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: Sentenced To Murder (The Bookstore Mystery, #5) by Sue Minix

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Sentenced To Murder (The Bookstore Mystery,  #5) by Sue Minix opens with Jen trying to solve another mystery where a young man named Jaylon is in jail for murdering his brother Ewon, but the body has never been found. Additionally, Jaylon needs a kidney transplant, but he can't receive it while in jail. Can Jen find new evidence to exonerate Jaylon?

So far, I'd have to say that this installment is my absolute favorite in the series. There were lots of red herrings throughout the story. One of the people I suspected was Madame Crystal and thought she might be the biological mother of Ewon. Other people I suspected were Ewon's adoptive parents, Detective Conway, Penelope, and even possibly Ewon's third friend. At one point, I even wondered if Ewon was still alive. I finally narrowed it down to one of two people but wasn't sure who was the murderer. You'll have to read the book to find out if one of my suspicions was correct!

There was one scene in the book that had to do with cars and being followed, and it reminded me of a young adult book that I read called April Fools by Richie Tankersley Cusick. If you've read both then I think you'll see where I'm coming from.

In the two prior books, a body that was found in the underground tunnels was a part of the storyline. That storyline continued into this novel. I was super pleased that the identity of that person was finally revealed, and it isn't who you might think it is.

I just loved this particular installment and hope that this series has many more books. Five out of five stars is what I gave Sentenced To Murder (The Bookstore Mystery, #5) by Sue Minix.

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