Joy’s 2025 Category Challenge

Hi, everyone. I’m Joy (“jlshall” here at LibraryThing), and I’ve been doing these Category Challenges since 2012. I’ve been giving the 2025 Challenge a lot of thought, and doing lots of planning. Actually, I believe I enjoy the planning almost as much as I enjoy the reading. Sometimes more.

Once again, I don’t really have a theme and I’m not setting any definite goals. I just want to keep things easy and fun, and I don’t want to set a lot of rules for myself. And as usual, I’ll be trying to read books that are already on my shelves – both real-world and digital shelves.

For 2025 my categories will mostly be various CATs and KITs. I’ll definitely be doing the AlphaKIT Challenge (can’t do without that one). And I’m going to try BingoDOG and a few other CATs/KITs. I’m also going to have a couple of personal challenge categories, but I’m still playing around with those – so there might be some changes there.

That's a lot of reading, and I know I'll never manage to complete every category. But I think that’s OK. The challenge keeps me reading and I believe that’s what I love about it. (Well, that and the planning.)

........
(Originally posted Jan 1, 2025)

Personal Challenge No. 1: Adult TBR



Over the years, I’ve acquired hundreds of books that I fully intended to read, but just never managed to get around to. Some of those (though definitely not ALL of them) are ARCs or freebies that I accepted but didn’t read (I call those the “mea culpa” pile). I’d like to read at least a few of those "TBR" books in 2025, so I’m making that goal one of my personal challenges.

Books read:
1. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen, Gordon McAlpine (2013; ARC from NetGalley)
2. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour, by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022; ARC from NetGalley)
3. Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921)
4.

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The image is a piece of wall art I received as a gift. I no longer have the wall art, but I’ve still got “too many books.”

Personal Challenge No. 2: Children’s TBR



I’m slowly reading my way through the list of Newbery and Caldecott medal winners and honor books. And I’ve got a huge collection of children’s books still waiting to be read. So … another personal challenge category.

Books read:
1. The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book, 1986)
2. The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book, 2000)
3. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965)
4. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965)
5. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960)
6. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986)
7. XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017)
8. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971) (This was a re-read)
9. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998)
10. The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) (This was a re-read)
11. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (This was a re-read)
12. Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952) (This was a re-read)
13. Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952)
14. The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949)
15. The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949) (This was a re-read)
16. The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962)

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The image is from Blackie's Children's Annual c.1919, possibly by Scottish illustrator Anne Anderson.

AlphaKIT

I love AlphaKIT. I’ve really come to depend on it to help me figure out what to read every month.



• The Wiki for the 2025 AlphaKIT is HERE.

• The 2025 AlphaKIT main thread is HERE.

.......

Letters / Reading for 2025:

YEARLONG: X Z . . . (Yearlong Thread)
• The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016) - added to Wiki
• Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021) -

JANUARY: S O . . . (January Thread)
• Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017) - added to Wiki
• I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011) - added to Wiki

FEBRUARY: L G . . . (February Thread)
• The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mysteries #11), by Eva Gates (2024) - added to Wiki

MARCH: U A . . . (March Thread)
• Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen, Gordon McAlpine (2013) - added to Wiki
• Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987) - added to Wiki
• The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999)

APRIL: K E . . . (April Thread)
• Easeful Death (DI Bill Slider #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025) - added to Wiki
• King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985) - added to Wiki

MAY: I D . . . (May Thread)
• Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929) - added to Wiki
• The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002) - added to Wiki

JUNE: C Q . . . (June Thread)
• A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2), by John le Carré (1962) - added to Wiki

JULY: W T . . . (July Thread)
• Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1), by W.J. Burley (1968) - added to Wiki

AUGUST: N J . . . (August Thread)
• Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe (1987) - added to Wiki

SEPTEMBER: B M . . . (September Thread)
• Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025) - added to Wiki
• The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973) - added to Wiki

OCTOBER: F P . . . (October Thread)
• The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour, by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022) - added to Wiki
• The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016) - added to Wiki

NOVEMBER: Y H . . . (November Thread)
• Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921) - added to Wiki

DECEMBER: V R . . . (December Thread)
• The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965)

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The image is a vintage postcard or trade card. I added the text.

ColorCAT



• The Wiki for the 2025 ColorCAT is HERE.

• The 2025 ColorCAT planning thread is HERE.

JANUARY – Green ... (January Thread)
• Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025): green on book cover

. . . .

.

FEBRUARY – Gold ... (February Thread)
•

.

MARCH – Pink ... (March Thread)
• The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999)

. . . .

.

APRIL – Brown ... (April Thread)
• King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985): most of the book's cover and illustrations are in some shade of brown

. . . .

.

MAY – Red ... (May Thread)
• Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952)

. . . .

.

JUNE – Yellow ... (June Thread)
• Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921)

. . . .

.

JULY – White ... (July Thread)
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998)

. . . .

.

AUGUST – Gray ... (August Thread)
• Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)

. . . .

.

SEPTEMBER– Silver ... (September Thread)
•

.

OCTOBER – Black ... (October Thread)
• Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2021)

. . . .

.

NOVEMBER – Blue ... (November Thread)
• The Ellsworth Case (Markham Sisters #5), by Diana Xarissa (2016)

. . . .

.

DECEMBER – Purple ... (December Thread)
• The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025)

. . . .

.

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The image (“Colorful Abstract Design of Cats”) is a public domain design by Linnaea Mallette, from PublicDomainPictures.net.

CoverCAT

I hesitated about this one, but I do like the idea. So I might just drop in now and then.



• The Wiki for the 2025 CoverCAT is HERE.

• The 2025 CoverCAT planning thread is HERE.

JANUARY – Cover contains Something Involved in a Tea Party ... (January Thread)
•
.

FEBRUARY - A Tree on the cover ... (February Thread)
• The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss (1971) - added to Wiki

. . . .

.

MARCH - Farm Animals on the cover ... (March Thread)
• If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998) - added to Wiki

. . . .

.

APRIL - Cover shows a Road ... (April Thread)
•

.

MAY - More Than One Element/Object on the cover ... (May Thread)
• Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952)

. . . .

.

JUNE - Something with Wheels on the cover ... (June Thread)
• The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995) - added to Wiki

. . . .

.

JULY - Fruit pictured on the cover ... (July Thread)
•
.

AUGUST - Cover image includes a Photograph ... (August Thread)
• Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream. David M. Lubin (2025) - added to Wiki

. . . .

.

SEPTEMBER - Dogs and/or Cats on the cover ... (September Thread)
• The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour. Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022) - added to Wiki

. . . .

.

OCTOBER - Will it fit in your pocket? ... (October Thread)
• Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950) (bandage, toy stethoscope)

. . . .

.

NOVEMBER - Celestial Objects on the cover ... (November Thread)
•
.

DECEMBER - Something You'd Like For Christmas or Equivalent Gift-Giving Tradition ... (December Thread)
• The Fenton Case. Diana Xarissa (2016) (jewelry)

. . . .
.

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"The Black Cat" was an American magazine, published from 1895 to 1923. It featured mainly short fiction.

MysteryKIT



• The Wiki for the 2025 MysteryKIT is HERE.

• The 2025 MysteryKIT planning thread is HERE.

JANUARY – Winter Mysteries ... (January Thread)
• I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011) added to Wiki

FEBRUARY: … Vintage Mysteries ... (February Thread)
• The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1). Stuart Palmer (1931)

MARCH: … Spies, Lies, and Ciphers ... (March Thread)
•

APRIL: … Paranormal Mysteries ... (April Thread)
•

MAY: … Not My Country ... (May Thread)
• Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929)

JUNE: … LGBTQ+ Authors or Detectives ... (June Thread)
•

JULY: … Series Sleuths ... (July Thread)
• Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1). W.J. Burley (1968)

AUGUST: … Legal Thrillers ... (August Thread)
• The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2). Erle Stanley Gardner (1933)

SEPTEMBER: … Silver Age Mysteries ... (September Thread)
• The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1). Robert B. Parker (1973)

OCTOBER: ... Police Procedurals ... (October Thread)
• The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1 / Shetland #9), by Ann Cleeves (2025)

NOVEMBER: … Psychological Mysteries and Thrillers ... (November Thread)
•

DECEMBER: … Cozies ...
• The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6), by Diana Xarissa (2016)

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The image is the front of the dust jacket for The Black Cat by Louis Tracy, published in 1925 by Hodder & Stoughton, London. Tracy was a British journalist and writer of mystery, adventure, and romance fiction. I haven’t been able to find any info on the dust jacket’s designer.

RandomKIT



• The Wiki for the 2025 RandomKIT is HERE.

• The 2025 RandomKIT planning thread is HERE.

JANUARY Topic: Eat, drink, and be merry ... (January Thread)
• Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025) - added to Wiki

FEBRUARY Topic: Playing with Time ... (February Thread)
•

MARCH Topic: Wishes ... (March Thread)
• I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965) - added to Wiki

APRIL Topic: Prime ... (April Thread)
• One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960) - added to Wiki

MAY Topic: Punctuation ... (May Thread)
• Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #19), by Rex Stout (1952) - added to Wiki

JUNE Topic: Invasion ... (June Thread)
•

JULY: "The hills are alive..." (Something that relates to the film "The Sound of Music" ... (July Thread)
•

AUGUST: Writers ... (August Thread)
• Ready for My Closeup: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)

SEPTEMBER: Cardinal Direction in Title ... (September Thread)
•

OCTOBER: When I Was a Child ... (October Thread)
• Little Jeanne of France. Madeline Brandeis (1929)

NOVEMBER: Villains ... (November Thread)
•

DECEMBER: Endings & Beginnings ... (December Thread)
•

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The image of cats playing with the contents of a sewing basket is most likely an illustration from a vintage children’s book.

BingoDOG

I haven’t tried BingoDOG for a couple of years, but I always enjoy it. I never really try to complete a whole card, but it’s fun to see how far I can go. Some (if not all) of my reads are likely to be children’s books. There’s just something about BingoDOG that seems to cry out for kiddie lit.



Topics for 2025:
1. Newly in public domain: Speedy Death, by Gladys Mitchell (Mrs. Bradley #1, published 1929)
2. Features adoption/foster care/nontraditional family
3. A long title (5+ words): I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey
4. Author has your or relative’s 1st or last name: The Penguin Pool Murder, by Stuart Palmer (Palmer is one of my family names)
5. Nonhuman narrator: Nighty-Nightmare, by James Howe
6. The sun on cover/in title: The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (sun on cover)
7. Hollywood!: Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (plot revolves around the film version of Hammett's "Maltese Falcon" novel) - added to Wiki
8. A place you've never been: Origin, by Dan Brown (set in Spain)
9. Features winged creature(s): The Fuzzy Duckling, a Little Golden Book, by Jane Werner Watson; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen
10. A profession in title: Writers and Their Notebooks, ed. by Diana M. Raab
11. Travel
12. Child as a main character: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows, by Alan Bradley (#4 of the Flavia de Luce mysteries; Flavia is an 11-year-old amateur sleuth) - added to Wiki
13. Read a CAT: Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (for CultureCAT-August: Free space - any culture you are not part of)
14. Totally random: The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (used the Random Book widget on my profile page)
15. Originally published in a language not your own: Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion
16. Medical topic: Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, a Little Golden Book, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern
17. A holiday in title: The Night Before Christmas, a Little Golden Book, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern
18. Writing about writers: The Mystery of Lewis Carroll, by Jenny Woolf - added to Wiki
19. Either "Library" or "Thing" in title: The Stranger in the Library, by Eva Gates - added to Wiki
20. Features fire: The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster
21. Recommended by a friend or LT member: Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren
22. Oldest book in your TBR: Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley
23. Set in your favorite season: Easeful Death, by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (summer)
24. Features a birth: The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney
25. A piece of furniture on the cover: Nurse Nancy, a Little Golden Book, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern

Link to: 2025 BingoDOG Planning Thread.
Link to: 2025 BingoDOG wiki.

Reserving this space in case I need room to ramble … or maybe add another CAT or KIT.

My reading: JANUARY - APRIL

JANUARY
1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown (2017)
2. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland". Jenny Woolf (2010)
3. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4). Alan Bradley (2011)
4. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025)

FEBRUARY
5. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12). Eva Gates (2025)
6. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11). Eva Gates (2024)

MARCH
7. Hammett Unwritten. Owen Fitzstephen (Gordon McAlpine) (2013)
8. The Ugly Duckling. Hans Christian Andersen; adapted & illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999)
9. The Relatives Came. Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985)

APRIL
10. Fox in Socks. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965)
11. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet. Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965)
12. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish. Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1960)
13. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub. Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985)
14. XO, OX: A Love Story. Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017)
15. Easeful Death (DCI Bill Slider #25). Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025)
16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language. Richard Lederer (1987)
17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers #1). Stuart Palmer (1931)

My reading: MAY - AUGUST

MAY
18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley #1). Gladys Mitchell (1929)
19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #19). Rex Stout (1952)
20. The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster (2002)

JUNE
21. A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962)
22. Writers and Their Notebooks. Diana M. Raab, ed. (2010)

JULY
23. The Lorax. Dr. Seuss (1975) (Re-read)
24. If You Give a Pig a Pancake. Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998)
25. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1). W.J. Burley (1968)
26. The Library. Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995)

AUGUST
27. Ready for My Close-Up: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream. David M. Lubin (2025)
28. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2). Erle Stanley Gardner (1933)
29. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4). James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrill (1987)

My reading: SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER

SEPTEMBER
30. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4). Robert Thorogood (2025)
31. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1). Robert B. Parker (1973)

OCTOBER
32. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1 / Shetland #9). Ann Cleeves (2025)
33. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour. Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022)
34. The Princess Diarist. Carrie Fisher (2016)
35. Little Jeanne of France. Madeline Brandeis (1929)
36. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man. Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950)
37. Strange Houses: A Novel. Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2021)

NOVEMBER
38. Strange Pictures: A Novel. Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022)
39. Crome Yellow. Aldous Huxley (1921)
40. Nurse Nancy. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952)
41. Tawny Scrawny Lion. Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952)
42. The Night Before Christmas. Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949)
43. The Fuzzy Duckling. Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949)
44. The Christmas ABC. Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962)
45. The Ellsworth Case. Diana Xarissa (2016)

DECEMBER
46. The Experiment. Rebecca Stead (2025)
47. The Velvet Room. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965)
48. Zorrie. Laird Hunt (2021)
49. The Fenton Case (Markham Sisters #6). Diana Xarissa (2016)

And I think that’s everything. At least for now. So, welcome to my challenge. Thanks for visiting, and happy reading to everyone in 2025!

I love the images you've used. I can't decide on a favourite but The Black Cat at #6 is a strong contender. Happy reading and Happy New Year.

Happy New Year and good luck with your reading. I love the cat pics and need the poster in >2 jlshall: for my library door.

Great pictures for your categories. hope you have a good year of reading.

Enjoy your 2025 reads!

So many pretty kitties! Of course, the one I like best is >2 jlshall:: my thoughts exactly!

Fun pictures! Enjoy your reading year.

I love the pictures you chose! Good luck with your challenges!

1. Origin (Robert Langdon #5), by Dan Brown (2017)



Read: Jan 3-6, 2025
Fiction / Mystery / Thriller
Rating: ✭✭✭

2. I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (Flavia de Luce #4), by Alan Bradley (2011)



Read: Jan 6-24, 2025
Historical Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

3. Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls Mystery #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage (2025)



Read: Jan 24 - Feb 6, 2025
Fiction / Cozy Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭½

4. Shot Through the Book (Lighthouse Library Mystery #12), by Eva Gates (2025)



Read: Feb 2025
Fiction / Cozy Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭

5. The Stranger in the Library (Lighthouse Library Mystery #11), by Eva Gates (2024)



Read: Feb 7 - Mar 15, 2025
Fiction / Cozy Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭½

6. The Mystery of Lewis Carroll: Discovering the Whimsical, Thoughtful, and Sometimes Lonely Man Who Created "Alice in Wonderland", by Jenny Woolf (2010)



Read: 2024 - March 2025
Nonfiction / Biography / Literary History
Rating: ✭✭✭½

>15 VivienneR:, >16 lowelibrary:, >17 dudes22:, >18 thornton37814:, >19 MissWatson:, >20 beebeereads:, >21 MissBrangwen:

Thanks so much to all of y'all for dropping by! Sorry for the late response -- some medical adventures have been keeping me busy the last couple of months. Now that it's all taken care of, I hope to be around here a little more. And to get more reading done!

>28 jlshall: Medical adventures can be time-consuming, I hope that was the worst of this and you’re feeling good now.

>29 MissWatson: Thanks. Yes, much too time-consuming!

7. Hammett Unwritten, by Owen Fitzstephen, Gordon McAlpine (2013)



Read: 30 March - 2 April, 2025
Fiction / Historical Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

8. Easeful Death (DI Bill Slider Mystery #25), by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles (2025)



Read: 15 March - 13 April, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I've read a bunch of children's picture books lately -- three by Dr. Seuss, and I'll list those three together here.

9. Fox in Socks, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1965)



Read: April 5, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭
........

10. I Wish That I Had Duck Feet, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by Barney Tobey (1965)



Read: April 5, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭
........

11. One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish, by Dr Seuss; illus. by author (1960)



Read: April 5, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

12. The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Andersen; adapted and illus. by Jerry Pinkney (1999; Caldecott Honor Book 2000)



Read: March 22, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

13. The Relatives Came, by Cynthia Rylant; illus. by Stephen Gammell (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986)



Read: March 26, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

14. King Bidgood's in the Bathtub, by Audrey Wood; illus. by Don Wood (1985; Caldecott Honor Book 1986)



Read: March 31, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭½

15. XO, OX: A Love Story, by Adam Rex; illus. by Scott Campbell (2017)



Read: April 15, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

16. Anguished English: An Anthology of Accidental Assaults Upon the English Language, by Richard Lederer; illus. by Bill Thompson (1987)



Read: March 22 - April 19, 2025
Nonfiction / Humor
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

17. The Penguin Pool Murder (Hildegarde Withers Mysteries #1), by Stuart Palmer (1931)



Read: April 22-26, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭½

(The image is the cover of one of the paperback editions I've owned; I actually read this on my Kindle and that edition had a different cover. I like this one better, but the text in paperbacks has gotten too small for my ancient eyes.)

18. Speedy Death (Mrs. Bradley Mysteries #1), by Gladys Mitchell (1929)



Read: April 30 - May 7, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭

19. Prisoner's Base (Nero Wolfe #21), by Rex Stout (1952)



Read: May 8-21, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

20. The Book of Illusions, by Paul Auster (2002)



Read: May 22-28, 2025
Fiction / Literary Fiction
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

Isn’t it hard to believe we’re just about halfway through 2025 and June is already upon us? Time really does fly. Of course, I say that every month, and maybe it's just a part of being so ancient — but the older I get, the more it seems to be true.

So … a little planning for possible reading in June — concentrating on AlphaKIT, since that’s the challenge I find most useful for deciding what to read every month.

(JUNE letters are C & Q)

• The City and the Stars. Arthur C. Clarke (1956).
Would also work for June RandomKIT topic: “Invasion." Haven’t read any sci-fi in a while, and Clarke is one of my favorite writers. And I've got the e-book on my Kindle.

• Death in the Clouds (Hercule Poirot #12). Agatha Christie (1935).
Would also work for BingoDOG “Travel” or “Winged Creatures” topics. 


• Don Quixote. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (1615).
I’ve wanted to read Don Quixote ever since I read about it in my brand new World Book Encyclopedia back around 1955. And I’ve started reading it several times over the years — but it’s hard for me to commit to anything with THAT many pages! Still, it would also work for the BingoDOG topic “oldest book in your TBR.” So….?


• The Greek Coffin Mystery (Ellery Queen #4). Ellery Queen (1930).
I’ve never read an Ellery Queen novel, though I used to read the magazine. Bought the Kindle edition of this one a few years back and haven’t read it yet. Now might be the time. 


• Henry and Ribsy (Henry Huggins #3). Beverly Cleary (1953).
Would also work for BingoDOG topic: “Oldest book in your TBR”.
I still have my childhood copy of this book. I believe it was a Christmas gift, back in 1950-something (it was published in 1953, but I think I got my copy a couple of years later). Never managed to read it back then, or since. I think it might be the oldest "real" book on my actual TBR pile, so another good possibility for more than one category. 


• Love May Fail. Matthew Quick (2015).
I received an ARC of this novel back in 2015, and somehow never managed to finish it. So it would also be perfect for my “Adult TBR” personal category.

• A Murder of Quality (George Smiley #2). John le Carré (1962).
I read the first Smiley book (Call for the Dead) a few years ago and liked it a lot. I was surprised (pleasantly) that it was more of a murder mystery than a spy story, since the later le Carré novels have all been in that espionage genre. And this second novel in the series seems to be similar to the first one.

I'll be interested to see if I end up reading any of these, or go with something completely different.

21. A Murder of Quality, by John le Carré (1962)



Read: May 29 - June 6, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

22. Writers and Their Notebooks, ed. by Diana M. Raab (2010)



Read: June 10-26, 2025
Nonfiction / Essays
Rating: ✭✭✭

23. Wycliffe and the Three-Toed Pussy (Wycliffe #1), by W.J. Burley (1968)



Read: July 6-24, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭

24. Ready for My Close-Up: The Making of Sunset Boulevard and the Dark Side of the Hollywood Dream, by David M. Lubin (2025)



Read: July 27 - August 21, 2025
Nonfiction / History / Cultural History: Film
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

Read a few more children's books lately. Listing them all together.

25. The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss; illus. by author (1971)



Read: July 2, 2025 (This was a re-read; I originally read it back around the time it was first published.)
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

26. If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff; illus. by Felicia Bond (1998)



Read: July 7, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

27. The Library, by Sarah Stewart; illus. by David Small (1995)



Read: July 16, 2025 (another re-read)
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

28. The Case of the Sulky Girl (Perry Mason #2), by Erle Stanley Gardner (1933)



Read: August 21-30, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

29. Nighty-Nightmare (Bunnicula #4), by James Howe; illus. by Leslie Morrill (1987)



Read: Aug 31 - Sep 2, 2025
Children's Literature / Fiction
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

This has been a busy month, so far. And even though September is almost half over, I’m still looking at books to consider for all the categories. Just making some notes to keep myself on track.

Planning for September … AlphaKIT.

September letters are M & B:

I have two of the Stewart Hoag mysteries on my Kindle. Love this series -- I've read several of the later books, and both of these earlier ones would fit September's AlphaKIT:
● The Man Who Lived by Night (Stewart Hoag #2). David Handler (1989)
● The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (Stewart Hoag #3). David Handler (1993)

● Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4). Robert Thorogood (2025). Received an advance copy of this, so I really should have read it by now. But it’s a great choice for September AlphaKIT.

● The Mystery of a Butcher’s Shop (Mrs Bradley #2). Gladys Mitchell (1929). I read the first Mrs Bradley mystery earlier this year, and wasn’t as impressed as I was hoping to be. So maybe I’ll give the series another chance with the second book. And I’ve already got an electronic copy on my Kindle.

● Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d (Flavia de Luce #8). Alan Bradley (2016). Received an ARC of this one back in 2016, but never actually got around to reading it. So in addition to AlphaKIT, it would also be a good fit for my “Adult TBR” personal category.

Planning for September … ColorCAT and CoverCAT

ColorCAT (September color is Silver):

● By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House #5). Laura Ingalls Wilder (1939; Newbery Honor Book 1940). This would also be another book for my Children’s Lit Personal Category.

● Return to Howliday Inn (Bunnicula #5). James Howe (1992). I have a recent paperback edition of this with the title in silver-colored lettering. And it would also work for September CoverCAT – topic is dogs and/or cats on cover.

● Silver on the Tree (The Dark Is Rising #5). Susan Cooper (1977). I’ve read all the other books in Cooper’s Dark Is Rising Sequence, so this would finish it up for me. And I’ve got both physical and electronic copies of it, so I wouldn’t need to add anything to my library.

Also, any of Patricia Wentworth’s Miss Silver mysteries would work, and there are many of those I haven’t read yet. And I’ve always loved Miss Silver.

CoverCAT (topic is Dogs and/or Cats on Cover):

Besides Return to Howliday Inn, there are lots of other possibilities for this category. A few…

● The Lighthouse Library Mysteries, by Eva Gates. The library in this series of cozy mysteries has a resident cat who always appears on the book covers. I’ve read several of the books, and would love to continue the series.

● The Mrs Murphy Mysteries, by Rita Mae Brown (& Sneaky Pie Brown). Mrs Murphy is a cat and usually appears on the book covers. I’ve read quite a few books in this series, and have several others I still want to read.

● The Stewart Hoag Mysteries, by David Handler. Another of my favorite cozy mystery series. The books in this series almost always have covers illustrated with pictures of “Hoagy” and his canine sidekick Lulu.

Planning for September … RandomKIT

Topic for September: Cardinal direction in title

This is a great idea for a topic. I’ve looked through my books, and found a few that would work:

● A Guide to the Birds of East Africa: A Novel. Nicholas Drayson (2008)
● The Norths Meet Murder (Mr & Mrs North Mysteries #1). Frances & Richard Lockridge (1940)
● South and West: From a Notebook. Joan Didion (2017)
● The Westing Game. Ellen Raskin (1978)

30. Murder on the Marlow Belle (Marlow Murder Club #4), by Robert Thorogood (2025)



Read: September 1-13, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

31. The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker (1973)



Read: September 15-18, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

32. The Killing Stones (Jimmy Perez & Willow Reeves #1), by Ann Cleeves (2025)



Read: Sep 18 - Oct 7, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭

33. The Further Adventures of Miss Petitfour, by Anne Michaels; illus. by Emma Block (2022)



Read: Oct 7-15, 2025
Fiction / Fantasy
Rating: ✭✭✭½

34. Strange Houses: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. from Japanese by Jim Rion (2021)



Read: Oct 15-27, 2025
Fiction / Mystery / Horror
Rating: ✭✭½

35. Strange Pictures: A Novel, by Uketsu; trans. by Jim Rion (2022;2025)



Read: Nov 1-10, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭

36. The Princess Diarist, by Carrie Fisher (2016)



Read: Oct 15-29, 2025
Nonfiction / Memoir
Rating: ✭✭✭½

37. Little Jeanne of France, by Madeline Brandeis; illus. by author (1929)



Read: October 2025 (This was a re-read; first read it as a child during the 1950s.)
Children's Lit / Fiction
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

38. Crome Yellow, by Aldous Huxley (1921)



Read: Nov 11-28, 2025
Fiction
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

39. The Ellsworth Case, by Diana Xarissa (2016)



Read: Nov 27-30, 2025
Fiction / Mystery
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

40. The Experiment, by Rebecca Stead (2025)



Read: Nov - Dec, 2025
Science Fiction / Fantasy / Children's Literature
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

41. The Velvet Room, by Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1965)



Read: Nov 11 - Dec 14, 2025
Fiction / Children's Literature
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

I've been reading some of my collection of Little Golden Books recently. These two were re-reads -- first read them (or had them read to me) back in the early 1950s.

42. Doctor Dan the Bandage Man, by Helen Gaspard; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1950)



Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

43. Nurse Nancy, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1952)



Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½

More of the Little Golden Books I've read recently.

44. Tawny Scrawny Lion, by Kathryn Jackson; illus. by Gustaf Tenggren (1952)



Read: Nov 28, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

********

45. The Fuzzy Duckling, by Jane Werner; illus. by Alice and Martin Provensen (1949)



Read: Nov 28, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

And yet more Little Golden Books. These have a Christmas theme.

46. The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore; illus. by Corinne Malvern (1949)



Read: Nov 28, 2025 (This was a re-read; first had it read to me before I was able to read it myself. Then read it many times as a child.)
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭✭

********

47. The Christmas ABC, by Florence Johnson; illus. by Eloise Wilkin (1962)



Read: Nov 28, 2025
Children's picture book
Rating: ✭✭✭✭

48. Zorrie, by Laird Hunt (2021)



Read: Dec 16-26, 2025
Fiction
Rating: ✭✭✭✭½