2025 reading challenge

Yellowface

R. F. Kuang • 2023

Not in Love

Ali Hazelwood • 2024

An Indie Next and a Hall of Fame LibraryReads Pick!<br/><br/>A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science—from New York Times bestselling author Ali Hazelwood.<br/><br/>Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.<br/><br/>Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through—and he’s a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can’t stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.<br/><br/>Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business—one that plays for keeps.

Love, Theoretically

Ali Hazelwood • 2023

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain. The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs. Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job. Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

The mysterious affair at Styles

Agatha Christie • 1981

Flowers In The Attic

V.C. Andrews • 2011

Villette by Charlotte Bronte - Delphi Classics (Illustrated)

Charlotte Bronte • 2017

The Vegetarian

Han Kang • 2016

The Moorland Cottage

Elizabeth Gaskell • 2017

Before Green Gables

Budge Wilson • 2008

The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood • 2010

In this multi-award-winning, bestselling novel, Margaret Atwood has created a stunning Orwellian vision of the near future. This is the story of Offred, one of the unfortunate “Handmaids” under the new social order who have only one purpose: to breed. In Gilead, where women are prohibited from holding jobs, reading, and forming friendships, Offred’s persistent memories of life in the “time before” and her will to survive are acts of rebellion. Provocative, startling, prophetic, and with Margaret Atwood’s devastating irony, wit, and acute perceptive powers in full force, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once a mordant satire and a dire warning.

Sense and Sensibility

Jane Austen • 2021

Heavenly Tyrant

Xiran Jay Zhao • 2024

Onyx Storm

Rebecca Yarros • 2025

DON'T BE THE LAST TO DISCOVER THE SERIES THAT EVERYONE CAN'T STOP TALKING ABOUT: Get ready for the breathtaking follow-up to global phenomenons Fourth Wing and Iron Flame from the no. 1 Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros. ARE YOU READY TO BRAVE THE DARK? After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust. Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves - her dragons, her family, her home, and him. Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything. They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find - the truth. But a storm is coming... and not everyone can survive its wrath. PRAISE FOR THE EMPYREAN SERIES 'Pure escapism - think Hunger Games meets Fifty Shades' The Sun 'We weren't expecting to become obsessed . . . but we very much are and we're not alone' Sunday Times Style 'This book contains an addictive, drug like essence that will make you relinquish all responsibility' Glamour 'Yarros had me hooked from the first chapter' Mail on Sunday 'The new publishing sensation' Daily Mail 'I couldn't put it down!' Millie Bobby Brown 'Yarros is the true inheritor of Harry Potter and inspires Hunger Games levels of devotion' Guardian 'A deliciously gripping dish, which I downed in one sitting' Stylist '2024 is the Year of the Dragon . . . Dive into a fantasy narrative featuring these mythical, winged creatures' Pop Sugar 'If I can convince you to read one book I recommend it would be this one' 'I didn't sleep, I didn't eat, and when I finished, I had the overwhelming urge to just start it all over again' 'There are some stories you read and enjoy but every so often you come across one that just obliterates everything and takes over your entire being within a few pages and becomes your world and personality. Well, this is the one' 'The world building in this was phenomenal. I lived, breathed and became a part of the college' 'You know when you finish a book, and it leaves an ache in your chest because it was so good, and now it's over? That's exactly how I feel after finishing Fourth Wing' OTHER BOOKS IN THE EMPYREAN SERIES: - FOURTH WING - IRON FLAME - ONYX STORM

The Atlas Six

Olivie Blake • 2021

The Much-acclaimed Booktok Sensation! • The Tag #theatlassix Already Has Millions Of Views On Tiktok • A Dark Academic Debut Fantasy With An Established Cult Following That Reads Like The Secret History Meets The Umbrella Academy • The First In An Explosive Trilogy The Alexandrian Society, Caretakers Of Lost Knowledge From The Greatest Civilizations Of Antiquity, Are The Foremost Secret Society Of Magical Academicians In The World. Those Who Earn A Place Among The Alexandrians Will Secure A Life Of Wealth, Power, And Prestige Beyond Their Wildest Dreams, And Each Decade, Only The Six Most Uniquely Talented Magicians Are Selected To Be Considered For Initiation. Enter The Latest Round Of Six: Libby Rhodes And Nico De Varona, Unwilling Halves Of An Unfathomable Whole, Who Exert Uncanny Control Over Every Element Of Physicality. Reina Mori, A Naturalist, Who Can Intuit The Language Of Life Itself. Parisa Kamali, A Telepath Who Can Traverse The Depths Of The Subconscious, Navigating Worlds Inside The Human Mind. Callum Nova, An Empath Easily Mistaken For A Manipulative Illusionist, Who Can Influence The Intimate Workings Of A Person’s Inner Self. Finally, There Is Tristan Caine, Who Can See Through Illusions To A New Structure Of Reality—an Ability So Rare That Neither He Nor His Peers Can Fully Grasp Its Implications. When The Candidates Are Recruited By The Mysterious Atlas Blakely, They Are Told They Will Have One Year To Qualify For Initiation, During Which Time They Will Be Permitted Preliminary Access To The Society’s Archives And Judged Based On Their Contributions To Various Subjects Of Impossibility: Time And Space, Luck And Thought, Life And Death. Five, They Are Told, Will Be Initiated. One Will Be Eliminated. The Six Potential Initiates Will Fight To Survive The Next Year Of Their Lives, And If They Can Prove Themselves To Be The Best Among Their Rivals, Most Of Them Will. Most Of Them. At The Publisher's Request, This Title Is Being Sold Without Digital Rights Management Software (drm) Applied.

Babel

R. F. Kuang • 2022

Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller from the author of The Poppy War   “Absolutely phenomenal. One of the most brilliant, razor-sharp books I've had the pleasure of reading that isn't just an alternative fantastical history, but an interrogative one; one that grabs colonial history and the Industrial Revolution, turns it over, and shakes it out.” -- Shannon Chakraborty, bestselling author of The City of Brass From award-winning author R. F. Kuang comes Babel, a thematic response to The Secret History and a tonal retort to Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell that grapples with student revolutions, colonial resistance, and the use of language and translation as the dominating tool of the British empire. Traduttore, traditore: An act of translation is always an act of betrayal. 1828. Robin Swift, orphaned by cholera in Canton, is brought to London by the mysterious Professor Lovell. There, he trains for years in Latin, Ancient Greek, and Chinese, all in preparation for the day he’ll enroll in Oxford University’s prestigious Royal Institute of Translation—also known as Babel. Babel is the world's center for translation and, more importantly, magic. Silver working—the art of manifesting the meaning lost in translation using enchanted silver bars—has made the British unparalleled in power, as its knowledge serves the Empire’s quest for colonization. For Robin, Oxford is a utopia dedicated to the pursuit of knowledge. But knowledge obeys power, and as a Chinese boy raised in Britain, Robin realizes serving Babel means betraying his motherland. As his studies progress, Robin finds himself caught between Babel and the shadowy Hermes Society, an organization dedicated to stopping imperial expansion. When Britain pursues an unjust war with China over silver and opium, Robin must decide… Can powerful institutions be changed from within, or does revolution always require violence?

The Burning God

R. F. Kuang • 2020

The exciting end to The Poppy War trilogy, R. F. Kuang’s acclaimed, award-winning epic fantasy that combines the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters, to devastating, enthralling effect. After saving her nation of Nikan from foreign invaders and battling the evil Empress Su Daji in a brutal civil war, Fang Runin was betrayed by allies and left for dead.  Despite her losses, Rin hasn’t given up on those for whom she has sacrificed so much—the people of the southern provinces and especially Tikany, the village that is her home. Returning to her roots, Rin meets difficult challenges—and unexpected opportunities. While her new allies in the Southern Coalition leadership are sly and untrustworthy, Rin quickly realizes that the real power in Nikan lies with the millions of common people who thirst for vengeance and revere her as a goddess of salvation.  Backed by the masses and her Southern Army, Rin will use every weapon to defeat the Dragon Republic, the colonizing Hesperians, and all who threaten the shamanic arts and their practitioners. As her power and influence grows, though, will she be strong enough to resist the Phoenix’s intoxicating voice urging her to burn the world and everything in it?

The Dragon Republic

R. F. Kuang • 2019

Rin’s story continues in this acclaimed sequel to The Poppy War—an epic fantasy combining the history of twentieth-century China with a gripping world of gods and monsters. The war is over. The war has just begun. Three times throughout its history, Nikan has fought for its survival in the bloody Poppy Wars. Though the third battle has just ended, shaman and warrior Rin cannot forget the atrocity she committed to save her people. Now she is on the run from her guilt, the opium addiction that holds her like a vice, and the murderous commands of the fiery Phoenix—the vengeful god who has blessed Rin with her fearsome power. Though she does not want to live, she refuses to die until she avenges the traitorous Empress who betrayed Rin’s homeland to its enemies. Her only hope is to join forces with the powerful Dragon Warlord, who plots to conquer Nikan, unseat the Empress, and create a new republic. But neither the Empress nor the Dragon Warlord are what they seem. The more Rin witnesses, the more she fears her love for Nikan will force her to use the Phoenix’s deadly power once more. Because there is nothing Rin won’t sacrifice to save her country . . . and exact her vengeance.

Assistant to the Villain

Hannah Nicole Maehrer • 2023

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Once Upon a Time meets The Office in Hannah Maehrer’s laugh-out-loud viral TikTok series turned novel, about the sunshine assistant to an Evil Villain...and their unexpected romance. ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits. With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie. But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat...and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out. Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work...and ensure he makes them pay. After all, a good job is hard to find. The Assistant and the Villain series is best enjoyed in order. Reading Order: Book #1 Assistant to the Villain Book #2 Apprentice to the Villain Book #3 Accomplice to the Villain

The Poppy War

R. F. Kuang • 2018

One of Time Magazine’s 100 Best Fantasy Books of All Time “I have no doubt this will end up being the best fantasy debut of the year...I have absolutely no doubt that [Kuang’s] name will be up there with the likes of Robin Hobb and N.K. Jemisin.” -- Booknest From #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, the brilliantly imaginative debut of R.F. Kuang: an epic historical military fantasy, inspired by the bloody history of China’s twentieth century and filled with treachery and magic, in the tradition of Ken Liu’s Grace of Kings and N.K. Jemisin’s Inheritance Trilogy. When Rin aced the Keju—the Empire-wide test to find the most talented youth to learn at the Academies—it was a shock to everyone: to the test officials, who couldn’t believe a war orphan from Rooster Province could pass without cheating; to Rin’s guardians, who believed they’d finally be able to marry her off and further their criminal enterprise; and to Rin herself, who realized she was finally free of the servitude and despair that had made up her daily existence. That she got into Sinegard—the most elite military school in Nikan—was even more surprising. But surprises aren’t always good. Because being a dark-skinned peasant girl from the south is not an easy thing at Sinegard. Targeted from the outset by rival classmates for her color, poverty, and gender, Rin discovers she possesses a lethal, unearthly power—an aptitude for the nearly-mythical art of shamanism. Exploring the depths of her gift with the help of a seemingly insane teacher and psychoactive substances, Rin learns that gods long thought dead are very much alive—and that mastering control over those powers could mean more than just surviving school. For while the Nikara Empire is at peace, the Federation of Mugen still lurks across a narrow sea. The militarily advanced Federation occupied Nikan for decades after the First Poppy War, and only barely lost the continent in the Second. And while most of the people are complacent to go about their lives, a few are aware that a Third Poppy War is just a spark away . . . Rin’s shamanic powers may be the only way to save her people. But as she finds out more about the god that has chosen her, the vengeful Phoenix, she fears that winning the war may cost her humanity . . . and that it may already be too late.