2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE: Yearly Challenges
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Nonfiction Bingo Challenge - 2015
How to Participate
1. Post here telling the challenge leader that you'd like to join the challenge. You can choose your books for the challenge at the beginning, or add them as you go. You can join a challenge at any time, as long as the challenge is still active.
2. Whenever you finish a book for the challenge, post here and let the challenge leader know so they can update your progress.
Some members choose to update their original post with their progress to keep track of their challenge more easily, but make sure to also post a new message so the challenge leader knows to go look at your original post. You can look at how other members report their progress to find a strategy that works well for you.
For more information about how challenges work, check out this thread or ask your challenge leader.
Participants
Ashlee | 5 squares
Brianna C | 3 squares
Brianna P
ChrisP | 13 squares, 1 bingo
ChrisR | 14 squares; 13 squares - 1 bingo on each
Chloé | 6 squares
Daphne
Jacqueline
Jenn | 4 squares
Joe
Kara | 16 squares, 3 bingos
Kadijah Michelle
Latonya
Laura Jane
Lori | 8 squares, 2 bingos
Mari
Mariel
Mary Pat | 11 squares, 2 bingos
Meg | 22 squares, 7 bingos
Megan | 5 squares
Paul | 8 squares
Sandra | 6 squares
SibylM | 19 squares, 2 bingos
Susan | 12 squares, 1 bingo
Susan [sacorwin] | 24 squares, 12 bingos - blackout!
Timothy
Zara
The one in the post or one that you generated yourself?
Cassandra wrote: "NONFICTION BINGO CHALLENGEDuration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
Let's play bingo! For this challenge, read nonfiction books to make as many "bingos" as possible (five squares in a row).
..."
Hi Cassandra,
Can you have the rows run vertical, horizontal and diagonal?
Zara, it should work exactly like a game of bingo, so your 5 squares in a line would work in any direction. I'll clarify that in the challenge description.Brianna, I actually think that the image needs to be saved and hosted somewhere (like www.photobucket.com) which is several extra steps. I'll look into it and see if I can find an easier way.
Oh, I see what you mean! Let me ask Kara, who made the original bingo card, and get back to you!
Cassandra wrote: "Zara, it should work exactly like a game of bingo, so your 5 squares in a line would work in any direction. I'll clarify that in the challenge description.Brianna, I actually think that the image..."
Thanks Cassandra. I thought that was the case.
I'll do this one and generate my own card.
Current Affairs & Politics: Disasters that Shocked Australia read 23rd Jan. '15
That is very cool - I had no idea you could generate your own bingo card like that! I don't think I'll do this challenge (although I may still change my mind!) but will look forward to seeing what everyone else is reading!
This sounds like so much fun! Can you sign me on for this one too? I want to generate my own Bingo Card. I will get a chance to do it later tonight.Thanks Lois
I have designed my Bingo card and have no idea how to post it. Can someone post instructions for the computer illiterate please?
I'd like to join this.I added extra genres to mine before I generated the card (Activism, Economics, Folklore, Inspirational, Natural History, Political History, Philosophy, Science, Social Change, Sustainability). I hope that's ok.
Double Bingos, right down the middle
Winter World : Animals \ Natural History
Visit Sunny Chernobyl : Travel \ Nature and Ecology
That Quail, Robert : Classic \ Humor
Voices from Chernobyl : Disaster \ History
Animal Tracks & Hunter Signs : Outdoor Adventuring \ How To
Play Like You Mean It : Sports & Games \ Sports
Still Foolin' 'Em : Celebrity \ Autobiography
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Health and Medical x2
A Garden Of Birds: Planting A Garden For Birds The Year Round Coffee Table Book \ ---
Quiet: The Power of Introverts... : Psychology \ Self-Help
Ultimate Guide to Barns, Sheds and Outbuildings How to / Home Design
Bossypants Music and Entertainment x2
A Room of One's Own Women's Issues x2
People of the Deer Social Justice \ Outdoor Adventuring
Lois, I updated the first post with instructions for how to host images on Goodreads. I hope that helps, but please feel free to PM me if you're having trouble!Chris, that's fine with me!
I can't believe I forgot philosophy! As a philosophy major back in college, I'm embarrassed. Great adds, Chris!
Here's my card:
I'm in! Not much of a non-fic reader generally but I'm going to try to give it a go next year :)Here is my card....
Meg wrote: "I'm in! Not much of a non-fic reader generally but I'm going to try to give it a go next year :)Here is my card....
"
excellent Meg. It's always great to try something new.
I haven't played bingo in years. This will be my card.
Welcome to the challenge, Meg and Chris! I hope you are able to find some great new nonfiction books.
Count me in, and here's my bingo card:
✓ Art and Photography - The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History read 9/24/2015
✓ Autobiography and Biography - Steve Jobs read 4/21/2015
✓ Diary and Memoirs - Son of a Gun: A Memoir read 2/19/2015
✓ Business and Finance - Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking read 2/4/2015
✓ Food and Lifestyle - A Pig in Provence: Good Food and Simple Pleasures in the South of France read 1/13/2015
✓ Cultural and Social Issues - behind the beautiful forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity 3/17/2015
✓ Gift Book or Coffee Table Book - Sh*t My Dad Says read 12/9/2015
✓ Health and Medical - Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness read 1/9/2015
✓ Home Decorating and Design - Room Rescues: Decorating Solutions For Awkward Spaces read 12/4/2015
✓ How To - Gardening For Dummies read 12/13/2015
✓ Humor - Carsick: John Waters Hitchhikes Across America read 4/18/2015
✓ Journalism - Rosewater: A Family's Story of Love, Captivity, and Survival read 1/27/2015
✓ Military - Soldier Girls: The Battles of Three Women at Home and at War read 4/14/2015
✓ Music and Entertainment - Good Rockin' Tonight: Sun Records and the Birth of Rock 'N' Roll read 1/24/2015)
✓ Outdoor Adventuring - Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods read 6/28/2015
✓ Pop Culture and Celebrity - As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride read 3/2/2015
✓ Psychology - Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking read 2/23/2015
✓ Science and Technology - A Short History of Nearly Everything read 3/10/2015
✓ Self-Help - Married to Distraction: Restoring Intimacy and Strengthening Your Marriage in an Age of Interruption read 2/1/2015
✓ Sports - Friday Night Lights: A Town, a Team, and a Dream read 2/25/2015
✓ Travel - Mastering the Art of French Eating: Lessons in Food and Love from a Year in Paris read 9/7/2015
✓ True Adventure - Tales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World read 11/22/2015
✓ True Crime - Cold Storage read 1/2/2015
✓ Women’s Issues - Kabul Beauty School: An American Woman Goes Behind the Veil read 7/16/2015
24/24
12 Bingos - BLACKOUT!
Challenge completed!
Cassandra, please add me as well. Thanks!
For those of you who are using the default card that we generated, we accidentally had a duplicate genre! The space that was Politics is now Philosophy, and there is still a square for Current Affairs and Politics.
Done! Welcome to the challenge, Jacqueline.
Please add me to the challenge. Let's see if the bingo card downloads properly. 
Looks good, Paul! Welcome to the challenge.
I'll love to participate, count me in :)
Since I'm trying to stick to books I own, this could be challenging, but I'll play.
Sounds good! I also try to stick to books I already own, but it doesn't always work out that way for me. Good luck clearing out your TBR shelf.
Cassandra wrote: "For those of you who are using the default card that we generated, we accidentally had a duplicate genre! The space that was Politics is now Philosophy, and there is still a square for Current Affa..."I also just noticed that I had politics twice - definitely not the genre I would pick to double up, so I've redone my card.
wow this looks like a lot of fun i will join in and make my own when i get home :):)
theres mine :)
YAY so thankfully I study politics so that has already been ticked off, making my way through the USA travel book so that will soon be ticked off then only have journalism and Humor to go before I get a line :D
Can't wait to start
OK so two ticked off - Current affairs and Autobiography :D
I don't read a lot of nonfiction so will probably only manage one line but I'd like to give this a go anyway.
I'm in for three bingos (for now - may add more when I get a better feel for how this works). I made a card using my shelves here on Goodreads - a card word for every nonfiction oriented shelf with at least 10 to-read books on it. Here's my card:
Hi Sandra, to get the photo here, put the image URL inside of an image tag. That's steps 5 and 6 of "To host an image on Goodreads", which explains it a little more clearly. I don't mind if you just keep the card on your profile, though, if that's easier.I don't have any suggestions off the top of my head, but I'll try to think of some.
Sandra, here's your bingo card: https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/.... If you got to that page, and click the button above the photo that says "Largest Size" you'll get a new page. The URL for that page is https://d.gr-assets.com/photos/142008... and that's the one you want. I hope that helps!
B1 (spirituality): The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. (Jan 9)
N4 (How To): Think Like a Freak. (Jan 13)
I1 (Memoir): Just Kids (Jan 17)
G4 (coffee table book) PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives (Jan 30)
O1 (pop culture/celebrity): Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography(Jan 25)
O5 (Current affairs/Politics):The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America(Feb 7)
I3 (history) The House of Wisdom: How the Arabs Transformed Western Civilization (Mar 15)
I4 (outdoor adventure) Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail (Mar 23)
N5 (military) American Sniper (Apr 15)
Sandra wrote: "
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I'm in! This is my first challenge with this group and as a ardent reader of non-fiction and a lifelong love of history, this challenge is perfect! ;) I'm going for a full card - 25 books.
Nonfiction Bingo Challenge
Duration: 1 January - 31 December 2015
Status: 4/25
B2 - Cultural and Social Issues: Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them by Isaac Fitzgerald and Wendy MacNaughton 29 Jan
B3 - Health and Medical: Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution by Holly Tucker 19 Jan
I2 - Humour: I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan 9 Jan
I5 - Sports: River Monsters: True Stories of the Ones that Didn't Get Away by Jeremy Wade 15 Jan
Jenn, welcome to the challenge! Hopefully you can give us all some good non-fiction recommendations. :)I'm glad you were able to get your card posted, Sandra! I hope that will make the challenge more fun, rather than more frustrating.
I'm aiming to read more nonfiction this year, so this challenge is exactly what I'm looking for!Here is my card;
Does Free Space mean any nonfiction book without a subject limit?
I read a ton of non-fiction, but most of my topics aren't in here. Can I make my own card that is full of science and history topics?
That's perfectly fine, Daphne!Timothy, the free space is a just a spot that's automatically covered and can be used to form any line. It's a freebie. If you want to use it as an "any category" spot, though, you're welcome to do that as well.
Hi all, well I completed my first square - Sports. I read League of Denial, about the NFL and it's PR machine trying to avoid the growing body or research on concussions. But man, it's tough for me to avoid watching the playoffs!
I may be going overboard on this but I decided to go for two bingos and made a second card with a bunch of my own genres.Two books completed so far.
Natural History, and Animals
Nature and Ecology, and Travel
2015 Non-Fiction Bingo I'm in for this one. This is a perfect opportunity for me to read more non-fiction books.
Welcome to the nonfiction challenge, Brianna!Chris, I think that's really fun - go as overboard as you like.
I think that's such an interesting topic, Paul. It's something I definitely worry about, although I'm not a big sports fan. Did it change your mind about the issue, or did it confirm what you already thought?
Finished I Work at a Public Library: A Collection of Crazy Stories from the Stacks by Gina Sheridan. A short collection of the author's experiences - but familiar, since I also work in a public library!My (short) review; read for the Humour category. I would have had another spot done this weekend but forgot the book at work!
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2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Emperor: Downfall of An Autocrat (other topics)Moneyball (other topics)
Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson (other topics)
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything (other topics)
Jewels: A Secret History (other topics)
More...
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015
Let's play bingo! For this challenge, read nonfiction books to make as many "bingos" as possible (five squares in a line - can be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal).
You can use the bingo card provided above OR, if you're feeling particularly adventurous, you can make your own.
This challenge will be led by Cassandra.