If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re either: 1) A humungous book lover, 2) A humungous dog lover, 3) Both, or 4) Tired of kitty-sitting the neighbor’s feline.

Well. Have we got a deal for you.

The Challenge

Ya see, Her Royal Momness stumbled upon this “Summer Reading Challenge” thingy about three months back. (Stumbling. Ya know. Like Mom finds most things. Don’t tell her I said that, okay?)

Bronze, Silver, or Gold?

Anyhow, this SRC Challenge ’24 is hosted by the 52 Book Club. Since 2024 is a Summer Olympics, this year’s reading challenge had an Olympics-ish flavor. With 24 sports-inspired book prompts. Participants chose which “medal” they wanted to aim for, based on the number of books they planned to read during the summer in line with select Olympic-ish book prompts: Bronze, Silver, or Gold?

Via The 52 Book Club:

 

Duh

Of course we’re going for GOLD. Duh. And “gold” in this reading challenge meant reading 24 books in 3 months. Aka in Kimberland as “piece of cake.” Or bacon. Definitely bacon. 

So, how’d we do? What were the reading prompts? ADid we get the gold? Keep reading to find out:

Challenge Prompts

1. Opening Ceremonies: Set in Paris 

Forgiving Paris, by Karen Kingsbury

2. Opening Ceremonies: Flame on the cover 

This one was harder than ya might think. But we were equal to the challenge, finally settling on:

A Light in the Flame by Jennifer Armentrout

3. Opening Ceremonies: Going for Gold

Golden Boy: A Murder Among the Manhattan Elite. By John Glatt. Our review is included here.

4. 100M SPRINT: A short story collection 

Becoming Mirsky. By Paul Beckman.

5. LONGJUMP: Audiobook is 15+ hours long 

Everything She Ever Wanted by Ann Rule

6. STEEPLECHASE: Character is a spiritual leader 

You Were Made for this Moment by Max Lucado.

7. BOXING: A strong opening hook 

Unwoke: How to Defeat Cultural Marxism in America by Ted Cruz.

Opening (Prologue):

“His white linen suit was stained red with blood. Blood that had been beaten out of him with a club, regularly each hour. Breaking his nose. Shattering his teeth. Scarlet red blood, as if his suit were emblazoned with the color of the Marxist revolution of which he was a part.”

8. WRESTLING: A heavy read 

Green River, Running Red by Ann Rule.

9. FENCING: Dialogue with witty banter 

Three Dog Job by Bruce Kuglin

10. BALANCE BEAM: About finding balance in life 

Get Your Life Back. By John Eldredge

11. UNEVEN BARS: Series with uneven number of books 

The series doesn’t need to be complete but the current number of books published should be uneven. You do not need to read the entire series, simply one book from the series, and the book you read can be any number in the series. 

The Last Battle (from The Chronicles of Narnia) By C.S. Lewis.

12. RINGS: Jewelry on the cover (could include tiara, bracelet, crown, etc.)

My Hair, My Crown. By Toni Abari.

13. SYNCHRONIZED DIVING: A sports romance novel 

Icebound Hearts by Libana Kassab

14. WATER POLO: A book that made a splash! 

The Women by Kristin Hannah. Read our review here.

15. BUTTERFLY: Plot featuring the “butterfly effect

The butterfly effect is the idea that a small, trivial choice can ultimately result in something with much bigger consequences. 

A Grain of Hope by Melissa Cole. Here’s our review.

16. ROAD CYCLING: Time period without modern transportation 

The Heritage Keeper by Jacqueline Leigh.

17. TEAM PURSUIT: Featuring a group of friends 

The Boys in the Boat. By Daniel James Brown. Here’s our review.

18. CROSS-COUNTRY: Related to the word “endurance” 

The Terror. By Dan Simmons.

19. HANDBALL: Author shares same last name as an Olympian 

 The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt

John DeWitt, 1904 Summer Olympics – Shot Put, Discus, Hammer throw (Silver); Theresa “Terry” DeWitt, 1996 Summer Olympics – Double Trap Shooting.

20. VOLLEYBALL: Set in a country that wins a 2024 Olympic Gold medal in Volleyball (speculative)

The Partner by John Grisham 

21. FOOTBALL/SOCCER: Double letter word in title 

If You Tell by Gregg Olsen.

22. CLOSING CEREMONIES: At least four Olympic ring colors on the cover 

 The colors of the Olympic rings are: blue, black, red, yellow, and green. 

Bloodroot by Cynthia Riggs

23. CLOSING CEREMONIES: An author who hasn’t released a book in the past four years 

Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt by Karen Scalf Linamen (Here’s our Review.)

24. CLOSING CEREMONIES: Memoir / Biography about an Olympian 

Unbroken: A WWII of Survival, Resilience and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand

Whew. One of us is gonna go lay down and take a nap. Maybe both!

Have you participated or are you participating in a Summer Reading Challenge?