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Looking for a challenge that’ll fill those challenge gaps throughout the year?

This is a challenging one, but one that will take only as long as you want to keep adding branches books to your tree; no need to set an end date.

Just note your start date, choose your first seed book then either keep branching out reading on or pause and return when you need a push to nourish your tree get readin�� again. How large will your tree list be? Get started and let’s find out!

Rules: All books must fit the theme of the group (ask if you’re unsure). Series read requirements are stated as single series or different series, specific number of series noted as well, make sure you follow along appropriately. All formats of books are welcome. No page limits (unless you choose to limit yourself). Re-reads are allowed, as are anthologies, when the book is read in full.

1. Read and rate a book

2. Use your rating of that book to determine which book(s) you’ll read next -
�� If you rated the previous book 5 stars, next you may ...
      ... Read one book #5 in a series
      ... Read one book #2 �� one book #3 (or any variation = the numbered rating) in a single series or two different series
      ... Read 5 books from a single series or 5 books from different series (ie: two Mercy Thompson books, three Guild Hunter books)
�� If you rated the previous book 4 stars, next you may:
      ... Read one book #4 in a series
      ... Read one book #3 �� one book #1 (or any variation = the numbered rating) in a single series or two different series
      ... Read 4 books from a single series or 4 books from different series
�� Follow the same rules as above for ratings 3, 2 or 1 star(s)

3. Use your rating of the book(s) read to determine which book(s) you’ll read next and so on and so on ��

Wow! This one... is a real challenge!

I'm just thinking of ways how even to keep track of everything.
Something like:
Completed: the books that have been read and have had their rating books (the next branch) read
Current: the books that have been rated but haven't had the next branch completed yet (if that makes sense?)

Unless there is somewhere on the interwebz a tree that you can build upon, that would be cool.

And just a quick question about the rules: "All books must fit the theme of the group." So, it needs to be a series? Or do you mean of that group of books (for example, you have a UF tree, a Mystery tree, a Sci-Fi tree, etc.)?

Bawahaha 😏

You’ve given me a lot to think about 🤓 and I love it! You’ve brought up some good questions & thoughts about how it could expand.

Re: your rules question - by “theme�� I meant fantasy (PNR, UF, sci-fi, fantasy and associated sub genres). But, should you want to “grow�� multiple trees, each focusing on a specific genre, within those we focus on, you’re welcome to play around with that idea. 😊

Re: how to track - after reading your thoughts, I’m picturing a kind of mind mapping with multiple branches based on how many books each read leads you to read next. The list like you suggested would work well. I was picturing something similar to a family tree. I’ll brainstorm what I’m picturing and share 🤓

What I’d pictured, if I join the challenge ��
(view spoiler)[
Full sized image:


(hide spoiler)]
Once I decided which way I’d go - one 3rd in series or one 1st + one 2nd, etc - I’d remove the unused options from my list and image. Those are there to fulfill my visual craving until unneeded.

Oeeehhh, pretty!!! 🤩

Yeah, I've been messing around in Canva a bit before I saw your post, trying to find a bare tree trunk where I can start, lol 😅
But I like the way you used an existing tree and added the books on top of it (and so much easier).

I was also thinking of mind mapping; that would be one of the easiest ways to keep track, in my opinion.
Oh, and I also found a nifty free tool (miro.com).
An example (I haven't read these books yet, so these branches/ratings are purely fictional!) :
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]
or
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)]
The ease of a mind mapping tool is that you're not limited to a specific 'space'; you can expand pretty limitlessly. Which would be nice if you have a 5* rating and decide to read 5 books 😁

A family tree version would also work great, just moving down instead of up.

I think I would make a forest by making multiple trees with the subgenres (and maybe just a contemporary one on the side). Why? I don't really know, except I'm apparently a masochist hahahahah 😂😂😂

The more I think of it, the more I love this challenge 😁

I’m in, I’m in!!

I think as a mood reader, it would be easy to fit against different books to make new branches

Sweet! I love that, Victoria 😍 I’d thought about poking around Canva, but decided to sketch something out in my digital planner. I just grabbed a freebie tree image to put under my map.

I love the idea of a forest of trees full of books 🤓

Welcome, CassieCruel 😊

Yep, I think this challenge will do nicely for 2025 (and then I'll see how the trees are doing lol)

So this post is reserved for all my info and images.

🌳The Giving Tree🌳

Start: 01/01/2025
End: ?

Forest in progress:

UF tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

PNR tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

Sci-Fi tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

Fantasy tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

Dark Fantasy tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

Dystopia Fantasy tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

Contemporary tree (link to image)
Seed book:
Books read:

👍🏼 Can't wait to see it 😊

I may have to try this also... I will probably go the mind map option if I need a visual... I guess you also have to decide if you want to grow just one branch or grow them all, meaning choose one book from your first 'seed set' to create the next seed set, then only one book from that set to create the next. I guess this would be more like a vine than a tree since everything would grow off the furthest most seed book. That's sort of the easy way, I guess, easier to track, for sure!

Yeah, it will be soooo much fun to get going and see how it evolves.

I’m really looking forward to seeing how y’all run with this one. I may end up trying it too.

Started:1/7/24
Completed:

Rules: All books must fit the theme of the group (ask if you’re unsure). Series read requirements are stated as single series or different series, specific number of series noted as well, make sure you follow along appropriately. All formats of books are welcome. No page limits (unless you choose to limit yourself). Re-reads are allowed, as are anthologies, when the book is read in full.

1. Read and rate a book

2. Use your rating of that book to determine which book(s) you’ll read next -
�� If you rated the previous book 5 stars, next you may ...
... Read one book #5 in a series
... Read one book #2 �� one book #3 (or any variation = the numbered rating) in a single series or two different series
... Read 5 books from a single series or 5 books from different series (ie: two Mercy Thompson books, three Guild Hunter books)
�� If you rated the previous book 4 stars, next you may:
... Read one book #4 in a series
... Read one book #3 �� one book #1 (or any variation = the numbered rating) in a single series or two different series
... Read 4 books from a single series or 4 books from different series
�� Follow the same rules as above for ratings 3, 2 or 1 star(s)

3. Use your rating of the book(s) read to determine which book(s) you’ll read next and so on and so on ��


My theme is series books in the Paranormal Romance Genre

Books read: 1

✔️1. 1/7/25: #3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
1a. 1/8/25: #4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
2a. 3/29/25: #12 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
1b. 1/14/25: #13 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2b. 4/20/25: #1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3b. 4/26/25: #1 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
1c. 1/18/25: #7 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
2c. 2/9/25: #8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3c. 5/6/25: #9 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Link to my tree (Will update when I start)

Looks good, Heather! I'm loving the creativity y'all are using on this one.