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3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Claire
Mod
Just to shake things up a bit more and keep them really random, I'm throwing caution...and my OCD...to the wind for this challenge. Your prompts will be given to you in random orders, with everyone following a different path. I'll be tracking your prompts on a separate spreadsheet to make sure we don't miss one.
If you would like to pick your starting place, tell me your favorite number between 1 and 72 before March 31st.
1-2- 3- 4- 5- 10- 27-29- 34 -49-66
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.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #34: Mouse Speed TASK: 🖱 4. Read a book that seemed to speed by.
BOOK:Dageraad boven de boete
Suzanne Collins PAGES: 464 p.
READ: 1 april
HOW IT FITS: this was a very fast read, and kept you reading.
If I need to give a number.’’ 39
Mod
The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
Yes, although it's a fabled creature, the national animal of Scotland is actually the mythical unicorn — chosen because of its association with dominance and chivalry as well as purity and innocence in Celtic mythology. BRB, moving to Scotland real quick.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦄 1. Read a book set in Scotland.
🦄 2. Read a book with all the letters of UNICORN found in the title.
🦄 3. Read a book tagged MYTHOLOGY any number of times.
🦄 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in CELTIC.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #10: National Animal of Scotland TASK: 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in CELTIC.BOOK: Noem me bij jouw naam
André Aciman PAGES: 257 p.
READ: 4 april
HOW IT FITS: initials AA not in celtic
Mod
Surprisingly, the sporting event of climbing a greased-up slippery pole is quite common around the world.
These traditional events are essentially the same - there is a long pole covered in grease, lard, or some other lubricant, and participants attempt to climb or walk along the pole to get to the other end, where there may be a prize or flag to recover.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎁 1. Read a book where a character climbs something.
🎁 2. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE.
🎁 3. Read a book where the MC wins a prize of any type.
🎁 4. Read a book with the word FLAG found in the text.
Prompt: Prompt #27: Greasy Pole ClimbingNooit, nooit, nooit
Linn Strømsborg Read:5 april
Pages: 256 p.
Task: 🎁 2. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE
How it fits: N is not a letter of greasy pole.
Mod
The hashtag symbol is technically called an octothorpe.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the "octo-" prefix refers to the eight points on the popular symbol, but the "thorpe" remains a mystery. One theory claims that it comes from the Old English word for "village," based on the idea that the symbol looks like a village surrounded by eight fields!
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
#️⃣ 1. Read a book with an MPG of MYSTERY.
#️⃣ 2. Read a book with an 8 in the page count.
#️⃣ 3. Read a book with all the letters of THORPE in the title.
#️⃣ 4. Read a book with the word VILLAGE found in the text.
OctothorpeTask: #️⃣ 1. Read a book with an MPG of MYSTERY
Book: Moord op de golflinks
Agatha Christie Pages: 208 p.
Read: 9 april
How it fits: MOG mystery
Mod
Baby sea otters can't swim right away.
Their moms will wrap them in pieces of kelp while they hunt until the buoyant pups learn how to paddle around on their own. A raft of otters will also hold hands while they sleep so they don't drift apart!
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦦 1. Read a book where someone swims.
🦦 2. Read a book with people holding hands on the cover.
🦦 3. Read a book with the word SLEEP found in the text.
🦦 4. Read a book MC's first initial is found in BUOYANT.
Task: 3. Read a book with the word SLEEP found in the textBook: Nachtangst
Ronald Giphart pages: 182 p. Read: 10 april
How it fits: ‘dadelijk je laptop checkt voordat je gaat slapen’ ‘to check your laptop right away before going to sleep’ p.14
Mod
In a Wood Chopping competition, the aim of the game is to be the first “axeman” to chop or saw through a log or block of wood.
These sorts of competitions are often found at places such as state fairs and agricultural shows and have been around since 1870.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🪚 1. Read a book where the MC goes to a state fair or a similar place.
🪚 2. Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 1870.
🪚 3. Read a book with the word CHOP or SAW found in the text.
🪚 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in AXEMAN.
#66: Wood Chopping Task: 🪚 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in AXEMAN
Book:
Vrije vogels Ilja GortPages: 240 p.
Read: 14 april
How it fits: MC Abel
Mod
The longest wedding veil was longer than 63 football fields.
If you thought Meghan Markle's wedding veil was long, get this: there's a woman in Cyprus who set the Guinness World Record for the longest wedding veil. How long was it, you ask? Nearly 23,000 feet, which is the same length as about 63.5 football fields.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👰🏻♀️ 1. Read a book with something related to a bride on the cover.
👰🏻♀️ 2. Read a book where someone gets married.
👰🏻♀️ 3. Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages.
👰🏻♀️ 4. Read a book with a 6 and a 3 in the total number of reviews.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #5: Wedding Veil Task:
👰🏻♀️ 3. Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages
Book: Eeuwige vriendschap
Nele Neuhaus Read: 20 april
Pages: 578 p.
How it fits: 578 p.
Mod
The 100 folds in a chef's hat represent 100 ways to cook an egg.
Yes, that tall, pleated white hat that chefs wear — technically called a toque — has 100 folds for a reason! According to Reluctant Gourmet, the pleats used to signify a chef's level of experience, like the number of ways he or she knew how to prepare eggs.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👩🏼🍳 1. Read a book with a mostly white cover. {Your discretion.}
👩🏼🍳 2. Read a book where the MC is described as being tall.
👩🏼🍳 3. Read a book with a 1 and 2 0s found in the publication date.
👩🏼🍳 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in RELUCTANT GOURMET.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #2: Chef's Hat Task: 👩🏼🍳 3. Read a book with a 1 and 2 0s found in the publication date.
Book: 20.000 mijlen onder zee
Jules Verne Pages: 348
Read: 25 april
How ut fits: date: Published
January 1, 2002
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.
Task: 📸 4. Read a book with the word CAR or CAMERA found in the textBook: The Art of Racing in the Rain
Garth Stein Pages: 336 p.
Read: 27 april.
How it fits: P.23 ‘Fortunately, he knows I love cars’
Mod
Popular at lumberjack competitions, Axe Throwing is a sport in which players throw an axe at a target, attempting to reach the bulls-eye.
On the target, the outside ring is worth 1 point, the second ring is worth 2 points, and so on with the bulls-eye worth 5 points. In a game, each player is allowed 5 throws with a maximum of 25 points possible.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🪓 1. Read a book with all the letters of AXE in the title.
🪓 2. Read a book with a 25 intact in the page count or publication date.
🪓 3. Read a book a round object, like a target, on the cover.
🪓 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in LUMBERJACK.
Challenge 3 🪓 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in LUMBERJACKBoik:
Wilder Rebecca Yarros Pages: 368 p.
Read: 28 april
How it fits: MC first name Leah
Mod
You can hear a blue whale's heartbeat from more than 2 miles away.
The world's largest animal's heart weighs about 400 pounds — approximately the size of a small piano.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐳 1. Read a book with a blue cover.
🐳 2. Read a book where someone plays a piano.
🐳 3. Read a book with all the letters of HEART found in the title.
🐳 4. Read a book with a 2 in the page count.
#20: Blue Whale Task: 🐳 3. Read a book with all the letters of HEART found in the title
Book:
Lily's belofte: Hoe ik Auschwitz overleefde en na 75 jaar de familie vond van de soldaat die me bevrijddeLily Ebert Pages:304 p.
Read: 6 may
How it fits: HoE ik AuschwiTz oveRleefde…
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}
Task: 🐟 2. Read a book published since 2008.Book: Beladen huis
Christien BrinkgreveRead: 7 may
Pages: 176 p.
How it fits: published in 2025
Mod
Zorbing is considered a recreational sport that involves rolling down a hill in a transparent plastic orb – essentially a “hamster ball."
It is generally used on hills, but can also be used on water, as well as flat surfaces. Orbs with no harnesses can carry up to three people, whereas a harnessed orb can only carry 1 or 2.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐹 1. Read a book with a Z in the title.
🐹 2. Read a book with something made of plastic on the cover.
🐹 3. Read a book with the word TRANSPARENT found in the text.
🐹 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #72: Zorbing 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
Book: Stilte is mijn moedertaal
Sulaiman Addonia pages: 272 p. Read: 20 may
How it fits: last name ends with A
Mod
Bog Snorkelling takes place in a 55-metre-long water-filled trench carved out of a peat bog (comprised of dead plant material).
Competitors wear snorkels and flippers and cannot use traditional swimming techniques, but rather must rely solely on flipper power to get across and back. Kirsty Johnson set the record back in 2014 with a time of 1 minute and 22.56 seconds.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🤿 1. Read a book published in 2014.
🤿 2. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SNORKELLING.
🤿 3. Read a book with some type of plant material on the cover.
🤿 4. Read a book that does not follow a "traditional" style. {dual-timelines, epistolary, etc.}
Ridiculously Random Prompt #6: Bog SnorkellingTask: 🤿 2. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SNORKELLING.
Book: Kwetsbaar (Silver Springs Book 2)
Alice Turner Read: 10 june
Pages: 201 p.
How it fits: starts with K
Mod
Giant Pumpkin Kayaking is quite simply the sport of kayaking inside of a giant, hollowed-out pumpkin.
The most famous race takes place on Lake Pesaquid in Nova Scotia at the annual Windsor Pumpkin Regatta. The course is a half-mile long and competitors often decorate their pumpkins with paint and flags.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎃 1. Read a book set at least partially in Canada.
🎃 2.Read a book with all the letters of KAYAK in the title. {2 As, 2 Ks}
🎃 3. Read a book with something painted or flags on the cover.
🎃 4. Read a book with the word PUMPKIN found in the text.
Giant Pumpkin Kayaking 🎃 4. Read a book with the word PUMPKIN found in the tex
Book: Moordgids voor lieve meisjes
Holly Jackson Pages: 443 p.
Read: 29 june
How it fits: ‘Ze draaide haar pompoen om..’ ‘she rurned her pumpkin around’ p.374
Mod
Unsurprisingly, Chess Boxing involves both the classic game of chess and the popular sport of boxing.
The competitors alternate between 5 rounds of boxing and 6 rounds of chess for a total of 11 rounds, each lasting 3-minutes. The game was inspired by a French comic and invented by Dutch artist Lepe Rubingh.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥊 1. Read a book where a character plays chess or another board game.
🥊 2. Read a book that has a French or a Dutch translation.
🥊 3. Read a book with an MPG of HUMOR or COMEDY.
🥊 4. Read a book with the word boxing {can also be box, boxes, boxed, etc.} found in the text.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #15: Chess Boxing🥊 2. Read a book that has a French or a Dutch translation.
Book: De Kalahari Avondschool
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Pages: 205 p.
Read: 5 july
How it fits: it has a dutch translation, it is the one I read
Mod
Unicycle Basketball is a variation of the traditional game but where all of the players are mounted on unicycles during play.
The same rules apply, such as dribbling the ball while riding, and trying to score in the other team’s net. The game is played on a regulation basketball court and players tend to use 24” unicycles.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🏀 1. Read a book that takes place within a 24-hour period of time.
🏀 2. Read a book where a sport is watched or played.
🏀 3. Read a book with the word COURT found in the text.
🏀 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are NOT found in UNICYCLE.
Prompt #60: Unicycle Basketball Task: 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are NOT found in UNICYCLE
Book/author: Het geschenk
Gaea SchoetersRead: 6 july
Pages : 128 p.
Mod
The odds of getting a royal flush are exactly 1 in 649,740.
Poker fiends have a slightly better chance of laying down a straight flush: Try 72,192 to 1. Out of the 7,462 distinct five-card poker hands, you have a 42% chance of getting a single pair though.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🃏 1. Read a book where a character plays a hand of cards.
🃏 2. Read a book with a bathroom scene.
🃏 3. Read a book with the word ROYAL found in the text.
🃏 4. Read a book with more than 649,740 ratings.
Royal flushTask: 🃏 2. Read a book with a bathroom scene.
Book: Strafkind
Wieke Hart Read: 10 july
Pages: 249 p.
How it fits: two bathroomscenes ( though is very old bathrooms)
Mod
We're all stars.
Okay, technically we're all made of stardust, but that's still pretty cool. Recent research found that humans and the galaxy share 97% of the same kind of atoms.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🌌 1. Read a book with a nighttime scene on the cover.
🌌 2. Read a book where the word STAR is found in the text.
🌌 3. Read a book with a 9 OR a 7 found in the page count.
🌌 4. Read a book with an MPG of NON-FICTION.
#53 stardust Task: 🌌 3. Read a book with a 9 OR a 7 found in the page count.
Book: North Woods
Daniel Mason Read: 31 july
Pages: 372 p.
How it fits: 7 in page count
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.
#7: Allergic CatsTask: 🐈 4. Read a book with the word HAIR or SKIN found in the text
Book: De doden van de Pont Neuf
Alex LépicPages: 219 p.
Read: 4 august
How it fits: ‘een man van begin veertig met een onzuivere huid,’ ‘a man in his early fourties with an unclear SKIN’
Mod
Ridiculously Random Prompt #47: $1 Bill
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.
No problem! Ridiculously Random Prompt #47: $1 Bill
💵 3. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in MONEY
Book: De namen
Author: Florence Knapp
Pages: 352 p.
Read: 9 august
How it fits: title starts with N ( ‘de’ is the article ‘the’
Mod
Originally invented in Finland, Wife Carrying is a sport that involves a male competitor racing through 2 dry obstacles and 1 water obstacle approximately 1 meter deep all while carrying a female teammate.
The female must weigh at least 108 lb (49 kg) or additional weight will be added to her. Teams who complete the course in the shortest time win with additional prizes for best costume, etc.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
💍 1. Read a book with a married MC.
💍 2. Read a book set at least partially in Finland.
💍 3. Read a book where a character feels weighted down in some way.
💍 4. Read a book where a character carries something or someone.
63: Wife Carrying 💍 1. Read a book with a married MC.
Book: De onttoverden
Author: Marie Vareille
Pages: 288 p.
Read’: 10 august
How it fits: Fanny, MC is married
Mod
Like Arm Wrestling or Thumb Wrestling, Toe Wrestling involves two competitors who lock bare feet in an attempt to pin the other person’s foot to the ground for at least 3 seconds.
There tends to be 3 rounds played with the winner having the best 2 out of 3.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👣 1. Read a book where a character does something you think is gross.
👣 2. Read a book where toes/feet are visible on the cover.
👣 3. Read a book you would rate between 2 and 3 stars.
👣 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in TOE and ends with a letter in WRESTLING.
48: Toe Wrestling👣 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in TOE and ends with a letter in wrestling
Book: Texel
author: Susan Muskee Read: 14 august
Pages: 172 p.
How it fits: starts with T (in toe) and ends with L (wrestling)
Mod
Apple Pie isn't actually American at all.
The next time you call something "as American as apple pie," you might want to consider the fact that neither apple pies nor apples originally came from America. Apples are in fact native to Asia, and the first recorded recipe for apple pie was actually written in England.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥧 1. Read a book set in America, England, or Asia.
🥧 2. Read a book that includes a recipe.
🥧 3. Read a book with a cliché in the text.
🥧 4. Read a book with an apple or other fruit on the cover.
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge
Individual, Open-Ended
April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2027
You know how most reading challenges you join have some type of theme or main idea, kind of like the books themselves? Well, this one...not so much! We'll look at Crown Jewels, Greasy Pole Climbing, Model Ts, Zorbing, and anything and everything in between. So buckle up for the ride and enjoy!
Each time you satisfy a task, make a post here IN YOUR OWN THREAD. Please use the following example for your Completion Post.
Prompt # / Name: {For example: #1: Octothorpe}
Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Pages:
Task:
How it Fits:
If you have any questions about this challenge, please post them in the Ridiculously Random Q&A Thread.
Challenge Rules:
📘 Standard Rules Apply
📘 I will create an individual thread for you prior to the start date.
📘 Your first prompt will be posted on April 1, 2025.
📘 Books must be completed after the task has been posted. For example, if your task is posted on 4-15, you can't use a book you completed on 4-14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a set of tasks is too difficult or just out of your comfort zone, you have 4 SKIPS to use in this challenge. In order to use a SKIP, read any book that meets the Standard Book Qualifications for Hooked on Books. The link is in the Challenge Rules above. Simply list SKIP on the Task line.