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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Jessica
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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.
Ridiculously Random Prompt #22: The Oscars

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.

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: A Princess of Mars
Author: Edgar Rice Burroughs
Date Read: 4-April
Pages: 260
Task: 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in OSCARS.
How it Fits: Starts with letter A
Ridiculously Random Prompt #39: Quidditch

Quidditch was invented by J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series and involves 2 teams of 7 players mounted on broomsticks with 4 different balls and goals on either side of the pitch.
The game has since been adapted for the real world with the ultimate goal being to score more goals than the other team before the ‘snitch’ is caught.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧹 1. Read a book where one character snitches on another.
🧹 2. Read a book that is part of a series.
🧹 3. Read a book where the author uses initials in their name.
🧹 4. Read a book with a storyline that could be adapted into a board game or a real-life game.

Quidditch was invented by J.K. Rowling in her Harry Potter series and involves 2 teams of 7 players mounted on broomsticks with 4 different balls and goals on either side of the pitch.
The game has since been adapted for the real world with the ultimate goal being to score more goals than the other team before the ‘snitch’ is caught.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧹 1. Read a book where one character snitches on another.
🧹 2. Read a book that is part of a series.
🧹 3. Read a book where the author uses initials in their name.
🧹 4. Read a book with a storyline that could be adapted into a board game or a real-life game.

Book: The Barbarian's Tribute
Author: Amy Padilla
Date Read: 5-April
Pages: 158
Task: 2. Read a book that is part of a series.
How it Fits: Not-So-Savage Barbarians #1
Ridiculously Random Prompt #1: Octothorpe

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.

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.

Book: The Layover
Author: Roe Horvat
Date Read: 9-April
Pages: 117
Task: 4. Read a book with the word VILLAGE found in the text.
How it Fits: Chapter Three - 'When, at eighteen, I left our little village and moved to study in Bratislava,'
Ridiculously Random Prompt #55: Moon Flowers

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.

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: In The Valleys Of The Earth
Author: R.R. Pearl
Date Read: 11-April
Pages: 233
Task: 3. Read a book where the author's FIRST initial is found in LUNAR.
How it Fits: Initial R
Ridiculously Random Prompt #20: Blue Whale

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.

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.

Book: Living Out Loud
Author: Nyrae Dawn
Date Read: 12-April
Pages: 238
Task: 4. Read a book with a 2 in the page count.
How it Fits: 238 pages
Ridiculously Random Prompt #5: Wedding Veil

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.

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.

Book: How to Say I Do
Author: Tal Bauer
Date Read: 15-April
Pages: 406
Task: 2. Read a book where someone gets married.
How it Fits: two weddings take place during the book
Ridiculously Random Prompt #12: Cheese Rolling

The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling & Wake is an annual event that takes place each spring near Gloucester, England and involves a 9 pound round of cheese, which is rolled from the top of a hill.
Competitors race after the cheese and the first person to reach the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧀 1. Read a book where a character eats cheese, or does something foolish.
🧀 2. Read a book set at least partially in England.
🧀 3. Read a book with all the letters of SPRING in the title.
🧀 4. Read a book with a 9 in the page count or publication date.

The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling & Wake is an annual event that takes place each spring near Gloucester, England and involves a 9 pound round of cheese, which is rolled from the top of a hill.
Competitors race after the cheese and the first person to reach the finish line at the bottom wins the cheese.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧀 1. Read a book where a character eats cheese, or does something foolish.
🧀 2. Read a book set at least partially in England.
🧀 3. Read a book with all the letters of SPRING in the title.
🧀 4. Read a book with a 9 in the page count or publication date.

Book: Play It Again, Charlie
Author: R. Cooper
Date Read: 24-April
Pages: 464
Task: 4. Read a book with a 9 in the page count or publication date.
How it Fits: published 19th April
Ridiculously Random Prompt #25: Detroit

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.

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.

Book: A Bright Celestial Sea
Author: Chani Lynn Feener
Date Read: 25-April
Pages: 418
Task: 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is NOT found in WINDSOR
Ridiculously Random Prompt #37: Fleur-de-Lis

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.

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.

Book: Skeletons in the Closet
Author: Nicky James
Date Read: 6 May
Pages: 367
Task: 2. Read a book set in Louisiana, France, or Canada.
How it fits: set in Canada
Ridiculously Random Prompt #4: Girl Crush

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.

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: The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea
Author: Sebastian Junger
Date Read: 8-May
Pages: 233
Task: 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in SPOTIFY
How it fits: Starts with T
Ridiculously Random Prompt #72: Zorbing

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.

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.

Book: Life Lessons by Kaje Harper
Date Read: 15-May
Pages: 348
Task: 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
Ridiculously Random Prompt #28: Speaking English

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.

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.
Books mentioned in this topic
Life Lessons (other topics)The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea (other topics)
Skeletons in the Closet (other topics)
A Bright Celestial Sea (other topics)
Play It Again, Charlie (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kaje Harper (other topics)Sebastian Junger (other topics)
Nicky James (other topics)
Chani Lynn Feener (other topics)
R. Cooper (other topics)
More...
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.