2023 Extreme Reader Categories
1. A book promoted or reviewed by another author
2. A book that changed or impacted your life
3. A classic by a Black, Indigenous, or person of color (BIPOC) author
4. A living author who you would like to have dinner with
5. A secret in it, opens a new window
6. About current events
7. Agatha Award winner or nominee (2015-2020), opens a new window
8. Audiobook narrated by the author, opens a new window
9. Author who identifies as trans or nonbinary, opens a new window
10. Author's first book and their most recent book (first book)
11. Author's first book and their most recent book (most recent book)
12. Book by an author that has published in more than one genre, opens a new window
13. Book of your own choosing
14. Book you picked based on the title
15. Breaks the fourth wall, opens a new window
16. Character on the run, opens a new window
17. Choose a book by flipping a coin
18. Comedy, opens a new window
19. Cover that made you look twice
20. Cover you'd hang on your wall as art
21. Explores environmental awareness, opens a new window
22. Explores neurodiversity, opens a new window
23. Features an uprising or rebellion, opens a new window
24. Features ancestral or intergenerational trauma, opens a new window
25. Fruit or vegetable on the cover, opens a new window
26. Good or Bad in the title, opens a new window
27. Great for a book club discussion
28. Has a character you relate to
29. Includes a mythological creature, opens a new window
30. Includes an assassin, opens a new window
31. Includes the legal profession, opens a new window
32. Inspires you to create or find a playlist
33. Literary fiction, opens a new window
34. Memoir about the service or labor industry, opens a new window
35. Name of a bird in the title, opens a new window
36. National Book Award Young People's Literature finalist, opens a new window
37. Non-English word in the title, opens a new window
38. Non-superhero graphic novel, opens a new window
39. Queer love story, opens a new window
40. Question mark in the title, opens a new window
41. Recommended to you
42. Set in a castle, opens a new window
43. Set in multiple countries, opens a new window
44. Set on the West Coast of the United States, opens a new window
45. Shelved in the 900s (900-999) non-fiction section, opens a new window
46. Strong female character, opens a new window
47. Takes place during a storm, opens a new window
48. Takes place in a time period you know little about
49. The 2023 Tacoma Reads adult or teen title
50. Themes of feminism, opens a new window
51. Told by an unreliable narrator, opens a new window
52. Under 150 pages, opens a new window
53. Unlikely hero, opens a new window
54. Would make a great movie or TV show
55. Yellow cover (must be 50%), opens a new window
2022 Extreme Reader Categories
1. A book about an historical figure, opens a new window
2. A book about or including a wedding, opens a new window
3. A book about starting over, opens a new window
4. A book cover that has your favorite color on it
5. A book cover that shows a person from behind, opens a new window
6. A book from a genre you don’t normally read
7. A book from ALA’s Challenged Books lists, opens a new window
8. A book from one of these two celebrity book clubs: Oprah’s Book Club or the Read with Jenna Book Club, opens a new window
9. A book of your own choosing
10. A book published in 2022 (Fiction) (Volume 1, opens a new window) (Volume 2, opens a new window) (Volume 3, opens a new window)
11. A book published in 2022 (Non-fiction) (booklists released quarterly for this category duo!)
12. A book published more than ten years ago, opens a new window
13. A book set in a restaurant, opens a new window
14. A book set in a school, opens a new window
15. A book set in the Caribbean, opens a new window
16. A book set on the East Coast of the United States, opens a new window
17. A book set outdoors, opens a new window
18. A book set somewhere you want to visit
19. A book that begins with a disappearance, opens a new window
20. A book that centers a refugee’s experience, opens a new window
21. A book that discusses body positivity, opens a new window
22. A book that focuses on mental health, opens a new window
23. A book that fulfills a category from a previous Extreme Reader challenge year, opens a new window
24. A book that involves time travel, opens a new window
25. A book that makes you think, “Just one more chapter!”
26. A book that takes place in a country that starts with the letter A, opens a new window
27. A book that takes place in a magical world, opens a new window
28. A book with a beverage in the title, opens a new window
29. A book with a cardinal direction (north, south, east, west) in the title, opens a new window
30. A book with a character who works in a library, opens a new window
31. A book with a day of the week in the title, opens a new window
32. A book with a five-star rating in the TPL catalog, opens a new window (access link for directions!)
33. A book with a heart, club, diamond, or spade shape on the cover, opens a new window
34. A book with a number from one through twelve in the title, opens a new window
35. A book with a protagonist who has a pet cat, opens a new window
36. A book with a protagonist who has your dream job
37. A book with a robot, cyborg, or artificial intelligence, opens a new window
38. A book with a snake on the cover, opens a new window
39. A book with a star on the cover, opens a new window
40. A book with a title structure of “The _____’s _____”, opens a new window
41. A book with best friends, opens a new window
42. A book with the name of a color in the title, opens a new window
43. A book written by an Asian American author, opens a new window
44. A book written by an author whose first or last names begins with T, P, or L, opens a new window
45. A book written by an author whose last name is six letters or more, opens a new window
46. A book written by one of your favorite authors
47. A book written by multiple authors, opens a new window
48. A book written by someone who is no longer living, opens a new window
49. A fantasy book inspired by the Middle East, Southeast, or South Asia, opens a new window
50. A horror or paranormal story, opens a new window
51. A Jane Austen novel, or a retelling or adaptation of one, opens a new window
52. A locked-room mystery, opens a new window
53. A philosophical literature or philosophy book, opens a new window
54. A southern gothic novel, opens a new window
55. A space opera, opens a new window
2021 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book about climate change, opens a new window
- A book about music or musicians, opens a new window
- A book about or involving social media use, opens a new window
- A book about or with art or museums, opens a new window
- A book about or written by a journalist, opens a new window
- A book about or written by a woman in STEM, opens a new window
- A book about social justice, opens a new window
- A book about the American Civil War, opens a new window
- A book in which a natural disaster takes place, opens a new window
- A book of your own choosing
- A book published in the year you were born
- A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics, opens a new window
- A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent, opens a new window
- A book set in Ireland, opens a new window
- A book set on a mode of transportation, opens a new window
- A book that passes the Bechdel Test, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during the 1920s, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during the Middle Ages, opens a new window
- A book that takes place during winter, opens a new window
- A book where the characters save (or attempt to save) the world, opens a new window
- A book with a book on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with a character who is older than you
- A book with a glyph in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a heist in it, opens a new window
- A book with a map, opens a new window
- A book with a medical professional, opens a new window
- A book with a metallic cover, opens a new window
- A book with a person’s name in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a royal moniker in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a skull on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with a title featuring repeating words, opens a new window
- A book with an unlikely pair, opens a new window
- A book with crafting or related to the Do-It-Yourself “DIY” movement, opens a new window
- A book with military personnel, opens a new window
- A book with one of the four elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air) in the title, opens a new window
- A book with only words on the cover, opens a new window
- A book with parents or parental figures in it, opens a new window
- A book written by a South American author, opens a new window
- A book written by an author that uses an initial(s) in their name , opens a new window
- A book written by an author you’ve never read before
- A book written in the first person, opens a new window
- A book you finished in one day
- A Goodreads Choice Awards winner (Adult Fiction list, opens a new window | Teen & Adult Non-fiction list, opens a new window)
- A legal thriller, opens a new window
- A magical realism book, opens a new window
- A play, opens a new window
- A prequel or a sequel to another book or series, opens a new window
- A Pulitzer Prize winning or finalist book from the non-fiction category, opens a new window
- An Afro Futurism book, opens a new window
- An alternate history book, opens a new window
- An anthology book, opens a new window
- An antiracist book, opens a new window
- Reread a favorite book
- Two books that share the same title, opens a new window (Title A)
- Two books that share the same title, opens a new window (Title B)
2020 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book about or set during World War II (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book about politics or politicians (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book based on a real person (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book commonly assigned to read in high school (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book from a LibraryReads list (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book of your own choosing
- A book over 500 pages (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book published when the author was under 35 years old (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book recommended by library staff or an independent bookseller (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book revolving around a puzzle or a game (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book set in outer space (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book set in the state or country where you were born
- A book suggested by a person younger than you
- A book that inspired a common phrase or idiom (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place during a single day (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place in a country outside of the United States (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book that takes place in multiple time periods (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book translated from its original language (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book under 200 pages (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a bookstore in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a brewery or winery in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a character who has a superpower (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a circus in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a large cast of characters (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a number in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a planet in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with a punny title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an amateur detective (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an anti-hero or anti-heroine (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an image of a feather on the cover (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an image of a sword on the cover (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with an LGBTQIA+ protagonist (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with drawings, diagrams, photos, or pictures in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with siblings in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with sports in it (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the name of a month in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Book” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Extreme” or “Reader” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book with the word “Salty”, “Sweet”, “Spicy”, or “Bitter” in the title (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by a celebrity (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by a woman of color (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an author with an alliterative name (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an Indigenous author (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book written by an LGBTQIA+ author (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A book you have purposefully avoided reading
- A book you meant to read in 2019
- A collection of essays (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A Michael L. Printz winner or honor book (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- A non-fiction and fiction book about the same topic (non-fiction book) (printable list, opens a new window)
- A non-fiction and fiction book about the same topic (fiction book) (printable list, opens a new window)
- A true crime or crime fiction novel (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- An historical fiction novel (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- An “own voices” book (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
- Read a book in a format you don’t normally read
- The first book in a series (printable list, opens a new window I catalog, opens a new window)
2019 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book suggested by another Extreme Reader
- A book with a female protagonist, opens a new window
- A Hugo Award winner or nominee, opens a new window
- A beach read, opens a new window
- A book set in the South, opens a new window
- A western, opens a new window
- A collection of short stories, opens a new window
- A book set somewhere you’ve never been, opens a new window
- A book you own but have never read
- A book with food in it, opens a new window
- A book with royalty in it, opens a new window
- A graphic novel, opens a new window
- A book with a birthday in it, opens a new window
- A love story, opens a new window
- A dystopian novel, opens a new window
- A book about books, opens a new window
- A sad book, opens a new window
- A book set in Washington, opens a new window
- A book inspired by another literary work, opens a new window
- A book with X, Y, or Z in the title, opens a new window
- A book from a library display
- A book with a lifestyle different from your own
- A book with a character you intensely dislike
- A nonfiction book, opens a new window
- A book with garden in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a red cover, opens a new window
- A book with a mental illness, opens a new window
- A book by a Washington author, opens a new window
- An autobiography, opens a new window
- A book with a season in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a floral cover, opens a new window
- A book published posthumously, opens a new window
- A book with a one-word title, opens a new window
- A book you choose based entirely on its cover, opens a new window
- An epistolary book, opens a new window
- A book you love … read it again!
- A wildcard book
- A book on the Great American Read list, opens a new window
- A retelling or reimagining of a story, opens a new window
- A paperback book
- A book with an animal in the title, opens a new window
- A book with a city in the title, opens a new window
- A mystery or thriller, opens a new window
- Listen to an audiobook, opens a new window
- A book published this year
- A book made into a movie or TV show, opens a new window
- A book with a witch in it, opens a new window
- A book with multiple narrators, opens a new window
- A book of poetry, opens a new window
- A book that is a modern classic, opens a new window
- An author’s first book, opens a new window
- A literary novel, opens a new window
- A popular book you never got around to reading
- A book written by two authors, opens a new window
- A book you never finished
