2026 Holiday Reading Challenge | The Running Bibliophile

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Who doesn’t love a good challenge, especially when it pushes you to read outside your comfort zone or discover a new author? I’ve always wanted to join a reading challenge or reading bingo, but so many of them feel repetitive. So, I decided to create something a little different. It doesn’t mean a challenge like this isn’t out there; I just haven’t come across one myself. Introducing The Running Bibliophile’s 2026 Holiday Reading Challenge, a fun and unique way to expand your reading list while celebrating the spirit of the year. This challenge features 14 books of your choice, with one key twist: each book’s plot must revolve around the specific holiday mentioned. The challenge runs for January 1 through January 31, 2026. To keep things exciting, you may not duplicate any books on the list. By the time you've completed the challenge, you will have read 14 new books to diversify your reading list. To kick things off, the first prompt is simple: choose any holiday-themed book as l...
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Book Review: An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan

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book review an unthinkable thing nicole lundrigan
In the summer of 1958, Tommie Ware turns eleven, and little does he know that his life will be turned upside down when his aunt doesn't come home from her night shift. She's later found murdered, presumably by a serial killer, and Tommie is sent to live with his mother at the Henneberry Estate, where she works as a servant. Nothing is as it seems in An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan.

First, I want to start by thanking NetGalley and Penguin Random House Canada for the advanced ebook copy of An Unthinkable Thing by Nicole Lundrigan. It was a pleasure to be one of the first people to read this book.

Told from the perspective of Tommy Ware, An Unthinkable Thing was reminiscent of several V.C. Andrews books. It's even a bit nostalgic of Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Throughout the book, I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop, and when it did, I was content with the result.

Although a little slow, the story was well written, and I was eager to find out what would happen. I was pleased that there were several likable characters, which made up for the ones that weren't pleasant. All in all, I enjoyed An Unthinkable Thing, and there isn't really anything negative I could say about the book other than the pacing could have been a bit more brisk. Four out of five stars.


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