Stephen's 2025 Reading Challenge

[Stephen]

Books with a Goodreads rating of 4.35 or more:

1 - King: A Life - 4.66 - read 2 August - 4 stars
2 - The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row - 4.65 - read 3 May - 5 stars
3 - O Brother - 4.62 - read 16 January - 5 stars
4 - The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement - 4.59 - read 14 June - 3 stars
5 - Poor: Grit, courage, and the life-changing value of self-belief - 4.59 - read 29 July - 4 stars
6 - When the Sea Came Alive: An Oral History of D-Day -4.54 - read 19 May - 5 stars
7 - Frank and Red - 4.53 - read 16 April - 3 stars
8 - James - 4.53 - read 31 May - 4 stars
9 - In Memoriam - 4.52 - read 14 February - 4 stars
10 - Daughters of Shandong - 4.48
11 - The Siege: A Six-Day Hostage Crisis and the Daring Special-Forces Operation That Shocked the World - 4.47
12 - Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City - 4.47


Reserve 1 - Cher: The Memoir, Part One - 4.45
Reserve 2 - Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage - 4.45
Reserve 3 - The Last Drop: Solving the World's Water Crisis - 4.37
Reserve 4 - All the Colors of the Dark - 4.35

[Lea]

I must not be reading all the highly rated books here, but I want to. The only one of your books I've read is Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. I really enjoyed it. I do hope to squeeze in James this year. It was one of the last books that got cut from my independent challenge.

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Ambitious list of non-fiction. I already see a couple I might add, so I will definitely be looking forward to your thoughts.

Good luck and happy reading, Stephen.

[Bill, Moderator]

These are all unfamiliar to me and sound interesting. I hope you enjoy your 2025 reading, Stephen

[Pam]

Great list! I’ve got several on my TBR and added The Daughters of Shandong. I just listened to a podcast (Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year) episode with an interview with Ben Macintyre about his book The Siege. It sounds really interesting! Enjoy your selections!

[Ioana]

I love your list! I've read a few (The Sun Does Shine, Evicted and Endurance), and they were all very good.
There are a few others on your list that I hope to get to read in 2025 too. I hope we both enjoy them, happy reading!

[Patricia]

Great list! The only one I've read is James. Several others I want to read. Look forward to reading your thoughts.
Happy Reading!

[Denise]

That's a great way to ensure you get some good books in your list! All the Colors of the Dark is on my list as well. Enjoy your reading!

[Stephen]

Alondra wrote: "Ambitious list of non-fiction. I already see a couple I might add, so I will definitely be looking forward to your thoughts.

Good luck and happy reading, Stephen."

Non fiction is my favourite but I do like the occasional fiction book to mix things up a bit too!

[Stephen]

Lea wrote: "I must not be reading all the highly rated books here, but I want to. The only one of your books I've read is Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage. I really enjoyed it. I do hope to squeeze in..."

Been meaning to read Endurance for ages but now that it's on the list, it will happen!

[Stephen]

Bill wrote: "These are all unfamiliar to me and sound interesting. I hope you enjoy your 2025 reading, Stephen"

Thanks!

[Stephen]

Patricia wrote: "Great list! The only one I've read is James. Several others I want to read. Look forward to reading your thoughts.
Happy Reading!"

Did you enjoy James then?

[Stephen]

Pam wrote: "Great list! I’ve got several on my TBR and added The Daughters of Shandong. I just listened to a podcast (Simon Mayo’s Books of the Year) episode with an interview with Ben Macintyre about his book..."

Daughters of Shandong was a bit of a last minute addition but I'm glad that it made the list as it looks interesting!

[Stephen]

Ioana wrote: "I love your list! I've read a few (The Sun Does Shine, Evicted and Endurance), and they were all very good.
There are a few others on your list that I hope to get to read in 2025 too. I hope we bo..."

How did you find those three then? I'm hoping that there might be some 5 star reads in my list next year as I only had one this year which was The Maniac

[Stephen]

Denise wrote: "That's a great way to ensure you get some good books in your list! All the Colors of the Dark is on my list as well. Enjoy your reading!"

My list will definitely have been a success if I get to that one as it is over 600 pages long and Reserve number 4 but you never know as they all look pretty good.

[Ioana]

Stephen wrote: "How did you find those three then? I'm hoping that there might be some 5 star reads in my list next year as I only had one this year which was The Maniac"

I liked them all, and gave them all 4 stars, but I am very, very stingy with my 5 stars.
The Maniac is on my list and I hope to get to it next year.
If you haven't read Just Mercy, I highly recommend it. It's pretty much the same story as The Sun Does Shine, but from the lawyer's perspective. That was a 5 stars for me.

[Stephen]

Ioana wrote: "Stephen wrote: "How did you find those three then? I'm hoping that there might be some 5 star reads in my list next year as I only had one this year which was The Maniac"

I liked them all, and gav..."

Read that back in 2020 - 4 stars for me but I am similarly stingy with my 5 star ratings!

This was my review of it:
"Centred around one particular case but with references to many others, this gives a really shocking description of the US justice system and gives you a glimpse of the despair of what it could be like to be a powerless victim. A searing condemnation of the death penalty as well. A disturbing account but one of those books which everyone needs to read."

[Patricia]

Stephen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Great list! The only one I've read is James. Several others I want to read. Look forward to reading your thoughts.
Happy Reading!"

Did you enjoy James then?"
Yes, I did enjoy it. I listened to it on audio which was well done. There was (is) so much hype around it, I was a little reluctant but still enjoyed it.

[Ioana]

Stephen wrote: "Read that back in 2020 - 4 stars for me but I am similarly stingy with my 5 star ratings!"

That's when I read it too, and it changed/consolidated my entire view of the death penalty.

[Stephen]

Patricia wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Patricia wrote: "Great list! The only one I've read is James. Several others I want to read. Look forward to reading your thoughts.
Happy Reading!"

Did you enjoy James then?"
Yes, ..."

Thanks - might try it on Audible when I read it now that you've mentioned it
The audiobook is recommended here too:
https://www.npr.org/2024/12/15/nx-s1-...

[Jackie]

A great way to get some good books to read. Good luck!

[Stephen]

Jackie wrote: "A great way to get some good books to read. Good luck!"

Thanks - this year will be the year that I actually manage to read them all!

[〰️Beth〰️]

Looks like it will be an excellent year of read.

[Stephen]

〰️Beth〰️ wrote: "Looks like it will be an excellent year of read." Off to a good start anyway - O Brother is amazing!

[Cecilia]

Nice list. Evicted and In Memorium are on my TBR

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Kudos on your progress, Stephen.

[Stephen]

Alondra wrote: "Kudos on your progress, Stephen."
Thanks - on a mission to complete the Challenge this year so no falling behind allowed!

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Stephen wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Kudos on your progress, Stephen."
Thanks - on a mission to complete the Challenge this year so no falling behind allowed!"

I need to remember this so that I keep the mojo going. *sigh*

[Alondra, Moderator Schmoderator]

Wow! Kudos on all of your progress, Stephen!

Only 3 to go! Woot!!!

[Stephen]

Alondra wrote: "Stephen wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Kudos on your progress, Stephen."
Thanks - on a mission to complete the Challenge this year so no falling behind allowed!"

I need to remember this so that I keep th..."

Thanks - getting close!
These highly rated books have been great - I'm going to keep doing this if I can find enough of them.