Hooked on Books discussion
Curious Patterns
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S: Archive — Ruth
Mod
Welcome!
This thread is your space as you move through the challenge, one Chapter at a time.
A few quick reminders:
• For each Chapter, choose one task
• Post your completed task in this thread using the format below
• Check in by posting a link to that post in the Check-Ins & Completions thread
• The next Chapter will be provided after you’ve checked in
📝 Posting Your Progress
Use the format below:
Chapter # and Title: (Example: #1 - Bridge & Flow)
Task:
Book/Author:
Date completed:
How it fits:
⏭️ Skips
A limited number of skips are available if needed.
To use a skip, note it in your thread, then check in as usual to receive the next Chapter.
(Optional: you may include a brief note if you’d like to share your reasoning.)
📌 Before You Begin
Before the challenge begins, please check in using the Check-Ins & Completions thread to:
• Request a solo name (optional)
• If you would like to change your tier selection
• Let me know you're ready to begin
Once that’s set, you’ll be ready when the first Chapter is released.
Mod
Paris, the “City of Light,” has 37 bridges crossing the Seine and—surprisingly—no stop signs within the city limits, shaping how people move through the city.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🥖 Food or shared meals are part of the story.
📜 The history of a place or its past is explored.
👣 A character has to navigate unfamiliar surroundings.
🗺️ The setting strongly influences what happens in the story.
💭 A character’s emotional response to a place is a clear focus of the story.
Chapter #1 - Bridge & FlowTask: The history of a place or its past is explored.
Book/Author: Motherland: A Feminist History of Modern Russia, from Revolution to Autocracy / Julia Ioffe
Date completed: 5/8/26
How it fits: Non-fiction book that tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women.
Mod
In Switzerland, it’s illegal to own just one guinea pig. Because they are highly social animals, keeping one alone is considered animal abuse—they need companionship to stay healthy and happy.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🫶 Characters grow close over time.
🐾 An animal or pet plays a role in the story.
🧍 A character is largely alone or without companionship.
🌉 Two characters from very different backgrounds become friends.
🤝 Two characters depend on each other to get through a difficult situation.
Chapter #2 - Better TogetherTask: Two characters depend on each other to get through a difficult situation.
Book/Author: The Stillwater Girls / Minka Kent
Date completed: 5/16/26
How it fits: Two kidnapped girls depend on each other to survive escaping from an environment where they were raised together for many years.
Mod
Finland has ranked as the happiest country in the world for seven years in a row, with high levels of trust, safety, and quality of life contributing to everyday well-being.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
😌 A character is content with their life.
🌿 The atmosphere is calm or slow-paced.
🕯️ A character finds comfort in a familiar routine.
🕳️ A character struggles with loneliness or isolation.
🏡 Much of the story takes place in or around the home.
Chapter #3 - ContentmentTask: Much of the story takes place in or around the home.
Book/Author: The Tokyo Zodiac Murders / Sōji Shimada
Date completed: 5/19/26
How it fits: Two amateur detectives discuss while at home a series of 40-yo serial murders that took place in the victims' homes.
Mod
The word for the fear of long words is hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia. It was intentionally created as a linguistic prank, combining elements meaning “monster” and “hippopotamus” to make the term as intimidating as possible.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🤐 A character struggles to express themselves.
✍️ The writing style is distinctive or memorable.
😬 A character says something that has unintended consequences.
💬 The way characters communicate is a central focus of the story.
❗ A misunderstanding between characters changes the course of the story.
Chapter #4 - Ironic FearTask: A character says something that has unintended consequences.
Book/Author: Truth Be Told / Kia Abdullah
Date completed: 5/27/26
How it fits: The morning after their encounter, Finn says to Kamran, "I had fun the other night" and this sets Kamran on a path that can destroy multiple lives.
Mod
To be classified as tequila, a spirit must be made from the blue agave plant—specifically from its core, known as the piña.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
📍 The story is set in Mexico.
🏪 A character visits or works in a bar.
🍹 A character is particular about what they drink or consume.
🧺 A character carefully makes or prepares something by hand.
🌵 The setting plays an important role in what is produced or created.
Chapter #5 - True SpiritTask: A character carefully makes or prepares something by hand.
Book/Author: What Happened to the McCrays? / Tracey Lange
Date completed: 5/30/26
How it fits: Wyatt is a woodworker who makes customer pieces, including a box to hold a loved one's ashes.
Mod
Honey never spoils. Archaeologists have found pots of honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that are over 3,000 years old—and still edible today.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🪨 A place, object, or idea lasts for a long time.
🧬 Traditions or practices are passed down over time.
🏺 History, archaeology, or ancient cultures are explored.
🕰️ Something from the past is still important in the present.
⏱️ A character is under pressure because time is running out.
Chapter #6 - Built to LastTask: Traditions or practices are passed down over time.
Book/Author: Make No Bones / Aaron Elkins
Date completed: 5/31/26
How it fits: At a gathering of the Western Association of Forensic Anthropologists, there are many student/professor relationships, some adoring and some fraught with animosity, but all find they continue to learn from each other as they work together to solve two unexpected murder cases.
Mod
Vietnam is the world’s second-largest coffee producer. Brazil produces the most, with Colombia coming in third.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
📦 An item is bought, sold, or traded.
👩🌾 A character works with their hands or in a physical job.
🚚 A character has to transport an item from one place to another.
🌍 The story is set in a place known for producing or exporting something.
👤 A character runs or owns a business related to producing or selling goods.
Chapter #7 - Global BrewTask: A character works with their hands or in a physical job.
Book/Author: One Shot at Forever: A Small Town, an Unlikely Coach, and a Magical Baseball Season / Chris Ballard
Date completed: 6/2/26
How it fits: MC is a high school teacher and coach of the baseball team with whom he actively practices.
Mod
Sea otters keep a favorite rock tucked under their arm and use it again and again to crack open shellfish — a small, trusted tool that makes all the difference.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🗝️ A character has a specific item they use often.
☕ A character relies on a consistent habit or daily routine.
📎 A character uses an unusual method to solve a problem.
🧩 A character uses the same specific solution or method repeatedly.
🔁 A character sticks to familiar methods even when alternatives exist.
Chapter #8 - Trusted ToolsTask: A character uses an unusual method to solve a problem.
Book/Author: Annie LeBlanc Is Not Dead Yet / Molly Morris
Date completed: 6/6/26
How it fits: MC uses town contest to resurrect dead best friend in order to repair broken friendship, and in hopes that that might possibly keep best friend alive.
Mod
Humans are the only animals that blush. We’re also believed to be the only ones who experience embarrassment—a social emotion tied to how we think others see us.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🙈 A character tries to avoid being noticed.
🌟 A character seeks attention from others.
😶 A character is trying to impress someone.
😓 A character feels embarrassed in front of others.
🏋️ A character feels pressure to meet others’ expectations.
Chapter #9 - Awkward MomentsTask: A character seeks attention from others.
Book/Author: The Color Purple / Alice Walker
Date completed: 6/8/26
How it fits: MC Shug Avery is a blues singer who has a powerful and dynamic personality, drawing attention to herself every time she enters a room and craving the attention and love of others.
Mod
In 2014, two research scientists in Antarctica matched on Tinder—one at McMurdo Station, the other 45 minutes away by helicopter—highlighting connection in one of the most remote places on Earth.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
❄️ The story is set in a remote or isolated location.
📡 Characters communicate across a long distance.
👥 A small group of characters is in a contained setting.
🤝 Two characters meet in an unusual or unexpected way.
🧭 Reaching another person requires significant effort or travel.
Chapter #10 - Far ApartTask: The story is set in a remote or isolated location.
Book/Author: The Red House Mystery / A.A. Milne
Date completed: 6/9/26
How it fits: Majority of the story is set at a large residence in the English countryside.
Mod
In Japan, there are companies that will send someone to apologize on your behalf. These professional apologizers can be hired to say sorry for anything—from missing work to personal mistakes.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🚫 A character refuses to apologize.
🎭 A character gives an apology they don’t mean.
❌ A character makes a mistake and must face the consequences.
🔁 A character repeatedly does something they must apologize for.
⚖️ A character is expected to take responsibility for something they didn’t do.
Chapter #11 - Owning ItTask: A character makes a mistake and must face the consequences.
Book/Author: King of Kings: The Iranian Revolution—A Story of Hubris, Delusion and Catastrophic Miscalculation / Scott Anderson
Date completed: 6/13/26
How it fits: In part because of the way the Carter administration handled the US/Iran relationship and the drawn-out Iran Hostage Crisis, President Carter lost reelection in 1980.
Mod
Over a lifetime, the average person walks enough to circle the Earth three times.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
👣 A character spends much of the story on foot.
🌳 The story spans many years of a character’s life.
🧱 A character makes steady progress toward a goal.
🧭 A character travels a long distance across different places.
🔄 The story revisits the same location at different points in time.
Chapter #12 - Step by StepTask: A character makes steady progress toward a goal.
Book/Author: Head Witch in Charge / Avery Flynn
Date completed: 6/15/26
How it fits: Initially, Erik tricks Leona into marrying him in order to use her reputation as leverage against his evil father and to destroy his own family, but over time, he falls in genuine love with her and his goal changes to stopping his father from taking over the family magic and protecting his siblings.
Mod
Istanbul is split between two continents—Europe and Asia—divided by the Bosphorus Strait, a narrow waterway that runs through the city and connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
✈️ A character is traveling or relocating.
🌍 The story is set in either Europe or Asia.
🤝 A character acts as a link between two people or groups.
🗺️ A character experiences a culture different from their own.
⚖️ A character is caught between two sides, choices, or expectations.
Chapter #13 - Between WorldsTask: A character is caught between two sides, choices, or expectations.
Book/Author: Daddy Issues / Kate Goldbeck
Date completed: 6/17/26
How it fits: MC Sam is stuck still living at home with her mother for 5 years after graduating from college and must choose between continuing to live a life on pause with no ambition, or go after a career in the art field or attend grad school.
Mod
The Moon is gradually moving farther from Earth—but so slowly we don’t notice. It drifts away by about 3 cm (1.2 inches) each year, a small shift that builds over time.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🌓 A relationship gradually shifts over time.
🧱 Small decisions build into major consequences.
🌫️ A character changes so gradually it goes unnoticed at first.
👁️ A character is aware of change happening while others are not.
🐚 A character only realizes a change after it has already happened.
Chapter #14 - Drifting ApartTask: A character changes so gradually it goes unnoticed at first.
Book/Author: Is a River Alive? / Robert Macfarlane
Date completed: 6/18/26
How it fits: In this book, rivers are a character. The author tells how, unfortunately, many important waterways have been gradually poisoned by chemical and trash dumps, and destroyed by greedy political and corporate mining and pipeline construction. In many instances, people did not realize the risk of damage and loss until the impacts were already dire.
Mod
Lemons float, but limes sink due to differences in density, even though they look quite similar.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
↔️ Similar choices lead to very different outcomes.
🫧 Something turns out differently than it first appears.
🔀 Two similar characters are treated differently by others.
🧠 A character misjudges something based on how it appears.
🧩 Two things that seem similar are revealed to be fundamentally different.
Chapter #15 - Same but DifferentTask: A character misjudges something based on how it appears.
Book/Author: The Correspondent / Virginia Evans
Date completed: 6/19/26
How it fits: MC Sybil's daughter Fiona is angry with her mother for not responding to a letter from her father, but there's more than Fiona is aware of going on.
Mod
About 60% of the world’s lakes—around three million in total—are located in Canada.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🍁 The story is set in Canada.
🌊 Water plays a major role in the setting.
🛶 Characters travel across water as part of the story.
🧭 Characters move through many different locations.
🧊 Cold or icy conditions significantly impact what happens in the story.
Chapter #16 - Everywhere You LookTask: Characters travel across water as part of the story.
Book/Author: Hula / Jasmin Iolani Hakes
Date completed: 6/21/26
How it fits: Story set in Hawaii - MC Laka moves from the island of Hawaii to have her baby in Oahu, and then moves back; she also ends up traveling periodically to Oahu on personal matters. The other MC, Hi'i, moves from Hawaii to the mainland and returns with her family only after many years have passed.
Mod
Lobsters were once so plentiful that they were considered poor man’s food, even served to prisoners and servants—but today they’re seen as a luxury.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🍂 Something once valued becomes less important.
👑 A character’s status or position changes over time.
🪙 Something once dismissed or ignored becomes valuable.
💎 Something is considered valuable by some but not by others.
🗝️ Gaining or losing wealth changes what a character can or cannot do.
Chapter #17 - The Value of TimeTask: Something once dismissed or ignored becomes valuable.
Book/Author: Jane Austen's Bookshelf / Rebecca Romney
Date completed: 6/25/26
How it fits: Talented and groundbreaking female writers of the Georgian/Regency era who were excluded from the literary canon because their male counterparts determined them unworthy are held in high esteem and given their due as the author describes the literary and commercial success these women enjoyed, and the impact their work had not only on Jane Austen, but on a vast readership.
Mod
A giraffe named Forest at Australia Zoo in Queensland stands 18 feet, 8 inches tall—making him one of the tallest giraffes ever recorded.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🐘 A notably large or tall animal is featured.
🏔️ The story is set in a high or elevated place.
🧗 A character must reach or climb to a high place.
🏢 A tall building plays an important role in the story.
🧍 A main character stands out physically in a noticeable way.
Chapter #18 - Standing TallTask: A tall building plays an important role in the story.
Book/Author: Jesus Wept: Seven Popes and the Battle for the Soul of the Catholic Church / Philip Shenon
Date completed: 6/30/26
How it fits: Book setting takes place largely in Vatican City where St. Peter's Basilica is the tallest building and dominates the landscape.
Mod
Australia is wider than the moon—stretching nearly 4,000 km from east to west, compared to the moon’s roughly 3,400 km diameter.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🦘 The story is set in Australia.
🛰️ A character travels a long distance.
🗺️ The setting spans a large or wide area.
🏔️ The scale of a place or situation makes it difficult to understand or navigate.
📏 The size of a place, object, or situation is very different from what is expected.
Chapter #19 - Bigger Than It LooksTask: The setting spans a large or wide area.
Book/Author: K: A History of Baseball in Ten Pitches / Tyler Kepner
Date completed: 7/3/26
How it fits: Book covers baseball games in ballparks and towns all across the United States, from the West to the East Coast.
Mod
Each zodiac sign is tied to one of four elements—fire, water, air, or earth—believed to shape personality and temperament.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🕊️ A character seeks freedom.
🌊 A character is overwhelmed by their emotions.
🌲 The story is set primarily outdoors or in nature.
🌬️ Characters struggle to communicate or understand each other.
🔥 A character acts impulsively or loses control in a tense situation.
Chapter #20 - Elemental NatureTask: The story is set primarily outdoors or in nature.
Book/Author: Vanishing Edge / Claire Kells
Date completed: 7/7/26
How it fits: Story is set in the Sequoia National Park.
Mod
Cows can walk up stairs, but they can’t walk back down without help.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
⚓ A character feels stuck in their life.
🕸️ A character is unable to leave a place.
🔁 A character cannot escape a repeating situation.
🆘 A character needs help from others to solve a problem.
⛓️ A character cannot move freely due to a physical limitation.
Chapter #21 - The One-Way AscentTask: A character is unable to leave a place.
Book/Author: Heartwood / Amity Gaige
Date completed: 7/10/26
How it fits: MC Valerie goes missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail and gets to a point where she's unable to continue moving and gets stuck in one location waiting for rescue.
Mod
Octopuses have three hearts. Two of them stop beating when they swim, which is why they prefer crawling along the ocean floor instead of moving quickly through open water. They’re also known for their problem-solving abilities and their ability to adapt to different environments.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🐌 Progress is slow because of external obstacles.
🧠 Problem-solving or strategy plays a central role.
🏹 A character has to confront something they’ve been avoiding.
🛑 A character delays making a major decision despite clear stakes.
⚖️ A character is pulled in different directions by competing priorities.
Chapter #22 - Three HeartsTask: A character has to confront something they’ve been avoiding.
Book/Author: Evvie Drake Starts Over / Linda Holmes
Date completed: 7/11/26
How it fits: MC Evvie eventually gets to a point in her life where she's able to tell friends and family, and eventually a therapist, that 1) her husband was abusive, and 2) she was actively leaving him on the night he died in a car accident 2 years earlier.
Mod
Wolves can travel over 30 miles in a single day while hunting, covering long distances in search of food.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
👣 A character is being pursued or hunted.
🎯 A character is working toward a clear goal over time.
⏳ A character is racing against time to complete something.
🔍 A character is searching for a specific person, place, or thing.
🧶 A character follows a trail left behind by someone or something.
Chapter #23 - The Long PursuitTask: A character is searching for a specific person, place, or thing.
Book/Author: We Are All Guilty Here / Karin Slaughter
Date completed: 7/13/26
How it fits: MC Emmy Clifton and the entire North Falls Sherrif's Department are searching for a serial killer.
Mod
Scent is the only sense that connects directly to areas of the brain involved in memory and emotion, bypassing the usual processing pathways.
📚 Choose ONE:
Read a book where...
🕰️ A smell is tied to a specific memory.
🍲 Food or cooking is described through smell.
🥀 A smell lingers on a person, place, or object.
🌫️ A smell is one of the first things noticed in a place.
🚨 A smell is so strong it demands a character’s attention.
Chapter #24 - Direct AccessTask: A smell is so strong it demands a character’s attention.
Book/Author: Warm Bodies / Isaac Marion
Date completed: 7/17/26
How it fits: The story is told in first person by a sentient zombie who describes how he and the other zombies can smell living humans and are drawn in this way to find and eat them.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
I Hunt Killers (other topics)One by One (other topics)
Imaginary Friend (other topics)
The Eyes of the Dragon (other topics)
Unleashed: How to Bring Out the Best in Your Dog (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Barry Lyga (other topics)Freida McFadden (other topics)
Stephen Chbosky (other topics)
Stephen King (other topics)
Jaime Goodrich (other topics)
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Stories, Recognition, and Discovery
Solo or Partner • Open-Ended
Start Date: May 6, 2026
🔗 Quick Links
📝 Check-Ins & Completions
Post your check-in after completing a Chapter
❓ Questions & Answers
For questions or clarification
🪟 Between the Chapters
A space to share and explore interesting fits along the way
——
A reading experience built around curiosity, connection, and intentional design.
Each Chapter begins with a real-world fact that anchors a set of thoughtfully designed reading tasks. These tasks reflect the kinds of moments, behaviors, and patterns that naturally occur in stories—so matching a book to a task feels intuitive rather than something you have to search for.
For each Chapter, you choose a task and read a book that fits, at your own pace. If participating with a partner, both readers select different tasks and move forward together once both are finished.
The tasks are designed to be clear and easy to recognize, while the structure allows space for optional discussion, shared progress, and connection along the way.
What to expect:
• Tasks that are clear, grounded, and easy to recognize within a story
• 94 Chapters, each built around a unique real-world idea
• A balanced mix of tasks, from straightforward to more interpretive
• Flexible tasks that work across genres, including nonfiction
• A wide range of themes—from environment and systems to relationships and human behavior
• No scavenger hunts, page counts, or technical requirements—just tasks your book will naturally meet
Every Chapter is intentionally designed to create variety without feeling random, with tasks that feel consistent, recognizable, and purposeful across different kinds of stories.
📖 About the Structure
This challenge is made up of 94 Chapters (individual rounds of tasks), forming a complete collection.
Each Chapter offers a set of tasks—choose one and read a book that fits.
Each tier follows its own sequence of Chapters, drawn from the complete collection.
📚 Choose Your Experience
🌱 Excerpt — a curated version of the challenge (13 Chapters)
A shorter tier designed to capture the full feel of Curious Patterns. You’ll move through a beginning, a shift, and a meaningful ending—on a smaller scale, creating a distilled experience with a clear and complete arc.
📘 Edition — the full reading experience (62 Chapters)
This tier reflects everything the challenge is designed to do—the build, the variation, and the shift in how you approach each Chapter. It offers a balanced experience across a complete arc, without compression.
🗂️ Archive — the complete collection (94 Chapters)
All Chapters, all variations, all layers. This tier represents the full exploration of the system—its complete expression from start to finish.
🧭 Challenge Rules & Guidelines
• Standard Rules Apply
• There is NO page minimum
• Books must be finished after the Chapter is released; they may be started beforehand
• Justifications are based on your honest interpretation of the tasks—ask if unsure
• A small number of skips are available if needed, allowing you to move past a Chapter that doesn’t fit
• The goal is exploration, not perfection
🌿 Closing Note
Whichever tier you choose, this challenge is designed to leave room for interpretation, reflection, and discovery.
No deadlines—just a structured, open-ended reading experience built for curiosity, variety, and shared progress.