Connections Challenge

Connections Reading Challenge

We’re very excited to offer you an entirely different sort of reading challenge for Summer 2025 — The 52 Book Club’s Connections Reading Challenge!

How does this Connections Challenge work?

This challenge is all about finding the connections between our reads. It is also our first linear challenge, meaning that the challenge must be completed in order. Below, you’ll find a full list of the twenty-one challenge prompts. Match one book to each prompt for a total of twenty-one books. Start with prompt 1 and work your way through to prompt 21, one book at a time, in order.

Special Challenge Rules:

One of the unique elements of this challenge is that each prompt somehow connects to the prompt that came before it. Each book you choose will influence the books that come next. This is why the challenge must be completed in order. The prompts may look a little confusing at first, so take the challenge one prompt at a time.

For example:

Prompt 1 is “Pick any book.” Let’s say that you pick Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess as your first prompt.

Prompt 2 is “Title shares a word with the previous book’s title.” For this prompt, you could pick Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie because it shares the word “Murder” with your prompt 1 title.

Prompt 3 is “Set in the country where the previous author is from,” so you choose to read Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The book is set in England, which is where the previous author, Agatha Christie, was from.

And so on. Continue through the challenge, taking it one prompt at a time.

Note about pre-planning your Connections Challenge: Many of our friends enjoy pre-planning their entire challenge in advance before they start. Please note that for this challenge, that won’t be possible. You’ll be able to pre-plan some prompts, but for others, you’ll need to complete the prompt before you can move on to the next one. This is another unique element to this specific challenge and adds to the fun!

Challenge Timeline:

There is no deadline for this challenge. We’re releasing it in Summer 2025, but it can be completed at any time and in any timeline. Some friends may finish it in a month, while others may take the summer to complete it, the rest of the year, or even longer. Because this challenge must be done in order, it may take longer to complete as you wait on library holds or source reads one by one. That’s okay. Take your time and have fun with it!

Have more challenge questions? We’ve put together a Connections Reading Challenge Walkthrough for you on YouTube. (It also contains a full walkthrough of our Connections Reading Challenge Journal, which is an excellent tool for helping you track and record your challenge reads.)

Looking for more information about the prompts? Keep reading for a full walkthrough describing how to complete each prompt. While there are no Goodreads lists for this challenge, you can find the challenge on Storygraph here!

Graphics & Printables:

Connections Journal:

We’ve created a custom 52 Book Club Connections Reading Challenge Journal to pair with this challenge, and we’re super excited about it! Not only has this journal been specifically designed to reflect the linear nature of this challenge, but we’ve also teamed up with a local artist, Zach, to help design the cover and illustrations!

This journal walks you through each of the twenty-one prompts, providing space to prep and review your reads, as well as track your challenge stats. You can find all the journal details on our website here, or pop over to Amazon to grab a copy for yourself!

Stickers:

As usual, we’ve teamed up with our sticker partner, PlanItWithStickers to put together a sticker collection for this Connections Challenge. The sticker set contains twenty-one prompt stickers and is available exclusively from www.planitwithstickers.com

Challenge Walkthrough:

Looking to better understand the prompts? Look no further. The rest of this post will walk you through each of the twenty-one prompts on this challenge. We’ve also created a sample challenge as an example of how the challenge could be completed.

1) Pick any book: Start this challenge with a book of your choice. This can be any genre, format, or length. Be bold and read outside your comfort zone, or try a favourite genre or re-read. But remember, choose wisely. The book you pick will influence your next choice (and the rest of your challenge!)

Sample Challenge: For this walkthrough, we’ve created a sample challenge as an example of how this challenge can be completed. For this sample challenge, let’s say I choose to start with a cozy mystery, Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess.

2) Title shares a word with the previous book’s title: The book title for this prompt must share at least one word with the title you chose for prompt #1. This can be any word in the book’s title or subtitle. Easier words like “A” or “The” count (your challenge, your rules!), but we recommend trying a less common word!

Keep in mind that some books may have alternate titles in various regions. As long as the title shares a word in at least one edition, you can complete this prompt using any edition, format, or language.

Sample Challenge: Since I chose Welcome to Murder Week for our first prompt, I’ll choose Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie for this second prompt. Both books contain the word “Murder” in the title.

3) Set in the country where the previous author is from: This book must be set in the country where the previous author (the book you chose for prompt 2) is from. This may be the country where they currently reside, the country of birth, or part of their ethnic identity. The book may be set in any region or part of that country and may be fully or only partially set in that country.

Sample Challenge: Since I chose a book by Agatha Christie for my second prompt, I’m now looking for a book set in England (where Agatha Christie is from.) For this third prompt, I’ll choose Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë.

4) Published the same year as the previous book: For this prompt, pick a book published the same year as your previous read (your choice for prompt three). This should be the original publication date of the work. You can choose any genre, author, or format, as long as it shares the same publication year as prompt three. The book does not have to be set in that year.

Sample Challenge: My prompt three book (Jane Eyre) was originally published in October 1847. I need to find a book published in the same year. I’ll choose Wuthering Heights, published in November 1847, by Emily Brontë.

5) +/- 30 pages to previous book: For this prompt, we’re looking for a book with a similar page count to your prompt six read. Take your previous book’s page count and find a book within plus or minus 30 pages of that. (Example: If your book for prompt four had 338 pages, this book should be between 308-368 pages long.)

Different editions may have different page counts, and that’s okay. As long as one edition fits this prompt, you can read that book in any format. You can find a book’s page length on Goodreads, many retail sites, or the publisher’s website.

Sample Challenge: My previous book choice was Wuthering Heights. Goodreads tells me that the book is 359 pages long, so I’m now looking for a book that is somewhere between 329 to 389 pages long. I’ll pick Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, which is 332 pages.

6) Similar title font to previous book: Titles come in a variety of fonts. For this prompt, choose a book with a similar title font to your prompt five book. It does not have to be an exact font match.

Consider whether your previous read was a serif font, sans-serif, calligraphy, bold, italics, a mix of fonts, lowercase letters, etc. Different editions may have different fonts. As long as at least one edition fits the description, you can read that book in any format or edition.

Sample Challenge: For the previous prompt, I chose Parable of the Sower. My copy has a title with serif font and a mix of capital and lowercase letters. So, for prompt six, I’ll choose Every Hour Until Then by Gabrielle Meyer – also with a serif font and a mix of capital and lowercase letters.

7) Author shares name with character from previous book: For this prompt, we’re looking for an author who shares their name with one of the characters from your previous read (prompt six). This may be the name of any character appearing in the book. It may be their first name, surname, or even a nickname. The name may align with the author’s first, middle, last name, or pseudonym.

Sample Challenge: In my previous read, there are characters named Kathryn, Mary, Austen, Elizabeth, etc. For this prompt, I’ll choose the name “Austen” and pick Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen.

8) Cover shares item with the previous cover: Choose a cover that shares at least one item or element from your prompt seven book. Get as specific as you like. (Example: Both covers have a flower versus more specifically, both have a rose.)

Different editions may have different covers. As long as at least one edition fits the description, you can read that book using any format or edition.

Sample Challenge: My edition of Sense and Sensibility has a floral cover. So, for this prompt, I’m looking for another cover with flowers. I decided on The Color Purple by Alice Walker. The edition that I get from my library is a newer cover without flowers on it, but it still fits the prompt because I see a copy online that has purple and yellow flowers on it.

9) Shares a narrative technique with previous book: A narrative technique (also known as a literary device) is a method an author uses to craft and shape the story. Examples of narrative techniques include (but aren’t limited to): foreshadowing, plot twist, cliffhangers, flashbacks, the point of view, unreliable narrator, allegory, metaphor, red herring, irony, etc.

For this prompt, pick a book that uses at least one shared narrative technique with your previous book (prompt 8).

Sample Challenge: Some of the narrative techniques in my previous book (The Color Purple) include an epistolary narrative, symbolism, foreshadowing, metaphors, and allusion. So for this prompt, I’m going to pick a book that also uses an epistolary narrative. I’ll choose Dracula by Bram Stoker.

10) A book the previous character would read at the beach: How well do you know the characters from your previous read? This prompt is a little more abstract as we’re asking you to dive into a character’s head and pick a book they might read at the beach.

This could be a main or secondary character from your prompt 9 book. Think about that character’s personality, interests, life experiences, etc. What kind of book would they find relaxing? What would they enjoy reading in their free time? If your previous read was nonfiction, choose any individual featured, quoted, or mentioned in that book as your “character.”

Have fun with this prompt. Get as imaginative as you’d like!

Sample Challenge: For prompt nine, I read Dracula. Now, the beach probably isn’t Dracula’s favourite hangout spot, but I do get a giggle imagining him secretly reading and enjoying Twilight by Stephanie Meyer while sitting in his beach chair. So, that’s my pick for this prompt.

11) Same publisher as previous book: The book you choose for this prompt should have the same publisher as the book you chose for prompt ten. For more flexibility, you may decide on a different imprint within the same publishing house.

Sample Challenge: My copy of Twilight (my book ten choice) was published by Little, Brown and Company which is part of the Hachette Book Group. For this prompt, I’ll choose The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen, a historical fiction novel published by Forever, another division of the Hachette Book Group.

12) Non-fiction inspired by something in previous book: The only requirement for this prompt is that it must be non-fiction (based on facts, real events, real people, etc) and be inspired by your previous read. This may be related to an event that occurred in your previous book, a historical character mentioned, the setting, something the character experienced, a fact you learned, etc.

Books chosen for this prompt may be any genre of non-fiction (history, biography, true crime, self-help, travel, etc.) and may be any length.

Sample Challenge: My previous book featured WWII and female resistance spies working in France. So, for this prompt, I’ll choose The Last Secret Agent by Pippa Latour, a non-fiction memoir featuring Pippa’s time as a female operative in France in WWII.

13. Cover is on opposite side of colour wheel to previous book: What colour was your book cover for prompt twelve? For this prompt, we’re looking for a book cover that is on the opposite side of the colour wheel.

A colour wheel is an illustrative tool designed to help show the relationship between colours. Opposite colours have a high contrast to each other but are complementary. Examples: Red and green, orange and blue, purple and yellow, black and white, etc.

It’s up to you how specific you’d like to get regarding varying shades, multiple colours, etc.

Sample Challenge: My prompt twelve choice was The Last Secret Agent which has a mostly dark black cover that transitions into grey and green. So, for this prompt, I’ll be looking for a white cover with maybe a little red on it. My copy of The Snowman by Jo Nesbo fits perfectly.

14. Character shares profession with previous character: A character from this book should share a profession with a character from your previous read. You may use a main or secondary character’s profession for either book. Get as specific as you like when comparing careers. (For example: Both characters are doctors or both characters are neurologists.)

If your previous book was non-fiction, choose a profession featured anywhere within that read.

Sample Challenge: My previous book was The Snowman and featured a police Inspector as one of my main characters. For this prompt, I’ll choose a book also featuring police as my main characters and will read Desert Star by Michael Connelly.

15. Recommended by someone else based on your review of previous book: Share your review of your previous read with a friend, librarian, or on social media (check out The 52 Book Club’s Facebook Group!) Ask for a recommendation solely based on your thoughts of the previous book. Whether you loved it or hated it, recommendations should be based on that review alone, not your usual preferences.

Example: I really enjoyed my previous read, Desert Star, so someone recommended that I read Murder, Madness and Mayhem by Mike Browne, a non-fiction read featuring twenty-five tales of true crime.

16. Goodreads rating +/- 0.25 of previous book’s rating: What was the Goodreads rating for your previous read? Find a book with a Goodreads rating within plus (+) or minus (-) 0.25 of that.

For example, if the Goodreads rating for your prompt fifteen book was 3.95 stars, you’ll need to pick a book that’s between 3.70 stars and 4.20 stars. Any book fits as long as it’s within a quarter of a star.

Sample Challenge: The Goodreads rating for my previous book, Murder, Madness and Mayhem is 3.75 stars. For this prompt, I’m looking for a book that’s between 3.5 stars and 4.0 stars. I’ll choose Beloved by Toni Morrison, which currently has a Goodreads rating of 3.97 stars.

17. Inspired by something in the previous author’s bio: Find something in the previous author’s bio to inspire your next read. Maybe it’s their location, pets, family members, awards they’ve won, hobbies, another book they wrote, etc. For this prompt, choose a book that’s somehow connected to that. You can use any fact from the author’s bio located on the book you just read, their website, or another online source to inspire you!

Sample Challenge: Taking a read through Toni Morrison’s author bio (I chose her book for prompt 15) and I see it says, “Morrison was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in 2020.” For this prompt, I chose another woman inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame – Louisa May Alcott, and read her book, Little Women.

18. Shares main theme with previous book: A theme is a central idea found within a story. It’s the main lesson or idea that the author is trying to get across. There are many common themes found within literature. Examples include (but aren’t limited to): good vs. evil, family, identity, justice, revenge, pursuit of love, war, redemption, etc. For this prompt, find a book that shares a main theme with the previous book.

Sample Challenge: My previous book, Little Women has a strong theme centred around sisterhood and the bonds of family. For this prompt, I’ll choose another book exploring the bonds of sisterhood, My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.

19. Set in same time period as previous book: This book should share the same time period as your previous read. You can get as specific as you like with this definition. For example, you may choose a book set within the same decade or a defined era (WWII, the 1960s, the Gilded Age, etc) or within a larger timeframe (such as the Middle Ages or Ancient history.) Books do not have to be set in the same location, simply the same time.

If your previous book has multiple time periods, choose one to feature in this story, or find a book featuring similar time periods.

Sample Challenge: My previous read, My Sister the Serial Killer is a contemporary set novel. For this prompt, I’ll choose another contemporary read, The Love Haters by Katherine Center.

20. Title has same number of vowels as previous title: We’re looking for a title that has the same number of vowels in it as your previous read. English vowels consist of the letters A, E, I, O, and U (and sometimes Y). Titles in other languages may have other vowels.

If your prompt 19 title had eight vowels in it, this title should have eight vowels as well. The vowels do not have to match letter for letter, simply the number of vowels total.

Sample Challenge: My previous book, The Love Haters has five vowels in the title. I need a book with five vowels for this prompt too. I’ll choose Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay.

21. Is somehow connected to your prompt 20 and prompt 1 picks: For your final prompt on this challenge, we want to take our reads full circle and connect this book to both your previous read (#20) and the very first prompt (#1).

The book you choose for this prompt should somehow connect to both, but they do not have to connect in the same way. For example, this book may share a genre with your prompt 1 choice but share a publisher with your prompt 20 pick. Examples may include: same authors or publishers, same settings, shared character names, shared plot points, similar cover elements or titles, etc. Get creative and feel free to be as broad or as specific with your connections as you like!

Sample Challenge: My very first pick for this challenge was Welcome to Murder Week and my previous choice was Parents Weekend. Both of these books were published in 2025 so for this book, I’ll connect to both of them by reading another 2025 release, Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros.

Other Frequently Asked Questions

1) Is this the Summer 2025 Challenge?
It is! This challenge will be in lieu of any June, July, or August 2025 mini-challenges.

2) Is this a part of the main 52 books in 52 weeks challenge?
Yes and no. Mini-challenges are related to our 52 books in 52 weeks challenge but are also completely optional. Some members may decide to complete the full challenge, minis, and this Connections Challenge. Other members may choose to skip certain challenges. It’s up to you how (or if) you’d like to participate.

3) Can I use the same books as my 52 book challenge?
It all depends on your personal reading goals! You can choose to read these books in addition to your regular 52 Book Club reads (this challenge makes 84 prompts for 2025), or you can double up and combine them with prompts still left on your 2025 list. Your challenge, your rules!

Happy reading, book friends!