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3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Caraina {COMPLETED}
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.
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 # / Name: #45 - Snail RacingBook: The Kingdoms of Savannah
Author: George Dawes Green
Date Read: 4/1/25
Pages: 304
Task: 🐌 3. Read a book where the author's last initial is found in GARDEN.
How it Fits: The author's last initial is "G".
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.
Prompt # / Name: #59: A Fruit?Book: Real Love
Author: Alexandria House
Date Read: 4/3/25
Pages: 244
Task: ❓4. Read a book where a character gets great news.
How it Fits: Denise finds out that her ex-husband won the lottery, and he gifted her $1 million dollars.
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.}
Prompt # / Name: #6: Bog SnorkellingBook: The Russian
Author: James Patterson
Date Read: 4/3/25
Pages: 368
Task: 🤿 2. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SNORKELLING.
How it Fits: The book title begins with an "R" (disregarding article "The").
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.
Prompt # / Name: #29: The LyrebirdBook: Dead as a Doornail
Author: Charlaine Harris
Date Read: 4/4/25
Pages: 295
Task: 📸 4. Read a book with the word CAR or CAMERA found in the text.
How it Fits: The word "car" is in the text (pg. 64 - Her car was hidden across the road...).
Mod
About 700 grapes go into one bottle of wine.
That's approximately 2.6 pounds, if you're wondering how much "fruit" you get when you uncork your favorite red.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍇 1. Read a book with less than 700 reviews on Goodreads.
🍇 2. Read a book with a red or purple cover. {Your discretion.}
🍇 3. Read a book with a 2 and a 6 in the publication date.
🍇 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in UNCORK.
Prompt # / Name: #44: 700 GrapesBook: The Widowmaker
Author: Hannah Morrissey
Date Read: 4/5/25
Pages: 304
Task: 🍇 3. Read a book with a 2 and a 6 in the publication date.
How it Fits: The book has a "2" and a "6" in the publication date (published on December 6, 2022).
Mod
Cycleball is also known as “Radball” and is essentially a game of football (or ‘soccer’ depending on which country you’re from) played on bicycles.
Unlike traditional football, however, players use the bike to control, flick, and move the ball into the opposing team’s goal. The bikes used have fixed gears with no brakes and there tends to be 2 players on each team.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🚴♀️ 1. Read a book with two main/major characters.
🚴♀️ 2. Read a book that has also been known by another title.
🚴♀️ 3. Read a book with a bicycle on the cover.
🚴♀️ 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in FIXED GEARS.
Prompt # / Name: #18: CycleballBook: Waiting for Summer's Return
Author: Kim Vogel Sawyer
Date Read: 4/9/25
Pages: 348
Task: 🚴♀️ 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in FIXED GEARS.
How it Fits: The author's first initial is "K".
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.
Prompt # / Name: #49: Baby Sea OttersBook: Magic Breaks
Author: Ilona Andrews
Date Read: 4/11/25
Pages: 416
Task: 🦦 3. Read a book with the word SLEEP found in the text.
How it Fits: The word "sleep" is found in the text (pg. 234 - Now he had gone to sleep.)
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.
Prompt # / Name: #1: OctothorpeBook: R is for Ricochet
Author: Sue Grafton
Date Read: 4/12/25
Pages: 352
Task: #️⃣ 1. Read a book with an MPG of MYSTERY.
How it Fits: The book has an MPG of "MYSTERY".
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.
Prompt # / Name: #72: ZorbingBook: Stranger in the Woods
Author: Anni Taylor
Date Read: 4/13/25
Pages: 404
Task: 🐹 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
How it Fits: The author's last name ends with an "R".
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.
Prompt # / Name: #66: Wood ChoppingBook: Middle of the Night
Author: Riley Sager
Date Read: 4/13/25
Pages: 379
Task: 🪚 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in AXEMAN.
How it Fits: The MC's first name is Ethan.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #5: Wedding VeilBook: The Enemy
Author: Lee Child
Date Read: 4/14/25
Pages: 496
Task: 👰🏻♀️ 3. Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages.
How it Fits: The book edition I read has 496 pgs.
Mod
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 # / Name: #67: Baby ElephantsBook: Savannah Blues
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Date Read: 4/16/25
Pages: 512
Task: 🐘 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in NEWBORNS.
How it Fits: The book title starts with an "S".
Mod
Only one NFL team has a plant for a logo.
The New Orleans Saints' fleur-de-lis is actually a stylized lily historically associated with the French monarchy. It's also the state symbol of Louisiana and appears on the Quebec flag.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
⚜️ 1. Read a book where a character plays or watches football.
⚜️ 2. Read a book set in Louisiana, France, or Canada.
⚜️ 3. Read a book with a logo or a flag on the cover.
⚜️ 4. Read a book with all the letters of MONARCHY in the title.
Prompt # / Name: #37: Fleur-de-LisBook: Her Montana Christmas Cowboy
Author: Jenna Hendricks
Date Read: 4/18/25
Pages: 292
Task: ⚜️ 4. Read a book with all the letters of MONARCHY in the title.
How it Fits: All the letters of "MONARCHY" are in the title.
Mod
The way you eat Oreos says something about your personality.
Kraft Foods once surveyed hundreds of Oreo eaters and sussed it out: Biters are easy-going and self-confident, while dunkers displayed more energetic and adventurous qualities. Twisters, on the other hand, are sensitive and trendy.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥛 1. Read a book with something sweet on the cover.
🥛 2. Read a book with a character you would consider trendy.
🥛 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in KRAFT FOODS.
🥛 4. Read a book with either of these words found in the text: BITE, DUNK, or TWIST.
Prompt # / Name: #62: OreosBook: A Painted House
Author: John Grisham
Date Read: 4/21/25
Pages: 384
Task: 🥛 4. Read a book with either of these words found in the text: BITE, DUNK, or TWIST.
How it Fits: The word "bite" is in the text (pg. 33 - I watched the yellow cream soak into the biscuit, then took a bite.)
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.
Prompt # / Name: #53: StardustBook: Yes Please
Author: Amy Poehler
Date Read: 4/22/25
Pages: 329
Task: 🌌 4. Read a book with an MPG of NON-FICTION.
How it Fits: The book has an MPG of "NON-FICTION".
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.
Prompt # / Name: #9: BossaballBook: Undead and Unsure
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Date Read: 4/23/25
Pages: 320
Task: 🏐 1. Read a book that you rated 4 - 5 stars.
How it Fits: I rated the book 4 stars.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #23: Royal FlushBook: Takedown Twenty
Author: Janet Evanovich
Date Read: 4/24/25
Pages: 307
Task: 🃏 2. Read a book with a bathroom scene.
How it Fits: There is a bathroom scene where Stephanie takes a shower and get ready for the day.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #42: Running of the BullsBook: National Security
Author: Marc Cameron
Date Read: 4/24/25
Pages: 417
Task: 🐂 2. Read a book where multiple characters die.
How it Fits: Many characters die in the book.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #56: Largest Sand CastleBook: A Virgin River Christmas
Author: Robyn Carr
Date Read: 4/25/25
Pages: 314
Task: 🏝 2. Read a book with a 5 OR a 4 in the page count.
How it Fits: There is a "4" in the page count.
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 # / Name: #25: DetroitBook: A Tempest of Tea
Author: Hafsah Faizal
Date Read: 4/25/25
Pages: 352
Task: 🇨🇦 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in WINDSOR.
How it Fits: The MC's first initial is "A" (Arthie)
Mod
Pumpkins, squash, and gourds are all technically the same species.
That's right, your zucchini and Jack o' lanterns are one and the same: Cucurbita pepo, a species that originated in Mexico more than 10,000 years ago. Farmers have since developed the many cultivars we know and use today.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👩🏽🌾 1. Read a book with some type of vegetable on the cover.
👩🏽🌾 2. Read a book with at least 10,000 ratings.
👩🏽🌾 3. Read a book set in Mexico.
👩🏽🌾 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in CUCURBITA PEPO.
Prompt # / Name: #35: Pumpkins, Squash, and Gourds...Oh My!Book: The Engineer's Wife
Author: Tracey Enerson Wood
Date Read: 4/27/25
Pages: 352
Task: 👩🏽🌾 2. Read a book with at least 10,000 ratings.
How it Fits: The book has 13,486 ratings.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #47: $1 BillBook: It Was Always You
Author: Sarah K. Stephens
Date Read: 4/28/25
Pages: 276
Task: 💵 2. Read a book you got for no money.
How it Fits: I did not pay any money for the book.
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.
Prompt # / Name: #7: Allergic CatsBook: Taming Chaos
Author: Anna Carven
Date Read: 4/29/25
Pages: 242
Task: 🐈 4. Read a book with the word HAIR or SKIN found in the text.
How it Fits: The word "HAIR" is found in the text (location 188 - She wore a long black cloak with a hood that concealed her hair and eyes.)
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}
Hooked on Books
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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.