You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

It's November! And the new 2026 challenge will be posted at the end of the month. How are you doing with wrapping up the 2025 challenge? I'm cramming to get the 4th badge finished. It will be close.

I hope the challenge will be a light to your path and that it will help show the way.

I only have one book left! For the first badge... lol.

An illuminating clue, Janice. No idea what it means but I like it.

I have two left for my badge but I’m waiting for books to just fall into the letters I need.

I never figure out the clues. lol 🤷🏼‍♀️

I never figure them out either, but I really like this clue.

For some reason I’m thinking of a commercial jingle “Let the sunshine in, let the sunshine in….” No clue what the product was 😀

If the 2026 challenge will be illuminating, it sounds good to me! ☀️

Oh... the clues...

I have finished 8 books, and am working on the 9th. I hope to read a few in Thanksgiving and Christmas break and get my first badge. It will be challenging, though.

I was just wondering yesterday when we'd start seeing clues.

Light = stars? Constellations?

After years, I have finally finished an yearly challenge, the first badge, I am not trying for more.

I have no clue about the clue lol.

I have 4 more to read to complete badge 4. Hoping to knock it out in November, but I said that in october :)

I think I need a flashlight to help find this clue.

Hmm…I am hoping to finish Badge 6. It will be close.

A light. Lighthousea? Source of light on cover? Beliefs? No clue!

Hope to finish badge 3 by the end of the year.

Light at the end of the tunnel?

I have 5 more books to finish for the first badge, if only I'd started at the beginning of the year. True Crime was difficult, but I think I've found a book that will work.

I'm going to guess some kind of mystery challenge for next year, something with clues.

I never have any luck working out the clues but I always love the challenges. I have finished the challenge (i would have to cry if I didn't). Looking forward to next year

Interesting clues!
Star Wars, carthography, compas, (travelling) maps, darkness, adventures on the seas, night, a maze, enlightment, self development, religion, making choices...? Okay, I need to stop and hold my horses now...
I have 4 more books, I think, to finish for my first badge. So, who knows I can wrap them up.
Some competition beast inside me thinks I can finish a second badge and then I shrug and laugh. Maybe when I've got a couple of clones, though, it might work...

Impressive Saar. You've dug deep into possible themes.

Is she anywhere close? Lol

‘Show the way’ and ‘light to the path’ make me think of religion but I don’t think the challenge is about religion so I’m going to guess the gods of mythology?

Hmm or I like Saar’s cartography angle too. Maybe an around the world type of challenge?

i am not even trying to figure out this clue.

I am still trying to finish my current badge but I do not think i'll make it. My libraries' holds are not cooperating.

I'm on book 21 of Badge 5. I would love to be ambitious and get 6 done by New Year's Eve, but that might not be realistic (although I do like a challenge....)

Laura wrote: "Is she anywhere close? Lol

‘Show the way’ and ‘light to the path’ make me think of religion but I don’t think the challenge is about religion so I’m going to guess the gods of mythology?..."

This is an interesting idea!

Is it already November?? Exciting to think about the next annual challenge! Just need 3 more books for the 2025 badge. I've read plenty, but I need to start choosing books that fit the prompts!

I used to go to a girl's club in my church called Pioneer Girls, and our motto was the Bible verse, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." It just popped into my head as I was thinking of teasers, so I used it.

She's right about making choices - we all make choices about which books we want to read for the tasks. If I say too much about choices, I could give away the plot. Let's just say that choices have consequences, and some last eternal.

Doesn’t that have a “Speak now or forever hold your tongue” vibe 🤔

ooohhh...interesting. Maybe one of those choose your own path type things where one choice leads you in one directions and another choice leads you somewhere else. Every year you make me more and more curious. lol

Ooh I like that idea Kristie. And I’m wondering if this could weave into a trip around the world type of situation.

Janice wrote: "Impressive Saar. You've dug deep into possible themes."

I've done my best 😊

Kristie wrote: "ooohhh...interesting. Maybe one of those choose your own path type things where one choice leads you in one directions and another choice leads you somewhere else. Every year you make me more and m..."

Yes, my thought exactly when I read that :)

I am still 12 books away from finishing my last badge in this challenge - I’m not sure if I’ll make it but I’ll try.

I’m totally clueless when it comes to riddles but I’m looking forward to the 2026 challenge. Thank you for putting so much effort in it, Janice!

I'm about 20 Books shy for badge 2 so pretty sure that's not going to happen. It was a fun challenge, as always. As for the clue I never figure them out, however, the first thing I did think of was the Bible verse that you thought of when writing the clue.

Janice wrote: "choices have consequences, and some last eternal"

This one really has me thinking and weaving Saar’s cartography with Kristie’s choose your own adventure and I really am wondering if it is some type of geographical challenge where if you go east from the first book, you have to keep going east.

So maybe the light to the path has nothing to do with religion or mythology but a direction you choose from the first book.

Or maybe there’s several task lists and once you choose, you have to go with that list? (I’ve had a virus/low fever for about a week now and this is what happens with more time on my hands haha.)

Has anyone ever guessed the challenge correctly from clues in the past?

Laura wrote: "Has anyone ever guessed the challenge correctly from clues in the past?"

That's a good question.

Although the first thing that comes to mind is the religious reference (Psalm 119:105), there are also many songs that focus on messages about overcoming challenges. Songs like Fix You (Coldplay), Stand by Me (Ben E. King), Skyscraper (Demi Lovato), Survivor (Destiny's Child), I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor), I'm Still Standing (Elton John) and the like. I found a list of 20 such songs online.

Good idea, Laura. I hope you feel better quickly.

Thank you, Kristie. (Wishing I could use this time to gopher hehe.)

Thanks Janice - as usual clear as mud 🤪

I'm meandering through badge 4 at the moment. I'm not even trying to get it finished as I want to fresh for this new challenge. I'm imagining some kind on book map, like the one on the site that was set up to compete with GR - was it called Bookgraph? Anyway, bring it on - it's bound to be good stuff!

Would it narrow it down for you if we take away religious connotations? Does that shed a little more light on it?

It does illuminate the path forward Janice lol 🔦

Oooo so could it be like you have to find a trail from one book to another?

That’s what I keep thinking, like it’s a physical location thing.

Would having a globe help us with this challenge?

Lighting the path could also relate to lighthouses. From one to another?

Ooh never thought of that one! I like!

🌎 🌍 🌏

Location could be a factor.

Janice, could you tell us when about you plan to post the annual challenge? I always forget when you typically post it. I'm not looking for a specific date, just a general time.

I think Janice said she will post it at the end of this month.

Yes, I'm aiming for the end of the month.

Thank you. Too much going on right now for my brain to keep it all straight. I just realized that it is posted in the first comment. I should've checked there before asking.

Ooh, I always get excited at the prospect of a new book challenge. Gophering is one of my favorite things!

I'm 1 book away from the second badge on the current challenge.

Last few pages to complete the last book for Badge 3. Could not post some of the completed books in my thread as the PC was out of commission for more than a month. Started posting the completed book - 3 at a time!

Looking forward to the 2026 challenge. Hope I could read more books in 2026.

Janice wrote: "Location could be a factor."

Globe, lighthouse, compass? Are we hot, cold, warm?

We’re halfway through November and fishing for a clue 🎣🐠 😀

You might catch one fish, Laura.