Hooked on Books discussion
3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: ❡Risa
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.
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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.
Prompt # / Name: {For example: #1: Octothorpe}#13: Mickey & Minnie
Book: The Ballad of Never After
Author: Stephanie Garber
Date Read: 4/4/25
Pages: 464
Task: 🐭 1. Read a book where someone dies.
How it Fits: (view spoiler)
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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: #27: Greasy Pole ClimbingBook: Kinder des Nebels
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Date Read: 15/4/25
Pages: 896
Task: 🎁 2. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE.
How it fits: Kinder des Nebels
Sorry I'm on my phone right now, I'll properly add the page count, book and author tomorrow!
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Baby elephants suck their trunks for comfort.
They're just like human newborns making funny faces, except a tad bigger.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐘 1. Read a book you found comforting.
🐘 2. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
🐘 3. Read a book tagged FUNNY any number of times.
🐘 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in NEWBORNS.
Prompt: #67: Baby ElephantsBook: Onyx Storm
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Date Read: 19/4/25
Pages: 527
Task: 🐘 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in NEWBORNS.
How it fits: Onyx Storm
Mod
The moon has its own time zones.
An astronomer even designed a special watch that relies on "lunations," or the amount of time it takes for the moon to revolve and rotate around the Earth.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🌙 1. Read a book with a moon, watch, or clock on the cover.
🌙 2. Read a book with the word REVOLVE or ROTATE found in the text.
🌙 3. Read a book where the MC's first name ENDS with a letter in EARTH.
🌙 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in LUNATIONS.
Prompt: #64: Moon Time ZonesBook: Throne of Secrets
Author: Kerri Maniscalco
Date Read: 22/4/25
Pages: 502
Task: 🌙 3. Read a book where the MC's first name ENDS with a letter in EARTH.
How it fits: Adriana
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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.
Prompt: #1: OctothorpeBook: The Blood Traitor
Author: Lynette Noni
Date Read: 30/4/25
Pages: 439
Task: #️⃣ 4. Read a book with the word VILLAGE found in the text.
How it fits: Ch. 3 "...as we traveled from village to village,..."
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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.}
Prompt: #14: An Aspen GroveBook: A Curse for True Love
Author: Stephanie Garber
Date Read: 04/5/25
Pages: 449
Task: 🟡 2. Read a book with more than 80,000 ratings.
🟡 3. Read a book with more than 100 reviews.
How it fits: 322.093 ratings, 52.286 reviews
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There's a world record for the most world record titles.
It belongs to Brooklyn, New York resident Ashrita Furman, who's held more than 700 Guinness World Records in his lifetime, ranging from heaviest shoes walked in (323 pounds) to most baseballs held in a baseball glove (26).
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥇 1. Read a book with at least 323 pages.
🥇 2. Read a book with at least 26 chapters.
🥇 3. Read a book with at least 700 ratings.
🥇 4. Read a book of your choice.
Prompt: #50: Guinness World RecordsBook: I’m Glad My Mom Died
Author: Jennette McCurdy
Date Read: 16/5/25
Pages: 320
Task: 🥇 4. Read a book of your choice.
How it fits: :)
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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.
Prompt: #28: Speaking EnglishBook: Die Perfekte
Author: L.J. Shen
Date Read: 20/5/25
Pages: 464
Task: 🗣 3. Read a book with more than 350 pages.
How it fits: Has 464 Pages.
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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.
Prompt: #72: ZorbingBook: Bad Girls
Author: E. Lockhart
Date Read: 22/5/25
Pages: 320
Task: 🐹 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER.
How it fits: Lockhart
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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.
Prompt: #5: Wedding VeilBook: The Dead List
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Date Read: 23/5/25
Pages: 416
Task: 👰🏻♀️ 3. Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages.
How it fits: 416 Pages
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Neil Armstrong didn't say "That's one small step for man."
The astronaut insists he actually stated, "That's one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." "That's the only way the statement makes any sense," Armstrong told biographer James Hansen. And for the record, no real astronaut ever uttered "Houston, we have a problem." — Tom Hanks only said that in the movie Apollo 13.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👩🚀 1. Read a book with something small on the cover.
👩🚀 2. Read a book with double letters in the title.
👩🚀 3. Read a book where you can share a favorite quote.
👩🚀 4. Read a book author's first AND last initials are found in NEIL ARMSTRONG.
Prompt: #19: One Small StepBook: Der Name der Rose
Author: Umberto Eco
Date Read: 26/5/25
Pages: 657
Task: 👩🚀 1. Read a book with something small on the cover.
How it fits:
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.
Prompt: #38: Model TBook: Devils' Day Party
Author: C.M. Stunich
Date Read: 28/5/25
Pages: 313
Task: ⚫️ 3. Read a book with BLACK, GRAY, GREEN, BLUE, or RED found in the text.
How it fits: Ch. 1 "Ever since I can remember, Raz has worn red contact lenses over his pale blue eyes."
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You can ride a train through the "Tunnel of Love."
The Ukrainian rails actually service an industrial train, but couples can still hitch a ride (or take one of these affordable family train trips) and make a wish, according to a new tourist legend.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🛤 1. Read a book with a train on the cover.
🛤 2. Read a book with the word TUNNEL found in the text.
🛤 3. Read a book where a character makes or is granted a wish.
🛤 4. Read a book where the publisher's name starts with a letter in UKRAINIAN.
Prompt: #70: Tunnel of LoveBook: In den Fängen der Finsternis / A Reaper at the Gates
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Date Read: 28/5/25
Pages: 528/458
Task: 🛤 4. Read a book where the publisher's name starts with a letter in UKRAINIAN
How it fits: Publisher: Razorbill
(I read both editions basically, some of it on audio in the german edition and some of it in the english edition)
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.
Prompt: #45: Snail RacinBook: Bound in Blood
Author: Sadie Kincaid
Date Read: 31/5/25
Pages: 414
Task: 🐌 1. Read a book with the word CRAWL in the text.
How it fits: Ch. 3 "...and crawl into bed..."
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You can major in wine at Cornell University.
Technically it's a degree in "Viticulture and Enology" (a.k.a. the cultivation of grapes and the science of winemaking), but we're still sending in our applications.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍷 1. Read a book at least partially set on a university campus.
🍷 2. Read a book where a character consumes wine.
🍷 3. Read a book with some type of fruit or alcoholic beverage on the cover.
🍷 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in VITICULTURE ENOLOGY.
Prompt: #40: Wine MajorBook: Lord of Shadows
Author: Cassandra Clare
Date Read: 1/6/25
Pages: 832
Task: 🍷 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in VITICULTURE ENOLOGY.
How it fits: Cassandra Clare
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Dr. Seuss wrote "Green Eggs and Ham" on a bet.
Theodore Geisel's editor didn't believe the author could write a book in 50 words or less. The finished product contains 50 words on the dot.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍳 1. Read a book where a character eats a meal.
🍳 2. Read a book with a 50 intact in the page count.
🍳 3. Read a book where a main/major character is a doctor.
🍳 4. Read a book where someone makes a bet of any kind.
Prompt: #68: Green Eggs & HamBook: Der Talisman
Author: Stephen King , Peter Straub
Date Read: 3/6/25
Pages: 714
Task: 🍳 1. Read a book where a character eats a meal.
How it fits: Multiple characters eat various meals in this.
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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.
Prompt: #31: ElvisBook: Psycho Beasts
Author: Jasmine Mas
Date Read: 9/6/25
Pages: 476
Task: 🎙 3. Read a book where NO letters of KING are found in the title.
How it fits: Psycho Beasts
Mod
If you drive south from Detroit, you'll hit Canada.
Head north from Windsor, Ontario, crossing the Detroit River, and you'll reach the good ol' US of A.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🇨🇦 1. Read a book set in Michigan.
🇨🇦 2. Read a book with a cityscape on the cover.
🇨🇦 3. Read a book with a directional word in the title.
🇨🇦 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in WINDSOR.
Prompt: #25: DetroitBook: Her Tortured Beasts
Author: E.P. Bali
Date Read: 11/6/25
Pages: 555
Task: 🇨🇦 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in WINDSOR
How it fits: FMC's Name is Aurelia
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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.
Prompt: #2: Chef's HatBook: Erdsee: Die illustrierte Gesamtausgabe
Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Date Read: 15/6/25
Pages: 1118
Task: 👩🏼🍳 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in RELUCTANT GOURMET.
How it fits: Ursula K. Le Guin
Mod
There's a word for animals with partial pigment loss.
Albinism is the congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration, but leucism is a different rare condition where some pattern or color remains.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦒 1. Read a book without much color on the cover. {Your discretion.}
🦒 2. Read a book where the author's LAST initial is found in LEUCISM.
🦒 3. Read a book where a character has a rare condition.
🦒 4. Read a book where all the letters of PIGMENT are found in the title.
Prompt: #52: LeucismBook: Twisted Soul
Author: Morgan B. Lee
Date Read: 15/6/25
Pages: 447
Task: 🦒 2. Read a book where the author's LAST initial is found in LEUCISM.
How it fits: Morgan B. Lee
Mod
A group of bunnies is called a "fluffle."
Most people dub them a herd, but apparently parts of Northern Canada use this much cuter designation.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐰 1. Read a book with 3 or more Fs in the title.
🐰 2. Read a book with a group of something on the cover.
🐰 3. Read a book tagged ANIMALS any number of times.
🐰 4. Read a book that had a "cute" plot.
Prompt: #61: FluffleBook: Lessons in Faking
Author: Selina Mae
Date Read: 25/6/25
Pages: 384
Task: 🐰 4. Read a book that had a "cute" plot.
How it Fits: It's a typical enemies-to-lovers New Adult Romcom plotline.
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.
Prompt: #3: Axe ThrowingBook: Billy Summers
Auhtor: Stephen King
Date Read: 15/8/26
Pages: 736
Task: 🪓 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in LUMBERJACK
How it fits: MC's name is Billy.
I forgot about updating 🙈
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.
Prompt: #11: Crown JewelsBook: Der mexikanische Fluch
Auhtor: Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Date Read: 22/8/25
Pages: 416
Task: 👑 4. Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 3, 1, 0, 6.
How it fits: 416
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.
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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.