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: Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow

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Book Club Book Review of Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow
Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow was published on April 5, 2022 by The Dial Press and is the debut novel of the author. As the story unfolds, we learn the narrative of a Southern, Black family told from three different generations and how the legacy is finally changed with the most recent generation.

This book was selected as the monthly read for one of the book clubs I belong to. I typically read books in the genres of horror, thriller, suspense, and mystery, so Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow isn't likely a book I would have chosen to read on my own. However, I am so glad that it was selected because it was an interesting read, and I couldn't wait to see how the story of the North women progressed.

Although this is a work of fiction, it felt like it was real life as it touched on very palpable subjects like racism, domestic violence, rape, gangs, life and death, and many more topics that plagues society today. There were times that my heart ached and hurt for the characters and other situations that gave me hope that the characters would have happy times. 

Although Memphis is extremely well written and engaging, there were times I had trouble keeping up with the characters because the story was told from several different perspectives. It also went back and forth between time periods which contributed to the occasional mix up. With that being said, that's my only complaint.

Such a beautiful, poignant story, I wholeheartedly recommend Memphis by Tara M. Stringfellow and give it four out of five stars. I look forward to reading more novels from this author.
 


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