2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Meaghan M's 100
Book Tracker Thingy
Book Type
Hardcover - 4
Paperback - 17
eBook - 23
Audio - 25
Page Length/Hours Listened
<200 - 7
201-500 - 33
501-800 - 5
+801 -
Time listened -114:17:02
Author
Male -37
Female - 30
Both - 2
LGBT - 3
POC - 10
Star Rating
1 Star -
2 Star - 1
3 Star - 11
4 Star -32
5 Star - 25
Genre
Fiction - 59
Non-Fiction - 10
Fantasy - 31
Sci-Fi - 7
Historical Fiction - 6
Young Adult - 20
Graphic Novel/Comic - 8
Classic - 8
Play - 2
Poetry -
Mystery - 5
Thriller - 1
Horror -
Romance - 5
Translations - 5
History - 3
Religion - 2
Books Read List
I love your reviews, Meaghan! Thanks for deciding to share them. =)
Book the First
So technically I started this book in 2016 but read the last 100 pages or so on January 1, 2017. Imma count it anyway! It's my challenge I do what I want lol.
So this book is basically the movie Heart and Souls (the Robert Downey Jr. one from the late 80s or early 90s... go watch it. It's great!) except the guy with the ghosts is a troubled teenager and there are vampires and werewolves and other supernatural things. I spent half of this book interested in the characters and what was happening and where it all was going and half of it hating the characters and not giving a shit, just wanting to finish the book so I could get it off the 'to read' pile. I'll probably end up finishing the series at some point just because I'm curious how things are going to go after that ending.
The writing isn't great, which disappointed me because I had heard good things about Gena Showalter, but the story is decent enough to keep me from throwing the book across the room after every stupid line of dialogue.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars (but really like 2.5... I didn't hate it but it wasn't great)
Book Two
I read this one in one sitting. I mean it isn't a very long book so it's not like it was that much of an accomplishment.. but I had meant to spread it out a bit. Read a comic here a comic there. Yeah.. that didn't work.
I follow Sarah's Scribbles on Facebook so I was already familiar with the comics but a lot of these were new to me. I laughed all the way through. This comic is me.. like fully me. I definitely recommend!
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Nik wrote: "I love your reviews, Meaghan! Thanks for deciding to share them. =)"Thanks for reading them! I'm going to try my best to keep them up throughout the year... I always start out strong and then get lazy as the year goes on lol
Third Book
I'm so mad I didn't read this sooner! I love this book!!
So my best friend made me promise that I would read this book and A Court of Mist and Fury first thing this year because:
1) She wants someone to talk about them with, and
2) The third book comes out this spring.
So true to my word I started reading them as soon as I could and oh my god I love it! I love it so much! It's been quite a while since I devoured a book this quickly.
This book is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, which if my friend had told me earlier, would have gotten me to read this a whole lot sooner. I'm a sucker for fairytale retellings and Beauty and the Beast is one of my favourite things in the world. It's Young Adult but it's a more mature Young Adult than a lot of the other series in the genre. A little bit angsty just because it's Beauty and the Beast but nothing too irritating.
So yeah... please read this book.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars (but like really a million stars)
Fourth Book
I started listening to this a couple of years ago but got busy and forgot to finish it. Finally got around to starting it again and just kind of marathoned it as I could.
This is really well done and pretty thorough considering the large expanse of time it covers. It starts in prehistoric Ireland and ends at the dawn of the Second World War. I wish it had continued on a little longer but I guess 1939 is as good a place as any to end it.
The program is divided into 240 parts, each 5-6 minutes long so it's nice if you can only listen to a little bit at a time. If you can catch a rerun on BBC Radio or if you can get your hands on the files I highly recommend giving this a listen if you are at all interested in history.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Fifth Book
This is the second time I've read this book. This time through I listened to the new radio dramatisation that BBC did of it. Like the Neverwhere: BBC Dramatisation and Good Omens: The BBC Radio 4 dramatisation adaptations, this one was really well done.
I really do love Neil's faerie tales. This book is a little darker and more mature than the film adaptation that came out several years ago but it is still appropriate for all ages. There's nothing particularly gory or super scary so even children would like this one... I mean.. faerie stories are supposed to be dark! None of the Disneyfied nonsense everyone's used to now.
Anyway.. I highly recommend this book if you're a fan of Neil Gaiman, a fan of faerie tales or if you just want a nice, easy read some weekend.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Six
I decided I should probably read this series since the Netflix series comes out today.
I had read this first book a billion years ago when the series was first coming out but I never did get swept up in it like a lot of other people around my age. I always meant to come back to the series but it just never became a priority until now.
I really enjoyed this book. It's written for young adults/middle school readers but it's mature enough that adults should enjoy it too. I also enjoy how dark it is and yet it never feels overwhelmingly bleak. And it doesn't hurt that the narrator of the audiobook is Tim Curry!
I've already got the second book lined up to start after work tonight or tomorrow. I'm not sure how far the first season of the Netflix series goes but I'm going to assume it covers at least the first three so I'm going to try to get through those ones this weekend so I can start the show next week.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
I'm glad to read that you think that the Lemony Snicket books are good for an adult audience too. I didn't ever get hooked as a kid either, and I was curious if I should try to re-read them. Now I know. :)Best of luck with your challenge!
Book Seven
Still enjoying the series but the adults in these books are infuriating! It's a good thing the children are clever or nothing would get done. Onward! To the next book!
Overall Rating: 5 Stars
Cassandra wrote: "I'm glad to read that you think that the Lemony Snicket books are good for an adult audience too. I didn't ever get hooked as a kid either, and I was curious if I should try to re-read them. Now I ..."It's kind of like Looney Tunes. Really funny as a child but watching them as an adult you get so many jokes that went right over your head as a kid.
Book Eight
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I'm a fan of the movies but they can be a little over the top. The book is much more low-key than the movies but it still has action, intrigue and sex. It's a pretty decent origin story for Bond. I'll probably read the rest of the books at some point.
Overall Rating: 4 Stars
Book Nine
Not my favourite Jane Austen novel but I still love it. A wonderful satire of the sensational novels of her time. It also has one of my favourite Austen heroes. Mr. Tilney is lovely. Even if Catherine is a little overly naive for my tastes I love their romance. Really glad I reread this one.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Ten
This book was written by having Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins, Elizabeth Gaskell, and Adelaide Anne Proctor each writing a chapter then Dickens editing it together to make a coherent story. It's a really cool concept and I really enjoyed it although I thought I would like it more as I'm a huge fan of 3 of the authors (I had never heard of Proctor before this. I'm planning to look up some more of her work.).
The book is a nice, quick read and it's got a twist I wasn't expecting. If Victorian Gothic is your thing, I'd recommend checking this lesser-known work out.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Eleven
This is the second book in the Öland quartet. The premise is that each book takes place in a different season on the island. The first book takes place in the autumn and this one is in the winter.
I feel like I would have enjoyed this book a bit more if I had read the first book in the quartet first. It's not that I didn't understand what was going on or anything. It's pretty stand-alone but it references the first book a bit. The main character asking questions about what happened in the autumn from a character that bridges at least these two books although I suspect he has a role in all of them.
This book was dark and creepy and I enjoyed it even if it was a little slow moving at times. I'll probably go back and read the first one at some point and then finish the series.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Twelve
I got this book for my birthday last year and somehow never got around to actually reading it even though it's super short and I had been so excited to get it. Super big fan of Chimamanda.
I decided that the weekend of the Women's March on Washington was the perfect time to finally read it, especially since there was no sister march in my city and I wanted to do something other than sharing things on social media. And I'm really glad I did.
This is a printing of a talk she gave a few years ago on feminism and it is wonderfully intersectional and really gets at the problem with gendered expectations for both men and women. This should be read by every one.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Thirteen
Somehow this was better than the first book! I'm not going to say much because I don't want to spoil it for anyone who might read this but OH MAN is this good! Where A Court of Thorns and Roses was a Beauty and the Beast retelling, A Court of Mist and Fury has a Hades and Persephone lean to it (which is another favourite of mine). So again... I highly recommend this series!
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Fourteen
A cute short story from Oscar Wilde about an egotistical firework. Easy read, and quite entertaining. Good for kids, too.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Fifteen
I had somehow managed to never read this book before. I've seen the movie with Rupert Penry-Jones and Sally Hawkins a million times but I never did get around to reading it. As with any Jane Austen book I absolutely love it. Anne is one of my favourite Austen heroines and one of the ones I identify with most. Really happy I picked this one up finally.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Sixteen
Well, I now need to get my hands on the sequels. This book is basically one long set up for the coming conflict and I want to know what happens!
It jumps around quite a bit and really doesn't move very quickly but it's all information that becomes super important and relevant in the last, I'll say, third? of the book. This is a HARD sci-fi. Absolutely no space opera here. Lots of science that I struggled to get my head around lol.
It was really interesting to read a sci-fi from China. It's all familiar but with different politics and slightly different narrative framing than I'm used to. If you're a fan of hard sci-fi I'd definitely recommend this. If you're new to the genre I wouldn't start with this one.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Seventeen
I won this book in a Giveaway here on Goodreads a couple months ago and finally got to it.
Venice is my favourite city in the entire world so anything set in la Serenissima is going to catch my interest. That said, I really enjoyed this book. It has a romance but it's more along the lines of a Casablanca romance than anything.
As I read this book I realised that despite studying history I know almost nothing about what was going on in Italy during the Second World War, so this was extra interesting to get a small idea about the chaos that was Italy in the end days of the war. A very compelling story with an interesting cast of characters. Really glad I read this.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Eighteen
I picked this up on a whim from the library while I was picking up another book and I'm really glad I did. I had heard good things about this graphic novel but, even though I love graphic novels, they aren't normally what I go for when I want something to read.
So it's a story about Anya, a teenage girl (who is a Russian immigrant), who is trying to fit in at school. She falls down a well and meets the ghost of a girl who has been down there for almost 100 years. She accidentally takes the ghost home with her and learns some valuable lessons. There's more to it but then we get into spoiler territory and it really up to you, hypothetical reader of my reviews, to find out what happens.
It's a really quick read and it's a good story. I'd definitely recommend it. It's really relatable if you were a bit of an outcast in school... or in general.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Nineteen
Wow... I just kind of devoured this book... I'm not even sure where to start here.
Ok, I should probably start by saying that I kind of know the author. Like.. not REALLY well... We're more online acquaintances. But yeah.. I helped back this translation on Indiegogo and we're in a couple Facebook groups together so.. yeah... full disclosure.
What if I told you that everything you know about Heaven and Hell is wrong? What if I told you that right and wrong, black and white, were not so simple to distinguish? What if I told you that the fate of all of Creation was in the hands of a fifteen year-old boy's decision? That is what Sacrifice is about.
Gabriel is a normal fifteen year old boy just trying to get by when fate steps in and makes him the most important being in all of Creation. Caught in a fight between Heaven and Hell, he must figure out who to trust and whether he is willing to make the biggest sacrifice to save all of Creation.
I don't feel like I'm doing the story justice with this but just trust me.. it's an amazing story and it should definitely be read. It's a fantastic take on the Judeo-Christian mythology and I'm really glad that this book came into my life. Please read it.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars wish I could give it more
Book Twenty
These just keep getting darker! And why are adults so useless?! It's a good thing these poor kids are smart and resilient.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Twenty-One
I read this book as part of the Our Shared Shelf reading group here on Goodreads. I was really excited to read it because it's been on my to-read list for years and I had always heard how great it was.
Maybe it was overhyped in my mind but I didn't LOVE it the way I thought I would. Don't get me wrong... I did like it, but not as much as I was expecting. I think if I had read it in high school it would have been one of the most important books I had ever read but I'm almost 30 and have been so involved within feminism for so long that very little in here was groundbreaking for me. Maybe it's better live... most plays are.
Anyways... I did like this one and I know that it would be very important to some people and I really hope to see it on stage one day. I'll definitely recommend this one.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Twenty-Two
Well... The tv show has absolutely NOTHING to do with the comics lol.
Very interesting story. I'm looking forward to reading more of these to see where this is going. There are times when the story doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything but eventually it all become relevant. It's going to be interesting to see how all the seeds that were planted in this first book blossom in later comics.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Twenty-Three
Ooooo... this one seems to sort of introduce the mythology that I've been told comes into play later on. Like it doesn't really say much but there are a few things that are kind of pointing towards more information coming to light soon.
Once again the adults are useless and ridiculous and I'm really glad the kids have have brains.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Twenty-Four
I think the only way I got through this was because I was listening to it. If I had been reading a physical copy I'm not sure I'd have made it through.
I get that it's significant because it was one of the first (THE first?) novels to tackle the topic of adultery but boy are all of these characters terrible. Like not a single sympathetic character among them. I'm also not a fan of the whole, the woman has to die at the end because she's socially ruined and it's the only way out/it's what she deserves for being so wicked thing books like these have going on.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars (2 stars for story and character but it gets an extra star because of historical significance)
Book Twenty-Five
Where is the third triplet?! And why are adults terrible?! And oh my god shit just got serious!!
So a tiny bit more of the mythology was introduced and we learn a teeny tiny bit more about Count Olaf. I started out liking these books because they were kind of quirky and Roald Dahl-ish but now I'm just hooked and I want to know what's going on and why Olaf has such an obsession with the Baudelaires.
Ok... Hopefully I can get to the next book really soon.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Meaghan wrote: "Book Twenty-Five
Where is the third triplet?! And why are adults terrible?! And oh my god shit just got serious!!
So a tiny bit more of the mythology w..."
The Snicketts- what fun- I've read about six so far but not in order- I enjoyed the literary allusions and also how he pokes fun at fads and things.
Book Twenty-Six
Very, very short story. This is a prequel to Fahrenheit 451. The protagonist likes to just walk outside at night but in a world where everyone is at home sitting in front of screens and staying indoors, the simple act of walking is seen as an act of rebellion and is punished accordingly.
Bleak, Bradbury dystopia at its finest.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Lady Clementina wrote: "The Snicketts- what fun- I've read about six so far but not in order- I enjoyed the literary allusions and also how he pokes fun at fads and things."They're so wonderful! I think I read the first two books (maybe three) when they were first coming out but they didn't really grab me at the time. I'm really glad I decided to pick them up again.
Book Twenty-Seven
One of Shakespeare's earlier works and definitely not one of his best. It is entertaining if a bit ridiculous. An absolutely ridiculous conflict that's resolved very neatly and way too quickly in the last act. Definitely worth reading but it's not one of my favourites.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Twenty-Eight
This is a really good and important book. I examines centuries of atrocities and injustices committed against First Nations people throughout the last several centuries by white Europeans... but with humour. Mr. King does an amazing job of laying bare centuries of bullshit that most history books avoid covering. Parts of it are really cringey (or at least they are to me.. a white person) but in a way that makes me more aware of the history of my fellow citizens and in a way that educates me to be a better ally for Fist Nations (friends and strangers alike). There is a lot of work to be done...
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Twenty-Nine
A great continuation of the story. Some bits that took a while to understand how it fit into the overarching story but all of it was worth it. Bonus cameo from Death (like from the Sandman series) who is THE BEST!
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Thirty
I really really enjoyed this book. It's got a great premise and I'm hoping to continue the series soon. I initially picked this p because I'm a huge fan of John Barrowman so anything he's involved with I'll support but this was so much better than I thought it would be. I'd say this is aimed at middle school aged kids but it isn't kiddish enough that older readers would be turned off.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
I had no idea he wrote- what fun!
Book Thirty-One
Read this for one of my book groups on here. It's been a book that I've meant to read for years but never quite found a good enough reason to make it a priority read, so I was happy to have this push. I really enjoyed this book and actually would have finished it in one sitting if I hadn't had to work.
The book is based on Plath's own breakdown when she was twenty and there are parts of it that are uncomfortably relatable. It's a great glimpse into the mind of a person suffering from depression and the irrationality of this mental illness.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Two
Hurray for impulse grabs at the library! I had heard excellent things about this book and just grabbed it on a whim the last time I was in the library and I'm pretty satisfied with my decision.
I've read so many fantasy novels but this one was different in that it was based in Indian mythology and culture rather than the English/Irish/Norse/Germanic/Judeo-Christian mythologies/cultures that I'm used to. I have some passing knowledge of some Indian myths and customs but not enough that anything in this book felt terribly familiar. There was a point where I thought it was going to go kind of Hades and Persephone on me but it never quite did.
I really recommend this book if you're in the market for a kick-ass female protagonist who doesn't need a man to save her (in fact she can save the man!) type story. And if you aren't in the mood for that kind of story then I don't know what you're doing with your life... I've got the second book on the way and I can't wait for it!
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Three
This book had so many good reviews and I had heard so many people praising it that I'm really upset I didn't like this more.
I really like the first, like, two thirds. But it just kind of falls apart after that. I can't even quite explain what it is that bothered me so much. It's like the author just decided to sabotage all the characters for act three. Suddenly everyone was acting out of character and became completely unsympathetic and everything is just a mess. I don't know... I suppose the author was trying to make some kind of statement about fate or how impossible it is to rise above your station in 19th century Paris or something like that but it just didn't quite land... not with me anyways.
Had lots of potential but I'm disappointed in the ending.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Thirty-Four
I won an ARC copy of this book. It comes out in a few days.
I really liked this book! It follows the lives of a young woman from a Chinese minority group in Yunnan province as well as the life of the daughter she was forced to give up. It is also a book about tea. Pu'er tea to be specific.
As a tea lover I really enjoyed learning more about where this tea comes from and the processes needed to make it. I also enjoyed reading about the ways this tea is important to the Akha culture and how cutthroat and corrupt the tea business can be. Really makes me think about what I'm drinking.
I highly recommend this book. It's a lovely story (especially if you love tea as much as I do).
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Five
I had meant to read this book for a few years and I finally got around to it. I really enjoyed it although I expected a bit more based on all the hype it has gotten. It's a really good story and the ending kind of broke my heart and I'm really looking forward to finishing the trilogy as soon as I can but it just didn't quite live up to my expectations. I guess I should learn to ignore the hype and just go in with a clear mind.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Six
I'm pretty sure I didn't learn anything new from this book. BUT it's a pretty good book of the basics for young people learning about/questioning their sexuality or for any allies who are just starting to learn about these issues. It's very British and quite funny.
My one complaint is that it skews white, cis, gay male (because that's what the author knows). It does touch on lesbian and trans issues but the most in depth parts or those about gay males. It also doesn't go into the issues that LGBT people of colour deal with. But for a "for dummies" book it's pretty good.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Seven
This book totally lives up to all the hype! I recommend listening to the audiobook if you can (even if you've already read the physical book). Having Trevor tell you the stories adds a layer of depth and (I think) makes for a better understanding of the events and the world he grew up in.
Overall Rating - 5 Stars
Book Thirty-Eight
This is a historical fiction about the life of Saint Hilda of Whitby. But the thing is.. we don't actually know anything about her early life so this book is heavy on the fiction lol. It is super well researched when it comes to life in Dark Ages Britain and the book is so well written that there were many times I forgot that Hild's story was basically completely made up... trying to fill in how she got from poor daughter of a would-be king in exile to leading men and teaching bishops.
There were some slow bits and some parts I had to reread to figre out what was going on but overall I really really liked this book. The book ends pretty abruptly when Hild is still relatively young, which is a little irritating, but there is a second book being written and I'm pretty impatient for it. I don't think there's any publication date set yet though...
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Thirty-Nine
Second season of The Last Kingdom has started and I forgot to keep reading this series last year so I could be ready for it. I'm now safe to start watching lol. Should probably read the next few books later this year so I'll be ready for the third season (which I assume it'll get because it's a great show).
This book seems shorter than the other ones I've read in this series. And it's a smaller story, only taking place in and close to Lundene (London) rather than all over the island like the last three. It's still really good. Lots of fighting. Fewer main character deaths. Some pretty emotional stuff in the latter half of the book. Looking forward to getting to the next books and also looking forward to how the show deals with this book and the one before this season.
Overall Rating - 4 Stars
Book Forty
A really good book about an Indian family in Old Delhi. The story takes place mostly in flashbacks to the characters' childhoods.
The writing is beautiful. I kind of felt like I should be picking apart the imagery for a deeper meaning to the story but I was happy to take the superficial lessons and message.
Overall Rating - 3 Stars
Book Forty-One
What kind of monster ends a book in the middle of a battle?!?!
So this book was pretty entertaining and the relationship between the main character and her fae mentor is pretty intriguing and I'm looking forward to reading the next book to see what's going to happen. It's not anything too original but for a debut novel May does a good job of telling an entertaining story and making us care for the main characters.
One thing that did kind of bother me was that to make sure the reader remembers the story takes place in Scotland the author throws in "aye", "wee", and "bairns" at regular intervals. It's kind of jarring and is a little sloppy. Either write in dialect or don't.
And again, what kind of monster ends a book in the middle of a battle?!?!?! I was planning to read the next book at some point but this is forcing me to find a space in my reading schedule much sooner than I had planned. I NEED to know what happens!
Overall Rating - 4 Stars (3.5 really but I round up)
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Rule of Four (other topics)Marked in Flesh (other topics)
Kin (other topics)
The Lighthouse (other topics)
Immortal in Death (other topics)
More...
I include graphic novels, novellas, plays and radio dramas (limited ones.. not like The Archers) in my count. As long as it's listed on Goodreads, it counts. Some probably consider adding radio dramas as cheating but I don't care.. they don't account for a large percentage of my story consumption anyway.
I don't really follow specific challenges throughout the year but I am in several reading groups on here so my reading can get very varied throughout the year on top of my eclectic tastes.
This is the first year I've joined this group to track my reads and discuss them so I'm still trying to figure out how I want to organise this topic... I'll figure it out as I go along I suppose. Steal some ideas from others and tweak them to suit me lol.