2026 Holiday Reading Challenge | The Running Bibliophile

-
Image
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...
Post a Comment

Book Review: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

-
Book Review: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

Book Club Book Review of Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan is a story told from alternating perspectives of Oliva and Lily.  Olivia's son Asher is dating Lily.  When Lily dies, Asher is put on trial for her murder.  What motive could Asher possibly have?  And, did he really do it?

This novel was chosen by the book club I belong to for our April 2023 discussion.  I'd heard mainly good things about the book, but I also heard negative things as well.  Not really knowing much about either author, I wasn't sure if I'd like Mad Honey.  I am so glad that I bought and read the book, and I'll tell you why below.

I love that this was a mystery told from two different characters perspectives and the fact that the reader definitely doesn't know whether Asher murdered Lily or not until the very end.  I did have suspicions that it was someone else like Asher's friend Dirk from the hockey team.  You'll have to read Mad Honey to see if I was correct or not.  I did love that the authors gave us closure on what really happened though.

There were lots of different themes throughout the novel that may or may not trigger people.  Suicide, murder, spousal abuse, bullying, and abortion are present throughout the book.  There is one other major topic that is throughout Mad Honey, and that is hormone replacement for people who are transgender as well as sex changes.  I thought Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan did a great job of presenting these topics in a delicate way.  Hopefully, people can understand what other people might go through in any of these situations and be more empathetic and less judgmental.  My heart went out to the characters who went through these situations.  I never really thought about what a transgender person goes through to become who they really are and the bullying they endure.

book review mad honey jodi picoult jennifer finney boylan
Another topic throughout the story is what beekeepers go through to harvest honey.  I never really thought about how this is done, and the authors did a really nice job of integrating this into the story without the science behind it detracting from the story.

There was a huge twist about halfway through the book, and it my mouth dropped open because I wasn't expecting what happened to happen.  Mad Honey is well written, poignant, and thought provoking.  Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan did an amazing job with this book, so much so, I had trouble putting it down, and I had trouble starting another book because I was still thinking about Mad Honey.  I could just gush over how well done the story is, but I won't gush.

Five out of five stars is what I give Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan.  I will definitely give some of their other books a read, and I hope that there is a sequel to this particular book.

Follow The Running Bibliophile On Social Media

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Book Review: The Dare by Natasha Preston

-
Image
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel centered on Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse, all seniors in high school. What begins as harmless, lighthearted senior pranks quickly takes a dark turn when Rhett starts assigning dares that are far more serious and dangerous. As the stakes rise, the question becomes whether Marley and her friends will survive the consequences of playing along. A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of The Dare by Natasha Preston. The last book I read by this author was well written and engaging, so I was excited to dive into her latest young adult horror story. From the start, the novel feels reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, which instantly brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia. Unfortunately, that initial excitement didn’t last. Before long, the plot shifts into territory that felt eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer . At that point, my interest started ...
Read more

Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

-
Image
The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
Read more

Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich

-
Image
Book Review: Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich Dirty Thirty (Stephanie Plum, #30) by Janet Evanovich is the latest installment in the long-running and beloved Stephanie Plum series, and it opens with Joe Morelli asking Stephanie to dog-sit his famously quirky dog, Bob, while he’s out of town testifying at a trial. As expected, things quickly spiral into chaos when Stephanie has to bring Bob along while attempting to apprehend her usual lineup of FTAs. Between chasing fugitives, dodging danger, and juggling her complicated personal life, Stephanie also finds herself seriously questioning whether marriage is something she truly wants. Each book in the Stephanie Plum series tends to follow a familiar and comforting formula, with everything wrapped up in a neat, tidy bow by the end. That predictability is actually one of the main reasons I keep coming back to these books. I always know Stephanie will get herself into trouble, Ranger or Morelli will step in to help,...
Read more