The Challenge Factory discussion

We are fast approaching the holiday season - a time of joy, family and friends for many but also a very challenging time. It's getting colder. Days are shorter. Not everyone relishes the dark winter months ahead.
This challenge will prompt you to be good to yourself throughout the season whatever your circumstances.

This challenge has nine task sets that are "gentle affirmations" to help you through the day. Each set requires two books to be read. Books should be at least 125 pages long.
Report task completions in your own thread.

Sample completion post:

Book:
Author:
Pages:
Date Read:
Task:
How it fits:

Be good to yourself this season!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word HEARD.
2. Read a book where a character is hard of hearing.
3. Read a book with a scene in a kitchen.
4. Read a book where the MC has a pet dog.
5. Read a book set in the American South.

Task 1: Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word HEARD
Book: Daughter of Smoke & Bone
Author: Laini Taylor
Pages: 418
Date Read: 11.5.24
How it fits: starts with D - hearD

Task2: Read a book with a scene in a kitchen
Book: Hero
Author: Samantha Young
Pages: 410
Date Read: 11.8.24
How it fits: MCs have Chinese food in kitchen scene

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC has a moment of indecision.
2. Read a book where a character cleans something.
3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word DOUBT.
4. Read a book with a rainbow on the cover.
5. Read a book set in Europe.

Task 1: Read a book where the MC has a moment of indecision
Book: The Dungeon Anarchist's Cookbook
Author: Matt Dinniman
Pages: 534
Date Read: 11.15.24
How it fits: Carl can't decide whether to take a ring - like a monkey paw's choice.

Task2: Read a book where a character cleans something
Book: Dead Until Dark
Author: Charlaine Harrie
Pages: 292
Date Read: 11.16.24
How it fits: Sookie cleans her house to distract from wondering whether Bill is dead

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with a confident MC.
2. Read a book with a bright cover (your interpretation).
3. Read a book with an opinionated character.
4. Read a book that has a celebration of some sort.
5. Read a book set in New England.

Task 1: Read a book with a bright cover (your interpretation)
Book: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
Author: Megan Bannen
Pages: 449
Date Read: 11.20.24
How it fits: bright aqua and pink cover


Task 2: Read a book set in New England
Book: Dead Man's Hand
Author: James J. Butcher
Pages: 373
Date Read: 11.23.24
How it fits: Takes place in Boston, Mass.

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC has long hair.
2. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word SPEAK.
3. Read a book a character has to give a speech.
4. Read a book with three 1's in its publication date (January 11, 2020 or March 12 1961 as examples).
5. Read a book set in Canada, Alaska or Greenland.

Task 1: 2. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word SPEAK
Book: The Secret History
Author: Donna Tartt
Pages: 629
Date Read: 12.7.24
How it fits: starts with S (skipping "The")


Task 2: Read a book with three 1's in its publication date
Book: The Man With No Face
Author: Peter May
Pages: 338
Date Read: 11.24.24
How it fits: published 7.1.1981

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the author's initials can be found in the word PAUSE.
2. Read a book where the MC is on holiday.
3. Read a book where someone is packing to go somewhere (to move, to go on vacation, to change schools/office, etc.).
4. Read a book set on an island.
5. Read a book set in the Southeast Asia.

Task 1: Read a book where someone is packing to go somewhere (to move, to go on vacation, to change schools/office, etc.)
Book: Louisiana Longshot
Author: Jana Deleon
Pages: 250
Date Read: 12.10.24
How it fits: MC moved (temporarily?) to Louisiana to hide

4. Read a book set on an island
Book: The Spellshop
Author: Sarah Beth Durst
Pages: 384
Date Read: 1.1.25
How it fits: takes place on an island

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with a horse in it.
2. Read a book with a MC under age 20.
3. Read a book with a character who goes running for exercise or competition.
4. Read a book in one weekend (Saturday-Sunday only).
5. Read a book set in Africa.

1. Read a book with a horse in it.
book: The Goblin Emperor
author: Katherine Addison
how it fits: Maia's uncle gets him a white horse named Velvet
read: 1.6.25

2. Read a book with a MC under age 20.
book: Red Rising
author: Pierce Brown
how it fits: Darrow is under 20 throughout the book
read: 1.5.25

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word VALID.
2. Read a book whose MC expresses a lot of emotions.
3. Read a book with a friend (does not need to be a formal buddy read but tell us who you read with).
4. Read a book with at least 5 colors on the cover.
5. Read a book set in the mountains.

4. Read a book with at least 5 colors on the cover.
Earthlings | at least 5 colors | 1.17.25

1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word VALID
The Last House Guest | starts with L | 1.9.25

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC makes a big mistake.
2. Read a book where a character changes for the better over the course of the book.
3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word MISTAKE.
4. Read a book with the number 7 in its page count.
5. Read a book set in Texas or Florida.

2. Read a book where a character changes for the better over the course of the book
book: Scriber by Ben S. Dobson
how it fits: Dennon stopped hiding from the world and started being brave, baby steps to big gestures
read: 1.18.25

3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word MISTAKE.
book: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
how it fits: A & T are in MISTAKE
read: 1.29.25

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with the word BEST in the title
2. Read a book whose MC is trying their best to do something.
3. Read a book where a character has enough guts to try something new in their life.
4. Read a book with lots of green on the cover (your interpretation).
5. Read a book set in New York or California.

2. Read a book whose MC is trying their best to do something.
book: More or Less Maddy
how it fits: Maddy is trying to live with bipolar
read: 2.27.25

3. Read a book where a character has enough guts to try something new in their life
book: The Wee Free Men
how it fits: Tiffany has the guts to try taking her grandmother's place as the local witch and rescue her brother
read: 3.19.25

Great work - you beat the winter blues!!