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: That Night by Chevy Stevens

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That Night by Chevy Stevens is a mystery and suspense novel published on June 17, 2014.Not knowing a thing about Chevy Stevens' book That Night, I decided to purchase it from ThriftBooks.com. Within a couple of days of receiving it, I began reading it, and it immediately sucked me in.

There were several things I loved about That Night. One of those things was that the chapters alternated from the present day to past years. This kept the book interesting and me engaged. I think that if Chevy Stevens had started from the beginning of the story, it wouldn't have kept my attention quite as well and wouldn't have had the impact it had.

Additionally, the relationships in the book were right on target, especially the way teenagers act in high school. The gossip and mean girl syndrome were right on par, and the way adults tended to believe Shauna over Toni was very believable as well. Who hasn't encountered a Shauna at some point in their life? The relationship between Toni and her sister Nicole seemed very believable to me, but being an only child, I don't really have anything to base this on except seeing how my friends interacted with their siblings.

Words can't really express how much I enjoyed That Night by Chevy Stevens. My heart pounded at points, not knowing what was going to happen. I even cried at one section because it was such a bittersweet moment . . . I won't say more than that as to not give away anything. Chevy Stevens is a talented writer who really showed a lot of depth in her characters in a way that many other authors don't quite capture. There is nothing bad I can say about this book because it is written that well, and I was totally shocked by the ending of the novel and loved how believable it was. I gave That Night five out of five stars.

Synopsis of That Night by Chevy Stevens:  Toni Murphy is the typical teen who is sullen and doesn't get along with her parents. On top of that, she drinks and smokes pot. Toni resents the fact that her parents think her boyfriend, Ryan, is a bad influence on her. One fateful night, Toni's sister Nicole is found murdered, and Toni and Ryan are convicted of the crime and spend years in prison for the deed. When Toni finally is out on parole, she is determined to find evidence that proves her and Ryan's innocence and chaos ensues.

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