2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE 2014
>
Sibyl's 2014 Challenge Tracker
date
newest »
newest »
Around the World in Books Annual ChallengeNeed 7
For this challenge, your task is to read books from different regions of the world. The book must take place in that region, be written in a language of that region, OR be written by an author from that region.
Regions
North America - The Golem and the Jinni
Central America
Caribbean
South America
West Europe - Hild
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia & South Pacific A Town Like Alice
Listopia challenge - need 2 each month from post here:https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
January: need 2 from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
The Virgin Suicides
A Town Like Alice
February: - need 2 from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Bumbling Into Body Hair (bought for Kindle)
If it's a Choice by Hooper - borrow via Amazon Prime
March - need 2 from this list:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/2...
--More Anguished English
(get from Knox County Library)
--A Voyage Long and Strange (bought from Amazon)
April - need 2 from this list
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
A Modest Proposal (bought from Amazon)
This is Water (David Foster Wallace) - check out from KCPL
May - need 2 from this list (updated from 2013)
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
The Goldfinch
Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief
(check KCPL before buying from Amazon)
2014 Goodreads Choice Awards Challenge - need 11 books from different genres belowEvery November, the Goodreads Choice Awards come around to reward books published that year. This yearly challenge is in anticipation of the 2014 challenge. Read a book published in 2014 for each category. This is also a chance to challenge yourself to read new genres!
Fiction
Mystery & Thriller
Historical Fiction
Fantasy
Paranormal Fantasy
Science Fiction
Romance
Horror
Memoir & Autobiography
History & Biography
Nonfiction
Food & Cookbooks
Humor
Graphic Novels & Comics
Poetry
Debut Goodreads Author
Young Adult Fiction
Young Adult Fantasy
Middle Grade & Children's
Picture Books
Recommended by Reading Challengers Challenge - need 6 from this list:https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/4...
Dewey Decimal Challenge - need to read from 8 classifications:Categories:
000-099: Computer Science, Bibliographies, Library Sciences, Encyclopedias & Books of Facts, Associations, Organizations & Museums, News Media, Journalism & Publishing, General Collections, Manuscripts & Rare Books
100-199: Philosophy, Metaphysics, Epistemology, Parapsychology & Occultism, Philosophical Schools of Thought, Psychology, Logic, Ethics, Ancient, Medieval & Eastern Philosophy, Modern Western Philosophy
200-299: Religion, Natural Theology, Bible, Christian Theology, Christian Moral & Devotional Theology, Christian Orders & Local Church, Christian Social Theology, Christian Church History, Christian Denominations & Sects, Other & Comparative Religions
300-399: Social Sciences, Sociology, General Statistics, Political Science, Economics, Law, Public Administration, Social Services, Education, Commerce, Customs, Etiquette, Folklore - The Smartest Kids in the World: And How They Got That Way
400-499: Language, Linguistics, English & Old English, German, Romance Languages, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italic, Latin, Hellenic, Classical Greek, Other
500-599: Sciences, Mathematics, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Paleontology, Life Sciences, Plants, Zoological Sciences
600-699: Technology (Applied Sciences), Medical Sciences, Engineering, Agriculture, Home Economics & Family Living, Management, Chemical Engineering, Manufacturing, Buildings
700-799: Arts, Civic and Landscape Art, Architecture, Plastic Arts and Sculpture, Drawing & Decorative Arts, Painting, Graphic Arts, Photography, Music, Recreational & Performing Arts
800-899: Literature, American Literature, English & Old English Literature, German Literature, Literatures of Romance Languages, Italian, Romanian, Spanish, Portuguese, Italic, Latin, Hellenic, Classical Greek - Hild
900-999: History, Geography/Travel, Ancient History, General History of Europe, General History of Asia, Far East, Africa, North America, South America, Other
Read the Month Around the World Yearly Challenge - need to do 2 each monthThis is a modified spell out challenge where each month of the year is spelled out in a different language!
For each letter, read a book where that letter is contained somewhere in the title or the author's name. It does NOT need to be the first letter of the word. The book used must be read in the month it represents.
January: Kapampangan (a language of the Philippines)
E - Best American Science and Nature Writing 2000
N - A Town Like Alice
E - French Twist
R - American Savage
O - The Golem and the Jinni
February: Arabic (Algeria & Tunisia)
F - The Fires of Vesuvius
I - The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
F - Gilded by Christina Farley
R - Men we Reaped by Jesmyn Ward
I - Five Days at Memorial by Sheri Fink
March: Malay (a language of places like Indonesia etc)
M
A
C
April: Papiamento (a language of the Caribbean ABC Islands => Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao)
A
P
R
E
L
May: Romanian (Romania)
M
A
I
June: Greenlandic (Greenland)
J
U
N
I
July: Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda etc.)
J
U
L
A
I
August: Japanese (Japan)
H
A
D
U
K
I
September: Basque (Basque Country, Spain)
I
R
A
I
L
October: Ewe (is a Niger–Congo language spoken in southeastern Ghana and southern Togo)
K
E
L
E
November: Venda (South Africa) (is a Bantu language predominately spoken in the Limpopo Province, Botswana)
L
A
R
A
December: Niuean (Niue Island, Tokelau)
T
E
S
E
M
O
Randomizer Yearly Challenge - will do one per month. Books still to be randomized. Will come back and edit when done.https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
January: The Best American Science and Nature Writing 2000
February I Don't Know: In Praise of Admitting Ignorance
March The Bone Season - get from Knox County Library
April The Paternity Test - buy from Amazon
May The Book of My Lives - check KCPL before buying from Amazon
Goodreads Authors Challenge Yearly Challenge - need sixTHE GOODREADS AUTHORS CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014
The idea is to read books by Goodreads authors. These authors have invested in the Goodreads community just as you have.
The authors you read don't need to be new to you; however, we encourage you to go outside of your comfort zone a bit to discover new authors right here.
How to Tell if Someone is a Goodreads author :
On the book page, you will see (Goodreads Author) in gray next to the author's name
On the author page, you will see "Goodreads author profile" in the top right across from the author's name
Monopoly Genres Yearly ChallengeIt's a subgenre challenge with a twist! This challenge uses a monopoly board, and each color is a different genre. Read the subgenre listed on each property--your goal is to get as many monopolies (all the subgenres listed for each color) as possible.
Young Adult - coming of age:
Young Adult - fantasy:
Historical - ancient:
Historical - Medieval: Hild
Historical - Victorian: The Golem and the Jinni
Nonfiction - history:
Nonfiction - science:
Need twoJanuary's Let it Snow! Mini Challenge
January 1 - 31, 2014
For those of us living in cold, northern climates during this time of year, it can be very snowy indeed. Let's do a snow-inspired challenge!
1. Let it Snow! is a song written in 1945. Read a book written in the 1940s.
2. Whiteout. A whiteout is a weather condition where visibility is severely reduced due to snow. Read a book with a predominantly white cover.
The Smartest Kids in the World
3. All snowflakes have six sides. Read a book with the number 6 in its page number. (For example, The Golem and the Jinni has 486 pages.)
The Golem and the Jinni
4. Is winter over yet? Read a long book (a book with 500 or more pages).
Need 4JANUARY: NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - 31, 2014
It's time for New Year's Resolutions, and this challenge explores some of the most popular ones.
1. Save more money. Instead of buying a book, read a book you borrowed (from a friend or the library) or was given to you as a gift.
The Golem and the Jinni
2. Quit smoking. Smoking is an addiction which is a neurological disorder explained by science. Read a science non-fiction book. Best American Science and Nature Writing 2000
3. Exercise more. Read a book whose cover shows people being active in some way OR read a book in which one of the main characters is an athlete.
French Twist
4. Spend more time with friends. Old favorite books are just like old friends. Reread an old favorite.
5. Watch less TV. Instead of watching TV or going to the movies, read a book that got turned into a movie or TV show.
6. Go back to school. Read a book from this list: https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/7...
7. Go on a trip. Read a book that takes place in a country you've never been to. (This can be a made up country.) The Smartest Kids in the World - Takes place in Finland, Poland, and Korea.
8. Volunteer or donate more. Read a book you own then donate it. There are many places that accept donated books. You can try your library, thrift stores, or local charitable organizations. Let us know where you donated your book!
need 6:FIRST QUARTER CHALLENGE: THE CHINESE ZODIAC (Shēngxiào)
Duration: January 1 - March 31, 2014
1. The Horse. On January 31, 2014, it becomes the Year of the Horse! Horses like being the center of attention. Read a book where the main character is famous OR read a memoir about or a biography of a celebrity.
2. The Goat. Home is where Goats feel the most comfortable. Read a book that takes place in the country you were born in.
French Twist
3. The Monkey. Monkeys are the masters of practical jokes. Read a humorous book.
American Savage
4. The Rooster. Roosters tend to "tell it like it is." Read a non-fiction book.
The Smartest Kids in the World
5. The Dog. While loyal and faithful, Dogs have trouble finding mates. Read a book that contains a troubled romance.
Strain
6. The Pig. Pigs love to have fun but tend to prefer spending to saving. Read a book you have purchased (rather than borrowed).
7. The Rat. Constantly seeking knowledge, Rats are curious and clever. Read a book that teaches you something.
8. The Ox. Oxen aren't very sociable and prefer life-long friendships to casual acquaintances. Read a book in which the main character could be described as an introvert.
9. The Tiger. Tigers love to be challenged. Read a book you find challenging in some way maybe because of its length, style, or subject matter.
A Town Like Alice
10. The Rabbit. Rabbits tend to enjoy meeting people from different places and learning about different cultures. Read a book about a culture not your own.
11. The Dragon. The Dragon is often considered to be the strongest sign, and the only one that is a mythical animal. Read a book that contains a mythical or paranormal creature.
The Golem and the Jinni
12. The Snake. Snakes work hard but tend to be easily bored. To prevent boredom, read a short book (i.e., one with fewer than 100 pages).
Boom by Tony Horwitz (bought from Amazon)
need 6:FIRST QUARTER CHALLENGE: LILAC'S RAINBOW CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - March 31, 2014
Thank you to Lilac for this lovely idea! Make a rainbow out of the book covers. You can use as few as four books (red, yellow, green, blue) or as many as you like as long as the final result is a rainbow of books.
RED -
ORANGE -
YELLOW -
GREEN -
BLUE -
INDIGO -
VIOLET/PURPLE -
Oil and Honey - get from Knox Co. Library
The Language Instinct - get from Knox Co. Library
Bearded Lady - borrow from Amazon Prime
The Family - Get from Knox Co. Library
Need 2DAPHNE'S CHALLENGE: EXPLORATIONS IN LOVE
Duration: February 1 - 28, 2014
Love comes in all flavors right?
1. Philia. Translated from the ancient Greek as brotherly love. Read a book that features some sort of ‘bromance’ or two strong male characters.
Strain
2. Love triangle. There are some pretty famous ones. In honor of Aphrodite, Hephaistos, and Ares, read a book about ancient myths or fables OR a mythic fantasy novel.
Gilded
3. Pygmalionism. From the Greek myth of Pygmalion. Read a book that features an artist, a great work of art or architecture, or an inanimate object having some sort of consciousness.
4. Autassassinophilia. Another way to say you love death, destruction, or mayhem. Read a mystery, horror, or thriller.
5. Chronophilia. When you only date people of a certain age group, derived from the God Chronos (father time). Read a book where the main characters are vastly different age ranges OR read a book that spans a large amount of time.
6. Biophilia. A love of nature. Coined by the great E. O. Wilson. Read a book whose setting takes place in nature or wild and untamed lands OR read a book about ecology. Bonus if you read a book by Edward O. Wilson!
7. Star-crossed lovers. In honor of the original star-crossed lovers, read a book that takes place in Renaissance Italy, Elizabethan England, or was book to movie that had Claire Danes or Leonardo DiCaprio in them. (There are a lot, seriously. Check out IMDb if you don’t believe me.)
8. Mechanophilia. Who doesn't love cool machines? Read a Steampunk/Cyberpunk book OR read a book that machines (like a spaceship) play a big role.
9. Plushophilia. A love of stuffed animals. They even call themselves plushies. Read a book about a sub-culture OR read a book involving anthropomorphism.
Need all fourCANDY HEARTS MINI CHALLENGE
Duration: February 1 - 28, 2014
1. Love me. This one's easy! Read a romance novel.
The Rosie Project
2. Puppy love. Read a book that features animals.
The Art of Racing in the Rain
3. Love bug. The word "bug" means a few different things. Read a book with a title that contains a word with multiple meanings.
Book of Ages
4. Tweet me. Read a book that involves technology in some way.
Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution
Need 4:THE MNEMONIC CHALLENGE
Duration: March 1 - 31, 2014
"Spring forward, fall back" is a mnemonic device to help you remember which way to change your clocks during daylight savings time. A mnemonic is a memory aid. Let's explore other mnemonics in this challenge.
1. My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos is used to remember the order of the planets. Read a book that takes place in space.
2. My Enormous Penguin Bounces Pretty High is to remember the series of alkanes in chemistry. Read a book that features an animal that is not typically kept as a pet (like a penguin).
Wesley the Owl - get from Knox Co. Library
3. Thirty days hath September, April, June, and November. Read a book that has a page number count that includes the digits 3 and 0 (in any order).
4. Wives of Henry VIII: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Read a book in which a character is part of an unhappy marriage.
5. Mrs. Baker is used to remember the eight common law felonies (murder, rape, sodomy, burglary, arson, kidnapping, escape, robbery). Read a book in a which one of these felonies takes place.
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune - burglary
6. Please excuse my dear Aunt Sally (PEMDAS) is to remember the order of operations in math (parenthesis, exponents, multiplication & division, addition & subtraction). Read a book that has a Goodreads description that includes parentheses.
Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir
7. Every good boy does fine is the mnemonic for the notes on the five lines of the treble clef. Read a book that involves music in some way.
Beat The Devil
8. I before E, except after C read a book that has a title containing a word following the mnemonic (e.g., it could contain the word "friend" or "receive").
Need all four:DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME MINI CHALLENGE
Duration: March 1 - 31, 2014
In many parts of the northern hemisphere, Daylight Savings Time begins in March. Below is a map showing the usage of Daylight Savings Time around the world. Blue is for areas currently using it, and red and orange areas do not.
1. Read a book set in a place that currently uses daylight savings time.
Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune
2. Read a book set in a place that does not currently use daylight savings time.
Boxers & Saints Boxed Set
3. Daylight savings time was first implemented in 1916. Read a book that takes place before 1916.
A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World
4. Daylight savings time was first proposed by a man named George Veronon Hudson. Read a book by an author who shares an initial with George Vernon Hudson.
Fresh Off the Boat: A Memoir by Eddie Huang
Need 5SECOND QUARTER CHALLENGE: #READWOMEN2014
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2014
For this challenge, decide how many new-to-you female authors you would like to read. Once your goal is set, read! And come back and tell us who your favorites were to get great female authors more exposure. Each author can only count once.
Need 6THE SHOWER DISAMBIGUATION CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - 30, 2014
Wikipedia has lots of entries for the word "shower." Let's explore them!
1. A shower is the act of bathing under a spray of water. Read a book that has water in some form on its cover. This can be traditional forms of water (such as a lake, a glass of water, or rain), but it could also be ice or steam.
Toms River - get from KCPL
2. A type of precipitation. Read a book that contains some kind of weather event.
Wave - bought from Amazon
3. A juggling pattern. The more objects in the shower, the more difficult. The same can be said for page numbers. Read a book with more than 350 pages.
The Art of Power
4. The 1999 short film. This film is only 10 minutes long. Read a short book (fewer than 150 pages).
A Modest Proposal
5. The 1999 Chinese drama/comedy. Read a book set in China OR read a book you would consider to be bothh a drama and a comedy.
The Bonesetter's Daughter - bought from Amazon
6. The episode of The O.C. The O.C. was an American teen drama that took place in Orange County, CA. Read a book set in California OR read something you would consider to be a teen drama.
7. Baby shower. Read a book in which a character has a baby OR read a book in which something important happened to a main character while he or she was a baby.
The Paternity Test
8. Bridal shower. Read a book you received as a gift OR read a book in which someone gets married.
9. Meteor shower. Read a book that at least partly takes place in space OR (because we sometimes wish upon meteors) read a book in which a character makes a wish.
10. Particle shower. Read a book about science OR read a book with a title containing a word that can be made from the letters in the word PARTICLE (examples: PART, ICE, IT, AT, CLEAR).
need 4 in MayLet's take a look at various holidays around the world. Cover hunts can be hard, and because this one is running for just a single month, we've provided a non-cover alternative for you for each task.
1. May Day is lei day in Hawaii. Read a book with a flower on its cover OR read a book that takes place in a country that celebrates May day. For a list, see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internat...
2. World Press Freedom Day. Read a book with a form of media on its cover (such as a book, a newspaper, or a CD) OR read a book in which a character is a reporter.
3. Star Wars Day. May the Fourth be With You. Read a book with a star on its cover OR read a science fiction book.
4. Children’s Day. こどもの日. Read a book that has a child on its cover OR read a young adult book.
5. Cinco de Mayo. Read a book with the number 5 somewhere on its cover (even if it’s in the title!) OR read a book with a 5 in its number of pages.
6. National Train Day. Read a book with a mode of transportation on its cover OR read a book in which a character takes a train ride.
7. Towel Day. "A towel, [The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy] says, is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have." Read a book with a towel on it OR read a book written by Douglas Adams.
8. World Turtle Day. Read a book with an animal on its cover OR read a book that contains a turtle.
need 2THE VERY MINI BIRTHDAY CHALLENGE
Duration: May 1 - 31, 2014
1. Read a book that was published year you were born.
The Black Cauldron - bought from Amazon
2. Read a book from an author who shares a birthday or birth year with you.
??? Check this list:
http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/yea...
2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Book of My Lives (other topics)Going Clear: Scientology, Hollywood, and the Prison of Belief (other topics)
The Goldfinch (other topics)
A Tale for the Time Being (other topics)
Beat The Devil (other topics)
More...
At some point in our lives, most of us have read something in a book we wanted to know more about—be it a time in history, a location, or even a hobby one of the characters has. The point of this challenge is to broaden your horizons, to learn more about the things that interest you.
Pick a book, any book, and note the things you find interesting in the story. After that first book is read, you'll select another book that links with something from the first book.
Example: Let's say you started reading The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a dystopian book, the main character has a great bond with her sister, children fight each other to the death, and Katniss enjoys hunting and archery. So let's say you are really interested in books about archery. Then you can decide to read something like The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Maybe you think "What a great classic book! I want to read more." You continue on this same route until you've reached your goal.
I will start with the first book I start in 2014.
First book read: The Smartest Kids in the World and How They Got That Way.
The author stresses the importance of math education and assesses deficits in U.S. math education. For January, I will read The Simpsons and Their Mathematical Secrets.
One of the main characters in the Simpsons is Lisa Simpson. Lisa is the name of my childhood best friend. For February I will read a book with friendship as a strong theme.
The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap
The author of TPOMD gave all proceeds from the book to an animal shelter. My book for March will have to do with pets or other domestic animals, or animal rescue.
Wesley the Owl
The book is set (at the beginning) at Cal Tech, which always makes me think of physics due to Richard Feynman and my friend Rosie, a graduate who majored in physics. My next book in this challenge will address or incorporate physics in some way.
A Tale for the Time Being
One of the narrators in this book suffers from bullying at school. My book for May will include bullying or other struggles between a teen narrator and peers or teachers.