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: The Hike by Lucy Clarke

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netgalley arc book review the hike by lucy clarke
The Hike by Lucy Clarke is a story of friendship told from four different perspectives of a friend group.  The annual holiday is Liz's choice this year, and hiking a huge mountain in Norway is what was chosen.  Obstacles throughout the trip reveal secrets, leading to the death of one of them.  Who will survive?

I'd like to thank NetGalley for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Hike by Lucy Clarke.  She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors, so when I was approved to read Clarke's latest novel, I was over the moon with glee.  I received this book for free in exchange for my honest review.

From the start, The Hike is extremely engaging, and I had trouble pulling myself away to do normal every day things.  When I wasn't reading it, I found myself thinking about the story and the characters.

As a whole, the four main characters were likable but definitely had some traits about them that weren't amiable, just like real life.  I liked the character of Helena the best as I identified with her more than the other characters.  As for the secondary characters, the ones I liked in the beginning, I ended up not liking much, and the one I didn't like, or trust, ended up being an awesome character.

Five out of five stars is what I gave The Hike by Lucy Clarke.  I can't wait to see what else Lucy Clarke writes . . . she is that talented.  Don't miss out on this fantastic book.

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