2025 Read Your Shelf Challenge

Just in the nick of time! We're back for another year!

As you know (hopefully), Read Your Shelf had an overhaul in 2023. Previous incarnations weren't working for me and then I found this article on Book Riot...

PRETEND YOUR HOUSE IS A LIBRARY: A STRATEGY FOR ACTUALLY READING THE BOOKS YOU OWN.

Basically, the premise is to take one shelf on your bookshelf (or some other designated place where you can place books for this challenge) and think of it as your "holds shelf." If you buy or receive a book you haven’t read, it automatically goes onto that shelf.

Below is an image of my current holds shelf. I managed to read 13 books from the 59 books that were on the shelf starting in 2024. When I did read a book from my holds shelf, I shelved it on my main shelves and chose a book from my main shelves to replace it. I changed this up a bit in 2024. I made a list of new books as they arrived and for every third book I read from the holds shelf, I would replace it with one of the new books. That way I'm still replacing the majority of books from my main shelves. (I realize this sounds confusing. Sorry!)

Further challenge details

For this challenge, you will only read the books on your holds shelf. When you have read one of the books, you put it back on one of your other shelves (think of it as "main circulation"). By design, there is no room in main circulation for this new book (probably not the case in some instances) so you must take a book from main circulation and place it on your holds shelf.

If you want, you can leave some space on your holds shelf for any new books you might receive or buy, just be sure to set a number of spaces available so you don't go over (or you can do as I do and only replace every third book read from your holds shelf with one of your new books). Remember, the ultimate goal is to read books you already own. Not only are you reading newer books you were excited about when you bought them, but you're knocking out books that have been languishing on your shelves for years.

From the original Book Riot post (linked above): "This revolving door system has turned my bookshelves into my own mini library. Each time I finish a book I own, I return it to main circulation, and then I get to spend a few minutes browsing the stacks. I pick out a new book I’m excited about reading, and get the satisfaction of putting that book on hold (i.e. on my TBR shelf).

The best part: eventually all the unread books in my house will either get cycled onto the holds shelf, or I’ll realize there aren’t any unread books left in main circulation that I still want to read, in which case, I’ll donate them."

The goal of this yearly challenge is to see how many books you can get through on your holds shelf, and your "main circulation," by keeping track of how many you read from each. You can set a personal goal of a set number, or just see how far you get. There's no winning or losing here. It's all in fun.

• Challenge runs January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025
• You can use books from your holds shelf for other challenges (this will give you even more incentive to get them read!)
• Hashtag for social media #ReadYourShelf
• Any questions? Leave me a comment below, or contact me via the button in the sidebar.

Sign up in the linky below, and grab the button at the top of the post. Sharing is appreciated. Happy Reading in 2025!

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1000 Books Project 2025 - Sigrid Undset's Kristin Lavransdatter

Project Backstory:

I picked up a copy of James Mustich's amazing 1000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life Changing List and upon looking through it, I realized it really is a well-rounded reading recommendation book. I was pleased to discover I have read quite a few of the books he lists, and that many of them are on my personal reading lists (and they are books I own). So, to ever expand my reading horizons, and include others in the journey, I decided to create a read-along challenge, or project, if you will.

The theme for this year...and it's an important theme given the current situation in our country (U.S.) in regards to women (one example - your body, my choice)...Honoring women: A woman's life saga.

Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset is the work that formed the basis of Undset receiving the 1928 Nobel Prize in Literature, which was awarded to her "principally for her powerful descriptions of Northern life during the Middle Ages." (Wikipedia source)

A passage from the 1000 Books' coverage of the book (page 817): 

A summary does not do justice to Undset's achievement, nor to the singularity of her central character, who maintains a riveting identity in the midst of her struggles with family, community, and convention. Next to Kristin Lavransdatter, Emma Bovary is bloodless. In her book, 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel, Jane Smiley astutely describes Kristin's--and Undset's--originality:

Perhaps the biggest difference between Undset's protagonist and most other female protagonists is that she is never without work to do...Life is arduous in a way that is never true in novels about women of the middle and upper classes in France and England. Undset writes about work and weather and famine and accidents, illnesses, pregnancy, animals, and the natural world with immediacy and ease. Though Undset, too, explores the classic conflict between female virtue and female desire she sets it into the context of female usefulness.

I've been wanting to read this book for a long time. I hope you will join me.

Since we are starting on January 1st, I'm posting the reading schedule now. 

My edition: Abacus (January 1, 1995) - Paperback, 1072 pages.

Discussions will be posted here on the blog on the dates indicated in the schedule. Feel free to stop by the discussions any time. Post your thoughts in the comments, or share a link to a blog post.

The schedule does not include the notes section at the back of the book. The ending page in my edition is 1,047. We are reading according to each book of the original trilogy.

• January/February: The Bridal Wreath, pp 1 - 272
  Discussion post: February 28
• March/April/May: The Mistress of Husaby, pp 273 - 643
  Discussion post: May 31
• June/July/August: The Cross, pp 645 - 1047 (end)
  Discussion post: August 31

If you would like to join us, sign up by leaving a comment below (and a link, if you post about it on your blog or social media).

2025 Book to Movie (and TV) Reading Challenge

Welcome to year nine of the Book to Movie (and TV) Challenge!

Let's see what books are coming to the screen in 2025. As usual, these releases are subject to change.

The info below comes from CinemaBlend and Screen Rant.

Legend: Movies = M, Streaming series = S, Streaming movie = SM (these will only be indicated if I know for sure which format the adaptation is.)

M: Paddington in Peru, based on the Michael Bond stories (Jan 17)
M: Dog Man, based on the David Pilkey graphic novels (Jan 31)

SM: The Witcher: Sirens Of The Deep (Book title: The Witcher: Sword of Destiny), Andrzej Sapkowski (Feb 11)
SM: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Helen Fielding (Feb 13)

M: Not Without Hope, Nick Schuyler and Jeré Longman (Feb 20)

M: The Unbreakable Boy: A Father’s Fear, A Son’s Courage, And A Story Of Unconditional Love,  Scott Michael LeRette (Feb 20)

SM: The Electric State, Simon Stalenhag (March 13)

M: The Amateur, Robert Littell (April 11)

M: Mickey 17 (Book title: Mickey7), Edward Ashton (April 18)
M: How to Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell (June 13)
M: Animal Farm, George Orwell (July 11)

M: Cold Storage, David Koepp (Sept 18)

M: The Running Man, Stephen King (Nov 21)

The following adaptations' release dates TBD
M: Frankenstein, Mary Shelley 
M: The Housemaid, Freida McFadden 
M: People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry 
M: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Taylor Jenkins Reid 
The Midnight Library, Matt Haig 
M: Wildwood, Colin Meloy 
M: The Twits, Roald Dahl 

M: Book Lovers, Emily Henry
S:A Court Of Thorns And Roses TV show (by Sarah J. Mass)
S: Fairy Tale, Stephen King
S: Fourth Wing, Rebecca Yarros
M: Funny Story, Emily Henry
M: Hamnet, Maggie O'Farrell
S: Harry Potter, J.K. Rowling
S: The Institute. Stephen King
M: The Life Of Chuck, Stephen King
M: The Long Walk, Stephen King
S: Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Rufi Thorpe
M: The Thursday Murder Club, Richard Osman
M & S: Recursion, Blake Crouch
M: Whalefall, Daniel Kraus
M: Wuthering Heights, Emily Brontë

This list is by no means exhaustive. If you find out about any I haven't mentioned, leave me a comment and I'll add to the list.

Main Levels

The Enthusiast: read 1-3 books
First One to the Theater: read 4+ books

Read only books being made into movies/series for release in 2025 (you are not required to only read from the list above. As I stated, if you find another movie or TV series/mini-series, based on a book, coming out in 2025, feel free to read it).

Additional Levels

Not Ready to Let Go: read at least one (1) book made into a movie or series in 2024

Here's a list of 2024 movies adapted from books. (Note: Some of the movies listed may have been moved to 2025).

Living in the Past: read at least one (1) book made into a movie in previous years

You can Google for previous years, or check Goodreads lists.

The Movie Was Better (What?!): watch the movie(s) for the book(s) you read.

*the additional levels are optional, you still must complete one of the main reading levels above

Additional Guidelines

• The books you read can count for other challenges. Ebooks, audiobooks, and traditional formats all count.
• The start date is January 1, 2025. End date is December 31, 2025.
• Remember, TV series/mini-series count too.
• Pick your level (and additional levels, if you like)
• Sign up below and grab the button (top of post). I hope you will join me!
• If you have any questions, click the contact me button in the sidebar, or leave a comment.

Sign up here:

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