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: The Dare by Natasha Preston

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Book Cover of The Dare by Natasha Preston
The Dare by Natasha Preston is a young adult horror novel centered on Marley and her friends Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse, all seniors in high school. What begins as harmless, lighthearted senior pranks quickly takes a dark turn when Rhett starts assigning dares that are far more serious and dangerous. As the stakes rise, the question becomes whether Marley and her friends will survive the consequences of playing along.

A huge thank you to NetGalley for providing an advanced readers copy of The Dare by Natasha Preston. The last book I read by this author was well written and engaging, so I was excited to dive into her latest young adult horror story.

From the start, the novel feels reminiscent of R.L. Stine’s Fear Street series, which instantly brought back a wave of childhood nostalgia. Unfortunately, that initial excitement didn’t last. Before long, the plot shifts into territory that felt eerily similar to the movie I Know What You Did Last Summer. At that point, my interest started to wane, and I nearly stopped reading. There were also elements that reminded me of The Secret Diaries by Janice Harrell. Because of these similarities, The Dare ultimately didn’t feel very original as a YA horror novel.

The relationships between the characters also left me confused. The dynamic between Marley and Rhett, the student orchestrating the dares, felt strange and underdeveloped, and their connection didn’t make much sense. Marley's friendships with Atlas, Lucia, and Jesse were equally puzzling. Several interactions and events between them seemed to come out of nowhere, making it difficult to fully connect with the characters or understand their motivations.

Overall, I was disappointed in The Dare by Natasha Preston. While it had moments that hinted at the classic teen horror vibe I usually enjoy, the lack of originality and confusing character relationships held it back. I ultimately gave this young adult horror book three out of five stars.

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