Summer Reading Challenges: Big Books of Summer, 20 Books of Summer, Paris in July, and others-- Kick-off

• The #20BooksofSummer2025 challenge runs from June 1st to August 31st
• Hosts: Annabel @AnnaBookBel and Emma @Words and Peace
• The first rule of 20 Books is that there are no real rules, other than signing up for 10, 15 or 20 books and trying to read from your TBR.
• Pick your list in advance, or nominate a bookcase to read from, or pick at whim from your TBR.
• If you do pick a list, you can change it at any time – swap books in/out.
• Don’t get panicked at not reaching your target.
• Just enjoy a summer of great reading and make a bit of space on your shelves!

I've participated in this challenge for the past ten summers or so, mainly because it keeps me on track with my reading even if I'm off chasing fun in the sun.

My list of possible reads (not a hard and fast list):

1. How to Read a Book by Monica Wood ✔
2. The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel ✔
3. Go Tell It On the Mountain by James Baldwin ✔
4. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller* ✔
5. Be Ready When the Luck Happens by Ina Garten ✔
6. Poems for Tortured Souls by Liz Ison ✔
7. Water, Water by Billy Collins ✔
8. Three Days in June by Anne Tyler ✔
9. The Antidote by Karen Russell ✔
10. The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami ✔
11. Watchmen by Alan Moore ✔
12. Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout ✔
13. The Vegetarian by Han Kang
14. Grimm's Fairy Tales
15. The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
16. We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
17. The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning by Margareta Magnusson
18. The Deep Dark by Molly Knox Osterman
19. When the Moon Hits Your Eye by John Scalzi
20. The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
21. Teaching with Fire by Sam Intrator
22. Bring the Magic Home by Sunny Chanel
23. What It Means When a Man Falls From the Sky by Lesley N. Arimah
24. North American Maps for Curious Minds by Matthew Bucklan
25. Road Home by Rex Ogle
26. Now in November by Josephine W. Johnson
27. Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
28. The Briar Club by Kate Quinn
29. Mrs. 'Arris Goes to Paris by Paul Gallico
30. The Imitation Game by Jim Ottaviani
31. Abscond by Abraham Verghese 
32. A Long Obedience in the Same Direction by Eugene Peterson
33. The Hearing Test by Eliza B. Callahan
34. The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
35. A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean
36. The Tie That Binds by Kent Haruf
37. The In-Between Bookstore by Edward Underhill

• American Pastoral by Philip Roth*
• Hamlet by William Shakespeare
• The Glass Maker by Tracy Chevalier
• We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
• The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn*
• Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea*
• Crook Manifesto by Colson Whitehead
• The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

I've put * next to the above books I know are longer than 400 pages, making them eligible for my second summer challenge: Big Book Summer Challenge hosted by Sue at Book by Book.

The Details:
Hey, it's summer, this challenge is  ow-key and easy!

• Anything 400 pages or more qualifies as a big book.
• The challenge runs from Memorial Day weekend (starting May 26 this year through Labor Day (September 1st this year).
  
• Choose one or two or however many big books you want as your goal. Wait, did you get that?  You only need to read 1 book with 400+ pages this summer to participate! (though you are welcome to read more, if you want).
• Sign up on the first links list below if you have a blog or YouTube channel, to leave your link so others can find you. 
• No blog? No problem! Just sign up in the comments below or in the Goodreads group in the Sign-Up discussion thread if you don't have a blog or YouTube channel.

Each summer I aim to read 4 big books. Last year I read seven. One never knows what will happen over the course of a summer.

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Hosted by Words and Peace

I've not participated in this challenge before so I will take it slow and try to find a few books set in France to add to my reading list. Here are a few things I will try. No guarantees I'll get anywhere near to completing all the tasks, but I will give it a start:

• French BINGO game
• Read at least one book with Paris or France in the title: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
• Explore the library for French language children's books and make an attempt at reading one or two: Le Petit Prince and Le Petit Nicolas.
• Make a playlist on Spotify of French musicians, listen to it!
• Make one recipe of French food

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Participate and attempt to conquer the 9 reading challenges on Goodreads. July 1- September 15, 2025.

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I'm gathering my lists. I'm deciding where I will start. Ready for summer. I also have fully decided I'll double dip, triple dip, quadruple dip wherever I can.

1. Page Turner: Collected 7/4/25 A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

2. Speed Reader: Collected 7/4/25

3. Book Boss: Collected 7/11/25 Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon

4. Challenges Favs: Collected 7/23/25 The Briar Club by Kate Quinn

5. Poolside Puzzler: Collected 7/9/25 The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley

6. Chart Toppers: Collected 8/13/25 The Emperor of Gladness

7. Acclaimed Toppers: Collected 8/3/25 What It Means When A Man Falls From the Sky by L. Arimah

8. Debut Darlings: The Names by

9. Lightning Round: The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer

-Anne