2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Thanks to this group I broke the 50 book marker for the first time. For 2015 I will break the 75 book marker. Game on.

Challenges


Yearly Challenges
-Read 75 Books 97/75
-Non Fiction Bingo BINGO! 13 Squares
-Debut Novel 12/5
-Listopia Challenge 12/10
-Favourite Genre Challenge 15/16
-A-Z Challenge 26/26
-Lets Turn the Page 37,540/40,000
-I Spy 22/25
-Nightmare Magazine 9/10
-Science Fiction & Fantasy 63/60
-New SF&F Author 22/20
-SF&F Award Winning Books 14/10
-Graphic Novels 6/10
-Popsugar 46/50
-Reading University 19/45

Quarterly Challenges
1st - One, Two, Buckle My Shoes 5/4
2nd - One Hit Wonders 2/3
2nd - Spring 8/3
3rd - Clear the Shelves 6/10
4th - From Pages to the Screen 5/5

Monthly Challenges
January - Good Reads Choice Awards 2014 Winners 2/2
February - The Saints Go Marching In 7/7
February - 6K MEMBERS CELEBRATION MINI-CHALLENGE 3/3
March - Spring Break Challenge 2/6
March - Oscar Challenge 3/5
April - Chocolate 4/2
May - Classics 4/2
June - Favorite Pet 3/1
June - Midsummer Festival 2/2
July - Star Spangled Banner 5/5
August - 14,285/20,000 miles
Sept - Back to School 4/2
Sept - Pizza Ingredients 5/6
Oct - Fall Back Challenge 5/3
Nov - Rememberance Challenge 3/3

Read 75 Books


1.The Dark Tower, Volume 2: The Long Road Home***
2.Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**
3.The Way of Kings*****
4.Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies**
5.Mr. Mercedes****
6.The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes***
7.The Witch With No Name****
8.Red Rising****
9.The Son of Neptune****
10.Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***
11.Saint Odd****
12.The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army***
13.The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House****
14.Psycho****
15.The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***
16.Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch***
17.Dhampir***
18.A Morbid Taste for Bones**
19.Starship Troopers****
20.The Silver Dream***
21.1984****
22.The Haunting of Hill House****
23.The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***
24.Red Seas Under Red Skies****
25.Black Cross****
26.The Exorcist****
27.Carrie****
28.Divergent****
29.Tarkin**
30.Insurgent****
31.Allegiant***
32.The Jungle***
33.Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*****
34.The Mark of Athena****
35.Neverwhere****
36.Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**
37.Stranger in a Strange Land****
38.Sharpe's Fortress***
39.A Study in Scarlet***
40.The Taking****
41.The Mysterious Affair at Styles**
42.Slaughterhouse-Five***
43.The Picture of Dorian Grey***
44.Hyperion*****
45.The House of Hades***
46.Night****
47.Heir to the Jedi**
48.Black Beauty****
49.Watchers***
50.Bag of Bones***
51.The Infinite Sea****
52.Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson*****
53.The Catcher in the Rye**
54.The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****
55.Alice in Wonderland***
56.Words of Radiance*****
57.Stardust****
58.Thief of Lives***
59.The Dark Half****
60.In the Night Room**
61.Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life***
62.Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 1***
63.Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After**
64.The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History***
65.Dreadnought***
66.The 100**
67.The Diary of a Young Girl****
68.David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants****
69.Feed****
70.Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland***
71.Jane Eyre*****
72.Crime and Punishment***
73.[book:The Shining****
74.Lords of the Sith***
75.Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series****
76.Something Wicked This Way Comes***
77.The Demon Lover***
78.Shatter Me**
79.The Color of Magic****
80.Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz***
81.False Memory****
82.The X-Files: Goblins*
83.The Book Thief*****
84.Till We Have Faces***
85.The Child Thief****
86.Macbeth***
87.Dark Disciple****
88.The Blood of Olympus*****
89.Jewels: A Secret History***
90.Rebel Queen****
91.Six of Crows****
92.Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story****
93.Sideswiped***
94.Magic Bites***
95.Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench*****
96.Water for Elephants**
97.A Dark Matter*

NONFICTION BINGO CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015



Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies** O-4 History


Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything*** I-1 Business


The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army*** B-4 Health & Medical


The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***I-2 Nature


The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***G-2 True Crome


Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game***** O-5 Sports


Night**** N-4 Biography


Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson*****I-4 Military


The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History***B-1 Art History


The Diary of a Young Girl****B-5 Memoirs


David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants****N-1 Psychology

Jewels: A Secret History***B-5 Travel

Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench*****N-2 Humor

THE DEBUT NOVEL CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

1. Red Rising****
2. Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***
3. Carrie****
4. Divergent****
5. A Study in Scarlet***
6. The Mysterious Affair at Styles**
7. The Picture of Dorian Grey***
8. The Catcher in the Rye**
9. Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life***
10.The 100**Kass Morgan
11.Feed****Mira Grant
12.The Color of Magic****

Read 5 Debut Novels
12/5 Complete

2015 LISTOPIA CHALLENGE
Duration: January 2015 - December 2015

Goal Read 10 books at least 3 from each category.
Completed 12/10

List 1
Goodreads Top 100 Literary Novels of All Time
1. 1984****
2. Slaughterhouse-Five***
3. The Catcher in the Rye**
4. Jane Eyre*****
5. Crime and Punishment***

List 2
Favorite Novels Which Won the Hugo Award
1.Starship Troopers****
2.Stranger in a Strange Land****
3.Hyperion*****
4.The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****

List 3
BRAM STOKER AWARD WINNERS
1. Bag of Bones***
2. In the Night Room**
3. A Dark Matter*


Message 162

FAVOURITE GENRES CHALLENGE - 2015
Duration: January 1st, 2015 - December 31st, 2015

For this challenge, pick a book to read for each genre. You get TWO FREE PASSES (for genres you're just not interested in), so you'll read a total of 14 books over the course of the year. We chose the mods' favourite genres for this and hope you enjoy them! This is to try new genres that you may not have picked out on your own. Feel free to post some of your favourites of the different genres in this thread to give others ideas.

15/16 Complete

Kara's Favourites
Natural History Nonfiction - The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***
Magical Realism - The Witch With No Name****
Business Nonfiction - Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***
Post-apocalyptic ----Divergent****

Zara's Favourites
Religion ---Till We Have Faces***
Fiction ----Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**
Young Adult ---The Son of Neptune****
Chick-Lit ---Jane Eyre****

Craig's Favourites
Heroic Fantasy ----Words of Radiance*****
Military Science Fiction - Starship Troopers****
Classics - The Haunting of Hill House****
Gaming Fiction

Cassandra's Favourites
Social Science Fiction---1984****
World History ----Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies**
Biography-Memoir -----Night****
High Fantasy ---The Way of Kings*****


Message 86

2015"A-Z Challenge - 2015
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

Read a book for each letter of the alphabet. You can use ANY of the first letters of the main words in a title of a book (don't use words like "a", "an", "the", or "of") or the initials of its authors.

26/26 Complete

A - The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***Roberto Escobar
B - Red Rising**** Pierce Brown
C - Black Cross****Greg Iles
D - Saint Odd**** Dean Koontz
E - Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith** Matthew Woodring Stover
F - Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***
G - Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies** Jared Diamond
H - The Witch With No Name**** Kim Harrison
I - The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army***
J - The Haunting of Hill House****Shirley Jackson
K - The Way of Kings***** Brandon Sanderson
L - Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game**** Michael Lewis
M - Mr. Mercedes****Stephen King
N - The Son of Neptune****Rick Riordan
O - Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch***Terry Pratchett
P - Psycho****Robert Bloch
Q - Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life
R - Divergent****Veronica Roth
S - Starship Troopers****Robert A. Heinlein
T - A Morbid Taste for Bones**Ellis Peters
U - Red Seas Under Red Skies****Scott Lynch
V - The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***John Vaillant
W - The Exorcist****William Peter Blatty
X - The X-Files: Goblins*Charles L. Grant
Y - The Infinite Sea****Rick Yancey
Z - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**Seth Grahame-Smith

Message 239 Updated

Let's Turn Pages Challenge - 2015
Duration: January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015


We are always making goals about how many books we want to read in a year. How about we make a goal for number of pages we want to read?

1. Make a goal of number of pages you would like to read.
2. Read as many pages as you can in one year.
3. Since you probably don’t know what you want to read for the entire year, make your list as you go. (Be sure to post the number of pages in your book!)

If your edition doesn't have page numbers (such as an audiobook), use the most popular edition of the book (that's not an audiobook) to determine what the number of pages should be. Rereads will count for this challenge, but you have to read the entire book…no skimming!


Have fun with this challenge--let's turn a bunch of pages this year!

The Dark Tower, Volume 2: The Long Road Home***160 pages
Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**480 pages.
The Way of Kings*****1008 pages
Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies**425 pages
Mr. Mercedes****423 pages
The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes***240 pages
The Witch With No Name****480 pages
Red Rising****400 pages
The Son of Neptune****512 pages
Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***315 pages
Saint Odd****352 pages
The Illustrious Dead: The Terrifying Story of How Typhus Killed Napoleon's Greatest Army***336
The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House****256 pages
Psycho****208 pages
The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***352 pages
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch***413 pages
Dhampir***376 pages
A Morbid Taste for Bones**197 pages
Starship Troopers****264 pages
The Silver Dream***250 pages
1984****326 Pages
The Haunting of Hill House****182 pages
The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***304 pages
Red Seas Under Red Skies****630 pages
Black Cross****556 pages
The Exorcist****385 pages
Carrie****253 pages
Divergent****487 pages
Tarkin**288 pages
Insurgent****463 pages
Allegiant***526 pages
The Jungle***335 pages
Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game**** 317 pages
The Mark of Athena**** 586 pages
Neverwhere**** 370 pages
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**310 pages
Stranger in a Strange Land****580 pages
Sharpe's Fortress****400 pages
A Study in Scarlet*** 108 pages
The Taking****410 pages
The Mysterious Affair at Styles**296 pages
Slaughterhouse-Five***215 pages
The Picture of Dorian Grey***294 pages
Hyperion*****483 pages
The House of Hades***585 pages
Night****113 pages
Heir to the Jedi**306 pages
Black Beauty****245 pages
Watchers***626 pages
Bag of Bones***704 pages
The Infinite Sea****320 pages
Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson*****688 pages
The Catcher in the Rye**274 pages
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****382 pages
Alice in Wonderland***92 pages
Words of Radiance*****1018 pages
Stardust****248 pages
Thief of Lives***410 pages
The Dark Half****486 pages
In the Night Room** 368 pages
Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life***317 pages
Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 1***158 pages
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After**287 pages
The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History***473 pages
Dreadnought***400 pages
The 100**323 pages
The Diary of a Young Girl****283 pages
David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants****332 pages
Feed****599 pages
Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland***pages 230
Jane Eyre*****507 pages
Crime and Punishment***545 pages
The Shining****512 pages
Lords of the Sith***320 pages
Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series****328 pages
Something Wicked This Way Comes***293 pages
The Demon Lover***305 pages
Shatter Me**338 pages
The Color of Magic****287 pages
Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz***156 pages
False Memory****755 pages
The X-Files: Goblins*288 pages
The Book Thief*****550 pages
Till We Have Faces***313 pages
The Child Thief****508 pages
Macbeth***249 pages
Dark Disciple****320 pages
The Blood of Olympus*****516 pages
Jewels: A Secret History***496 pages
Rebel Queen****355 pages
Six of Crows****462 pages
Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story****386 pages
Sideswiped***80 pages
Magic Bites***260 pages
Don't Put Me In, Coach: My Incredible NCAA Journey from the End of the Bench to the End of the Bench*****272 pages
Water for Elephants**335 pages
A Dark Matter**397 pages



Goal: 37,540/40,000

Message 233

I SPY CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015


Read a book that contains a word in the title that fits each of the 25 categories below. If you're having trouble with a particular category, ask other members what they are reading for it. You may also use the name of the series for up to three categories.

Here are the 25 categories with examples. The examples are just to get you started - any word that fits the category is fair game.

22/25 Complete

1. Color - Red Rising****
2. Number - 1984****
3. Things That Grow - The Jungle***
4. Seasons - spring, fall, autumn
5. First Name - Carrie****
6. Places - The House of Hades****
7. Body Part - Bag of Bones***
8. Weapon - Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies**
9. Body of Water - Red Seas Under Red Skies****
10. Form of Water - Water for Elephants**
11. Product of Fire - heat, ash, flames
12. Celestial Body - Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**
13. Architecture - The Haunting of Hill House****
14. Senses - A Morbid Taste for Bones**
15. Royal Title - The Way of Kings*****
16. Family Member - The Son of Neptune****
17. Elements -
18. Time of Day - Night****
19. Metal - The Silver Dream***
20. Emotion/Feeling - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**
21. Animal/Insect - The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***
22. Something to Read - Words of Radiance*****
23. Gender Identifier - Mr. Mercedes****
24. Paranormal Being - Dhampir***
25. Occupation - The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***

Message #270

1st Quarter Challenge: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Duration: January 1 - March 31, 2015

This challenge turns to a beloved nursery rhyme for reading inspiration.

5/4 Complete

1. One, two,
Buckle my shoe;
finish a series


The Witch With No Name - It is always bitter-sweet to finish a series. Completing one is always exciting like climbing to the top of a mountain, but it is sad to say goodbye to old friends you know you will never see again.

2. Three, four,
Open the door;
read a new genre or author (or both for those who are game)


Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies** I've never read an Anthropology book before.

3.Five, six,
Pick up sticks;
finish a previously unfinished book


Black Cross****I started this book in the late 90's. I can't remember why I stopped reading it.

4. Seven, eight,
Lay them straight;
read a trilogy or small series (at least 4 books) in order

5. Nine, ten,
A big, fat hen;
read the thickest book on your TBR

6. Eleven, twelve,
Dig and delve;
read an old favourite

7. Thirteen, fourteen,
Maids a-courting;
read a romance novel

8. Fifteen, sixteen,
Maids in the kitchen;
read a book that takes place in a prairie or has food on its cover


Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything*** I was reading this book for a different challenge and just now noticed there is food on the cover. On a side note I don't remember them once talking about apples.

9. Seventeen, eighteen,
Maids a-waiting;
read a book you've been waiting to read

****
The Son of Neptune - I was on the library waiting list for over 30 days.

10. Nineteen, twenty,
My plate's empty.
read the last book on your tbr list

JANUARY CHALLENGE: GOODREADS CHOICE AWARDS 2014 WINNERS
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Let's celebrate the best books of 2014, Goodreads style! This challenge is based around the Goodreads Choice Award Winners of 2014, found here: 2014 Award Winners

Read the winner in as many categories as you can.
2014 Goodreads Choice Award Winners



Mr. Mercedes****Crime thriller in the mind of Stephen King. Few can write from a killers point of view that gave me chills.


Red Rising****Debut winner for the goody award. The first third of the book sputters and pops like my old Buick, the rest of the books turns into Hunger Games on crack with Braveheart sprinkles.

2/2 Complete

Nightmare Magazine's Top 100 Horror Books
Nightmare Magazine's Top 100 Horror Book
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Read 10 Bools From the List Above
Completed 9/10

1.Psycho****
2.The Haunting of Hill House****
3.The Exorcist****
4.The Taking****
5.Bag of Bones***
6.In the Night Room**
7.The Shining****
8.Something Wicked This Way Comes***
9.A Dark Matter*

SF&F 2015 Reading Challenge
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Read 40 Books From the List Above
Complete 63/60

1.The Dark Tower, Volume 2: The Long Road Home****
2.Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**
3.The Way of Kings*****
4.The Witch With No Name****
5.The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes***
6.Red Rising****
7.The Son of Neptune****
8.Saint Odd****
9.The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House****
10.Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch***
11.Dhampir***
12.Starship Troopers****
13.The Silver Dream***
14.1984****
15.The Haunting of Hill House****
16.Red Seas Under Red Skies****
17.The Exorcist****
18.Carrie****
19.Divergent****
20.Tarkin**
21.Insurgent****
22.Allegiant***
23.The Mark of Athena****
24.Neverwhere****
25.Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**
26.Stranger in a Strange Land****
27.The Taking****
28.Slaughterhouse-Five***
29.Hyperion*****
30.The House of Hades***
31.Heir to the Jedi**
32.Watchers***
33.Bag of Bones***
34.The Infinite Sea****
35.The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****
36.Alice in Wonderland***
37.Words of Radiance*****
38.Stardust****
39.Thief of Lives***
40.Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 1***
41.In the Night Room**
42.The Dark Half****
43.Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After**
44.Dreadnought***
45.The 100**
46.Feed****
47.Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland***
48.The Shining****
49.Lords of the Sith***
50.Something Wicked This Way Comes***
51.Shatter Me**
52.The Color of Magic****
53.Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz***
54.False Memory****
55.The X-Files: Goblins*
56.Till We Have Faces***
57.The Child Thief****
58.Dark Disciple****
59.The Blood of Olympus*****
60.Six of Crows****
61.Sideswiped***
62.Magic Bites***
63.A Dark Matter*

SF&F 2015 Explorer Challenge
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Read 20 Books From the List Above
Complete 22/20

1. Star Wars, Episode III: Revenge of the Sith**Matthew Woodring Stover
2. Red Rising****Pierce Brown
3. Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch***Terry Pratchett
4. Dhampir***Barb Hendee
5. Starship Troopers****Robert A. Heinlein
6.The Exorcist****William Peter Blatty
7. Divergent****Veronica Roth
8. Slaughterhouse-Five***Kurt Vonnegut
9. Heir to the Jedi**Kevin Hearne
10.Alice in Wonderland***Lewis Carroll
11.In the Night Room**Peter Straub
12.Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 1572581]***Ralph Tedesco
13.The 100**Kass Morgan
14.Feed****Mira Grant
15.Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland***Joe Brusha
16.Lords of the Sith***Paul S. Kemp
17.Shatter Me**Tahereh Mafi
18.The X-Files: Goblins*Charles L. Grant
19.The Child Thief****Brom
20.Dark Disciple****Christie Golden
21.Six of Crows****Leigh Bardugo
22.Magic Bites***Ilona Andrews

SF&F 2015 Awards Challenge
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Read 10 Books From the List Above
Complete 14/10

1.The Way of Kings***** David Gemmell Legend Award Winners, Whitney Award Winners
2.The Son of Neptune**** Buckeye Children's Book Award Winners
3.Red Rising**** Goodreads Debut Novel Award
4.The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House****Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards for Best Continuing Series, Best Grpahic Album-Reprint, Best Writer
5.Starship Troopers****Hugo Award
6.1984****Prometheus Award Hall of Fame
7.The Exorcist****California Book Award Gold Medal for Fiction
8.Divergent****Goodreads Award Favorite Book - 2011
9.Hyperion*****Hugo Award
10.The House of Hades*** Goody Award
11.Bag of Bones*** Bram Stoker Award
12.The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****Hugo Award
13.Stardust****Mythopoetic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature
14.In the Night Room** Bramstoker Award

SF&F 2015 Graphic Challenge
Duration: January 1 - January 31, 2015

Read 10 Books From the List Above
Complete 6/10

1. The Dark Tower, Volume 2: The Long Road Home****
2. The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes****
3. The Sandman, Vol. 2: The Doll's House****
4. Grimm Fairy Tales Volume 1***
5. Grimm Fairy Tales Presents: Neverland***
6. Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz***

February Challenge: The Saints Go Marching In
Duration: February 1 - February 28, 2015

Read 4 Books
Completed 7/7

February Challenge: Theme Saints

1. St. Dominic Savio: Dominic is the patron saint of choir boys and of the falsely accused. The latter title was given to Dominic after two boys filled the school stove full of garbage and snow and falsely blamed Dominic. Dominic was punished in front of the entire class but he did not tell on the two boys. Read a book about music, or someone who is falsely accused of something.


A Morbid Taste for Bones**A mystery where an outlander is framed for the murder of a good man who is standing up to the monks in the abbey.

2. St. Francis of Assisi: Early in his life Francis lead a crowd of young people who spent their lives in wild parties, giving into their vices and surrounding themselves with evil. When he was 25, God came to him in a dream and he turned over a new leaf. Francis became a lover of nature, where he felt all of nature and the animals in it were part of his brotherhood. Read a book where the main characters give into their vices or evil or read a book where nature or animals is an important part of the story.


The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival***A solid and interesting read about the life and hardships of the Amura Tiger in Far Eastern Russia. St. Francis has his work cut out for him on saving this species and finding a balance with 21st century humans.

3. St. Michael the Archangel: In the New Testament Michael leads God's armies against Statan's forces, where during the war in heaven, he defeats Satan. Read a book about a fierce battle or war.


Starship Troopers****If they weren't preparing for battle they were battling.


4. St. Patrick of Ireland is one of the world's most popular saints. At 14 Patrick was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave to herd and tend sheep. At the age of 20, he escaped captivity and returned to Britain to reunite with his family. Read a book about slavery or read a book that takes place in Ireland.

5. St. Therese of Lisieux: Therese had always wanted to be a saint but when she compared herself to all of the other saints, she felt the differences between them were so great. She believed that God wouldn't make her wish for something impossible, so she decided to accept herself and all of her faults. Read a story where the main character struggles with and overcomes his or her own faults, whether they be physical, emotional, personality or other faults.

6. St. Cecilia: She was a virgin given in marriage to a youth named Valerian. She wore sackcloth, fasted and invoked the saints and angels to protect her virginity. Four hundred people, including her husband were baptized because they wanted to see the angel protecting her. Cecilia was sentenced to death for preaching and converting people. Read a book where there is an angel or other paranormal being or read a book where someone is sentenced to death.


Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch*** The banter between the angel Azirpahle and the dark angel Crowley was hilarious and by far the best part of the book. There are lines in the book that have made it into my daily usage.

7. St. Joseph: Joseph was the husband of Mary and foster father to Jesus. Joseph was a working man, with humble work (a carpenter) and humble means. He wasn't a rich man but he came from royal lineage. Read a book where people live a simple life and do not have a luxurious lifestyle or read a book about royalty.


Dhampir***Magiere traveled from village to village slaying vampire spirits for simple villagers. From there she opens a tavern in a town who are simple folk. The book kept me just interested enough to keep me turning pages it wasn't long before I realized I liked the book. I look forward to future books because I want to know what the characters are going to do next.


8. St. Lucy: Lucy's mother tried to arrange a marriage for her to a pagan. Lucy rejected her mother's choice and thought Christ was a better partner for life. The rejected bridegroom betrayed Lucy to the governor as a Christian. The governor tried to send Lucy into prostitution. Read a book about an arranged marriage or read a book about prostitution.

9. St. Clare: Clare was a beautiful Italian woman of nobility. After hearing St Francis preach, Clare wanted to imitate Francis. She ran away from home and gave herself to God. She cut off her hair and wore a rough brown habit, tied with a plain cord around her waist. Read a book about a character who runs away, or read a book where someone drastically changes his or her appearance.


The Haunting of Hill House****Eleanor left her quiet life where she never lived and ran away to hill house to find a new life.

10. St. Rose of Lima: St. Rose of Lima is the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines. Rose had many temptations from the devil and there were times she suffered terrible feelings of loneliness, sadness and in the end a painful sickness. Many miracles followed her death. Read a book about some kind of suffering or read a book that contains a miracle.


1984****Winston was suffering from living in an oppressive regime and suffered later when went into the ministry of love.

Message 233

6K MEMBERS CELEBRATION MINI-CHALLENGE
Duration: February 9, 2015 - February 28, 2015

To celebrate hitting 6,000 members in the group, the moderators have been busy planning a party for all of the members. For each of these party-related reading tasks you complete, you will receive one raffle ticket for the drawings.

3/3 Complete

1. Parties are often thrown to celebrate milestones, and this one is to celebrate our incredible 6,000 member milestone. Read a book where the main character goes through a major life milestone or read a book that was written in a major milestone year in your life.

2. Friends and conversation are the life of any party, so we invited our closest friends - that’s all of you! Read a book that was recommended to you by a friend or read a book that includes written communication (letters, invitations, emails, text messages, etc.)


Starship Troopers*** This book was recommended by a friend in fact all books by Robert Heinlein was. He referred to him as one of the masters of scence fiction.

3. Themed decorations, favors, and even costumes help put everyone in a festive mood, so we encouraged everyone to come dressed as their favorite literary character. Read a book where the characters wear different clothing than you usually do or read (or re-read) a book with a favorite character of yours.


Red Seas Under Red Skies****Locke Lamora could be one of my favorite characters since Matrium Cauthon of the Wheel of Time Series. Mat is still the leader, but no other character I've ever read is this similar to Mat.

4. Our party wouldn’t be complete without good food, so we spent a day baking all sorts of cakes. It’s hard to know exactly when bread became cake, but the Roman poet Ovid references birthday cake in his book The Tristia of Ovid. The English were also some of the first to bake cakes. Read a book that takes place in Europe or read a book has to do with cooking.



1984****The book takes place in London in what is today Europe but in the book in 1984 it was in Oceania.

Popsugar Reading Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2015

46/50 books complete

1) A book with more than 500 pages - The Son of Neptune****
2) A classic romance - Jane Eyre*****
3) A book that became a movie - The Exorcist****
4) A book published this year - Heir to the Jedi**
5) A book with a number in the title - 1984****
6) A book written by someone under 30 - Red Rising****
7) A book with non human characters - Dhampir***
8) A funny book - Pride and Prejudice and Zombies**
9)A book by a female author - The Witch With No Name****Kim Harrison
10) A mystery or thriller - Mr. Mercedes***
11) A book with a one word title - Psycho****
12) A book of short stories
13) A book set in a different country - The Accountant's Story: Inside the Violent World of the Medellín Cartel***
14) A nonfiction book - Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything***
15) A popular author's first book - Carrie****Stephen King
16) A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet - The House of Hades***
17) A book a friend recommended - Starship Troopers****
18) A Pulitzer Prize winning book - Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies**
19) A book based on a true story - The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History****
20) A book at the bottom of your to-read list
21) A book your dad loves - False Memory****
22) A book that scares you - The Taking****
23)A book more than 100 years old --The Jungle***
24) A book chosen based entirely on it's cover**Shatter Me
25) A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - The Diary of a Young Girl****
26) A memoir - Night***
27) A book you can finish in a day - A Study in Scarlet***
28) A book with antonyms in the title - Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story****
29) A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - The Mark of Athena...Rome
30) A book that came out the year you were born
31) A book with bad reviews - In the Night Room**
32) A trilogy - Divergent****
33) A book from your childhood - Black Beauty****
34) A book with a love triangle - The Infinite Sea****
35) A book set in the future - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress****
36) A book set in high school - The Catcher in the Rye**
37) A book with a color in the title - Red Seas Under Red Skies****
38) A book that made you cry - Saint Odd****
39) A book with magic The Color of Magic****
40) A graphic novel - The Sandman, Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes***
41) A book by an author you've never read before Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - Michael Lewis
42) A book you own but haven't read yet - Sharpe's Fortress****
43) A book that takes place in your hometown (or surrounding area) - Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life***Indianapolis, IN
44) A book that was originally written in a different language ---Crime and Punishment***
45) A book set during Christmas
46) A book by an author with your same initials -Dreadnought***Cherie Priest
47) A play - Macbeth***
48) A banned book - Slaughterhouse-Five***
49) A book based on or turned into a TV show*The X-Files: Goblins
50) A book you started but never finished - Black Cross****

MARCH CHALLENGE: SPRING BREAK SPELL OUT
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2015

Spring Break is coming soon for students and teachers everywhere. This is the spring break spell out challenge. I love a spell out challenge. For this challenge choose a word that relates to spring break and spell out that word with books.

3/6 Complete

S - Carrie****Stephen King
P - The Exorcist****William Peter Blatty
R
I - Black Cross****Greg Iles
N
G

MARCH CHALLENGE: THE OSCARS
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2015

2/5 COMPLETE

1. The three movies that won the most Oscars were Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, Titanic and Ben-Hur with 11 statuettes each.
Read a book that has won multiple literary awards or a book in which a competition plays an important part.

2. The individual who was awarded the most total Oscars in their lifetime was Walt Disney, who walked away with 22 wins and 4 honorary ones.
Read a book spanning a character's lifetime or read a book that has inspired a Walt Disney film.

3. There are three Best Picture winners with running times longer than three and a half hours - Gone With the Wind, Lawrence of Arabia and Ben-Hur
Read a book over 500 pages or read a classic.


Black Cross****This book is over 500 pages old but I still think you can read if faster than what you can watch Gone With the Wind.

4. The youngest ever actress to win an Oscar was Tatum O'Neal who was 10 years old when she won the Best Supporting Actress award for Paper Moon
Read a book with a child protagonist or read a book where a character's wildest dream comes true.

5. There are only two sequels that have won best picture - The Godfather Part 2 and The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
Read a book that is part of a series or read a book by an author you've read before

6. The first posthumous Oscar winner was Sidney Howard, the 1939 winner for the screenplay of Gone with the Wind
Read a book by an author that is dead or in which the main character deals with death.

7. The most Oscar-nominated family is the Newmans with 88 nominations between them.
Read a book about family or read a book whose author is related to another writer.



Carrie****Stephen King - Joe Hill is his son

8. The very first Academy Awards Ceremony was held in 1929.
Read a book set in the 1920s or read an author's debut novel.

2nd Quarter Challenge: One Hit Wonders
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2015

For this challenge, we're going to explore authors who have only written one book (or one novel). It's all right if the author has published short stories or has been part of a larger collection of published works with other contributors, but he or she can only have one standalone work.

2/3 Complete


The Picture of Dorian Grey***
Oscar Wilde


Black Beauty****
Anna Sewell

2ND QUARTER CHALLENGE: SHARON'S SPRING CHALLENGE
Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2015

8/3

SPRING

1. Spring Ahead! The phrase "Spring forward, Fall back" helps people remember how Daylight Saving Time affects their clocks. At 2 a.m. on the second Sunday in March, we set our clocks forward one hour ahead of Standard Time. Read a book about time travel.


Slaughterhouse-Five***

2. Spring into action - to suddenly begin moving or doing something. Read a book where a character makes an impetuous decision.


Divergent**** - Beatrice had to make a decision on which caste she would spend the rest of her life.

3. Spring is a Season! Spring is one of the four conventional temperate seasons following winter and preceding summer. There are various technical definitions of spring, but local usage of the term varies according to local climate, cultures and customs. When it is spring in the Northern Hemisphere, it will be autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Read a book that takes place in the Spring.

4. A spring is a natural source of water – read a book with water on the cover or that takes place on the water.


The Mark of Athena****

5. Spring, a mechanical device that stores energy. Read a steampunk book - Steampunk is a subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan "What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner." It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes. Most steampunk books have mechanical devices in them.

6. Spring Cleaning. Spring cleaning is the practice of thoroughly cleaning a house in the springtime. The practice of spring cleaning is especially prevalent in climates with a cold winter. The most common usage of spring cleaning refers to the yearly act of cleaning a house from top to bottom which would take place in the first warm days of the year typically in spring, hence the name. However it has also come to be synonymous with any kind of heavy duty cleaning or organizing enterprise. A person who gets their affairs in order before an audit or inspection could be said to be doing some spring cleaning. Read a book that has been on your TBR list the longest.

7. Spring Break is a vacation period in early spring at universities and schools in various countries in the northern hemisphere. Read a book that takes place at a college or during spring break.

8. Spring goes in like a lion and out like a lamb. With March being such a changeable month, in which we can see warm spring-like temperatures or late-season snowstorms, you can understand how this saying might hold true in some instances. We can only hope that if March starts off cold and stormy it will end warm and sunny, but the key word is hope. Read a book where weather plays an important part to the plot.


The Jungle*** Winter and spring floods caused great hardship and tragedy.

9. She’s/He’s no Spring Chicken. New England chicken farmers discovered that chickens born in the Spring bought better prices, rather than old birds that had gone through the winter etc. Sometimes farmers tried to sell the old birds as a new spring born chicken. Smart buyers often complained that a tough fowl was "no spring chicken" and so the term now is used to represent birds (and even people) past their plump and tender years. Read an old favorite or a book you have been putting off reading.


Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game*****

10. Hope Springs Eternal is from a poem An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope – people always hope for the best, even in the face of adversity. Will continue to hope even though they have evidence that things cannot possible turn out the way they want. Read a book of poetry or a book about a poet.


Hyperion***** - Keets had a strange role in this book.

11. Spring to mind - to appear suddenly or immediately in your thoughts. Read a book that was released in 2015 or the newest book on your TBR list.


Heir to the Jedi

12. Spring in his step If you walk with or have a spring in your step, you walk energetically in a way that shows you are feeling happy and confident. Read a book that has a character who exhibits these characteristics or an action genre book.


Stranger in a Strange Land****Many of the characters reached a point of euphoria

APRIL CHALLENGE - CHOCOLATE
Duration: April 1 - April 30th

4/2

1. Cacao: This is the healthiest form of chocolate but it can be very bitter. Read a book with a character who is bitter or resentful.


The Jungle*** Jurgis Rudkus is an immigrant from Lithuania came to America with hope and over time became resentful of the impossible life and working conditions by being trapped in working in the stockyards.

2. Chocolate Liquor: This is the basis for all chocolate and it does not contain any alcohol. Read a book that explores a misconception. This could include a character fighting a stereotype or a bad reputation or even a non fiction book setting the record straight on some topic.


Allegiant*** This book many characters in the book fight stereotypes based on their genetic disposition.

3. Cocoa Butter: This is what makes chocolate taste like we expect it to taste - sweet and smooth. If you like chocolate, read a book by an author you like or something you enjoy. If you dislike chocolate, read a book you wouldn't normally read.

4. Unsweetened Chocolate: Bakers often prefer this type of chocolate because they can control the flavor. Read a book with a controlling character.

5. Bittersweet Chocolate: Dark chocolate and Bittersweet chocolate are the same thing. Read a book where a character goes by different names or has multiple personalities.


Divergent - When Beatrice chooses her new cast she changed herself

6. White Chocolate: White chocolate isn't really chocolate because it doesn't contain chocolate liquor. Read a book about fraud or stolen identity.

7. Cocoa: Cocoa is made by removing fat from chocolate liquor and is often used in low-fat recipes. Read a short story or book with less than 100 pages.

8. Chocolate Coating: Chocolate Coating has a vegetable fat base so it's not real chocolate even though it is often used to make chocolate decorations. Read a book about things that are not quite as they seem.

9. Couverture: Couverture is dark chocolate with extra cocoa butter. It's great for chocolate fountains. Read a book with a celebration or party.

10. Gianduja: This is chocolate made with toasted hazelnuts. Both the Swiss and the Italians claim to have invented it. Read a book set in Europe or that contains a conflict.


Insurgent****There is plenty of conflict whether it is between groups, relationships or the conflict inside of us.

11. Single Bean Chocolate: Selectivity makes this type of chocolate high quality. Read with a character who is rich or extremely picky.

12. Chocolate Oil: There is no such thing as chocolate oil. Read a book with a ghost or mythological creature.

May Challenge: Classics
Duration: May 1 - May 31, 2015

Most of us have plenty of classic books on our to-read lists for longer than we'd like to admit. May's theme is "classics," so it's the perfect time to check some of those books off of our lists! If you're interested, simply sign up with the number of classic books you plan to read this month.

4/2 Comlete


Stranger in a Strange Land**** - 1961


A Study in Scarlet*** - 1887


The Mysterious Affair at Styles** - 1920


Slaughterhouse-Five*** - 1969

June Favorite Pet Challenge: Classics
Duration: June 1 - June 30, 2015

3/1 Complete

We all have a favourite pet/s or know someone who does. So why don't we make June the month to honour them by reading about them.

Rules:
*They can have a picture of an animal on the book's cover

Black Beauty****

*Read about that has the same kind of pet you have in it.
*The book can even be one that has the name of your pet/s within it.

Watchers***

*Read a non-fiction book about an animal/pet

*Some people have exotic pets, read a book with an exotic animal in it.
* Some people have large pets, such as horses or big dogs, read a book over 500 pages.


The House of Hades***585 pages
*Some people prefer small animals that are easy to take care of. Read a book that is 100 pages or less.

June Challenge: Midsummer Festival
Duration: June 1st - June 30th


The theme for June is the longest day, and this is also right around the time that midsummer festivals occur.

Midsummer festivals have different names in different countries. For this challenge, you have two options:
(1) Either pick a name to spell out (using one letter from each book by picking the first letter of a word in the title or one of the author's initials)
(2) Choose a number of countries and read a book that takes place in that country

2/2 Complete

Brazil - Festa Junina
Bulgaria - Nestinarstvo
Canada - St. Johns day
Denmark - sankthans
Estonia - Jaanipäev
Faroe Islands - jóansøka
Finland - Ukon juhla
France - Fête de la Saint-Jean
Germany - Sommersonnenwende

Night****
Greece - Klidonas
Hungary - Szentiván-éj
Iran - Tiregān
Italy - Ferragosto

The House of Hades**
Latvia -Jāņi
Lithuania - Joninės
Norway - Jonsok
Poland - Noc Świętojańska
Romania - Drăgaica
Ukrain/Russia - Ivan Kupala
Scotland - Beltane
Serbia - Igritelj
Spain - San Juan
Sweden - Midsommarafton
Wales - Gŵyl Ifan

THIRD QUARTER CHALLENGE: CLEAR THE SHELVES
Duration: July 1 - September 30, 2015

As we move into the second half of the year, it's time to clear our shelves! Many of us (myself included) have shelves full of books that we haven't read. In my case I buy cheap books at secondhand stores or yard sales so my entire top shelf of my bookcase is full of unread books. Others don't buy books, but have to-read lists that are getting out of control.

Either way, pick a goal and try to clear those many books off your shelves!

Feel free to make this your own - you can add extra requirements, like using a random number generator to select books like our randomizer challenge. You could limit the challenge to books you actually own, or tackle the books that have been on your to-read list the longest.

Read 10 radomized books:
3. The Dark Half**** Read 8/3/15
14. Thief of Lives*** Read 7/26/15
23. The Confustion
34 Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After**Read 8/10/15
36. Black Ice
54. Alice in Wonderland***Read 7/19/15
59. Moby Dick
68. Crime and Punishment***Read 9/13/2015
74. Dreadnought***Read 8/30/15
80. Eternity's Wheel

6/10 Complete

July Challenge: Star Spangled Banner
Duration: July 1 - July 30, 2015

JULY CHALLENGE: STAR SPANGLED BANNER
Duration: July 1 - 31, 2015

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light: Read a book where someone loses their eyesight, or a book where characters meet at dawn.


Thief of Lives***

What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? Read a book where a character learns how to find pride in themselves, or a book where the characters have reached the twilight of their lives.

Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight, Read a book where a character earns stripes in the military, or a book where a character gets in a nasty fight.

O’er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming? Read a book with a fortress (rampart) or a book with someone doing something brave (gallant).


Words of Radiance*****

And the rocket’s red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Read a book with a character that rockets into space or a book that has a character that deals with bombs going off around him/her.


The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Read a book where a character has to prove something, or a book about early America.


Rebel Yell: The Violence, Passion, and Redemption of Stonewall Jackson*****

Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave Read a book with the word star in the title, orread a book with the American flag on the the cover.


Stardust****

O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave? Read a book where a character migrates to the US, or a book about Native Americans.

5/5 Books

August Challenge: THE TRAVEL CHALLENGE
Duration: August 1 - August 31, 2015

August's theme is holidays abroad, so let's travel through books! Set a goal for the number of miles or kilometers you plan to travel. With every book you read, choose the setting (or settings) and calculate how many miles there are between that point and the previous point using this calculator.

Starting Point
Indianapolis, Indiana
First book: The Dark Half****
- Castle Rock, Maine (1,098miles)

Second book: In the Night Room**
- Misthaven, Massachusetts (165 miles)

Third Book: Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life***
- Indianapolis, Indiana (949 miles)

Fourth Book: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After**
- London, UK (3,987 miles)

Fifth Book: The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History***
- Paris, France (292 miles)

Sixth Book: Dreadnought***
- Seattle, Washington (4,994 miles)

Seventh Book: The 100**
- Virginaish (2,802 miles)

Grand Total 14,285 miles

Make Your Own Pizza
Duration: September 1 - September 30, 2015

Use ingredients found within the book to make your own pizza.
Goal - Calozone

5/6 Complete

1. Sausage - The Diary of a Young Girl****
2. Chicken - Feed****
3. Olives - David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants****
4. Cheese - Jane Eyre*****
5. Hamburger - Crime and Punishment*****

September Challenge: Back to School
Duration: September 1 - September 30, 2015

5/2 Complete

Fall means that it is time for children and some of us to go back to school. It's time to open up books and learn something new.

1. Get supplies: before we start school we need to buy our notebooks and pencils, and stores love to offer us deals to get our business. Read a book about economics or a book written about running a business.

2. Find out your schedule: one of the first things we get when we start back at school is our daily schedules. Read a book about time management or a book about someone who is learning how to get control over their busy schedule.

3. Time to study: it is always important to be prepared to learn and work hard when we go to school. Read a book about American education or about a character starting school.


Jane Eyre*****

4. Reading: becoming literate is why we go to school. Read a book about your favorite subject in school or from your favorite genre.

5. Writing: Learning how to write starts from Kindergarten and goes till the 12th grade. Read a memoir or a book about an author.


The Diary of a Young Girl****

6. Arithmetic: adding, subtracting, multiplication and division are all about numbers, so why did they add so many letters? Read a book about mathematics or a book with a number in the title.


Eight Men Out: The Black Sox and the 1919 World Series****


7. Time for homework: the best days are the ones when you don’t have any, but that almost never happens. Read a book about subject you did not enjoy in school or a book you should have read in school.


Crime and Punishment***

8. So did we learn anything? there are many reasons why people go to school: to get a job, to become smarter, or to make our parents happy. Read a book about psychology or a book about someone trying to achieve something.



David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants***

There are several opportunities in this challenge to increase the number of non-fiction books you read (and that is on purpose). Enjoy!

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.
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

19 Total Books

FALL BACK CHALLENGE

Duration: October 1, 2015 - October 31, 2015

5/3 Complete

“Fall Back” is not simply a saying for daylight savings time! We start many sentences with those two words and each has a different meaning.

1. Fall Back in Time – Like to reminisce about the past or get lost in your memories? Read a book about travelling back in time, a historical fiction novel or a non-fiction history book.


The Demon Lover***Historical Fiction

2. Fall Back to Sleep – Is there anything better than falling back to sleep when you are still tired? Read a book where a character realizes big dreams or where a character’s dreams haunt or otherwise affect their waking hours.


False Memory****Dreams and nightmares keeps the man characters up at night.

3. Fall Back in Love – There is nothing like having love return after a dry spell! Read a love story where the characters are taking a second chance on love – successfully or unsuccessfully!


4. Fall Back on Family – No matter what your definition of family is, there is nothing like being able to count on them! Read a book about a family’s togetherness or a family’s dysfunctionality.


Something Wicked This Way Comes***A father and son are connected.


5. Fall Back on Good Friends – Many are the experiences we share with good friends! Read a book about an amazing or difficult experience shared by friends.


The Book Thief
6. Fall Back on Strength – Sometimes we have to reach deep within ourselves or rely on the strength of others to overcome obstacles. Read a book where the main character finds the strength (internal or external) to overcome difficulties they face.


Shatter Me**The main character had to find the strength to keep from going insane.

7. Fall Back – Sometimes we must retreat or give ground in order to achieve our goals and/or find peace. Read a book where the character(s) must go back before they can move forward.

8. Fall Back! –Sometimes you just need to let someone know they need to calm down and back off. Read a book where the main character is able to overcome another character who tries to block their success.

9. Fall Back on Old Habits – Our routines can help us or keep us from growing. Read a book where the main character struggles to change his/her ways or where his/her habits help to solve problems for him/her or for others.

10. Fall Back, Spring Ahead – This daylight savings time adage helps us to remember which direction to set our clocks. Read a book about time travel, that takes place in the fall or spring, or that has fall or spring in the title.

FOURTH QUARTER CHALLENGE: FROM THE PAGE TO THE SCREEN.
Duration: October 1, 2015 - December 31st, 2015

5/5 Complete

With the holidays coming up, it's the most popular time for movie releases. Several of the upcoming movies are based off of popular books. From Frankenstein to The Martian, our beloved books are getting some time on the big screen. Many favorites have been made into films over the years, and it's always interesting to see how the movie compares to the book.

For this challenge, simply choose a number of books that have movie adaptations to read during the quarter. Bonus points if you watch the movie - and if you do, tell us what you think of the differences (mark your spoilers, of course).



1.Something Wicked This Way Comes***
2.The Color of Magic****
3.The Book Thief*****
4.Macbeth***
5.Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story****

TOWER TEAM IV: TEAM HADES
Duration: October 1, 2015 - 25,000 points

The Child Thief****
Macbeth***
Dark Disciple****
The Blood of Olympus*****
Jewels: A Secret History***
Six of Crows****
Rebel Queen****

Total Points Earned 360 pts

NOVMEBER REMEMBERANCE CHALLANGE
Duration: November 1 - November 30, 2015

Completed 5/3
Many societies, cultures, and countries take time out of their year for remembrance holidays. This November, let us remember these important moments with them:

1. Ash Wednesday, the start of Lent (Christian faiths): This holiday celebrates the 40 days Jesus fasted in the desert, where he resisted temptation by Satan. Read a book about giving up something, or about resisting temptation.


Dark Disciple****It's always challenging to resist the dark side.

2. March 9th, Baron Bliss Day (Belize): A day to remember the fourth Barron Bliss of Portugal, who died off the coast of Belize and left the country 2 million dollars in a trust fund. His money established libraries, museums, health clinics, and the water supply system, making him the greatest benefactor of the country. Read a book about the establishment of a charity or public works project, or a book which features a great benefactor.


Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil: A Savannah Story involves public work projects and charities for restoring Savannah's historic district. (I've been and it is a must to see if you ever have the chance).

3. 15th day after the Spring Equinox, Qingming Festival (China/Taiwan): A celebration for the equivalent of "spring cleaning" for the columbarium, graves, and burial grounds of ancestors while honoring their ancestors. Read a book which takes place at a gravesite, or which features paying homage.



4. 27th of Nisan, Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day (Israel/Jewish faith): An observation of Israel's day of commemoration for the ~6 million Jews who perished in the Holocaust. Read a book about the Holocaust, or which features World War II.

5. May 4th, Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands): This national holiday is immediately followed by Liberation Day on May 5th, constituting one remembrance for both victims and liberation. Read a book about a liberation, or a book prominently featuring holidays.

6. May 9th, Europe Day (European Union): A celebration of the commemoration of the Schuman Declaration, proposing the principle founding ideas of the European Union. Read a book featuring the unification of groups of people, or which features a council working to defend democracy or the rule of law.


The Blood of Olympus - The Greeks and Romans had to come together to save the world.

7. Last Monday in May, Memorial Day (USA): A day to remember the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. Read a book which remembers a war hero, or tells a story of a group of people surviving against all odds.


The Child Thief A group of boys/girls trying to survive in a magical land against a superior force.

8. 15th day of the 7th lunar month, Obon Festival (Japan/Buddhist faith): The origin of this festival from a story in which a disciple of Buddha uses supernatural powers to see his deceased mother suffering in her after-life. Buddha encourages his disciple to make offerings and witness his mother's release. The disciple danced with joy, making dancing and offerings central to this family reunion holiday. Read a book about a family reunion or a book which highlights a form of dancing.

9. August 15th, India Independence Day (India): The celebration of independence from the British Empire. Read a book set in India, or read a book about a country achieving independence.


Rebel Queen****

10. September 11th, Anniversary of the Twin Towers Collapsing (USA): A day to remember a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States. Read a book involving a terrorist plot, or a book set during the collapse of the Twin Towers.

11. October 31-November 2, Dia de Muertos, Day of the Dead (Mexico): A gathering of family and friends to pray for and remember family members who have died, and support their spiritual journey. Read a book about a spiritual journey, or a book which celebrates the deceased.

12. November 11th, Poppy Day/Armistice Day (Commonwealth of Nations): The First World War remembrance day celebrated by the Commonwealth of Nations. Read a book set during the First World War, or a book which features the fall of an empire.