The Bookworm Challenge discussion

Another year, more reading challenges! It's time to start thinking about categories for the 2021 Bookworm Challenge.

For all who would like to participate next year, please start sending your suggestions for themes, genres, etc. for both the year-long challenges and monthly specials to this thread. I will collect your responses and create another survey as we have done in the past and we'll all vote on the ones we'd like to see for 2021. Don't be afraid to mix it up a little bit and step outside your comfort zones. I know many of you have found books that you loved that you never would have read without these challenges!

Also, tell us how you liked the BINGO challenge, or if you'd like to try something new. Feel free to send in suggestions about other fun ideas we can consider adding to the group. I really appreciate all of you who participate and feedback to the group! As for the rest of you, please join us in the coming year!

Stephanie

Yay! I love this time of year! :)

I liked the book bingo a lot and would be open to doing it again next year. I'd also be open to a different idea, but I really liked the "bonus" aspect of the bingo challenge.

Here are my ideas (I am a true nerd and start a list several months in advance. :) )

books published in different decades
-ing word in title
two word title, with first word "the" (like, The Shining)
science fiction (I love fantasy, but would enjoy a switch to sci-fi)
has the word "book" in title
main character has a job in stem field
main character has a job in arts field
title is related to music (I'm thinking more of terminology than song lyrics, but whatever...)
books from Great American Reads top 100 list
road trip books
single word title
books set during your lifetime
books set before you were born
books on your tbr for over a year (pre-2020)
royalty title in title (like, The Queen's Gambit) - also includes emperor, pharaoh, etc.

Can't wait to see everybody else's ideas!

I also liked the BINGO challenge. It gave a lot of variety.
I like Rhonda's ideas. I was also thinking of the different decades as a possibility for a bonus challenge like the A-Z ones we've done.
Always like mystery and science fiction
Finger crushers - good incentive to read those long books
Mixed genre (like scifi and mystery The Last Policeman for example)
Superheroes
Urban fantasy
Alternate universe
Time travel

All good stuff, ladies! Thanks for sharing your creative ideas.

@Wanda - on the Decades idea, how would that look? One book from each decade, starting in 1900? Up to the present?

@All - on the BINGO challenge, did you like that your points went to your total? Or would it be better to separate them? We aren't really playing to "win" but.... 😉

I had another thought on another challenge we could do. I'm calling it the Geography Challenge - read books set on one of the 7 continents and each of the 5 oceans. One book per continent/ocean. The oceans part is a bit more difficult since most of us DON'T read sailing books so I'm having to think about how that might play out...

I like that the bingo challenge earned points and that those books couldn't be included on your other challenges. I let my A to Z list get out dated because it's a bit cumbersome for me to put a book in the monthly/yearly/bingo challenge, my own goodreads account, and the A to Z list.

I also liked the bingo because it was an opportunity for more specific categories. For example, challenges like spies, westerns, or steampunk might be a bit too specific for a monthly or yearly challenge, but they work great for bingo. It's a bit of a scavenger hunt to find the right book.

Not only am I a reading nerd, I am also a history buff. With that being said, I have a few ideas to add to the ever-evolving list....

Historical nonfiction (It's not all boring...😊)
Written in the 19th century (1800s)
Tear jerkers
Light and Lively (make you laugh, an easy read, etc.)
Foreign Setting (Yes, I know we did this in 2020, but I 💗 this one!!)
Things that Make You Go Hmmm (mysteries, thrillers, suspense, etc.)
Complete a Series (Minimum of 5 books in a series)
Wartime Fiction (WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Iraq, etc.)

Stephanie wrote: "All good stuff, ladies! Thanks for sharing your creative ideas.

@Wanda - on the Decades idea, how would that look? One book from each decade, starting in 1900? Up to the present?

@All - on the BI..."

I like the idea of doing the Bingo again for the same reasons others have mentioned. - only need 1 book rather than a challenge to read 5, incentive to step out of your comfort zone, extra points to help out those people who might not finish all the challenge categories

Also like the the idea of the geography challenge. If we decided the oceans were too difficult it could be expanded to seas or lakes.

I was thinking of the decade challenge as well. Maybe it could replace the alphabet challenge. My thinking was that we start with 1850-1859, 1860-1869, etc. All the way to 2020. It would have to be original publishing dates.

Some other suggestions for challenges:

Memoirs/biographies
Poetry/short story collections
Over 500 pages
Historical fiction
YA
Books by one author
Books with certain words in the title: colour, name, place, holiday etc.
Cover love
Goodreads choice awards
Books with a tv or movie adaptation

Stephanie wrote: "All good stuff, ladies! Thanks for sharing your creative ideas.

@Wanda - on the Decades idea, how would that look? One book from each decade, starting in 1900? Up to the present?

@All - on the BI..."

Yes, one per decade. I thought going back as far as the reader wanted. But we would need to go back to at least 1760 to have as many entries as the alphabet.

I’m assuming the decade challenge would be like the A-Z where the books can count for other things? I like that idea. It sounds like a lot of fun.

We will also have to decide if the decade starts at year zero or year one. I’m in the “1” camp. 😂

Wanda wrote: "I also liked the BINGO challenge. It gave a lot of variety.
I like Rhonda's ideas. I was also thinking of the different decades as a possibility for a bonus challenge like the A-Z ones we've done.
..."

Alternate Universe?? Yes, please! :)

Rhonda wrote: "I’m assuming the decade challenge would be like the A-Z where the books can count for other things? I like that idea. It sounds like a lot of fun.

We will also have to decide if the decade starts..."

I would prefer to start with 0 because I feel like 1950-1959 are the 50s decade. It won't make a lot of difference as far as the reading is concerned.

Connie wrote: "Rhonda wrote: "I’m assuming the decade challenge would be like the A-Z where the books can count for other things? I like that idea. It sounds like a lot of fun.

We will also have to decide if th..."

Oh, I know. It's not that big of a deal. My math brain just prefers the other way. After all, there was no year "0". (I'm one of those people who insisted the new millennium started in 2001, not 2000.) I'll do whatever y'all decide.

CIVIL RIGHTS/BLACK HISTORY
westerns
goodreads choice winners
TBR list for over a year FOR SURE i need this motivation haha
Books by the same author
books published in the same year
Rereads
Books with a common word in the title (not TOO easy like "the" haha)
supernatural/mythical creature
retellings
Author's first book (although i was thinking if an author you pick writes poetry and novels but you dont like poetry and thats their first one, you could go with their first NOVEL yknow?)
I love the "finish a series" idea that someone suggested above!
Books with magic
Book based on a true story
a book more than a hundred years old/books of a certain age
Author/s with your initials
Detective books
Books with twins
Books with gods
Books with pirates
Cowboys
Aliens
Books with revenge
Spy stories
Books of rescue stories
Books in space
Books with a question in the title
Robots
Books with ‘s in the title (apostrophe-S)
Books that never fit a category!! --loved having that one this year.
Group members' favourites - we create a discussion topic and everyone posts their 5 star rated books. If we get enough suggestions it could be used for one of the monthly challenges. (or i guess you could look at member's profiles and see what theyve rated 5 stars)
time travel

IS THIS TOO MANY?! i love this time of year haha

I really enjoyed the books set on 7 continents when we did it a few years ago.
Also nonfiction, historical fiction, and books in a series.
I never have time to read anymore but I’m still trying to keep up!

Also I had a thought, could we count finger crushers as 2 points? I always put off reading them in favor of shorter books, but I have a few I’d like to get to.

I am really loving everyone's ideas.

My daughter, Emily, started reading through the Great American Reads list this year and has gotten me interested as well. That might be a nice choice if you chose a famous list category.
I loved the bingo challenge. It was fun to hunt down certain subjects or read outside of my usual reading genres. I like counting it for points.
I also loved the wildcard slot. It was nice to have an anything goes spot or an extension of a favorite genre.
I also really liked the nonfiction category that could allow you to read any nonfiction (histories, memoirs, self-help, current events, religous, etc.)

Can't believe it´s time for a new year challenge!

I think the idea getting two points for finger crushers is very good. I also tend to leaving the big ones on the shelf...

I did not dislike the Bingo challenge but would rather try a different one.

I like both the decade challenge and the geographic challenge.

I have some category suggestions

- sea/lake/waterway stories
- books on books or reading
- gothic novels
- poetry
- winter/snow/ice stories
- stories in a theater och concert hall setting
- books set in the country in which you live
- childhood/coming of age stories
- magical realism
- books with color in the title
- books with a number in the title
- stories in an academic/school setting
- new stories with old literary characters ( for example Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot, Peter Wimsey)

Thank you for continuing this group! I love it and is very much looking forward to next year!

ooh i like the idea of new stories with old literary characters! a new james bond came out a few years ago i was interested in reading

How about Second Chance? Books you didn't finish but others seem to like. Maybe I'll finally finish Sound and the Fury or War and Peace. Or not.

Books you own! Could be rereads or just ones that you've been meaning to read..

I remembered another one I wanted to suggest.

something in the sky in the title (sun, star, clouds, plane, bird, etc.)

Michelle wrote: "Books you own! Could be rereads or just ones that you've been meaning to read.."

Yes. I could do more than a year of just that one! LOL

Oh my gosh! You guys are amazing, so many great ideas! I love that you are all so enthusiastic, it makes me feel so happy!

I'll be closing this thread for new suggestions this week (by Friday) and getting the poll set up this weekend. You'll get to vote through December 27th. Connie and I will review the top selections and make our choices for 2021. I hope to have it all posted on New Year's Eve so we'll be ready to rock on January 1st.

1. Lost books - on your TBR file for 3 years or more
2. Book Ladder - choose your first book, the second book must contain one of the Author's names, first name or last name, from the prior book. Repeat until you have read 5 books
3. Books from Oprah's book Club
4. Romance - don't think we have ever had this genre before
5.Loved the Goodreads award winners challenge
6. books with a dual timeline
7. Books written by an Indigenous author
8. Books by an Author who uses initials
9. Family member's favourite book

Can't wait to start the new year!

Cathy wrote: "1. Lost books - on your TBR file for 3 years or more
2. Book Ladder - choose your first book, the second book must contain one of the Author's names, first name or last name, from the prior book. R..."

Whoa, that Book Ladder idea sounds very intriguing, not heard of that one before! We may try that one, or a variation on that idea... My wheels are turning on this one.....

Cathy wrote: "1. Lost books - on your TBR file for 3 years or more
2. Book Ladder - choose your first book, the second book must contain one of the Author's names, first name or last name, from the prior book. R..."

Stephanie wrote: "Oh my gosh! You guys are amazing, so many great ideas! I love that you are all so enthusiastic, it makes me feel so happy!

I'll be closing this thread for new suggestions this week (by Friday) and..."

I love the lost book challenge!

Last call! I'll close this thread later tonight. If anyone has any more great ideas to add, send 'em in now!

I am so excited! I love the Bookworm challenge, its participants, and awesome moderators! Let’s go 2021.

Definitely books you own! I have so many I never get to! I like historical fiction and the geography challenge would be interesting.