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3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Catsalive
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
Extreme Ironing is considered a ‘danger sport’ in which people take ironing boards to various, often remote, locations to iron clothes and take a picture.
Some of the locations have included cliff tops, underwater, in the middle of a motorway, and also while skiing and parachuting.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧺 1. Read a book where the MC has a dangerous career/hobby.
🧺 2. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in EXTREME.
🧺 3. Read a book set at least partially in a remote location.
🧺 4. Read a book where a character irons or does other household chores.
#21: Extreme IroningBook: The Santa Suit by Mary Kay Andrews
Date: 1/4 2.5★
Pages: 255
Task: 2
Fit: title starts with a letter in EXTREME
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.
Mod
Coca-Cola consumers will pay more to drink less ounces.
Coca-Cola consumers prefer smaller packaging of their beverage and are willing to pay more per ounce. While soda consumption is declining in the U.S., Coca-Cola had a net revenue of $33 billion worldwide last year. Talk about vanity sizing!
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥤 1. Read a book with a dashed word in the title.
🥤 2. Read a book where someone drinks a cola, soda, pop, whatever you call it where you're from.
🥤 3. Read a book with two 3s in the publication date.
🥤 4. Read a book you were willing to pay for.
#32: Coca-ColaBook: A Match For Mother by Mona K. Gedney, Kathryn Kirkwood, Regina Scott
Date: 8/4 2.5★
Pages: 256
Task: 4
Fit: I paid for this one, albeit, 25 years ago
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.
#49: Baby Sea OttersBook: Mr. Jeffries and the Jilt by Joy Reed
Date: 9/4 3★
Pages: 256
Task: 1
Fit: MCs swim in the sea
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.
#72: ZorbingBook: Drop Dead by Margot Neville
Date: 12/4 3.5★
Pages: 222
Task: 4
Fit: author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
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 CarryingBook: Sunrise Over Mercy Court by Fiona McCallum
Date: 13/4 4★
Pages: 496
Task: 1
Fit: married MCs
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.
#5: Wedding VeilBook: An Unlikely Father by Lynn Collum
Date: 14/4 2★
Pages: 224
Task: 4
Fit: rating 3.68
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.
#67: Baby ElephantsBook: Once upon a Christmas by Nancy Lawrence
Date: 15/4 3★
Pages: 224
Task: 4
Fit: title starts with a letter in NEWBORNS
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.
#1: OctothorpeBook: The Duke's Dilemma by Nadine Miller
Date: 17/4 2★
Pages: 224
Task: 4
Fit: "her tiny village in the Cotswolds" p.28
Mod
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.
#40: Wine MajorBook: A Noble Ambition by Elizabeth Albright
Date: 18/4 1★
Pages: 288
Task: 2
Fit: all the characters drink wine at some stage
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.
#25: DetroitBook: The Duke's Dilemma by Elizabeth Chater
Date: 18/4 3★
Pages: 171
Task: 4
Fit: MC Leslie
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.
#27: Greasy Pole ClimbingBook: Halloween Magic by Sandra Heath
Date: 19/4 2★
Pages: 224
Task: 2
Fit: title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE
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.
#16: M&MsBook: The Primrose Path by Barbara Metzger
Date: 21/4 2★
Pages: 230
Task: 1
Fit: alliterative title
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.
#18: CycleballBook: The Paragon Bride by Leigh Haskell
Date: 22/4 1.5★
Pages: 224
Task: 4
Fit: author's first initial is NOT found in FIXED GEARS
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.
#23: Royal FlushBook: On Bended Knee by Alice Holden, Kate Huntington, Laura Paquet
Date: 23/4 2.5★
Pages: 284
Task: 3
Fit: " A royal princess would not be too good for him." p.112
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.
#29: The LyrebirdBook: Orpheus Nine by Chris Flynn
Date: 25/4 4★
Pages: 294
Task: 1
Fit: set in Australia
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.
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.
#37: Fleur-de-LisBook: Meet Me at Rainbow Corner by Celia Imrie
Date: 4/5 3.5★
Pages: 368
Task: 3
Fit: flags
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.
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}
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.
#62: OreosBook: The Canning Town Murder by Mike Hollow
Date: 8/5 3.5★
Pages: 464
Task: 4
Fit: "nip home for a bite to eat" p.266
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.
#56: Largest Sand CastleBook: We by Yevgeny Zamyatin
Date: 9/5 2.5★
Pages: 297
Task: 4
Fit: takes place over months
Mod
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.
#50: Guinness World RecordsBook: The Scholar's Daughter by April Kihlstrom
Date: 13/5 3★
Pages: 224
Task: 4
Fit: BOC
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.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Wobble to Death (other topics)The Bone is Pointed (other topics)
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The Obedient Bride (other topics)
A Proper Mistress (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Peter Lovesey (other topics)Arthur W. Upfield (other topics)
Philip R. Craig (other topics)
Mary Balogh (other topics)
Shannon Donnelly (other topics)
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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.