Curtis Memorial Library will be hosting an Fall Reading Challenge starting October 1st!
Details of the 2025 Fall Reading Challenge
Start:
We will begin the challenge on October 1st. Starting October 1st, participants can pick up a Adult Reading challenge sheet at the First Floor Welcome Desk or the Second Floor Help Desk.
Finish:
Turn in your completed sheet by November 30th for a chance to win a Curtis Memorial Tote bag and a pound of Wicked Joe coffee!
How to Play:
In this Fall Reading Challenge, a person must read 1 book from at least 3 of the 4 categories. The book categories are as follows:
- Dark & Spooky– Read a book that leans into the dark and spooky—whether it’s a classic ghost story, a chilling thriller, or a gothic novel full of secrets.
- Cozy Reads– Read a book that feels like reading by a warm fire. Choose a story that makes you smile, laugh, or simply feel cozy—like wrapping yourself in a blanket with a favorite mug in hand.
- Comfort Food– Read a book that gives off the season of comfort food. The kind of book you want to curl up with under a blanket, while a pot of soup simmers on the stove. Choose a story that features food, chefs or cooking!
- Campus Novels -Read a book that steps into the season of sharpened pencils, new notebooks, and fresh beginnings. For this challenge, pick a book that captures the spirit of learning, curiosity, or campus life.
How to Submit:
When 3 books are read, return the completed sheet, make sure to include contact information. On December 1st, we will be drawing 1 random person to win the Curtis Memorial Tote bag!
Need book suggestions?
Dark and Spooky Books- read a book that leans into the dark and spooky- whether it’s a classic ghost story, a chilling thriller or a gothic novel full of secrets.
How to Sell a Haunted House- Grady Hendrix
In How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, Louise returns home after her parents’ sudden death and must face both her estranged brother and their mother’s eerie collection of puppets. As they prepare the house for sale, they uncover dark family secrets and a haunting that refuses to be silenced.
The Housemaid- Freida McFadden
In The Housemaid by Frieda McFadden, Millie takes a job working for the wealthy Winchester family, hoping for a fresh start. At first, the house seems perfect, but soon she notices strange behavior, locked doors, and unsettling secrets. As the tension builds, Millie realizes her dream job may become her worst nightmare.
What Moves the Dead- T.Kingfisher
In What Moves the Dead by T. Kingfisher, retired soldier Alex Easton travels to a crumbling estate in the countryside after learning their childhood friend is gravely ill. The house and its surroundings are plagued by bizarre fungi, eerie hares, and an unnatural decay. As Alex investigates, they uncover a terrifying force lurking beneath the land and within the Usher family.
In Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, Daisy and her estranged family gather at her grandmother’s isolated house on a tidal island for her 80th birthday. When the tide traps them overnight, family members begin turning up dead one by one. As secrets unravel, Daisy must confront the truth hidden within her family’s dark past.
In Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, Opal wants nothing more than to escape her stifling hometown of Eden, Kentucky, but a mysterious old mansion keeps drawing her in. The reclusive heir, Arthur, reluctantly lets her inside, where the house seems alive and full of secrets. Together, they uncover dark forces tied to Eden’s past that threaten both the house and their future.
Mexican Gothic- Silvia Moreno-Garcia
In Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, glamorous socialite Noemí Taboada is sent to a remote mansion in 1950s Mexico after receiving a desperate letter from her newlywed cousin. The house, High Place, is filled with disturbing secrets, eerie visions, and a family with a dark, unsettling past. As Noemí digs deeper, she must confront both supernatural horrors and the twisted legacy of the estate.
The Family Upstairs- Lisa Jewell
Behind Her Eyes- Sarah Pinborough
The Historian – Elizabeth Kostova
Mexican Gothic- Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Cozy Reads – Read a book that feels like reading by a warm fire. Choose a story that makes you smile, laugh or simply feel cozy, like wrapping yourself in a blanket with a favorite mug in hand.
First Frost – Sarah Addison Allen
In First Frost by Sarah Addison Allen, the Waverley family prepares for the arrival of the magical first frost, a season that stirs up both wonder and uncertainty. Claire struggles with her candy business, Sydney longs for a new addition to her family, and teenage Bay wrestles with matters of the heart. As the frost approaches, the Waverleys learn to trust in themselves, their magic, and the bonds of family.
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt is a heartwarming story about a 70-year-old widow named Tova who forms an unlikely friendship with Marcellus, an intelligent giant Pacific octopus at her night cleaning job at the local aquarium.
Water, Water : Poems – Billy Collins
Water, Water is a 2024 collection of 60 new poems by Billy Collins that finds wonder and delight in the ordinary moments of everyday life. The book showcases his ability to reveal the “hidden depths” of the familiar through a unique blend of whimsy, wit, and a keen eye for the absurd and beautiful aspects of the world.
Legends and Lattes- Travis Baldree
Legends & Lattes is a high-fantasy, low-stakes novel about the orc barbarian Viv, who retires from a life of bloodshed to open the first coffee shop in the city of Thune. The story is a comforting, cozy, and romantic tale of starting over, building a new life, and finding friendship and love in unexpected places.
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping- Sangu Mandanna
A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping follows Sera Swan, a once-powerful witch exiled after using a forbidden spell to resurrect her great-aunt, as she reluctantly runs an enchanted inn filled with quirky guests and tries to regain her magic. The novel is a cozy fantasy and rom-com about found family, self-worth, and finding belonging amidst a quirky community.
How to Solve Your Own Murder – Kristen Perrin
In How to Solve Your Own Murder by Kristen Perrin, Frances Adams is told as a teen she’ll one day be murdered—and decades later, the prediction comes true. Her great-niece Annie must unravel Frances’s secrets to solve the crime and claim her inheritance.
How to Find Love in a Bookshop-Veronica Henry
Mrs Quinn’s Rise to Fame – Olivia Ford
Little Women – Louisa May Alcott
The Thursday Murder Club- Richard Osman
Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand- Helen Simonson
The House in the Cerulean sea- TJ Klune
Murder in the Corn Maze – G.A. McKevett
Time Traveler’s Wife- Audrey Niffenegger
Remarkably Bright Creatures – Shelby Van Pelt
Pumpkin Spice Cafe- Laurie Gilmore
Candy Corn Murder – Leslie Meier
This is Not a Game- Kelly Mullen
Campus Novels- Read a book that steps in to the season of sharpened pencils, new notebooks, and fresh beginnings. For this challenge, pick a book that captures the spirit of learning, curiosity or campus life.
In Normal People by Sally Rooney, Marianne and Connell weave in and out of each other’s lives from high school through college. Their intense connection is marked by love, miscommunication, and shifting power dynamics. It’s a tender, complicated story about intimacy, identity, and what it means to truly know someone.
Bright Young Women – Jessica Knoll
In Bright Young Women by Jessica Knoll, two women’s lives collide after a brutal attack by a serial killer. Pamela, a sorority president, and Tina, a young widow, challenge the official narrative that overlooks the victims’ stories. Together, they reclaim the focus from the killer to the resilience and voices of the women he tried to silence.
In Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Alex Stern, a Yale freshman with a troubled past, is recruited to monitor the university’s secret societies. These groups practice dark magic with deadly consequences, and Alex must navigate their power while uncovering sinister mysteries. As danger closes in, she learns the cost of survival in a world where privilege and the occult collide.
n The Secret History by Donna Tartt, a group of elite college students fall under the sway of their enigmatic classics professor. Their obsession with beauty, intellect, and ancient rituals leads them to commit a murder. As guilt and paranoia grow, their lives spiral into betrayal and tragedy.
In Babel by R.F. Kuang, Robin Swift studies translation and silver magic at Oxford, only to uncover its ties to empire and exploitation. He must choose between serving the institution that raised him or fighting against its injustice.
In Come and Get It by Kiley Reid, college senior Millie strikes up an arrangement with visiting professor Agatha Paul that quickly blurs boundaries. As secrets and power struggles unfold, questions of race, privilege, and ambition come to the surface.
Never Let Me go- Kazuo Ishiguro
Admission- Jean Hanff Korelitz
The Art of Fielding- Chad Harbach
Catherine House- Elisabeth Thomas
Plain Bad Heroines- Emily M. Danforth
I Have Some Questions for You –Rebecca Makkai
Comfort Food – Read a book that gives off the season of comfort food. The kind of book you want to curl up with under a blanket, while a pot of soup simmers on the stove. Choose a story that features food, chefs or cooking!
Crying in H Mart- Michelle Zauner
In Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner, the singer and writer reflects on her close relationship with her mother and the profound impact of her mother’s death from cancer. Through memories of food, music, and culture, Zauner explores identity, grief, and the complexities of family. It is a tender, honest memoir about love, loss, and finding oneself in the midst of sorrow.
Arsenic and Adobo- Mia P. Manansala
In Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala, Lila Macapagal returns home to help run her family’s restaurant, only to become a suspect when her ex-boyfriend suddenly dies. With the help of her quirky aunties and loyal dog, she investigates to uncover the real culprit.
The Kamogawa Food Detectives – Hisashi Kashiwai
In The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai, father and daughter run a hidden diner in Kyoto, helping clients recreate cherished dishes from their pasts. Through food, they unlock memories, heal emotional wounds, and bring people together.
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club – J. Ryan Stradal
Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal follows generations of women in the Prager and Miller families, centered around their beloved supper club. Through love, loss, and family ties, the novel explores legacy and the bonds that shape us.
In Finding Freedom by Erin French, the chef of The Lost Kitchen shares her journey from addiction and single motherhood to rebuilding her life and career. Her memoir is a story of resilience, food, and personal transformation.
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake – Alexis Hall
Rosaline Palmer, enters a British baking competition to prove herself and secure a better future for her daughter. Amidst the flour and fondant, she navigates romantic entanglements and her own self-doubt. With humor and heart, the novel explores identity, ambition, and the pursuit of personal fulfillment.
Lessons in Chemistry- Bonnie Garmus
The Kitchen Front – Jennifer Ryan
Apple Turnover Murder – Joanne Fluke
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe- Fannie Flagg
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living- Louise Miller
Kitchens of the Great Midwest- J. Ryan Stradal
Garden Spells- Sarah Addison Allen
The Last Chinese Chef- Nicole Mones
Miss Cecily’s Recipes for Exceptional Ladies- Vicky Zimmerman
Five Quarters of the Orange – Joanne Harris
A Homemade Life- Molly Wizenberg
Murder by Cheesecake – Rachel Ekstrom-Courage
Tender at the Bone- Ruth Reichl
