Reading Challenges 2025: January Update

Here is what I read for my challenges in January: 

For the challenge in the Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group I needed to read a book that had winter sports in it. I chose to read Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron. 

For the Tackle the TBR Pile is from Crystal Caudill's blog I used Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron as it was the last book I put on my TBR list at the beginning of the month when I was choosing my books for the month.

For the challenge in the Eating Our Words FB group I was also able to use Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron for my January book. With this challenge, we can choose to read the book IN the month, or any time of the year, OR we can do both. So, like last year, I am choosing to try both. 

I read another book for January, Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller. And A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter works for April.

For the challenge in the Posse FB group I read Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witmeyer.

For the Read Your Bookshelf Challenge from Chantel Reads All Day I used Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witmeyer

I really enjoyed A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter, which was the January book in the Between the Pages FB group challenge/book discussion.

I haven't finished my book for this challenge yet. In fact, I only just started it. But I am reading Kiera by Kate Willis.

 

For the Coffee House Specials challenge in teh Faith Filled Fiction FB group I read Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee. I would also say A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter would work. One of the other reasons I was reading Kiera, mentioned above, for January is that it was mentioned it is also pro-life.

For the Literary Escapes Challenge here is what I read each month:

In January I read books set in the following states:

Colorado: Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron

Minnesota: Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

Tenesee: Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath and Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee

Texas: Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer

And I traveled to England with A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

Here is what I read for the Alphabet Soup Challenge.

January:

A: Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee and Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

C: Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron and Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer (mini challenge)

D: A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

F: Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller
G: Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath

And here is what I read for the Alphabet Soup Author Edition: 

January: 

D: Dulcie Dameron's Cross Check Crush

H: A.M. Heath's Grannies' Matches for Jake

K: Kristi Ann Hunter's A Defense of Honor

M: Gabrielle Meyer's Across the Ages

S: Michelle Shocklee's Appalachian Song

W: Karen Witemeyer's Cloaked in Beauty

Z: Penny Zeller's Forgotten Identity

Here's what I read for the 2025 European Reading Challenge from Rose City Reader.

In January I read a book set in the following European country:

England: In Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter

Here's what I read from my TBR pile for the TBR 25 in '25 challenge also over on the Rose City Reader blog. These books have to have been in my physical TBR pile at home or on my Kindle app prior to the start of 2025.

1- Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer

Also, someone in my Avid Readers of Christian Fiction group again came up with a yearly book challenge. This year we again have 50 prompts:

In January, 7 of the books I read fit this challenge

Read a book…

1. With a title that starts with L

2. Featuring a woman in STEM

3. With an unreliable narrator 

4. Featuring a stepparent 

5. With a red cover

6. By a new to you author: A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter (Jan)

7. That is a 2025 debut novel 

8. Featuring an unsolved mystery 

9. By an author who has the same first and last initial: Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron (Jan)

10. That is a fairytale spin off or retelling: Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer (Jan)

11. That is considered a classic 

12. With a character you find relatable 

13. From a genre you don’t read often 

14. With an insect on the cover 

15. That is over 500 pages long

16. Set in the mountains 

17. Published in 2025: Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller (Jan)

18. Written more than 20 years ago 

19. That includes a holiday you don’t celebrate 

20. Published by an Indie author

21. That contains illustrations 

22. Featuring a firefighter or other emergency responder

23. That has a second chance romance 

24. Recommend by a librarian 

25. With a green spine 

26. Set in a bakery or restaurant 

27. With four or more people on the cover

28. That has won an award

29. Written by a BIPOC author 

30. Set in a different country from you 

31. With a one word title 

32. That includes more than 2 POV: Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath (Jan)

33. That is a dual or triple timeline: Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer (Jan)

34. Set before the 1800s

35. With a bird on the cover 

36. That takes place on or around a train

37. With a blue dress on the cover: Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee (Jan)

38. A book with the word at, in, or is in the title 

39. Set in Eastern Europe 

40. Set during WWII

41. That makes you laugh 

42. That features a historical event you remember 

43. With an illustrated or typography cover

44. Set in a cold climate

45. With a hat on the cover

46. Written by a male author

47. Written in first person pov

48. With little to no romance

49. By an author with multiple award winning books

50. That features a pet other than a dog 

Finally, I am joining in again with a second yearly challenge from the Scripture Literature-You Are What You Read FB group. 

In January, 7 of the books I read fit this challenge

1- You Can't Wait: Cloaked in Beauty by Karen Witemeyer (Jan)

2- Whodunit

3- Spin on a Classic

4- A Cardinal Sin

5- Bibliophile

6- Succumb to Peer Pressure

7- Rom Com

8- Considered Controversial

9- Written by an Apologist

10- Return to a Favorite

11- Think Piece

12- Passage of Time 

13- Good vs Evil

14- Fruit of the Spirit

15- A Book that Mentions a Book

16- Multi-Generational POV

17- Labor of Love: Appalachian Song by Michelle Shocklee (Jan)

18- Far From Home

19- Child Narrator

20. Debut Novel

21. Small Town

22. Lighthouse

23. Animal on the Cover

24. Book you got for Free

25. An Epic Love Story

26. Amish

27. Features a Character from the Bible

28. Location Starts with "I"

29. A Spooky Read

30. Natural Disaster

31. Overcoming a Tragic Event

32. A Quest: Across the Ages by Gabrielle Meyer (Jan)

33. Harmful Secrets

34. One Word Title

35. Feud

36. A Sea Voyage

37. A Wedding or a Funeral

38. Significant Historical Event: Grannies' Matches for Jake by A.M. Heath (Jan)

39. Female Antagonist: Forgotten Identity by Penny Zeller (Jan)

40. Thriller

41. With a Yellow Cover

42. Missionaries

43. Indie Author

44. Daddy Issues: Cross Check Crush by Dulcie Dameron (Jan)

45. On the Run

46. New Release

47. For a Good Cause: A Defense of Honor by Kristi Ann Hunter (Jan)

48. Showbiz

49. Favorite Time Period 

50. Fictional Land

51. Married Couple

52. Orphan

53. Choose your own Adventure  

My Goodreads goal is to read 110 books this year. Last year I had set it at 110 and I ended up reading 122. So far this year I have read 7 books.