Hooked on Books discussion
3RC Reading Challenge
>
Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Melanie {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.
To pick your starting place, tell me your favorite number between 1 and 72.
Mod
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 24 /#24: Giant Pumpkin KayakingBook: Inside the Mind of BTK: The True Story Behind Thirty-Year of Hunt for the Notorious Wichita Serial Killer
Author:John E. Douglas
Date Read: 4/26/2025
Pages: 365
Task 2: Read a book with all the letters of KAYAK in the title. {2 As, 2 Ks}
How it Fits: btK yeAr thirtY seriAl Killer
Task 4: Read a book with the word PUMPKIN found in the text
How it Fits: 'the sun mishappen and the colour of a pumpkin' 4h47m
Michelle's Empty Nest wrote: Giant Pumpkin Kayaking is quite simply the sport of kayaking inside of a giant, hollowed-out pumpkin.
I'm from NS and have actually been to the pumpkin Regatta a few times . i have photos
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16QE...
Mod
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 / #3: Axe ThrowingBook: The House Sitter
Author:Keri Beevis
Date Read: 4/29/2025
Pages: 362
Task 2: Read a bookwith a 25 intact in the page count or publication date.
How it Fits: Expected publication May 22, 2025
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}
Prompt #46: TriskaidekaphobiaBook: Shatter Me
Author: Tahereh Mafi
Date Read: 5/1/2025Pages:
Task: Read a book where someone has a great fear of something.
How it Fits: fear of human connection / touching others
Mod
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: The Surrogate Mother
Author: Freida McFadden
Date Read: 5/1/2025
Pages: 341
Task: 2. Read a book with more than 80,000 ratings.
3. Read a book with more than 100 reviews.
How it Fits:
142,978 ratings 8,611 reviews
Mod
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 #41: Northern CardinalBook: A Serial Killer's Daughter: My Story of Faith, Love, and Overcoming
Author:Kerri Rawson
Date Read: 5/3/2025
Pages: 326
Task:♥️ 4. Read a book with a 6 in the page count.
How it Fits: 326 pages
Mod
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.
Prompt: #55: Moon FlowersBook: Mother's Day Murder
Author: Tonya Kappes
Date Read: 5/6/2025
Pages: 176
Task: 1. Read a book with flowers on the cover.
How it Fits: flowers 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}
Prompt: #51: Tuna TossBook: The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Author: Stuart Turton
Date Read: 5/8/2025
Pages: 511
Task: 2. Read a book published since 2008.
How it Fits: published February 8, 2018
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: #1: OctothorpeBook: Garden of Shadows
Author: V.C. Andrews
Date Read: 5/9/2025
Pages: 385
Task: 2. Read a book with an 8 in the page count.
How it Fits: 385 pages
Mod
Like Arm Wrestling or Thumb Wrestling, Toe Wrestling involves two competitors who lock bare feet in an attempt to pin the other person’s foot to the ground for at least 3 seconds.
There tends to be 3 rounds played with the winner having the best 2 out of 3.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👣 1. Read a book where a character does something you think is gross.
👣 2. Read a book where toes/feet are visible on the cover.
👣 3. Read a book you would rate between 2 and 3 stars.
👣 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in TOE and ends with a letter in WRESTLING.
Prompt: #48: Toe WrestlingBook: This Summer Will Be Different
Author: Carley Fortune
Date Read: 5/10/2025
Pages: 368
Task: 👣 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in TOE and ends with a letter in WRESTLING.
How it Fits: This Summer Will Be Different
Toe wresTling
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:#6: Bog SnorkellingBook: No Red Lines
Author: Michelle Kidd
Date Read: 5/11/2025
Pages: 404
Task: 🤿 2. Read a book with a title that starts with a letter in SNORKELLING.
How it Fits: N
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: #29: The LyrebirdBook: The Third Gilmore Girl
Author: Kelly Bishop
Date Read: 5/12/2025
Pages: 256
Task: 📸 4. Read a book with the word CAR or CAMERA found in the text.
How it Fits: buying new cameras 21%
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.
Prompt: #50: Guinness World RecordsBook: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Author: J.K. Rowling
Date Read: 5/13/2025
Pages: 636
Task: 🥇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.
How it Fits 🥇1 636 pages
🥇 2 37 chapters
🥇 3 4,018,568 ratings
Mod
The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
Yes, although it's a fabled creature, the national animal of Scotland is actually the mythical unicorn — chosen because of its association with dominance and chivalry as well as purity and innocence in Celtic mythology. BRB, moving to Scotland real quick.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦄 1. Read a book set in Scotland.
🦄 2. Read a book with all the letters of UNICORN found in the title.
🦄 3. Read a book tagged MYTHOLOGY any number of times.
🦄 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in CELTIC.
Prompt: #10: National Animal of ScotlandBook: The Cracked Spine
Author: Paige Shelton
Date Read: 5/15/2025
Pages: 294
Task: 1. Read a book set in Scotland.
How it Fits: set in Scotland
Mod
Facebook has more users than many major populations.
At 2.89 billion monthly users, Facebook overshadows China's (1.4 billion) and India's (1.3 billion) populations.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
ƒ 1. Read a book where social media is used/mentioned.
ƒ 2. Read a book set in China.
ƒ 3. Read a book with all the letters of FACEBOOK found in the title.
ƒ 4. Read a book where at least two of these digits are found in the publication date: 2, 8, 9.
Prompt: #17: FacebookBook: Friend Request
Author: Laura Marshall
Date Read:
Pages: 5/17/2025
Task: 1. Read a book where social media is used/mentioned.
How it Fits: Louise receives a facebook friend request 1%
Mod
A team of six women programmed the first digital computer.
While historians have only recently recognized their achievements (or female discoveries credited to men), the female mathematicians participated in a World War II program coding instructions into the revolutionary Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer (ENIAC).
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
⌨️ 1. Read a book with a strong female lead.
⌨️ 2. Read a book with all the letters of ENIAC found in the title.
⌨️ 3. Read a book set during World War II.
⌨️ 4. Read a book where a character uses a computer.
Prompt: #65: ENIACBook: Live and Let Chai
Author: Bree Baker
Date Read: 5/17/2025
Pages: 346
Task: 2. Read a book with all the letters of ENIAC found in the title.
How it Fits: livE aNd let ChAI
Mod
There are over 10 holidays that celebrate chocolate.
The National Confectioners Association recognizes everything from National Milk Chocolate Day to National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day. National Chocolate Day alone happens three times annually: July 7, October 28 and December 28.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍫 1. Read a book where a character eats chocolate.
🍫 2. Read a book where the same type of thing happens at least 3 times.
🍫 3. Read a book with a bittersweet ending.
🍫 4. Read a book where the MC's FIRST initial is NOT found in ALMONDS.
Prompt: #58: Chocolate HolidaysBook: John Dies at the End
Author: David WongJason Pargin
Date Read: 5/18/2025
Pages: 464
Task: 4. Read a book where the MC's FIRST initial is NOT found in ALMONDS.
How it Fits: John
ugg 1.5 star did not enjoy it, only kept going as it is on 3 different challeges
Mod
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: #36: ParkourBook: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants
Author: Robin Wall Kimmerer
Date Read: 5/19/2025
Pages: 408
Task: 4. Read a book with any of these words in the text: running, jumping, swinging, climbing. {variations accepted}
How it Fits: ... whether we jump or are pushed 2%
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: Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery
Author: Agatha Christie
Date Read: 5/21/2025
Pages: 320
Task:
👑 4. Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 3, 1, 0, 6.
How it Fits: 320 pages
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: #72: ZorbingBook: Crying in H Mart
Author: Michelle Zauner
Date Read: 5/21/2025
Pages: 243
Task: 🐹 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
How it Fits: zaunER
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: #5: Wedding VeilBook: Wedding cake murder
Author: Joanne Fluke
Date: May 24 20205
Task: 2. Read a book where someone gets married.
Mod
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.
Prompt: #20 blue whale Book: the Stranger upstairs
Author: Lisa M Matlin
Date Read: 5/26/2025
Pages: 288
Task: 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.
How it Fits: 3: tHE sTRAnger
4: 288 pages
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
The Devil You Know (other topics)Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret (other topics)
Hickory Dickory Dock (other topics)
A Cold Dark Place (other topics)
Fudge Cupcake Murder (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Freida McFadden (other topics)Judy Blume (other topics)
Agatha Christie (other topics)
Gregg Olsen (other topics)
Joanne Fluke (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.