2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Wonderful ideas

Let's Get Cozy


1. Cozy Books: These sub-genres embody a sense of warmth, comfort and relaxation.
Read a book from the Cozy Mystery:
The Body in the Bookcase by Katherine Hall Page


2. Cozy Arrangement: A secret or informal agreement, often implying a sense of mutual benefit.
Read a book involving a secret arrangement, or with the word "secret" in the title.

3. Tea Cozy: A knit or cloth covering for a teapot used to keep the water inside warm.
Read a book with a tea cup or tea pot on the cover, or where characters serve or consume tea.


4. Cozy Fireplace: A crackling fire provides warmth and comfort, and is associated with relaxation and intimacy.
Read a book with fire on the cover or in the title, or a self-help book.


5. Cozy Up: To snuggle up to someone, implying physical comfort and closeness.
Read a book where people are physically close to one another, including, but not limited to, a romance.

6. Cozy Winter Scene: A depiction of a serene winter environment, often featuring snow-covered landscapes.
Read a featuring a snowy image on the cover, or set in a cold place.

7. Cozy Cabin: A rustic and intimate space, often featuring natural materials and warm lighting.
Read a book set at a cabin or lodge in the wilderness, or with natural materials (pine cones, feathers, etc.) in the cover art.

8. Cozy Evening: A enjoyable evening spent in a comfortable setting, often featuring activities like reading or chatting.
Read a book where one or more people enjoy leisure time at home with books, games, movies, etc., or a book with leisure activity items on the cover.

Clean It Out
Duration: 1 month

1. Read one book from your TBR OR from the pile you have at home.
Sisters of the Yam: Black Women and Self-Recovery by bell hooks 4/29/25


2. Read one book from a series you have started and not finished.
Enchanted Garden #2: Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell

3. Read one book that you bought or borrowed but have not yet read.
Manifest Your Destiny: by Wayne W. Dyer
Falling Down and Getting Up: Discovering Your Inner Resilience and Strength by Mark Nepo


4. Read one book that will help with a difficult challenge. (Like an A-Z challenge that needs Q, U, & X)

5. Read one free book from your e-reader.
We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman’s Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers

Reading The Seasons - Spring
Duration: March 20, 2025 - June 20, 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Level: Spring Fling

Progress: 29

TASKS:
1. Spring Fling
🌷 Read a book with the word SPRING in the title.
-->BONUS: The one of the author's initials are found in SPRING.

2. Go to a spring concert or play.
🌷 Read a book where a character goes to a concert or play.

3. Enjoy Daffodil Day. 1 +2 =3 x 3 = 9 + 1 = 10
🌷 Read a book whose title is white or yellow.
-->BONUS: The MC's first name begins with a letter in DAFFODIL.
O - Opaline: The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods 5/17/25

F - Frances: An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman 5/24/25

D - Dani - Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson 6/07/25

Familiar Trouble by Carolyn Haines 6/17/25


4. Pastels
🌷 Read a book with a pastel cover.

5. April Fool's Day
🌷 Read a book where a character tells a joke or makes another laugh.

6. Easter
🌷 Read a book where Easter is celebrated OR from the Christian genre.
-->BONUS: An Easter item on the cover (show cover).

7. Cinco De Mayo
🌷 Read a book whose title begins with C or a Series #5 (share the series name).

8. Spring Sports
🌷 Take in a baseball or soccer game.
-->BONUS: Any related sports item on the cover (show cover).

9. Mother's Day = 1 + 2 = 3 x 4 = 12
🌷 Read a book with a character who is a mother.
-->BONUS: The MC is a mother.
Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson 5/27/25- Skye

Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood 6/03/25 - Becks

Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn 6/08/25 - Daisy

The Corpse at the Crystal Palace by Carola Dunn 6/14/25


10. Buy a colorful umbrella. = 1
🌷 Read a book whose author's initials are in UMBRELLA.
-->BONUS: An umbrella on the cover (show cover).
L, M: Lynn Messina, A Brazen Curiosity by 4/11/25


11. Hug a librarian
🌷 Read a book with a character who is a librarian or works in a library.
-->BONUS A book on the cover (show cover).

12. Spring Blooms at Longwood Gardens = 1
🌷 Read a book where someone enjoys a garden or flowers.
Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell 5/25/25


13. Father's Day
🌷 Read a book with a character who is a father.
-->BONUS: The MC is a father.

14. Rhode Island Independence Day
🌷 Read a book set in Rhode Island or a small book (around 100 pages or less).

15. National Rocky Road Day 1 + 2 = 3
🌷 Read a book where you find the words: Rocky Road, chocolate ice cream, marshmallows, or nuts in the text (share word and page/loc#).
-->BONUS: Title begins with a letter in ROCKY ROAD.
D: The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis
nuts - pp 75, 79, 182
chocolate ice cream - pp 112


16. Flag Day (US)
🌷 Read a book with any flag on the cover (show cover).
-->BONUS: An United States on the cover.

A Black Women's History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry

17. Spring Cleaning
🌷 Read a book where a character cleans the house.
-->BONUS: Cleaning item on the cover (show cover).

18. SPRING = 1
🌷 Read a book with a genre or tag that begins with a letter in SPRING.
S/P/N - Nonfiction/Self-Help/Personal Development: We Should All Be Millionaires: by Rachel Rodgers 4/5/25


19. SPRING
🌷 Read a book whose title begins with a letter in SPRING (all words count).

20. Spring Books = 1
🌷 Read a book published between March 20th and June 20th of any year. Tell us the publication date.
-->BONUS: Published in 2025.
1 Apr 1993: Sisters of the Yam: by bell hooks 4/29/25

A RECIPE FOR HAPPINESS
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2025

A dash of delight, a sprinkle of smiles, and a heaping spoonful of your favorite reads—mix them all together, and you have the perfect recipe for happiness! This open prompt challenge is all about embracing what makes you happy as a reader.

You will need:

A cupful of your favourite genre – What genre always lifts your spirits? Romance, fantasy, mystery? Indulge!

A spoonful of your favourite author – Revisit an old favorite or discover a new gem from an author who never disappoints.

A pinch of an anticipated new release – Is there a book you've been eagerly awaiting? Now’s the time to savor it.

A drop of a long unread book from your TBR pile – Dust off that book you've been meaning to get to forever.

And the cherry on top: Book(s) with a pretty cover – Because sometimes, judging a book by its cover is the best kind of treat.


Quantities can be altered to make the perfect recipe for you!

TLC Say It In May
Duration May 1, 2025 - July 31, 2025

Do one task for each saying.

Progress: 7/10

TASKS

1. "May is a bridge between winter and summer."
This saying is a common and evocative way to describe the transition from the cold season to the warmth of summer, with May marking the start of spring and the anticipation of warmer weather.
🌈 Read a book with a bridge on the cover or with the word weather in the text (Give a partial sentence and page/loc #) or where the authors initials can be found in SPRING.


2. March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers.
The phrase "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers" is a common expression that suggests that even though the weather in March and April can be harsh, the rain and winds of these months are necessary for the growth of flowers in May.
🌈 Read a book where rain plays an important part in the story or with flowers on the cover or where a book is published in one of the three months above.
Dead in the Water by Denise Swanson 5/27/25

Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson 6/07/25 - pub Mar


3. Ne'er cast a clout till May is out
🌈 Read a book where an item is discarded or with winter clothing on the cover or where someone returns somewhere.
The Lost Bookshop by Evie Woods 5/17/25


4. May-December romance
A "May-December romance" refers to a relationship where one partner is significantly younger than the other, often using the metaphor of spring (May) representing youth and winter (December) representing old age.
🌈 Read a book tagged romance or a book set in December or with a May- December relationship.

5. May March comes in like a lamb and goes out like a lion
The Paris Review reports that the phrase comes in like a lion, goes out like a lamb pops up in a compendium called "Gnomologia Adages and Proverbs: Wise Sentences and Witty Sayings, Ancient and Modern, Foreign and British" written in 1732 by Thomas Fuller. The meaning suggests that the month of March can start with harsh, winter-like weather, but then transition to warmer, spring-like weather as the month progresses.
🌈 Read a book set in Paris or with a character called Thomas or with either a lamb or a lion on the cover.
An Art Lover's Guide to Paris and Murder by Dianne Freeman 5/24/25


6. A swarm in May is worth a load of hay
"A swarm in May is worth a load of hay" is a beekeeping proverb, meaning a swarm of bees in May, which is early in the season, is valuable because it has ample time to build up and produce honey.
🌈 Read a book with a character who is beekeeper or read a book where someone is called honey or where the first letter of location can be found in SWARM.
A - Alexandria, VA: The Diva Goes Overboard by Krista Davis 5/18/25


7. In the merry month of May,"
The phrase "the merry month of May" is often attributed to a poem by Thomas Dekker, an Elizabethan dramatist, who used it in a play he created in 1599. The phrase evokes a sense of joy, springtime, and new beginnings, associating May with a time of frolic and gaiety.
🌈 Read a play or a character called Elizabeth or a book that brings you joy.

8. The month of May is the gateway to summer.
The phrase "The month of May is the gateway to summer" is a quote from Jean Hersey, author of "A Garden in Your Window".
🌈 Read a book with a window on the cover or where a character works in a garden or set in summer.
Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell 5/25/25


9. "May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope"
The phrase "May is the month of expectation, the month of wishes, the month of hope" is a popular quote often attributed to Emily Brontë, and it reflects the positive and hopeful spirit often associated with the month of May.
🌈 Read a book by one of the Bronte sisters or with a character who is a spirit or where a character makes a wish.

10. Sell in May and go away
"Sell in May and go away" is an adage referring to the historically weaker performance of stocks from May to October compared with the other half of the year.
🌈 Read a book tagged history or that is .5 book or with a character who trades in stocks.
Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood 6/03/25 - Becks


🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

2025 Quarterly Challenges > Q2 - A POP OF JOY

Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2025

Based on the theme of Joy, this quarterly challenge highlights references to joy in various aspects of popular culture. Pop over to the library, bookshop, or your own shelf, and join us in this Ode to Joy.

To join, post a message telling the challenge leader how many books you plan to read. If you are new to our group and/or our group challenges, take a moment to check out the Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges - Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.

Spark Joy - A popular decluttering and organizing book written by Marie Kondō.
- Read a book that has been on your TBR for over 2 years
- Read a self-help book

Joy - The embodiment of the first emotion created in the Disney/Pixar's movie Inside Out.
- Read a book with 'yellow' in the title or with a yellow cover
- Read the first book in a series

Ode to Joy - In 1824, Ludwig van Beethoven used Friedrich Schiller's 1785 poem in his Symphony No. 9.
- Read a book first published in 18th or 19th centuries
- Read a translated book originally written by a European author

Joy of Cooking - First published in 1931, over 20 million copies are in print.
- Read a book that has been on a 'bestseller' list
- Read a book about food and food culture, or where the main character works in a food-related industry

Joy to the World - While not initially associated with Christmas, this hymn is now the most published Christmas carol in North America.
- Read a book that you have been gifted, or have gifted, in a holiday or gift exchange
- Read a book by an author from a different religion or belief system (or lack thereof) than yours

Tears of Joy 😂 - Widespread in digital communication, this emoji conveys the feeling of laughing so hard that tears are shed.
- Read a graphic novel or a book from the humor and comedy genres
- Read a book that includes new technology or a science fiction book

The Joy Luck Club - A popular novel by Amy Tan that explores relationships between four Chinese immigrant mothers, their daughters, and families.
- Read a book about immigrants or immigration
- Read a book that has been adapted for film, television, or the stage

Joy Ride - A ride taken for pleasure, often involving reckless driving in a stolen vehicle.
- Read a thriller, or a book where the main character goes on an adventure
- Read a book with less than 120 pages, so you can zip through it

Joy by Jean Patou - An expensive, luxury perfume introduced in 1930, and voted Scent of the Century in 2000.
- Read a book where one of the main character is wealthy, or pretends to be
- Read an award winning book (any award of your choice!)

Nurse Joy - A patient and caring recurring character from the Pokémon series.
- Read a book about healthcare or medicine, or about a character who works in these fields
- Read a book written by an East Asian woman

Joy of Missing Out - JOMO embraces finding joy and contentment, focusing on what you want to do, rather than what you feel pressured to do.
- Read a book with less than 500 reviews on Goodreads
- Re-read and re-visit a book that you love

TLC Summer Camp Challenge
Duration: June 1 - August 31, 2025

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Camp Cabin Level: Sun Fun Sanctuary 11-20 tasks

Progress: 15

Tasks may be used as many times as you wish.

Tasks:
🌞 1. Read a book with the word SUMMER in the title.

🌞 2. Read a book with the letters CAMP in any order in the title.

🌞 3. Read a book with the first letter of each title word in SUMMER VACATION (2 word minimum - all words count).
A-V-E-M: A Very English Murder by Verity Bright 7/13/25


🌞 4. Read a book where the author's first and last initial are in SUMMER TRAVELS.
E , L Elinor Lipman, The Dearly Departed 7/26/25

R, T Robert Thorogood, The Queen of Poisons 8/19/25


🌞 5. Read a book published in June, July or August of any year.

🌞 6. Read a book set at the beach.
The Power of TED by David Emerald 8/27/25


🌞 7. Read a book that is set in the woods.

🌞 8. Read a book with a bear on the cover.

A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron 8/9/25

🌞 9. Read a book where the MC goes on vacation.

🌞 10. Read a book where a character goes to camp.

🌞 11. Read a book published in 2025.

🌞 12. Read a book where someone travels.
Superfluous Women by Carola Dunn 6/08/25


🌞 13. Read a book with the name of a place you can sleep in like a ...tent.. in the title.


🌞 14. Read a book with a place you can sleep on the cover

🌞 15. Read a book with children in the story.
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger 7/19/25


🌞 16. Read a book by an author whose first name begins with C, A, M, or P.
C: Carola Dunn, The Corpse at the Crystal Palace 6/14/25

P: P.J. Nelson, Booked for Murder 8/30/25


🌞 17. Read a book with a cover that shows only the outdoors.

Leave No Scone Unturned by Denise Swanson 6/07/25

🌞 18. Read a book with a summer vehicle on the cover - camper.

Beaches, Bungalows & Burglaries by Tonya Kappes 8/10/25

🌞 19. Read a book with a body of water on the cover.
The Bilbao Looking Glass by Charlotte MacLeod 7/29/25 (& vacay)


🌞 20. Read a short book (100 pages or less) or a long book (450+ pages).
As a Man Thinketh by James Allen 8/20/25 - 80 pp


🌞 21. Read a book with a swimsuit or sunglasses on the cover (show cover)

🌞 22. Read a book with an umbrella, a hammock or towel on the cover

🌞 23. Read a book by an author whose LAST name begins with C, A, M, or P.
M: Charlotte MacLeod, The Convivial Codfish 8/3/25


🌞 24. Read a book where you find the words BEAR, FLAMINGO, BLUEBIRD or FIREFLY in the text. (Share page#)

🌞 25. Read a book where a character participates in a summer sport like swimming, baseball, tennis, etc.
Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood 6/03/25 - swimming

Pies Please

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Thanksgiving Foods
Duration November 1, 2024 - October 31, 2025

Level 1: 10 - 20 Tasks

Progress: 2/20

Each task can be done as often as needed. Please show the cover if doing that task.

TASKS

1. Turkey
Turkey is the most common main dish of a Thanksgiving dinner, to the point that Thanksgiving is often called "Turkey Day". Alexander Hamilton proclaimed that "no citizen of the United States should refrain from turkey on Thanksgiving Day", and Benjamin Franklin had high regard for the wild turkey as an American icon.
🦃 Read a book with a character called Alexander, Hamilton, Benjamin or Franklin or with a character who is described as wild or with a turkey on the cover.

2. Stuffing
The word "stuffing" comes from the practice of filling a bird or other food with a mixture of ingredients before cooking it. The term has been used in English since at least the 1500s, but its origins can be traced back to ancient times. The Roman cookbook Apicius de re Coquinaria, dating back to the 1st or 2nd century AD, contains recipes for stuffing.
🦃 Read a book where a character eats stuffing or where a character reads or cooks from a cookbook or where the authors initials can be found in DRESSING.

3. Gravy
Rich, velvety and full of flavor, it's the absolute best way to enhance turkey, mashed potatoes and more. ...
🦃Read a book with a character who is rich or where a family sits down to a feast (Your interpretation) or where the authors initials can be found in HOMEMADE.
Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin 11/04/25


4. Cranberry Sauce
There is always a debate canned jelled cranberry sauce or whole berry. The tart fruit became popularly used to create cranberry sauce for turkey and other types of meat in the late 17th century. Cranberry sauce became a staple dish in the U.S. with its popularity taking off even more throughout the 19th century
🦃 Read a book with a red cover or where a character opens a can of something or that is 17th or 19th in a series.

5. Mashed Potatoes
This holiday staple may have roots in 17th century English cooking. As families get ready to set their holiday tables, one of the quintessential side dishes is mashed potatoes. A perfect complement to any main course and a creamy indulgence.
🦃Read a book set in England or that genre is tagged as holiday or where the first letter of each title word can be found in SIDE DISHES. (Three word minimum).

6. Macaroni & Cheese
Records show this popular Thanksgiving side dish can be traced back to James Hemmings, an enslaved African and Jefferson's son , who prepared mac and cheese for his father, Thomas Jefferson, after Jefferson encountered it in Paris in the 1780 and fell in love with it.
🦃 Read a book set in Paris or where a character eats mac and cheese or with a character called James or Thomas.
Paris - A Daughter's Guide to Mothers and Murder by Dianne Freeman


7. Green Bean Casserole
Green Bean Casserole is a must for most Thanksgiving dinners in the U.S. The recipe was created in 1955 by Dorcas Reilly at the Campbell Soup Company. As of 2020, Campbell's estimated it was served in 20 million Thanksgiving dinners in the US each year and that 40% of the company's cream of mushroom soup sales go into a version of this dish.
🦃 Read a book with a green cover or where the page count has a 2 and 0 or where a character or authors last name is Campbell.


8. Sweet Potato Casserole
A Thanksgiving favorite, sweet potato casserole is made by baking sweet potatoes with marshmallows and brown sugar. The recipe for this popular dish became popular during the Prohibition Era, when Angelus Marshmallows created a cookbook that included it in 1917.
🦃 Read a book where a character eats marshmallows or a book that you think is sweet or that is set during Prohibition Era (1920 to 1933).

9. Brussels sprouts
Though not every ones favorite this is a side dish that can be done many ways. Just plain, roasted or add something tasty to them like bacon, chestnuts or cranberries. Try adding balsamic, maple, garlic or parmesan for a tasty dish.
🦃 Read a book where a character roasts something or where a character eats bacon (Give a partial sentence and page/loc #) or where the first letter of each title word can be found in BRUSSLES SPROUTS. (Three word minimum).

10. Creamed Corn
Of course you can just open a can for this popular dish but it won't be as good as homemade. True creamed corn is nothing more than corn kernels lightly cooked in butter, stirred with cream and then heated gently. Some recipes call for cayenne pepper to spice it up a little.
🦃 Read a book where a character cooks in butter or a book you think is spicy or where the authors initials can be found in CREAMED.

11. Cornbread
Cornbread itself is a European take on a traditional Native American food. Corn was new and unusual to the early European immigrants, who were used to wheat. This cultural difference made it difficult for the colonists to follow recipes that used corn meal to make cake and bread. Cornmeal is cooked differently than wheat, which led to variations of what we know today as cornbread.
🦃 Read a book with a Native American character or set in Europe or where the authors initials can be found in CORNBREAD.
The Sentence by Louise Erdrich


12 Rolls/ biscuits
Hot crispy rolls or butter slathered biscuits are a must for Thanksgiving. Whether you choose a fruit-and-nut-studded loaf, fluffy biscuits, or an easy-to-make, no-yeast option, you'll find that everyone has space on their plate when the breadbasket is passed around.
🦃 Read a book with a fruit on the cover or with the word biscuit in the text (Give a partial sentence and page/loc #) or where the first letter of the location can be found in ROLLS.

13 Butternut squash
A delicious side for Thanksgiving and can be prepared so many different ways. It can be roasted with something like maple or brown sugar, done as a soup for a starter, or simply mashed.
🦃 Read a book where a character eats soup (Give a partial sentence and page/loc #) or puts sugar in something or where the first letter of each title word can be found in BUTTERNUT( 3 word minimum).

14 Carrots
Simple but tasty as a side for Thanksgiving. You can jazz them up by glazing them with a brown sugar butter or a honey garlic butter. Also good is roasted with honey maple.
🦃 Read a book with an orange cover or where a character listens to jazz music or where a character gets called honey.( Tell us whom).

15. Candied Yams
Candied yams are a classic Southern dish and quintessential Thanksgiving side. Candied yams are made by par-cooking sweet potatoes in boiling water, placing them in a baking dish, and topping with a mixture of butter, sugar, and spice. They're then baked until tender and the sweet sauce mixture has thickened and is rich in color. A lot of recipes Include adding marshmallows.
🦃 Read a book set in the South USA. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Souther... or read a book by a favorite author or where the authors initials can be found in CANDIED YAMS.

16. Pecan Pie
Pecan pie is made with pecans mixed with a filling of eggs, butter and sugar. Variations may include white or brown sugar, cane syrup, sugar syrup, molasses, maple syrup, or honey. It is commonly served at Thanksgiving and is considered a specialty of Southern U.S.
🦃 Read a book with a pie on the cover or where a character puts syrup on something (Tell us what) or where the authors initials can be found in PECAN.

17. Pumpkin Pie.
Pumpkin pie is made with a spiced, pumpkin-based custard filling. The pumpkin and pumpkin pie are both a symbol of harvest time, and pumpkin pie is generally eaten during the fall and early winter. The pie is generally flavored with pumpkin pie spice, a blend that includes cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves or allspice.
🦃 Read a book set in fall or where cinnamon is added to a dish (tell us what) or where the authors initials can be found in SYMBOL.

18. Cranberry Pie
Yes pumpkin pie is traditional but for us who love cranberries this is the pie for us. Different types of crust can be used: a traditional pie crust, a gingersnap crust or a graham cracker crust. The filling can be cranberries plain or mixed with apples or nuts. Some have cream and gelatin others just lemon juice.
🦃 Read a book where a character eats pie (Give a partial sentence and page/loc #) or where a character follows tradition or where the first letter of each title word can be found in CRANBERRY PIE (Three word minimum).

19. Apple Pie
Noted first in the 14th century, apple pie recipes are a standard part of cuisines in many countries. Apple pies are an unofficial symbol of the United States and one of its signature comfort foods. Apple pie is often served with whipped cream, ice cream, custard or cheddar cheese. It is generally double-crusted, and the upper crust may be solid or latticed.
🦃 Read a book set in the USA or that is 14th in a series or where a character serves comfort food.

20, Sweet Potato Pie
Sweet potato pie first appeared in the southern United States from the early colonial days. Recipes for sweet potato pie first appeared in printed cookbooks in the 18th century, where it was included with savory vegetable dishes. By the 19th century, sweet potato pie was more commonly classified as a dessert.
🦃 Read a book set during colonial times (the early 1600s to 1783) or with vegetables on the cover or where the authors initials can be found in SWEET POTATO.