#reading challenge

[ocean-glint]

i love reading, i love thinking about what i am currently reading, i love thinking about what i am going to read next, i love being privileged enough to be able to read, read, read, and read so much that i never tire of it

[fanfic-reading-challenge]

The 2025 Fanfic Reading Challenge

Welcome to another year of the Fanfic Reading Challenge (FRC)!

I won't bore you with the history of the challenge, this year, but I will welcome you to check out past posts that do explain some of it, as well as include a brief overview of what, exactly, this challenge is, though it does change year to year. (Essentially you read fics to complete goals and win bragging points and an artsy badge.)

This year is especially different, as I had the extreme pleasure of having @noxsoulmate as a partner in crime in keeping me hostage on track to completing this year's FRC. Another valued member of the mod team is @jandjsalmon and speaks for all of us if you need questions answered!

As for the challenge....

This is, indeed, a challenge. Of course.

First of all... you must obviously read fanfiction. As if you don't already!

You also need to download and make your own copy of the spreadsheet, which can be found here, as well as below in the important links section.

To participate in the challenge, you read fics that match the tasks in the challenge. An example of a task can be: "read a fic with a title containing the word purple in it." Should be easy! Of course, there are harder ones.

Which is why there are different modes of challenge to the FRC. These are as follows:

Participation (Complete 1 task)

Regular Mode (Complete 80 tasks)

Hard Mode (Complete 150 tasks)

Extreme Mode (Complete 220 tasks)

Complete (Complete 250 tasks)

The challenge lasts from January 1st, 2025, to December 31st, 2025.

There are badges that go with the modes completed, and even a secret 6th badge that will be fairly obvious if you look at the spreadsheet! Doesn't mean it'll be easy to complete though. *smirks* (Blame Noxy)

Most important of all: this challenge operates on the honour system. We don't check your work, or your reading logs (see below), so I mean, I guess if you want to be slippery with the rules, you do you, and that's on your conscience, but honestly it's so much fun to see how much you can get done by following the letter of the law/tasks! You can be slippery even with following the tasks fully. It's great fun. ;D

I think that's enough for an intro, really, maybe too much.

Important Links and Reading Logs/Trackers

As there is a component of the FRC that includes tracking numbers of words read, most of us use a reading log/tracker to keep count of how many fics we read, including data such as words, of course, chapters, month completed, ship, author, title, fandom, link to the fic, and such. It's a great place to mark what fics you want to read in the future as well!

This year we have FOUR trackers on offer, quite different from one another, so take a look, play around with them and check out their "intros", and choose according to what you think will work best for you!

Fic Tracking Sheets

Juulna's 2025 Reading Log

Noxy's 2025 Reading Log

2025 Jandy's Fic Tracker

Taru's Fic Tracker 2025

Discord

We have a blast on Discord. From general chatter to sharing pet pics to being there for each other during the tough times to forming lasting friendships and making friendships you’d never make in a ship- or fandom-specific Discord, to asking for help ‘rolling the dice’ (pick a number between 1-10!) to choose the next fic to read, to finding some of the really challenging task fills in fandoms people might not have ever read but are willing to try, or finding fandoms someone has never read and is very tentative about stepping out of their box, but they’re being 100% supported and know they don’t need to complete the fic for it to count for the task, stepping out of their comfort zone… we’ve formed a very odd group of, if not friends, then companions (but there are definite friendships that have formed!! Just ask the people who have started watching NHL and NFL together in our off topic channel!).

In any case, our Discord is not necessary, but it is a worthy and tactical element to completing many of the tasks of this challenge. 💙

And.... without further ado....!

The 2025 Fanfic Reading Challenge! (link)

There is an info/rules page as the first sheet on the spreadsheet that should fill in any further questions you have. It also has more contact info than just this page if you have any further questions and perhaps need a more immediate answer for your needs.

*Occasionally you will run into something that looks like an error, and it may in fact be one! Let us know if you see it. It's hard not to make a mistake on as large a spreadsheet as this.*

Please, first of all, have fun and just read fanfiction that you enjoy! I (Juulna) did that last year and didn't even come close to completing the entire challenge, and I still had a blast because I was enjoying what I was reading and rereading. Others took the challenge right to the completed end. Others forgot about it halfway through but still had fun, and some even went back and filled in the sheet for a really good showing! The challenge is what you make of it, what you want from it. So... just have fun. Read fic. Smile. Enjoy. :)

Second of all... well, we would love if you signal boost this post!!!!

Third of all, we do have our pinned post that includes a link to this page and that will include a link to our Discord and all our trackers as well, including past links for memento and informative purposes.

Thank you, and a blessed 2025 to all!

[elumish]

2025 Progress Pride Reading Challenge

The Goal: Populate every spot on this progress pride flag with a queer book with the corresponding cover color.

The Rules:

Any genre, age range, and length is allowed. Trad published, indie published, and self published are all welcome--though fanfiction is not. (I mean, I'm not a cop. Do what you want. But the goal is to read original fiction.)

Use your own best judgment for whether a cover "counts".

You can include books you've already read--you don't need to start from scratch.

Each color needs at least one book with a female main character.

Hard mode (optional):

Don't repeat authors.

All white, pink, and light blue books must have at least one trans and/or non-binary main character.

All black and brown books must have at least one queer BIPOC main character.

For red, at least one book needs a bisexual main character.

For orange, at least one book needs a lesbian main character.

For yellow, at least one book needs an intersex main character.

For green, at least one book needs an aromantic main character.

For blue, at least one book needs a gay main character.

For purple, at least one book needs an asexual main character.

Participants: Anyone who wants to join and also can read.

The End Date: Whenever you want! I will be aiming to finish by June 30, 2025 aka the last day of Pride.

The Prize: Honor, glory, and having read some more queer books.

You can follow along with me at my Instagram, and if you want some suggestions, you can check out the pride-flag-in-book-covers post that insipired this.

If you have any suggestions, stick them in the replies (and if you're an author, feel free to suggest your own books)!

[xoceansx]

I remember there was an unendurable sadness in me; I wanted to cry; I was constantly astonished and anxious: it had a dreadful effect on me that all this was foreign, that I understood. The foreign-ness crushed me.

— Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot

[musingsofmonica]

rainy days, oversized sweaters, the good book & a cup of tea, that’s all.

[the-forest-library]

2025 Beat the Backlist Challenge

The 2025 reading challenge prompts are now available!

[glowettee]

✧・creating a personal library system that actually works゜✧・゜✧

hey lovelies!

so last weekend i had a complete meltdown when i couldn't find my copy of "pride and prejudice" (the one with all my notes!) and ended up reorganizing my entire book collection at 2am. classic me behavior. but honestly? it was the best decision i've made in ages because now i actually know where everything is and i'm not buying duplicate books anymore (yes, i somehow owned three copies of "the bell jar"… don't ask).

i thought i'd share my super simple system for keeping track of my little library in case any of you are drowning in books too!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the physical organization ･:.ೃ࿔

i tried organizing by color once and while it looked pretty on instagram, it was literally impossible to find anything. so now i do a mix of these categories that actually makes sense for how i use my books:

favorites shelf - these are my ride-or-die books that i reread constantly and want to grab easily

to-be-read shelf - keeps all my unread books in one place so they don't get lost in the mix

read-but-keeping shelf - books i've finished but want to hold onto

reference section - cookbooks, style guides, etc that i need to access quickly

borrowed books corner - a special spot just for books that aren't mine so i actually remember to return them (sorry to everyone waiting for their books back…)

within each section, i organize alphabetically by author because i'm basic like that. but honestly it works!

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the tracking system ･:.ೃ࿔.

this is the game changer! i used to rely on my memory (lol) to keep track of what i'd read until i found myself 50 pages into a book before realizing i'd already read it. now i use:

a simple reading journal - nothing fancy, just a notebook where i write the title, author, when i started/finished it, and a few thoughts

sticky flags in different colors - blue for beautiful quotes, pink for plot points i want to remember, yellow for things to research later

the inside cover trick - i write the date i finished the book and a tiny heart rating (♥♥♥♥♥) system on the inside cover

a digital backup - i use storygraph (not goodreads all the time because amazon owns enough of my life) to keep a digital record

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the borrowing system ･:⋆.ೃ࿔:･

if you're like me and constantly lending books to friends (or borrowing them), this will save your friendships:

a dedicated "lending library" note in my phone with who has what and when they borrowed it

book plates that say "borrowed from mindy's library" (these were like $8 online and so worth it)

a rule that i only lend books i'm okay with never seeing again (learned this one the hard way)

⋆.ೃ࿔:･ the "did i already read this?" solution ･:.ೃ࿔

this was my biggest problem! now i:

take a quick photo of books i read but don't keep (like library books)

keep a "books i've read" list in my notes app for quick reference while browsing bookstores

add a tiny dot on the upper right corner of the first page of books i own and have finished

it's not a perfect system but it's simple enough that i actually stick with it! the key is finding what works for your reading habits rather than trying to create some instagram-perfect color-coded situation that you'll abandon after a week.

what about you guys? any genius book organization hacks i should know about?

xoxo, mindy 🤍

[equinesandeducation]

Final weekend of january already! Making a big batch of pasta salad, so I have lunch for the week and don't have to spend time on that in the mornings. Spent a good chunk of Saturday afternoon just rotting and reading, recharging a little 🙌🏻

[hedonsgaybookshelf]

WE ARE HERE 2025 Trans Reading Challenge

[backlogbooks]

The people have spoken! Backlogbooks 2025 Bingo Challenge will include the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s, and the years 2000-2019! More bingo cards under the cut, but here's how to play!

There are five cards to choose from--the first goes in order, and all the others are random. You mark off boxes by reading books that were published in that year (or decade, for those boxes). Aim for a five across bingo, get the four corners, make another cute design, or, if you're hardcore, go for a full blackout card!

The rest of your engagement is up to you! I'd love to see book photos, reviews, recommendations, and other discussion! Personally, I'm going to try to put out recommendations for books that'll fit the challenge, either by genre or by publication year, and to post about the books I'm reading. The tag for this challenge is #backlogbooks bingo challenge so I'll check that out periodically to see how people are doing!

You can also join the storygraph challenge here :-)

[totallybowoa]

february 14, 2025 : "i would have fought you forever. i would have wrestled you through time. i would have turned you, and been turned. i would do anything. i have done so much, and would have done as much again, and more. and yet here i am, a fool, writing you one last time, and here you are, a fool, reading me. we're one, at least, in folly. (...) love is what we have, against time and death, against all the powers ranged to crush us down." final rating : ★★★★★.

[bellasbookclub]

The Bella's Book Club summer reading challenge is BACK for 2025! 📚

As 3B1P's Eclipse season heats up this summer, BBC is gearing up for another year of summer reading! Have a book (or five) you think book club would enjoy? Now's your chance to recommend it!

How to participate:

Fill out the Google form by 11:59 PM EST June 1st, 2025 with up to five of your recommendations! These can be your own favorites, books you think go with Twilight or the Gothic genre, books you're dying to talk about, plays, poetry, graphic novels, or nonfiction! Almost anything goes except for:

Books/authors that already appear on Bella's list from Midnight Sun

Fanfiction (save it for the Bonus Rec section!)

2. When the compiled rec list is posted in the first week of June, choose five (or so. You can read as many or as few as you want, we're not your English teacher) of your fellow BBC readers' recs and read them by September! Come chat about your picks in the BBC Discord, or link us to your Goodreads/Storygraph/Tumblr review. We'll also be running the challenge on Storygraph so you can track your progress.

Didn't get to read everything you wanted to from last year's reclist and 2023's reclist? No worries, they're eligible for this year's challenge too! While you're at it, check out previous years' reccer spotlights 💡

Happy reccing! 🎉

Bella’s Book Club is an interactive virtual book club created by the Three Books One Plot podcast. Our monthly Discord discussions are open to all! More info here.

[lavendershowcase]

Queer Summer Reading Challenge is Here!

If you're looking for a LGBT reading challenge for the summer, look no further! Text-version of bingo chart below.

These are a combo of prompts of books to read and just new reading habits you can try like reading before bed, outside, etc. From now until August 31st, work through this bingo sheet and see what kind of queer books you can read!

How do I participate? Simply download this image (or track your reading however you prefer) and start reading queer books based on the prompts in the boxes. You can do it on your own, with friends, or send in progress to the blog or our discord (you can find the invite link on our book club posts or ask for in a DM or ask!)

How do I win? Just like any bingo card, you need 5 across, down, or diagonal! If you want a shout-out, you can send your finished card in to me, and I'll put it on the blog!

What do I win? I had initially wanted to have some prizes life a e-gift card to bookshop.org or a partner with a queer artist or two to provide discount codes to an online store. Maybe in the future, I can offer something like that when I have more time and money to spare on a small gift card! This summer, your prize is just reading more queer books!

Free space. You can use this space as either a true free space (you don't have to read anything for it and just mark the spot as soon as you download the card) or as a chance to read a book that doesn't fit in with any other prompts. Or you can even use it as a spot to make your own prompt!

Can one book count for multiple spots? It's up to you! Make this challenge as realistic as possible for yourself. Some of us read slow! Some of us can read a book in a day. Do what you can. It's a challenge for yourself.

Do audiobooks count? Yes. Of course. I even made a special spot for it.

What if I can't find a good book to read or don't know what will fit the prompt? You can come to me! I can recommend queer books for this challenge or direct you to lists of books online. My DMs and inbox are open. You can even mark it down as a spot on the card!

What if I don't get bingo before the end of August? You can keep going! Or you can be done! You can do whatever you want forever. You're always more than welcome to continue to working on this year-round and send in updates to me! What am I going to say? "Oh you're reading books in the wrong season." No!

I'm not queer. Can I still participate? Yes! If you're cishet and want to read more queer books, you're welcome to join us! Everyone is welcome here.

If you have any questions or just wanna chat about books, you can DM or send in an ask to this blog! If you want to post your progress on your own blog, you can @ me, too. The discord will also be open for any convo!

Have a good time reading!

Full list of bingo prompts under cut:

Column one from top down:

A Classic, Adult Fiction, Horror, Recommendation from @lavendershowcase, Young Adult, Fantasy

Column two from top down:

Set in a city you've never visited, Author from your home state, Historical-Fiction, Indie, Read on lunch break, Read outside,

Column three from top down:

A book you've left unfinished, Juvenile Fiction, Has been adapted into a movie, Free Space, Science-Fiction, Short Story

Column four from top down:

Banned book, Read before bed, Graphic Novel, Set before you were born, Non-fiction, Neurodivergent Main Character

Column Five from top down:

Romance, Trans Main Character, Check it out from the library, Picture book, Listen to an audiobook, BIPOC Main Character

[inkandpanels]

Do you feel nostalgic about your childhood library's summer reading program?

The Summer Reading Club aims to recreate that experience for bookworms of all ages with a one-month self-guided reading challenge, complete with tracking charts, prizes, and a completion certificate.

Learn more about this new Kickstarter project here.

[xoceansx]

You know, in my opinion, being ridiculous is sometimes even a good thing, and better that; we can forgive one another more quickly, and acquire humility more quickly; after all, we can't understand everything at once, we can't begin directly from perfection! In order to achieve perfection, we must first of all fail to understand a great many things! And if we understand too quickly, we may not understand very well.

— Fyodor Dostoevsky, The Idiot

[appleinducedsleep]

TRCC Readathon Day 3

Read today: 300 pages or so

📖 🚙 🍫

Planning to finish Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt today. Already started it a few weeks ago, then had a bit of a reading slump, but spending hours in a car sure fixed that.