2026 & 2027 Reading Challenge discussion
2026 Yearly Challenges
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Riddle Me This? - 2026
How to Participate:
1. Post here telling the challenge leader how many books you plan to read.
You may choose your books at the beginning, or add them as you go. You may join any time during the year, and may change your goal whenever needed.
2. When you finish books for the challenge, edit your original post or member’s corner thread to add them.
Instructions are in the how-to link below.
3. To have your progress updated, post a new comment here to let the challenge leader know.
Every time you post an update, be sure to include your original (sign-up) message number, the number of books you have completed, and your goal. We use your original message number to identify you, since multiple members may have the same profile name.
Example:
Update to message 32: 2/25 books read!
For more information about how our challenges work, visit this how-to thread or ask your challenge leader.
P.S. Please do not delete posts! It changes the message numbers, complicating the update process for both leaders and participants. If you wish to leave the challenge, simply post a comment here to let us know. You may edit your original post to say {deleted}. Thank you!
Participants:
Agnieszka #30 - 0/5
Angel **Book Junkie** #14 - 0/50
angelinabvby #22 - 0/3
Anna #36 - 14/12 Completed!
BarbaraBrubru_gingertiger #10 - 0/20
Beth #11 - 0/75
Blagica #19 - 0/10
Brianna #21 - 0/75
Bubbles #16 - 0/40
Caraina #12 - 0/25
Carolyn #27 - 9/36
Carolyn #34 - 11/30
Echo #17 - 20/20 Completed!
Jenn #44 - 0/75
Kalyn #15 - 10/10 Completed!
Kristina #8 - 30/30 Completed!
Laureen #13 - 26/30
Robynne #33 - 0/5
Sarah #18 - 25/25 Completed!
Shari #9 - 11/24
Susan #5 - 14/20
Susanna #78 - 64/75
Suzanne #62 - 0/75
TerryJane #7 - 40/40 Completed!
STATS
Participants: 24
Books Read: 274
Book Goal: 810
Completed: 6
Updated through Message #162 on Oct 23, 2026.
Reserved by backup moderator
RIDDLE ME THISDuration: January 1 – December 31, 2026
Progress: 14/20
1. I can hide in plain sight.
(view spoiler)
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien - Finished 1/12/26
Once and For All by Cheryl Etchison - Finished 5/15/26
2. I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
(view spoiler)
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger - Finished 1/6/26
3. What has words, but never speaks?
(view spoiler)
Book of the Dead by Patricia Cornwell - Finished 1/12/26
4. What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
(view spoiler)
Murder at Gulls Nest by Jess Kidd - Finished 2/20/26
5. I can be held but never touched.
(view spoiler)
We Don't Talk About Carol by Kristen L. Berry - Finished 2/27/26
6. I have hands, but cannot clap.
(view spoiler)
Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - Finished 2/28/26
7. What is red and smells like blue paint?
(view spoiler)
The One by John Marrs - Finished 3/1/26
8. I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I?
(view spoiler) - Restore Me by Mahereh Mafi - Finished 3/5/26
9. I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare. (view spoiler)
Port Mortuary by Patricia Cornwell - FInished 3/31/26
10. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish.
(view spoiler)
The Girl from Everywhere by Heidi Heilig - Finished 5/21/26
11. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
(view spoiler)
Boneshaker by Cherie Priest, "I stole it fair and square as a stamp on a letter." - Finished 6/8/26
12. What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
(view spoiler) - The Sweetest Game by J. Sterling - Finished 6/11/26
13. What building has the most stories?
(view spoiler)
The Library After Dark by Ande Pliego - Finished 7/13/26
14. I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
(view spoiler)
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - Finished 9/21/26
[redacted]
❓ RIDDLE ME THIS - Yearly ChallengeDuration: January 1 - December 31, 2026
Progress: 40/40 -- COMPLETE
❓ What can you catch, but not throw?
(view spoiler)
❓ I am soft yet can break bones.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can hide in plain sight.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can be frozen or boiling, yet remain the same.
(view spoiler)
❓ I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old.
(view spoiler)
❓ What has many keys but can’t open any locks?
(view spoiler)
❓ I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I?
(view spoiler)
❓ I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish.
(view spoiler)
❓ What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
(view spoiler)
❓ What has one eye, but can’t see?
(view spoiler)
❓ What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
(view spoiler)
❓ What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
(view spoiler)
❓ I have a head, a tail, but no body.
(view spoiler)
❓ I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
(view spoiler)
❓ I shrink smaller every time I take a bath.
(view spoiler)
❓ I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle.
(view spoiler)
❓ What question can you never say yes to?
(view spoiler)
❓ I move without wings, I roar without a mouth.
(view spoiler)
❓ I have a bottom at the top.
(view spoiler)
❓ What kind of room has no doors or windows?
(view spoiler)
❓ I go in hard, come out soft, and am never the same.
(view spoiler)
❓ I am a path, but I never move.
(view spoiler)
❓ I fly all day but never leave my home.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can be long or short, narrow or wide.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can glow without heat.
(view spoiler)
❓ I have rings but no fingers.
(view spoiler)
❓ I am always moving forward but never return.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can shine at night but never during the day.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can be cracked, opened, or thrown away.
(view spoiler)
❓ I have a tongue but cannot taste.
(view spoiler)
❓ I have a neck but no head.
(view spoiler)
❓ I am seen in water but never wet.
(view spoiler)
❓ I can fall but never get hurt.
(view spoiler)
❓ What has words, but never speaks?
(view spoiler)
❓ What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
(view spoiler)
❓ What has many hearts but no other organs?
(view spoiler)
❓ What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it?
(view spoiler)
❓ What has to be broken before you can use it?
(view spoiler)
RIDDLE ME THISJanuary 1 - December 31, 2026
Progress: 30/30
Sign me up for 30!
Member Corner Tracking Post
I will sign up for 24RIDDLE ME THIS
January 1 - December 31, 2026
Progress: 30 / 24
I have a bottom at the top.
[Your legs (hide spoiler)]
The Book Club for Troublesome Women - Completed 1-27-26
I can be long or short, narrow or wide.
[A road / path (hide spoiler)] The Days I Loved You Most - Completed 1-5-26
What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
[Time to fix the fence (hide spoiler)]
Her Small-Town Cowboy - Completed 1-6-26
I am used by everyone, but no one can see me.
[Time (hide spoiler)] The Time Hop Coffee Shop - Completed 2-5-26
What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
[Your left hand (hide spoiler)]
Bloomsbury Girls - Completed 2-11
I can fill a room but take up no space.
[Light (hide spoiler)] The Pumpkin Spice Café- Completed 2-21
I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
[The ocean (hide spoiler)] Austen at Sea
What has words, but never speaks?
[A book (hide spoiler)] The Lonely Hearts Book Club
What gets wet while drying?
[A towel (hide spoiler)] The Summer Guests
I have a tongue but cannot taste.
[A shoe (hide spoiler)] The Raffle Baby
I have rings but no fingers.
[A tree (hide spoiler)] Annie's Truth
I am a path, but I never move.
[A road (hide spoiler)] Down a Dark Road
I can glow without heat.
[Stars / bioluminescence (hide spoiler)]
The Calculating Stars
I have hands, but cannot clap.
[A clock (hide spoiler)]
Strangers in Time
I am the start of eternity, the end of time and space.
[The letter “E” (hide spoiler)]
The Bluest Eye
What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
[A stamp (hide spoiler)]
Dear Miss Breed: True Stories of the Japanese American Incarceration During World War II and a Librarian Who Made a Difference
I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
[A cloud (hide spoiler)]
The Lifeboat
I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
[Fingernails (hide spoiler)] Up Till Now
I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle.
[A circle (hide spoiler)] Assaulted Caramel
What building has the most stories?
[The library (hide spoiler)] The Astral Library
I can shine at night but never during the day.
[The moon (hide spoiler)] Bedside Blessings: 365 Days of Inspirational Thoughts
I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I?
[A memory (hide spoiler)] The Unforgettable Mailman
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind.
[Echo (hide spoiler)] Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
I have a head, a tail, but no body.
[A coin (hide spoiler)] The World's Fair Quilt
I am seen in water but never wet.
[A reflection (hide spoiler)] Code Name Hélène
What question can you never say yes to?
[“Are you asleep?” (hide spoiler)] A Brewed Awakening
What has many keys but can’t open any locks?
[A piano (hide spoiler)] The Piano Shop on the Left Bank: Discovering a Forgotten Passion in a Paris Atelier
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind.
[Footsteps (hide spoiler)] The Pastor's Easter Prayer - pastor is taking steps
What two things can you never eat for breakfast?
[Lunch and dinner (hide spoiler)] The Nantucket Restaurant - both are served here
I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter.
[A hole (hide spoiler)] Fugitive Hunt - cave entrance
.
Hi, I am in for 20, thanks !
I'm in for 25RIDDLE ME THIS
Duration: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Completed: 0/25
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RIDDLE ME THISDuration: January 1 – December 31, 2026
I am in for all 50
Title or Cover
I'll go for 10! Progress: 10/10 COMPLETED!!! 🎉🎉🎉
Last Updated: April 27th
1. What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
-Your left hand
-- The Crown
2. I can glow without heat.
-Stars/bioluminescence
-- Project Hail Mary
3. I am soft yet can break bones
-Water
-- The Darkest Hour
4. I am sometimes cold, sometimes warm, but never wet.
-Air
-- Midnight
5. I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
-Cloud
-- Six of Crows
6. I am the start of eternity, the end of time and space.
-The Letter "E"
-- The Fall of Iris Henley
7. I can be held but never touched.
-A conversation
-- Game Changer
8. I move without wings, I roar without a mouth.
-A waterfall
-- Shatter Me
9. I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle.
-A circle
-- Unravel Me
10. What question can you never say yes to?
-"Are you asleep?"
-- Unite Me
I'm in for 40Kerri Maniscalco
RIDDLE ME THIS
Duration: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Completed: 0/40
1. I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco - Finished 1/28
2. I can shine at night but never during the day.
Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan - Finished 2/6
I'm in - going to try for 20 (may increase this goal later, since this is a new style of challenge for me).20 of 20 completed:
* What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
* I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish.
* I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone.
* What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
* Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it? The Queen of Nothing
* I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
* I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
* I can fill a room but take up no space.
* I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle.
* I am a path, but I never move.
* I am used by everyone, but no one can see me.
* I can be long or short, narrow or wide.
* I am a bridge without planks or nails.
* I can glow without heat.
* I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
* I am soft yet can break bones.
* I can shine at night but never during the day.
* I am seen in water but never wet.
* I can fall but never get hurt.
* What has words, but never speaks?
Sign me up for 25 books25/25 - COMPLETED
✅1) I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old.
The Christmas Candle (19/4/26)
✅2) What has many keys but can’t open any locks?
The Piano Lesson (19/5/26)
✅3) I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish.
Footsteps on the Map (13/3/26)
✅4) I live in silence and vanish in noise.
Silence is My Mother Tongue (9/6/26)
✅5) What has one eye, but can’t see?
The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle (27/7/26)
✅6) I go up and down stairs without moving.
The Hidden Stairs and the Magic Carpet (14/7/26)
✅7) What gets wet while drying?
The Towel Boy (24/8/26)
✅8) What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
Enola Holmes: The Graphic Novels: The Case of the Missing Marquess, The Case of the Left-Handed Lady, and The Case of the Bizarre Bouquets (20/18/26)
✅9) Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?
Nothing More to Tell (8/8/26)
✅10) I have a head, a tail, but no body.
Jasmine The Missing Coin (9/9/26)
✅11) I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
The Night Ocean (10/9/26)
✅12) I have hands, but cannot clap.
The Secret of the Old Clock (1/10/26)
✅13) I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
In the Land of Long Fingernails (2/10/26)
✅14) I can fill a room but take up no space.
All the Light We Cannot See (3/1/26)
✅15) I can’t be touched, yet I can touch you. I can’t be seen, yet I can be heard.
Sounds Like Titanic: A Memoir (3/10/26)
✅16) I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter.
Holes (4/10/26)
✅17) I move without wings, I roar without a mouth.
Ambush at the Waterfall: a Short Story of Marines in Vietnam (10/10/26)
✅18) I am used by everyone, but no one can see me.
Doctor Who: The Twelfth Doctor: Time Trials Vol. 1: The Terror Beneath (13/1/26)
✅19) I am always moving forward but never return.
Chicks Dig Time Lords: A Celebration of Doctor Who by the Women Who Love It (27/2/26)
✅20) I am soft yet can break bones.
A Fish Out of Water (11/10/26)
✅21) I can shine at night but never during the day.
Many Moons (15/1/26)
✅22) I have a tongue but cannot taste.
G is for Gumshoe (10/3/26)
✅23) What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
I'm a Little Teapot (12/10/26)
✅24) I can be frozen or boiling, yet remain the same.
Into the Water (15/8/26)
✅25) What building has the most stories?
The Last Heir to Blackwood Library (13/10/26)
Going to attempt 75 RIDDLE ME THIS
Duration: January 1, 2026 – December 31, 2026
Completed: 0/75
🧩RIDDLE ME THIS🧩3/3 (msg #22)
I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
I can be cracked, opened, or thrown away.
I have rings but no fingers.
I can shine at night but never during the day.
Update Message #13:2. The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. (Footsteps): The Living and the Dead by Christoffer Carlsson
1/30
Update to message #5, Please change my goal to 20.
Thanks!
Update Message #13:26. I can fill a room but take up no space. (Light) A Bright Blossom of Light by Suzanne Chazin
2/30
Sign me up for 36 books, thats 3 each month24/36
Riddles
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind. The Midnight Train Matt Haig 28 June
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert, 11 Jan
I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old.
What has many keys but can’t open any locks?
What has a heart that doesn’t beat? The Vampire Sword, T.L. Cerepaka 20 Feb
I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I? Under the Long White Cloud, Miles Kent Farnsworth 13 Jan
I grow bigger the more you take away from me. Battle Moon 2075: Ramming Speed, Harvey LaCrosse, 9 Jan
I’m light as a feather, yet even the world’s strongest man couldn’t hold me for long.
I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. Onyx Storm Rebecca Yarros 17 August
What can travel around the world while staying in a corner? Around the World in Eighty Days Jules Verne 7 June
I live in silence and vanish in noise. Exiles Jane Harper
What has one eye, but can’t see?
I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone.
What gets wet while drying? The Swimmer of Auschwitz: The Incredible True Story of the Olympic Hero Who Swam For His Life Renaud LeBlond 23 September
What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
What kind of band never plays music? Lord of the Flies 4 Jan
What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand? Iron Flame, Rebecca Yarros, 4 Jan
Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it? The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain 29 August
I’m full of holes, yet I can hold water.
I have a head, a tail, but no body.The Cash Machine Dave Mason 3 September
I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired. Beach Read Emily Henry 3 September
I have hands but cannot clap. Hour is Come Victoria Tait 28 August
I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
I can fill a room but take up no space.
I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle. A Wildfire in the Grove: The Druid and the Dragon Queen, Book One 1 Feb
I’m sometimes white, sometimes brown, sometimes black, but never the same twice. All Mine Blake Pierce 26 Feb
I can’t be touched, yet I can touch you. I can’t be seen, yet I can be heard.
I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter. Fantastic Mr. Fox Roald Dahl 10 March
What question can you never say yes to? The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham 21 August
I am never seen but always counted
I am a bridge without planks or nails. The Ministry of Time Kaliane Bradley 19August
I can glow without Heat Atmosphere, 22 Feb
What building has the most stories? The Dictionary of Lost Words 19 Feb
I can Hide in plain sight. Ice Station Matthew Reilly 8 June
I am the start of eternity, the end of time and space. School Of Oz Laura Sieveking 14 July
Update to msg #15 please! Progress: 1/10
Update Message #13:65. I am sometimes cold, sometimes warm, but never wet (Air) Atmosphere by Taylor Reid Jenkins
3/30
I love this idea and even if it makes no sense whatsoever to join any challenges this year I'm in and set a way too low goal of 5. because
I'm not very good at updating my challenges
after more than 18 months still have no WiFi in my 'new' flat
have to find another one and move as soon as possible
my health situation the last couple of years was plain awful
...
I'll reserve 2 messages as I'm hoping to complete all of those and reading in three languages (plus loving books with puns in the title) it takes sometimes some space to explain those in English and I'd rather leave it empty than jump between two pages should I run out of space.
Riddle Me This
Duration: 2026 (1/1 12/31)
Completed: 0/5+
Update to message 30: 1/5 books read!
1.
*
Backup post - RiddlesI speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind. (view spoiler)
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind. (view spoiler)
I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old. (view spoiler)
What has many keys but can’t open any locks? (view spoiler)
What has a heart that doesn’t beat? (view spoiler)
I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I? (view spoiler)
I grow bigger the more you take away from me. (view spoiler)
I’m light as a feather, yet even the world’s strongest man couldn’t hold me for long. (view spoiler)
I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. (view spoiler)
What can travel around the world while staying in a corner? (view spoiler)
I live in silence and vanish in noise. (view spoiler)
What has one eye, but can’t see? (view spoiler)
I go up and down stairs without moving. (view spoiler)
I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone. (view spoiler)
What gets wet while drying? (view spoiler)
What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence? (view spoiler)
What kind of band never plays music? (view spoiler)
What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand? (view spoiler)
Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it? (view spoiler)
I’m full of holes, yet I can hold water. (view spoiler)
I have a head, a tail, but no body. (view spoiler)
I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired. (view spoiler)
I have hands, but cannot clap. (view spoiler)
I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare. (view spoiler)
I shrink smaller every time I take a bath. (view spoiler)
I can fill a room but take up no space. (view spoiler)
I am present everywhere yet can’t be touched. (view spoiler)
I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle. (view spoiler)
I’m sometimes white, sometimes brown, sometimes black, but never the same twice. (view spoiler)
I can’t be touched, yet I can touch you. I can’t be seen, yet I can be heard. (view spoiler)
I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter. (view spoiler)
What question can you never say yes to? (view spoiler)
I am never seen but always counted. (view spoiler)
I move without wings, I roar without a mouth. (view spoiler)
I have a bottom at the top. (view spoiler)
What kind of room has no doors or windows? (view spoiler)
I go in hard, come out soft, and am never the same. (view spoiler)
I can be held but never touched. (view spoiler)
I am a path, but I never move. (view spoiler)
I fly all day but never leave my home. (view spoiler)
What can you catch, but not throw? (view spoiler) *too bad :-D*
I am used by everyone, but no one can see me. (view spoiler)
I can be long or short, narrow or wide. (view spoiler)
I am a bridge without planks or nails. (view spoiler)
I can glow without heat. (view spoiler)
I have rings but no fingers. (view spoiler)
What is red and smells like blue paint? (view spoiler)
I am always moving forward but never return. (view spoiler)
I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes. (view spoiler)
I can hide in plain sight. (view spoiler)
I am soft yet can break bones. (view spoiler)
I can shine at night but never during the day. (view spoiler)
I can be cracked, opened, or thrown away. (view spoiler)
I have a tongue but cannot taste. (view spoiler)
I have a neck but no head. (view spoiler)
I have teeth but cannot bite. (view spoiler)
I can whisper without a mouth. (view spoiler)
I am seen in water but never wet. (view spoiler)
I can fall but never get hurt. (view spoiler)
What two things can you never eat for breakfast? (view spoiler)
I go up when rain comes down. (view spoiler)
What has words, but never speaks? (view spoiler)
I am round, flat, or pointed. (view spoiler)
What has lots of eyes, but can’t see? (view spoiler)
I am sometimes cold, sometimes warm, but never wet. (view spoiler)
What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up? (view spoiler)
I can move mountains but am not strong. (view spoiler)
What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it? (view spoiler)
I can be frozen or boiling, yet remain the same. (view spoiler)
What has many hearts but no other organs? (view spoiler)
What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it? (view spoiler)
The more you take from me, the bigger I get. (view spoiler)
What building has the most stories? (view spoiler)
What has to be broken before you can use it? (view spoiler)
I am the start of eternity, the end of time and space. (view spoiler)
1. I noticed I'd answer some of those differently. Could I also use my answers?Here some examples:
I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old. (view spoiler)
What has a heart that doesn’t beat? (view spoiler)
I grow bigger the more you take away from me. (view spoiler)
2. Can I use a quote from the book as the link or only obvious links like cover, book or series title, author's name?
(should you approve it I'd provide the quote, of course)
I think I might try this. There is enough variety that I should be able to find a book that fits one of these riddles. I'll start off with 5 - since that is my annual goal for 2026.
Thank you.
I am in for 30These are the Challenges and the books I plan to read for them:
2026 Reading Challenge RIDDLE ME THIS Duration:
01. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind.
[Echo (hide spoiler)] ghost story In the Company of Ghosts Stephen A. Hunt 17 March
02. The more of me you take, the more you leave behind.
Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert 11 Jan
03. I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old.
[A candle (hide spoiler)] A Candle Lighted By the Lord
04. What has many keys but can’t open any locks
[A piano (hide spoiler)] Love in the Limelight Collection, Book 1 All Night Long, Madelynne Ellis
05. What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
[An artichoke (hide spoiler)] The Vampire Sword T.L. Cerepaka 20 Feb
06. I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I?
[A memory (hide spoiler)] Under the Long White Cloud Miles Kent Farnsworth 13 Jan
07. I grow bigger the more you take away from me.
[A crater (hide spoiler)] Battle Moon 2075: Ramming Speed Harvey LaCrosse 13 Jan
08. I’m light as a feather, yet even the world’s strongest man couldn’t hold me for long. [Breath (hide spoiler)] Twelve Mile Bank
09. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. [A map (hide spoiler)] The Summer Holiday Survival Guide
10. What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
[A stamp (hide spoiler)] Around the World in 80 Days,
11. What has one eye, but can’t see?
[A needle (hide spoiler)] The Scarlett Thread
12. I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone. [Pencil lead (graphite) (hide spoiler)] The Lost Bookshop
13. What gets wet while drying?
[A towel (hide spoiler)] The Swimmer of Auschwitz,
14. What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
[Time to fix the fence (hide spoiler)] Broken Fence
15. What kind of band never plays music?
[A rubber band (hide spoiler)] Lord of the Flies 04 Jan
16. What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
[Your left hand (hide spoiler)] My Friends
17. Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?
[Nothing (hide spoiler)] Huckleberry Finn
18. I’m full of holes, yet I can hold water.
[A sponge (hide spoiler)] Twenty Thousand Leagues under the sea
19. I have a head, a tail, but no body.
[A coin (hide spoiler)] The cash machine
20. I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
[The ocean (hide spoiler)] Beach Read
21. I have hands, but cannot clap.
[A clock (hide spoiler)] Hour is Come
22. I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be
painted or left bare. [Fingernails (hide spoiler)] Haircuts and Highlights
23. I can fill a room but take up no space.
[Light (hide spoiler)] Catching the Light: Four women ,four compelling short stories
24. I’m sometimes white, sometimes brown, sometimes black, but never the same twice.
[A fingerprint (hide spoiler)] The Thursday Murder Club
25. I can’t be touched, yet I can touch you. I can’t be seen, yet I can be heard.
[Sound (hide spoiler)] The Solemn Bell
26. I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter.
[A hole (hide spoiler)] Murder on the Links kindle
27. What question can you never say yes to?
[“Are you asleep?” (hide spoiler)] The Darkest Winter
28. I am never seen but always counted.
[Breaths (hide spoiler)]Diving into Love
29. I am a bridge without planks or nails. [A rainbow (hide spoiler)] Burning Bridges in Brooklyn Audio
30. What building has the most stories?
[The library (hide spoiler)] The Dictionary of Lost Words Pip Williams 19
I will sign up for 12 to start with. Thanks!
Susan wrote: "Update to message #5, Please change my goal to 20.
Thanks!"
Done!
Carolyn wrote: "I am in for 30These are the Challenges and the books I plan to read for them:
2026 Reading Challenge RIDDLE ME THIS Duration:
01. I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody,..."
Hi are you in for 30 or 36 let me know?
🧩 Welcome to the 2026 Riddle Me This Challenge! 🧩
Do you love a little brain-teasing fun with your reading? In Riddle Me This, clever riddles meet books in a challenge for your mind and imagination. Throughout the year, each riddle will guide you to a book—either by its title or its cover.
You are all doing a great job cracking those first few codes! Whether you are dipping your toes in or diving in to tackle all 75, don’t get rattled—let the riddles and the fun begin!
STATS
Participants: 20 Books Read: 7 Book Goal: 545 Completed: 0
Updated through Message #37 on Jan 18, 2026.
The year is just beginning, and with 545 books as the finish line, there are plenty of mysteries left to solve. It is wonderful to see the collective brainpower already at work! Keep sharing your solutions and your progress.
Happy sleuthing!
Update Message #13:18. What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand? (Your left hand): The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji
4/30
Update message #5Progress: 3/20
Update Message #13:14. I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone (Pencil lead): Educated by Tara Westover
5/30
Update to msg #15 please! Progress: 2/10
I would like to sign up for 75. Thanks 🙂
Update for message 8 - 10/30 completed
Update to msg #15 please! Progress: 3/10
Update Message #13:71. What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it? (Your name) The Names by Florence Knapp
6/30
Update Message #13:11. I live in silence and vanish in noise. (Silence): Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
7/30
Update to msg #15 please! Progress: 4/10
2026 & 2027 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Fugitive Hunt (other topics)The Nantucket Restaurant (other topics)
Queer Power: Icons, Activists and Game Changers from Across the Rainbow (other topics)
The Grownup (other topics)
The Cash Machine (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kaliane Bradley (other topics)Renaud LeBlond (other topics)
Jane Harper (other topics)
Mark Twain (other topics)
Dave Mason (other topics)
More...
RIDDLE ME THIS
Duration: January 1 – December 31, 2026
Do you love a little brain-teasing fun with your reading? In Riddle Me This, clever riddles meet books in a challenge for your mind and imagination. Throughout the year, each riddle will guide you to a book—either by its title or its cover. Will you dip your toes in, or dive in to tackle all 75? Don’t get rattled—let the riddles and the fun begin!
How many riddles will you solve? Give your challenge leader your number and get ready to put your brain to the test!
Riddles
I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have nobody, but I come alive with wind.
(view spoiler)[Echo (hide spoiler)]
The more of me you take, the more you leave behind.
(view spoiler)[Footsteps (hide spoiler)]
I’m tall when I’m young, and short when I’m old.
(view spoiler)[A candle (hide spoiler)]
What has many keys but can’t open any locks?
(view spoiler)[A piano (hide spoiler)]
What has a heart that doesn’t beat?
(view spoiler)[An artichoke (hide spoiler)]
I can exist in a single moment, yet I last forever. What am I?
(view spoiler)[A memory (hide spoiler)]
I grow bigger the more you take away from me.
(view spoiler)[A crater (hide spoiler)]
I’m light as a feather, yet even the world’s strongest man couldn’t hold me for long.
(view spoiler)[Breath (hide spoiler)]
I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish.
(view spoiler)[A map (hide spoiler)]
What can travel around the world while staying in a corner?
(view spoiler)[A stamp (hide spoiler)]
I live in silence and vanish in noise.
(view spoiler)[Silence (hide spoiler)]
What has one eye, but can’t see?
(view spoiler)[A needle (hide spoiler)]
I go up and down stairs without moving.
(view spoiler)[Carpet / rug (hide spoiler)]
I am taken from a mine, shut in a wooden case, and used by almost everyone.
(view spoiler)[Pencil lead (graphite) (hide spoiler)]
What gets wet while drying?
(view spoiler)[A towel (hide spoiler)]
What time is it when an elephant sits on a fence?
(view spoiler)[Time to fix the fence (hide spoiler)]
What kind of band never plays music?
(view spoiler)[A rubber band (hide spoiler)]
What can you hold in your right hand, but never in your left hand?
(view spoiler)[Your left hand (hide spoiler)]
Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it, you die. What is it?
(view spoiler)[Nothing (hide spoiler)]
I’m full of holes, yet I can hold water.
(view spoiler)[A sponge (hide spoiler)]
I have a head, a tail, but no body.
(view spoiler)[A coin (hide spoiler)]
I’m always in motion, yet I never get tired.
(view spoiler)[The ocean (hide spoiler)]
I have hands, but cannot clap.
(view spoiler)[A clock (hide spoiler)]
I can be long or short; I can be grown or bought; I can be painted or left bare.
(view spoiler)[Fingernails (hide spoiler)]
I shrink smaller every time I take a bath.
(view spoiler)[A bar of soap (hide spoiler)]
I can fill a room but take up no space.
(view spoiler)[Light (hide spoiler)]
I am present everywhere yet can’t be touched.
(view spoiler)[A thought / idea (hide spoiler)]
I have no beginning, no end, and nothing in the middle.
(view spoiler)[A circle (hide spoiler)]
I’m sometimes white, sometimes brown, sometimes black, but never the same twice.
(view spoiler)[A fingerprint (hide spoiler)]
I can’t be touched, yet I can touch you. I can’t be seen, yet I can be heard.
(view spoiler)[Sound (hide spoiler)]
I am invisible, weigh nothing, yet if you put me in a barrel, it will become lighter.
(view spoiler)[A hole (hide spoiler)]
What question can you never say yes to?
(view spoiler)[“Are you asleep?” (hide spoiler)]
I am never seen but always counted.
(view spoiler)[Breaths (hide spoiler)]
I move without wings, I roar without a mouth.
(view spoiler)[A waterfall (hide spoiler)]
I have a bottom at the top.
(view spoiler)[Your legs (hide spoiler)]
What kind of room has no doors or windows?
(view spoiler)[A mushroom (hide spoiler)]
I go in hard, come out soft, and am never the same.
(view spoiler)[Chewing gum (hide spoiler)]
I can be held but never touched.
(view spoiler)[A conversation (hide spoiler)]
I am a path, but I never move.
(view spoiler)[A road (hide spoiler)]
I fly all day but never leave my home.
(view spoiler)[A flag (hide spoiler)]
What can you catch, but not throw?
(view spoiler)[A cold (hide spoiler)]
I am used by everyone, but no one can see me.
(view spoiler)[Time (hide spoiler)]
I can be long or short, narrow or wide.
(view spoiler)[A road / path (hide spoiler)]
I am a bridge without planks or nails.
(view spoiler)[A rainbow (hide spoiler)]
I can glow without heat.
(view spoiler)[Stars / bioluminescence (hide spoiler)]
I have rings but no fingers.
(view spoiler)[A tree (hide spoiler)]
What is red and smells like blue paint?
(view spoiler)[Red paint (hide spoiler)]
I am always moving forward but never return.
(view spoiler)[Time (hide spoiler)]
I can fly without wings, flow without water, and cry without eyes.
(view spoiler)[A cloud (hide spoiler)]
I can hide in plain sight.
(view spoiler)[Camouflage (hide spoiler)]
I am soft yet can break bones.
(view spoiler)[Water (hide spoiler)]
I can shine at night but never during the day.
(view spoiler)[The moon (hide spoiler)]
I can be cracked, opened, or thrown away.
(view spoiler)[An egg (hide spoiler)]
I have a tongue but cannot taste.
(view spoiler)[A shoe (hide spoiler)]
I have a neck but no head.
(view spoiler)[A bottle (hide spoiler)]
I have teeth but cannot bite.
(view spoiler)[A comb (hide spoiler)]
I can whisper without a mouth.
(view spoiler)[An echo (hide spoiler)]
I am seen in water but never wet.
(view spoiler)[A reflection (hide spoiler)]
I can fall but never get hurt.
(view spoiler)[Rain (hide spoiler)]
What two things can you never eat for breakfast?
(view spoiler)[Lunch and dinner (hide spoiler)]
I go up when rain comes down.
(view spoiler)[An umbrella (hide spoiler)]
What has words, but never speaks?
(view spoiler)[A book (hide spoiler)]
I am round, flat, or pointed.
(view spoiler)[A coin (hide spoiler)]
What has lots of eyes, but can’t see?
(view spoiler)[A potato (hide spoiler)]
I am sometimes cold, sometimes warm, but never wet.
(view spoiler)[Air (hide spoiler)]
What can go up a chimney down, but can’t go down a chimney up?
(view spoiler)[An umbrella (hide spoiler)]
I can move mountains but am not strong.
(view spoiler)[Erosion (hide spoiler)]
What starts with a T, ends with a T, and has T in it?
(view spoiler)[A teapot (hide spoiler)]
I can be frozen or boiling, yet remain the same.
(view spoiler)[Water (hide spoiler)]
What has many hearts but no other organs?
(view spoiler)[A deck of cards (hide spoiler)]
What belongs to you, but everyone else uses it?
(view spoiler)[Your name (hide spoiler)]
The more you take from me, the bigger I get.
(view spoiler)[A hole (hide spoiler)]
What building has the most stories?
(view spoiler)[The library (hide spoiler)]
What has to be broken before you can use it?
(view spoiler)[An egg (hide spoiler)]
I am the start of eternity, the end of time and space.
(view spoiler)[The letter “E” (hide spoiler)]