2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
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Introduce Yourself to the Group - 2023
Welcome to the group, everyone!We're thrilled to have you join us. If you have any questions or anything, please don't hesitate to reach out :)
Have a great 2023 and happy reading!
H wrote: "Hello everyone!Y’all can call me H or whatever my username is at the time in case I change it in the future.
I’m calling in from California and I’m 20 atm.
I’m honestly still figuring out wha..."
Figuring out what ones reading tastes are is always so much fun, in my opinion - specially between transitional stages of life, like between teenhood to young adult, or young adult to adult, or even adult to adultier adult.
I've personally gone through so many changes in my reading in just the past six years (since joining GR), and I think it's interesting looking back to what interested me or how I rated something, etc.
My biggest advice is to have an open mind, and enjoy the journey. I hope you discover some great books throughout the year! Best of luck with your reading goals, H!
April wrote: "Hi, im April. I’m a 33 year old stay at home mom. Reading releases me from my anxious thoughts and depression. Do you think me wanting to read between 3,000-5,000 books this year is insane? 🤣😁"Yes. Yes it is, April :D
You stating that as a possible number actually triggered my anxiety slightly. lol.
Best of luck with your reading this year, regardless how many you get to :D I'll definitely be interested in checking in on your progress throughout the year to see how, and what you're reading.
Aleksandra wrote: "Hi everyone! I’m Aleksandra and I currently live in California.I enjoy reading novels, stories that take place in foreign countries, and thrillers. My initial book goal for the year 2023 was 50 b..."
We definitely have a great little community here with friendly members, fun challenges, fantastic moderators, and much more.
I hope you enjoy being a part of the group, and have a fantastic reading year :)
P. S. btw, great reviews! Keep it up.
My name is Courtney I’m from maine
Lisa wrote: "Welcome to the group, Courtney!"Thank you
Hi, I'm Mia. I don't have people around who enjoy reading so hoping to find some friends on here to chat with. Favorite genres are YA, psychological thrillers, mysteries. Don't have a lot of time to read but trying to make it a daily habit (working my way up) because it is important to me. Being able to escape into a book just always makes me feel better.
Anyone can add me.
Welcome Mia! I'm certain you'll be quick to make some new bookish friends in the group - everyone is super friendly and helpful.
My favorite way to make new friends is by far the Group reads and Buddy reads - not only is it a great motivational tool to read books you haven't gotten to yet, or are outside ones comfort zone, but it also encourages to discuss books with all sorts of different people.
Best of luck with your reading goals :)
Hey guys! I’m Kimmy and I live in Idaho :) I love to read anything and everything honestly, recently I’ve been loving romance and summer-y books. I found this group from a mutual friend and thought it would be nice to join and find friends who have similar interests as me. I don’t have many friends who read or even understand how reading is fun. My goal for the year is 20 books which is fairly low and I may raise it but I want to focus on getting through my TBR (wish me luck!) and just reading good and fun books.
Hello! I’m in Wisconsin, USA. I enjoy reading genres but my favorite is physiological thriller. My reading challenge this year is 43 books. So far I have finished 9 books this year. Being in grad school keeps me busy, but hope to have more time during the summer. Happy Reading
Hello from Cumbria, UK!I'm quite new to Goodreads and these community groups, but enjoying being arouns so far.
My favourites are YA / fantasy / romance / spice and the occasional crime / thriller. I'm aiming for 150 books this year, but with four children I do wonder if I've been a bit too ambitious!
I guess we'll see. Happy reading!
Kimberly wrote: "Hey guys! I’m Kimmy and I live in Idaho :) I love to read anything and everything honestly, recently I’ve been loving romance and summer-y books. I found this group from a mutual friend and thought..."Welcome to the group, Kimberly, and good luck with your goal this year. I think 20 is a great goal :) and if you reach and surpass it - great. If not - it's still 20 books :) As long as you're having fun and enjoying your time reading, that's what matters most.
Raya wrote: "Hello! I’m in Wisconsin, USA. I enjoy reading genres but my favorite is physiological thriller. My reading challenge this year is 43 books. So far I have finished 9 books this year. Being in grad s..."Welcome Raya!
Sounds like you're off to a great start.
Psychological thrillers are also my personal favorite genre - the darker, and twistier the better, imo.
Best of luck with your reading and studies. Happy reading!
Naii wrote: "Hello from Cumbria, UK!I'm quite new to Goodreads and these community groups, but enjoying being arouns so far.
My favourites are YA / fantasy / romance / spice and the occasional crime / thrill..."
Welcome to the group, Nail!
We're happy to have you :) If you have any questions regarding the group or Goodreads in general, please don't hesitate to reach out. Everything takes a bit of getting used to and figuring out, but I remember I really enjoyed discovering everything when I first joined.
It definitely sounds like you have your hands full :D Goodluck!
I saw you're doing great so far, being a third of the way through - Just remember that you can always recalibrate your goal as you go, if you need to later on.
Hello!I came across this group and thought I would join to try to challenge myself and get back into reading more.
Health issues have given me challenges in reading like I used to. I won't have big goals, but the hope is it will keep me going!
Good to meet you all!
Hi Everyone!!! I'm Jamie. 40 from NorthEast Texas! I love to read! I just started back into reading this year in February. I have set my goal for the year to be 50 books... which I have already read 23 since February now. I found this group while looking into challenges and other groups since I am new to the Good Reads. I love every genre, EXEPT horror.... and I am not that big of a fan of too much smut! So happy to be here!
Hi, Stephenie and Jamie. Welcome to the group - we're happy to have you :) Good luck with your reading goals!
Hi all, I'm from Ireland. I joined the group a while back when my friend Jannene told me that there was a buddy read of a book I'd just added to my TBR, The Last Kingdom. Well life got in the way and I didn't get to read it at the time. I had a quick look at this months newsletter and was taken with the monopoly challenge and the planned read of Pachinko.I don't set much store by reading challenges and usually plug in a random number much lower than what I'll actually read. Reading is a pleasure, not a chore. Also, I don't like to fail and I'd be nervous of favouring short books lol
I dip into most genres but favour mystery, fiction both historical and contemporary and SSF. I think that Robin Hobb realm of the Elderlings is possibly the best series of books I ever read.
Looking forward to getting know you and maybe getting into a challenge 😉
Welcome to the group, Margo! I think we've all been there - plans change and it sucks but sometimes you just have to adapt.
You're welcome to suggest it again as a buddy read for another month, if you so wish :) I'm sure there's plenty of members that would be interested in buddy reading it at some point (myself included).
Good luck with your reading goals for the year :) And have fun exploring the challenges. There are SO many fun ones.
Hi! I'm Dia from Philippines! reading in way is like therapy for me. Getting lost in good book is one of the best experience and, I try not to be picky with the books that I read, but mostly depends on the mood. I would love to achieve my reading challenge for this year, and hopefully have more booklovers like me to discuss and share thoughts with.
Welcome to the group, and good luck with your reading goals! :)
Heyy, I‘m Lea, 22, from Germany. I love reading but it‘s difficult for me to start a book or decide which one I should read next. I hope someone can relate 🫣
In general I read crime, love, YA, fantasy and scifi. I just finished a book (A fire between us) and now I don‘t know which one I should read next. Any recommandations?
Also I just spend 300€ on books today 💸
I‘m still trying to figure out how this whole group system works with all the little groups in it 🙃😂
That‘s it and I think I wrote too much, but I expect we all love reading 😘 byebye
Welcome Lea!I can definitely relate in finding it difficult to choose a book, at times. For me, as a mood reader, it really is a question of wanting read it all, just to discover that I just can't. And I swear, for some reason, it comes as a surprise every single month.
What usually helps me decide is if I'm partaking in a monthly challenge, or if I see someone reading a book that piques my interest.
In terms of recommendations, after looking through your shelves, the first thing that came to mind, since you're already reading about orcs, is The Grey Bastards. That book was such a ride.
Also, If We Were Villains, is a good book. I think either you'll like it or you won't. Just do yourself a favor, and do not listen to anyone that compares it to "The Secret History".
You're welcome to go through my read shelf and see if you can find anything that looks interesting :) And let me know, if I haven't rated / reviewed something, and I'm happy to reply as to whether or not I would recommend it.
Take your time exploring and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions :) There's plenty to discover but it's a lot of fun to do so.
Have fun and happy reading!
Thank you! Yeah I think a mood reader describes me perfect. I wanted to start Kingdom of the Wicked, but it was written in 3rd person (at least the few pages I read) and I just couldn't deal with this at that day, so I have to try again in a few weeks. Also thank you for your recommendations, it's funny because I just decided to read Ìf we were villains`. I'm very curious about it, because the story sounded really good. I will have a look on your shelf and find some inspiration for the next books, because my tbr can`t be long enough :)
Hi, I’m from Newark, my name is Aurora. I like reading novels, self help, biographies, thrillers, horror, mysteries and books written by African American authors in no particular order. I like books in all forms. I found this group while searching for another. I am currently reading The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley using the Libby app.
Welcome to the group, Aurora! We're happy to have you :) The Libby app is truly such a great tool.
I hope you enjoy The Hunting Party and that you find some challenges to participate in - there's plenty to choose from :D
Have fun and Happy reading!
Hey my name is Twyla. I’m from California. I fell in love with reading when I was younger but as I got older I found it harder and harder to find books that drew me in. So I took a break from reading for almost 7 years until last year when I found Zodiac Academy and legit couldn’t put them down. I choose to read those over sleep. So this year I decided to choose 20 books as a goal. I’m on book 12 I believe. I’ll have to double check. I’m really big into fantasy but I do want to branch out to horror books since I love horror movies. I seen the group was about to read Caraval and that’s on my TBR so here I am.
Welcome, Twyla!I hope you enjoy Caraval, and of course have fun joining in on the group discussion.
My favorite book of that trilogy was definitely the sophomore, simply because I liked those characters better, but Caraval is good aswell.
Looking forward to seeing your thoughts on it.
Best of luck with your reading goals this year!
Hi guys!!! Just looking for some new friends on goodreads and talking all things books! Let's be friends! Much love <3
Welcome to the group, Gabby! Have a great second half of 2023!Good luck with your goals, whatever they may be :)
Hi, I’m Scarlett, I’ll read pretty much any genre but I love literary, romance, and thrillers. Great to be here!
Scarlett wrote: "Hi, I’m Scarlett, I’ll read pretty much any genre but I love literary, romance, and thrillers. Great to be here!"Welcome, Scarlett!
So happy to have you joining our group :) There's so many fun things to do and challenges to join, so have a look around and take your time settling in, and don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
Happy reading.
Hi! I'm Adib from Putrajaya, Malaysia. I'm enjoy reading since 6 and once won the most active member in library( it's was unintentional. The gift was RM 100 and a cup that now used for drinking coffee).
Muhammad Adib wrote: "Hi! I'm Adib from Putrajaya, Malaysia. I'm enjoy reading since 6 and once won the most active member in library( it's was unintentional. The gift was RM 100 and a cup that now used for drinking cof..."Welcome so happy to have you join us! So happy to have such an avid reader join us. There is so much to do here. Look around let us know if you need anything. I am always up for recomandations
Hi everyone!! :) My name is Katherine, Katy for short, I like to dip my toes into a lot of different genres, most recently have been suspense and murder mysteries. I will trip over myself for a new Neil Gaiman novel and historical fiction is my comfort zone.
I’m hoping to continue “reading” (audiobooks) and to expand the genres and authors I know.
Welcome, Katy! I'm the exact same way in regards to Neil Gaiman. He could publish an errands list and I would still, buy it, read it, and love it.
What's your favorite Gaiman work?
It looks as though you're doing great so far with your reading goals. I hope the second half of 2023 continues to be as productive with lots of great books :)
Thank you Lisa 😊 I'm stuck between Neverwhere and Stardust for my favorite Neil Gaiman novels. 😊 how about you?
Katherine wrote: "Thank you Lisa 😊 I'm stuck between Neverwhere and Stardust for my favorite Neil Gaiman novels. 😊 how about you?"
My favorite is probably 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' - very closely followed by 'American Gods'
I have not yet read Neverwhere, but a buddy read this month will change that soon. We shall see whether that changes the rankings :)
Hi! I'm Megan from Missouri (feeling a bit like the shark from Finding Nemo rn haha) I'm in a serious romcom/new adult romance phase at the moment, but I also read epic fantasy/YA fantasy/general fantasy (think Lord of the Rings, ToG, etc.)
My spoken goal is 250+, but I'd love to see myself breach 300. I tend to read super fast and have several books I'm currently reading all at once.
I hope everyone has a great year of reading!
Hello Megan! Welcome to the group :) It's great to have you.
Good luck with your reading goals.
If you ever have any questions, don't hesitate to ask the group--everyone here is helpful :)
Have fun, and remember: fish are friends, not food!
Hey everyone I just found this group and I’m excited cause this is the first time I’m actually committing on a reading challenge. Put sooo many excuses before lol Looking forward to it!
Welcome to the group, Zue! We're happy to have you join us :) How many books are you wanting to read this year?
I hope you have a fantastic reading year! And enjoy everything the group has to offer.
Happy reading!
Hi Becca, welcome to the group. My name is Elizabeth Sofia, and I live in deep South Texas. My sincere hope for you is that Goodreads in general, and this group in particular will enrich your life as much as has mine.
Becca wrote: "Hi everyone,I’m Becca and I’m from the UK.
I started reading last February and my first book was ‘It ends with us’. It definitely got me into reading again.
I say for me I enjoy reading Roman..."
Welcome to the group, Becca!
I always think it's a bit difficult to recommend romance to people I don't know because there are so many variables, like are you looking for pure romance, or women's fiction/contemporary fiction with romance, do you enjoy sex-scenes on-page, or do you prefer fade-to-black, what about kinks/tropes/taboo topics, what tropes are you looking for, etc.?
Based on your shelves, I'd recommend Lauren Asher's Dreamland Billionaires trilogy. My favorite is Terms and Conditions, or The Unhoneymooners
You're more than welcome to have a look-see through my shelves, and see if there's anything that piques your interest, that you haven't read yet :)
I hope you have a fantastic year with lots of great books!
Happy reading.
Hi there, my name's Jackie from Tyne & Wear. I love to read a wide range of genres from fantasy to thriller. I've set myself a challenge to read twenty books in 2023. And by that I mean 20 books I've finished and enjoyed enough to write a review. If I don't like them, they don't count. Luckily, I've only given up on one so far this year.
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2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (other topics)Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow (other topics)
Bluebird, Bluebird (other topics)
The Grey Bastards (other topics)
The First Girl Child (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Neal Stephenson (other topics)John Marrs (other topics)
Ashley Winstead (other topics)
Guy Morpuss (other topics)
Stuart Turton (other topics)
More...
I enjoy reading novels, stories that take place in foreign countries, and thrillers. My initial book goal for the year 2023 was 50 books, but it has been a busy year from the beginning, so I have decreased it to 30.
Tracking what I read keeps me motivated and helps me finish what I started. Additionally, I plan to write a review for each book I read this year. I have already written 2 reviews.
Reading all the messages here in the group inspires me. It is so cool to see and “meet” (even virtually) so many people who love to read!