2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

Reserved.

I Spy Challenge

6/25
1. Color - red, crimson, indigo
2. Number - one, twice, third The 39 Steps by John Buchan
3. Things That Grow - tree, rose, garden
4. Seasons - spring, fall, autumn - A little Book of Christmas by John Kendrick Bangs
5. First Name - Jacqueline, Robert, Ajax - Zel by Donna Jo Napoli
6. Places - country, empire, London
7. Body Part - hand, bone, mind
8. Weapon - knife, poison, arrow Animal Weapons: The Evolution of Battle by Douglas J. Emlen
9. Body of Water - sea, river, pond
10. Form of Water - ice, mist, rain
✓11. Product of Fire - heat, ash, flames The Girl Who Sat by the Ashes by Padraic Colum
12. Celestial Body - sun, star, planet
13. Architecture - castle, bridge, house
14. Senses - sight, touch, taste
15. Royal Title - king, duke, emperor
✓16. Family Member - brother, aunt, parent The Children of Odin: The Book of Northern Myths by Padraic Colum
17. Elements - fire, wind, air
18. Time of Day - morning, dusk, evening
✓19. Metal - gold, bronze, steel - The Legacy of the Mastodon: The Golden Age of Fossils in America by Keith S. Thomson
20. Emotion/Feeling - love, fear, pride
21. Animal/Insect - dog, tiger, unicorn
✓22. Something to Read - book, story, newspaper - The Memoirs of Elizabeth Frankenstein by Theodore Roszak
23. Gender Identifier - wife, man, lady - The Genial Idiot: His Views and Reviews by John Kendrick Bangs
✓24. Paranormal Being - vampire, angel, ghost - The Wendigo by Algernon Blackwood
✓25. Occupation - doctor, assassin, detective - Still Life: Adventures in Taxidermy by Melissa Milgrom

Complete Works Challenge

John Kendrick Bangs 0/11

To read in 2015:
1. A little Book of Christmas
2. Ghosts I Have Met, and Some OthersGhosts I Have Met, and Some Others
3. R. Holmes and Co.: Being the Remarkable Adventures of Raffles Holmes, Esq., Detective and Amateur Cracksman by Birth
4. Coffee and Repartee
5. The Inventions of the Idiot
6. The Autobiography of Methuselah
7. Baron Munchausen: An Account of His Recent Adventures
8. The Genial Idiot: His Views and Reviews
9. Over The Plum Pudding
10. Jack and the Check Book
11. Toppleton's Client: or a Spirit in Exile

Already read in 2014:
1. A House-Boat on the Styx
2. Alice in Blunderland: An Iridescent Dream
3. Pursuit of the Houseboat
4. The Enchanted Type-Writer
5. The Idiot
6. The Water Ghost and Others
7. Mrs. Raffles: Being the Adventures of an Amateur Crackswoman

30.6 - Sandy's task: Dancing in the Streets
Help Thread
To me, summer is all about the music, and my favorite summer memories involve lots of dancing to 60s Motown music. For this task we'll revisit some of the songs and artists of 60s Motown Music.

Read two books, one from each of the following options. **The two books must have a combined total of at least 500 pages.**

NOTE: ebooks without print versions cannot be used for tasks requiring a specific number of pages. If you read an ebook or audiobook use the page count for the mass market paperback if one exists. If there is no mass market paperback edition, use the paperback edition and if no paperback is available use the hardcover edition.

No books with a main page genre of childrens or kids may be used for this task.

Book 1. In a 2013 Rolling Stone reader's poll, the following songs were voted the top 10 greatest Motown Songs:
10. Let's Get It On (Marvin Gaye)
9. Dancing in the Street (Martha & the Vandellas)
8. Ain't No Mountain High Enough (Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell)
7. Tears of a Clown (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)
6. Ain't Too Proud to Beg (Temptations)
5. Tracks of My Tears (Smokey Robinson & the Miracles)
4. Papa Was a Rollin' Stone (Temptations)
3. I Heard it Through the Grapevine (Marvin Gaye)
2. What's Going On (Marvin Gaye)
1. My Girl (Temptations)

Definitely some Marvin Gaye fans voting here!

Read a book, the title/subtitle of which contains a word of at least 4 letters from the title of one of these songs . Words must match exactly - no variations.

Book 2. Some of the great Motown groups/artists from the 60s were:
Four Tops Jimmy Ruffin
Marvin Gaye The Supremes
Gladys Knight The Temptations
Martha Reeves Mary Wells
Smokey Robinson Stevie Wonder

Read a book whose author has the same initials as one of these Motown artists. The author's middle initial may be disregarded.


30.7 - Pamela3265's task: Celebrating Summer
Help Thread
This task will feature some of the fun events that traditionally take place during the summer months.

This is a 2 book task. Choose 2 different options below and read a book for each option.

Option 1 – June Wedding: I will be travelling to attend the wedding of one of my closest cousins. Since June is a popular month for weddings, read a book with a wedding dress/veil, wedding cake, church (or other religious building such as a mosque or synagogue), or a floral bouquet on the cover. Required: Include the cover when you post and, if it's not obvious, identify the wedding-related object.

Option 2 – Family Reunion: I have several family reunions scheduled for this summer. For this option, read a book whose authors initials can be found in the word REUNION. Letters may be used as many times as they are found in REUNION. Middle initials may be ignored.

Option 3 –Vacation: I will be joining members of my extended family for a week-long vacation in the mountains. For this option, read a book set in a place you would like to go on vacation. Required: Identify where you would like to go on vacation.

Option 4 – County Fair Time: My family enjoys visiting the county fair to enjoy “fair food” and look at the exhibits. For this option, read a book with an object on the cover you would expect to find exhibited at a county fair such as fresh produce, farm animals, handcrafts, art, etc. Required: Include the cover when you post and, if it's not obvious, identify the county fair object.

20.1 - Most Improved Player - Mary P's task: Summer is for Relaxing
Help Thread
I drive a school bus for a very large school district, so for 10 months out of the year I am driving children back and forth to school, on field trips, and to sporting events. When summer vacation comes around, I have to admit I am just as exited as the kids.

One of my favorite things to do to relax is to sit on my back deck in the morning with a hot cup of coffee and read for awhile.

Pick 1 of the 2 options below and put your feet up in your favorite reading spot with a beverage of your choice and a good book and just relax.

Option1: If your to-be-read list looks anything like mine, there are not enough days in the summer to make a dent in it. Sort your to-be-read list or pile from oldest to newest. Choose one of the ten oldest ones to read and spend some time relaxing.

Option 2: At the moment I am enjoying the days of summer but all the seasons represent something special for me. Read a book that has Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall in the title. Possessives and plurals are allowed, but no other variations. The word does not necessarily have to be referring to a season.


20.2 - Rookie at the Top - Lauren Jodi's task: The X-Philes
Help Thread
It has recently been announced by the Fox Network that a miniseries revival of The X-Files is in the works. This was my first ever TV show addiction and I would await with bated breath for each new episode. In honor of the bizarre exploits of Special Agent Fox Mulder and his skeptical partner, Dr. Dana Scully, read ONE book from the option of your choice.

REQUIRED: State which option you chose when posting.

Option 1: THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE
Mulder is obsessed with the alleged alien abduction of his sister, Samantha. He is on a mission to discover the truth about what happened to her. Read a book from the Quests Listopia. Be careful as it is possible that some of the books do not meet the SRC rules.
Required: State on which page of the list your book can be found.

Option 2: I WANT TO BELIEVE
The existence of aliens is a major theme running throughout the nine seasons of the original TV show as well as the subsequent feature films. Read a book with “aliens” or “extraterrestrials” as a main page genre. The genre can be embedded.

Option 3: TRUST NO ONE
Loyalty and betrayal are constant concerns for Mulder and his stalwart partner. They are constantly wary of mysterious enemies with secret agendas or fellow FBI agents with traitorous intentions. Read a book in which the main character is a spy or a double agent.
Required: If the connection isn't clear in the Goodreads description or genre list, explain how your book fits the task when you post.


20.3 - Best Review - Meghanly's task: ACRONYMS
Help Thread
Read one book with a title that consists of two or more words where the first letters of each word in the title spell an English word that is not a proper noun. Every word in the title counts, including "The", "A" "of" and "And". You should be able to read the letters from left to right and make a word (see examples below). Subtitles should be ignored. They may not be used. Titles that include numbers and symbols (ex: &) that are NOT spelled out cannot be used for this task. Need to check a word? This link might help: Scrabble Dictionary

Examples:
Sharp Objects = SO
A Little Life = ALL
Blood of My Blood = BOMB

20.4 - Author! Author! - Julie De's task: Happy Birthday!
Help Thread
During the span of the Summer reading challenge, my family will celebrate 12 different birthdays, including mine! Therefore, I have designed this task in honor of a few of these birthday boys and girls.

This is a ONE book task. Choose from the options below.

REQUIRED: State which option you chose when you post.

Option 1: As the youngest of my siblings, my brother was born on 6/20 and will be turning 26 this year. Read a book that is identified as book #2 or #6 in a series on Goodreads (series title, #).

Option 2: My mom celebrates her 60th birthday this year, born in July 1955. This is also the time of the grand opening of Disneyland in California. When the park opened, it consisted of five lands: Main Street USA, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Adventureland and Tomorrowland. Read a book with American, Fantasy, Western, Adventure, OR Science Fiction as a main page genre. Genres may be embedded or stand-alone.

Option 3: Of those in my family with birthdays during June, July and August, 8 of us are female. Read a book by a female author whose birthday also falls within these three months. This link might help: Author Birthdays
REQUIRED: If the author's birthdate is not listed on their Goodreads profile, you must include a link to a reference that identifies their date of birth.

Option 4: My only two nieces, Kimberlyn and Kaitlyn, celebrate their birthdays in July and August, respectively. Read a book whose title/subtitle (excluding series titles) contains a word beginning with the letter K.


20.5 - Bigger is Better – Camilla’s task: Dragon Kings
Help Thread
During the summer I love spending time near the water, either by a lake or a sea. Because of this, I chose the theme of Dragon Kings for this task.

**Note: Books with the genre children or kids may NOT be used for this task.**

Read ONE book from one of the following options.

Required: State which option you chose when you post.

Option 1: Bodies of water
A Dragon King is a deity in Chinese mythology commonly regarded as the divine ruler of moving bodies of water, such as waterfalls, rivers, or seas. For this option, read a book that shows a body of water (e.g., waterfall, river, sea, lake, pond, pool) on the cover.
Examples: Moby-Dick by Herman Melville To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Summer at Willow Lake (Lakeshore Chronicles, #1) by Susan Wiggs Breathless by Lurlene McDaniel Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) by Rachel Hawkins
Required: include the cover when you post.

Option 2: Shapeshifting
The Dragon Kings have the ability to shapeshift into human form. For this option, read a book with the main page genre “Shapeshifters”. The genre may be stand alone or embedded.

Option 3: Royalty and palaces
The Dragon Kings live in an underwater crystal palace, where they have their own royal court. For this option, read a book with one of the following words in the title or subtitle: king, queen, prince, princess, palace, castle, royal, court. Plurals and possessives will work, but no other variations.

Option 4: Cardinal directions
There are four major Dragon Kings, each ruling one of the Four Seas corresponding to one of the four cardinal directions (East, South, West, North). For this option, read a book by an author whose initials can be found in one of the cardinal directions. Both initials (first and last) must be found in the same directional word. Letters may be used only as many times as they occur in the name of the direction. Middle initials should be ignored. Hyphenated names count as one name.
Examples: Susan Ee (EAST), Thomas Harris (SOUTH or NORTH), Nora Roberts (NORTH)
Required: State which direction the author's initials can be found within.


20.6 - Seasoned Reader - BriKie's task: It Was Ability that Mattered, Not Disability
Help Thread
I am deaf and have been since shortly after birth. Being deaf has shaped my identity and my everyday life. It's something I'm fiercely proud of, and sometimes simultaneously frustrated with. My task is all about deafness.

Read ONE book from the following options.
**Note: Books with the genre children or kids may NOT be used for this task.**
Books with genres “Graphic Novel,” “Sequential Art,” “Comics,” and “Manga” that conform to all other SRC rules may be used.

Requirement: Identify which option you chose when you post.

1) Read a book that has a deaf character, or is written by a deaf author, or is about deaf experience. The book can be fiction or non-fiction.
Required: If information is not available in the GR data to justify your choice of book, you must provide an outside link that confirms the book's suitability for the task.

2) Read a book that has the word, "deaf" in the title or subtitle. Variations of the word are okay, as long as the root word remains intact.

3) Choose and read a book found on Stories about Individuals with Disabilities.
Required: Identify on which page of the list your book can be found when you post.

Summer Tasks


5.1 - Benzaiten
Help Thread
One of the Seven Lucky Gods of Japanese mythology, Benzaiten is the goddess of everything that flows: water, words, speech, eloquence, music and, by extension, knowledge. As modern-day purveyors of knowledge, librarians are our contemporary Benzaitens. Read a book that features a main character who is a librarian (currently or retired). This occupation should be apparent from the book's description or from its reviews on Goodreads.

5.2 - Bishamonten
"Crime" listed as a main page genre.
The Monster of Florence

5.3 - Daikokuten
Help Thread
Daikokuten is the Japanese god of wealth, commerce and trade. Read a book with one of the following words in the title/subtitle: cash, coin, gold, money, rich, richer, silver, wealth, wealthy. Plurals and possessives will work, but no other variations.

5.4 - Ebisu
Help Thread
FISH HorseSHoe Crab: BIography oF a Survivor
Horseshoe Crab: Biography of a Survivor

5.5 - Fukurokuju
Help Thread
Fukurokuju is the God of wisdom and longevity. Since we all know that books are the key to both, read a book with the genre "Books About Books" listed as a main page genre.

5.6 - Hotei
Help Thread
Hotei is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha. Reportedly, he is based on a real person. In honor of Hotei, read a nonfiction book with the genre "Humor," "Funny," or "Comedy" listed as a main page genre.

5.7 - Jurōjin
Help Thread
Jurōjin is the god of long life. Read a book that has the word OLD found intact in the title/subtitle or in the author's name.

5.8 - Kudokuten
Help Thread
Kudokuten is sometimes named as one of the Seven Gods of Fortune, replacing Jurōjin. She is considered to be the goddess of happiness, fertility, and beauty. Read a book written by a female author who has a first, middle, or last name that starts with the letter K.

5.9 - Takarabune
Help Thread
The the Seven Lucky Gods are often depicted aboard their sailboat, the Takarabune, or "Treasure Ship." One of the many treasures the Gods are shown delivering is food. Read a book with something that can be eaten (by humans) on the cover. REQUIRED: Include the cover when you post and identify the object.

5.10 - May the Gods Be Ever in Your Favor
Help Thread
The Seven Lucky Gods are smiling on you. For this task, enjoy any book of your choice.
Note: Books with the genre "children" or "kids" NOT found in AR Bookfinder MAY be used for this task. REQUIRED: If using this exemption, state that the book is not found in ARBookFinder.

10.1 - Summer Reading
Help Thread
Read a book from one of these summer reading lists:
San Francisco Public Library 2014 Adult Summer Reading List,
TED blog 2014 Summer Reading List, or
Gear Patrol 2015 Summer Reading List

REQUIRED: In your post, indicate the list on which you found your book.

10.2 - It's hurricane season again!
Pacific Hurricane-RICK
The Valley

10.3- Ghost stories around the campfire.
Read a book with the main page genre horror or thriller.
The Grove

10.4. We miss you, Jane.
Help Thread
Jane Austen died on July 18, 1817. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in JANE AUSTEN. Letters may be used as many times as they are found in JANE AUSTEN (so, 2 As, 2 Ns, 2 Es). Middle initials may be ignored.

10.5. June is Caribbean American Heritage Month!
set in one of the Caribbean countries
Murmurs from the Deep: Scientific Adventure in the Caribbean

In case of link failure, see post 2 in the Help Thread.

10.6. What is GR up to?
Help Thread
GR staff puts out a "what we're reading" lists every other month. Read a book from the March 2015 list or the May 2015 list. If there is a July list, you may also use a book from that list.

REQUIRED: Specify the list on which you found your book and the number on the list.

NOTE: There are several compilations on these lists. You may read any one book included in the compilation, as long as it has been separately published as an individual book and otherwise meets SRC requirements (length, etc.). In your post, along with the information about the list and number, include a link to the separately published book you read.

10.7. Think about it......
Help Thread
Read a nonfiction book with religion, spirituality, or philosophy listed as a main page genre.

10.8 - Ulysses, again!
Help Thread
In honor of Bloomsday (June 16), read a book set at least 50% in Ireland (either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland) or written by an author who was born or currently lives in Ireland.

10.9 - Three of a Kind?
Help Thread
The number three is significant in many mythologies and religions. Read a book that has exactly 3 living beings (mammal, bird, fish, reptile - no trees, flowers, etc.) on the cover. You can mix and match - 3 people; 2 people and a dog; a cow, a cat and a cobra............

REQUIRED: Include the cover in your post.

10.10 - Haiku!
Help Thread
A haiku is a Japanese poem with 17 syllables in 3 lines - 5-7-5. Read a book with a title consisting of 5 or 7 words. Subtitles can be used or ignored.