2025 Reading Challenge discussion
ARCHIVE: Yearly Challenges
>
Bibliopoly - 2024
date
newest »
newest »
Update to message #4212/13
Completed prompt 23
Update to message #5025/30
Prompts
🗺️ 1. Go: Read a book set on two or more continents
No Crying in the Operating Room: My Life as an International Relief Doctor, from Haiti, to South Sudan, to the Syrian Civil War - North America, Africa and Asia
🟪 2. Purple: Read a book with a wheelbarrow, garden tool or plant on the cover or in the title.
Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature
🟪 4. Purple: Read a translated book originally written in a language other than your native tongue.
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation - translated from Vietnamese
🟦 7. Blue: Read a book with any type of hat or headwear on the cover or in the title.
Death on the Nile - has a bowler hat on the cover!
🟦 10. Blue: Read a book with any shade of blue on the cover or in the title.
Amazing Gems: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Most Dazzling Costume Jewelry
🔒 11. In Jail: Read a banned or challenged book.
To Kill a Mockingbird
💡 13. Electric Company: Read a book with a light source on the cover.
The Unexpected Guest - car headlamps
🌸 14. Pink: Read a book with an author or character whose nationality or birth country is different from your own.
The Bitter Side of Sweet - characters are Malian and Ivorian
🌸 15. Pink: Read a book with any shade of pink on the cover or in the title.
The Mystery of the Blue Train - mine has train travelling through pink sunset on the cover
🚂 16. Pennsylvania Railroad: Read a book published under an author’s pen name.
James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small - his real name was James Alfred Wight
🟠 17. Orange: Read a book with a ship or boat on the cover, or involving water travel.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
🟠 19. Orange: Read a book with an author or character whose religious or spiritual beliefs are different from your own.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri who is Hindu, as are most characters in the book
🟠 20. Orange: Read a book with any shade of orange on the cover or in the title.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
❓ 23. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf among the ten oldest or newest additions.
Black Coffee
🟥 24. Red: Read a book with an author or character whose race or ethnicity is different from your own.
The Color Purple - the characters are African American, I am White and European
🟥 25. Red: Read a book with any shade of red on the cover or in the title.
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives
🚂 26. B&O Railroad: Read a book with an author or title beginning with B or O. (Author’s first or last name; title’s first main word. Omit the, and, of, etc.)
Brave Companions: Portraits in History
🚿 29. Water Works: Read a book with any form of water on the cover.
Five Little Pigs (mine has the view of the water on the cover)
🟨 30. Yellow: Read a book with any shade of yellow on the cover or in the title.
How to Wear Jewelry: 55 Styles
👮♂️ 31. Go to Jail: Read a crime fiction or true crime book.
A Time to Kill
🟩 33. Green: Read a book with an author or character whose gender is different from your own.
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 - both the author and Tolkien are male and I am female
🟩 35. Green: Read a book with any shade of green on the cover or in the title.
The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature
🚂 36. Shortline Railroad: Read a book under 200 pages long.
The Archer
💍 39. Luxury Tax: Read a book with a gemstone or precious metal on the cover or in the title.
Celebrating Jewellery
🧿 40. Dark Blue: Read a book that won an award. (Which one?)
Profiles in Courage - Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1957
Update msg # 47:Progress: 31 / 20 - COMPLETED
Completed more than I thought I would. Yay!
Updating #3538/40 completed
🔒 11. In Jail: Read a banned or challenged book. Looking for Alaska DONE
🟥 24. Red: Read a book with an author or character whose race or ethnicity is different from your own. The Reformatory DONE
Updated through post #466.Three more participants won the game! Congratulations to JennH, Shari, and Sarah, all of whom completed the challenge. 👏👏👏
Updated message #3427/27
Challenge complete
Update to #5525/36
🚂 26. B&O Railroad: Read a book with an author or title beginning with B or O. (Author’s first or last name; title’s first main word. Omit the, and, of, etc.): Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code By Ruha [B]enjamin.
Updated message 58-- 67/40
update for message #39 (used to be #40)COMPLETED!
35/35
Updated to here!Congratulations to Chalmation, Martha*, and Denise, the latest players to complete the challenge! 👏👏👏
Update to message #4213/13 - Completed
Completed prompt 16
message 64 updated! 1/20 books read! Sigh, better luck next year🟦 10. Blue: Read a book with any shade of blue on the cover or in the title. - A Court of Mist and Fury
Updated what was originally message 89. (Now 88)Progress: 16/16
Update to message #5030/30 - DONE! This was a lot of fun, thanks for the challenge!
Prompts
🗺️ 1. Go: Read a book set on two or more continents
No Crying in the Operating Room: My Life as an International Relief Doctor, from Haiti, to South Sudan, to the Syrian Civil War - North America, Africa and Asia
🟪 2. Purple: Read a book with a wheelbarrow, garden tool or plant on the cover or in the title.
Jeweled Garden: A Colorful History of Gems, Jewels, and Nature
🟪 4. Purple: Read a translated book originally written in a language other than your native tongue.
The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation - translated from Vietnamese
🚂 6. Reading Railroad: Read a book from a celebrity book club list, such as Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, etc.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
🟦 7. Blue: Read a book with any type of hat or headwear on the cover or in the title.
Death on the Nile - has a bowler hat on the cover!
8. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf within the ten highest or lowest number of ratings.
What Lights You Up?: Illuminate Your Path and Take the Next Big Step in Your Career
🟦 10. Blue: Read a book with any shade of blue on the cover or in the title.
Amazing Gems: An Illustrated Guide to the World's Most Dazzling Costume Jewelry
🔒 11. In Jail: Read a banned or challenged book.
To Kill a Mockingbird
💡 13. Electric Company: Read a book with a light source on the cover.
The Unexpected Guest - car headlamps
🌸 14. Pink: Read a book with an author or character whose nationality or birth country is different from your own.
The Bitter Side of Sweet - characters are Malian and Ivorian
🌸 15. Pink: Read a book with any shade of pink on the cover or in the title.
Fashion for Jewels: 100 Years of Styles and Icons
🚂 16. Pennsylvania Railroad: Read a book published under an author’s pen name.
James Herriot's Treasury for Children: Warm and Joyful Tales by the Author of All Creatures Great and Small - his real name was James Alfred Wight
🟠 17. Orange: Read a book with a ship or boat on the cover, or involving water travel.
Lady Tan’s Circle of Women
🟠 19. Orange: Read a book with an author or character whose religious or spiritual beliefs are different from your own.
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri who is Hindu, as are most characters in the book
🟠 20. Orange: Read a book with any shade of orange on the cover or in the title.
Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions
🚘 21. Free Parking: Read a book of your choice. Anything goes!
The Screwtape Letters
🟥 22. Red: Read a book with a car, truck or bus on the cover, or involving a road trip.
The Mystery of the Blue Train
❓ 23. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf among the ten oldest or newest additions.
Black Coffee
🟥 24. Red: Read a book with an author or character whose race or ethnicity is different from your own.
The Color Purple - the characters are African American, I am White and European
🟥 25. Red: Read a book with any shade of red on the cover or in the title.
Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives
🚂 26. B&O Railroad: Read a book with an author or title beginning with B or O. (Author’s first or last name; title’s first main word. Omit the, and, of, etc.)
Brave Companions: Portraits in History
🚿 29. Water Works: Read a book with any form of water on the cover.
Five Little Pigs (mine has the view of the water on the cover)
🟨 30. Yellow: Read a book with any shade of yellow on the cover or in the title.
How to Wear Jewelry: 55 Styles
👮♂️ 31. Go to Jail: Read a crime fiction or true crime book.
A Time to Kill
🟩 33. Green: Read a book with an author or character whose gender is different from your own.
A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War: How J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis Rediscovered Faith, Friendship, and Heroism in the Cataclysm of 1914-18 - both the author and Tolkien are male and I am female
🟩 35. Green: Read a book with any shade of green on the cover or in the title.
The Heartbeat of Trees: Embracing Our Ancient Bond with Forests and Nature
🚂 36. Shortline Railroad: Read a book under 200 pages long.
The Archer
❓ 37. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf within the ten highest or lowest average star rating.
The Legend of Seleucus: Kingship, Narrative and Mythmaking in the Ancient World - Currently 4.75! (off a low number, of course, it's a niche interest academic book)
💍 39. Luxury Tax: Read a book with a gemstone or precious metal on the cover or in the title.
Celebrating Jewellery
🧿 40. Dark Blue: Read a book that won an award. (Which one?)
Profiles in Courage - Pulitzer Prize for Biography in 1957
Update to message 51:BIBLIOPOLY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2024
Progress: 40 (+40)/40 (Completed)
Update Message #2640/40, I finished the challenge a little while ago when the last readathon happened and have been meaning to post a completion update!
🟦 10. Blue: Read a book with any shade of blue on the cover or in the title. The Ocean at the End of the Lane - Neil Gaiman
🟠 19. Orange: Read a book with an author or character whose religious or spiritual beliefs are different from your own. (Catholic) Peril at End House - Agatha Christie
🟥 22. Red: Read a book with a car, truck or bus on the cover, or involving a road trip. The Fall of the Governor: Part Two - Robert Kirkman
🟥 24. Red: Read a book with an author or character whose race or ethnicity is different from your own. (Japanese) Before the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
🟩 32. Green: Read a book with a thimble, sewing or craft implement on the cover or in the title. Wool - Hugh Howey
💍 39. Luxury Tax: Read a book with a gemstone or precious metal on the cover or in the title. Jade City - Fonda Lee
❓ 8. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf within the ten highest or lowest number of ratings. Saga, Volume 9 - Brian K. Vaughan
🚂 26. B&O Railroad: Read a book with an author or title beginning with B or O. (Author’s first or last name; title’s first main word. Omit the, and, of, etc.) Oathbringer - Brandon Sanderson
🚂 6. Reading Railroad: Read a book from a celebrity book club list, such as Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, etc. (Oprah) Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family - Robert Kolker
🟠 20. Orange: Read a book with any shade of orange on the cover or in the title. Small Gods - Terry Pratchett
Rina wrote: "Update to message 51:BIBLIOPOLY
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2024
Progress: 40 (+40)/40 (Completed)"
Rina, how many books did you read for this challenge? The parenthetical expression is throwing me off, and I don't know if you're saying you read 40/40 or 80/40. Mathematically, it would be 40 x (+40) = 1600, but that seems highly improbable. 😅
Updated to here!Congratulations to Emily, Ashley, Theresa, Anna, Rina, and Bryan! 👏
Update to original message #4540/40 completed, another great year!
Prompts
🗺️ 1. Go: Read a book set on two or more continents.
Killing the Witches: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts
🟪 2. Purple: Read a book with a wheelbarrow, garden tool or plant on the cover or in the title.
Death Valley
🎁 3. Community Chest: Participate in one of our Group Reads. (Which month and book?)
Howl’s Moving Castle, I believe September was the month we read this one!
🟪 4. Purple: Read a translated book originally written in a language other than your native tongue.
A Man Called Ove
💲 5. Tax: Read a book with money on the cover or in the title.
The New Rules of Money: A Playbook for Planning Your Financial Future: A Workbook
🚂 6. Reading Railroad: Read a book from a celebrity book club list, such as Oprah, Reese Witherspoon, etc.
True Biz
🟦 7. Blue: Read a book with any type of hat or headwear on the cover or in the title.
London Under: The Secret History Beneath the Streets
❓ 8. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf within the ten highest or lowest number of ratings.
Throne of Glass
🟦 9. Blue: Read a book with an author or character whose sexual orientation is different from your own.
Pageboy
🟦 10. Blue: Read a book with any shade of blue on the cover or in the title.
The Fury
🔒 11. In Jail: Read a banned or challenged book.
Killing Mr. Griffin
🌸 12. Pink: Read a book with any type of dog on the cover or in the title.
Lily and the Octopus
💡 13. Electric Company: Read a book with a light source on the cover.
The Midnight Feast
🌸 14. Pink: Read a book with an author or character whose nationality or birth country is different from your own.
The Last Love Note
🌸 15. Pink: Read a book with any shade of pink on the cover or in the title.
Psyche and Eros
🚂 16. Pennsylvania Railroad: Read a book published under an author’s pen name.
The Secret of Mirror Bay
🟠 17. Orange: Read a book with a ship or boat on the cover, or involving water travel.
Only If You're Lucky
🎁 18. Community Chest: Participate in one of our Readathons. (Which readathon? List one book you read for it.)
Anxious Girl, I read this for the Black/Women's History Month readathon.
🟠 19. Orange: Read a book with an author or character whose religious or spiritual beliefs are different from your own.
Zeitoun
🟠 20. Orange: Read a book with any shade of orange on the cover or in the title.
Too Late
🚘 21. Free Parking: Read a book of your choice. Anything goes!
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
🟥 22. Red: Read a book with a car, truck or bus on the cover, or involving a road trip.
A Lullaby for Witches
❓ 23. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf among the ten oldest or newest additions.
Belladonna
🟥 24. Red: Read a book with an author or character whose race or ethnicity is different from your own.
Solito
🟥 25. Red: Read a book with any shade of red on the cover or in the title.
The Helsinki Affair
🚂 26. B&O Railroad: Read a book with an author or title beginning with B or O. (Author’s first or last name; title’s first main word. Omit the, and, of, etc.)
Below Zero
🟨 27. Yellow: Read a book with a boot or shoe on the cover, or involving foot travel.
You First
🟨 28. Yellow: Read a book with an author or character who has a physical disability or impairment, an emotional or mental disorder, or a neurodivergent condition.
At the Coffee Shop of Curiosities
🚿 29. Water Works: Read a book with any form of water on the cover.
I Found You
🟨 30. Yellow: Read a book with any shade of yellow on the cover or in the title.
Love, Theoretically
👮♂️ 31. Go to Jail: Read a crime fiction or true crime book.
Just Another Missing Person
🟩 32. Green: Read a book with a thimble, sewing or craft implement on the cover or in the title.
The Word is Murder
🟩 33. Green: Read a book with an author or character whose gender is different from your own.
Turbulence
🎁 34. Community Chest: Participate in one of our Buddy Reads or TBR Twins. (Which activity? What book did you and your twin/buddies read?)
First Lie Wins, I did this on a TBR Twin read!
🟩 35. Green: Read a book with any shade of green on the cover or in the title.
The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
🚂 36. Shortline Railroad: Read a book under 200 pages long.
I Hope This Finds You Well: Poems
❓ 37. Chance: Read a book from your TBR shelf within the ten highest or lowest average star rating.
House of Earth and Blood
🧿 38. Dark Blue: Read a book with any type of cat on the cover or in the title.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
💍 39. Luxury Tax: Read a book with a gemstone or precious metal on the cover or in the title.
Ready Player Two
🧿 40. Dark Blue: Read a book that won an award. (Which one?)
Lexicon won the ALA Alex Award
Ariail wrote: "Update to original message #4540/40 completed, another great year!"
Congratulations, Ariail! 👏
Update: MSG #420/20 challenge completed!
Update to message #129: 14 books read1. Go: An Astronomer in Love
6. Reading Railroad: Tom Lake
8. Chance: Talk to the Tail
10. Blue: What Happened?
12. Pink: Dog Gone, Back Soon
18. Community Chest: January 2024 - Whiteout
20. Orange: The Goodbye Coast
21. Free Parking: The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club
24. Red: The Joy Luck Club
25. Red: The Many Lives of Mamma Love
26. B&O Railroad: Brideshead Revisited
28. Yellow: How to Keep House While Drowning
34. Community Chest: January Buddy Reads - A Man Called Ove
37. Chance: Outlive
Rachel wrote: "Update: MSG #420/20 challenge completed!"
Congratulations, Rachel! 👏
Updated!Thanks to all of you for joining this challenge for 2024. I hope you tried some new group activities and discovered some fabulous authors along the way!
I will check back next week to see if any further updates have been posted.
Final update to message 71: 36/30 books
Update message #14 - lastly finishing with 15/15
Edited post #17Completed 38/40 books for 2024
Final update posted!Thanks for reading with us in challenge. Hope you had as much fun as I did!
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (other topics)Proud: Living My American Dream (other topics)
What Angels Fear (other topics)
The Maid (other topics)
The New Rules of Money: A Playbook for Planning Your Financial Future: A Workbook (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Nita Prose (other topics)Neil Gaiman (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
Hugh Howey (other topics)
Toshikazu Kawaguchi (other topics)
More...
58/58
Challenge completed! This was so much fun!"
Congratulations, Jenn! I'm so glad you had fun. See you next year. 😊