2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Reading is like journeying through the imagination of crazy.

2016 Challenge Tracker


Annual Challenges
READ 18/100
I SPY: BOOK TITLES EDITION 1/25
AROUND THE WORLD 1/10
POPSUGAR 11/40
EVERY YEAR CHALLENGE 6/21
TURN PAGES 6,701/40,000
RECOMMENDED BY READING CHALLENGERS 3/10
RANDOMISER CHALLENGE 2/10
HORROR AFICIONADOS 3/10
THE 2016 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 0/10

QUARTERLY
1st QUARTER CHALLENGE: GROUP READS 0/3
2nd QUARTER CHALLENGE: AWARD BOOKS 4/10

MONTHLY
JANUARY EXTREMES 7/8
JUNE VILLAINS 5/9

SEASONAL
10K MONTHLY CHALLENGE 4/10
BASEBALL 18/31

OTHER
ASTRONOMY 18/49
READING U 21/45
SMURF 8/103
BABY NAMES 12/100

Read 100 Books!!!

1. Bird Box****
2. Golden Son*****
3. Aftermath**
4. Uprooted***
5. The Drafter**
6. Finders Keepers***
7. The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics****
8. The Traveling Vampire Show***
9. The Rising***
10.Rebecca****
11. The Art of Racing in the Rain****
12.Pet Sematary***
13.The Wonderful Wizard of Oz****
14.Flowers for Algernon****
15.The Martian*****
16.The Addams Family***
17.Lost Stars*****
18.Cat's Cradle***

I SPY: BOOK TITLES EDITION
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

1/25 Completed

1. Of Mice and Men
2. A Tale of Two Cities
3. Gone with the Wind
4. A Wrinkle in Time
5. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
6. The Little Prince
7. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
8. Brave New World
9. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
10. The Joy Luck Club
11. The Diary of a Young Girl
12. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Bird Box****
13. The Book Thief
14. The God of Small Things
15. Around the World in 80 Days
16. The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
17. The Time Traveler's Wife
18. All Quiet on the Western Front
19. The Old Man and the Sea
20. Where the Red Fern Grows
21. Island of the Blue Dolphins
22. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
23. Girl With a Pearl Earring
24. The Call of the Wild
25. The Good Earth

Comment 44

AROUND THE WORLD IN BOOKS
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

Read books written by authors from as many different countries as you can. The authors can have either been born there or lived there.

1. Rebecca****Daphne du Maurier - England
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9
10.

Message 17

I have read 11 out of your 25 books...
1,5,10,11,13,15,16,17,19,22,,23 and 25

POPSUGAR 2016
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

8/40

1. A book based on a fairy tale Uprooted***
2. A National Book Award winnerRebecca****
3. A YA bestseller
4. A book you haven't read since high school
5. A book set in your home state
6. A book translated to English
7. A romance set in the futureLost Stars*****
8. A book set in Europe
9. A book that's under 150 pages
10. A New York Times bestseller Finders Keepers***
11. A book that's becoming a movie this year
12. A book recommended by someone you just met
13. A self-improvement book
14. A book you can finish in a day
15. A book written by a celebrity
16. A political memoir
17. A book at least 100 years older than you
18. A book that's more than 600 pages
19. A book from Oprah's Book Club
20. A science-fiction novel Golden Son*****
21. A book recommended by a family member
22. A graphic novel
23. A book that is published in 2016
24. A book with a protagonist that has your occupation
25. A book that takes place during summer The Traveling Vampire Show***
26. A book and its prequel
27. A murder mystery
28. A book written by a comedian
29. A dystopian novel Bird Box****
30. A book with a blue cover
31. A book of poetry
32. The first book you see in a bookstore
33. A classic from the 20th centuryThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz****
34. A book from the library Aftermath**
35. An autobiography
36. A book about a road trip The Rising***
37. A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with
38. A satirical bookThe Addams Family***
39. A book that takes place on an islandCat's Cradle****
40. A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy

Message 337

EVERY YEAR CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

1996
1997
1998
1999
2000 The Traveling Vampire Show***
2004
2005
2006 The Art of Racing in the Rain****
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013 - The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics****
2014 - Bird Box****
2015 - Golden Son*****
2016

Message 19 updated

LET'S TURN PAGES CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 – December 31, 2016

Bird Box***272 pages
Golden Son*****464 pages
Aftermath**418 pages
Uprooted***465 pages
The Drafter**432 pages
Finders Keepers***448 pages
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics****416 pages
The Traveling Vampire Show***391 pages
The Rising***321 pages
The Art of Racing in the Rain***338 pages
Pet Sematary***576 pages
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz****156 pages
Flowers for Algernon***312 pages
The Martian****385 pages
The Addams Family***175 pages
Lost Stars*****560 pages
Cat's Cradle***179 pages

6,701/15,000 pages

Message 278

RECOMMENDED BY READING CHALLENGERS

Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2016

Read the top 100 of these books

Recommended by 2015 Reading Challengers

1. Rebecca***
2. The Art of Racing in the Rain****
3 Flowers for Algernon***

3/5 Complete

THE TBR RANDOMISER CHALLENGE
Duration January 1st - December 31st

1. The Black Prism
2. Merrick
3. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz****7/11/2016
4.The Silmarillion
5.The Man in the Iron Mask
6.Watchmen
7. Rebecca ****6/19/16
8.1776
9.Thieftaker
10.Bleak House

2016 Horror Aficionados Reading Challenge
Duration January 1st - December 31st, 2016

Read the Highest rated 2015 Horror Aficionados Top 101 Horror!!!

1. The Traveling Vampire Show***
2. The Rising***
3. Pet Sematary***

3/10 Completed

THE 2016 GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS CHALLENGE
Duration January 1st - December 31st, 2016

Set a goal to read books published in 2016. The idea is that we, as a group, want to have read as many books in each category as we can! Please identify which category (or categories) the book falls in. These were 2015's categories (they sometimes change, so we can't guarantee that these will be the 2016 categories):

0/10

January Challenge: Extremes


1. The Weather can get pretty extreme in January...either really cold in the Northern Hemisphere or really hot in the Southern Hemisphere. Read a book that has an extreme weather event or a book that takes place during a hot hot summer or cold cold winter.


The Martian*****

2. There are some extreme environments, and people love to explore them. Read a book about someone surviving in the wild outdoors or a book where someone travels to an extreme location (like outer space).


Golden Son****

3. Extreme sports have become very popular over the years, so much so that some are in the Olympics! Read a book about an Olympic athlete or someone who went to extremes to play the sport they love.


The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics****

4. Going with the sports theme, there is not sport more extreme and possibly dangerous than Martial Arts if not practiced correctly. Read a book about someone who participates in Martial Arts, or about someone who ends up in a very dangerous position.


Bird Box**** trapped by a lifeforms you can't lay eyes on with out killing the people next to you. A mother has to take her two children who never new what sight was to safety.

5. Unfortunately, even with modern day science, extreme mental illness still disables millions. Read a book about someone who suffers from an extreme mental illness like bipolar or schizophrenia, or a book about a tragedy caused by someone with an extreme mental illness like suicide or mass shooter.


Rebecca***Rebecca after receiving terminal cancer commits suicide by baiting her husband to kill her.

6. The media is dominated by news of those who practice extreme versions of their religions, if you could even call it following a religion. Read a book about a cult, or read a book about someone who is (was) a religious extremist.

7. Nationalism is often a good thing even if it’s extreme, just ask the founding fathers of a nation, but it can also lead to some serious conflicts like WWI. Read a book about the founding of a nation, or read a book about how extreme nationalism destroyed a nation.


Cat's Cradle***

8. Mathematics often talks about reaching extremes, but only the truly dedicated to the practice ever get to understand why math has such extremes. Read a book about a mathematician or read a book about a dedicated intellectual.


Flowers for Algernon***

7/8 Completed

READING UNVERSITY CHALLENGE
Duration: 8/31/2015 - ???

College, while not for everyone, is known for it's huge amount of required reading, and usually not reading anyone enjoys doing. In this challenge, we decided to take a spin on that reading list and let you earn a reading degree in the genres you want to read! Take a crack at PHD of Paranormal Science or try something a bit more broad and stop at a Bachelors in History. Broaden your reading horizon, try out some genres you may not have tried before, and most importantly read all those books you never got to read while you were in school!

For this challenge you'll be progressing through the various degrees at your own pace. Start out with your Associates Degree, move on to a Bachelors, Masters, and finally a Doctorate. You can stop at any level, but no skipping ahead! Below you'll find the criteria for each degree level, as well as a better description of what fits in each category and subcategory of the core curriculum. Now have fun as you start earning your first degree!

Degree Progression:

For this challenge you'll be progressing through the various degrees at your own pace.

Start at the beginning...

Associates Degree (7 books in all)
► Read 1 book from each core subject (7 books)

After completing your Associates, move on to get your Bachelors degree...

Bachelors Degree: (20 books in all)
► Choose a Major (read 10 books from any 1 subject)
► Choose a Minor (read 3 books from any 1 subject, not the same as your major)

After completing your Bachelor's Degree, you may decide you want to Master a specific topic...

Masters Degree: (35 books in all)
► Choose 1 core subject to master - read 3 books from each subcategory, read 3 books mixed and matched (any subcategory from that core group) (15 books)
♦ Note: Can choose the same or a different category from your bachelors degree

Already a Master? Why not get a Doctorate?

PHD: (45 books in all)
► Choose 1 subcategory from your Masters and read 10 books from that subcategory.

Core Subjects: Science, Literature, History, Social Science, Art, Language, Athletics

Subcategories:
Science: science fiction, earth science, life science, applied science
Literature: american novel, european novel, world novel, graphic novel
History: alternate history, american history, european history, world history
Social Science: anthropology, psychology, education, political science
Art: fine arts, visual arts, music, art history
Language: indo-european, sino-tibetan, niger-congo, austronesian
Athletics: baseball, olympics, cricket, sports history

Associates Degree
Science: The 100**-8/31/2015**
Literature: Jane Eyre*****-9/10/2015
History: The Diary of a Young Girl****9/2/2015
Social Science: David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants****9/4/2015
Art: The Demon Lover***10/5
Language:Crime and Punishment***9/20/2015
Athletics:Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series****9/26

Bachelor's Degree
Science Major
1. Shatter Me**10/06/2015
2. The Color of Magic****10/15/2015
3. False Memory****10/19/2015
4.The X-Files: Goblins*10/25/2015
5.Till We Have Faces***11/1/2015
6.The Child Thief****11/7/2015
7.Dark Disciple****11/10/2015
8.The Blood of Olympus*****11/18/2015
9.Six of Crows****11/30/15
10. Magic Bites**12/08/2015

History Minor
1. The Book Thief*****10/28/2015
2. Rebel Queen****11/24/2015
3. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story****11/31/15

Masters Degree - Literature
American
1. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz****7/11/2016
2. Cat's Cradle***9/7/2016
3.

European
1. Rebecca****6/19/2016
2.
3.

World
1.
2.
3.

Graphic
1.
2.
3.

20 Total Books

2nd Quarter Challenge: Award Winning Books
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2016

Read award winning books from these award groups.

Pulitzer Prize
National Book Award US Literature
Man Booker Prize for literature in the UK
Hugo Award for fantasy and science fiction
Edgar Award for mystery
Bram Stoker Award for horror
Newbery Medal for children's fiction
Goodreads Choice Awards for various genres, chosen by users

1. Golden Son**** - 2015 Goodreads Choice Awards
2. The Traveling Vampire Show***- 2000 Bram Stokers Award
3.The Rising***- 2003 Bram Stoker Award for best new author
4. Rebecca****1938 National Book Award

10k Member Celebration > Special 10,000 Challenge
Duration: May 1 - June 30, 2016

3/None

1. Home, 10,000 members...read a book that has more than 10,000 ratings on Goodreads.


Finders Keepers - 36,773

2. Math: 100 x 100 = 10,000. So for this one, read a book that has 100 in the title or has 100 or so pages.

3. Some more Math: A myriagon is a polygon with 10,000 sides. Sci-fi and fantasy novels often also have a lot of sides. So for this one, read a book that falls into the science fiction or fantasy genres.


The Drafter** Science Fiction

4. U.S. History: Salmon P. Chase was the face of the $10,000 greenback, and he was the Secretary of the Treasury under Abraham Lincoln. So for this one, read a fictional or non-fictional book about U.S. history before 1900.

5. World Geography: There is no €10,000 note, but if there was, it would have some beautiful European architecture on it. So for this one, read a book that takes place in Europe or is about an amazing piece of architecture.


Rebecca****Takes Place in Europe

6. Psychology: It is assumed that each neuron in the human brain is connected to 10,000 others. Read a book about human behavior or a book about someone’s mental health


The Rising***Under the stress of the govt breaking down it didn't take long for the national guard unit out of Penn to crack under the pressure. Enslave the civilian population and turning the women into prostitutes. Using torture to keep people in line.

7. Biology: There are about 10,000 species of birds. Read a book with bird (or a type of bird) in the title or a book with a bird on the cover.

8. Language Arts: Imagine you could read 10,000 books. That was your job. You could read whatever you wanted, where would you start? Read the book you would start with if you could have the job of reading 10,000 books.

9. Technology: It is believed that storytelling is a 10,000 year old technology dating back to our earliest civilizations. Read a book that is based on a myth or about a culture before the common era.

10. Extra Curricular: It takes approximately 10,000 hours to become an expert at something. Read a book, fiction or nonfiction, that has to do with the activity you would love to become an expert at.

The Villains Challenge bwahaha!
Duration June 1, 2016 to June 30, 2016

Sticking with this month’s theme of Pride, let us look at some of the most prideful characters in the books we read, the Villains. They are often the antagonist in the story, but can also at times be the protagonist as well (think Patrick Bateman in American Psycho). Either way, let us look at the sins these characters can commit...

1. Read a book where the villain is a vicious liar and/or manipulator.


The Traveling Vampire Show***Villain was more the keeper of the vampire show and all he did was lie to his victims telling them they are going to be fine when he actually was planning to kill them or manipulate them in doing what he wanted.


2. Read a book where the villain is someone who is so lazy and useless (possibly a drunkard or an addict), that he/she is a burden to others.

3. Read a book where the villain is insanely jealous and does not control his/her actions.

4. Read a book where the villain is habitual adulterer or cheater.


Rebecca****Rebecca was like a merry-go-round (she got a round).

5. Read a book where the villain is so greedy that people do not matter.


Cat's Cradle***

6. Read a book where the villain is a master thief.

7. Read a book where the villain is an abusive parent/spouse/other loved one (either dead or alive).


Flowers for Algernon***

8. Read a book where the villain is a murderer.

9. Read a book where the villain is a sex offender.

The Rising*** Most of the military would rape women to boost morale.

Completed 5/9