Book Lists,  Books

2025 Book Challenge

March 1, 2025 / No Comments

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Hi Friends,

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen back in January that I announced an end (at least for now) to the Books, WIPs, & Sips virtual book club. Don’t worry, all the previous book picks are still available for you to view here on the blog and past videos of our book chats will still be available as well. You can access those through the Books menu above or click below.

BWSBC Picks

But, as they say, the wind from one door closing opens another!

I thought it would be fun to create a reading challenge for the year where each month, we are prompted with a different theme and read a book to fit that theme. At first, I had thought to keep it simple and keep it just on social media and my newsletter, but I realize how short-sighted that is and I don’t want to leave anyone out that wants to join, so I am posting today to bring it outside of the social media sphere just in time for our March prompt!

I’ve created a template to use for the challenge that lists each prompt to use on social media if you’d like. At the beginning of every month, I’ll post a video delving into that month’s theme, making recommendations and sharing my own pick for that prompt. I’ll update this post with that info at that time so that at the end of the year we have a fun collection of great books that we’ve discovered together! Feel free to share any books you think fit a particular theme in the comments!

If you use Instagram or Facebook and feel like sharing what you’re reading for the challenge there, be sure to use #HBW2025BookChallenge and tag me @HooksBooksWanderlust to share with others in the challenge and with me! You can even save a copy of the template and add cover images to it as you go, ticking each month off as you complete it! I can’t wait to see what you’re reading!

Now, on to the monthly themes!

Monthly Prompts & Recs

At the beginning of each month, I’ll share a little about that month’s theme or prompt, list my recommendations, and share my selection for the month with you. If you prefer to listen to these recs, check out the 2025 Book Challenge Playlist on my YouTube channel, linked below. Be sure to bookmark this post so you can refer back!

2025 book challenge playlist

January: Winter

The theme for January is ‘winter.’ Look for books with wintery words in the title, a winter setting, or even a wintery cover image. Whether your book takes place in a frozen tundra or has snow in the title or just takes place during the winter months, think cold thoughts! Here are my suggestions for this month!

  • The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon – Medical historical fiction about a midwife in 1789 who would not be quiet, murder mystery, my favorite book of 2024
  • The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah – Historical fiction, takes place in Alaska, partly in winter months, touches on PTSD, trauma, abuse and is my favorite KH book (even over The Nightingale)
  • The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley – Historical Fiction, Scotland, Magical Realism, lighter with a lot of heart
  • Rock, Paper, Scissors – Psychological Thriller, a couple wins a getaway to Scotland and get snowed in and when secrets come to light, this will be an anniversary they won’t forget
  • The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah – Two sisters as different as can be have everything they thought they knew called into question when their mother tells her life story at last
  • The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo – 1908 Manchuria, mythology, magical realism, murder and mystery, ticks all the boxes

My selection for January was The Witch Hunter by Max Seeck. A woman is investigating murders that resemble a fictional murder mystery series.

February: BIPOC Author

The theme for February is books by BIPOC authors. I originally chose this theme since February is Black History Month, but in light of all that is happening here in the U.S. lately, I find it even more important to read and listen to stories told by marginalized members of our society. So with that, lets take a look at the recommendations for February and remember to think before you speak, but read before you think.

  • James by Percival Everett – literary fiction, a retelling of Huck Finn from the enslaved Jim’s POV
  • Take My Hand by Dolen Perkins-Valdez – a medical historical nonfiction about the eugenics of forced sterilization of Black women and children as a state policy
  • Under the Skin by Linda Villarosa – nonfiction, about racism’s influence in modern day medicine explaining why Black people ‘live sicker and die quicker’ and how it effects everyone
  • White Fragility by Robin Diangelo – nonfiction, examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what can be done to engage more constructively
  • The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan – Historical fiction about the events leading up to and through the Japanese occupation of Malaya during WWII
  • Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi – follows a young girl during the coup of 1978 Afghanistan which served as the tipping point for decades of conflict in Afghanistan, one of my favorite books ever
  • The Fallen Fruit by Shawntelle Madison – science fiction (time travel), follows members of the a family as they fall victim to a family curse that spontaneously drops them backwards in time; see my review for an interview with the author!
  • Blood Scion by Deborah Falaye – YA Fantasy with amazing world building, fantastic characters, magic, mythology, prophesy, betrayal and all the things, first in a series, the second comes out late 2025.
  • When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole – thriller, pulse-pounding, will keep you up at night, reminiscent of Get Out
  • Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert – romcom, about a female computer programmer with a chronic illness, grumpy/sunshine trope, it’s got great banter, it’s fun, sweet, steamy, and heartfelt

My selection for February was Kindred by Octavia Butler, about a woman who travels back in time from 1970s America to the antebellum South. I also read An Indigenous People’s History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, American history from the Native American perspective.

March: Fairytale Retelling

The theme for March is Fairytale Retellings. Whether it’s a complete reimagining of the original, the untold story of one of the other characters in the original (maybe the villain?!), or simply draws from the original for inspiration, there is much to chose from. We grew up, and thankfully, due to the many authors of retellings out there, our fairytales did too. Here are some of my favorites.

  • Cinder by Marissa Meyer – Young adult, first book in the Lunar Chronicles, sci-fi retellings of Cinderella (Cinder), Red Riding Hood (Scarlet), Rapunzel (Cress), and Snow White (Winter), must be read in order
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas – First book in the ACOTAR series, admittedly, not my favorite of the series, but it IS a Beauty and the Beast retelling and the series is worth trudging through this one for
  • Hooked by Emily McIntire – Dark romance, first book in the Never After series where the villains get the happy ending
  • Gilded by Marissa Meyer – Young adult, first book in a duology, a Rumpelstiltskin retelling

My selection for March was The Midnight Prince by Angie Grigaliunas, a Cinderella retelling – she was always my favorite! It’s on Kindle Unlimited for anyone wanting to read it with me! I may also check out a few others like Heartless by Marissa Meyer (YA Fantasy about the Queen of Hearts origin story), House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig (gothic mystery/thriller retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses), or maybe the Twisted Tales Series from Disney (YA Fantasy). So many options!

April: Re-Read an Old Favorite

The theme for April is rereading old favorites. Rereading books is great when you need the comfort of a familiar beloved story, want to visit with old characters, and also great for getting out of a reading rut! This is pretty subjective and completely based on the reader, so I’m sharing my personal favorite books to re-read and a few I haven’t re-read yet but want to because they were that good.

  • Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen – You’re probably already familiar with this classic romance
  • The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott – Lesser known classic romance, LMA’s debut novel!
  • Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling – Needs no introduction!
  • Susanna Kearsley’s Mariana, The Rose Garden, and The Winter Sea – Historical fiction, magical realism, romance, Scotland
  • Awakened by Blood series by Marie Treanor – came out when vampire novels were really trendy; not as well known but my favorite vampire series!
  • A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman – Ove reminds me of my grandpa, who passed several years ago; rereading this book is like visiting with him again.
  • Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas – my favorite SJM series, I just love the characters and story!

Books I want to re-read because they’re just that good.

My re-read for April is Mariana. It’s a comfort read for me and I think I need it right now. If I have time, I’m also going to re-read I Gave My Heart to Know This, one of the books on my want-to-re-read list.

A couple of weeks ago, I asked on social media what your favorite books to reread were. Some were already on my list (Pride & Prejudice, Harry Potter, Throne of Glass), so here’s a quick list of the rest of them for you to look through as well. Titles with an * were mentioned multiple times!

Whether you’re a regular re-reader or not, I challenge you to re-read an old favorite book of yours. See if you still love it and if its for the same reasons, visit those old fictional friends, immerse yourself in a world you haven’t been to in a while and let me know how it goes!

May: Flowers on Cover/in Title

April showers bring May flowers, so that’s the theme for this month, flowers on the cover or in the title! I’ve got a handful of recommendations for you this month and could use some help deciding what I want my pick to be for May, so let’s get to it!

  • The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh – an older book but it has stuck with me for using the Victorian Language of Flowers to relay complex emotions and feelings between the characters
  • Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross – first in a completed duology, this epistolary romance has magic, mythology and intrigue
  • Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score – first in a completed trilogy, contemporary romance with a grumpy/sunshine vibe, witty banter, and bit of action (real action, but yes, that kind too)
  • Mixed Signals by BK Borison – another grumpy/sunshine contemporary romance with wit and emotional depth.
  • Weyward by Emilia Hart – paranormal fiction with a feminist edge
  • Bittersweet in the Hollow by Kate Pearsall – another great paranormal fiction with a feminist bend
  • The Liar’s Crown by Abigail Owen – first in a completed trilogy, YA romantasy that’s just so good

I have three books I am considering for my May pick. I can’t decide, so help me choose! First is a reread of The Language of Flowers, which I mentioned above. I’ve been thinking so much about this book lately, I think I’m due for a reread. Second, I’ve yet to read the Belladonna series by Adalyn Grace, which is very popular, plus my mom gifted me the completed series for Christmas this past year, so I already own it! Lastly, I’m considering These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong, a YA Fantasy that’s a retelling of Romeo and Juliet, hopefully with a happier ending. 😉 UPDATE: I ended up choosing These Violent Delights. See my thoughts on it here.

June: Travel With a Book

If you’re a reader, you can’t deny the transportive power of a good story. We’re leaning into that with the June prompt for our book challenge: Travel With a Book. This prompt can be as literal or figurative as you want, it’s open to interpretation. Maybe you want an immersive story that transports you into a fantastical world, maybe you want to travel the world without leaving the comfort of your favorite reading chair, maybe you just want a fun book whose cover or title alludes to travel in some way, or maybe you are traveling and took a book with you. No matter what appeals to you, the simple act of starting that next book can transcend your current reality and take you to new places. Without repeating previous recommendations (though you should definitely scroll back up and check out some of those as well), here are some books that fit the theme.

  • The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel – visit the Black Forest of Germany in this immersive WW2 novel. It is seriously not talked up enough for amazing WW2 historical fiction
  • The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi – Alka Joshi brings The Pink City to life with this amazing story of a strong and resilient henna artist trying to make it as a single woman in 1950s Jaipur, India.
  • The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo – historical fiction set in 1930s Malaysia with a richly detailed setting, mythology, and a touch of magic
  • Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton – historical fiction, dual contemporary and historic timeline, set in the perilous late 1950s Cuba, filled with family secrets, courage and sacrifice
  • The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai – heartbreaking but hopeful and inspiring multigenerational epic set against the backdrop of the Viet Nam war.
  • The Clanlands Almanac by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish – hop a motorbike in your mind and travel along with Outlander actors Sam and Graham as they regale you with tales of clans all over Scotland – a must on audio!
  • The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins – psychological thriller to keep you guessing
  • Mile High by Liz Tomforde – she’s a flight attendant for a professional hockey team, he’s a diva defenseman who loves to push her buttons, watch sparks fly in this witty enemies to lovers romcom
  • The Wager by David Grann – Sail the high seas in this true story of murder, mayhem, and mutiny
  • Every Beautiful Mile by Ashley Manley – a widowed single mom forces family bonding time with her kids by setting out on a cross-country road trip that ends with an unplanned trip to visit the restaurant owner she’s been flirting with over email for months. Emotional, heartfelt and hopeful
  • The Bone Witch series by Rin Chupeco and The Iron Fey series by Julie Kagawa – immersive, vivid world-building, YA romantasy

I am considering Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone (recommended to me by my mom) for my pick this month…unless something else catches my eye, as has happened the last couple of months LOL. I’ve never been to Portugal, so hopefully with this book, I can pretend to as well as get a good story. What will you choose? UPDATE: Read my review of Two Nights in Lisbon here.

July: Beach Read

The July prompt for our challenge is Beach Read. Beach reads are easy reads that are perfect for reading while on vacation, especially when at the beach or poolside. They are easy to put down and pick back up without losing the plot and they’re there to entertain, not make you think too hard. Easy romcoms, racy thrillers, escapist fiction, cozy mysteries – they all fit the theme! If you’re looking for ideas, here are some of my favorites!

  • Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune – sweet, emotional, romantic
  • Book Lovers by Emily Henry – classic romcom and a book about books and readers
  • The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams – sports romance, closed door romance, wickedly funny banter
  • Keep It in the Family by John Marrs – twisty, trippy, kept me guessing
  • The Push by Ashley Audrain – a psychological thriller revolving around motherhood
  • First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston – cat and mouse game that I devoured in less than 24 hours
  • Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone – my pick from last month’s challenge prompt, clever and complicated plot that grabs you and doesn’t let go
  • Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano – what’s a little murder and mayhem between friends? Will have you laughing out loud
  • Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q Sutanto – another cozy mystery, a must on audio
  • Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings – like a murder in the Bridgerton world being solved by Enola Holmes, such a fun quick read

I’m not sure what I’ll pick this month, but Wrong Place Wrong Time and She’s Not Sorry have been on my TBR shelf giving me the side eye, so maybe I’ll pick one of them. Let me know if you have any suggestions for me! UPDATE: I ended up reading both! Check out my reviews here: Wrong Place Wrong Time, She’s Not Sorry.

August: Yarn

In honor of Granny Square Day on August 15th, the prompt for August is Yarn! This month, I challenge you to read books that feature yarn or a yarn craft on the cover, as part of the story, or by authors known for their yarn arts. You can even choose an instructional book or collection of patterns! Here are some of my favorites!

  • Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City #1) by Penny Reid – sweet romance with a neurospicy FMC
  • Friday Night Knitting Club (#1 in the series of the same name) by Kate Jacobs – Friendship, love, and healing woven through a group of knitters
  • Alpacas and Alibis (Sadie Sexton #1) by Ramey James – a cozy mystery, a small town and a group of ride or die besties
  • Becoming by Michelle Obama – an inspiring memoir of growth and resilience from a known knitter
  • Scythe and Sparrow (Ruinous Love #3) by Brynne Weaver – this dark romance comes with a host of trigger warnings, but if you’ve got a strong constitution, the crochet references in this book had me in stitches! Pun intended 😉
  • Crochet Stitch Dictionary by Sarah Hazell – my first stitch dictionary and still a go-to for inspiration
  • Crochet Every Way Stitch Dictionary by Dora Ohrenstein – shows how to work 125 different stitch patterns in multiple ways

I’ve scouted out a few more for you, which I haven’t read but which fit the theme if you want to give them a go.

  • Hooked on Murder (Crochet Mystery #1) by Betty Hechtman – friendship, crochet, and a cozy mystery – includes a recipe and crochet pattern!
  • Death by Cashmere (Seaside Knitters #1) by Sally Goldenbaum – knitting group, small town secrets, and murder in a small seaside town
  • Died in the Wool by Mary Kruger – a cozy mystery featuring a yarn shop owner juggling sleuthing and a budding romance
  • Hooked on You (Maple Falls #1) by Kathleen Fuller – romance about a woman running her late grandmother’s yarn shop
  • Crochet Secrets by Anna Leyzina (@theknottyboss) – Anna’s Tip Tuesdays have always been so helpful to me and she’s gathered all her best tips in a single place!
  • Crochet Sweaters with a Textured Twist by Linda Skuja – a collection of timeless crochet sweater designs

For my pick this month, I was sent an advance copy of With Her Own Hands by Nicole Nehrig, which explores how women have historically used textile arts to add meaning to their lives. See my book mail video for it HERE! It releases on August 19th if you want to read along with me! UPDATE: It took a while, but I FINALLY finished this one! Check out my review here!

September: Adapted for the Screen

Ah, the age-old question, which was better, the book or the adaptation? I’m never one to insist it’s always the former over the latter because it isn’t always true for me. This month we are spotlighting books that have been adapted to the screen, either movies or TV series. To complete the challenge this month, you can simply read a book you know has an adaptation, viewing the adaptation is optional, watch an adaptation for a book you’ve read but haven’t watched yet, or read something with an adaptation pending.

There are SO MANY great adaptations out there, here are a few of my favorites.

  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – it’s a classic and I love the 2005 version with Keira Knightley best, it’s a comfort flick for me
  • Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn – the book that started my love of psychological thrillers, adapted to film in 2014
  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson – this series was great and I prefer the Swedish adaptation. It’s grittier and truer to the book
  • Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty – adapted to HBO series that was so good
  • Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng – Hulu limited series with Kerry Washington, so good
  • The Help by Kathryn Stockett – adapted to film in 2011
  • Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens – adapted to film in 2022
  • A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – adapted to TV series

The following are all in various stages of adaptation, so we’ll have to delay our gratification, but I think they’ll be worth it.

For my pick this month, I’m either going to pick up the first Bridgerton book, The Duke and I, by Julia Quinn since I’ve already watched the Netflix series – most of it anyway, or The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazlewood which is in production. Time to read the book then re-watch! I’ve also been wanting to watch Killers of the Flower Moon, adapted from David Grann’s book. I may have to wait until it’s available on one of my apps first. UPDATE: I chose The Duke and I and ended up reading Practical Magic too!

October: Something Witchy or a Mystery/Thriller

October is a whole mood and this month’s prompt is leaning into that. Whether you’re in it for the thrills or want to get your witch on, I’ve got a bunch of recommendations for you.

  • A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness – yes, I am recommending this one two months in a row. I love this series
  • The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn – poison, vigilante witches, and tons of atmoshphere
  • The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling – a witchy lovers to enemies to lovers romcom
  • Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf – a Southern gothic that follows a mysterious, charming bachelor as he makes his way into a small town, bringing a plague and the devil with him
  • Weyward by Emilia Hart – If you didn’t read this in May, definitely consider it this month!
  • The Whisper Man by Alex North – a town with a dark past, a grieving father and son, and the serial killer’s accomplice that was never caught
  • Keep It in the Family by John Marrs – If you didn’t read this for July’s prompt, definitely consider it this month!
  • The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris – a young Black editor navigates ambition and office politics, but a new colleague’s arrival hides sinister intentions
  • The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn – so good and it’s been made into a movie!

For my pick this month, I’m looking to read The Witch of Shadows, Book 3 in The Arcane Tales of Tamsyn Pride series by Natasha Bache. I always love a good witchy read in October, so that’s my plan!

November: Something from Your TBR

We all have that shelf, pile, or e-reader collection of books we own or have immediate access to but for whatever reason have put off reading – our TBR (to be read) – and it only ever seems to get added to. As we come to the end of the year, I always feel a need to declutter in different areas of my life, so this month, let’s tidy up our TBR!

Because TBRs are very different for each of us, my recommendations this month are more like book confessions. These are books that sat on my TBR for at least a year before reading them and wondering why I waited so long.

If you saw my Reels the other day, we played book confessions and I shared 4 from my TBR. I’m a total mood reader, so I can’t promise that I’ll choose from those four, but they were: Homecoming by Kate Morton, The Humans by Matt Haig, Belladonna by Adalyn Grace, and The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse.

Update: I ended up reading Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. See my review for that here!

What’s on your TBR you’ve been meaning to read but haven’t yet?

December: Holiday Theme

I can hardly believe that it’s December already! This year flew by and we’ve read so many fun books! To keep it festive and easy, the prompt this month is Holiday Themed books! Whatever holiday this winter season means for you, get in the spirit by reading a book about it! If you don’t celebrate a holiday, then go with the season and read something winter-themed (or summer-themed for you Southern Hemi folks).

I like my holiday reads to be cozy, heartwarming, uncomplicated books with some laughs and a little romance and maybe even a couple tears. Sometimes I enjoy a good holiday mystery or thriller. Here are my recommendations for the month!

My pick for the month–though I’ve already clocked some because I’m getting this out so late–is A Novel Christmas by Charity Shane’. I was between holiday reads when I was out Christmas shopping and saw it. It was the magic of the holiday season that it just jumped into my cart!

Update: I finished A Novel Christmas, check out my review for that here!

What holiday or seasonal book are you reading?

Don’t forget, if you use Instagram or Facebook and feel like sharing what you’re reading for the challenge there, be sure to use #HBW2025BookChallenge and tag me @HooksBooksWanderlust to share with others in the challenge and with me! And of course feel free to comment below with what you’re reading or any suggestions for the month!

Happy reading!

P.S. Want more great books? Check out my other book lists!

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