Bookish Challenges discussion

Yearly Challenge 2025


Sign-ups are open throughout 2025.
The challenge will end on December 31, 2025.

The Challenge

1. Comment here to sign up and I will create a challenge thread for you. You can sign up at any point during the year but only for the months that are left. Example: If you join in January, you will be able to participate in the months January-December. If you join in March, you will be able to participate in the months March-December.

2. Each month, I will post prompts surrounding a specific theme to your thread. There will be 9 prompts each month, divided into 3 levels. For the completion of a level 1 prompt, you will receive 1 point. For level 2, you will receive 2 points and for level 3 it will be 3 points.
To receive each month's Book Award, please complete one prompt in each level. You can complete as many prompts as you want and are able to and in any order. Note that only books completed in the respective months will be accepted.

3. You have 3 free skips throughout the challenge but you can only use one free skip each month. To skip a prompt, please read a book that meets the general guidelines.
If you are out of free skips or want to use another skip in that month, you can either:
- spend 2 points to complete a prompt from a previous month,
- spend 3 points to complete a prompt from the current month twice or
- spend 5 points to read a book that meets the general guidelines.

4. Please make a completion post in your thread using this template:

Book:
Author:
Date completed:
Task:
How it fits:

5. If you don't have a personal point account thread yet, request one here.

January - New Beginnings


Level 1
✅1. A book by an author you've never read before.
✅2. A book that starts a new series.
3. A book by a debut author.

Level 2
1. A book published in 2025.
✅2. A book about personal growth or change.
3. A book with "new," "begin," or "start" in the title.

Level 3
1. A book set during the start of a new year or a new season.
✅2. A book set in the future or involving a fresh start.
✅3. A book recommended by someone else to "start your year right."

Book: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
Date completed: 7 jan 2024
Task: Level 1 - 1 -
How it fits: Liz Moore is new to me author

✅

Book: The Immortals of Meluha by Amish Tripathi
Date completed: 10 jan 2024
Task: Level 1 - 2
How it fits: Starts the Shiva Trilogy

✅

Book: The House of Lost Secrets by Anstey Harris
Date completed: 18 jan 2024
Task: Level 3-2
How it fits: involves fresh start for Jo

✅

Book: James by Percival Everett
Date completed: 20 jan 2024
Task: Level 3-3
How it fits: Recommended by friends to start with year with a heart rendering tale

✅

Book: The Fury by Alex Michaelides
Date completed: 23 jan 2024
Task: Level 2-2
How it fits: Deals with personal growth of protagonist and how he evolves from initial years of bullying to what he is today

✅

February - Love Around the World


Level 1
✅1. A romance novel or a book with a love story.
✅2. A book set in a different country than the one you live in.
3. A book by a diverse or international author (your interpretation).

Level 2
✅1. A book with a pink or red cover (50%+).
✅2. A book about friendship, family, or other non-romantic love.
✅3. A book with a travel element (road trip, vacation, etc.).

Level 3
1. A book with "heart," "love," or "passion" in the title.
✅2. A book with food, music, or art as a central theme.
✅3. A book with a famous couple or relationship at its core.

Book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Date completed: 02 feb 2024
Task: Level 2, 2
How it fits: To. me the book was about found family for Liesel - be it be her foster parents, Max or her friend Rudy and the love they shared

✅

Book: Rouge by Mona Awad
Date completed: 07 feb 2024
Task: Level 1, 2
How it fits: Set in US - I live in London

✅

Book: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata
Date completed: 13 feb 2024
Task: Level 1, 1
How it fits: Book with love story

✅

Book: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Date completed: 15 feb 2024
Task: Level 2, 1
How it fits: A lot of travelling takes place as the characters embark on a journey to save the pirate society from kidnapping

✅

Book: Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
Date completed: 22 feb 2024
Task: Level 2, 3
How it fits: a lot of travel is involved as the vampires move from one place to another

✅

Book: Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty
Date completed: 26 feb 2024
Task: Level 3, 3
How it fits: Famous tennis coaching couple are the MCs

✅

Book: The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai
Date completed: 27 feb 2024
Task: Level 3, 2
How it fits: Food central theme

March - Mysteries & Adventures


Level 1
✅1. A mystery, thriller, or adventure book.
✅2. A book set in a place you've never visited.
✅3. A book with a one-word title.

Level 2
✅1. A book with a detective or amateur sleuth.
✅2. A book by an author known for mysteries or thrillers.
✅3. A book with a plot twist you didn’t see coming.

Level 3
✅1. A book featuring a chase or hunt.
2. A book with "dark," "shadow," or "hidden" in the title.
✅3. A book with an unreliable narrator.

Nistha wrote: "Book: The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai
Date completed: 27 feb 2024
Task: Level 3, 2
How it fits: Food central theme"
✅

Book: The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
Date completed: 03 Feb 2025
Task: Level 2, 1
How it fits: Molly is amateur sleuth

✅

Book: The Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight
Date completed: 04 Feb 2025
Task: Level 3, 1
How it fits: Chris's boss, Barry Miller is being chased by a shady gangster

Book: Listen for the Lie by Amy Tintera
Date completed: 4 Mar 25
Task: 3,3
How it fits: Unreliable narrator as she has memory loss of what happened on the day of murder

✅

Book: The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
Date completed: 13 Mar 25
Task: 1,2
How it fits: Set in China and USA both I havent visited

✅

Book: Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson
Date completed: 21 Mar 25
Task: 2,2
How it fits: Holly Jackson known for this type especially with this series

✅

Book: Falling by T.J. Newman
Date completed: 21 Mar 25
Task: 1,3
How it fits: one word title

✅

Book: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper
Date completed: 25 Mar 25
Task: 2,3
How it fits: There is a death that happens at the end unexpectedly which was unforeseen, was also shocked to hear Felix's story and why he was so rude to the girls

✅

Book: The Wind Whales of Ishmael by Philip José Farmer
Date completed: 27 Mar 25
Task: 1,1
How it fits: Adventure book of Ishmael, lone survivor of the doomed whaling ship Pequod, which falls through a rift in time and space to a future Earth

✅

April - Blossoming Stories


Level 1
✅1. A book with flowers, trees, or nature on the cover.
2. A book with a predominantly green cover.
✅3. A book where a character overcomes a challenge.

Level 2
✅1. A book about growth or transformation.
✅2. A book about self-discovery.
✅3. A book that feels "uplifting" or hopeful.

Level 3
1. A book with "spring" or "bloom" in the title.
✅2. A book set in a rural or nature-focused setting.
3. A book inspired by or involving mythology.

Book & Author: The Walnut Mansion by Miljenko Jergović
Date Read: 02 Apr 25
Level: 1,1
How it fits: nature on cover - sea / mountains / some bushes or trees

Book & Author: The Half-Stitched Amish Quilting Club by Wanda E. Brunstetter
Date Read: 01 Apr 25
Level: 2,3
How it fits: Uplifting and hopeful as all characters initially start with very bad or shitty lives, only to become better at the end

Book: The Crimson Moth by Kristen Ciccarelli
Date completed: 08 Apr 25
Task: 2,2
How it fits: Self discovery of Rune and what it means to be a witch actually

✅

Book: The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale
Date completed: 08 Apr 25
Task: 1,3
How it fits: MC overcomes the challenge to become a female reporter by putting herself in danger and getting a brave story

Book: The Favourites by Layne Fargo
Date completed: 14 Apr 25
Task: 2,1
How it fits: the book is about character transformation of MC as she navigates life and changes from a competitive person to someone who cares more about people around her