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3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Jackie
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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.
To pick your starting place, tell me your favorite number between 1 and 72.
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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 # / Name: #27: Greasy Pole ClimbingBook: Towards Zero
Author: Agatha Christie
Date Read: 4/21/25
Pages: 259
Task: 2. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE.
How it Fits: Title starts with T
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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 # / Name: 1: OctothorpeBook: American Gods
Author: Neil Gaiman
Date Read: 4/26/25
Pages: 635
Task: 4. Read a book with the word VILLAGE found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 291 - He met an old woman from his own 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 # / Name: #14: An Aspen GroveBook: Lies Sleeping
Author: Ben Aaronovitch
Date Read: 5/2/25
Pages: 406
Task: . Read a book with more than 100 reviews.
How it Fits: 2,098 reviews
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Two-Buck Chuck once won a top wine award.
Trader Joe's 2002 Charles Shaw Shiraz beat out 2,300 other wines to win a prestigious double gold medal at the 28th Annual International Eastern Wine Competition, so don't feel bad stocking up on the bargain brand.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🤑 1. Read a book with rhyming words in the title.
🤑 2. Read a book published in 2002.
🤑 3. Read a book where a store of any type is mentioned.
🤑 4. Read a book with a 2 and an 8 in the publication date.
Prompt # / Name: #71: Two-Buck ChuckBook: Home to Harmony
Author: Philip Gulley
Date Read: 5/9
Pages: 256
Task: 4. Read a book with a 2 and an 8 in the publication date.
How it Fits: Published March 28, 2006
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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: {For example: #6: Bog SnorkellingBook: On Agoraphobia
Author: Graham Caveney
Date Read: 5/10/25
Pages: 208
Task: 2. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SNORKELLING.
How it Fits: Title starts with O
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In Outhouse Racing, an outhouse (outdoor toilet) is kitted with wheels, brakes, and a steering system, and is raced down hills with competitors sitting on the toilet seat inside.
Competitors decorate their outhouses with clever names like “Royal Flush” and the first outhouse to make it across the finish line wins.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🚽 1. Read a book where a character decorates something.
🚽 2. Read a book with all the letters of OUTHOUSE in the title and/or subtitle.
🚽 3. Read a book with something with a steering system on the cover.
🚽 4. Read a book where a character sits down.
Prompt # / Name: #33: Outhouse RacingBook: Depression Hates a Moving Target: How Running With My Dog Brought Me Back From the Brink
Author: Nita Sweeney
Date Read: 5/25
Pages: 258
Task: 2. Read a book with all the letters of OUTHOUSE in the title and/or subtitle.
How it Fits: deprESsion HaTes a mOving target: how rUnning with my dog brOUght me back from the brink
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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.
Prompt # / Name: #39: QuidditchBook: The Body in the Park
Author: Courtney McFarlin
Date Read: 5/27/25
Pages: 174
Task: 2. Read a book that is part of a series.
How it Fits: #1 in Razzy Cat Cozy Mystery series
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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: Kills Well with Others
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Date Re ad: 6/1/25
Pages: 356
Task: 1. Read a book that you rated 4 - 5 stars.
How it Fits: Rated 4 stars
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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: Protector
Author: Martha Carr
Date Read: 6/4
Pages: 231
Task: 1. Read a book with less than 700 reviews on Goodreads.
How it Fits: 2 GR reviews
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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 # / Name: #3: Axe ThrowingBook: Hexes and Hemlines
Author: Juliet Blackwell
Date Read: 6/13/25
Pages: 314
Task: 1. Read a book with all the letters of AXE in the title.
How it Fits: hEXes And hemlines
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Parkour is the act of running, jumping, swinging, climbing, etc. based on military obstacle course training techniques.
It is often practiced in urban environments with the aim of getting from one point to another as quickly and as efficiently as possible without the use of specialized equipment.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🏃🏼♀️ 1. Read a book with a character who is in the military.
🏃🏼♀️ 2. Read a book set in an urban environment.
🏃🏼♀️ 3. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in PARKOUR.
🏃🏼♀️ 4. Read a book with any of these words in the text: running, jumping, swinging, climbing. {variations accepted}
Prompt # / Name: #36: ParkourBook: The Three-Body Problem
Author: Liu Cixin
Date Read: 6/22/25
Pages: 472
Task: 1. Read a book with a character who is in the military.
How it Fits: Many Chinese military characters
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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 # / Name: #60: Unicycle BasketballBook: The Tin Roof Blowdown
Author: James Lee Burke
Date Read: 6/27/25
Pages: 384
Task: 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are NOT found in UNICYCLE.
How it Fits: Author initials JB are not in UNICYCLE
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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.
Prompt # / Name: #8: Apple PieBook: The Killing Plains
Author: Sherry Rankin
Date Read: 7/1/25
Pages: 365
Task: 1. Read a book set in America, England, or Asia.
How it Fits: Set in Texas
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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: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Date Read: 7/4/25
Pages: 488
Task: 3. Read a book with the word CHOP or SAW found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 120 - ...and chop it up, whatever it is.
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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.
Prompt # / Name: #12: Cheese RollingBook: Mykonos After Midnight
Author: Jeffrey Siger
Date Read: 7/12/25
Pages: 273
Task: 4. Read a book with a 9 in the page count or publication date.
How it Fits: Published 9/1/2013
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The Northern cardinal is the most popular state bird.
Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia all picked it as their favorite species. The western meadowlark takes second place as the honoree in six other states.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
♥️ 1. Read a book with a bird on the cover.
♥️ 2. Read a book set in any of the states listed above.
♥️ 3. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in SPECIES.
♥️ 4. Read a book with a 6 in the page count.
Prompt # / Name: #41: Northern CardinalBook: Nomad Unleashed: A Kurtherian Gambit Series
Author: Craig Martelle
Date Read: 7/17/25
Pages: 306
Task: 3. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in SPECIES.
How it Fits: Title starts with N
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Ultimate Taser Ball is a kind of extreme and crazy sport that not many would have heard of or believe that it is true. It involves players carrying a real taser gun and using it on opponents to gain possession of the ball. If you are thinking, who would have come up with such an idea, the honors go to three California natives: Leif Kellenberger, Eric Prum, and Erik Wunsch.
The game is played on a 200 x 85 feet field. The ball used is a large 24 inch diameter inflated ball. The objective of the sport is to successfully carry the ball onto the opponents goalpost without getting tased en-route.
Rather than allowing players to go wild with their stun guns, the game fortunately has a rule that only players that have possession of the ball can be tased. The stun guns used emit a maximum of five milliamps, enough to cause muscle spasms to give up the ball, but well under the 1 amp lethal dose, and hence causes no permanent damage.
It's not hard to imagine that the sport was not well received. People would rather play than get tased and fall on their face. The founders, however, seem to be working towards getting a minor league going for the sport.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🔫 1. Read a book with a character who is in law enforcement.
🔫 2. Read a book where the title ENDS with a letter in EXTREME.
🔫 3. Read a book with a plot that seems too crazy to be true.
🔫 4. Read a book where the MC's first name ENDS with a letter in LETHAL.
Prompt # / Name: #54: Ultimate Taser BallBook: The Circle
Author: Peter Lovesey
Date Read: 7/18/25
Pages: 384
Task: 1. Read a book with a character who is in law enforcement.
How it Fits: Character Inspector Henrietta Mallin
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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: Living with the Dead
Author: Kelley Armstrong
Date Read: 7/22/25
Pages: 372
Task: 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in FIXED GEARS
How it Fits: Author first initial K
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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.
Prompt # / Name: #24: Giant Pumpkin KayakingBook: From Dead to Worse
Author: Charlaine Harris
Date Read: 7/26/25
Pages: 368
Task: 4. Read a book with the word PUMPKIN found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 242 - It was past time to buy a pumpkin...
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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: Just Add Water
Author: Jinx Schwartz
Date Read: 8/4/25
Pages: 430
Task: 3. Read a book with the word BEANS found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 35 - I ordered cheese enchiladas with refried beans...
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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}
Prompt # / Name: #46: TriskaidekaphobiaBook: Nomad's Fury: A Kurtherian Gambit Series
Author: Craig Martelle
Date Read: 8/6/25
Pages: 237
Task: 3. Read a book with the number 13 intact in the page count or publication date.
How it Fits: Published Mar. 13, 2017
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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: Jack: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk
Author: Liesl Shurtliff
Date Read: 8/10/25
Pages: 301
Task: 2. Read a book where the word STAR is found in the text.
How it Fits: Page 49 - ...Papa and I had camped out under the stars,...
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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 # / Name: #72: ZorbingBook: Cursed
Author: Lindsay Buroker
Date Read: 8/18
Pages: 307
Task: 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER.
How it Fits: Author last name ends in R
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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.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Jimmy Coates: Target (other topics)Rogue (other topics)
Just One Day (other topics)
Cursed (other topics)
Jack: The (Fairly) True Tale of Jack and the Beanstalk (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Joe Craig (other topics)Michael Anderle (other topics)
Gayle Forman (other topics)
Lindsay Buroker (other topics)
Liesl Shurtliff (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.
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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.