Bookish Challenges discussion

Think Tetris meets your books pile — this is no ordinary reading game.

Here’s your mission:

🧱 You’re starting with 5 columns, each 3 blocks high. These blocks? They represent different aspects of reading described further below

🔄 Each round, you’ll get 5 new random book blocks. You can read at least 3 (or go for all 5) and place them above your current stacks.

🎯 The goal? Clear all your blocks by strategically stacking 3 or more of the same color in a row or column. Every clear gets you closer to victory!

💡You can end the game after 10 rounds, or keep going until you clear your stack.

🎁 Score time:

Each block you read for = 2 points
Clear the entire board = Bonus 25 points

📖 Sample game📖

Initial blocks

Your initial random stack looks like below

🟦 💖 ⬜ 🟠 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Note : ❌ means empty space in a row which contains some blocks where you can place new blocks in a round

Round 1

You receive the below 5 random blocks
🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦
You read for 🟠 🟠 🟦 tasks and decide to place the 2 bronze blocks over the current bronze block at position 4 thus eliminating the 3 of them and the blue box above the current blue block at position 1

So your board looks like

🟦
🟦 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

Round 2

🟥 🟩 ⬜ 🟩 🟦

You decide to read for all 5 and place the 2 green above the green at position 4, the red above the red at position 1 and white above the white at position 3 and the blue above the blue at position 1. Board at end of round 2:

❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌ 🟥
❌ 💖 ⬜ ❌ 🟥
🟫 🟥 🟫 ❌ 🟩
🟠 🟪 🟤 💖 ⬜
  1   2    3    4    5

and so on..


Each round, you’ll need to think strategically, decide which books to read, and place your blocks wisely to trigger those satisfying clears!

Blocks described

🟨 Yellow Blocks – Solid Foundation (Comfort Reads)

1. A book by an author you love
2. A book you’ve read before (reread)
3. A cosy mystery or light-hearted book

🟥 Red Blocks – High Stakes (Thrillers & Suspense)

1. A book with a chase or escape scene
2. A crime or psychological thriller
3. A book with “danger” in the title

🟦 Blue Blocks – Deep Dives (Long or Thoughtful Reads)


1. A book over 500 pages
2. A classic or literary fiction novel
3. A book exploring deep emotions or philosophy

🟩 Green Blocks – Fresh Discoveries (New & Diverse Reads)

1. A book by a debut author
2. A translated book
3. A book from a genre you rarely read

🟪 Purple Blocks – Magical Journeys (Fantasy & Sci-Fi)

1. A book with magic or mythology
2. A science fiction novel
3. A book featuring time travel or alternate realities

🟧 Orange Blocks – Historical Journeys (Past & Present Stories)

1. A historical fiction novel
2. A memoir or biography
3. A book set before 1950

⬛ Black Blocks – Dark & Twisted (Horror & Gothic Reads)

1. A horror or gothic novel
2. A book with a haunted house or eerie setting
3. A book featuring a villain’s POV

🟫 Brown Blocks – Down to Earth (Realistic & Contemporary Reads)

1. A contemporary fiction novel
2. A book with themes of friendship or family
3. A book about personal growth

⬜ White Blocks – Wild Card (Free Choice)

1. A book outside of your usual picks
2. A book with a one-word title
3. A book on your TBR

🟠 Gold Blocks – Award Winners (Critically Acclaimed Books)

1. A book that won a major literary award
2. A book recommended by a celebrity
3. A book from a “Best of the Year” list

🟤 Bronze Blocks – Knowledge is power (Learn Something New)

1. A book that has taught you something new
2. A book that inspires creativity or motivation
3. A book with a message that changed your perspective

💖 Pink Blocks – Love & Relationships (Romance & More)

1. A romance novel with an HEA (Happily Ever After)
2. A book about friendship, family, or personal bonds
3. A book featuring a love triangle or second-chance romance

Special powers:

You can use them one time at any point in the game. If you want to use any of them again, 5 points

1 - Swap all blocks of a colour with one of another colour
2 - Skip a block colour in one round
(i.e. if you receive 🟤 🟠 🟤 🟠 🟦 and decide to skip reading for 🟤 colour block but still use them)
3- Ask for another set of 5 blocks in a round

Points tracking: 104

res

Your block set


🟨 🟦 💖 🟪 🟠
⬛ 🟫 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 🟫 💖 🟫 🟨

  1   2    3    4    5

Round 1: Your set of blocks is below. You need to read for at least 3 of them and let me know their placement. Next round will commence after this round is completed

Only books completed from 01 May 2025 will be accepted.
🟦 🟨 🟪 ⬛ 🟠

🟦 🟨 🟪 🟠

🟦 A classic or literary fiction novel
Book: The Case Is Closed by Patricia Wentworth
Date: 2/5 3★
Fit: MPG Classics

🟨 A historical fiction novel
Book: Meet Me at Rainbow Corner by Celia Imrie
Date: 4/5 3.5★
Fit: MPG historical

🟪 A book with magic or mythology
Book: Club Dead by Charlaine Harris
Date: 5/5 4★
Fit: full of mythological creatures

🟠 A book recommended by a celebrity
Book: The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer
Date: 3/5 1★
Fit: recommended by Deepak Chopra

Round 1 completed

1🟨 2🟦 4🟪 5🟠

Round 2
🟫 ⬛ ⬜ 🟪 💖

Board setup

🟨 🟦 ❌ 🟪 🟠
🟨 🟦 💖 🟪 🟠
⬛ 🟫 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 🟫 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

🟪 A science fiction novel
Book: Indulgence in Death by J.D. Robb
Date: 7/5 4★
Fit: MPG SF

💖 A book featuring a love triangle or second-chance romance
Book: Dead to the World by Charlaine Harris
Date: 10/5 3★
Fit: love triangle, or quadrangle: MC can't seem to decide

⬜ A book on your TBR
Book: The Canning Town Murder by Mike Hollow
Date: 8/5 3.5★
Fit: from TBR

Round 2

3💖 4🟪 ?⬜(nowhere?)

Round 3
💖 🟤 🟦 🟫 🟠

Board setup

🟨 🟦 💖 ❌ 🟠
🟨 🟦 💖 ⬜ 🟠
⬛ 🟫 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 🟫 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

💖 A romance novel with an HEA
Book: A Father For Christmas by Paula Tanner Girard
Date: 22/5 2.5★
Fit: HEA ending

🟦 A book exploring deep emotions
Book: Last Dance in Salzburg by Vivian Conroy
Date: 26/5 3★
Fit: explores grief & vengeance

🟠 A book from a “Best of the Year” list
Book: Dead as a Doornail by Charlaine Harris
Date: 24/5 3★
Fit: Best Books of 2005 https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3...

3💖 2🟦 5🟠

Round 3
🟪 🟥 🟫 🟩 🟨

Board setup

🟨 ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
🟨 ❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌
⬛ 🟫 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 🟫 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

🟥 A book with a chase or escape scene
Book: Definitely Dead by Charlaine Harris
Date: 29/5 4★
Fit: Sookie & Quinn are chased when they escape their kidnappers

🟨 A light-hearted book
Book: The Abandoned Rake by Emily Hendrickson
Date: 30/5 3★
Fit: lighthearted tale

🟫 A contemporary fiction novel
Book: Dirt Town by Hayley Scrivenor
Date: 31/5 4★
Fit: MPG contemporary

5🟥 2🟫 1🟨

Round 5
🟪 ⬛ 🟫 ⬜ 🟤

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
❌ ❌ ❌ ⬜ 🟥
⬛ ❌ 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 ❌ 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

🟪 A book with magic or mythology
Book: All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris
Date: 5/6 3.5★
Fit: a book with magic

⬛ A horror or gothic novel
Book: Asylum by Jack Adams
Date: 11/6 4★
Fit: MPG horror

⬜ A book on your TBR
Book: The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair
Date: 4/6 4.5★
Fit: from TBR

2🟪 1⬛ 4⬜

Round 6
⬜ 🟪 🟥 🟠 🟩

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ ⬜ ❌
⬛ ❌ ❌ ⬜ 🟥
⬛ ❌ 🟦 ⬛ 🟥
🟤 🟪 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

⬜ A book with a one-word title
Book: Strata by Terry Pratchett
Date: 15/6 4★
Fit: one-word title

🟪 A science fiction novel
Book: Possession In Death by J.D. Robb
Date: 15/6 3★
Fit: MPG SF

🟥 A book with a chase or escape scene
Book: Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Date: 21/6 2★
Fit: several escapes

4⬜ 2🟪 5🟥

Round 7
🟤 🟤 🟫 🟦 ⬛

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
⬛ ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌
⬛ 🟪 🟦 ⬛ ❌
🟤 🟪 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

🟫 A contemporary fiction novel
Book: Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie
Date: 21/6 3★
Fit: mpg contemporary

🟦 A book exploring deep emotions
Book: The Incomparable Miss Compton by Regina Scott
Date: 22/6 2★
Fit: explores the value of love in marriage

⬛ A book featuring a villain’s POV
Book: Every Spy a Traitor by Alex Gerlis
Date: 24/6 4★
Fit: told partially from Agent Archie's (villian) pov

4🟫 3🟦 1⬛

Round 8
🟨 🟪 💖 🟦 ⬛

Board setup

❌ ❌ 🟦 🟫 ❌
❌ 🟪 🟦 ⬛ ❌
🟤 🟪 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

🟨 A book you’ve read before
Book: The Duke And Miss Denny by Joy Reed
Date: 26/6 4★
Fit: re-read

🟪 A book with magic or mythology
Book: From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris
Date: 25/6 3★
Fit: magic & mythology

🟦 A classic or literary fiction novel
Book: Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce
Date: 28/6 3★
Fit: MPG classic

5🟨 2🟪 3🟦

Round 9
🟪 ⬛ 💖 🟫 🟨

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ ❌ ❌ ⬛ 🟨
🟤 ❌ 💖 🟫 🟨



  1   2    3    4    5

💖 A book featuring a love triangle
Book: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Date: 2/7 3★
Fit: love triangle between Sookie, Eric & Bill

🟫 A contemporary fiction novel
Book: Letters from the Ginza Shihodo Stationery Shop by Kenji Ueda
Date: 30/6 3★
Fit: MPG contemporary

🟨 A book by an author you love
Book: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb
Date: 4/7 4★
Fit: love this author

3💖 4🟫 5🟨

Round 10
💖 🟧 ⬛ 🟤 🟨

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ ❌ 💖 ⬛ ❌
🟤 ❌ 💖 🟫 ❌



  1   2    3    4    5

After this round, you can end the game at any point. If you clear the board, 25 points additional

Nistha wrote: "After this round, you can end the game at any point. If you clear the board, 25 points additional..."

How do you mean, Nistha? Just read a book for every block left?

Catsalive wrote: "Nistha wrote: "After this round, you can end the game at any point. If you clear the board, 25 points additional..."

How do you mean, Nistha? Just read a book for every block left?"

No, I mean the rounds will continue as usual until you completely clear the board with the blocks you receive every round. If at the end of any round, you clear the board with only 1 or 2 blocks instead of using all 3 - it will be considered clearing the board.

💖 A book featuring a love triangle
Book: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Date: 9/7 2★
Fit: Sookie, Eric & Bill

🟤 A book that has taught you something new
Book: A Killing of Angels by Kate Rhodes
Date: 8/7 3.5★
Fit: taught me more about psychological diseases

🟨 A book you’ve read before
Book: Roses for Harriet by Patricia Oliver
Date: 7/7 4★
Fit: re-read

3💖 1🟤 2🟨

Round 11
🟤 🟥 ⬜ 🟧 🟨

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
🟤 ❌ ❌ ⬛ ❌
🟤 🟨 ❌ 🟫 ❌



  1   2    3    4    5

🟤 A book that inspires creativity or motivation
Book: One Last Gift by Emily Stone
Date: 16/7 3★
Fit: motivation for change

🟨 A book you’ve read before
Book: Seeress of Kell by David Eddings
Date: 13/7 3★
Fit: re-read

⬜ A book on your TBR
Book: The Library at Wagtail Ridge by Janet Gover
Date: 11/7 4★
Fit: from TBR

1🟤 3⬜ 2🟨

Round 12
⬛ 🟫 🟫 💖 🟨

Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ ❌ ❌ 🟫 ❌
❌ 🟨 ❌ ⬛ ❌
❌ 🟨 ⬜ 🟫 ❌



  1   2    3    4    5

🟫 A contemporary fiction novel
Book: Fault Lines by Emily Itami
Date: 24/7 4★
Fit: mpg contemporary

🟨 A cosy mystery
Book: Coffin, Scarcely Used by Colin Watson
Date: 23/7 4.5★
Fit: mpg cosy mystery

💖 A romance novel with an HEA
Book: Julia's Portion by Ellen Fitzgerald
Date: 21/7 2★
Fit: HEA ending

4🟫 1💖 2🟨

Round 13
🟨 🟫 ⬛ 💖 🟧

Board setup


❌ ❌ ❌ ⬛ ❌
💖 ❌ ⬜ 🟫 ❌



  1   2    3    4    5

💖 A romance novel with an HEA
Book: A Dashing Widow by Carol Proctor
Date: 27/7 2.5★
Fit: HEA ending

⬛ A horror or gothic novel
Book: Dead Ever After by Charlaine Harris
Date: 30/7 2★
Fit: tagged horror x 132 & gothic x 6 - definite horror aspects in this final book

🟫 A book with themes of friendship or family
Book: The View from the Balcony by Janette Paul
Date: 31/7 4★
Fit: themes of friendship or family

2🟫 4⬛ 1💖

Round 14
🟥 ⬛ 💖 ⬜ 🟩
Board setup

❌ ❌ ❌ ⬛ ❌
💖 ❌ ❌ ⬛ ❌
💖 🟫 ⬜ 🟫 ❌



  1   2    3    4    5

⬛ A book with a haunted house or eerie setting
Book: The Lost Library by Rebecca Stead, Wendy Mass
Date: 3/8 5★
Fit: History House is haunted

💖 A book about friendship, family, or personal bonds
Book: The Clock Strikes Twelve by Patricia Wentworth
Date: 2/8 4.5★
Fit: all about family

⬜ A book on your TBR
Book: The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Date: 3/8 2.5★
Fit: TBR book

4⬛ 1💖 3⬜