2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2023
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Megan's 123 in 2023
Forty-ninth read in 2023 - The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers. Well, just take my heart, fill it up, stomp on it a few times, and put it back better than ever! This was such a good book, and it was a truly fantastic series! I will read everything Becky Chambers writes in the future! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: Spell
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+
Fiftieth read in 2023 - Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie. This book starts off slow, but the beautiful writing and unique setup kept me intrigued. And then I couldn’t stop reading about these beautiful characters! This book is so good! I’d love to be more eloquent, but I’m still reeling from the experience. This one will stay with me for awhile. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, All Feels, Sliced bread
Lit Fic
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Fifty-first read in 2023 - The Traitor in the Tunnel by Y. S. Lee. Another good installment in this series! One of the things I realized, I love when the books show the relationship between the two main characters and the interactions of the Agency! However, the mysteries and details are a little boring and slow. Still worth reading! 3.5 starsChallenges: Sliced bread
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Historical mystery
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Fifty-second read in 2023 - Rivals in the City by Y. S. Lee. A nice conclusion to the series! I wish there had been more development with the series overall regarding the Agency and the MCs’ relationship. Entertaining and glad I finished it! 3.5 starsChallenges: I Spy, Sliced bread
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Historical mystery
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Fifty-third read in 2023 - Violeta by Isabel Allende, translated by Frances Riddle. This book was interesting, particularly after I learned a little of the author’s basis for the story. I particularly appreciated that she kept the location of the country fluid and some of the parallels she drew with events in our country now. Her writing is straight-forward. However, in seeking to share an entire 100-history, it did feel a little superficial at points. Worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: United, Sliced bread
Personal challenges: WPB Women's Book Club
Contemporary Fiction
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Fifty-fourth read in 2023 - Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This book lived up to the hype! Loved the writing, the quirky characters, and the history unflinchingly portrayed. If we’re not careful, we could so easily slide back there. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: May group read, PopSugar, I Spy
Personal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations
Historical fiction
Fifty-fifth read in 2023 - Tempt Me, If You Dare by Alyssa Clarke. Fun and incredibly sweet with some nice spicy scenes! A good addition to the series! Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
Historical romance
Fifty-sixth read in 2023 - You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson. Delightful and stressful and messy - everything that being a teen is made of with added bonuses of complexity. Topics of race, lgbtqia+, and economics are artfully represented throughout. I loved the author’s descriptive writing and her characters were wonderful! I went to college in Indiana, and I felt the push for conformity and silence in its absence. I was fortunate, like this MC, to have a strong group of friends to stand with me. Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: I Spy, Sliced bread
YA Fiction
Author: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Characters: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Fifty-seventh read in 2023 - This novel was not what I expected. It was a rather sad story of a young kid’s summer with his odd uncle. Introspective about everything, similar to John Irving. Just not for me. Writing was ok. The pacing was off and the reflections felt more interesting than the story. 3 starsLit Fic
Fifty-eighth read in 2023 - Paola Santiago and the River of Tears by Tehlor Kay Mejia. I loved this book! Loved the representation, the complexity of the characters, the inclusion of Latinx stories, everything! “Maybe home was something you carried with you. Something you could call on, even if you couldn’t go back to it.“. Really good writing too! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations, Personal serial
YA Fantasy
Author: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Characters: BIPOC
Fifty-ninth read in 2023 - His Majesty's Hope by Susan Elia MacNeal. Another great installment in this series. I really appreciate how the author presented a more complete picture of the German people, evil and not, during WW2. I also like how she’s adding depth and layers to the characters. No pat endings or rose-colored glasses, which keeps me anxious to get the next book. Really well done! 4.5 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
Historical mystery
Sixtieth read in 2023 - The Lonely Hearts Book Club by Lucy Gilmore. This exceeded my expectations! I was expecting a fairly ordinary book about a shy girl struggling with her life. And that was true for the first segment. But then the POV shifted, and the story became so much more layered and interesting! The author did a good job at representing the voices of her characters. And she created something truly heartfelt! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2023 GR Choice
Contemporary Fic
Characters: BIPOC
Sixty-first read in 2023 - Just My Type by Falon Ballard. I really liked the nerdiness of the MC - she liked almost all my stuff! I thought there were some good explorations here about toxic work dynamics, growing up, and getting to know oneself. However, I thought a lot of the inner conversations were repetitive, and the guy MC didn’t seem fully realized to me. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 GR Choice, June personal
Contemp Romance
Sixty-second read in 2023 - Freedom is a Constant Struggle by Angela Y. Davis. A powerful collection of interviews and speeches from the great Angels Y. Davis during the start of President Obama’s second term. “It’s very interesting that during the commentary on Ferguson, someone pointed out that the purpose of the police is supposed to be to protect and serve. At least, that’s their slogan. Soldiers are trying to shoot to kill. We saw the way in which that manifested itself in Ferguson.“. I love her explanation of global intersectionality - freedom movements standing up for all the oppressed! “In many ways you can say that the prison serves as an institution that consolidates the state’s inability and refusal to address the most pressing social problems of this era.“ This is a great collection to read after reading some of the seminal works on anti-racism, feminism, and intersectionality. Slightly repetitive, mostly because these were speeches given in a short time period. 4 starsChallenges: PopSugar, All the Feels
Personal challenges: June
Nonfiction
Author: BIPOC
Subjects: BIPOC
Sixty-third read in 2023 - Belle and the Beau by Beverly Jenkins. Incredibly sweet story set in pre-civil war Michigan! Love all the knowledge that the author sprinkles through the novel! Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: United
Personal challenges: June
YA Romance
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Sixty-fourth read in 2023 - Always the Almost by Edward Underhill. An excellent debut! I love the MC! It’s got messy teen angst, but it’s not over the top. Good writing! “Love should transcend stuff like short hair and clothes and pronouns. It should see who you really are. Or at least take your word for it.“. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2023 GR Choice, June
YA Romance
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+
Sixty-fifth read in 2023 - Wrong Earl, Right Dare by Alyssa Clarke. Another fun, quick read in this series! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial, June
Historical romance
Sixty-sixth read in 2023 - The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel. Overall, I enjoyed this wwii book! It provides another glimpse into the lives of everyday heroes who did what they could to save a life. Writing is good. The ending was a bit too predictable for me, but it would be nice if there were happy endings after all the trauma, right? Worth reading! 4 starsChallenges: United
Personal challenges: WPB Womens Book club, June
Historical fiction
Sixty-seventh read in 2023 - Tread of Angels by Rebecca Roanhorse. I am amazed how the author managed to fit this complex world and society into such a small package! Fascinating and complex, with great reflections on judeo-christian themes! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: June
SciFi/Fantasy/Western
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Sixty-eighth read in 2023 - Rules of Engagement by Stacey Abrams, as Selena Montgomery. Oof, I struggled with this one. I’ve read the author’s fiction before, but let’s just say she’s improved since her debut. This book was so repetitive. The plot was confusing, when it actually made it to the page in between the repetitive inner monologues of the main characters. The action was a distant backdrop. Not my favorite. 2 starsPersonal challenges: June, WIR
Romantic suspense
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Sixty-ninth read in 2023 - Love Report by Shellee Marie. I enjoyed the main characters and their development a lot. I wish I had read the first book in the series because there are a few more references than is typical in a romance series. I liked the concept, but the plot seemed to stall at times. I’ll be interested to see what this author does next. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. 3.5 starsChallenges: Piled
Personal challenges: 2023 GR Choice, Personal serial, June
Contemporary romance
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Seventieth read in 2023 - City of Light by Lauren Belfer. This was a fascinating look at the politics in Buffalo at the beginning of the 20th century. It’s a great book to read around traveling to Niagara! It reads a bit slow and could have been edited a touch to prevent a little repetitiveness. Overall, I enjoyed this! 4 starsChallenges: I Spy
Personal challenges: June
Historical fiction
Seventy-first read in 2023 - The Prime Minister's Secret Agent by Susan Elia MacNeal. I enjoyed this installment in the Maggie Hope series. I really appreciated some of the ethical topics she tackled in this book - the term just war, the use of biological weapons, etc. Great series! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial, June
Historical mystery
Seventy-second read in 2023 - Somewhere Only We Know by Maureen Goo. A modern, Asian, Roman Holiday! It was delightful! The two MCs were created well, the writing was good, and the descriptions were really good! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations, June
YA Romance
Author: BIPOC
characters: BIPOC
Seventy-third read in 2023 - A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. I enjoyed returning to the Teixcalaan empire! However, I had a more difficult time in this book keeping everything straight. Perhaps because rather than being at different places on the planet, the character this time were more spread out. Just a bit disjointed for me. But I loved the development of the characters, and I really liked a few of the new ones added in. Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
SciFi
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+
Seventy-fourth read in 2023 - Josephine and the Soldier by Beverly Jenkins. Sweet, YA historical romance, set during the civil war! I appreciate how the author incorporates the history of black men fighting for the Union army and the vast number of refugees that needed assistance following the end of the war. Nice discussion of gender issues too. Worth reading! 4 starsYA historical romance
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Seventy-fifth read in 2023 - Paola Santiago and the Forest of Nightmares by Tehlor Kay Mejia. Great sequel to the first book! Really good character progression, and I love the way the overall story is developing! It’s a little slow in the introspective sections. Lots of fun! 4 starsChallenges: United
Personal challenges: Personal serial
YA Fantasy
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Seventy-sixth read in 2023 - The Grimkes: The Legacy of Slavery in an American Family by Kerri K. Greenidge. This book is well-researched and constructed well. The writing is good, but the names were so intricate with all of the various nicknames, it was hard at times to keep track. There is a nice glossary at the front. While I appreciate the author’s premise, there was a level of defensiveness or cynicism that started from the intro. Her scholarship was so thorough that her points were justified, but the tone of the book was just sharp. Interesting book! 3.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Nonfiction
Author: BIPOC
Subjects: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Seventy-seventh read in 2023 - The Perfect Find by Tia Williams. This was an enjoyable read! The MC and the villain are a touch extreme in their respective roles, but I really appreciated some of the reflections the MC has about her past and prior relationship. Particularly the side characters, they were a lot of fun! Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations
Contemp Lit
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Seventy-eighth read in 2023 - Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This was very different than what I expected. I really liked the descriptions of everything - quite vivid! I liked the MC and the journey she went on throughout the book. I was not a fan of all the twists and turns, but I was fine until the ending, which seemed odd and out of character from the rest of the book. I’m intrigued enough to read the next book in the trilogy. Worth reading! 3.5 starsChallenges: Group read, United
Personal challenges: personal serial, 2023 book adaptations
YA Fantasy
Seventy-ninth read in 2023 - Daring with the Rogue by Alyssa Clarke. Another fun read in this series! I really liked the MC in this one and the overall premise. Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: personal serial
Historical romance
Eightieth read in 2023 - As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride by Cary Elwes and Joe Laydon. This is a great audiobook if you are a fan of The Princess Bride! Listening to Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Billy Crystal, and the rest of the cast talk about the filming experience in their own words (and often in their own voice) was fantastic! Got a touch long at the end, but it’s overall really well done! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar, United, I Spy
Nonfiction
Eighty-first read in 2023 - Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana. This is an incredible short story collection! The writing, perspectives, and voices are on point. To have each story told from a different perspective and be successful in giving each MC their own voice is impressive! These are not easy to read and absorb, but it’s so worth it! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsLit Fic
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC, LGBTQIA+
Eighty-second read in 2023 - Legendary by Stephanie Garber. Really enjoyed the second book in this series! The MC felt less like a pawn and more like someone not afraid to show their power. More complex and nuanced than the first book. Worth reading! 4 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
YA fantasy
Eighty-third read in 2023 - Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. Take all of the good romantic adjectives and layer them over a hallmark movie outline, add in complex characters and unexpectedly deep content, and you will have this gem of a book! I loved every moment! Does Wakan need a lawyer? I want to live there! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
Contemporary romance
Author: BIPOC
Eighty-fourth book in 2023 - Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston (re-read). I forgot how funny this book is (🦃🤣)! While Aex is not lacking in confidence, he does know he’s not perfect. Particularly everything our country has been through the last seven years, and continues to have to suffer through, all the hate and vitriol, this is the perfect adaptation from the perfect book at the perfect time!Challenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations
Contemporary Romance
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+, BIPOC
Eighty-fifth read in 2023 - Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. Loved this book! The descriptions and characters are so vivid! I learned so much - google and the materials on the author’s website really helped. I love that this is based on a real woman doctor who published her records in the 16th century in China! So inspiring! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 GR Choice
Historical fiction
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
I have this book sitting on the shelf but have not started it yet, so perhaps your post will spur me on. I have twice been at a dinner for this author when she read from her latest book and I do admire her work.
Eighty-sixth read in 2023 - The Measure by Nikki Erlick. Really impressed with this book! The writing is really good! And the questions about life, how to measure it, and human relations are thoughtfully explored. “There were few places where she felt more contented than a bookstore.“ Loved the characters! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: WPB Womens book club
Lit Fic
Eighty-seventh read in 2023 - Black Lace by Beverly Jenkins. Not my favorite from this author. I didn’t get the arc of the relationship and the chemistry seemed lacking. While I liked the discussion of the dangers of urban pollution, I felt that the storyline just abruptly ended. 2.5 stars Contemp romance
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Eighty-eighth read in 2023 - Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez. This author is now one of my favs! Not only is this book a delightful mix of funny moments, chemistry between characters, complex characters, and real conversations, there were some incredibly surprising moments. Anything more would be a spoiler - just know this is excellent! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 GR Choice, Personal serial
Contemporary Romance
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Eighty-ninth read in 2023 - Finale by Stephanie Garber. On the surface, I enjoyed this adventure. Great descriptions of fantastical beings and the two pairs trying to save the world! However, getting below the surface there is some rather tired Christian themes - purity culture, sacrificial lambs, the taboo of tarot, etc. What is the fascination with teens dating men who look young but are really decades older than them? Still glad I read this trilogy, but I wouldn’t recommend it to teenagers. 3.5 starsPersonal challenges: personal serial
YA Fantasy
Ninetieth read in 2023 - Wool Omnibus by Hugh Howey. Incredibly inventive and terrifying in its possible future reality! I love the characters, but I’m glad the adaptation made the cast more diverse. Writing is straightforward and clear. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations, Personal serial
Sci Fi
Ninety-first read in 2023 - Something More by Jackie Khalilieh. Really enjoyed this author’s perspective and how she channeled that into her main character! There is a large dose of teen angst in this book, but it’s also an important story of self-acceptance and adjusting to changes. Worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: United
Personal challenges: 2023 GR Choice
YA Fic
Author: BIPOC
Characters: BIPOC
Ninety-second read in 2023 - Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. This was not what I expected, and it turned out to be delightful! This is a slow burn romance. I struggled at the beginning with imaging the MC, but the love interest referenced a photographer - once I looked him up on google, it all clicked. Loved the chemistry, backstories, development, everything! Definitely worth reading! 5 starsPersonal challenges: Personal serial
Contemp romance
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+
Ninety-third read in 2023 - Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl. This is a wild adventure told in a straight-forward manner. Overall, I enjoyed it and found myself cheering for the expedition. However, there is rampant racism, both overt and implicit, throughout the book. There is also a lot of fishing for sport. The author had some antiquated ideas and half-baked theories. But the expedition he undertook to prove the possibility of his notions is impressive. Worth reading with the above caveats. 4 starsChallenges: United
Personal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations
Nonfiction
Ninety-fourth read in 2023 - Husband Material by Alexis Hall. Love Oliver and Luc and their relationship! If I rated this on my feelings, it would be 3 stars. If I rated this on logic, it would be 4 stars, so I’m going with 3.5 stars overall. (view spoiler)
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Contemp romance
Author: LGBTQIA+
Characters: LGBTQIA+
Ninety-fifth read in 2023 - The Bomber Mafia: A Dream, a Temptation, and the Longest Night of the Second World War by Malcolm Gladwell. Great audiobook! Loved the inclusion of the actual interviews, old newsreels, and sounds! The theory behind precision bombing was really interesting. Definitely worth listening! 4.5 starsPersonal challenges: 2023 Book adaptations
History/Nonfiction
Ninety-sixth read in 2023 - A Land Remembered by Patrick D. Smith. I first read this in English class during high school as required reading from Florida writers. I still have my copy, decades later and remember the reading experience fondly, but I’ve never dipped back into it until now. I didn’t recognize in my teens that this book is actually much more aware of the colonization and development problems that white people have wrought on this state. I was pleasantly surprised upon re-reading to see all of this acknowledged. The author uses the character of Sol as a mirror reflected on the greed that has changed this state and led to so many environmental disasters. My only critique is that it presented a slightly rosier picture of early settlers than was likely the reality. Definitely worth reading! 4.5 starsChallenges: PopSugar
Personal challenges: WPB Women's Book
Historical fiction
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
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Now That You Mention It (other topics)
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Challenges: United, All feels, Spell
Personal challenges: Personal serial
Sci-fi
Characters: LGBTQIA+