2025 Reading Recap

New year, new challenge!  I loved doing this.  I'll be doing the Reading Rainbow again.  It's so pretty.  I think I'll be adding another color or two though. I know I want to continue the Titles A-Z as well. SO close to the full alphabet! But I’m not sure about the Authors even though I loved seeing who I’ve read multiple titles from. We’ll see. A new challenge I’m going to try is not so much a challenge as a tracker. It’s another idea I saw in a Rusty Paper Scissors journal (I seriously should just get their journal). I’m going to try tracking how much I read each day and marking them with a color code. Still not 100 percent sure what that will look like but I’ve been keeping track so far for when I do.

Here’s a recap of my year in the challenge. Hope you met you goals and are ready to challenge yourself again this year!

 

LAST 2025 Reading Challenge Update - December

Happy New Year!  Welcome to the last update of 2025!  (Ok, so technically it's the first of 2026 but work with me here.)

I'll make this one short and sweet and start our 2026 Challenge later (yes, we're doing it again!  I had too much fun.).

I read like my life depended on it this month.  both audio and physical.  Several repeat authors, one of which I didn't even notice until making this post!  Emily Bain Murphy does a great magic system.  I enjoy reads that include magic but also feel rooted in the real world.  It's like I could go on vacation and accidently end up in one of these places.

'My Sister, the Serial Killer'? Please read.  Add it to the TBR.  Messy in all the best ways.

Here's the last images and I'll see you for a recap soon!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - October & November

How is it that I don't remember that November kills me EVERY YEAR.  It's like I think its going to be different every time I run into that brick wall.  Any who,  here is my update for both October and November. I tell you, audiobooks have been my saving grace.  'The One' was my only physical copy.  I have grown to love listen to books on my drives.  Better than dealing with commercials and ads.

Stay warm out there and I'll see you next month for the FINAL UPDATE!

OCTOBER

 NOVEMBER

NaNoWriMo Eve!!

Time to gather your candy hoards and find your comfy spot.  It's time for National Novel Writing Month!

If you're unfamiliar, NaNoWriMo is a writing challenge that comes around every November.  The goal is to write 50,000 words in 30 days, starting November 1st.  I've participated for several years now but it's been a long time since I've actually put real effort into completing the challenge and I miss it.  I miss writing in general.

Soooooo!!  Next month I'll be posting weekly about how its going.  *activate the accountability*  Starting today with 'The Plot'.....  *cringe* Listen, I usually have a vauge outline, somewhere between a plan and flying by the seat of my pants.  This one is just an idea.  I hope its as fun and goofy as it sounds.

Plot NaNoWriMo '25:  A Vampire living in the first 'Mythical Person Friendly' apartment complex finds his way into a crime scene and becomes a valuble help to one of the detectives.

I'll be updating my facebook page daily with my wordcount so if you'd like to keep me accountable there you can! www.facebook.com/ScribblesAndShorts

See you soon for a Reading the Rainbow update!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - September

 Better late than never!  My favorite was another series, Lady Librarian Mysteries by Samantha Larsen. Think 'Pride and Prejudice' meets 'Only Murder's in the Building' (Which can I talk about how obsessed I am with that show as well?  That's not the point of this post but for real though.)  I don't want to give any spoilers except to say UGHHHHHH MY HEART.

The final two deserve to be mentioned too.  Everything's Coming up Rosie was adorable.  A cute feel good romance that stayed sweet.  The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club was WILD.  It did not stay sweet.  But then again it kind of did?  It was a real sour patch kid.  I enjoyed it.

But Gloria Chao's and Samatha Larsen's books are unfinished series from what I can find about them. They may make another appearance on our reading rainbow if they come out soon. (Speaking of coming soon, The Housemaid movie???  GAH!!  Ok, I'm done getting distracted.)

Until next time!

2025 Reading Challenge Update - August

We have GREEN!!!  Ok, listen, I know that it's actually a teal but it doesn't belong in blue.  Let me have this moment.  Our rainbow has ALL COLORS!  Our 'Titles' page has no new letters and our 'Authors' recieved one.

Yeesh,  I don't even know how I went from two books in July to seven in August.  I think that Freida McFadden had me in a vice grip.  I love the twists that she includes.  The Housemaid series was a phenominal psychological thrill.  Highly recommend it.  'The Girl I Was' is a real feel good.  Think 'Freaky Friday' but instead of switching places with your daughter, you go back to your younger self and try get her to act right so your future (current?) self has a better life.  A good cleanser after a bunch of murder mysteries.

Until next time!

2025 Reading Challenge Update- July

Yeah, 'Sarah from June', you got so much reading done huh....  Good job.

Ok, ok, two books isn't bad when you consider all the travel and working I was doing.  In fact, they are both audio books played either in the car or before bed.  That's the kind of busy I've been.  But now we are in a very timed and scheduled type of busy so I should be able to fall back into routine and find so down time.  And WRITING TIME! But that's for another post.

Remarkably Bright Creatures and The Song of Achilles. Two vastly different stories though I believe I picked them both up because they were titles I've heard talked about or in posts before. (And I might've been hoping that they'd be close enough to be green for the rainbow but I was wrong. 😫

The Song of Achilles was different than my usual reads.  It read more like a historical retelling than the mythology and legends type vibe I thought I was getting in to.  You know how they made a live action Mulan and then watched it and saw they took all the songs and such out.  Yeah, it didn't make it bad by any means.  It just wasn't what I expected.  It even made me a little sad in a good way.

Now Remarkably Bright Creatures.  If I could be friends with this octopus I so would.  This is maybe the second instance since getting into audiobooks that I am so glad I went for audio before the physical.  The chapters that are read from the view of the human characters and the Octopus (because yes you get to hear from the octopus!) are read by two different narrators.  I loved that.  And it was such a feel good story.  Sad, yes.  But just enough closure that made it feel right.  Definitely a favorite now.

Well, still no green on our Rainbow but we filled in the M on the authors, thank you Madeline Miller and also the R on the titles.  We have still have some work to do!