Majkia Tries to Stay Focused

I'm trying to spend most of my reading time on series I've already started. This is my attempt to do that better this year than last.

I'm going to give star ratings to books based on how much I enjoyed it, rather than attempt to rate a book as to how it is written, what it is about, or how high-falutin' it thinks it might be. I might, though, just chicken out again and not rate anything. We'll see...

My challenges are:
1. TBR challenge - books I've had in my TBR for awhile and have been avoiding or just don't hit the genres I read most. This is for the TBR Challenge Group. I'm trying to read 2 a month.

2. Sci Fi Focus Series - no real aim as to how many of any of the focus series categories. My favorite genre.

3. SFF Focus Series - I have fewer of these series and lately have been disappointed in many SFF books. So we'll see how this goes.

4. Mystery/Thriller Series - I've been caught up in spy fever lately (I blame Slough House books and the Apple Slow Horses series for this) so I'm reading a bunch of older thriller spy series.

5. Historical/Alt History Series - Not too many of these but same as above. I may add a few more series to this.

6. Library Books - I have a ton in my wishlist there, so want to read at least one a month.

7. Kindle Unlimited books - Again, I have quite a few, including some that fit in above categories. I'll track them both places. I aim to read 2 per month.

8. W(h)imsey reading. I want to spell that 'Wimsey' because of a certain guy who tends to piffle alot, but probably everyone will just think I can't spell. Anyway, here's where I wander off plan and pick up newer books, or try out new series or authors. I'm hoping to keep this category small(er). We'll see.

9. LITSY challenges as listed.

In addition, I'll be wandering in and out of our KITs and CATs, and BingoDOG (which I've never manange to complete and doubt I will this year either).

I'm an introvert so tend not to post a lot or talk alot beyond the basics but I'll try to say more about the books I've read this year.

🎵
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Reading Plans for January- AlphaKIT: S and O
TBR
Ilium - Dan Simmons
Zodiac - Neal Stephenson

SCiFi
Seven Surrenders - Ada Palmer
Architects of Memory - Karen Osborne
Strange Dogs - James S A Corey
Rogue Protocol - Martha Wells

SFF
Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo
A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms - GRRM - Group Read

Mystery/Thriller
The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Agatha Christie
A Clean Kill in Tokyo (Also Titled Rain Fall) - Barry Eisler

Historical/Alt History
The Spies of Zurich - Richard Wake

Library Books
Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield

Kindle Unlimited
The Suspect
A Clean Kill in Tokyo (Also Titled Rain Fall) - Barry Eisler

W(h)imsey
The Wizard's Butler - Nathan Lowell
The Spy Coast - Tess Gerritsen

Challenge 1: TBR Challenge

1. Ilium - Dan Simmons
2. Fifth Business - Robertson Davies
3. The Fifth Gospel - Ian Caldwell
4. Imajica - Clive Barker
5. Carthage - Joyce Carol Oates
6. 11/22/63 - Stephen King
7. Troubles - J G Farrell
8. Bel Canto - Ann Pratchett
9. Eye of the Needle - Ken Follett
10. The Age of Innocence - Edith Warton
11. Darwinia - Robert Charles Wilson
12. The Poe Shadow - Matthew Pearl

Alternates
1. Olympos - Dan Simmons
2. The Labyrinth Makers - Anthony Price
3. Starplex - Robert J Sawyer
4. The Godwulf Manuscript - Robert B Parker
5. The Ipcress File - Len Deighton
6. Booked to Die - John Dunning
7. Flood - Andrew Vachss
8. The Immaculate Deception - Iain Pears
9. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood
10. The Codex - Douglas Preston
11. Zodiac - Neal Stephenson
12. The Adjacent - Christopher Priest

Challenge 2 - SciFi Series

The Expanse -James S A Corey

The Finder Chronicles - Suzanne Palmer

Terra Ignota - Ada Palmer

Diving Universe - K K Rusch

The Culture - Ian M Banks

Murderbot - Martha Wells

Expeditionary Force - Craig Alanson

Memory War - Karen Osborne

The Event Group - David L Golemon

Neo G - K B Wagers

Adm Geary - Jack Campbell

Challenge 3 - SFF Series

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

Phule's Company - Robert Asprin

The Age of Madness - Joe Abercrombie

Saevus Corax - KJ Parker

The Locked Tomb - Tamsyn Muir

Discworld - Terry Pratchett

The Saint of Steel - T Kingfisher

The Kithamar Trilogy - Daniel Abraham

Book of the Ice - Mark Lawrence

Arcane Ascension - Andrew Rowe

Camelot Rising - Kiersten White

Challenge 4 - Mystery/Thriller

Agatha Christie

Pendergast - Preston/Child

Gamache - Louise Penny

Cooper & Fry - Stephen Booth

Lynley/Havers - Elizabeth George

Richard Jury - Martha Grimes

Slough House - Mick Herron

Logan McCrae - Stuart MacBride

Gabriel Allon - Daniel Silva

Inspector Banks - Peter Robinson

Cliff Janeway - John Dunning

Thomas Kell - Charles Cumming

Insp Littlejohn - George Bellairs

Game, Set Match - Len Deighton

John Rain - Barry Eisler

Evan Tanner - Lawrence Block

Alex Rider - Anthony Horowitz

Spenser - Robert B. Parker

Challenge 5 - Historical/Alt History Series

Alex Kovaks - Richard Wake

John Russell - David Downing

Inspector Rutledge - Charles Todd

Arcane Casebook - Dan Willis

Thursday Next - Jaspar Fforde

Barker & LLewelyn - Will Thomas

Baskerville Affair - Emma Jane Halloway

Harriet Gordon - A M Stuart

Challenge 6 - Library Books

1.
2.
3.

Challenge 7 - Kindle Unlimited Books

1.
2.
3.

Challenge 8 - W(h)imsey

1.
2.
3.

KITs and CATs

MysteryKIT
JAN - Winter Mysteries - The Spy Coast
FEB - Vintage Mysteries
MAR- Espionage ME
APR - Paranormal
MAY - Mysteries not in US
JUN - LGBTQ+ detectives
JUL - Series sleuths
AUG - Legal thrillers
SEP - Silver Age Mysteries
OCT - Police Procedurals
NOV - Psychological
DEC - Cozies

SFFKIT
JAN - Cozy Fantasy - The Wizard's Butler
FEB - The Art of SFF
MAR - Magical Realism
APR - Women Authors
MAY - Global South Authors
JUN - Anthologies & Collections
JUL - Alt History
AUG - Space
SEP - Back to School SFF
OCT - Mysterious Artifacts
NOV - The Day After
DEC - Free

Colo(u)rCAT

JAN - green The Suspect
FEB - gold
MAR - pink
APR - brown
MAY - red
JUN - yellow
JUL - white
AUG - grey
SEP - silver
OCT - black
NOV - blue
DEC - purple

CoverCAT
JAN - Tea party - The Suspect
FEB - tree
MAR - Farm animals
APR - road
MAY 2 elements
JUN - wheels
JUL - fruit
AUG - photograph
SEP - Dogs/cats
OCT - Fit in your pocket
NOV - Celestial objects
DEC - Something you'd want for a Christmas present

BingDog



Oldest book in TBR: David Copperfield

Litsy Challenges:

I participate in Bookspin/Doublespin, ReadYourKindle, and Roll100.

Others are a bit harder to follow so I'll put them down here:

BookedInTime:
January: Tudor England
February: Golden Age of Piracy c 1700
March: Irish Famine 1845-6
April: China Post Qing Dynasty 1912+
May: Spanish Civil War 1936-39
Jun: Australian Colonies - 1800s
July: Camelot 600s
August: Argentina post WWOO - 1945-74
September: Vikings 800-1050
October: Cold War 1945-1974
November: NY Guilded Age c1890
December: Paris Belle Epoque - 1871-1914

SciFi BookClub
January:

Classic SciFi BookClub
January:

FictionalTraveler:
January: Someplace Cold - The Spy Coast
February: A Place You Love
March: A Big City
April: An Island
May: Spanish-speaking
June: Place Youd LIke to Visit
July: Water
August: Someplace Hot
Septemver: English-speaking
October: Trees
November: Asia
December: Home for the Holidays

Agatha Christie Reads
January: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Maybe one more

Happy new thread! You are right in there as the first to start a new 2025 thread. I like your girl graphics. Happy reading.

>15 LadyoftheLodge: Thanks. I wanted something bright and cheerful!

Congratulations on being first to post a 2025 thread! Your colourful graphics look very inviting.

Lots of interesting reading for 2025! And I want a poster of the cat on the books - so cute.
Thanks for starting the ball rolling.

Thanks for getting the ball rolling in 2025. I love the cat sleeping in >11 majkia: and the very colorful poodle for BingoDOG >12 majkia:

Congrats on being first up!

Happy 2025 reading! I like how you're organized, and your pics are great too!

I love your graphic selections! I hope you do not mind that I added a couple to my gallery/junk drawer.

Thanks everyone! >22 LadyoftheLodge: not at all

So organized and so colorful! Good luck with your 2025 reading!

You've got some wonderful images here, Jean. Happy reading in 2025! As for your Whimsey challenge, it has always been "As my Whimsy takes me" to me.

This is a great post and 2025 sounds interesting. Love the graphics.

Wishing you happy reading in 2025!

Happy reading. Enjoy the vintage thrillers!

I love your rainbow dog, and your reading w(h)imseys! Have a fun year of reading!

Thanks everyone. I'm always so excited to see everyone's first post and to look at their plans! I love this time of year.

>30 majkia: Me too! The current year is neglected as I check out every post in the new year. And coincidentally (in case you didn't notice) I have a w(h)imsey reference on my thread too - an image of a painting by Edward Petherbridge who played Wimsey so brilliantly.

Your plans look great, Jean! I like your pictures too :-)

>31 VivienneR: Oh! I hadn't noticed one of the paintings was by Petheridge. Off to see it!

ETA: Oh! And it is so lovely!

Great setup! Happy reading in 2025!