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WINTER CHALLENGE 2025
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50 Point Task Idea Submissions
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Julia103Celebrating Kwanzaa
Kwanzaa is a 7-day holiday established in the United States in 1966 to celebrate African and African-American culture and history. It is celebrated from December 26 to January 1. The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History & Culture has posted a comprehensive description (https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories...).
This is a three book task. Books may be used from any of these options. The same option may be used multiple times with the limits listed in the description.
Option 1: Seven Principles
Each day honors a different principle. The Seven Principles are:
Umoja – Unity
Kujichagulia – self-determination
Ujima – collective work and responsibility
Ujamaa – cooperative economics
Nia – purpose
Kuumba – creativity
Imani – faith
A. Read a book with an English word from the Principles in the title/subtitle. The word must be an exact match. (“And” is excluded.) Required: state the word in your post.
Examples:
UNITY: Unity
WORK: Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
FAITH: Keeping Faith
If this option is used more than once each book must use a different qualifying word.
B. Read a book where the author’s name includes all the letters of the Swahili name for the Principle. Required: State the Principle in your post.
Examples: Lois McMaster Bujold includes UMOJA, John Grisham includes NIA.
If this option is used more than once, each book must use a different principle and different author.
Option 2: Africa
A. Read a book set at least 60% in Africa. Required: include in your post what country the book is set in.
If this option is used more than once the books must be set in different countries.
B. The Pan-African flag is displayed at many Kwanzaa celebrations. It is composed of three horizontal stripes of red, black, and green. Read a book with all three of these colors on the cover.
This option can only be used once.
Option 3: Readings
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture’s website regarding Kwanzaa (https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories...) has excerpts from these books or poems as suggested readings or discussions for each day:
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Coming By Daniel Black
The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson
An Autobiography by Angela Y. Davis
Poem About My Rights by June Jordan
Blues People: Negro Music in White America by Le Roi Jones/Amiri Baraka
For My People by Margaret Walker
Read any book by one of these authors. (It does not have to be the one listed.)
If this option is used more than once each book must be by a different author.
megscl2025 wrapped
I love the end of the year, because you can look back on all your reading stats. Even if you don't keep track of all these stats you can celebrate your year with this task.
Book 1: How many books?
Required: State the total number of books you read in 2025*
Read a book with a page count made only out of the digits in your total number (repeated digits allowed).
e.g. if you read 52 books you can use page counts 222, 255, 525 etc.
*if you didn't keep track, make an estimate, and if you really can't estimate I'll give you 52 books (1 per week).
Book 2: Your top read of the year
Required: state your favourite book of the year
Read a book by an author with the same first name, last name, or initials (first and last) - and yes, that means you can read a book by the same author
e.g. if your favourite book was by Charlotte McConaghy, you can read a book by Charlotte Brontë, Liz McConaghy or Clare Mackintosh
Book 3: Reading diversely
One thing I look at in my stats is how diverse my reading is. This year I've tried to read authors from more different countries.
Required: name a country that you have read no books from* in 2025
Read a book by an author from* that country
*from in this case means the author was born or has lived in that country (provide a reference if not mentioned on goodreads)
2026!Some major events are happening in 2026. Let's celebrate them.
Book 1: Winter Olympics: The Winter Olympics kick off in Italy in February. Read a book where all the letters in ITALY are in the title.
Book 2: The United States celebrates its 250th year. Read a book with the MPG Historical Fiction set in the United States OR read a non-fiction book that primarily takes place in the United States.
Book 3: World Cup: The World Cup takes place this summer. Read a book set 50% or more in one of the qualifying/host countries, excluding the US since book 2 is a US based book. While all the participants are not yet set, these are the approved countries:
Host Countries:
Canada
Mexico
Qualifying Countries:
Algeria
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Cabo Verde
Colombia
Croatia
Curacao
Cote D'Ivoire
Ecuador
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Ghana
Haiti
Iran
Japan
Jordan
South Korea
Morocco
Netherlands
New Zealand
Norway
Panama
Paraguay
Portugal
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
Scotland
Senegal
South Africa
Spain
Switzerland
Tunisia
Uruguay
Uzbekistan
Lisa MD50.1 – Blind Date With a Book
In honor of Valentine's Day, take a risk and find your next book love. This is a 3 date, or 3 book task.
Pick your next book date from the following options of teasers. Are you daring in love, then pick one date from 3 different options. If you have a type, then you may repeat an option more than once.
Option 1: I’m ready to take a chance and choose love against all odds – Read a book found on the first 20 pages of one these shelves OR with a matching MPG:
Forced Proximity
Enemies to Lovers
Second Chance Romance
Forbidden Love
***List MPG used OR page number and trope list used***
Option 2: I feel safer being set up on a date by friends -
I trust their recommendations. Read a book chosen by fellow readers or by popular celebrity book club hosts. The Reese and Jenna links are for reference but not necessarily inclusive:
Selected or Nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award Any Year
Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
Jenna Bush Book Club Pick
***Required: List year and category if you chose GR Choice Award option OR month, year, and book club list used***
Option 3: I refuse to go on a blind date because I’ll end up with a serial killer.
Read any book with a murder in the GR synopsis OR is found on the first 20 pages of the Serial Killer or Murder Mystery shelves:
Serial Killer
Murder Mystery
***Required: State the list and page number used or state murder is described in the GR synopsis***
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The Seasonal Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Unity (other topics)Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (other topics)
Keeping Faith (other topics)
Beloved (other topics)
The Coming (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Liz McConaghy (other topics)Clare Mackintosh (other topics)
Charlotte Brontë (other topics)
Charlotte McConaghy (other topics)
John Grisham (other topics)
More...
The 50 point task will require:
1. Only 3 options. These options may not include more than 2 "sub options" - 6 total in the task.
2. One book per option.
3. Three books totaling at least 750 pages. Your task idea may require a higher page threshold but this must be disclosed in your entry.
4. No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.
5. Books whose main page lists any of these genres: Sequential Art, Comics, Comic Book, or Manga may not be used.
6. No “free choice” options will be allowed. This is a challenge, so tasks that have no element of challenge do not fit the purpose.
7. A task must be accessible to the majority of players, i.e. not limited to a specific format, edition, publisher, etc. and reviewable by the moderators.
Anyone eligible* to design a task may submit an idea for a task that follows the general guidelines above. Your idea should be a sketch that may be developed with the moderators.
* To be eligible to create a task, the player’s profile must be set up to accept Goodreads messages, and they must not have a task in the current challenge. Only one task per person per challenge.
The group will vote to determine the 50 point task. All ideas that fit the general guidelines will be included in a poll. The poll winner will develop their idea with the moderators to refine their task. The final task may differ from the original idea submission. The task will be posted as close to the midpoint as reasonably possible. The task creator will monitor and answer questions in the help thread.
Please include your Readerboard name and a title for your task. The entries will be listed by Readerboard name and task title in the poll. Please include only one task idea entry per post.
PLEASE DO NOT comment on people's entries in this thread - this is for submissions only - you will be able to comment when voting begins. Comments in this thread will be deleted.