

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

Hey Marla, for you I chose The Catcher in the Rye. I absolutely loved this book and read it multiple times. It's one of my favorites, and I definitely want to re-read it again this year.

I'm currently in a huge reading slump and I have no idea what to read next, so I hope that letting someone else decide again will get me back into reading.
Please chose from my physical-up-next-shelf. Thanks :)

Miriam wrote: "Hey Marla, for you I chose The Catcher in the Rye. I absolutely loved this book and read it multiple times. It's one of my favorites, and I definitely want to re-read it again this year..."

Hi Miriam,
Debora has already picked a book for Marla. Please choose a book for Pony form this list: Pony's Choose From This Shelf
Thank you!

@Tori - I think Miriam did choose from the right list. The Catcher in the Rye was on my shelf. In my post, I had Marla's name in bold font directly underneath my username. I think it probably just looked confusing. But we're all good!

Oh good! I thought that might have happened, but I couldn't find it on your list.

@Tori - Sorry! I took it off that list once she chose it and moved it to a different tag, in preparation of reading it.

Next person, please choose a book for Miriam from her physical-up-next shelf.

Pony thank you for choosing Sluškinje (The Help for me. I loved it❣️
Miriam for you I pick Shuggie Bain - I think I might read it myself because I love books set in the 80s (especially in GB).

Next person, please pick something from my regular want to read list for me

@Miriam - Thank you for choosing The Catcher in the Rye for me. I unfortunately didn't enjoy it as much as you seemed to, but I'm very happy to have it completed and off my TBR. I didn't actually know anything about it other than often hearing the title throughout my life, and my copy didn't have a summary on the back, so I went into it blind. It was kind of a fun adventure, haha.

Zeljka - I'm glad you liked the book! For your next read, I'm choosing The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. I've only recently realized Montgomery wrote more than just the Anne and Emily series 😆 I'd like to try it sometime myself. I hope you love this one too!

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

Hi Pony! The Blue Castle was really great, in Montgomery's manner but maybe even slightly better for me than Anne of GG so it you have second thoughts give it a shot:-)

You've chosen a great book for me again so I was under a lot of pressure to choose one for you :-). And finally decided on Orphan Train. I really hope you like it. Actually I plan on reading it too eventually...

Next person, please pick something from my regular want to read list for me. Thank you:-)

Hi Zeljka,

I chose The Frozen River as it is one of my favorite books of this year

Next person please choose from this shelf

Hi Anupama!

For you, I choose A Dog's Purpose
I loved this book and thought it was well written. It is a quick read.

For me, please choose from my "Ready To Be Read" shelf https://www.goodreads.com/review/list... THANKS!

@Zeljka, I'm glad you enjoyed both of the books I chose for you! Thank you for choosing Orphan Train for me. I have a lot of mixed feelings about the story and had a very difficult time rating it. I thought that parts of it warranted a high rating, but other parts of it lowered the rating for me. It really pulled me in though, and took me on an emotional rollercoaster throughout. I'm very glad that I read it. I wonder what you'll think of it when you get to it.

Tony, you have so many classics on your list that I also plan to read! In the end, I chose The Importance of Being Earnest because it's one I actually have already read and I had a lot of fun reading it! I hope you like it too.

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

Thank you Pony for picking The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes I know it took me awhile to actually get to read it but I did and I very much enjoyed it! Can't wait to read Sunrise on the Reaping

Looks like I get to pick a book for you! I will pick A Little Princess as its the only one on your list that I have read and I did enjoy it so hopefully you will to!

Next person please pick it for me

Rowiey i pick for you Sunrise of the reaping so you can finish these series, i myself have read the first three books and enjoyed them. ☺️

Next person for me please choose from my tbr list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

@Rowiey, I'm glad you enjoyed the book I chose for you!
Thank you for picking A Little Princess for me. I very much enjoyed it! I grew up watching some of the film adaptions (and I've also seen the more accurate TV adaptian), but I had never tried the book. I'm very glad that now I have - and it's more than likely this won't be the only time I read it.

K., for you I'm choosing You Have Too Much Shit. My sister is a minimalist and I've been decluttering my bedroom, so it caught my attention. It's also a short read, so you can knock it off your TBR pretty easily.

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

If i had known that the "You have too much shit" is only 20 pages long, it eouldnt have had sat in waiting list for almoust 2 years 😅 i can say it took me prety fast to get to the end. While i dont have an intention to become minimalist, i am on a path to be more toughtfull about my consumptio. So thank you.

For you @Pony i choose-Pride and prejudice. I saw a lot of good old classics on your shelf, but i chose this one because i have read it and enjoyed it. I love a good slow burn haters to lovers romance book, only this one is modest. I hope you will enjoy it too

Sorry, please choose from this list https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

K., for you I choose The Art of Letting Go. I have never heard of this book before, but it sounds very interesting. I think we all have at least one person in our lives we wish we were able to let go of, maybe I will read this book myself sometime.

To the person choosing for me, please pick a book from my physical-up-next-shelf

@K. - Thank you for choosing Pride and Prejudice for me! I absolutely adored it!! It's one of my sister's favorite books (my sister the minimalist) and she was very happy that I finally read it, so we could discuss it together. It's a new favorite of mine, too ❤️ So thank you!

Miriam - for you, I'm choosing Romeo und Julia. I feel like that's one of those works you always intend to read, but never actually get around to. Also, our book club has it on its bookshelf, which could be relevant if you're currently doing the TBR Revival Challenge.

Next person, please choose from this shelf.

Hi Pony,
I chose The Things They Carried off your shelf; it's one of the books that has stayed with me years after I've read it. I can't say it's the most pleasant read, but definitely an interesting one.
Next person feel free to choose off my regular to-read!

Hi Lidik, i choose for you Don Juan by Molière. You have two books with the same name in your list, so it seems only fair to read the play first and then the book of poems-some other time.
As per my last read: The art of letting go, i do not recomend it. it was mostly about how to forget your ex and not that deep. i had different expectations for that book, so it was dissapointing it didnt meet them 😅 but thats okay it was on my list for a long time and a short read so i flew through it.
Next person for me please choos from this list:https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Hi Anupama I really enjoyed The Frozen River, thanks for choosing it for me.

K, for you I pick One for Sorrow - I read another book by this author and loved it.

Next person feel free to choose something from my to read shelf🙂

K, thank you for picking Sunrise on the Reaping I really enjoyed it!

Zeljka, I havn't read any of the books on your list so I can't fully reccomend any but I pick I've Got Your Number since it has been on your list the longest (2014) & I plan to read it at some point myself so hopefully it is good!

Next person please pick it for me

Thanks K for picking Don Juan! It was an enjoyable read that was witty and engaging (which I was not expecting).

For you Rowiey I pick The Apothecary Diaries (Light Novel): Volume 1. It's one of my favorite books that I've read recently and Maomao is an incredible female lead. It's a very cute story that at the same time has slightly darker themes, hope you like it!

Next person feel free to pick from my regular to-read

Thank you Zeljka for picking La falsa pista. It took me a while to engage in this book, but it was worth it at the end. Very present discussions for a book that is 30 years old.

Lidik, for you a pick a book of an author from my country, so it will be Quincas Borba. Hope you like it!

Next person, for me pick from Available now shelf

Zeljk, thank you for choosing "One for sorrow" i enjoyed it.

Dèbora, for you i choose "My sister, the serial killer" its one of those books that seems i would enjoy too, so have fun reading it.

Next person for me please choose from this list: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

@Lidik - Thank you for choosing The Things They Carried for me. You were right, it wasn't the most pleasant read, but it will certainly stick with me.
If you'll allow me to ramble for just a minute.
Both my grandpa and my great uncle served in the Vietnam War (my great uncle was even a POW). Although no one in my family talked much about the war, I didn't realize how much its effects trickled into my family. I've never been anywhere near an actual war, but I was shocked at how many of the feelings of the characters in this book were familiar to me. Almost like an old bedtime story, or a background noise that you didn't realize has been with you your whole life. I think the effects of the war had a strong influence on the way my grandpa viewed the world, and in turn on the way he raised my dad, and in turn on the way my dad raised me. I may not have ever been in a war (thank God), but one thing I know for sure now... The things they carried got passed down through the generations. Though not understanding what the physical experience must've been like, I have felt the burden of the internal experience in a way that is difficult to put into words. I didn't expect to personally recognize so much of the inner struggle within the characters of a book about a war that ended so long before I was ever born; nor did I expect the author to express something that's been so seamlessly woven into my life that I didn't even know it was there.
I definitely won't be forgetting this book. It may have changed the entire outlook on my own perspective of the world and my own personal history.
Thank you for choosing it. When I first put it on my to read shelf, I really hesitated because I knew people had said it was a sad read. To be honest, I was still hesitating and I'm glad that you picked it for me before I had the chance to change my mind about it.

Thanks for reading my post :)

[I'll pick a book for K. and link my shelf in the next post.]

@K. - I think I'll choose Quicksilver for you 🙂 I haven't read any of the books on your shelf, but that one is on my Want to Read list, too. I hope it's good!

Next person, please choose from this shelf.