DeltaQueen wanders through literary doorways in 2025

Welcome to my 2025 Category Challenge. My name is Judy and I love to read. I am a senior citizen living with my husband in the suburbs of Vancouver, British Columbia. We are lucky enough to have both of our daughters living close by and we have been gifted with two grandchildren, one male, one female that help to keep our lives interesting. We have experienced some health warnings in recent years so we live a quiet life. I spend a lot of time reading although I also enjoy cooking, puzzle building, and watching television. I have been participating in the Category Challenge for a good number of years and it suits my reading perfectly. I enjoy participating in reading challenges both from here at Library Thing and imported from various places. This year I am looking forward to participating in a variety of challenges.

I love the visual idea of a book being a door and that opening that book can lead you through the doorway to discover new places, new characters or new ideas. My challenge this year is all about entering literary doorways with each category. My categories will be named for various doorways that a book can draw a reader through. I have 15 different categories but I am not going to set any specific goals as I don’t really care how many books I read, just as long as I enjoy the process!

I love having visitors and enjoy conversations about books and any other subject that comes up. We live in contentious times but I am hopeful that here on LT our similarities mean that we can reside in harmony.

2025 Doorway Challenge

1. Doorway to the Past – Historical Fiction is one of my favorite genres, I will be reading books from many different time periods and this is where I will also place any books that I read for the Reading Through Time Challenges.

2. Doorway to the Library – The Library is a fantastic source for books, from the current best sellers to older forgotten volumes as well as non-fiction reads and graphic novels. I will place my library borrows here.

3. Doorway to Fantasy – This is where I will place the reads that lead me to strange places and other words that are populated by dragons and magical beings.

4. Doorway to Dark Fantasy – At times I like my fantasy to be on the dark side so this category is for my horror and dystopian reads.

5. Doorway to Science Fiction – When my book leads to outer space or to distant corners of the universe, they will be placed here.

6. Doorway to Mystery/Crime – My fall back genre. I love a good mystery and/or crime story, and this is where I will place them.

7. Doorway to Series – One of my on-going goals is to stay current with the many series that I am following – I am never successful with this but here is where I will list the series books that I do read this year.

8. Doorway to Vintage Mysteries - I love to read the mysteries of yesterday so whether it is a polite British whodunit from the likes of Agatha Christie, a dark and gritty noir by Raymond Chandler or even a hard-boiled thriller by John D. MacDonald, this is where I will place them.

9. Doorway to the Alphabet Challenge – I always participate in the AlphaKit so alphabet choices from A – Z will be placed here. This is the one category that I will allow some overlap with other categories.

10. Doorway to Global Reading – Great stories come from all over the world so this is where I will place books that are set in foreign countries.

11. Doorway to the 1,001 Books - I have been reading a few books from the 1,001 Books to Read Before You Die List over the last few years and this is where I will place these classics

12. Doorway to Romance – There are times when I need to step away from the more serious reads and embrace a romantic tale. Some are from days long ago and others are from modern days, but they will all fit here.

13. Doorway to Adventure – When I really need to escape to another time and place, I pick books that are filled with adventure and excitement. Those books will find a home here.

14. Doorway to Kindle Unlimited – Practically free books – the more you read the more you save - but they do need to be read and returned in a timely fashion. I need to keep rotating these books so this category will help me “read and return”.

15. Doorway to Extra Books - There may be books that don’t fall into any of the above categories so they will find a home here.

Tickers

(coming soon)

2025 Reading Challenges

I can't resist a good reading challenge and along with some of our 2025 Cats/Kits, I will also be working on these challenge

: 2025 Bingo
: 2025 Around the World Reading Challenge
: 2025 Personal Reading Challenge
: 2025 Reading Through Time Monthly Challenges
: 2025 TIOLI Challenges

While I won't be reading books for every Cat or Kit during 2025, when I have a book that fits I do intend to participate in the following

: Colo(u)rCat
: CoverCat
: MysteryKit
: RandomKit
: ScaredyKit
: SFFKit

2025 Bingo



1. Features winged creatures
2. features fire
3. travel
4. newly in public domain
5. child main character
6. long title (5+ words)
7. non-traditional family
8. totally random
9. author has your first/last name
10. holiday in title
11. nonhuman narrator
12. published in a language not your own
13. read a cat
14. furniture on cover
15. medical topic
16. features a birth
17. Hollywood
18. place you've never been
19. profession in title
20. sun on cover
21. oldest book on your TBR
22. set in your favorite season
23. recommended by a friend
24. "Library" or "Thing" in title
25. writing about writers

Personal Reading Challenge

1. A book you meant to read last year:
2. A book with more than 40 Chapters:
3. A stand alone novel:
4. A book in a series of more than 5 books:
5. The word white is in the title:
6. A book set in mountains:
7. Something pink is on the cover:
8. A coming of age book:
9. A book about friendship:
10. A book with a character named after a flower:
11. A new-to-you author:
12. Book with one person on the cover:
13. A Title word starts with the first letter of your first name:
14. A book chosen by someone else:
15. A fruit in the title:
16. An award nominated book:
17. Pick the 7th book on your shelf or listed on your e-reader:
18. A cover with no people on it:
19. A book with wings on the cover:
20. A book with a map:
21. A book with 5 to 7 words in the title:
22. A book with a dystopian setting:
23. A short story collection:
24. A directional word in the title:
25. “ing” in the title:
26. An animal in the title:
27. A book with a connection to music:
28. Recommended by a friend/ a book bullet:
29. A romance novel:
30. A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read:
31. A book set in Asia:
32. A book set in Colonial America:
33. A book set in the decade that you were born (1950s):
34. A book that celebrates a holiday:

2025 Around the World Reading Challenge

Read 3 books for each continent. Except for the Arctic and Antarctica – read 1 book each.

Total books = 20

AFRICA

ASIA

EUROPE

NORTH AMERICA

OCEANIA

SOUTH AMERICA

NORTH & SOUTH POLES

Doorway to History



Possibilities
- When We Were Brave by Suzanne Kelman
- The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
- The Madstone by Elizabeth Crook

Doorway to the Library



Possibilities

- We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry
- American Duchess by Karen Harper
- Pod by Laline Paull

Doorway to Fantasy



Possibilities

- Garden of Promises and Lies (3) by Paula Brackston
- The Trouble with Peace (2) by Joe Abercrombie
- The House of Four Winds by Mercedes Lackey

Doorway to the Dark Side



Possibilities

- When the English Fall by David Williams
- The Broken Girls by Simone St. James
- Adaption (2) by Zach Bohannon

Doorway to Science Fiction



Possibilities

- Dust by Hugh Howsey
- Stars Beyond by S. K. Dunstall
- Relic by Alan Dean Foster

Doorway to Crime & Thrillers



Possibilities

- The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
- Irene by Pierre Lemaitre
- The Wild Girls by Phoebe Morgan

Doorway to Series



Possibilities

- Upon a Dark Night (5) by Peter Lovesey
- Sunday Silence (7) by Nicci French
- The Deepest Grave (6) by Harry Bingham

Doorway to Vintage Crime



Possibilities

- The Moving Toyshop by Edmund Crisp
- Bank Shot (2) by Donald E. Westlake
- The Beast Must Die (4) by Nicholas Blake

Doorway to the Alphabet



Possibilities

F: Sisters of the Great War by Suzanne Feldman
M: Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister
S: South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby

Doorway to Global Reading



Possibilities

- Turn Right for Japan by Steve Anthony Tallon
- A Dangerous Land by Marisa Jones
- The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

Doorway to the 1,001 List



Possibilities

- The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
- The Third Man by Graham Greene
- The Plague by Albert Camus

Doorway to Romance



Possibilities

- The Original Miss Honeyford by M. C. Beaton
- Miss Buncle Married (2) by D. E. Stevenson
- The Little Library on Cherry Lane by Katie Ginger

Doorway to Adventure



Possibilities

- Strongheart (3) by Jim Fergus
- The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati
- The Empty Quarter (2) by David Robbins

Doorway to Kindle Unlimited



Possibilities

- The Trackers by Charles Frazier
- Last Night with Tokyo Rose by Alexa Kang
- Flame Tree Road by Shona Patel

Doorway to Extra Books

2025 Hosting & Other Reading Plans



January
February: Hosting MysteryKit: Vintage Mysteries
March: Hosting Reading Through Time Monthly Challenge: Sweet, Sweet Revenge
April: Hosting SFFKit: Women Authors
May: Hosting ScaredyKit: Out in the Wild
June: Hosting RandomKit
July: Hosting CoverCat: Fruit on Cover
August: Hosting ColorCat: Grey
September
October: Hosting MysteryKit: Police Procedurals
November
December: Hosting ScaredyKit: Your Favorite Scary Trope

Now I have done it! Can't wait till 2025.

Hi Judy! I like your themes and the idea of doors. Dropping off my Star.

Jeanette Winterson, who you quote at the top of your thread, is one of my favorite authors. Enjoy your reading this year!

>25 DeltaQueen50: Welcome, Cheryl. The hard part now is not wishing for 2024 to end too soon.

>26 LadyoftheLodge: Welcome, Charon. I have had mixed results with Jeanette Winterson, but I certainly agree with this statement!

Beautiful set up and theme, Judy! I look forward to following your reading.

"Doors and corners, kid. It's always doors and corners that get you." Sorry. The Expanse quote.

Lovely set up. Hope you have a wonderful 2025.

Beautiful door pictures and a great theme

>29 VivienneR: Thanks, Vivienne, I am looking forward to a few book bullets from you as well!

>30 majkia: That quote intrigues me, Jean. I have the first two books of the Expanse on my Kindle - maybe this year I will actually get to them!

>31 lowelibrary: Although I will miss my "tea party", I had a lot of fun putting this one together!

>32 DeltaQueen50: I will also miss your tea party, may I steal it for my monthly toppers in 2025.

This is a fabulous theme, Judy. Have a wonderful reading year!

>33 lowelibrary: Steal away - there's nothing better than a 'cuppa' tea to refresh and invigorate!

>34 MissWatson: Thanks Birgit, I am looking forward to 2025!

I love your theme, Judy, and look forward to following along with you for another year!

Love your cats, Judy! Happy 2025 reading!

Your door theme reminds me of that bizarre and entertaining film, Being John Malkovitch. Happy reading in 2025.

Great set-up Judy. I'm still tweaking mine. Looking forward to some BBs from you.

This is a great post. I look forward to reading your choices.

You have some wonderful reading planned for 2025 - enjoy!

Hello Judy! I love all the doors, and your detailed reading plans :-)

Happy reading in 2025, Judy! You have lots of good ones in your 'possibilities'. And I promise to be nice in the coming year ;-)

>43 mstrust: You are always welcome and always "nice" Jennifer. Here's to a great 2025!

>44 DeltaQueen50: I agree with both of those sentiments.

Once again, a great theme and beautiful doors.

Glad to see you back.

Doors really are so evocative of possibility. Wishing you a healthy year full of great reading.

Love the theme! Best wishes for a great year in general, and certainly for great reading.

Merry Chrismas to all!

>49 DeltaQueen50: Thank you. Merry Christmas.

I always appreciate your themes. Yes, the tea cups will be missed, but this door theme is so inviting! Can't wait to see what's behind each door. I'll post back when my thread is complete. Looking forward to 2025 and wishing you and your husband a healthy year.

>51 beebeereads: Thank you. I have gathered together a pile of books that I am hoping to get read in January. Now I just have to pick my first read of the year. Right now I am leaning towards Frog Music by Emma Donoghue. Anyone else having to make this decision?

I thought I had dropped by your new thread, but it appears that I haven’t. Wishing you a happy and healthy new year and lots of good reading! I’m looking through my books for my first read of the year also!