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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."

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.

� Jan

1.1
Book: The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy: A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K
Author: Norbert Aping
Date Read: Jan 16th
Task: Author - you've never read before
Fits: I haven't

1.2
Book: Anatomy of Facial Expression
Author: Uldis Zarins
Date Read: Jan 21st
Task: Series - 1st
How it Fits: In the blurb: "With our second book, we are redefining the human head"

1.3
Book: North to Paradise: A Memoir
Author: Ousman Umar
Date Read: Jan 16th
Task: Author - debut
How it Fits: 1st book for this author

2.1
Book: AI for Life: 100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun!
Author: Celia Quillian
Date Read: Feb 5th
Task: Published - 2025
How it Fits: Published January 28, 2025

2.2
Book: Adventure Time and Philosophy: The Handbook for Heroes
Author: Nicolas Michaud
Date Read: Jan 17th
Task: Plot - personal growth
How it Fits: "when we first met Marceline, she was a lot meaner than she is now; hanging out with Finn and Jake has reminded her what it means to have people who care about her." p.188

2.3
Book: Whiskey Bottles and Brand-New Cars: The Fast Life and Sudden Death of Lynyrd Skynyrd
Author: Mark Ribowsky
Date Read: Jan 21st
Task: Title - 'new', 'begin', or 'start'
How it Fits: New

3.1
Book: Veg in One Bed: How to Grow an Abundance of Food in One Raised Bed, Month by Month
Author: Huw Richards
Date Read: Jan 17th
Task: Set - during the start of a new year
How it Fits: Month-by-month planning for gardening

3.2
Book: Nonbinary: Memoirs of Gender and Identity
Author: Micah Rajunov
Date Read: Jan 21st
Task: Plot - fresh start
How it Fits: "when I graduated from university, I took it as an opportunity to make a completely fresh start." p.40

3.3
Book: My Anti-Stress Year: 52 Weeks of Soothing Activities and Wellness Advice
Author: Gilles Diederichs
Date Read: Jan 23rd
Task: Recommended by someone else to "start your year right."
How it Fits: Good tips to start the year

2.1
Book: AI for Life: 100+ Ways to Use Artificial Intelligence to Make Your Life Easier, More Productive…and More Fun!
Author: Celia Quillian
Date Read: Feb 5th
Task: Published - 2025
How it Fits: Published January 28, 2025

This one wasn't completed in January, that's why I can't count it, sorry! If you have another one that fits and you read it in January, you can use it :)

Richard wrote: "� Jan

1.1
Book: The Final Film of Laurel and Hardy: A Study of the Chaotic Making and Marketing of Atoll K
Author: Norbert Aping
Date Read: Jan 16th
Task: Author -..."

�

Fiona wrote: "If you have another one that fits"

I don't. That's okay.

� Feb

1.1
Book: 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World
Author: Seán Hewitt
Date Read: Feb 7th
Task: Plot - love story
How it Fits: It's in the title. Many love stories.

1.2
Book: Agent You: Show Up, Do the Work, and Succeed on Your Own Terms
Author: Nicole Lynn
Date Read: Feb 7th
Task: Set - A country in which I don't live
How it Fits: America (I live in Australia)

1.3
Book: A Woman in the Polar Night
Author: Christiane Ritter
Date Read: Feb 5th
Task: Author - international
How it Fits: Austrian

2.1
Book: 101 Places Not to See Before You Die
Author: Catherine Price
Date Read: Feb 7th
Task: Cover - pink or red
How it Fits:

2.2
Book: Into the Amazon: The Life of Cândido Rondon, Trailblazing Explorer, Scientist, Statesman, and Conservationist
Author: Larry Rohter
Date Read: Feb 6th
Task: Plot - friendship
How it Fits: "Once Rondon had cemented his friendship with the Paresi, he acted, as best he could, as their protector." p.113

2.3
Book: Land of a Thousand Eyes: The Subtle Pleasures of Everyday Life in Myanmar
Author: Peter Olszewski
Date Read: Feb 5th
Task: Plot - travel
How it Fits: MPG of travel

3.1
Book: Tiger's Heart: The Story of a Modern Chinese Woman
Author: Aisling Juanjuan Shen
Date Read: Feb 6th
Task: Title - 'heart', 'love', or 'passion'
How it Fits: Heart

3.2
Book: Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music
Author: John Fogerty
Date Read: Feb 8th
Task: MPG - food, music, or art
How it Fits: MPG of music

3.3
Book: Lucy & Desi: The Legendary Love Story of Television's Most Famous Couple
Author: Warren G. Harris
Date Read: Feb 7th
Task: Plot - famous couple or relationship
How it Fits: It's in the title

�

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.

� Mar

1.1
Book: A Mystery of Mysteries: The Death and Life of Edgar Allan Poe
Author: Mark Dawidziak
Date Read: Mar 2nd
Task: MPG - mystery, thriller, or adventure
How it Fits: MPG - mystery

1.2
Book: Collision of Empires: The War on the Eastern Front in 1914
Author: Prit Buttar
Date Read: Mar 1st
Task: Set - a place I've never visited
How it Fits: Russia

1.3
Book: Breakout: How Atari 8-Bit Computers Defined a Generation
Author: Jamie Lendino
Date Read: Mar 1st
Task: Title - 1 word
How it Fits: Breakout

2.1
Book: On Sunset Boulevard: The Life and Times of Billy Wilder
Author: Ed Sikov
Date Read: Mar 6th
Task: Char - detective
How it Fits: "Wilder ordered a total of nine different takes of the dialogue between the two homicide detectives" p.359

2.2
Book: The Murder on the Links
Author: Agatha Christie
Date Read: Mar 11th
Task: Author - known for mysteries or thrillers
How it Fits: She is

2.3
Book: Another Side of Bob Dylan: A Personal History on the Road and off the Tracks
Author: Victor Maymudes
Date Read: Mar 9th
Task: Plot - a plot twist I didn’t see coming
How it Fits: "In 1999 there had been a huge fight between them...The fight was so monumental that a couple years later, Bob wrote Victor out of his life in his own book, Chronicles. He didn’t mention him once." p.35

3.1
Book: Daughter of Daring: The Trick-Riding, Train-Leaping, Road-Racing Life of Helen Gibson, Hollywood’s First Stuntwoman
Author: Mallory O'Meara
Date Read: Mar 8th
Task: Plot - chase
How it Fits: "Helen must chase an errant boxcar on horseback while it speeds down a track toward the path of a moving train." p.109

3.2
Book: Hidden in the Heavens: How the Kepler Mission’s Quest for New Planets Changed How We View Our Own
Author: Dr Jason Steffen
Date Read: Mar 7th
Task: Title - 'dark', 'shadow', or 'hidden'
How it Fits: 'Hidden' in title

3.3
Book: Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law
Author: Neil Gorsuch
Date Read: Mar 3rd
Task: 3. A book with an unreliable narrator
How it Fits: Isn't it strange that the same people who argue for small government also want to regulate who can use which bathroom.

�

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.

� Apr

1.1
Book: The World of Sugar: How the Sweet Stuff Transformed Our Politics, Health, and Environment over 2,000 Years
Author: Ulbe Bosma
Date Read: Apr 2nd
Task: Cover - flowers, trees, or nature
How it Fits: - trees

1.2
Book: Cheech Is Not My Real Name... But Don't Call Me Chong
Author: Cheech Marin
Date Read: Apr 5th
Task: Cover - green
How it Fits:

1.3
Book: Holding Space: On Loving, Dying, and Letting Go
Author: Amy Wright Glenn
Date Read: Apr 11th
Task: Plot - char overcomes a challenge
How it Fits: MC deals with the death of her child

2.1
Book: Your Soul Had a Dream, Your Life Is It: How to Be Held by Life When It Feels Like Everything Is Falling Apart
Author: Rebecca Campbell
Date Read: Apr 4th
Task: Plot - growth or transformation
How it Fits: "People think that the darkness is the end, but it’s also the beginning. Each of us exist in a constant state of change, growth and transformation. But in order for the rebirth to happen we must find the courage to surrender who we once were to create space for who we are becoming."

2.2
Book: Collision with the Infinite: A Life Beyond the Personal Self
Author: Suzanne Segal
Date Read: Apr 5th
Task: Plot - self-discovery
How it Fits: MC has a spiritual awakening

2.3
Book: The Little Prince
Author: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Date Read: Apr 6th
Task: Plot - feels "uplifting" or hopeful
How it Fits: It's like a fairy tale for adults

3.1
Book: Silent Spring
Author: Rachel Carson
Date Read: Apr 21st
Task: Title - 'spring'
How it Fits: 'Spring' is in title

3.2
Book: A Continent for the Taking: The Tragedy and Hope of Africa
Author: Howard W. French
Date Read: Apr 14th
Task: Set - nature
How it Fits: Set in the jungles of Africa

3.3
Book: Ornithography: An Illustrated Guide to Bird Lore & Symbolism, Vol. 2
Author: Jessica Roux
Date Read: Apr 17th
Task: Plot - involving mythology
How it Fits: 5th MPG

�

May - May We Laugh?


Level 1
1. A humorous or lighthearted book.
2. A book with a quirky or unconventional protagonist.
3. A romantic comedy.

Level 2
1. A book by a comedian or featuring comedic elements.
2. A book that made someone else laugh (get a recommendation!).
3. A book with an animal on the cover or in the story.

Level 3
1. A book with "funny," "laugh," or "smile" in the title.
2. A satirical book or one poking fun at society.
3. A book with a bright, cheerful cover.