Thursday, December 31, 2015

The R.E.M. 2016 Reading Challenge




I really love reading challenges because of the way it stretches your reading comfort zone, but I've always sucked at actually completing them. 

In 2015, over at Goodreads, we kicked off our most outrageous challenge ever, borrowing The Beatles Reading Challenge from another group I was a part of, which had turned their songs into reading tasks. (Looks like most of the people who joined in on that one are a bunch of quitters too, like me!)

There's just something about reading challenges though, and so..... because I am glutton for punishment, here we are again!

For 2016, I wanted to keep with the music theme. And I chose REM because they have a huge discography and I have been a hard-core REM fan  going waaaaay back. It was CRAZY FUN turning each of their songs into reading tasks. And it was the perfect opportunity for me to revisit each one, re-familiarizing myself with the lyrics and trying to come up with tasks that matched the themes and symbolism behind each song.

What I think is most cool about these kinds of reading challenges... is that you don't have to be a fan of the bands to participate. You just have to be a fan of READING!!


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So here's how this works:


*The goal is to cross off as many of REM songs as you can throughout the course of 2016

You can challenge yourself to complete one entire album, focus on completing one decades-worth of albums, or build your own challenge by hitting your favorite song titles... it's totally up to you!

*You cross off the songs by reading a book that meets the criteria listed after each song title.

If the book meets multiple reading tasks, cool! You can apply it to multiple song titles, OR you can make the reading challenge more challenging by limiting yourself to one title per book.

*There is a built in redundancy with some of the tasks

They are repetitive on purpose, to give you an opportunity to read more than one type of book and still get credit for completing a task. (Sneaky, I know!)

*You can copy and paste the entire list, or your customized challenge list, into your own thread in this goodreads folder and strike through the song titles as you complete them, OR, you can simply copy and paste each song title and its criteria from the master list here as you complete it. (be sure to write the book title and author next to the song title so we know what you read!)


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And here's the list.... 
broken down by album, in the order of their release.




(The album titles are hyperlinked to REMhq, where you can click through to each song title and listen to the tracks for additional inspiration!)


CHRONIC TOWN (1982)
"Wolves, Lower" – read a book that centers on wolves or prominently features wild dogs
"Gardening at Night" – read a book that takes place primarily at night
"Carnival of Sorts (boxcars)" – read a book about a carnival, or that features a circus
"1,000,000" – read a ‘doorstopper’ (a book that is more than 600 pages long)
"Stumble" – read a book that you just happened to 'stumble' upon


MURMUR (1983)
"Radio Free Europe" – read a book that takes place in Europe
"Pilgrimage" - read a book about a character who goes on a long journey
"Laughing" – read a book that will make you laugh
"Talk About the Passion" – read an erotica book
"Moral Kiosk" – read a book in which one of the characters is struggling with their morality
"Perfect Circle" – read a book about a tight knit group of friends or family
"Catapult" – read a book set in medieval times
"Sitting Still" – read a book in which nothing seems to happen
"9-9" – read a book with 9 in the title, or a book that has only 9 chapters
"Shaking Through" – read a scary book
"We Walk" – read a book about a protagonist, or group of characters, who’s main mode of transportation is walking
"West of the Fields" – read a book about someone who has gone away, or is gone from home too long

"Harborcoat" – read a book that is left open for interpretation, whose plot is ambiguous
"7 Chinese Brothers" – read a book about pain, loss, bereavement
"So. Central Rain" – read a book in which the character or characters are waiting for something
"Pretty Persuasion" – read a book that someone recommended to you
Time After Time (AnnElise)" – read a book that spans a large period of time
"Second Guessing – read a book that you’ve been hesitant to pick up
"Letter Never Sent" – read a book that is told primarily in letters or diary entries
"Camera" – read a book that centers on photography or on a particular photograph
"(Don’t Go Back to) Rockville" – read a book you promised yourself you would never revisit
"Little America" – read a book set in the western era


"Feeling Gravity’s Pull" – read a space opera or a book that takes place in outer space
"Maps and Legends" – read a book that contains its own map/legend
"Driver 8" – read a book that prominently features a train as the main mode of transportation, or features a protagonist who has to travel a long distance
"Life and How to Live it" – read a self-help book
"Old Man Kensey" – read a book that features an old man as the protagonist
"Can’t Get There From Here" – read a book that seems to go nowhere
"Green Grow the Rushes" – read a book that is set in summertime
"Kohoutek" – read a book that revolves around astronomy, or prominently features stars, a sun, or a moon.
"Auctioneer (Another Engine)" – read a book about wanderlust
"Good Advices" – read a book written by an author you’d never heard of before
"Wendell Gee" – read a book about a dream or in which dreams are prominently featured


"Begin the Begin" – read a book you’ve already read
"These Days" – read a book that takes place in present day
"Fall on Me" – read a book about oppression
"Cuyahoga" – read a book that takes place on or near a river, in which a river is prominently featured
"Hyena" – read a book with an animal in the title
"Underneath the Bunker" – read a book about the end of the world
"The Flowers of Guatemala" -read a book that takes place in a foreign country
"I Believe" – read a book about fairy tales or a book that is a spin on a fairy tale
"What if We Give It Away" – read a book about giving up or giving something up
"Just a Touch" – read a book that uses multiple formats or gimmicks in which to tell its story
"Swan Swan H" – read a book with a word repeated in the title
"Superman" – read a book about a superhero


"Crazy" – read a book about a protagonist who goes crazy
"There She Goes Again" – read a book about a prostitute or that features prostitution
"Burning Down" – read a book that has the word burn or fire in the title
"Voice of Harold" – read a book that gives you goosebumps
"Burning Hell" – read a book that prominently features religion or a religious protagonist
"Toys in the Attic" – read a book that exudes nostalgia
"Windout" – read a book with multiple twists and turns
"Ages of You" – read a book with the word You in the title
"Pale Blue Eyes" – read a book that gives you all the feels
"Bandwagon" – read a book that everyone else is reading
"Femme Fatale" – read a book that features a woman who plays hard to get
"Walter’s Theme" – read a book with a man’s name in the title
"King of the Road" – read a book that takes place mostly on the road or prominently features a motel/hotel


DOCUMENT (1987)
"Finest Worksong" – read a book that revolves around music
"Welcome to the Occupation" – read a book about a blue collar protagonist
"Exhuming McCarthy" – read a book about politics or that features politics in some way
"Disturbance at the Heron House" – read a book about rioting or a world gone to chaos
"Strange" – read a “bizarro” or “experimental fiction” book
"It’s the End of the World as We Know It" – read a book that deals with some form of corruption
"The One I Love" – read a book that is an anti-love story
"Fireplace" – read a cozy mystery
"Lightnin’ Hopkins" – read a book that prominently features freakish weather
"King of Birds" – read a book that features birds, or has the name of a bird in the title
"Oddfellows Local 151" – read a book about firemen or that features a firehouse/firemen


GREEN (1988)
"Pop Song 89" – read a book that is about another book
"Get Up" – read a book that sounds boring
"You are the Everything" – read a book in which the protagonist is pining for someone
"Stand" – read a book that deals with direction (either literally or figuratively)
"World Leader Pretend" – read a book that revolves around war
"The Wrong Child" – read a non-YA book in which the protagonist is a child
"Orange Crush" – read a book about a protagonist who is called away or forced to leave
"Turn You Inside Out" – read a book that hinges itself on dishonesty
"Hairshirt" – read a book with a weird title
"I Remember California" – read a book that takes place in California
"Untitled" – read a book that deals with protection in some way 


OUT OF TIME (1991)
“Radio Song” – read a book that has to do with music, or prominently features a radio station
“Losing My Religion” – read a book that is considered an author’s “biggest” hit
“Low” – read a book about the morning after, or regrets
“Near Wild Heaven” – read a book that deals with the end of a relationship
“Shiny Happy People” – read a book about a utopia, or the search for utopia
“Belong” – read a book that revolves around a child, but does not feature a child as the protagonist
“Half a World Away” – read a book about a band
“Texarkana” – read a book in which the main character is searching for something
“Country Feedback” – read a book about heartbreak, about unrequited love
“Me in Honey” – read a book with the word Sweet or Sweetness in the title


“Drive” – read a book that revolves around youth
“Try Not to Breathe” – read a book about giving up
“The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonight” – read a book about a humorous love
“Everybody Hurts” – read a book about depression
“Sweetness Follows” – read a book about death, or that prominently features a funeral
“Monty Got a Raw Deal” – read a book in which one of the characters gets “a raw deal”. 
“Ignoreland” – read a book that similarly features the word ‘land’ in its title
“Star Me Kitten” – read a book that features the F-word, either in title or in text, or uses asterisks in the title
“Man on the Moon” – read a book that is a tribute to someone or something else
“Nightswimming” – read a book on a dare (have someone dare you to read something)
“Find the River” – read a book with River in the title


MONSTER (1994)
“What’s the Frequency, Kenneth” – read a book that encapsulates Generation-X
“Crush with Eyeliner” – read a book about discovering identity
“King of Comedy” – read a book that makes you laugh
“I Don’t Sleep, I Dream” – read a fantasy book, as a distraction from real life
“Star 69” – read a book by an author you are crazy obsessed with
“Strange Currencies” – read a book that features a strange obsession, or OCD
“Tongue” – read a book with a body part in the title
“Bang and Blame” – read a book about a one night stand
“I Took Your Name” – read a book in which something is taken away
“Let Me In” – read a book that messes with your emotions
“Circus Envy” – read a book that revolves around jealousy 
“You” – read a book written in second person


“How the West Was Won and Where It Got Us” – read a book set in the wild west
“The Wake-Up Bomb” – read a book about drugs, or drug addiction
“New Test Leper” – read a book about a character who is struggling with a disease
“Undertow” – read a book that takes place primarily on or under the water/ocean
“E Bow the Letter” – read a book that revolves around two best friends
“Leave” – read a book with the word leave or leaving in the title
“Departure” – read a book that is unlike the rest of a particular author’s bibliography
“Bittersweet Me” – read a book that features a bitter protagonist
“Be Mine” – read a collection of love poems
“Binky the Doormat” – read a book that is known for being strange or bizarre
“So Fast, So Numb” – read a book with a coma in the title
“Low Desert” – read a road-trip book
“Electrolite" – read a book that was written in the 20th century


UP (1998)
“Airportman” – read a book that takes place primarily in an airport or features a character who spends time in or around one
“Lotus” – read a book that is highly symbolic or allegorical
“Suspicion” – read a book you have been putting off
“Hope” – read a book with just one word in the title
“At My Most Beautiful” – read a book about goofy, silly love
“The Apologist” – read a book with ‘ist’ in the title
“Sad Professor” – read a book that features a teacher as the protagonist
“You’re in the Air” – read a book with the words Your or You’re in the title
“Walk Unafraid” – read a book that others have found incredibly scary
“Why Not Smile” – read a book about a protagonist who is habitually unhappy
“Day Sleeper” – read a book that features a protagonist who works the grave yard shift
“Diminished” – read a collection of flash fiction or short stories
“Parakeet” – read a book that’s told from an animal’s POV
“Falls to Climb” – read a book that features a character who is viewed as a martyr 

REVEAL (2001)
“The Lifting” – read a prequel
“I’ve Been High” – read a book that is told in past tense
“All the Way to Reno” – read a book that features a protagonist who is trying to get their big break
“She Just Wants to Be” – read a book written by a female author
“Disappear” – read a book that involves magic or a magician
“Saturn Return” – read a book about a character who does what they want, who goes against the norm
“Beat a Drum” – read a book with an instrument in its title
“Imitation of Life” – read a book that revolves around art, or a specific piece of art
“Summer Turns to High” – read a book with Summer in the title
“Chorus and the Ring” – read a book about forgetting or denying
“I’ll Take the Rain” – read a book that takes place during a storm, or features a lot of rain
“Beachball” – read a book that is typically referred to as a ‘beach read’


AROUND THE SUN (2004)
“Leaving New York” – read a book that takes place in New York
“Electron Blue “– read a book with a color in the title
“The Outsiders” – read a book that takes place primarily outside
“Make it All Ok” – read a book that makes you feel good
“Final Straw” – read the last book in a series
“I Wanted to Be Wrong” – read a book that you wish you could have changed the ending to
“Wanderlust” – read a book about a character who is running away from something
“The Boy in the Well” – read a non-YA book that features a young boy as the protagonist
“Aftermath” – read a book about the survivors of an apocalypse
“High Speed Train” – read a book that has a mode of transportation in the title
“The Worst Joke Ever “– read a book that others found funny but you did not
“The Ascent of Man” – read a book about books
“Around the Sun” – read a book that features space travel


ACCELERATE (2008)
“Living Well is the Best Revenge” – read a book that has a great revenge scene
“Man Sized Wreath” – read a Christmas themed novel 
“Supernatural Superserious” – read a book that takes place in a summer or day camp
“Hollow Man” – read a book that has failed to meet the hype that surrounded it
“Houston” – read a book that is set in a big city
“Accelerate” – read a book that is less than 125 pages long
“Until the Day is Done” – read a book in one sitting
“Mr Richards” – read a book that prominently features a president
“Sing for the Submarine” – read a classic dystopian/apocalyptic novel
“Horse to Water” – read a book that involves a fight of some sort 


Good luck! And feel free to have some conversation in the comments section here to let us know how you are making out!!

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