Book Quest Q&A

[Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆]

Thank you

[Shandrea]

Do we still have time to add books to march?

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Shandrea wrote: "Do we still have time to add books to march?"

Yes, I try to give you a week to update.

[Angie ☯]

Does the "Q2 Mini Challenge: Genre Swap" have a set week to be read or can it be at anytime during the month?

I didn't see a date, but was afraid I missed it.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Angie ☯ wrote: "Does the "Q2 Mini Challenge: Genre Swap" have a set week to be read or can it be at anytime during the month?

I didn't see a date, but was afraid I missed it."

Anytime during the month!

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

Does participating in a Buddy Read in a different group on Goodreads count?

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

I am currently reading a book in French that is translated from English. Would that count for the diversity reading bonus?🤔

In general, how does it work when reading in other languages than English? I read most books in English, but read some in French and Norwegian too 😅

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Benedicte wrote: "Does participating in a Buddy Read in a different group on Goodreads count?"

No.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Benedicte wrote: "I am currently reading a book in French that is translated from English. Would that count for the diversity reading bonus?🤔"

No.

Benedicte wrote: "In general, how does it work when reading in other languages than English? I read most books in English, but read some in French and Norwegian too 😅."

You just use whatever edition you read for the page information, other than that, there shouldn't be any difference, the book is the same regardless of the language you read it in!

[Kat]

Would Ice hockey romance count as adventure with extreme sports? You said yes to ice hockey but unsure if I’d be allowed this

[Claire]

Would The Jungle Books be considered a classic or a children’s book?

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Kat wrote: "Would Ice hockey romance count as adventure with extreme sports? You said yes to ice hockey but unsure if I’d be allowed this"

It would depend on the actions in the book itself. Do they detail the hockey game? Does someone get hurt while playing? etc...

If it's just romance, I'd say that might be too far a stretch.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Claire wrote: "Would The Jungle Books be considered a classic or a children’s book?"

It's definitely a Classic. (it's more Middle Grade, than Children's).

[Claire]

Ashley wrote: "Claire wrote: "Would The Jungle Books be considered a classic or a children’s book?"

It's definitely a Classic. (it's more Middle Grade, than Children's)."

Okay, thank you.

[Janeylou]

Ashley, do you have any idea when you posting next months tasks .

...sorry for being a pest 😄

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

I had planned on Saturday. :)

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

If I get a moment, I can try earlier, I've just been swamped between work and regular life.

[Janeylou]

Ok..we're just that excited to see what they are 😄😄

[Trisha]

YAY! I was wondering/hoping when we'd see them too! Excited to get working on next month's tasks! 😊😊

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

🌟 May Book Quest: Courage & Resilience 🌟

📅 Monthly Theme: Stories of Strength
This month, we’re diving into tales of bravery—whether in the face of war, illness, injustice, or personal demons. Real or fictional, these stories remind us how resilience lights the darkest paths.

Reading Tasks:
📖 Read a book about overcoming disability or illness OR a character adapting to a major life change.
📖 Read a book set during wartime that highlights courage.
📖 Read about standing up to bullies/oppression OR a workplace/community rebellion (e.g., The Radium Girls).
📖 Read a book where a character overcomes great odds (e.g., poverty, discrimination, trauma).
📖 Read about a natural disaster/crisis OR a "rebuilding after tragedy" story.
📖 Read an underdog story (sports, career, or personal struggle).
📖 Read about social justice movements OR a courtroom/legal battle for change.
📖 Read a book addressing mental health challenges OR a character’s emotional recovery journey.
📖 Read about immigrant experiences (fiction or non-fiction) OR a diaspora cultural reconnection.
📖 Read a book where characters confront their biggest fears OR train for an impossible mission.

🎯 Bonus Genre: True Stories of Grit
Earn extra points for memoirs, biographies, or narrative non-fiction (e.g., Educated, Born a Crime, Hidden Figures).

📚 Q2 Mini Challenge: Genre Swap
Don't forget! Step outside your comfort zone! Pick a genre you typically avoid (excluding memoirs/biographies this month).

✨ Accommodations for Omnilegent Readers (For those who read widely!)
If you don’t "avoid" genres, use a workaround:
1️⃣ Genre Frequency: Pick a genre you rarely read (e.g., romance once a year).
2️⃣ Subgenre Exploration: Try a subgenre you’ve never touched (e.g., cozy mystery → noir).
3️⃣ Reader’s Choice + Justification: Any book that’s a stretch for you—just explain why! (Example: “I usually read thrillers, so this slow literary fiction is a change!”)

Points: 30 pts for completing + sharing insights (max 1 book/month).

🌠 FORMAL BUDDY READS WITH TASK PAIRINGS
I thought I would add some information on what tasks the May FBRs work for. These are always optional, but they count toward the buddy read bonus!

📔 The Bone Shard Daughter (Andrea Stewart)
✓ Revolution against oppression (Task #3)
✓ Overcoming political trauma (Task #4)
✓ Confronting legacy of parental abuse (Task #10)

📚 The Light Pirate (Lily Brooks-Dalton)
✓ Climate disaster survival (Task #5)
✓ Disability adaptation (Task #1)
✓ Rebuilding community (Task #9 immigrant/diaspora angle)

🔮 Shadow and Bone Trilogy (Leigh Bardugo)
✓ Wartime courage (Task #2)
✓ Underdog Grisha vs. Darkling (Task #6)
✓ Mental health allegories (Task #8)

🌙 A Witch in Wolf Wood (Lindsay Buroker) - Extended 1Q
✓ Small-town oppression (Task #3)
✓ Midlife career restart (Task #4)
✓ Magical fear-confronting (Task #10)

Happy reading, questers! May your TBRs be brave and your takeaways inspiring. 📚💪

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

📢 A Quick Reminder: How This Challenge Works!

First—thank you SO much for being part of this adventure! 🎉 This challenge was designed to be your chance to dive into diverse genres, discover new perspectives, and bond with fellow book lovers—not to stress over "perfect" book matches.

Some prompts might seem tricky at first glance, but they’re intentionally open-ended so you can interpret them in ways that excite you. If a book remotely fits the theme, it counts!

💡 Examples of Flexible Thinking:

"Overcoming disability/illness OR adapting to change"
Could be:
→ A character adjusting to life in a wheelchair (e.g., Get a Life, Chloe Brown)
→ A protagonist rebuilding after job loss (e.g., The Layover)
→ An alien learning to live among humans (yes, really!)

"Standing up to bullies/oppression"
Could be:
→ A kid confronting a school bully
→ A historical rebellion (like The Radium Girls)
→ A dystopian uprising (Sunrise on the Reaping, anyone?).

"Confronting biggest fears"
Could be:
→ A horror novel where someone faces their phobia (or literal monsters)
→ A shy character doing public speaking
→ A hero training for a near-impossible mission (e.g., The Martian)

Remember:
✅ This is about exploration, not perfection—no book police here!
✅ If you can make a case for how it fits, go for it.
✅ Most importantly: Have fun, chat with your team, and happy reading!

Why This Matters:
The magic of this challenge comes from seeing how different readers tackle the same prompt—whether through historical fiction, sci-fi, or memoirs. Surprise us!

P.S. Need more ideas for May? Check the full prompt list, or ask your teammates for wild takes! 🌟

[Trisha]

Thank you so much for posting these! I know you're busy so I appreciate it!!

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Trisha wrote: "Thank you so much for posting these! I know you're busy so I appreciate it!!"

Of course!

[Jessica]

Hi Ashley :)

Would a book that focuses on a group rather than a single person count for the Personal Grit genre?

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West
The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Jessica wrote: "Hi Ashley :)

Would a book that focuses on a group rather than a single person count for the Personal Grit genre?

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder
[book:Bury My He..."

If you're referring to the Bonus Genre - it doesn't have to be personal, just true (ish). Groups, singles, countries, etc.

[Claire]

For the task Read a book about exploring ancient ruins., does it have to be a book only about exploring ruins? I was reading 20.000 Mijlen onder Zee and they explore the ruins of Atlantis. Is that good enough?

[Kirsten]

Hi, Ashley--oof, this month is pushing my reading! I'm going to read 2 non-fiction books for pleasure with my buddies, so that's a good flex for me (I read so much for work that I tend to focus my leisure reading on novels pretty exclusively.)

About that true grit--I want to read Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert. It's obviously a novel, but she is a main character and it is about her life, albeit a fictionalized version. Would this count for genre?

Thanks--and this is still my favorite challenge.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Claire, that's perfect!

[Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆]

A Witch in Wolf Wood...Can you join the buddy read and have it count for buddy read, if you only read book 1 of the series.
1319 pages is a bit of a commitment for one month.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Kirsten wrote: "Hi, Ashley--oof, this month is pushing my reading! I'm going to read 2 non-fiction books for pleasure with my buddies, so that's a good flex for me (I read so much for work that I tend to focus my ..."

While it’s technically fiction, it reimagines the real-life story of Harriet Tubman—whose courage, resilience, and legacy embody the very definition of grit.

By blending biography, narrative power, and cultural commentary (with a dash of Broadway flair), it aligns beautifully with the spirit of the bonus genre. It celebrates grit in all its forms, past and present, personal and collective, while honoring a true American hero.

So yes, it absolutely counts.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Skye Blue ☆*~ﾟლ(´ڡ`ლ)~*☆ wrote: "A Witch in Wolf Wood...Can you join the buddy read and have it count for buddy read, if you only read book 1 of the series.
1319 pages is a bit of a commitment for one month."

You can read any book in the series, you don't have to read them all. :)

[Kirsten]

Ashley wrote: "Kirsten wrote: "Hi, Ashley--oof, this month is pushing my reading! I'm going to read 2 non-fiction books for pleasure with my buddies, so that's a good flex for me (I read so much for work that I t..."

Hooray! it's in!

[bamaace83]

Quick question: would professional wrestling be considered an extreme sport? I think you have to be a dare devil and in some dang good shape to be able to do that but I also know some people consider it not really a sport.

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

What do you put in as page count for graphic novels? I will read The Complete Persepolis next month. It has 343 pages, and according to ArBookfind sites it has 43 000 words. The Standard Challenge Book Requirements say to calculate pages as Page Count × 0.25 but with 343 pages it ends up being less than 100, even though the book has more than the required 30 000 words.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Benedicte wrote: "What do you put in as page count for graphic novels? I will read The Complete Persepolis next month. It has 343 pages, and according to ArBookfind sites it has 43 000 words. The Stand..."

For this challenge, if the AR Book find is above 30,000, then you can divide the edition page count in half.

[Jessica]

Can I just double check you accepts buddy reads done in other groups?

[Sammy]

Jessica wrote: "Can I just double check you accepts buddy reads done in other groups?"

From higher up the page:

Ashley wrote: "Benedicte wrote: "Does participating in a Buddy Read in a different group on Goodreads count?"

No."

😉

[Jessica]

Sammy wrote: "Jessica wrote: "Can I just double check you accepts buddy reads done in other groups?"


Ashley wrote: "Benedicte wrote: "Does participating in a Buddy Read in a different group on Goodreads count?..."

Thanks Sammy :)

[Sammy]

I remembered seeing it from last month so thought I'd save Ashley the trouble, lol.

[Vicki]

I read but GR doesn't say anything about the author nor give a photo, so I went to his website and he is an African-American author. I marked it as a diversity reading bonus so here's the website so you can verify it: https://www.thenickbrooks.com/home
Here he is on Tamara Hall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QA5w0...

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

that's fine Vicki!! ☺️

[Vicki]

Thanks :)

[Michelle's Empty Nest, The Challenge Whisperer]

Fable Finders may need a replacement for Holly. She hasn't responded to a message since 5/5 and she was missing last month.

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Got it! I will add one either tonight or tomorrow, I'm at a memorial service today!

[Anastasia]

Hi Ashley, Plotline Pathfinders haven't heard from Wishbear since March and we have been unsuccessful with trying to contact her as she is not accepting messages and no team members are friends

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

Anastasia wrote: "Hi Ashley, Plotline Pathfinders haven't heard from Wishbear since March and we have been unsuccessful with trying to contact her as she is not accepting messages and no team members are friends"

Will check in and get back with you!

[Ashley, The Tipsy Challenger]

📣 June Reading Update: Who Am I, Really?
Focus: Identity, Self-Expression, and Truth
Bonus Genre: Young Adult (YA)

Dear Book Questers,

June is approaching, and with it comes a powerful theme that’s as personal as it is universal: Identity. For this month, we’re diving deep into stories that explore self-expression, truth, reinvention, and the journey to becoming who we truly are (or think we are).

Whether your character is discovering a new passion, grappling with mental health, living a double life, or leaving behind a world that no longer fits, each book you read in June helps you explore the question: Who am I, really?

📝 June Tasks
• Read a coming-of-age story.
• Read a book with a character living a double life.
• Read a book where a name (or nickname) carries deep significance.
• Read a story told in an unconventional format (e.g., diary, podcast, letters, dual timelines).
• Read a book with an unreliable narrator grappling with personal truth.
• Read a book about someone joining or leaving a community, cult, or belief system.
• Read a book about someone exploring or embracing their gender or sexual identity.
• Read a book where someone finds a new talent or passion.
• Read a book that deals with a character's journey through depression or anxiety.
• Read a book where a character reinvents themselves—for better or worse.

📚 Why June Matters (More Than You Think)
Not only is this a beautifully introspective reading month, but it’s also a foundational month for something exciting that’s coming in July. 👀 I won’t spoil the surprise (yet), but let’s just say… it’s collaborative, it’s meaningful, and it’s something we can’t do without everyone onboard.

So, if your team’s had a quiet season, this is the moment to rally. Message your squad, check in with missing teammates, and make sure no one’s left behind. Because next month? We’ll need everyone’s voice to make it work—and trust me, you won’t want to miss what’s coming. If you need me to check in with a team member, now is the time to ask!

Get ready to read, reflect, and reconnect with who you are—and who you’re becoming. 💫

[Trisha]

OMG Thank you for posting these So early!!

I appreciate you!

[Benedicte, Bookmark First, Ask Later]

Thank you so much Ashley!

[Sammy]

Thanks Ashley!