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 Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson

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NetGalley ARC Book Review of The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson
The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson is the second book in a a children's book series about a girl named Elodie who has her own detective agency called the LaRue Detective Agency. In this latest edition, a movie is being filmed at the Biltmore in New York City, and the lead actor, a cat named Bijou, is missing. Can Elodie find the missing cat before it's too late?

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Pajama Press for approving my request to read The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) and providing me an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC). I received a copy of this children's book for free in exchange for my honest review.

Oh my goodness! I absolutely fell in love with this book. It's super cute and perfect for children between the ages of five years old and eight years old who enjoy whodunits. Surprisingly, the characters are very well developed for a book targeted to younger children, which isn't something you typically find in a kids book. I could see bits of myself in the main character of Elodie.

Another surprising thing about The Classified Catnapping is the number of red herrings within the story. Even as an adult, I found myself thinking, "Oh, the catnapper could be this person or that person!" Although, I did figure out who it was, it was nice that there were numerous suspects to keep adults entertained along with their kids, especially if a parent is reading this to their kid as a bedtime story.

Five out of five stars is what I rated The Classified Catnapping (Mystery at the Biltmore, #2) by Colleen Nelson. This is a book that I definitely will be recommending to friends who have kids and teachers alike. The expected publication date of this book is April 29, 2025.
 


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