Extreme Book Challenge

  CHALLENGE CATEGORY #6 A BOOK ABOUT MUSIC OR MUSICIANS Calling all music lovers! Category #6 is just for you! I love music. I always have a song stuck in my head; most weekends I can be found at a concert, and if you ever pass me on the road, I will, no doubt, be headbanging along to something loud(just look away). Lacking any and all music talent myself, reading books about musicians is the closest to stardom I'll ever get, and that's just the way I like it. The Final Revival of Opal & Nev  by Dawnie Walton Fans of Daisy Jones & The Six will love Dawnie Walton's debut novel, The Final Revival of Opal & Nev ! Coming together from nearly opposite backgrounds, the interracial rock duo of Opal & Nev are just getting their start when their careers come to a crashing halt. Now, many years later in 2016, Opal is considering a reunion with Nev. Written in a narrative format, compiling interviews as a music journalist curates the oral history of her idols, new info...

  CHALLENGE CATEGORY #5 A GRAPHIC NOVEL WITH A BIPOC AUTHOR Happy Black History Month! Graphic novels have long been dismissed as comics and books for children, but don't be fooled! There are so many compelling and beautifully written stories waiting for you on these colorful pages! Ghost Roast  by Shawnelle & Shawnee Gibbs Growing up and fitting in is hard enough for any teenager. For Chelsea Grant, this task might just be impossible, thanks to her dad's business as a professional ghost hunter! In the 2024 graphic novel Ghost Roast by Shawnee and Shawnelle Gibbs and illustrated by Emily Cannon, Chelsea is forced to spend her summer working with her dad at Paranormal Removal Services. Anticipating a less-than-exciting summer of embarrassing tasks, Chelsea quickly finds out there might be some truth to this ghost-hunting business after all. Take this opportunity to dive back into your favorite graphic novel or discover a new series authored by a person of color!

CHALLENGE CATEGORY #4 A CELEBRITY BOOK CLUB PICK Read like the stars with category #4 and pick up a book hand-selected by famous readers such as Reese Witherspoon, Oprah, and others who are trained in the art of spotting a great story. These books have earned their place on the shelves of some of Hollywood's most well-read celebs. Want to see what everyone's talking about? City of Night Birds  by Juhea Kim From international bestselling author Juhea Kim comes her beautiful 2024 novel City of Night Birds . Natalia Leonova used to be a prima ballerina, but a devastating accident took her dreams away from her two years ago. With evocative prose and a deeply emotional core, City of Night Birds is the kind of book that will stay with you look after you turn the final page. A perfect pick for those who crave both beauty and depth in their reading. Grab one of these notable picks and join the conversation! Crying in H Mart  by Michelle Zauner Anita de Monte Laughs Last  by Xochi...

  CHALLENGE CATEGORY #3 A CIRCADIAN NOVEL Perfect snow day recommendation incoming!! Have you ever spent an entire day reading a book from start to finish? A circadian novel is just perfect for days like that. By definition, a circadian novel is a novel that takes place over the course of a single day. Every bit of action takes place within a 24-hour period. These unique reads allow you to follow along with your protagonist all day long. Here's what I recommend! Anxious People  by Fredrik Backman Fredrik Backman's 2019 locked-room novel, Anxious People , joins a group of would-be strangers as they journey through a truly unique open-house experience. What would you do if a routine apartment viewing suddenly transformed into a hostage situation- and you were one of the hostages? Are you scared, angry, or just plain annoyed? Our group of hostages comes together feeling every human emotion imaginable. Fredrik Backman's books always leave me feeling warm and fuzzy, and Anxious...

  CHALLENGE CATEGORY #2 A DOORSTOPPER Happy week two of EBC 2025! Are you feeling challenged yet? Have you ever looked at a book and thought, "Woah! That book is so big it has got to weigh a million pounds!" That, dear reader, is a doorstopper. For category #2, I challenge you to read a book so big it could hold a door open! And it's only January, so you've got twelve months left to tackle that big read. Let's get started! Long Island Compromise  by Taffy Brodesser-Akner Taffy Brodesser-Akner's 2024 novel, Long Island Compromise , weighs in at a whopping 464 pages, but each exhilarating chapter will keep readers engaged from cover to cover. When Carl Fletcher is kidnapped from his own driveway and returned a short while later, no one expects the family will return to normal quickly. Except- that's exactly what they must do. Picking up decades after the incident, the Fletchers must finally reckon with the events that left them changed forever. Check out th...

CHALLENGE CATEGORY #1 A BOOK PUBLISHED IN 2024   It's time!! Welcome to the 2025 Challenge, and welcome to our shiny new blog! The first category of 2025 is to read a published in 2024! Only two weeks into the new year, there aren't a lot of books published in 2025 to choose from. Let's jump back and revisit some top releases from the last calendar year! Intermezzo  by Sally Rooney Sally Rooney is best known for her beautifully lyrical novels stuffed with complex relationships, and her 2024 novel certainly delivers as promised. Peter and Ivan are grieving, but shared grief does not mean they will be getting along. Roughly ten years apart, the brothers feel that they could not have less in common, but perhaps they share a lot more than they first understand. Check out these other books published in 2024 How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley Nearly All the Men in Lagos Are Mad by Damilare Kuku I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue Your Presence Is Mandatory by Sasha...