Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Spring 2025 Edition – Goal Reviews

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post for a Special Weather Alert — because this seems to be Spring in Canada this year. 🙂 There’s a significant freezing rain ‘episode’ headed our way over the weekend. Mix of snow and freezing rain — heavy at times with predictions of possible power outages. So, if the winner’s announcement post doesn’t go up on Saturday, that will be why. Hopefully we’ll dodge the worst of it but but as of now it’s a 95% certainty. So, stay tuned, and if the power does go out, I’ll get the post up as soon as I can after it’s been restored.

Now on to our Goal Review Giveaway:

Quarterly reading goal reviews have become a Best Reads Blog tradition. I’ll share my progress (or not!) here just for some fun, book nerdy stats and, if you’re so inclined, you can share a goal or two in the comments. But no pressure – a goal can be as simple as ‘read a book.’

So, to enter this giveaway, just share anything goal related in the comments. Then, in the same comment, list a book that will help you reach your goal. So it looks like this:

“I want to catch up on some suspense series. Night Prey by Susan Sleeman.”

NOTE: BOOKS MUST BE CHRISTIAN FICTION

You can enter up to three times in three separate comments — and you can use the same goal or a different one each time, but a different title for each entry.

Books can be published any time up through to June 2025. Currently published books will be ordered this coming week for winners, otherwise it will be an IOU for a title releasing later.

See? Easy Peasy. But if you’re still not clear, don’t be shy about asking questions.

Now, here are some of my reading goal highlights — it’s a bit of a topsy turvy start. Did well in some ways and totally bombed in others.

Overall not too bad but I’m fine tuning some of my goals for the second quarter of 2025. This is what I’m going to concentrate on:

  • More Indie Books!
  • Look for Diversity in authors, characters, settings
  • Pick 5 Read to Zero authors and start working on catching up on their books. Totally bombed on this goal in the first quarter!
  • Target series to complete.

Okay, that’s enough nerdy stats stuff. Let’s get on with the giveaway!

Share below and remember to include a book title that will help you achieve any kind of reading goal. You can enter three times in three separate comments using the same goal or different ones. What ever strikes your fancy. Just make sure each entry is for a different title.

DRAW WILL BE HELD AND WINNER ANNOUNCED ON 

Saturday March 29 2025

OFFER OPEN TO ANY READER WHO HAS A US KINDLE .COM ACCOUNT FOR EBOOKS. OTHERWISE IT’S WINNER’S CHOICE OF PAPERBACK OR EBOOK FOR US AND CANADIAN ENTRIES.

146 thoughts on “Reader’s Choice Giveaway – Spring 2025 Edition – Goal Reviews”

  1. Oh, Kav! Such weather! I shiver when I take my dog out to relieve herself. It’s 59 degrees haha. As usual, your goals are a marvel! Quite a few ambitious goals, and you pursue them ALL at once!

    I don’t really give myself goals, but if I did choose a “read to zero author,” it would probably be Joanna Davidson Politano. I have been wanting to read more of her backlog, because I fairly recently “met” her through her Lily Temple book. For my first goal, therefore, I will list “Lady Jayne Disappears.”

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  2. Second one, also not exactly a formal goal, but I do want to keep up with new releases from authors I really like, in spite of getting cut from the merged Bethany/Revell blogger program. I’m going to throw in another entry for “Curious Inheritance of Blakely House.” (I think it’s so funny because I recently mentioned on your conversation post that I don’t like historical fiction, and this week, I’m repeatedly throwing my hat in the ring for historical fiction).

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    1. You’ve reminded me that I have that Lily Temple book on hold limbo at my library. Must activate it again. It came in with a whole slew of other books so I paused it and I think I forgot to reactivate it. Oops. Other than that one, I’m up to date with Joanna Davidson Politano’s…until her new release hits the stores. The Nightmare Virus sounds intriguing but kinda creepy too. Brave you. I’ve read Fawkes and Romanov and enjoyed them immensely. Very different and so imaginative. I have Wishtress on my TBR…again!…and everyone raves about it so I should make that a priority in April. Good luck, Stephanie!

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  8. I’m so sorry about your weather! Ugh It makes me feel guilty for not getting out more yet in our beautiful weather, but the pine pollen is everywhere! And the symptoms of breathing it are not fun. We need a good rain!

    Anyway, I’m doing just OK w/ my goals & added some new ones (in my head). Included some diversity w/ Toni Shiloh & traveled to India w/ Christine Lindsay (a reread). Read a few new to me & indie authors, & set a new goal on Goodreads for 100 books. I read slow bc of dizziness so 100 books is a big deal to me. Lol You’ve already exceeded my goal! Yay you!!! Your goals are fantabulous for it only being almost Apr.

    1) Tempest at Annabel’s Lighthouse by Jaime Jo Wright *So glad her books aren’t series bc my goal is never to miss one. I’m several behind now, but authors like Susan Sleeman who pop out a series monthly it seems, have me lost. I’ll never catch up.*

    dianalflowers at aol dot com

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    1. I’ve seen pictures of the kind of pollen you guys get. We don’t get it like that up here even though I’m in a valley and it’s a bad area for allergies. Hate to think how sufferers would react in your neighbourhood! Hooray for your new Good Reads goal. And I hear you on reading more slowly. Audio books are what help me read more but, if I’m remembering correctly, you don’t enjoy audio books. Good luck, Diane!

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      1. Our burgundy car is now a green car. My neighbor has to have shots for Spring allergies. However, it’s looking like rain is in the forecast next week beginning Sun, so hooray for that! It’ll help wash the pollen out of the trees and I’ll get a free car wash to boot! I do turn my Kindle book on audio if I’m making dinner, doing hair/makeup, boring stuff where I’m in one spot. But I’m too easily distracted to listen to an entire audiobook. My mind has a tendency to wander while listening plus hubby comes in all different times of the day since he’s the boss & can do that. So there goes my listening. lol

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  12. I set a goal last year (I think it was) to return to some authors that I’ve left by the wayside in favor for newer authors. Am working on that, this year especially.

    3) Capture the Moment by Suzanne Woods Fisher I haven’t read one of hers in quite awhile!

    Thank you for this fun giveaway, Kav! I hope your electricity stays on. Do you have a fireplace to stay warm if it doesn’t?

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    1. I’m really intrigued by that one too. And I love the cover art! No fireplace. 😦 I have a handy dandy wireless charger thingy though so I can keep up with the outside world on my phone. Must make sure everything is charged up before the storm hits. Good luck, Diane!

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      1. Yes, no cartoon covers for Suzanne Woods Fisher! Nancy Mehl brought up the subject of the cover on her new book & the importance of covers. I told her I wasn’t a fan of the cartoon cover fad and couldn’t imagine her books having those types of covers. She thought that was pretty funny & said that would be very weird. I agreed. I hope you don’t lose your power. 🙏 Stay safe & warm, my friend.

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  13. Oh no Kav, freezing rain with Canada’s temps and no power just don’t mix! I’m praying you don’t lose power! I love your goals updates, always fun to read.

    1-My book goal this year (with the help of text-to-voice on my kindle) is 200 and I’m at 72 so I’m doing okay with that. Just for the fun of it, I challenge myself to keep up with you by half, I did that and improved my percentage from 50% to 60% so woohoo for that 🙂

    2-I try to read at least 3 debut or new to me authors a month, goal was 9 and read 13.

    3-Years ago, I looked at my backlist of books and knew I’d never read all the books on it so I moved to keeping up with the current year’s new releases by my favorite authors. I’ve read 18 new releases in this quarter. I add in the books I’ve missed around the new releases, it’s working pretty well.

    I like you goal of reading to zero, I’ve tried to do that with a few of my favorites too. I’m going to track how many authors I’ve read to zero for this next quarter. I know of a few already but some of my favorites have written over a hundred books and even reading over 80 of their books I don’t think I can catch those prolific writers!

    *My first goal pick is Kate Landry Has a Plan by Rebekah Millet. This will fit keeping up with fav author new release goal. Also, my new read to zero goal, lol, since this is only her second book.

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  14. **Capture the Moment by Susanne Woods Fisher will check boxes of overall book count and new release by fav author.

    I love how Suzanne is able to switch back and forth from Amish to Contemporary. I saw her next Amish coming in Oct. It continues Dok’s story, A Hidden Hope I already have it on my 4th quarter reading list.

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  15. ***Sara Brunsvold next book The Atlas of Untold Stories will check favorite author new release goal and read to zero, another lol as this is her third 😉

    A lot of authors seem to be moving to women’s fiction and sister fiction. Sara does women’s fiction really well.

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    1. Oops, I meant to say how much I’ve enjoyed seeing all the new releases and what all the Best Readers are looking forward to. I appreciate your generosity to all the book lovers in this group!

      Thanks so much Kav! Stay warm! tracey14567 at gmail dot com

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      1. Woohoo for your books read, Tracey! We have to pace ourselves to the finish line. I hate the first couple of months of the year when Good Reads keeps telling me I’m behind by x number of books. Gah, give me a chance to set my pace! lol.

        Yay for trouncing your new-to-me / debut author goal by 4 books! I’m finding it hard to find debuts this year. Oooh, I like your idea of keeping current with fave authors rather than being overwhelmed by trying to catch up on their backlists. A much less stress inducing goal. And then you can fit in catch ups here and there with no pressure.

        Eeeeppppp!!!! A sneak peek into Fall releases with a Suzanne Woods Fisher alert! You’re a cutting edge reporter, you know that, Tracey? And, yay, for more of Dok’s story.

        It’s been a fun whirlwind week for sure! So many wonderful books to look forward to this spring….now, if only the weather would get in a springy kind of mood. 🙂 Good luck, Tracey!

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      2. Lol Kav, anyone could do the same. I just take a leisurely stroll through Baker Books pre-release list every couple of weeks and there they are. I then go over to Amazon and put them on my list and then the waiting begins.

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  16. 1.Become reacquainted with an author with an author whose books I love, but it’s been a while since I’ve read one of their books. (And I LOVE the Amish genre!)

    UNSKAKEN by Shelley Shepard Gray

    Release date – June 3, 2025

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  17. 2. While Psychological Thriller aren’t my go to genre, but some authors can make it work.  Been a while since I’ve dove into one and I need to correct that.

    THE OTHER SISTER by Jessica R. Patch

    Release date – April 22, 2025

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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  18. 3. Read more historical fiction.  While when I do read them, I find I love them.  I don’t read them near enough.  In fact, can’t remember the last one, which is a sure sign to pick one up.

    A LESSON IN PROPRIETY by Jen Turano

    Release date – May 20, 2025

    2clowns at arkansas dot net

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    1. That’s interesting, Kay, that you gravitate more to contemporary (and I’m guessing suspense?) rather than historical. I tend to go in phases where I’m in the mood for one genre or the other but this quarter I was pretty even which surprised me. Brave you for wanting to try a Jessica R Patch! She’s too scary for me! 🙂 Good luck, Kay!

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      1. Can’t say I have an absolute favorite and the majority of what I read seems to change often. I just feel that I’ve been neglectful of historical. Really love them when I can get to read them. In fact, they are like potato chips because usually I read one and want another and then another. Always willing to try any Christian book except Sci-Fi and Fantasy (other than storybook retellings if they classify as such). Just can’t get my head to even look at those two. Besides, too many others to choose from. 🙂

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  20. Good Morning, Kav! Happy Friday!

    Keep current on a favorite author:

    Ambush – Colleen Coble

    psalm103and138atgmaildotcom

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  23. Ohhh prayers for the family and for the weather. Stay safe.

    To continue this series To Capture a Mountain Man book 3 (the british are coming) by Robin Lee Hatcher

    quilting dash lady at comcast dot net

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  24. I love fairytale retellings and westerns. How could I go wrong here???

    To Love a Beast (western fairytale retelling) by Karen Witemeyer

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  27. Happy Friday and many thanks for another wonderful week of adding to our reading lists! I have a few books to add for my goal of keeping current with favorite authors or series.

    #1. The Summer of You and Me by Denise Hunter, 4/22

    Sandyavery at comcast dot net

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  28. One of my goals is to complete series’s that I’ve started! I loved the first book of this series, so time for the second!
    A Winter by the Sea by Julie Klassen

    manderley23 at gmail dot com

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  36. High winds in Southeast Nebraska. Gusting to over 50 mph today with sun. Tomorrow Rain hopefully and cooler and even cooler on Sunday with a possibility of snow and rain mixed maybe. We really need the moisture as were under another red flag warning meaning one spark could cause a fire. Tired of the red flag warning. Low humidity and dry conditions. Days like today makes it hard for me to concentrate to read. I hope the weather isn’t too bad up there this weekend.

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      1. Does not surprise me about the fires. Just hoping we get through the summer here with few but the air here is so dry.

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    2. Thanks, Kim. I’m surprised at the number of fires already reported this year. We definitely don’t have a problem with dryness…yet. Sometimes we’ll get a drought during a heat wave and that brings a risk of fire, but nothing like you guys have out west.

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      1. Only the last few years has Eastern Nebraska had fires that get out of control outside of the city limits so far no fires within the city limits but i have a feeling in the next few years that could change.

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  38. New to me author, Indie, AND Christian fantasy (it hits most of my goal categories!): Regency and Regicide by JJ Fischer. I saw a different book by Fischer was up for a Christy award last year, so she must be good!

    rdalquist AT gmail DOT com

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    1. Ohhhh, I haven’t heard of this book before but it looks really, really, really good! Regency and fantasy and a kind of time travel — well book travel — definitely sounds like a book I’d love. Good luck, Rachael!

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  41. Stay With Me by Jody Hedlund

    Finish a favorite series

    sarahdar0801ATgmailDOTcom

    i also have a goal of reading 45 this year. Which is more than I have read in the past 2 years. I have so far read 16 and almost done with my 17th. I’m excited to be on track so far esp since I know that will slow down once summer fully hits. And vacation usually means less reading time too and we leave in a month and a half for that. Super excited! I’ll get to see the beach and the ocean for the very first time(going to Maine)

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  44. 2. Christian sci-fi/fantasy: Lady of Basilikas by Ronie Kendig

    I’m really trying to find contemporary fantasy that I like – I grew up loving YA fairy tales, but content has changed a lot in the last 25 years. Even with clean content from the Christian authors, I’m still terribly picky and don’t actually care for heavy allegory (like CS Lewis), so the trick is finding writing styles that I like. I have enjoyed Ronie Kendig’s suspense novels, and it sounds like this book is more or less a stand alone from her series (which is long and dense), and thus hopefully a good sample of her speculative side.

    rdalquist AT gmail DOT com

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  45. 3. Rereading goal for author’s backlists: The Curse of Misty Wayfair by Jaime Jo Wright

    When I’m caught in the gap between new releases, it’s always nice to have rereads available! This one was long enough ago it will just about be like reading a new book!

    rdalquist AT gmail DOT com

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  47. I will read anything by this author ~ longstanding, know what I’m getting “gentle stories of hope”

    1) Hope’s Enduring Echo by Kim Vogel Sawyer – WaterBrook, March 25, 2025 Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House kathleen[dot]e[dot]belongia[at]gmail[dot]com

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  48. This book might be trying to move me out of my favorite historical fiction genre! I am not much of a Mystery reader, so “getting my feet wet” next to an old lighthouse!

    2) Between the Sound and Sea: (Inspirational Contemporary Fiction with History and Mystery at a North Carolina Lighthouse) by Amanda Cox – Revell, August 6, 2024 Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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  49. Indie Publisher ~ Australia. Read book 1 and I want to know what happens next in series!

    3) Carry Me Away (Blue Wren Shallows #2) by Dorothy Adamek – Crabapple House Publishing, November 5, 2019 Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House

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  50. Great stats Kav! One of my goals this year has been to catch up on reviews and I’m making progress…

    Goal: Read all of Sarah Eden’s books

    The Best-Kept Secrets by Sarah M. Eden

    colorvibrant at gmail dot com

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