2025 Reading Challenge discussion
Buddy Reads
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Buddy Read FAQ
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Sydney wrote: "Am I able to quit a buddy read after I joined?"If you signed up for one for a future month and need to cancel, let us know in the sign-up thread so we can take your name off.
If you are talking about quitting one that's already posted, just let your buddy/buddies know that you'll have to drop out.
More detailed information on how Buddy Reads work. If you still have questions, feel free to ask them in a comment below! DO NOT TRY TO SUGGEST/CONFIRM BOOKS HERE– Those belong in the sign-up thread. Thank you!
Can I join a posted buddy read even if I didn’t sign up for it?
Yes please do! If the thread is posted simply jump into the discussion!
I suggested an entire book series. Why is only the first book on the spreadsheet?
Until someone else confirms they will read the entire series with you, only the first book suggested will be added with an “S” for suggested in the “Whole Series Confirmed?” column. If a group reads the first book and wants to continue, group members should post in the sign-up thread with their intent to continue.
So, now that my group wants to read an entire series together, do we have to post in the sign-up thread every month that we will want the next book?
Nope. Just let us know in the sign-up thread that the group is planning to read the series and the “Whole Series Confirmed?” column will change to a “Y” for yes. The next book in the series will automatically be added every month. You will only need to comment again if something changes, like your group gets behind and wants to spend an extra month to catch up. Only main books will be added unless you have otherwise specified wanting to include the 1.5, 2.5, etc.
I said I was open to reading a book in March OR April but it didn’t get moved to April’s suggestions when no one joined for March.
We will not automatically move books to other months unless you tell us to. Do so after the timeline for the original month’s confirmations have passed (ie. let us know you would like a March suggested book moved to April’s suggestions after February 25th)
I suggested a book but it’s not on the spreadsheet. Why?
There could be a couple of reasons for this.
-Sometimes your post may not have enough information to add it. Usually the issue is not stating a month you'd like to read your book, but it could be something else as well. Check the thread to see if a mod has responded to your suggestion with a clarifying question.
- We may not have updated since you posted. If there is not a post from a mod with “updated” after your post, we just haven't gotten the sheet updated yet!
-If these reasons don’t fit, message me (SarahKat) or comment in the thread again to let me know. I may have just missed it!
Can I suggest my entire year's plan for books all at once?
Please don't. While we applaud your planning skills and enthusiasm, this won't work well for a few reasons.
-We only accept suggestions for about 3 months at a time.
-We prefer you to keep your suggestions limited to an amount you will actually read in the time you've suggested. If you suggest 20 books for June but are only planning on reading whichever 8 get confirmed, it will leave you or others in a bind if more than you were anticipating get confirmed and added!
Why do you only accept suggestions for 3 months at a time?
We used to accept them for the entire year and learned that a lot of the time, people forgot they had joined a buddy read for a future month and didn’t participate, or had completely stopped being active in our group at all. 3 months seemed to be a good timeline to give people time to plan, but also decrease the odds of buddies forgetting or dropping out unannounced.
I've been reading a confirmed series as a buddy read but no one else commented last month. What should I do?
We try to keep an eye on this, but please let us know either in the sign up thread or private message. We will reach out to the inactive participants and likely cancel the rest of the series. However, if they turn up again, your group can always start where you left off with a fresh suggestion!
How is a book chosen for the Featured Buddy Read?
The Featured Buddy Read works just like every other buddy read, only it is pinned to the top of the month’s thread and on the group’s homepage. The book that has the most people signed up to read it when the threads are posted becomes Featured. If there are multiple books with the most sign-ups, the book with the most ratings on Goodreads gets Featured. We do not feature books that are part of a series, unless it is the first book.