AllergicToChunksters

The Quincunx | Charles Palliser

so-so

I found the book overly long. Neo-Victorian novels are normally my jam, but was disappointed a bit. The 780 page brick of a book lacked forward momentum IMO. John Mellamphy aka Clothier aka Huffam goes from bad to worse and back to bad again while he and his mother are beset by nefarious forces who will stop at nothing to steal the boy‘s rightful inheritance.

#ChunksterChallenge2025
#AllergictoChunksters
#10beforetheend
#ChristmasCrimeChallenge

Amiable, ChaoticMissAdventures, RaeLovesToRead, julieclair

Amiable Ugh, I‘m sorry! It stinks when you drag yourself through so many pages without much reward. But yay for being done with it ! 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 2d

Tamra Too long is no fun. 😕 It‘s a shame because that can ruin a terrific premise. 2d

Ruthiella @Amiable @Tamra On paper, this book sounded like everything I love! 😅 And looking at Goodreads, many, many other readers did love it. Wonder if I‘d read it earlier in my life if I would have felt differently. 🤔 1d

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ChaoticMissAdventures You did it!! That page length is a commitment. ✔️✔️ 1d

Ruthiella @ChaoticMissAdventures This has been on my shelf for YEARS! 😅 1d

ChaoticMissAdventures @Ruthiella I have a couple of those too. Doctor Zhivago has been with me for over a decade and through 6 years. One day I will reach it 😂 1d

julieclair Even though it was a bit disappointing, congrats on finishing a chunkster that has been on your shelf for years! 👏🎉👏 10h

Ruthiella @julieclair Thanks! I‘m glad to have read it, otherwise I‘d have been forever curious! 🤨 3h

julieclair @Ruthiella Yes! I feel that way, too. I bailed on the Les MIs year-long buddy read, and now I regret that now

59 likes9 comments

vivastory

Untitled | Unknown

Just curious... what reading challenges are y'all doing next year,? I'm still working on the 50 states, 50 horror books (50 percent complete); the past couple of years I have been slightly intrigued by the 52 book club challenge and I've knocked off a few new favorites I might not have otherwise... but I'm thinking '26 will be challenge/prompt free.As a mood reader, it's just so hard to commit!

TEArificbooks I have always done too many challenges and the reading starts to feel like “required” reading and there is no time for mood reading. So this year and next year I am participating when I feel like it. I‘m definitely going to participate in #USPresidents as I cohost. Also love #naturalitsy #themedcozies #foodandlit 2w

vivastory @TEArificbooks As a mood reader, I definitely endorse mood reading 📚📚😀 2w

Ruthiella I will definitely do #TBRTarot and #Roll100 because both help me read either what I already own or books I keep meaning to read but never prioritize. I will also do #ChuncksterChallege2026 and #AllergictoChunksters, but only when a TBR book happens to meet the criteria. 2w

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Dilara On Litsy, I'll continue with #foodandlit. I'll also follow #naturalitsy but I'm more of a lurker than an active member. On LibraryThing, I do the Global Challenge (read 5 books from every country - that's more of a lifetime endeavour) and an informal Nobel Prize challenge. I do better with free-form challenges, where I can read the books of my choice in the order of my choice 😁 2w

julesG I'll do 52bookclub again next year. Also Buzzword's Reading and Cover challenges because they are very low key and still tricky sometimes. 2w

vivastory I always see #tbrtarot .... can you explain it to me? @ruthiella 2w

Hooked_on_books I‘m not doing any. I‘ll be following the TOB and reading those as well as the Women‘s Prize and NBA lists, but no challenges. Though I have some thoughts about trying to get some of my mass market paperbacks read, my own little challenge. I‘m a mood reader, too. 2w

Ruthiella @cbee “pulls” a card like, read “read a book with a red cover” or “read a book by a Japanese author” and the way I do #TBRtarot is I look for a book I own that meets the criteria. If I can‘t find a match, I don‘t stress, however. 2w

AkashaVampie My memory sucks... but if u haven't tried #BookishMonopoly yet, here's ur chance. Also make sure to cater to u and what u want/have. 2w

AkashaVampie Also would love to see ur board if u do 2w

AshleyHoss820 As a fellow mood-reader, I love the BookSpin challenge that @TheAromaofBooks does every year. I‘m still doing the 1,001 books. I also found, from some devious Litten, the Hardest Reading Challenge You‘ll Ever Do. Created by Qwordy on YouTube, it‘s a year-long challenge beginning on July 7th. It‘s so difficult, it‘s actually meant to not be completed, but instead to broaden your reading horizons. Happy reading in ‘26, no matter what you choose! (edited) 2w

Kitta I did #LGBTQIA25 which is a book bingo that has a challenge on StoryGraph and #queerbc which also has a StoryGraph challenge. There‘s #ohcanada for some Canadian reads and I‘m going to attempt the #192030 challenge. I‘m also attempting the #vivillon challenge in 2026 (reading books from different countries based on the Pokémon regions lol). 2w

Amiable @AshleyHoss820 I‘m intrigued—what makes it the hardest reading challenge ever? The number of books? The difficulty of the texts? A compressed timeframe? Inquiring minds need to know! 2w

CBee @vivastory that‘s my challenge 😊 I just pick a card (I had a deck but now make my own) and you read a book that fits the prompt. I posted this month‘s prompt Monday 👍🏻 2w

TheAromaofBooks I try to stick with challenges that are somewhat flexible or that I can use to reduce my TBR (which is comprised of books I WANT to read haha). So I've really enjoyed the #Roll100 challenge hosted by @PuddleJumper as well as #ReadorDonate by @julieclair who also hosts the #MonthlyNonfiction And @Librarybelle is getting ready to start a new five-year challenge #192030 as well!! 2w

merelybookish I am taking a break from any formal challenges but toying with trying to read mostly Canadian lit in 2026. I'm thinking of aiming for 80% so I still have room for moods or book club pics, etc. 2w

DGRachel I burned out on challenges. The only thing I will be doing next year is #bookspin and that‘s only because I like making the graphics at the beginning of each month. 🤣🤣 Well, that and it‘s so flexible it allows for space for mood reading and there‘s no pressure. 2w

RaeLovesToRead HRCYED, PopSugar, and let's see what Book Riot's Read Harder is like! Those are the main ones I think... as well as Bookspin, Roll100 etc on here 😊 2w

RaeLovesToRead I don't aim to finish though because I'm far too distractible 2w

MaleficentBookDragon I love the #Bookspin challenge by @TheAromaofBooks. I've been doing that one for years.

I also do two on #GoodReads.
The #DustyBookShelf by the Challenge Factory and #MountTBR. Here are this year's links to check out-
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group_folder/476813?group_id=55345 https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/1256310-mount-tbr-challenge-2025

I like all these because they are to work down my TBR & they are books I WANT to read. 2w

MaleficentBookDragon @DGRachel Me too! I have kept my Photoshop subscription just because I love making the graphics (yeah I'm a little weird). 2w

DGRachel @MaleficentBookDragon It‘s why I can‘t cancel my Canva subscription! 🤣🤣🤣 2w

AshleyHoss820 @Amiable I think what makes HRCYED so difficult is a combo of all the above! 😂 She has white prompts & purple prompts, one of which is set in stone, the other is more customizable. There are also SO MANY PROMPTS and many require multiple books to complete. For example: Disability Rep needs 5 (I think) different books representing 5 different disabilities. Check out Qwordy‘s YouTube, if you‘re curious! She does a wonderful job explaining it! ☺️ 2w

Kelly_the_Bookish_Sidekick I'll be doing Food & Lit, 192030, and I'll see what I can get done with the 52 Book Club & PopSugar. I'm trying to read more from what's already on my shelves, and since F&L tends to need library resources, I'll do what I can without forcing myself to choose a book that doesn't interest me. This thread has me intrigued by HRCYED though! 2w

vivastory @CBee I just saw your recent prompt. I 💙 Japanese mysteries 2w

vivastory @merelybookish Your Canadian lit challenge sounds fun! I'll definitely be keeping an eye out 2w

58 likes26 comments

JessClark78

Untitled | Unknown

My November wrap up 📚🍁

Finished three for #SeriesLove2025
Finished one for #AllergicToChunksters
Finished two for #LitsyAtoZ

Still in Progress:
Chasing Stardust
An Education in Malice

kspenmoll 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2w

39 likes1 comment

JessClark78

Sailor & Lula, Expanded Edition: The Complete Novels | Barry Gifford

pick

‘The world is really wild at heart and weird on top, Lula thought.‘

I really enjoyed this. The complete saga of Sailor Ripley and Lula Pace Fortune, “the Romeo and Juliet of the South”. These stories are noir-ish and surreal, with unexpected happenings, and unforgettable cast of characters. Book 1, Wild At Heart, was adapted to film by David Lynch.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#SeriesLove2025 #AllergicToChunksters #Read2025

DieAReader, julieclair

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 2w

38 likes1 comment

julieclair

Untitled | Untitled

As we approach the end of the year, I‘d love to hear how everyone fared in the #AllergicToChunksters challenge. Personally, I have amazed myself by completing 6 chunksters this year! Seeing everyone‘s posts throughout the year has really been motivating for me. Thanks to each of you for your participation. We‘re all in this together!

I‘ll definitely continue this challenge for 2026. I‘ll post more about that once I‘ve got the StoryGraph ready. ⬇️

mcctrish, tpixie, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, Gissy, Born.A.Reader, mrp27, BookBelle84, MatchlessMarie, Booksblanketsandahotbeverage, Andrew65, Sace, TheBookgeekFrau, CSeydel, Ruthiella, TheSpineView, dabbe, Enchanted_Bibliophile, PuddleJumper, Meshell1313, willaful

julieclair All are welcome to join! Tagging all those who participated this year. Please let me know if you‘d like to continue for 2026, or be removed from the list. 3w

mcctrish Yes please!!! I never got to Covenant of Water so that‘s a 2026 problem now 😆😆 3w

Ruthiella I‘ve done ok! I have one more that I will hopefully 🤞 read in December which will make seven for the year. I definitely want to keep on the list for next year, please, 🙏 (edited) 3w

See All 32 Comments

dabbe I know we once had a legend with page numbers, but I can't find it. Does anyone have one? I'll have to my math and figure it out. I definitely know that by 12/31, I will have finished the chunkster, LES MISERABLES, right @TheBookHippie? 🤩 3w

TheBookHippie @dabbe I emailed it to you 3w

dabbe @TheBookHippie Did you ever know that you're my hero? 🩵❄️🤍 3w

TheBookHippie @dabbe will see if it opens may have to send another way 🤣 3w

dabbe @julieclair @TheBookHippie Now, the next question. Is there a legend out there regarding what pages denote a chunkster? I know I saw one of those once, too. I promise to keep them and name them this time! 3w

TheBookHippie @dabbe I say 500 and over BUT some say over 450 I say no. 🤣🤣🤣 3w

Born.A.Reader Oh goodness. I'd have to go back and check. But off hand I know not as many as I'd like! Lol 3w

dabbe @TheBookHippie I'm glad either ends in a “0“ or “5“. I'd go berserk if it was like 492. In fact, I always had to have EVERY single assignment/test I ever gave end in either of those numbers. If I only had 9 questions, I'd make it 10 points by giving 1 pt. for writing their name on the paper. And I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised by how many would lose 🤣 that simple point. 3w

CSeydel I‘d like to continue next year please! 3w

TheBookHippie @dabbe 💯💯💯💯 3w

CSeydel @dabbe This post breaks it into categories by page count: https://litsy.com/p/a3didnU3bVdo 3w

dabbe @CSeydel Thank you! 🩵❄️🤍 3w

JenlovesJT47 I‘ve finished 3 and am still reading 3 others 😬😬😬 3w

tpixie @julieclair please keep me. Thanks 😊 3w

AnnCrystal I read two To Shape a Dragon's Breath
Moniquill Blackgoose and Murtagh: The World of Eragon Christopher Paolini 🥳📚💝. 3w

TheBookgeekFrau I finished 2 and DNF'ed 1. All 3 had been my shelves for years, so thank you for helping me finally read them!! You can remove me for 2026 because Mission Accomplished 😊 3w

julieclair @dabbe For this challenge, since most of us are chunkster-averse, the definition of a chunkster is up to personal interpretation. If you look at a book and say, “Nope, too long, I‘m not reading that”, it counts as a chunkster for you. 3w

PuddleJumper I'd be interested! I haven't been great at tagging them. I read 14 this year, many of them were Rick Riordan books so not intimidating because of size more because they've been on my shelf for ages 3w

Amiable @dabbe The page count totals are in the #ChunksterChallenge —there are stepped-up categories to encourage people to read the longer books. 3w

Enchanted_Bibliophile I've completed 13 books over 500 pages to date and am planning on one more for December.

This challenge has been really encouraging for me, and I'd love to continue next year. 2w

Booksblanketsandahotbeverage I feel like this challenge is super motivating. Next year I‘m going to tackle some Cassandra Clare books and

The Wise Man's Fear

dabbe @julieclair I L🤩VE that! 🩵❄️🩶 2w

dabbe @Amiable TY! 🩵❄️🩶 2w

Crinoline_Laphroaig @Booksblanketsandahotbeverage ever since I found out release date for Last King of Faerie has been pushed to Fall of 2026, my #AllTheStoriesAreTrue all things Shadowhunters has fallen by wayside. Need to pick it back up. 2w

Crinoline_Laphroaig Add me please! 🙋🏻‍♀️ 2w

willaful I think I'll stay in. I haven't made enough effort this year to read my bigguns and I want to. 2w

Cuilin I‘m also reading Les Mis this year. I can see the finish line. Thanks to @TheBookHippie 1w

TheBookHippie @Cuilin 💙💙💙💙💙🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 1w

AnishaInkspill hi, I'd liked to be tagged, I have several chunksters lined up for next year, this includes Hilary Mantel's fiction on the French Revolution.

A Place of Greater Safety: A Novel

39 likes32 comments

Enchanted_Bibliophile

In the Afterlight: A Darkest Minds Novel | Alexandra Bracken

pick

This is such a great series!
I love Ruby's voice; her inner conflict and the drama that she endures is so intense and authentic
I would have chosen a different ending to the love interests, but I can be cruel like that.

I just found out there's a fourth book that came out 4 years after all this, so I definitely need to get my hands on it!

Enchanted_Bibliophile #SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#ChunksterChallenge2025 #BitsyChunkster @Amiable
#AllergicToChunksters @julieclair
#LitsyAtoZ #I @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #Fig @Lauredhel 4w

42 likes1 comment

mcctrish

Far From the Tree | Solomon, Andrew

I. Did. It. #finishwhatyoustarted #nonfictionnovember #allergictochunksters 11 years ago my brother in law gifted this to me, it was an absolute favourite of his and it makes sense to me how it resonated with him. As a woman, I feel the lack of female representation in this gigantic tome of a book appalling. It starts with son and ends with father which is a beautiful full circle for him as a gay man but leaves out 50% of the population

Karisa 🏆 The older I get, the harder it is for me to read books without realistically written women. Honestly, 90%+ of what I read is written by women these days. I‘m reading Stoner right now. I know it‘s a good book, but without a relatable adult woman character in sight so far 🤷🏻‍♀️ feels hollow

Stoner

1mo

mcctrish @Karisa Andrew did women and girls a disservice not including at least one chapter detailing all the slings and arrows a patriarchal society/world throws at us and more importantly how pervasive they are that it‘s the norm 1mo

Suet624 It‘s like watching old movies and being shocked by what we accepted in the past. 1mo

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ChaoticMissAdventures I fully agree. I went back and forth between pick (for all of his research, and honestly my relief that the Trans chapter was not phobic) and so-so. As the “birthing“ sex I found his lack of discussion around pregnancy and birth - centering actual women not just the mistakes or the results really unsettling. I also was really frustrated at his lack of discussion around race. Especially in the crime chapter. 1mo

mcctrish @ChaoticMissAdventures yes! Also poverty in relation to race and women and how that affects everything 🤯 1mo

AnnCrystal Grand points made here ♀️👏🏼😉✊🏼📚🎬📺💝. 1mo

janeycanuck Amazing!!! Congrats 🎉 3w

44 likes2 stack adds7 comments

mcctrish

Life with Picasso | Fran�oise Gilot, Carlton Lake

A little behind thanks to so much baseball 💔 so Sunday morning is for reading up for #sundaybuddyread with my coffee in a cup from Nice where I went to museums full of Picassos and my reading chair TBR is updated to include #finishwhatyoustarted #allergictochunksters #nonfictionnovember #literarycrew and my latest mini Lego set

Aims42 Ugh, what a heartbreaker of an ending 😢 1mo

Cathythoughts Great pic. Enjoy your coffee x 1mo

mcctrish @Aims42 there is some crying in baseball 1mo

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ChaoticMissAdventures I am reading Far From The Tree this month too! It is a commitment. 1mo

mcctrish @ChaoticMissAdventures I started this so long ago 🤦🏻‍♀️ I stalled out at schizophrenia and truthfully I have always wondered why he didn‘t include a chapter on women considering how some of the world feels about having a girl child 1mo

ChaoticMissAdventures @mcctrish I just looked at the chapters yesterday, and was also immediately annoyed that there was a son chapter but nothing that spoke to women. Glad I am not alone there. 1mo

TheBookHippie @mcctrish ugh so upset about the baseball. 1mo

Aims42 @mcctrish very true! 😢💔 1mo

janeycanuck Ugh, that game… right down to the very bitter end! May you be more successful in your quest to finish what you started! 1mo

AnnCrystal 🤩🧩💝. 1mo

47 likes10 comments

Enchanted_Bibliophile

Ship of Magic (The Liveship Traders, Book 1) | Robin Hobb

so-so

I struggle with this one.

I didn't connect with any of the characters, in fact I kept thinking that if it weren't for Kyle (who I hate, by the way) this whole story wouldn't exist.

The slow pace, character driven plot just didn't grab me like the Farseer Trilogy did.

However, I understand that Hobb develops her stories over time, and I can see a lot of potential in this trilogy and its importance in the overall Elderling series.

Enchanted_Bibliophile #SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#RealmOfElderlings @PuddleJumper
#ChunksterChallenge2025 #Chunkster @Amiable
#AllergicToChunksters @julieclair
#BookChain2025 #MatchingCovers @TheAromaofBooks
#LitsyAtoZ #S @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #PoppyRed @Lauredhel 2mo

Enchanted_Bibliophile @PuddleJumper I know I'm way behind on the #RealmOfElderlings timetable, but I'm going to try my best to catch up before the end of the year. 2mo

Ruthiella Kyle is despicable. But there is good character development in this trilogy, especially with Malta IMO. 2mo

See All 6 Comments

PuddleJumper Kyle is the absolute worst. He is a catalyst for the other characters and plot but yeah, it's hard sometimes when nearly everything goes back to one character. I've totally lost the plot with where we are! I think this book was for Sep/Oct and last one is Nov/Dec. I'm very behind as well 2mo

Enchanted_Bibliophile @Ruthiella I can't wait to see that, she really got the spoiled little teenage brat going strong in this one. 2mo

Enchanted_Bibliophile @PuddleJumper Glad to hear it's not just me 😊 2mo

25 likes6 comments

Enchanted_Bibliophile

Never Fade | Alexandra Bracken

pick

This is an awesome second book.
In YA, I often run into what I like to call middle book syndrome – where the second installment seems to lack enough content for a full story, but without that content, the final third book just wouldn't make sense.

Alexandra really nailed it with this one.
It is action packed, power driven, tense and dark featuring a high-stakes rebellion and political oppression.

👇🏼 Continue 👇🏼

Enchanted_Bibliophile I enjoyed the brisk pacing with just enough inner turmoil to keep me hooked.

I can't believe I never finished the series, especially with that cliffhanger ending.

#SeriesLove2025 @Andrew65 @TheSpineView
#OffTheShelf2025 @Librariana
#ChunksterChallenge2025 #BitsyChunkster @Amiable
#AllergicToChunksters @julieclair
#LitsyAtoZ #N @Texreader
#Pantone2025 #CrownBlue @Lauredhel 2mo

44 likes1 comment

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