The 52 Book Club: 2025 Challenge discussion

December 2023 Mini-Challenge

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, brown paper packages tied up with string, these are a few of my favorite things…

This month’s mini-challenge has been inspired by the classic film, The Sound of Music — and more specifically, the song, My Favorite Things (sung by Julie Andrews’ character, Maria, in the middle of a thunderstorm!) This December reading challenge is made up of items featured within the song, and while the prompts are a little more abstract this month, we think it’s going to make an excellent opportunity to get creative and have some fun!

What is a mini-challenge:
Mini-challenges are small, month-long reading challenges. They usually contain two or three prompts built around a specific theme. Match one book to each prompt, getting as creative as you like. If you think the book fits the prompt, it does! These mini-challenges are released sporadically and not every month will have one. (The surprise and anticipation are part of the fun!)

December Mini-Challenge:
The December mini-challenge is a MINI-BINGO challenge!

We’ve chosen nine different items featured within the song “My Favorite Things” and have created a mini-bingo for you to complete. For this challenge, you can choose to read anywhere from three to nine books. Match one book to any of the nine items to complete that square on the My Favorite Things Mini-Bingo. Complete three in a row (vertically, horizontally, or diagonally) to get a “mini-bingo” and complete the challenge! If you’re feeling ambitious, you could also go for a “blackout” and complete all nine prompts.

This is a December mini-challenge but the books chosen do NOT have to be winter or holiday-themed (although that could make an excellent add-on for your challenge, if you wish.)

Since the prompts are all items featured within the song, My Favorite Things, this challenge will require a little creativity to complete. Take the prompts as literally or abstractly as you like. As always, if you think a book fits the prompt, it does! (We have some suggestions on our website https://www.the52book.club/december-2... if you’d like some extra help!)



December 2023 Mini-Bingo Challenge:
*Prompts are listed according to the layout on the mini-bingo sheet*

1. Raindrops on roses
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring
5. These are a few of my favorite things
6. Whiskers on kittens
7. Cream colored ponies
8. Sleigh bells
9. Warm woolen mittens

Match one book to each of the prompts (anywhere from three to nine books over the month). Share your picks in our Facebook group, Goodreads group, or on Instagram using the hashtag #the52bookclub2023. You can also find these listed as bonus prompts on our StoryGraph challenge.

Need suggestions? Check our website! https://www.the52book.club/december-2...

You can choose to read these books in addition to your regular 52 Book Club reads (this mini-challenge makes 78 prompts for the year so far, not counting our summer challenge), or you can combine them with prompts still left on your 2023 list.

As always, get creative and have fun!

9/9 complete

🏔️ 1. Raindrops on roses - Mister Roberts by Thomas Heggen - one chapter features a rainstorm
🏔️ 2. Brown paper packages tied up with string - E is for Evidence (Kinsey Milhone, #5) by Sue Grafton - A package bomb is wrapped in brown paper.
🏔️ 3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - A Promised Land by Barack Obama - Obama often mentions his daughters
🏔️ 4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - The Other by Thomas Tryon - part of the story is set in winter
🏔️ 5. These are a few of my favorite things - The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods - Books are some of my favorite things!
🏔️ 6. Whiskers on kittens - Mr. Timothy by Louis Bayard - Gully’s house is overrun be feral cats (“cats do not overrun this place so much as they bleed from every pore of it”).
🏔️ 7. Cream colored ponies - Beyond the Wand: The Magic and Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard by Tom Felton - Felton relates a humorous anecdote about horse riding.
🏔️ 8. Sleigh bells - Horrid Henry's Christmas by Francesca Simon - book is set at Christmas and the children are waiting for Santa in his sleigh
🏔️ 9. Warm woolen mittens - Bloody Christmas (Dublin Trilogy, 1.5) by Caimh McDonnell - set in Dublin at Christmas when it’s cold

1. Raindrops on roses -- The Lost Garden by Helen Humphreys has roses on the cover
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring -- Priceless by Zygmunt Miloszewski opens with a man dying in a snowstorm and being discovered when the snow melts in the spring.
5. These are a few of my favorite things
6. Whiskers on kittens
7. Cream colored ponies -- The Something Girl by Jodi Taylor has an invisible magical golden horse named Thomas.
8. Sleigh bells
9. Warm woolen mittens

1. Raindrops on roses - Once Upon a Rose
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string - My Mini Library Romance
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - Midnight Masquerade
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - The Night Raven
5. These are a few of my favorite things - The Beauty and the Beast
6. Whiskers on kittens - Little Town on the Prairie
7. Cream colored ponies - All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy
8. Sleigh bells - Sleigh Belles
9. Warm woolen mittens - A Winter Wonderland

1. Raindrops on roses
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string - Symphony of Secrets
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - The Easy Life in Kamusari
5. These are a few of my favorite things
6. Whiskers on kittens
7. Cream colored ponies
8. Sleigh bells
9. Warm woolen mittens

December 2023 Mini-Challenge

1. Raindrops on roses - 12th of Never by James Patterson 12/3/23
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling 12/9/23
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz 12/9/23
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - How the Finch Stole Christmas! by Donna Andrews 12/9/23
5. These are a few of my favorite things - Love and Other Words by Christina Lauren 12/3/23
6. Whiskers on kittens - No Good Tea Goes Unpunished by Bree Baker 12/13/23
7. Cream colored ponies - Candy Cane Crime by Amanda Flower 12/31/23
8. Sleigh bells - Duck the Halls by Donna Andrews 12/20/23
9. Warm woolen mittens

Please put me in for 3. Love this! It's a great excuse to find some easy fun reads on my nook while I'm traveling the holidays to three different houses!

3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes: The Dress Shop of Dreams

5. These are a few of my favorite things: books and books and more books: Murder in the Mystery Suite, Book Retreat Mystery Series #1

7. Cream color (ed) ponies: besides ponies and book covers what else has a lovely and pleasing array of color? YARN: Yarned and Dangerous

A few I am going to try for this mini challenge (though they aren't lining up well on my bingo card):
BROWN: The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

PONIES: The Horse Whisperer

WHISKERS ON KITTENS:

GIRLS IN WHITE DRESSES:

Hoping for 3:

1.Raindrops on roses
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string: Build the Life You Want by Arthur Brooks (the premise makes it seem a happy life is easily tied up with a few changes)
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring: Normal People by Sally Rooney (the book skips forward in time in every chapter so you quickly change seasons as you read)
5. These are a few of my favorite things: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. Based on one of my fave books, Little Women
6. Whiskers on kittens: Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (has a cat on there cover)
7. Cream colored ponies
8. Sleigh bells: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (the antagonists "slay" a lot of people)
9. Warm woolen mittens

1. Raindrops on roses -
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string - (received as a Christmas present)
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - (one of the characters is always dressed in fancy dresses)
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - (published in spring)
5. These are a few of my favorite things - (one of my favorite authors)
6. Whiskers on kittens -
7. Cream colored ponies - (...what about...river ponies)
8. Sleigh bells -
9. Warm woolen mittens - (death in a warm place)

I had a blast raiding my early chapter book section before leaving school for winter break. I should be able to do all nine, since most books are quite quick reads. I am grateful to have something to do while I wait for 2024 to get started on the greater challenge.

1. Raindrops on roses: My Happy Life

2. Brown paper packages tied up with string: Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes: The Best Christmas Pageant Ever It makes me giggle to give Gladys Herdman the honor of this dainty prompt.

4. Silver white winters that melt into spring: A Long Road on a Short Day

5. These are a few of my favorite things: When I am Happiest

6. Whiskers on kittens: Socks

7. Cream colored ponies: Pippi Longstocking The book never states that the horse is white, but we all know it is.

8. Sleigh bells: Astrid the Unstoppable Some of the most epic sledding to make it in print.

9. Warm woolen mittens: Where Dani Goes, happy Follows

Complete 9/9. The most enjoyable Winter Break reading.

Done, got "bingo" twice in 5 books:
Hoping for 3:

1.Raindrops on roses
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string: Build the Life You Want by Arthur Brooks (the premise makes it seem a happy life is easily tied up with a few changes)
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring: Normal People by Sally Rooney (the book skips forward in time in every chapter so you quickly change seasons as you read)
5. These are a few of my favorite things: Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano. Based on one of my fave books, Little Women
6. Whiskers on kittens: Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (has a cat on there cover)
7. Cream colored ponies
8. Sleigh bells: Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler (the antagonists "slay" a lot of people)
9. Warm woolen mittens

I did a super Bingo...

1. Raindrops on roses The One
2. Brown paper packages tied up with string The Kingdom of Sweets
3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes Sense and Sensibility
4. Silver white winters that melt into spring Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries
5. These are a few of my favorite things Four Past Midnight
6. Whiskers on kittens Rabbits
7. Cream colored ponies Dreamsnake
8. Sleigh (slay) bells BRZRKR, Volume 1
9. Warm woolen mittens My Friends

3 audiobooks, 3 physical books, 1 graphic novel, 1 netgalley ARC and technically i read one novella from four past midnight for the last 4 months finishing with Sun Dog in December

I got a mini-bingo on the mini-bingo challenge!

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes—
THREE HOLIDAYS AND A WEDDING by Uzma Jalauddin & Marissa Stapley

Whiskers on kittens—
RABBIT HOLE by Kate Brody

Warm woolen mittens—
THE CHRISTMAS GUEST by Peter Swanson

Happy holidays everyone!

managed to complete it all (very surprised!!)

1. Raindrops on roses - Murder in the Family: Cara Hunter (rain storm as part of a cold case) ✔️

2. Brown paper packages tied up with string - How To Solve Your Own Murder: Kristen Perrin ✔️  (mailed packages/trunk as part of the story)

3. Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes - The Girl From Widow Hills: Megan Miranda ✔️

4. Silver white winters that melt into spring - Winter: Ali Smith ✔️

5. These are a few of my favourite things - Under The Banner of Heaven: Jon Krakauer ✔️ (true crime/cults)

6. Whiskers on kittens - Queen of Poisons - Robert Thorogood ✔️ (character owns a cat)

7. Cream colored ponies - Tom Lake: Ann Patchett ✔️ (farm)

8. Sleigh bells - The Christmas Appeal: Janice Hallett ✔️

9. Warm woollen mittens - Geneva: Richard Armitage ✔️ (very cold, wintery setting)