Bookish Challenges discussion

Think Tetris meets your books pile — this is no ordinary reading game.

Here’s your mission:

🧱 You’re starting with 5 columns, each 3 blocks high. These blocks? They represent different aspects of reading described further below

🔄 Each round, you’ll get 5 new random book blocks. You can read at least 3 (or go for all 5) and place them above your current stacks.

🎯 The goal? Clear all your blocks by strategically stacking 3 or more of the same color in a row or column. Every clear gets you closer to victory!

💡You can end the game after 10 rounds, or keep going until you clear your stack.

🎁 Score time:

Each block you read for = 2 points
Clear the entire board = Bonus 25 points

📖 Sample game📖

Initial blocks

Your initial random stack looks like below

🟦 💖 ⬜ 🟠 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Note : ❌ means empty space in a row which contains some blocks where you can place new blocks in a round

Round 1

You receive the below 5 random blocks
🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦
You read for 🟠 🟠 🟦 tasks and decide to place the 2 bronze blocks over the current bronze block at position 4 thus eliminating the 3 of them and the blue box above the current blue block at position 1

So your board looks like

🟦
🟦 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Round 2

🟥 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟦

You decide to read for all 5 and place the 2 green above the green at position 4, the red above the red at position 1 and white above the white at position 3 and the blue above the blue at position 1. Board at end of round 2:

❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌ 🟥
❌ 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 ❌ 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

and so on..


Each round, you’ll need to think strategically, decide which books to read, and place your blocks wisely to trigger those satisfying clears!

Blocks described

🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)

1. A book by an author you love
2. A book you’ve read before (reread)
3. A cosy mystery or light-hearted book

🟥 Red Blocks – High Stakes (Thrillers & Suspense)

1. A book with a chase or escape scene
2. A crime or psychological thriller
3. A book with “danger” in the title

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)


1. A book over 500 pages
2. A classic or literary fiction novel
3. A book exploring deep emotions or philosophy

🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)

1. A book by a debut author
2. A translated book
3. A book from a genre you rarely read

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

1. A book with magic or mythology
2. A science fiction novel
3. A book featuring time travel or alternate realities

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

1. A historical fiction novel
2. A memoir or biography
3. A book set before 1950

⬛ Black Blocks – Dark & Twisted (Horror & Gothic Reads)

1. A horror or gothic novel
2. A book with a haunted house or eerie setting
3. A book featuring a villain’s POV

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)

1. A contemporary fiction novel
2. A book with themes of friendship or family
3. A book about personal growth

⬜ White Blocks – Wild Card (Free Choice)

1. A book outside of your usual picks
2. A book with a one-word title
3. A book on your TBR

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)

1. A book that won a major literary award
2. A book recommended by a celebrity
3. A book from a “Best of the Year” list

🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)

1. A book that has taught you something new
2. A book that inspires creativity or motivation
3. A book with a message that changed your perspective

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

1. A romance novel with an HEA (Happily Ever After)
2. A book about friendship, family, or personal bonds
3. A book featuring a love triangle or second-chance romance

Special powers:

You can use them one time at any point in the game. If you want to use any of them again, 5 points< /b>

1 - Swap all blocks of a colour with one of another colour
2 - Skip a block colour in one round
(i.e. if you receive 🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦 and decide to skip reading for 🟤 colour block but still use them)
3- Ask for another set of 5 blocks in a round

Points tracking: 34

res

Your block set


⬜ 🟨 🟨 🟫 🟠
🟨 💖 🟠 🟠 🟧
🟧 🟦 🟩 ⬛ 🟧

  1   2    3    4    5

Round 1: Your set of blocks is below. You need to read for at least 3 of them and let me know their placement. Next round will commence after this round is completed

🟩 🟥 🟠 🟫 🟫

Only books completed from 01 May 2025 will be accepted.

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)
The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
1. A contemporary fiction novel
Position: 4

🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)
1. A book by a debut author
We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer
Position 3

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)
1. A contemporary fiction novel
Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center
Position 4

Let me know when you want to finish for this round

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books) - Goodreads Choice Award
position 5

We can move to the next round, thanks

Round 2
🟨 🟤 ⬛ 🟩 🟤

Board setup

❌ ❌ 🟩 ❌ 🟠
⬜ 🟨 🟨 ❌ 🟠
🟨 💖 🟠 🟠 🟧
🟧 🟦 🟩 ⬛ 🟧


  1   2    3    4    5

Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)
3. A cosy mystery or light-hearted book
How it fits: MPG Mystery
Position 4

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)
2. A translated book
How it fits: Originally written in Portuguese, I read it in English
Position 3

Radical Candor: Be a Kickass Boss Without Losing Your Humanity by Kim Malone Scott
🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)
2. A book that inspires creativity or motivation
How it fits: new ideas on how to improve showing up as a leader
Position: 1

I'll keep going

You mean keep going in this round or next?

In this round
Woom by Duncan Ralston
⬛ Black Blocks – Dark & Twisted (Horror & Gothic Reads)
1. A horror or gothic novel
How it fits: MPG Horror
Position 4

Satan's Affair by H.D. Carlton
🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)
3. A book with a message that changed your perspective
How it fits: Changed my perspective on MPG Dark Romance
Position 1

These are all 5 for this round, we can move to the next one. Thanks

Round 3
🟧 ⬛ 🟤 🟩 🟠

Board setup
🟤 ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
🟤 ❌ ❌ ❌ 🟠
⬜ ❌ ❌ ⬛ 🟠
🟨 💖 🟠 🟠 🟧
🟧 🟦 🟩 ⬛ 🟧


  1   2    3    4    5

The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom by Shari Franke
🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)
1. A book that has taught you something new
How it fits: The shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog
Position 1

The Island by Natasha Preston
🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)
3. A book from a genre you rarely read
How it fits: Tagged as Young Adult, which I rarely read
Position 3

Incidents Around the House by Josh Malerman
⬛ Black Blocks – Dark & Twisted (Horror & Gothic Reads)
1. A horror or gothic novel
How it fits: MPG Horror
Position 4
I‘ll read for all 5 in this round

The Third Gilmore Girl: A Memoir by Kelly Bishop
🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)
3. A book from a “Best of the Year” list
How it fits: on Best of the Year for 2024
Position 5

Down Among the Dead Men: A Year in the Life of a Mortuary Technician by Michelle Williams
🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)
2. A memoir or biography
How it fits: Memoir
Position 5
These are all 5 for this round, we can move to the next, thank you

Round 4
🟥 🟩 🟪 🟠 🟤
Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
⬜ ❌ 🟩 ⬛ ❌
🟨 💖 🟠 🟠 ❌
🟧 🟦 🟩 ⬛ ❌


  1   2    3    4    5

Paint It All Red by S.T. Abby
🟥 Red Blocks – High Stakes (Thrillers & Suspense)
2. A crime or psychological thriller
How it fits: thriller with plenty of crimes happening
Position 5

Keep It in the Family by John Marrs
🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)
2. A translated book
How it fits: book is available in at least 4 languages
Position 3

Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak
🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)
3. A book from a “Best of the Year” list
How it fits: Best of the Year 2022
Position 5

Done for this round, let’s move to the next one. Thanks

Round 5
🟥 🟠 🟩 🟤 🟦
Board setup


⬜ ❌ ❌❌ ❌
🟨 💖 ❌ ⬛ ❌
🟧 🟦 ❌ ⬛ 🟥


  1   2    3    4    5