2026 Reading Challenge discussion

**This thread will remain locked until July 25th.**


RUST & RUIN
Duration: August 1 - August 31, 2026

This month, we will focus on the theme of rust. Rust is a flaky reddish-brown iron oxide that forms when iron or iron alloys like steel react with oxygen and water. Salts, acids, and physical damage like scratches will accelerate the rusting process. Other metals such as aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, and titanium do not rust. Instead, they corrode or oxidize to protect the metal, like when a green patina forms on copper. Read as few or as many books as you wish to satisfy the rusty prompts below.

To join, post a message telling the challenge leader how many books you plan to read. If you are new to our group and/or our group challenges, take a moment to check out the Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges - Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.

1. The Color: Read a book with a red, brown, or orange cover.
2. The Reactants: Read a book with all three components required for rust formation in its cover art – iron (any metal is allowed), oxygen (air), and water (any form).
3. The Accelerants: Read a book with a word or cover image that invokes salt (shaker, sea), acid (lemon), or damage (broken, decay).
4. The Word: Read a book with rust in the title. It may be hidden within a word such as crusted or trust, but the letters must be in correct order.
5. The Name: Read a book with an author or character who has red hair; or who is named or nicknamed Rusty, Russ, Russell, or a similar variation.
6. The Video Game: Read a book told in first-person POV; where characters band together; or a survival or adventure book.
7. The Movie: Read a book about someone in show business; with a firearm on the cover; or a book from the western or legal genres.
8. The Programming Language: Read a book about someone in a technical field; set in a real or fictitious tech company; or a book that’s available in digital format.
9. The Song by Mon Rovîa: Read a book by or about a musician; a book from the war, romance, or religious genres; or a book that includes an adoption.
10. The Collapse: Read an apocalyptic or dystopian book that explores the collapse of society, ecological ruin, or other type of decay; or a book set in a bleak setting such as a crumbling mansion, a dying city, the dust bowl, etc.

Marielle has kindly volunteered to lead this challenge. Thank you so much!

Challenge leader

Participantslist

Challenge leader

Sign me up for 3 please! 😊

RUST & RUIN
Duration: August 1 - August 31, 2026

Progress : 0/3

1. The Color: Read a book with a red, brown, or orange cover.
🕮 The Great Alone - Kristin Hannah

2. The Reactants: Read a book with all three components required for rust formation in its cover art – iron (any metal is allowed), oxygen (air), and water (any form).
🕮 With a Vengeance - Riley Sager

3. The Accelerants: Read a book with a word or cover image that invokes salt (shaker, sea), acid (lemon), or damage (broken, decay).
🕮 Clear - Carys Davies

4. The Word: Read a book with rust in the title. It may be hidden within a word such as crusted or trust, but the letters must be in correct order.
🕮 Trust - Hernan Diaz

5. The Name: Read a book with an author or character who has red hair; or who is named or nicknamed Rusty, Russ, Russell, or a similar variation.
🕮 Dark Places - Gillian Flynn

RUST & RUIN
Duration: August 1 - August 31, 2026

0/7 Completed

1. The Color: Read a book with a red, brown, or orange cover.

2. The Reactants: Read a book with all three components required for rust formation in its cover art – iron (any metal is allowed), oxygen (air), and water (any form).

3. The Accelerants: Read a book with a word or cover image that invokes salt (shaker, sea), acid (lemon), or damage (broken, decay).

4. The Word: Read a book with rust in the title. It may be hidden within a word such as crusted or trust, but the letters must be in correct order.

5. The Name: Read a book with an author or character who has red hair; or who is named or nicknamed Rusty, Russ, Russell, or a similar variation.

6. The Video Game: Read a book told in first-person POV; where characters band together; or a survival or adventure book.

7. The Movie: Read a book about someone in show business; with a firearm on the cover; or a book from the western or legal genres.

8. The Programming Language: Read a book about someone in a technical field; set in a real or fictitious tech company; or a book that’s available in digital format.

9. The Song by Mon Rovîa: Read a book by or about a musician; a book from the war, romance, or religious genres; or a book that includes an adoption.

10. The Collapse: Read an apocalyptic or dystopian book that explores the collapse of society, ecological ruin, or other type of decay; or a book set in a bleak setting such as a crumbling mansion, a dying city, the dust bowl, etc

RUST & RUIN
August 1 - 31, 2026
Progress: 0/5

Sign me up for 5!

1. The Color: Read a book with a red, brown, or orange cover: The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoevsky
2. The Reactants: Read a book with all three components required for rust formation in its cover art – iron (any metal is allowed), oxygen (air), and water (any form): The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
3. The Accelerants: Read a book with a word or cover image that invokes salt (shaker, sea), acid (lemon), or damage (broken, decay): The Zorg: A Tale of Greed and Murder That Inspired the Abolition of Slavery by Siddharth Kara
6. The Video Game: Read a book told in first-person POV; where characters band together; or a survival or adventure book: The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
7. The Movie: Read a book about someone in show business; with a firearm on the cover; or a book from the western or legal genres: The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Svetlana Alexievich
8. The Programming Language: Read a book about someone in a technical field; set in a real or fictitious tech company; or a book that’s available in digital format: The Vegetarian by Han Kang
9. The Song by Mon Rovîa: Read a book by or about a musician; a book from the war, romance, or religious genres; or a book that includes an adoption: Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
10. The Collapse: Read an apocalyptic or dystopian book that explores the collapse of society, ecological ruin, or other type of decay; or a book set in a bleak setting such as a crumbling mansion, a dying city, the dust bowl, etc:

I'm in for 5!

Progress: 0/5

1. The Color: Read a book with a red, brown, or orange cover.
Drunk on Love by Jasmine Guillory


3. The Accelerants: Read a book with a word or cover image that invokes salt (shaker, sea), acid (lemon), or damage (broken, decay).
It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han
Cover shows seashells and coral.


5. The Name: Read a book with an author or character who has red hair; or who is named or nicknamed Rusty, Russ, Russell, or a similar variation.
Jagged by Lauren Dane

6. The Video Game: Read a book told in first-person POV; where characters band together; or a survival or adventure book.
Look Me in the Eye by John Elder Robison

7. The Movie: Read a book about someone in show business; with a firearm on the cover; or a book from the western or legal genres.
While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory
Main character is an actress.