Hooked on Books discussion
3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Richard {COMPLETED}
Mod
A $1 bill doesn't live as long as you'd think.
According to the Federal Reserve, each buck lasts about 6.6 years, and there's about $1.79 trillion of U.S. currency in circulation right now.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
💵 1. Read a book with money on the cover.
💵 2. Read a book you got for no money.
💵 3. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in MONEY.
💵 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in MONEY.
Book: Memories Before and After the Sound of Music: An AutobiographyAuthor: Agathe von Trapp
Date Read: Apr 29th
Task: Title - starts with a letter in MONEY
How it Fits: M
Mod
Some cats are allergic to people.
FYI for all you people allergic to cats: they might be allergic to you, too! It's pretty uncommon due to the fact that we bathe ourselves more often than other species and don't shed as much hair or dead skin, but yes, it does happen.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐈 1. Read a book with a cat on the cover.
🐈 2. Read a book where someone takes a bath or a shower.
🐈 3. Read a book with all the letters of ALLERGIC found in the title/subtitle.
🐈 4. Read a book with the word HAIR or SKIN found in the text.
Book: Making Space: How to Live Happier by Setting Boundaries That Work for YouAuthor: Jayne Hardy
Date Read: Apr 29th
Task: Text - 'hair'
How it Fits: "I’d pay and even leave a tip for the privilege of hating my hair." p.25
Mod
Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.
Irrationally scared of clowns? You might have coulrophobia. Oh, and gephyrophobia is a fear of bridges.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
1️⃣3️⃣ 1. Read a book where someone has a great fear of something.
1️⃣3️⃣ 2. Read a book with a number, a clown, or a bridge on the cover.
1️⃣3️⃣ 3. Read a book with the number 13 intact in the page count or publication date.
1️⃣3️⃣ 4. Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title is found in TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA. {3-word minimum}
Book: People of the River: Lost Worlds of Early AustraliaAuthor: Grace Karskens
Date Read: May 1st
Task: Title - all initials in TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA
How it Fits: POTR
Mod
The speed of a computer mouse is measured in "Mickeys."
A British scientist first invented the roller-ball device in 1946 while working for the Royal Navy, but the word "mouse" didn't get coined until 1965.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🖱 1. Read a book published or set between 1946 and 1965.
🖱 2. Read a book with a scientist character.
🖱 3. Read a book with the word MOUSE found in the text.
🖱 4. Read a book that seemed to speed by.
Book: Act Like You Got Some Sense: And Other Things My Daughters Taught MeAuthor: Jamie Foxx
Date Read: May 1st
Task: Text - 'mouse'
How it Fits: "I used Mickey Mouse as an emotional Band-Aid" p.45
Mod
The largest known living organism is an aspen grove.
Pando (Latin for "I spread out") is a group of genetically identical quaking aspens in Utah with an interconnected root system. It's an estimated 80,000 years old and takes up more than 100 acres.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🟡 1. Read a book set in Utah.
🟡 2. Read a book with more than 80,000 ratings.
🟡 3. Read a book with more than 100 reviews.
🟡 4. Read a book with a mostly yellow cover. {Your discretion.}
Book: 100 Deadly Skills: The SEAL Operative's Guide to Eluding Pursuers, Evading Capture, and Surviving Any Dangerous SituationAuthor: Clint Emerson
Date Read: May 2nd
Task: Cover - yellow
How it Fits:
Mod
The most streamed Spotify single is Harry Styles' "Girl Crush."
The solo star's Spotify single has the most streams at 154 million. Such a win for the One Direction alum.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎤 1. Read a book where the author or MC is named Harry.
🎤 2. Read a book where a character has a crush on someone.
🎤 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in SPOTIFY.
🎤 4. Read a book where at least 2 of these digits are found in the total number of ratings: 1, 5, 4.
Book: Flee 9-5: Get 6 - 7 Figures and Do What You LoveAuthor: Ben Angel
Date Read: May 2nd
Task: Title - starts with letter in SPOTIFY
How it Fits: F
Mod
The Northern cardinal is the most popular state bird.
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia all picked it as their favorite species. The western meadowlark takes second place as the honoree in six other states.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
♥️ 1. Read a book with a bird on the cover.
♥️ 2. Read a book set in any of the states listed above.
♥️ 3. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in SPECIES.
♥️ 4. Read a book with a 6 in the page count.
Book: Scary Smart: The Future of Artificial Intelligence and How You Can Save Our WorldAuthor: Mo Gawdat
Date Read: May 3rd
Task: Pages - 6
How it Fits: 336 pages
Mod
The lyrebird can mimic almost any sounds it hears — including chainsaws.
Wildlife watchers have recorded the Australian species copying not only other birds but other animals, like koalas, and artificial sounds such as car alarms and camera shutters.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
📸 1. Read a book set in Australia.
📸 2. Read a book where one book seems to mimic another in plot or design.
📸 3. Read a book with a piece of machinery on the cover.
📸 4. Read a book with the word CAR or CAMERA found in the text.
Book: Hollow: A Memoir of My Body in the MarinesAuthor: Bailey Brett Williams
Date Read: May 3rd
Task: Text - 'camera'
How it Fits: “Combat camera, then, please?” p.15
Mod
Chocolate is (kinda) a fruit.
In more great chocolate news, the cocoa powder that goes into our fave best dark chocolate bars comes from the "beans" — or fruit of the cacao tree.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
❓1. Read a book with a brown cover. {Your discretion.}
❓2. Read a book with all the letters of CACAO found in the title.
❓3. Read a book with the word BEANS found in the text.
❓4. Read a book where a character gets great news.
Book: Character Carved in Stone: The 12 Core Virtues of West Point That Build Leaders and Produce SuccessAuthor: Pat Williams
Date Read: May 4th
Task: Title - all the letters of CACAO
How it Fits: ChArACter stOne
Mod
The voices of Mickey and Minnie Mouse got married in real life.
Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor were married for 18 years until Allwine's death in 2009.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐭 1. Read a book where someone dies.
🐭 2. Read a book published in 2009.
🐭 3. Read a book with a 1 and an 8 in the page count.
🐭 4. Read a book with some type of animal on the cover.
Book: Why Are Orangutans Orange?: Science Questions in Pictures—With Fascinating AnswersAuthor: Mick O'Hare
Date Read: May 5th
Task: Cover - animal
How it Fits:
Mod
Moon flowers actually bloom in response to the moon.
Sunflowers will follow the sun as it moves across the sky, but their lunar counterparts only open after nightfall or on cloudy days.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🌺 1. Read a book with flowers on the cover.
🌺 2. Read a book with double vowels in the title.
🌺 3. Read a book where the author's FIRST initial is found in LUNAR.
🌺 4. Read a book where you can share a scene that happens after nightfall with me.
Book: Encyclopedia of Garden Plants for Every Location: Featuring More Than 3,000 PlantsAuthor: D.K. Publishing
Date Read: May 6th
Task: Cover - flowers
How it Fits:
Mod
The famous Tuna Toss is held as part of the Tunarama Festival in Port Lincoln, South Australia, in celebration of the local fishing industry. The event was first held in 1979, and is still going strong.
The competition is to throw a tuna as far as possible. Originally, a fresh tuna fish was used. Since 2008, competitors throw a weighted, plastic tuna in the initial heats. In the finals, they use a frozen 9 or 10kg Southern Bluefin Tuna, with a rope handle threaded through its gills. No fish are killed for the competition, only undersized fish that have died naturally are used.
The most successful competitors use a hammer throwing technique, spinning several times before unleashing the tuna. The current record for the longest throw is held by Australian Olympic hammer thrower, Sean Carlin, who threw 37.23 meters in 1998. Carlin also holds the Australian hammer throw record. The women's record of 22.15m was set in 2002 by hammer thrower Brook Kruger. The winners take home $1,000, and second place wins $500.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐟 1. Read a book set at least partially in Australia.
🐟 2. Read a book published since 2008.
🐟 3. Read a book where a character eats any kind of fish.
🐟 4. Read a book where the MC or the author is named Sean or Brook. {spelling variations accepted}
Book: Jupiters Travels: Four Years Around the World on a TriumphAuthor: Ted Simon
Date Read: May 10th
Task: Plot - char eats fish
How it Fits: "Smoked Sailfish and Lamb's Kidneys Turbigo for lunch" p.113
Mod
Originating in Spain, Bossaball comprises elements of volleyball, football (soccer), gymnastics, and capoeira, which is an Afro-Brazilian cultural practice simultaneously involving a fight and a dance.
The game is played on an inflatable course with inbuilt trampolines on each side. The teams consist of 4 - 5 players with the aim of getting the ball over the net without the other team being able to return it.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🏐 1. Read a book that you rated 4 - 5 stars.
🏐 2. Read a book where a character fights or dances.
🏐 3. Read a book set at least partially in Spain.
🏐 4. Read a book where the MC's first name does NOT start with a letter in BOSSABALL.
Book: Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your DreamsAuthor: Robert Englund
Date Read: May 15th
Task: MC - FN initial not in BOSSABALL
How it Fits: R for Robert
Mod
M&M stands for Mars and Murrie.
Forrest Mars (son of the Mars Company founder) first spotted the British confection Smarties during the Spanish Civil War and noticed the candy shell prevented the chocolate from melting. He teamed up with Bruce Murrie (son of Hershey Chocolate's president) and the company later trademarked the "Melts in Your Mouth, Not in Your Hand" slogan.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🔴 1. Read a book with an alliterative title.
🔴 2. Read a book with at least two men on the cover.
🔴 3. Read a book tagged SPACE any number of times.
🔴 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in HERSHEY.
Book: Bound by Blood: The true story of the Wollongong murders.Author: John Suter Linton
Date Read: May 17th
Task: Title - alliteration
How it Fits: B B B
Mod
Four times more people speak English as a second language than as a native one.
While more people speak English as a second language, nearly three times more people speak Mandarin Chinese natively.
English has nearly two billion people learning it as a second language and only 350 million people speaking it natively.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🗣 1. Read a book where the MC could be speaking English as a second language.
🗣 2. Read a book with all the letters of MANDARIN found in the title.
🗣 3. Read a book with more than 350 pages.
🗣 4. Read a book with the word NATIVE found in the text.
Book: LolitaAuthor: Vladimir Nabokov
Date Read: May 17th
Task: Pages - 351+ pages
How it Fits: 376 pages
Mod
A team of six women programmed the first digital computer.
While historians have only recently recognized their achievements (or female discoveries credited to men), the female mathematicians participated in a World War II program coding instructions into the revolutionary Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC).
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
⌨️ 1. Read a book with a strong female lead.
⌨️ 2. Read a book with all the letters of ENIAC found in the title.
⌨️ 3. Read a book set during World War II.
⌨️ 4. Read a book where a character uses a computer.
Book: Veronica Mars and Philosophy: Investigating the Mysteries of Life (Which is a Bitch Until You Die)Author: William Irwin
Date Read: May 18th
Task: Plot - strong female lead
How it Fits: Veronica Mars
Mod
There are over 10 holidays that celebrate chocolate.
The National Confectioners Association recognizes everything from National Milk Chocolate Day to National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day. National Chocolate Day alone happens three times annually: July 7, October 28 and December 28.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍫 1. Read a book where a character eats chocolate.
🍫 2. Read a book where the same type of thing happens at least 3 times.
🍫 3. Read a book with a bittersweet ending.
🍫 4. Read a book where the MC's FIRST initial is NOT found in ALMONDS.
Book: Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of BorneoAuthor: Biruté M.F. Galdikas
Date Read: May 19th
Task: MC - FN initial not in ALMONDS
How it Fits: AFN is Biruté
Mod
The Crown Jewels contain the two biggest cut diamonds on Earth.
They both came from the Cullinan Diamond, a 3,106-carat gem found in South Africa in 1905. The largest stone, called the Great Star of Africa, is in the Sovereign's Sceptre, while the second largest is mounted in the Imperial State Crown (pictured).
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👑 1. Read a book with a crown on the cover.
👑 2. Read a book set at least partially in Africa.
👑 3. Read a book with a royal character.
👑 4. Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 3, 1, 0, 6.
Book: An African History of Africa: From the Dawn of Humanity to IndependenceAuthor: Zeinab Badawi
Date Read: May 24th
Task: Set - Africa
How it Fits: It is
Mod
The Oscars used to give out an award to child performers.
The award show discontinued the Academy Juvenile Award in 1960 after famous names like Shirley Temple and Judy Garland nabbed the honor. Also no longer on the ballot? Best Dance Direction and Best Title Writing.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🏆 1. Read a book with something gold on the cover.
🏆 2. Read a book that has won an award.
🏆 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in OSCARS.
🏆 4. Read a book where a character acts, dances, or writes.
Book: Cosmic Bullsh*t: A Guide to the Galaxy's Worst Life HacksAuthor: Chris Ferrie
Date Read: May 24th
Task: Title - starts with a letter in OSCARS
How it Fits: C
Mod
The largest sand castle in the world measured 54 feet high.
It took 168 trucks over a week to deliver enough sand for this carefully sculpted masterpiece.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🏝 1. Read a book with sand visible on the cover.
🏝 2. Read a book with a 5 OR a 4 in the page count.
🏝 3. Read a book with a 1, 6, AND 8 in the publication date.
🏝 4. Read a book that took place over more than a week's time.
Mod
The Running of the Bulls takes place in the summer in Pamplona, Spain.
The event involves patrons running in front of 6 bulls that have been let loose in the town’s streets. Every year between 50-100 injuries are reported with 15 deaths reported since 1910.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐂 1. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
🐂 2. Read a book where multiple characters die.
🐂 3. Read a book with between 50,000 and 100,000 Goodreads ratings.
🐂 4. Read a book set mostly in the summer.
Book: Parking the Moose: One American's Epic Quest to Uncover His Incredible Canadian RootsAuthor: Dave Hill
Date Read: May 26th
Task: Cover - animal
How it Fits:
Mod
Elvis only won 3 Grammys.
The King of Rock and Roll had 18 #1 hits in his career, but struck out on 11 of his 14 nominations. The record for the most Grammy wins actually belongs to George Solti, the longtime leader of Chicago Symphony Orchestra, with 31 awards to his name.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎙 1. Read a book where a famous person is mentioned.
🎙 2. Read a book with an 11, 14, or 18 intact in the page count.
🎙 3. Read a book where NO letters of KING are found in the title.
🎙 4. Read a book with the word AWARD(S) found in the text.
Book: Cuba's Car Culture: Celebrating the Island's Automotive Love AffairAuthor: Tom Cotter
Date Read: May 26th
Task: Title - no letters of KING
How it Fits: No letters of KING in "Cuba's Car Culture"
Mod
Not every Model T was black.
For the first few years of production, Ford's famous car came in gray, green, blue and red. It was only after 1914 that customers could order "any color so long as it is black," as the dark paint dried faster than other hues.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
⚫️ 1. Read a book with a car on the cover.
⚫️ 2. Read a book with a color in the title.
⚫️ 3. Read a book with BLACK, GRAY, GREEN, BLUE, or RED found in the text.
⚫️ 4. Read a book with at least two of these numbers found in the page count/publication date: 1, 9, 1, 4.
Book: Black Girl from PyongyangAuthor: Monica Macias
Date Read: May 27th
Task: Title - colour
How it Fits: Black
Mod
Ultimate Taser Ball is a kind of extreme and crazy sport that not many would have heard of or believe that it is true. It involves players carrying a real taser gun and using it on opponents to gain possession of the ball. If you are thinking, who would have come up with such an idea, the honors go to three California natives: Leif Kellenberger, Eric Prum, and Erik Wunsch.
The game is played on a 200 x 85 feet field. The ball used is a large 24 inch diameter inflated ball. The objective of the sport is to successfully carry the ball onto the opponents goalpost without getting tased en-route.
Rather than allowing players to go wild with their stun guns, the game fortunately has a rule that only players that have possession of the ball can be tased. The stun guns used emit a maximum of five milliamps, enough to cause muscle spasms to give up the ball, but well under the 1 amp lethal dose, and hence causes no permanent damage.
It's not hard to imagine that the sport was not well received. People would rather play than get tased and fall on their face. The founders, however, seem to be working towards getting a minor league going for the sport.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🔫 1. Read a book with a character who is in law enforcement.
🔫 2. Read a book where the title ENDS with a letter in EXTREME.
🔫 3. Read a book with a plot that seems too crazy to be true.
🔫 4. Read a book where the MC's first name ENDS with a letter in LETHAL.
Book: The Millionaire Next Door: The Surprising Secrets of America's WealthyAuthor: Thomas J. Stanley
Date Read: May 30th
Task: Title - ends with letter in EXTREME
How it Fits: R
Mod
Snail Racing is essentially a race between ordinary garden snails, with snail racing events taking place around the world.
The snails tend to race on a 13 - 14 inch circular track and start in the center with the winning snail being the first to reach the perimeter. Racing numbers or stickers are often put on the shells in order to distinguish each competitor.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐌 1. Read a book with the word CRAWL in the text.
🐌 2. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in SNAIL.
🐌 3. Read a book where the author's last initial is found in GARDEN.
🐌 4. Read a book where the publisher's name starts with a letter in SHELL.
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Author: E. Reid Ross
Date Read: Apr 28th
Task: Cover - round object
How it Fits: