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3RC Reading Challenge
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge: Erica
Mod
Just to shake things up a bit more and keep them really random, I'm throwing caution...and my OCD...to the wind for this challenge. Your prompts will be given to you in random orders, with everyone following a different path. I'll be tracking your prompts on a separate spreadsheet to make sure we don't miss one.
If you would like to pick your starting place, tell me your favorite number between 1 and 72 before March 31st.
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Popular at lumberjack competitions, Axe Throwing is a sport in which players throw an axe at a target, attempting to reach the bulls-eye.
On the target, the outside ring is worth 1 point, the second ring is worth 2 points, and so on with the bulls-eye worth 5 points. In a game, each player is allowed 5 throws with a maximum of 25 points possible.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🪓 1. Read a book with all the letters of AXE in the title.
🪓 2. Read a book with a 25 intact in the page count or publication date.
🪓 3. Read a book a round object, like a target, on the cover.
🪓 4. Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in LUMBERJACK.
Prompt # / Name: #3: Axe ThrowingBook: Open Season
Author: C.J. Box
Date Read: 4/3
Pages: 278
Task: Read a book where the MC's first initial is found in LUMBERJACK
How it Fits: MC's first name is Joe
Mod
Facebook has more users than many major populations.
At 2.89 billion monthly users, Facebook overshadows China's (1.4 billion) and India's (1.3 billion) populations.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
ƒ 1. Read a book where social media is used/mentioned.
ƒ 2. Read a book set in China.
ƒ 3. Read a book with all the letters of FACEBOOK found in the title.
ƒ 4. Read a book where at least two of these digits are found in the publication date: 2, 8, 9.
Prompt # / Name: #17: FacebookBook: We Solve Murders
Author: Richard Osman
Date Read: 4/8
Pages: 444
Task: Read a book where at least two of these digits are found in the publication date: 2, 8, 9
How it Fits: First published Sept. 17, 2024
Mod
Zorbing is considered a recreational sport that involves rolling down a hill in a transparent plastic orb – essentially a “hamster ball."
It is generally used on hills, but can also be used on water, as well as flat surfaces. Orbs with no harnesses can carry up to three people, whereas a harnessed orb can only carry 1 or 2.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐹 1. Read a book with a Z in the title.
🐹 2. Read a book with something made of plastic on the cover.
🐹 3. Read a book with the word TRANSPARENT found in the text.
🐹 4. Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER.
Prompt # / Name: #72: ZorbingBook: The Book of Night Women
Author: Marlon James
Date Read: 4/14
Pages: 427
Task: Read a book where the author's last name ENDS with a letter in HAMSTER
How it Fits: Author's last name ends in an S
Mod
Baby elephants suck their trunks for comfort.
They're just like human newborns making funny faces, except a tad bigger.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐘 1. Read a book you found comforting.
🐘 2. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
🐘 3. Read a book tagged FUNNY any number of times.
🐘 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in NEWBORNS.
Prompt # / Name: #67: Baby ElephantsBook: Mrs. Pollifax Unveiled
Author: Dorothy Gilman
Date Read: 4/18
Pages: 216
Task: Read a book you found comforting
How it Fits: This is one of my very favorite authors, and there was a fantastic interview with her at the end of the audiobook - very comforting since she is no longer alive.
Mod
Surprisingly, the sporting event of climbing a greased-up slippery pole is quite common around the world.
These traditional events are essentially the same - there is a long pole covered in grease, lard, or some other lubricant, and participants attempt to climb or walk along the pole to get to the other end, where there may be a prize or flag to recover.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎁 1. Read a book where a character climbs something.
🎁 2. Read a book where the title does NOT start with a letter in GREASY POLE.
🎁 3. Read a book where the MC wins a prize of any type.
🎁 4. Read a book with the word FLAG found in the text.
Prompt # / Name: #27: Greasy Pole ClimbingBook: White Fang: The Whole Story
Author: Jack London
Date Read: 4/18
Pages: 237
Task: Read a book where a character climbs something
How it Fits: White Fang climbs on top of the chicken coop to get at the chickens inside.
Mod
Frank Lloyd Wright's son invented Lincoln Logs.
The famous architect's design for the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo inspired John Lloyd Wright to produce the interlocking log beams on a much smaller scale for kids.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🪵 1. Read a book where the author goes by 3 names.
🪵 2. Read a book with at least 3 Ls in the title.
🪵 3. Read a book with a log/tree on the cover.
🪵 4. Read a book set in Japan.
Prompt # / Name: #43: Lincoln LogsBook: The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate: Discoveries from a Secret World
Author: Peter Wohlleben
Date Read: 4/24
Pages: 272
Task: Read a book with a log/tree on the cover
How it Fits: There are three trees on the cover
Mod
Chocolate is (kinda) a fruit.
In more great chocolate news, the cocoa powder that goes into our fave best dark chocolate bars comes from the "beans" — or fruit of the cacao tree.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
❓1. Read a book with a brown cover. {Your discretion.}
❓2. Read a book with all the letters of CACAO found in the title.
❓3. Read a book with the word BEANS found in the text.
❓4. Read a book where a character gets great news.
Prompt # / Name: #59: A Fruit?Book: The Falcon Thief: A True Tale of Adventure, Treachery, and the Hunt for the Perfect Bird
Author: Joshua Hammer
Date Read: 4/30
Pages: 336
Task: Read a book with all the letters of CACAO found in the title.
How it Fits: the fAlCOn thief, A true tale of adventure, treaChery...
Mod
Fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia.
Irrationally scared of clowns? You might have coulrophobia. Oh, and gephyrophobia is a fear of bridges.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
1️⃣3️⃣ 1. Read a book where someone has a great fear of something.
1️⃣3️⃣ 2. Read a book with a number, a clown, or a bridge on the cover.
1️⃣3️⃣ 3. Read a book with the number 13 intact in the page count or publication date.
1️⃣3️⃣ 4. Read a book where the first letter of each word in the title is found in TRISKAIDEKAPHOBIA. {3-word minimum}
Prompt # / Name: #46: TriskaidekaphobiaBook: Savage Run
Author: C.J. Box
Date Read:
Pages: 304
Task: Read a book where someone has a great fear of something.
How it Fits: Rancher Joe Fanata has a great fear of being blown up by the cow he is strapped to with explosives (he is).
Mod
The hashtag symbol is technically called an octothorpe.
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, the "octo-" prefix refers to the eight points on the popular symbol, but the "thorpe" remains a mystery. One theory claims that it comes from the Old English word for "village," based on the idea that the symbol looks like a village surrounded by eight fields!
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
#️⃣ 1. Read a book with an MPG of MYSTERY.
#️⃣ 2. Read a book with an 8 in the page count.
#️⃣ 3. Read a book with all the letters of THORPE in the title.
#️⃣ 4. Read a book with the word VILLAGE found in the text.
Prompt # / Name: #1: OctothorpeBook: The Andromeda Strain
Author: Michael Crichton
Date Read: 5/9
Pages: 288
Task: Read a book with an 8 in the page count.
How it Fits: There are two 8's in the page count.
Mod
Like Arm Wrestling or Thumb Wrestling, Toe Wrestling involves two competitors who lock bare feet in an attempt to pin the other person’s foot to the ground for at least 3 seconds.
There tends to be 3 rounds played with the winner having the best 2 out of 3.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👣 1. Read a book where a character does something you think is gross.
👣 2. Read a book where toes/feet are visible on the cover.
👣 3. Read a book you would rate between 2 and 3 stars.
👣 4. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in TOE and ends with a letter in WRESTLING.
Prompt # / Name: #48: Toe WrestlingBook: Britt-Marie Was Here
Author: Fredrik Backman
Date Read: 5/13
Pages: 324
Task: Read a book you would rate between 2 and 3 stars.
How it Fits: I rated this book 3 stars.
Mod
The unicorn is the national animal of Scotland.
Yes, although it's a fabled creature, the national animal of Scotland is actually the mythical unicorn — chosen because of its association with dominance and chivalry as well as purity and innocence in Celtic mythology. BRB, moving to Scotland real quick.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦄 1. Read a book set in Scotland.
🦄 2. Read a book with all the letters of UNICORN found in the title.
🦄 3. Read a book tagged MYTHOLOGY any number of times.
🦄 4. Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in CELTIC.
Prompt # / Name: #10 National Animal of ScotlandBook: The Mammoth Hunters
Author: Jean M. Auel
Date Read: 5/17
Pages: 690
Task: Read a book where the author's first initial is NOT found in CELTIC.
How it Fits: Author's first initial is J, not in CELTIC.
Mod
There are over 10 holidays that celebrate chocolate.
The National Confectioners Association recognizes everything from National Milk Chocolate Day to National Bittersweet Chocolate With Almonds Day. National Chocolate Day alone happens three times annually: July 7, October 28 and December 28.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🍫 1. Read a book where a character eats chocolate.
🍫 2. Read a book where the same type of thing happens at least 3 times.
🍫 3. Read a book with a bittersweet ending.
🍫 4. Read a book where the MC's FIRST initial is NOT found in ALMONDS.
Prompt # / Name: #58: Chocolate HolidaysBook: In This Grave Hour
Author: Jacqueline Winspear
Date Read: 5/18
Pages: 368
Task: Read a book with a bittersweet ending.
How it Fits: MC Maisie Dobbs solves the murders of 4 men but sadly, the murderer killed them because he thought they killed his older brother with malice when in fact it had been done in compassion to end his suffering. Also bittersweet because it's the start of WWII.
Mod
The Crown Jewels contain the two biggest cut diamonds on Earth.
They both came from the Cullinan Diamond, a 3,106-carat gem found in South Africa in 1905. The largest stone, called the Great Star of Africa, is in the Sovereign's Sceptre, while the second largest is mounted in the Imperial State Crown (pictured).
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👑 1. Read a book with a crown on the cover.
👑 2. Read a book set at least partially in Africa.
👑 3. Read a book with a royal character.
👑 4. Read a book with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 3, 1, 0, 6.
Prompt # / Name: #11: Crown JewelsBook: Uprooted
Author: Naomi Novik
Date Read: 5/21
Pages: 438
Task: Read a book with a royal character.
How it Fits: Book has an entire royal family - Prince Marek, his mother the Queen who is captured by the evil Wood, and his niece Marisha and nephew Stashek.
Mod
Extreme Ironing is considered a ‘danger sport’ in which people take ironing boards to various, often remote, locations to iron clothes and take a picture.
Some of the locations have included cliff tops, underwater, in the middle of a motorway, and also while skiing and parachuting.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🧺 1. Read a book where the MC has a dangerous career/hobby.
🧺 2. Read a book where the title starts with a letter in EXTREME.
🧺 3. Read a book set at least partially in a remote location.
🧺 4. Read a book where a character irons or does other household chores.
Prompt # / Name: #21: Extreme IroningBook: Mad Honey
Author: Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
Date Read: 5/27
Pages: 454
Task: Read a book where the MC has a dangerous career/hobby.
How it Fits: MC Olivia is a beekeeper which can be very dangerous if not done properly (she also does household chores like cooking but the beekeeping was more interesting).
Mod
You can ride a train through the "Tunnel of Love."
The Ukrainian rails actually service an industrial train, but couples can still hitch a ride (or take one of these affordable family train trips) and make a wish, according to a new tourist legend.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🛤 1. Read a book with a train on the cover.
🛤 2. Read a book with the word TUNNEL found in the text.
🛤 3. Read a book where a character makes or is granted a wish.
🛤 4. Read a book where the publisher's name starts with a letter in UKRAINIAN.
Prompt # / Name: #70: Tunnel of LoveBook: Independent People
Author: Halldór Laxness
Date Read: 5/29
Pages: 482
Task: Read a book where a character makes or is granted a wish.
How it Fits: Asta Solillja wishes to join the household of the father of her daughter. Later she is granted the wish of her Father returning to her.
Mod
Unsurprisingly, Chess Boxing involves both the classic game of chess and the popular sport of boxing.
The competitors alternate between 5 rounds of boxing and 6 rounds of chess for a total of 11 rounds, each lasting 3-minutes. The game was inspired by a French comic and invented by Dutch artist Lepe Rubingh.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🥊 1. Read a book where a character plays chess or another board game.
🥊 2. Read a book that has a French or a Dutch translation.
🥊 3. Read a book with an MPG of HUMOR or COMEDY.
🥊 4. Read a book with the word boxing {can also be box, boxes, boxed, etc.} found in the text.
Prompt # / Name: #15: Chess BoxingBook: Police
Author: Jo Nesbø
Date Read: 6/2
Pages: 565
Task: Read a book that has a French or a Dutch translation.
How it Fits: This book has both French and Dutch translations.
Mod
The Running of the Bulls takes place in the summer in Pamplona, Spain.
The event involves patrons running in front of 6 bulls that have been let loose in the town’s streets. Every year between 50-100 injuries are reported with 15 deaths reported since 1910.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐂 1. Read a book with an animal on the cover.
🐂 2. Read a book where multiple characters die.
🐂 3. Read a book with between 50,000 and 100,000 Goodreads ratings.
🐂 4. Read a book set mostly in the summer.
Prompt # / Name: #42: Running of the BullsBook: Tent for Seven: A Camping Adventure Gone South Out West
Author: Marty Ohlhaut
Date Read: 6/5
Pages: 250
Task: Read a book with an animal on the cover.
How it Fits: There's a bear on the cover.
Mod
In Outhouse Racing, an outhouse (outdoor toilet) is kitted with wheels, brakes, and a steering system, and is raced down hills with competitors sitting on the toilet seat inside.
Competitors decorate their outhouses with clever names like “Royal Flush” and the first outhouse to make it across the finish line wins.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🚽 1. Read a book where a character decorates something.
🚽 2. Read a book with all the letters of OUTHOUSE in the title and/or subtitle.
🚽 3. Read a book with something with a steering system on the cover.
🚽 4. Read a book where a character sits down.
Prompt # / Name: #33: Outhouse RacingBook: Tea Time for the Traditionally Built
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Date Read: 6/12
Pages: 212
Task: Read a book where a character sits down.
How it Fits: MC Precious Ramotswe and her assistant Grace Makutsi sit down at their desks when they work on cases.
Mod
The 100 folds in a chef's hat represent 100 ways to cook an egg.
Yes, that tall, pleated white hat that chefs wear — technically called a toque — has 100 folds for a reason! According to Reluctant Gourmet, the pleats used to signify a chef's level of experience, like the number of ways he or she knew how to prepare eggs.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👩🏼🍳 1. Read a book with a mostly white cover. {Your discretion.}
👩🏼🍳 2. Read a book where the MC is described as being tall.
👩🏼🍳 3. Read a book with a 1 and 2 0s found in the publication date.
👩🏼🍳 4. Read a book where the author's first AND last initials are found in RELUCTANT GOURMET.
Prompt # / Name: #2: Chef's HatBook: First Grave on the Right
Author: Darynda Jones
Date Read: 6/12
Pages: 310
Task: Read a book with a mostly white cover.
How it Fits:
Mod
The voices of Mickey and Minnie Mouse got married in real life.
Wayne Allwine and Russi Taylor were married for 18 years until Allwine's death in 2009.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🐭 1. Read a book where someone dies.
🐭 2. Read a book published in 2009.
🐭 3. Read a book with a 1 and an 8 in the page count.
🐭 4. Read a book with some type of animal on the cover.
Prompt # / Name: #13: Mickey & MinnieBook: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court
Author: Mark Twain
Date Read: 6/15
Pages: 474
Task: Read a book where someone dies.
How it Fits: MC Hank Morgan dies, along with King Arthur and thousands of knights, slaves and others.
Mod
There's a word for animals with partial pigment loss.
Albinism is the congenital absence of any pigmentation or coloration, but leucism is a different rare condition where some pattern or color remains.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🦒 1. Read a book without much color on the cover. {Your discretion.}
🦒 2. Read a book where the author's LAST initial is found in LEUCISM.
🦒 3. Read a book where a character has a rare condition.
🦒 4. Read a book where all the letters of PIGMENT are found in the title.
Prompt # / Name: #52: LeucismBook: The Invisible Man
Author: H.G. Wells
Date Read: 6/18
Pages: 176
Task: Read a book where a character has a rare condition.
How it Fits: MC Griffin is invisible, exceedingly rare!
Mod
The longest wedding veil was longer than 63 football fields.
If you thought Meghan Markle's wedding veil was long, get this: there's a woman in Cyprus who set the Guinness World Record for the longest wedding veil. How long was it, you ask? Nearly 23,000 feet, which is the same length as about 63.5 football fields.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
👰🏻♀️ 1. Read a book with something related to a bride on the cover.
👰🏻♀️ 2. Read a book where someone gets married.
👰🏻♀️ 3. Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages.
👰🏻♀️ 4. Read a book with a 6 and a 3 in the total number of reviews.
Prompt # / Name: #5: Wedding VeilBook: The Oligarch's Daughter
Author: Joseph Finder
Date Read: 6/30
Pages: 438
Task: Read a book that is long - more than 400 pages.
How it Fits: Book has 438 pages.
Mod
Giant Pumpkin Kayaking is quite simply the sport of kayaking inside of a giant, hollowed-out pumpkin.
The most famous race takes place on Lake Pesaquid in Nova Scotia at the annual Windsor Pumpkin Regatta. The course is a half-mile long and competitors often decorate their pumpkins with paint and flags.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🎃 1. Read a book set at least partially in Canada.
🎃 2.Read a book with all the letters of KAYAK in the title. {2 As, 2 Ks}
🎃 3. Read a book with something painted or flags on the cover.
🎃 4. Read a book with the word PUMPKIN found in the text.
Prompt # / Name: #24: Giant Pumpkin KayakingBook: The Grey Wolf
Author: Louise Penny
Date Read: 7/11
Pages: 421
Task: Read a book set at least partially in Canada.
How it Fits: Book is set mostly in Montreal, Canada.
Mod
Moon flowers actually bloom in response to the moon.
Sunflowers will follow the sun as it moves across the sky, but their lunar counterparts only open after nightfall or on cloudy days.
Complete ONE of the following tasks:
🌺 1. Read a book with flowers on the cover.
🌺 2. Read a book with double vowels in the title.
🌺 3. Read a book where the author's FIRST initial is found in LUNAR.
🌺 4. Read a book where you can share a scene that happens after nightfall with me.
Hooked on Books
Books mentioned in this topic
A Great Deliverance (other topics)Tom Lake (other topics)
The Road From Coorain (other topics)
The Lonely Hearts Book Club (other topics)
The Grey Wolf (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Elizabeth George (other topics)Ann Patchett (other topics)
Jill Ker Conway (other topics)
Lucy Gilmore (other topics)
Louise Penny (other topics)
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Ridiculously Random Reading Challenge
Individual, Open-Ended
April 1, 2025 - March 31, 2027
You know how most reading challenges you join have some type of theme or main idea, kind of like the books themselves? Well, this one...not so much! We'll look at Crown Jewels, Greasy Pole Climbing, Model Ts, Zorbing, and anything and everything in between. So buckle up for the ride and enjoy!
Each time you satisfy a task, make a post here IN YOUR OWN THREAD. Please use the following example for your Completion Post.
Prompt # / Name: {For example: #1: Octothorpe}
Book:
Author:
Date Read:
Pages:
Task:
How it Fits:
If you have any questions about this challenge, please post them in the Ridiculously Random Q&A Thread.
Challenge Rules:
📘 Standard Rules Apply
📘 I will create an individual thread for you prior to the start date.
📘 Your first prompt will be posted on April 1, 2025.
📘 Books must be completed after the task has been posted. For example, if your task is posted on 4-15, you can't use a book you completed on 4-14.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If a set of tasks is too difficult or just out of your comfort zone, you have 4 SKIPS to use in this challenge. In order to use a SKIP, read any book that meets the Standard Book Qualifications for Hooked on Books. The link is in the Challenge Rules above. Simply list SKIP on the Task line.