2025 Reading Challenge discussion

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

What are you afraid of?

This challenge invites you to explore the vast and varied world of fear—literal or symbolic, intense or subtle. You can dive into horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows… or take a gentler path and read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties: fear of flying, the dark, animals, failure, the unknown, being alone.

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme. This makes the challenge accessible to everyone, whether you're drawn to terrifying tales or prefer quieter, more thoughtful interpretations of fear. You could read a ghost story, a novel set on a plane, a memoir about anxiety, or even a cozy mystery with a dog on the cover—if someone, somewhere, fears it… it counts.

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.

Thank You to Charlotte for agreeing to lead this challenge.

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?

Welcome to WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?

Join this scary monthly challenge where we read books that are scaaaryy! Spooky reading!!

How to participate:
Post a comment in the thread to let me know you'd like to sign up and how many books you would to read for this monthly challenge.

As you finish your books, you can edit your original sign-up comment to keep track of your progress. You will also need to post a new comment in the thread notating that you have updated your progress and include the message # of your original sign-up comment. You can also change your goal at any time by posting your message # and the new goal.

Here is how an update message could look like:

Update message #x
Progress: 1/10

If you wish to drop out of the challenge, please do not delete your original sign-up comment or any update comments! Just add a new comment to let me know :)

If you want to join the challenge late, you are very welcome to still join! Just sign up like normal. You may use the books that you have read from the start of the challenge date (1. October).

Feel free to ask if you have any questions!!

Have a great time reading your scary books!

"The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown"
H. P. Lovecraft

Participants:

Amy (# 31) - 0/10
Amy (Other Amy) (# 15) - 0/5
Anna (# 23) - 0/5
✨ Brianna Raquel ✨ (# 22) - 0/20
Bubbles (# 18) - 0/5
Caraina (# 19) - 0/10
Carri Carey (# 26) - 0/12
Carrie (# 28) - 1/12
Charlotte (# 4) - 0/5
Chrissie (# 10) - 0/10
D.L. (# 34) - 0/4
E (# 20) - 0/6
GailW (# 6) - 0/5
JennH (# 7) - 0/10
Jennifer (# 27) - 3/15
Kristina (# 11) - 0/10
Laurie (# 17) - 0/5
Rachael (# 9) - 1/5
Sarah (# 13) - 0/20
Susan (# 5) - 0/5
Tanu (# 24) - 0/20
TerryJane (# 14) - 0/15

STATS
Participants: 22
Books Read: 5
Book Goal: 214
Completed: 0
Goal Progress: 2.34%

Challenges Completed:

I'm in for 5 to start with!

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

Progress: 0/5

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme. This makes the challenge accessible to everyone, whether you're drawn to terrifying tales or prefer quieter, more thoughtful interpretations of fear. You could read a ghost story, a novel set on a plane, a memoir about anxiety, or even a cozy mystery with a dog on the cover—if someone, somewhere, fears it… it counts.

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR? - Quarterly Challenge
Duration: October 1 - December 31, 2025

☀ Progress: 1 / 5

☀ 1. Losing independence: The Impossible Fortune

Please sign me up for 10.

4/10

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

What are you afraid of?

Horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows
- Tokyo Ghoul, Vol. 2 by Sui Ishida 10/5/25

Books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties (can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme)
- Weyward by Emilia Hart 10/2/25 - witches
- The Key Lime Crime by Lucy Burdette 10/3/25 - water/cats
- Archenemies by Marissa Meyer 10/4/25 - "villain" called Phobia who manifested into their opponents worse fears

Welcome Susan, GailW, and JennH!!

Please sign me up for 5 books. I will read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties

COMPLETED: 1/5

1. Wasps: Wasps' Nest: a Hercule Poirot Short Story finished 3 October, ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

This challenge invites you to explore the vast and varied world of fear—literal or symbolic, intense or subtle. You can dive into horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows… or take a gentler path and read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties: fear of flying, the dark, animals, failure, the unknown, being alone.

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme. This makes the challenge accessible to everyone, whether you're drawn to terrifying tales or prefer quieter, more thoughtful interpretations of fear. You could read a ghost story, a novel set on a plane, a memoir about anxiety, or even a cozy mystery with a dog on the cover—if someone, somewhere, fears it… it counts.

Progress: 1/10

currently reading:

Anthing Fearful:


other:

WHAT'S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
October 01, 2025 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 0/10

Sign me up for 10!

1. The Sea: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and other Classic Novels by Jules Verne
2. Bats - The Art Thief by Michael Finkel
3. Death - Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin
4. Vampires - Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett
5. Space - Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes
6. Dogs - Dog Songs: Poems by Mary Oliver
7. Doppelgängers: The Double by José Saramago
8. Fungi: Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake
9. Murder: The Fairbanks Four: Murder, Injustice, and the Birth of a Movement by Brian Patrick O’Donoghue
10. Wolves: For the Wolf by Hannah F. Whitten
11. Drowning: He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-Chan
12. Tyranny: Heavenly Tyrant by Xiran Jay Zhao
13. Heights: How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu
14. Puppets: In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune
15. Stingrays: Playground by Richard Powers

Welcome Rachael, Chrissie, and Kristina!!

Sign me up for 20 books

0/20

~ It
~ Terror by Gaslight: Memorial Edition
~ The Shining
~ Salem's Lot
~ Pet Sematary
~ Misery
~ The Exorcist
~ The Haunting of Hill House
~ Rosemary's Baby
~ Ghost Story
~ House of Leaves
~ Heart-Shaped Box
~ Red Dragon
~ World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
~ The Stand
~ Needful Things
~ Swan Song
~ Something Wicked This Way Comes
~ American Psycho
~ The Amityville Horror
~ Cujo

I'm in for at least 15. Thank you, Charlotte!

😰 WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR? - Quarterly Challenge
Duration: October 1 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 0/15

The Husbands - Climacophobia: fear of ladders
Love's Work: A Reckoning with Life - Carcinophobia: fear of cancer
The Thirteenth Tale - Triskaidekaphobia: fear of thirteen
Normal People - Catagelophobia: Fear of being ridiculed OR Decidophobia: Fear of making decisions
Laughing Boy: A Navajo Love Story - Equinophobia: Fear of horses
The Wrong Family - Dementophobia: Fear of madness or insanity
The Summer Country - Phasmophobia: fear of ghosts
Weyward - Wiccaphobia: Fear of witches and witchcraft
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - Robophobia: Fear of drones and robots
This Is How It Always Is - Dendrophobia: Fear of trees
Fear the Darkness - Achluophobia: Fear of darkness

In for five. I love your picture updates!

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme.

⬜Thalassophobia: Into the Drowning Deep
⬜Pyrophobia: Crossfire
⬜Nosophobia: Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead
⬜Ophidiophobia: Sister Snake
⬜Entomophobia: Insectopolis: A Natural History

0/5

Reference:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Welcome Sarah, TerryJane, and Amy (Other Amy)!!
Thanks, Amy (Other Amy) :-)

Sign me up for 5 please. Thanks!

I'm in for 5

Duration: October 1 – December 31, 2025

This challenge invites you to explore the vast and varied world of fear—literal or symbolic, intense or subtle. You can dive into horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows… or take a gentler path and read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties: fear of flying, the dark, animals, failure, the unknown, being alone.

Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme. This makes the challenge accessible to everyone, whether you're drawn to terrifying tales or prefer quieter, more thoughtful interpretations of fear. You could read a ghost story, a novel set on a plane, a memoir about anxiety, or even a cozy mystery with a dog on the cover—if someone, somewhere, fears it… it counts.

Progress: 0/20

I'm in for 10

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025

*Horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows
*Read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties: fear of flying, the dark, animals, failure, the unknown, being alone.
*Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme

Completed: 0/10

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

Please sign me up for 6! :)

Welcome Laurie, Bubbles, Caraina, and E!!
Bubbles - are you in for 5 or 20?

WHAT’S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?
Duration: October 1, 2025 – December 31, 2025

thrillers filled with suspense

0/20

I will sign up for 5, please.

Sign me up for 20 please!

1. Shadows of Winter Robins - loneliness/abandonment. ✅
2. Rerouting River - abuse ✅
3.

Welcome Brianna Raquel, Anna, and Tanu!!

I'll sign up for 12! Thanks!

1. Voodoo - The Quarter Storm - Read 10/3/25
2. Drowning - Broken Harbor - Read 10/3/25

4/15
Book --Fear
1. The Reluctant Outlaw - Scelerophobia: fear of outlaws
2. Miss Minerva's Pirate Mishap - fear of becoming like your mother
3. Wyoming Promises - necrophobia: fear of dead organisms and things associated with death
4. Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories - homophobia - fear of homosexuals
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.

Please sign me up for 12!

😱WHAT'S YOUR FEAR FACTOR?😱
Duration: October 1 - December 31, 2025
Progress: 1/12

What are you afraid of?

*Horror or thrillers filled with suspense, monsters, and shadows
*Read books that reflect common phobias and personal anxieties: fear of flying, the dark, animals, failure, the unknown, being alone.
*Books can count if they include a fear or phobia in the cover art, title, or theme


✅1. Mnemophobia - fear of the process of remembering
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Listen for the Lie 10/4/2025

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Welcome Carri Carey, Jennifer, and Carrie!!

Updated post #27 1/15

I will go for 10 books.
0/15

Updated message 9: 1/5.
Starting this challenge by reading a book that contains my own phobia, Wasps, in the title

Updated post #27 3/15

I like the idea of this challenge. Please put me down for 4 boooks for now.

COMPLETED: 0/4

Update message #28: 1/12

Welcome everyone, and well done to all of you that have started the challenge!!