Bookish Challenges discussion
Yearly Challenge 2025
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Anastasia's Yearly Challenge 2025
January - New Beginnings
Level 1
✅1. A book by an author you've never read before.
✅2. A book that starts a new series.
✅3. A book by a debut author.
Level 2
✅1. A book published in 2025.
✅2. A book about personal growth or change.
✅3. A book with "new," "begin," or "start" in the title.
Level 3
✅1. A book set during the start of a new year or a new season.
✅2. A book set in the future or involving a fresh start.
✅3. A book recommended by someone else to "start your year right."
Book:
Mermaid in Troubled WaterAuthor: Nikki Haverstock
Date completed: 01/01/2025
Task: 2. A book that starts a new series.
How it fits: Start of the Purgatory Falls mystery series
Book:
EverettAuthor: Jenifer Ruff
Date completed: 03/01/2025
Task: Level 1 1. A book by an author you've never read before.
How it fits: haven't read this author before
Book:
How To New Year: No Guilt. No Excuses. Just 7 Simple Practices To Replace Resolutions, Realize Your Potential, and Appreciate Life.Author: Marshall Jones Jr.
Date completed: 05/01/2025
Task: Level 2 3. A book with "new," "begin," or "start" in the title.
How it fits: New in Title
Book:
The Potato FactoryAuthor: Bryce Courtenay
Date completed: 11/01/2025
Task: 2. A book about personal growth or change.
How it fits: The story of how poor orphaned Mary Abacus grows and overcomes hardships to run her own brewery
Book:
A Catered New Year's EveAuthor: Isis Crawford
Date completed: 14/01/2025
Task: Level 3 1. A book set during the start of a new year or a new season.
How it fits: Takes place at start of new year
Book:
Blanche on the LamAuthor: Barbara Neely
Date completed: 15/01/2025
Task: 3. A book by a debut author.
How it fits: Debut novel for this author
Book:
Nine ElmsAuthor: Robert Bryndza
Date completed: 17/01/2025
Task: 2. A book set in the future or involving a fresh start.
How it fits: Kate Marshall has a fresh start as a college professor after taking down the Nine Elms serial killer while a police detective
Book:
Swamp SpiesAuthor: Jana Deleon
Date completed: 18/01/2025
Task: Level 3 3. A book recommended by someone else to "start your year right."
How it fits: A friend recommended that I start the year with a fun book and this series always makes me laugh
Book:
I've Got Time: A Zen monk's guide to a calm, focused and meaningful lifeAuthor: Paul Loomans
Date completed: 19/01/2025
Task: Level 2 1. A book published in 2025.
How it fits: Published January 14, 2025
New tasks will be posted on January 31st!
February - Love Around the World
Level 1
✅1. A romance novel or a book with a love story.
✅2. A book set in a different country than the one you live in.
✅3. A book by a diverse or international author (your interpretation).
Level 2
✅1. A book with a pink or red cover (50%+).
✅2. A book about friendship, family, or other non-romantic love.
✅3. A book with a travel element (road trip, vacation, etc.).
Level 3
✅1. A book with "heart," "love," or "passion" in the title.
✅2. A book with food, music, or art as a central theme.
✅3. A book with a famous couple or relationship at its core.
Book:
The 10th CycleAuthor: J.C. Ryan
Date completed: 01/02/2025
Task: 3. A book with a travel element (road trip, vacation, etc.)
How it fits: The team needs to travel through Canada from the U.S. and then to Israel to escape pursuers
Book:
The Memoirs of Sherlock HolmesAuthor: Arthur Conan Doyle
Date completed: 02/02/2025
Task: 3. A book by a diverse or international author (your interpretation).
How it fits: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is an international author and has been translated into many languages
Book:
Dead AlreadyAuthor: Mike Krentz
Date completed: 02/02/2025
Task: 2. A book set in a different country than the one you live in.
How it fits: Set in USA and I live in Australia
Book:
Self-DefenseAuthor: Jonathan Kellerman
Date completed: 06/02/2025
Task: Level 2 2. A book about friendship, family, or other non-romantic love.
How it fits: Alex Delaware and Milo Sturgis have a strong friendship
Book:
The Bourne IdentityAuthor: Robert Ludlum
Date completed: 12/02/2025
Task: Level 2 1. A book with a pink or red cover (50%+).
How it fits: Red/Pink cover
Book:
Passions in Death Author: J.D. Robb
Date completed: 13/02/2025
Task: 1. A book with "heart," "love," or "passion" in the title
How it fits: Passion in title
Book:
The Serpent on the CrownAuthor: Elizabeth Peters
Date completed: 14/02/2025
Task: Level 3 3. A book with a famous couple or relationship at its core
How it fits: The Emersons are a famous fictional archeological couple
Book:
Pride and PrejudiceAuthor: Jane Austen
Date completed: 14/02/2025
Task: Level 1 1. A romance novel or a book with a love story.
How it fits: A historical romance novel
Book:
Bake, Battle & RollAuthor: Leighann Dobbs
Date completed: 22/02/2025
Task: Level 3 2. A book with food, music, or art as a central theme.
How it fits: Food as central theme. Lexy Baker is a pastry chef and the book focuses around a chilli contest. Culinary cozy mystery.
February - Love Around the World -all tasks completed
March - Mysteries & Adventures
Level 1
✅1. A mystery, thriller, or adventure book.
✅2. A book set in a place you've never visited.
✅3. A book with a one-word title.
Level 2
✅1. A book with a detective or amateur sleuth.
✅2. A book by an author known for mysteries or thrillers.
✅3. A book with a plot twist you didn’t see coming.
Level 3
✅1. A book featuring a chase or hunt.
✅2. A book with "dark," "shadow," or "hidden" in the title.
✅3. A book with an unreliable narrator.
Anastasia wrote: "February - Love Around the World -all tasks completed"✅
March - Mysteries & AdventuresBook:
Fear on the FensAuthor: Joy Ellis
Date completed: 03/03/2025
Task: Level 1 2. A book set in a place you've never visited.
How it fits: I have never visited the U.K
March - Mysteries & AdventuresBook:
The Sentence is DeathAuthor: Anthony Horowitz
Date completed: 03/03/2025
Task: Level 2 1. A book with a detective or amateur sleuth.
How it fits: Hawthorne is a detective
Book:
Early Shift: Don't Challenge the Werewolf Book 1Author: Steve Higgs
Date completed: 07/03/2025
Task: Level 3 1. A book featuring a chase or hunt.
How it fits: The Supernatural Investigation Alliance is chasing Zachary Barnabus
Book:
Sirens and Sea Monsters: Blue Moon Australia Book 2Author: S.C. Stokes
Date completed: 08/03/2025
Task: 1. A mystery, thriller, or adventure book.
How it fits: A mystery book
Book:
The Obsession Author: Nora Roberts
Date completed: 10/03/2025
Task: Level 2 2. A book by an author known for mysteries or thrillers.
How it fits: Nora Roberts is a prolific writer of thrillers and mysteries.
Book:
Three Little PigsAuthor: Alex Smith
Date completed: 14/03/2025
Task: Level 2 3. A book with a plot twist you didn’t see coming.
How it fits: Multiple twists in this book
Book:
Hidden in SnowAuthor: Viveca Sten
Date completed: 16/03/2025
Task: Level 3 2. A book with "dark," "shadow," or "hidden" in the title.
How it fits: Hidden in title
Book:
RothakerAuthor: Jenifer Ruff
Date completed: 23/03/2024
Task: 3. A book with an unreliable narrator.
How it fits: Brooke Walton is a liar and manipulator and a psychopathic killer making her an unreliable narrator
Bookish Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
After the Funeral (other topics)Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass (other topics)
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 (other topics)
Knuckle Bones (other topics)
Caramel Pecan Roll Murder (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Agatha Christie (other topics)Lewis Carroll (other topics)
Carolyn Meyer (other topics)
Alex Smith (other topics)
Joanne Fluke (other topics)
More...
Sign-ups are open throughout 2025.
The challenge will end on December 31, 2025.
The Challenge
1. Comment here to sign up and I will create a challenge thread for you. You can sign up at any point during the year but only for the months that are left. Example: If you join in January, you will be able to participate in the months January-December. If you join in March, you will be able to participate in the months March-December.
2. Each month, I will post prompts surrounding a specific theme to your thread. There will be 9 prompts each month, divided into 3 levels. For the completion of a level 1 prompt, you will receive 1 point. For level 2, you will receive 2 points and for level 3 it will be 3 points.
To receive each month's Book Award, please complete one prompt in each level. You can complete as many prompts as you want and are able to and in any order. Note that only books completed in the respective months will be accepted.
3. You have 3 free skips throughout the challenge but you can only use one free skip each month. To skip a prompt, please read a book that meets the general guidelines.
If you are out of free skips or want to use another skip in that month, you can either:
- spend 2 points to complete a prompt from a previous month,
- spend 3 points to complete a prompt from the current month twice or
- spend 5 points to read a book that meets the general guidelines.
4. Please make a completion post in your thread using this template:
Book:
Author:
Date completed:
Task:
How it fits:
5. If you don't have a personal point account thread yet, request one here.