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: Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone

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book review two nights in lisbon chris pavone

Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone is about a woman named Ariel Pryce waking up alone in her Lisbon hotel room, and her husband is no where to be found in the hotel.  Panicking, Ariel reaches out to the local police and the American Embassy, but they aren't of much help.  Who would want to harm her husband?

First and foremost, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone in exchange for my honest review.  I was excited to receive this book, especially since I'm a fan of the author's writing.

Chris Pavone weaved an intriguing story in Two Nights in Lisbon that had twists and turns galore that left me guessing until the very end.  I found myself rooting for the main character and loved the fact that all the loose ends were wrapped up so there were no cliffhangers.  I enjoyed the fact that the storyline switched back and forth between the present and past . . . making this novel a bit of a slow burn.  

There was really only one big complaint that I have about this novel.  I don't like it when the author has an unreliable narrator because it makes it difficult to guess what will happen.  Four out of five stars is what I gave Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone, and I can't wait to see what he writes next.

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