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: 214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion

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book review 214 palmer street karen mcquestion

Cady and Josh Caldwell are away from their house, so when neighbor Maggie sees the Venetian blinds move, she becomes concerned. A woman named Sarah answers the door reveals she's an old friend of the Caldwells and is house-sitting for them. What Maggie doesn't realize is that Sarah is panicking because no one was supposed to see her at 214 Palmer Street.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Bookouture for the Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of 214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion. I was thrilled to receive a copy for free in exchange for my honest review.

Gripping. Thrilling. Heart Pounding. Fast Paced. These are all words I would use to describe Karen McQuestion's novel 214 Palmer Street. From the very beginning, I was sucked into the story line and couldn't wait to see what would happen. 

I loved the way the author set up the different chapters. Part of it went back and forth between the past and present. It also switched back and forth between the main character and another character simply known as "her". This may sound like the book would be hard to follow, but it wasn't confusing at all. The first half of the book, I thought I knew who "her" was, but I quickly realized it couldn't be who I thought it was and figured it out.

There were many twists and turns that kept me guessing, and I wasn't sure who the "bad guy" was going to be. I'll say that I was happy with who it turned out to be . . . I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't read it yet. The ending was a bit bittersweet, but I was delighted with the way Karen McQuestion wrapped it up.

Even though this novel was somewhat reminiscent of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, 214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion is a step above it. This novel was well-written and kept me on the edge of my seat. I completely lost track of time and was surprised at the time when I finished reading this story. Five out of five stars is what I gave 214 Palmer Street by Karen McQuestion.

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