2025 Reading Challenge discussion

**This thread will remain locked until September 25th.**


HERE'S TO FEARS
Duration: October 1 - December 31, 2025

This quarter, we will focus on the theme of Fear. Almost everyone has something they are afraid of, whether it's spiders, heights, or public speaking. In this prompt-based challenge, we will read books related to fearsome phrases. Don’t be afraid to join us on this frightful adventure.

To join, post a message telling the challenge leader how many books you plan to read. If you are new to our group and/or our group challenges, take a moment to check out the Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges - Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.

🔎 1. Fear of the unknown
Read a book that involves secrets, or where someone ventures into a unknown place or territory.
📖 2. Gripped by fear
Read a book where fear controls someone's decisions, or where a character holds onto something or someone for dear life.
🧊 3. Paralyzed with fear
Read a book about a someone with a disability, or where a character faces a difficult decision.
⚡ 4. Struck with fear
Read a book involving a natural disaster, or where a character's choices affect the rest of the story.
🧠 5. Fear is the mind-killer (Dune)
Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book, a book that involves any sort of training, or a book that involves murder.
🏚️ 6. Live in fear
Read a book where a character is threatened, or a book that features a house on the cover or in the title.
💪 7. No fear
Read a book with a character who shows no fear, or a book with a negative in the title.
🎭 8. Instill fear
Read a book where someone is controlling or being controlled, or a book with a weapon on the cover or in the title.
🙏 9. Fear and trembling
Read a book where someone is not in control of their actions, or a book where someone is scared.
🗡️ 10. Strike fear into the heart
Read a book where a character is feared by others, or with a body part on the cover or in the title.
⛪ 11. Put the fear of God into someone
Read a book about religion or spirituality or lack thereof, or read a book that features a religious leader (priest, rabbi, preacher, etc.).
🎖️ 12. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself
Read a book where a character overcomes an obstacle, or a book with a repeated word in the title.
👁️ 13. Fear rears its ugly head
Read a book where something or someone resurfaces after a time, or a book with an adjective in the title.
🥶 14. Frozen with fear
Read a book set in a cold place, set in winter, or with wintry elements on the cover or in the title (snow, ice, frost, etc.).
⚖️ 15. A healthy dose of fear
Read a book about medicine or healthcare, a character that works in those fields, or a book that celebrates life.
📺 16. Fearmongering
Read a dystopian book, a book involving politics, or a book about influencing others.
💀 17. Fear for one’s life
Read a survival story, a thriller, or a book that involves a death.
🌒 18. Fear casts a long shadow
Read a horror book, a book set at night or in a dark place, or a book that involves trauma.
🏃 19. Driven by fear
Read a book involving any mode of transportation, or where emotions influence a character's decision.
🛑 20. Out of fear
Read a book where a character makes a morally gray choice because they were afraid, or read a book with fear or similar words (e.g. scared, terror, panic, etc.) in the title.

Thanks to Whitney for creating this challenge and for offering to lead it!

Welcome to the Here's to Fears Reading Challenge! I am excited to be reading with you all for the next three months!

Because I love puns, here's a few:

👻 Let’s get scared literary—because fear is more fun when it’s fiction. 👻

🕷 Don’t be afraid to get wrapped up in a story…even if it leaves you in a web of dread. 🕷

💀 It’s not just a page-turner—it’s a spine-chiller. 💀

Anyways...moving on...

How To Participate:

To sign up, post a comment below with the number of books you plan to read.
It is okay if you are unsure of how many books you can or will read. Please just let me know an estimated goal. It can always be changed later.

After you finish a book, update your progress by creating a new post.
When updating your progress, please include your original sign-up message number, the numbers of books read, and your goal.
For example, "Update to message #1: 2/10 books read".

If you decide to drop out of the challenge, please do not delete your posts. Please create a new post letting me know your decision. Deleted posts affect the sign-up message numbers.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to ask.

One last pun...

🧛‍♂️ Sink your teeth into a book before it sinks its plot twist into you. 🧛‍♂️

😱 List of Participants: 😱



STATS
Participants:
Books Read:
Book Goal:
Completed:

Updated on through Message #.

I'm going for 12!

🔎 1. Fear of the unknown
Read a book that involves secrets, or where someone ventures into a unknown place or territory.
November 9 by Colleen Hoover
From synopsis: Main characters, Ben and Fallon, meet each other. Eventually, Fallon becomes wary of Ben and believes he might be lying about certain things.

🧊 3. Paralyzed with fear
Read a book about a someone with a disability, or where a character faces a difficult decision.
The Tobacco Wives by Adele Myers
From synopsis: Main character, Maddie, accidently uncovers evidence to a potential crime. Maddie must decide to report what she knows or stay silent.

⚡ 4. Struck with fear
Read a book involving a natural disaster, or where a character's choices affect the rest of the story.
The XY by Virginia Bergin
From synopsis: Main character, River, finds an injured boy and hides him away breaking the rules of her world.

🧠 5. Fear is the mind-killer (Dune)
Read a sci-fi or speculative fiction book, a book that involves any sort of training, or a book that involves murder.
The Z Word by Lindsay King-Miller
One of the book's listed genres is science fiction.

🎭 8. Instill fear
Read a book where someone is controlling or being controlled, or a book with a weapon on the cover or in the title.
Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James (October)
One of the book's listed genres is BDSM.

🙏 9. Fear and trembling
Read a book where someone is not in control of their actions, or a book where someone is scared.
Fifty Shades Freed by E.L. James
From synopsis: The deepest fears of the main character, Ana, come to life.

🗡️ 10. Strike fear into the heart
Read a book where a character is feared by others, or with a body part on the cover or in the title.
Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (October)
From synopsis: Main character, Lucian, is known to "strike fear" within his fellow townsfolk.

🎖️ 12. There’s nothing to fear but fear itself
Read a book where a character overcomes an obstacle, or a book with a repeated word in the title.
A Thorn in the Saddle by Rebekah Weatherspoon
From synopsis: Main character, Jesse, must overcome his anger issues and people skills to run for public office.

👁️ 13. Fear rears its ugly head
Read a book where something or someone resurfaces after a time, or a book with an adjective in the title.
If the Boot Fits by Rebekah Weatherspoon (October)
From synopsis: Main characters, Sam and Amanda, meet. Amanda disappears. Sam attempts to find her. Amanda then resurfaces later in a "second chance encounter".

🥶 14. Frozen with fear
Read a book set in a cold place, set in winter, or with wintry elements on the cover or in the title (snow, ice, frost, etc.).
Once Upon a Winter's Eve by Tessa Dare
From synopsis: Story takes place during a Christmas ball.

📺 16. Fearmongering
Read a dystopian book, a book involving politics, or a book about influencing others.
So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park (October)
From synopsis: Main character, Jessie, relaunches her YouTube channel and becomes a content creator/influencer.

💀 17. Fear for one’s life
Read a survival story, a thriller, or a book that involves a death.
The Hunting Wives by May Cobb
One of the book's listed genres is thriller.

🌒 18. Fear casts a long shadow
Read a horror book, a book set at night or in a dark place, or a book that involves trauma.
A Million Junes by Emily Henry
From synopsis: Main character, June, must deal with her past childhood trauma.