Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Fall 25 Read-a-Thon Introduction, Rules, and FAQs

The Game of Life!



We are taking a stroll around the Game of Life board for this Individual Challenge! And it comes with a prize: an entry to win the ability to create a prompt for the 2026 ATY Challenge.*

To be eligible for the raffle entry, you need to complete 4 of the prompts. You can do more for your own personal happiness, but you will only get 1 entry. When you're ready to submit your entry, go over to the Completion Thread (here). For rules and FAQs, see the next posts.

The Prompts

College: a book that takes place in an educational setting
Career: A book with a job or profession in the title
Pay Day: A book with more than 100,000 ratings on Goodreads
Get Married: A book with more than one author
Buy a House: A book with a residential building on the cover
Millionaire Estates: A book featuring a wealthy character
Taxes Due: A book you borrowed
Speeding Ticket: A book with a 5 in the page count
Grow Your Family: A book by a new to you author
Midlife Crisis: A book that includes a major life change
Invest in Stock: A nonfiction book
LIFE Tile: A book whose title contains a word starting with a letter in LIFE

*For the winner of the raffle, as always, the prompt choice is subject to the mods' approval. For example, the prompt can’t be the same or extremely similar to one already voted in and it must not be something that’s impossible for some readers to complete. If the winner is unresponsive to the message sent from the mods, there will be a redraw.

RAFFLE RULES

1. You can only use one prompt per book, no double dipping.
2. Each prompt can only be used once for the raffle. You can double up for your own joy but you have to have 4 different prompts to be counted.
3. You need a minimum of 4 completed prompts to earn an entry.
4. Only one entry per person.
5. Books need to be at least 100 pages long, except for graphic novels which need to be at least 200 pages. For audiobooks, the printed version of the book will be used to check length.
6. Picture books or other books that are majority illustrations can’t be counted.
7. The book must be read during the read-a-thon: September 6 - 14. Books started before Sept 6 must have at least 100 pages left.

FAQs

Q: When do I need to submit my entry to the raffle?
A: Since the read-a-thon goes until whenever you go to bed on Sept 14, and that is definitionally different for everyone, entries can be submitted through Sept 15. The raffle draw will occur on Sept 16.

Q: Can books overlap between the main Around the Year challenge, the Fall Reading Challenge, and the fall read-a-thon?
A: Yes, absolutely! Some of the tasks are designed to be easy for you to fit in books you’re planning to read for ATY.

Q: Can a book be used for more than one fall read-a-thon challenge prompt?
A: Each book can only be used for one prompt in the fall read-a-thon individual challenge, but you are welcome to use them for the group challenge if you are participating in that as well.

Q: Can books started before Sept 6 or in progress on Sept 14 be counted?
A: You may count a book started before the challenge begins as long as you read at least 100 pages of the book on or after Sept x. You must have completed a book by Sept 14 to count it.

Q: For prompts concerning publication date, page numbers, or covers, how do you handle reprints/multiple editions?
A: We will use the edition you tag in your completion post. We are using an honor system here, so please make sure you are tagging properly!

Q: For books with a required cover element, how much of the cover needs to have that color/item?
A: The color or item needs to be obvious to anyone looking at the cover. It doesn't need to be large or the majority of the cover, but it does need to be clear and easily noticeable.

Q: Can you use books in both the individual challenge and the team challenge?
A: Yes, the two challenges are separate and you can use books for both challenges.

Q: What counts as a job or profession?
A: Examples: The Accountant's Book Club, The Mystery of the Chemist's Library, The Teacher's Tea Cellar. If I asked the character what they do for work, and the answer is in the title, you're good to go.

Q: Do translators count as authors?
A: I'll accept translators if you're reading the translated edition and they're listed, but no to editors. Also, not accepting people who wrote a Forward or Introduction. Those don't count.

Q: What counts as a 'major' life change?
A: Marriage, babies, divorce, substantial career change, moving to a culturally different place, death of a loved one. If you want to make a case for something else, I'm open-minded, those are just the things that jumped to mind.

Sounds great! I love the Categories. Will there be one thread for tracking as there is in the fall challenge, or will we each make our own in this folder?

Retirement was a major life change for me. There are also books about people dealing with a major health crisis, or end-of life. E.g.The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot

I'll make a tracking thread so that it doesn't get too cluttered since there are so many read-a-thon threads.

Would a book centred around a governess count as a book with an educational setting (she's working in a big house, so probably not!)

Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts too.

LeahS wrote: "Would a book centred around a governess count as a book with an educational setting (she's working in a big house, so probably not!)"

I'm going with no - the setting isn't educational.

Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts too."

Is this his like profession? I can't tell if this is like a paid gig for him or if he's been squid-gamed into this situation. I don't know but I'll probably accept it if you say that's his job.

Jackie wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts too."

Is this ..."
I don't know either! Guess I'll read it anyways and figure out if it fits there or better somewhere else. I did borrow it from a friend so there's always that prompt.

This is a super fun theme, thanks!

Can I get a vote? Does witch count as a profession? I live in Salem. MA and I would say yes (you need a city license to tell fortunes!)- but don't know if people elsewhere would scream if I put it under the profession prompt.

Does the character make money doing it? Then it's a profession!

Emily wrote: "Does the character make money doing it? Then it's a profession!"

Well shoot, in the book with it in the title she doesn't. In my current book she does but she's not in the title!

Pamela wrote: "Emily wrote: "Does the character make money doing it? Then it's a profession!"

Well shoot, in the book with it in the title she doesn't. Although she uses her witch skills to create business. But unlike the witches here, it's not part of the allure. In my current book the witch does make money as a witch but she's not in a title.

I'm also od'ing on paranormal romances this week.

Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts too."

At first I was thinking no, but he does win prizes including gold and is on a reality TV game show.

I can't stress enough that if you tell me a character did the thing as their job, I will believe you haha.

Jackie wrote: "I can't stress enough that if you tell me a character did the thing as their job, I will believe you haha."

This seems like a challenge...

Deborah wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts too."

At first..."
Didn't even end up reading it this week, so the question is moot!

I'm now worried the book will suffer from my expectations being too high - I read the first chapter the Friday before the readathon started, but bounced off. I just hear so many people raving about the series and it seems like it should be right up my alley. Maybe I just need to give it a little time and then take another shot. Maybe when I'm in a better mood!

Joanna G wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts..."

It's funny.

Joanna G wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can fit other prompts..."

I'm thinking I was so focused on finishing books I didn't go slow and enjoy some as I should have. So maybe true with your book too?

Pamela wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Joanna G wrote: "Would we consider "dungeon crawler" a job?

Dungeon Crawler Carl has just been waiting for me to read it! No worries if no, it can ..."

No, I read Dungeon Crawler Carl back in August. I'm just not a gamer, so not really the intended audience for those books. Friends recommended it and I read it. It is funny.