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: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1) by Ransom Riggs

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YA Fantasy Book Review of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine's Peculiar Children, #1) by Ransom Riggs
I am the type of person who will put down a book if it doesn't grab my attention within the first five pages or so, even when it comes to adult novels. The reason for this is that I just don't want to waste my time, or money, on something that isn't any good. And, yes, I'm one of those that has to own their copy. I've just now started borrowing books from the library, especially when it is a book that I am unsure of.

That was exactly the case with Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. I put off reading it for the longest time because I wasn't convinced I'd enjoy it. I even tried reading a few pages while browsing at my local Barnes & Noble, but it didn't immediately grab my attention, despite having an intriguing premise.

Eventually, I saw that my local library branch offered both the eBook version and digital audiobook versions available, so I decided to give the latter a chance. Listening to audiobooks has never really been my thing as I've always preferred physically reading and often feel like it doesn't "count" the same if I just listen. Still, since I was short on time, I downloaded the audiobook through the OverDrive app on my tablet and started listening during a slow stretch at work. 

To my surprise, the audiobook completely won me over. The narrator's performance was excellent. His voice felt authentic, and he did a fantastic job bringing each character life with distinct voices, including the female characters. this was a huge contrast to my only other audiobook experience, which had been disappointing due to poor narration.

book review miss peregrines home for peculiar children by ransom riggs As my workload picked up and interruptions became more frequent, I decided to purchase a physical copy so I could continue the story without missing anything. Once I caught up to where I ad left off in the audio book, I found myself completely hooked in the story. It became one of those books that's hard to put down. I even had the fleeting though of calling in sick just to finish it.

I'm really glad I ended up reading the paperback version because the photographs included through the story added so much to the experience. They're not just decorative. They genuinely enhance the eerie, peculiar atmosphere and help bring the world to life in a way that audio alone simply can't.

By the time I reached the ending, it was clear that the story wasn't over. Even without knowing in advance that there were sequels, the cliffhanger mad it obvious that more was coming. While I do plan to continue the series, it may take me some time to get to the next book. My "to be read" list is always growing, and there's never quite enough time to get through it all. I gave a solid three out of five stars to Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

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