The 2017 David Bowie 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. And in 2016, we whipped up The REM Reading Challenge. (I really sucked at this one. I couldn't even complete one album, but man was it fun trying!)

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

For 2017, we continue with the music theme. And I chose David Bowie this time because I think it's a great way to honor his musical genius. 2016 took him from us way too soon! I admit to being a late Bowie bloomer. I'm of the Labyrinth generation, and first came to really know who he was through that movie and its soundtrack. I also attended the NIN/Bowie concert in the nineties, though I am ashamed to admit leaving before his set was over. Looking back now, I wish I had stuck around. I had no idea how much I would grow to love his music. 

Choosing his discography for our 2017 reading challenge created the perfect opportunity for me to revisit each of his albums, re-familiarizing myself with the lyrics and trying to come up with tasks that matched the themes and symbolism behind each song. Unshockingly, I am a total 80's Bowie girl!!!!

Regardless of which Bowie decade you prefer, what I think is most cool about these kinds of reading challenges... is that you don't even 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 Bowie songs as you can throughout the course of 2017. 

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 song 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.

David Bowie (1967)

“Uncle Arthur” – Read a book with a man’s name in the title

“Sell Me a Coat” – Read a book that takes place in winter

“Rubber Band” – Read a book about a musician/band or that prominently features one

“Love You Till Tuesday” – Read a book that has a day of the week in its title

“There is a Happy Land” – Read a book with a child protagonist

“We Are Hungry Men” – Read a book about a global catastrophe

“When I Live My Dream” – Read a fantasy novel

“Little Bombadier” – Read a book that is drenched in cynicism and suspicion

“Silly Boy Blue” – Read a book that explores religion

“Come and Buy My Toys” – Read a YA book

“Join the Gang” – Read a book that features a gang of some sort

“She’s Got Medals” – Read a LGBTQ book

“Maids of Bond Street” – Read a book that features a celebrity or is written by a celebrity

“Please Mr. Gravedigger” – Read a book about murder, or that prominently features a murder

SPACE ODDITY (1969)

“Space Oddity” – Read a space opera

“Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed” – Read a book about grieving or that features a character who is grieving

“Letter to Hermione” – Read a book written in the form of diary entries or letters

“Cygnet Committee” – Read a book that uses alliteration in its title

“Janine” – Read a book with a female protagonist

“An Occasional Dream” – Read a book about a break-up

“Wild Eyed Boy From Freecloud” – Read a fantasy novel with a child protagonist

“God Knows I’m Good” – Read a book about a character who is just scraping by

“Memory of a Free Festival” – Read a book about someone having a bad day

THE MAN WHO SOLD THEWORLD (1970)

“Width of a Circle” – Read a book that features a monster (real or imagined)

“All the Madmen” – Read a book that deals with mental illness or features a character that is suffering from mental illness

“Black Country Rock” – Read a parody or satire

“After All” – Read a book that has a sad ending

“Running Gun Blues” – Read a book about a serial killer or that features a serial killer

“Saviour Machine” – Read a book in which technology becomes sentient

“She Shook Me Cold” – Read a book that contains bad sex scenes

“The Man Who Sold the World” – Read a book that leaves itself open for interpretation

“The Supermen” – Read a comic book or a book that features characters will superpowers

HUNKY DORY (1971)

“Changes” – Read an angsty book

“Oh! You Pretty Things” – Read a book with a punctuation in the title

“Eight Line Poem” – Read a collection of poetry

“Life on Mars” – Read a sci-book that takes place on another planet

“Kooks” – Read a book about parenthood or that revolves around parenting

“Quicksand” – Read a book about despair or in which a character is disillusioned

“Fill Your Heart”  - Read a book that is co-authored

“Andy Warhol” – Read a book that is an homage to something else

“Song for Bob Dylan” – Read a book that is about or prominently features a singer

“Queen Bitch” – Read a book about a seedy underground lifestyle

“The Bewlay Brothers” – Read a book that’s been labeled as an author’s “sell out” title

“Bombers” – Read a book about nuclear war or a book that features an apocalypse

THE RISE AND FALL OF ZIGGY STARDUST AND THE SPIDERS FROM MARS (1972)

“Five Years” – Read a book that spans a long period of time

“Soul Love” – Read a cynical love story

“Moonage Daydream” – Read a bizarro novel

“Starman” – Read a book about an alien invasion or that prominently features aliens

“It Ain’t Easy” – Read a book that is a rewrite of an older book

“Lady Stardust” – Read a book that is set in the trippy 1970’s

“Star” – Read a book about a person on the verge of something big or features a character’s big break

“Hang on to Yourself” – Read a book about someone who has lost themselves

“Ziggy Stardust” – Read a book that is known as an author’s attempt to ‘reinvent’ themselves (or a book published under a pseudonym)

“Suffragette City” – Read a book that is heavily influenced by another book

“Rock ‘N’ Roll Suicide” – Read a book about a protagonist who does not deal well with aging

ALADDIN SANE (1973)

“Watch That Man” – Read a book that features a lot of partying

“Aladdin Sane” – Read a book about a “lost” or past generation

“Drive-In Saturday” – Read a book that has a day of the week in the title

“Panic in Detroit” – Read a book about political turmoil

“Cracked Actor” – Read a book that features a character who is losing their mind

“Time” – Read a book in which time is manipulable or that focuses heavily on time

“The Prettiest Star” – Read a book with an adjective in the title

“Let’s Spend the Night Together” – Read a book about a one-night stand or that features a one-night stand

“The Jean Genie” – Read a book that packs a punch

“Lady Grinning Soul” – Read a book with a creepy sounding title

PIN UPS (1973)

“Rosalyn” -Read a book about teenage lust/obsession

“Here Comes the Night” – Read a book that takes place primarily at night

“I wish You Would” – Read a book that reads like a country song

“See Emily Play” – Read a play

“Everything’s Alright” – Read a book in which everything turns out alright

“I Can’t Explain” – Read a book that made absolutely no sense

“Friday on My Mind” – Read a book cover to cover over the course of one weekend

“Sorrow” – Read a book that makes you cry

“Don’t Bring Me Down” – Read a book that makes you ragey

“Shapes of Things” – Read a book that is considered the “least popular” of an author’s bibliography

“Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere” – Read a book that features a protagonist who thinks they are invincible, above the rules

“Where Have All the Good Times Gone” – Read a book that makes you feel nostalgic

DIAMOND DOGS (1974)

“Future Legend” – Read a novelette

“Diamond Dogs” – Read a book whose primary character(s) are animals

“Sweet Thing” – Read a book about city living

“Candidate” – Read a book in which the characters spend a lot of time on the street

“Rebel Rebel” – Read a book that features a jaded protagonist

“Rock ‘N’ Roll With Me” – Read a book that rocks your socks off

“We Are the Dead” – Read a zombie novel

“1984” – Read a classic novel

“Big Brother” – Read the last novel in a series

“Chant of the Ever Circling Skeletal Family” – Read the last book in author’s bibliography

YOUNG AMERICANS (1975)

“Young Americans” – Read a YA or NA novel

“Win” – Read a book that you won or were gifted

“Fascination” – Read a book by an author you are fascinated by

“Right” – Read a book that someone recommended to you because they knew you would love it

“Somebody Up There Likes Me” – Read a book that is written in third-person

“Across the Universe” – Read a book in which the main character has to travel a long distance

“Can You Hear Me” – Read a book about a “player”, someone who gets around

“Fame” – Read a book that is considered experimental

“Who Can I Be Now?” – Read a book that defies genre

“It’s Gonna Be Me” – Read a book that is full of regrets

“John, I’m Only Dancing (again)” – Read a book that’s set in a foreign country

“After Today” – Read a book that takes place in the future

STATION TO STATION (1976)

“Station to Station” – Read a book that is basically a stream of consciousness

“Golden Years” – Read a book with a color in the title

“Word on a Wing” – Read a book that pokes fun at religion

“TVC 15” – Read a book that features a television show or in which the characters are obsessed with TV

“Stay” – Read a book in which the characters stay put

“Wild is the Wind” – Read a book that takes place mostly outdoors

LOW (1977)

“Breaking Glass” – Read a short story

“What in the World” – Read a book that’s told from multiple perspectives

“Sound and Vision” – Read a book that inspires you

“Always Crashing in the Same Car” – Read a road-trip book

“Be My Wife” – Read a book with Wife in the title

“Warszawa” – Read a book that takes place in a foreign city

“Subterraneans” – Read a book about someone or a group of people who have been left behind

HEROES (1977)

“Beauty and the Beast” – read a fairy tale

“Joe the Lion” -  Read a body-horror novel, or a book that contains some gory scenes

“Heroes” – Read one of the more under-rated books in an author’s bibliography

“Sons of the Silent Age” – Read an historical fiction book

“Blackout” – Read a book that features a protagonist who blackouts or abuses drugs regularly

“The Secret Life of Arabia” – Read a book in which the protagonist is keeping secrets

LODGER (1979)

“Fantastic Voyage” – Read a book that features an older (bonus point for grumpy/cranky) protagonist

“African Night Flight” – Read a book written by a person of color

“Move On” – Read a book that features someone who is constantly on the move

“Yassassin (Turkish For Long Live)” – Read a book about migrant workers or someone who hops from job to job

“Red Sails” – Read a book that takes place on a ship or boat or features one as a means of transportation

“D.J.” – Read a book in which someone’s job eats away at them

“Look Back in Anger” – Read a book in which angels are characters or features angels in some way

“Boys Keep Swinging” – Read a book about drag queens or that features a character or characters who dress in drag

“Repetition” – Read a book in which a word is repeated in the title

“Red Money” – Read a book that you find to be highly symbolic

SCARY MONSTERS (1980)

“It’s No Game (Parts 1&2)” – Read a book that is set during a time of protest or political upheaval

“Up the Hill Backwards” – Read a book that is told out of sequence

“Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)” – Read a book with monsters or demons in it

“Ashes to Ashes” – Read a book that is a follow up or sequel

“Fashion” – Read a book set in the 80’s

“Teenage Wildlife” – Read a book that revolves around a group of teenagers

“Scream Like a Baby” – Read a book that just scares the shit out of you

“Kingdom Come” – Read a book that features a jail or prison

“Because You’re Young” – Read a book in which an older narrator is pining to be young again

LET’S DANCE (1983)

“Modern Love” – Read a contemporary love story

“China Girl” – Read a book written by a Chinese author or that takes place in China

“Let’s Dance” – Read an author’s biggest hit

“Without You” – Read a book that is written in second person

“Ricochet” – Read a book that keeps bouncing around in your head

“Criminal World” – Read a book by an author who is, or features a character who is, bisexual

“Cat People (Putting Out the Fire)” – Read a book which features a fire or revolves around fire

“Shake It” – Read a book that tried hard but just couldn’t pull it off

TONIGHT (1984)

“Loving the Alien” – Read a book about a conspiracy theory

“Don’t Look Down” – Read a book about a character who finds himself in a bad situation

“God Only Knows” – Read a book with a narcissistic protagonist

“Tonight” – Read a book in which one of the characters die

“Neighborhood Threat” – Read a book in which something or someone terrorizes a neighborhood or group of people

“Blue Jean” – Read a book that is a throwback to another decade

“Tumble and Twirl” – Read a book about travel or that features a character who travels

“I Keep Forgetting” – Read a book that you keep forgetting to pick up once you put it down

“Dancing with the Big Boys” – Read a book with boys in the title or that focuses on a group of boys

LABYRINTH (1986)

“Opening Titles including Underground” – Read a book that’s been turned into a movie

“Magic Dance” – Read a book that would have been more effective if it was a short story (a book that was just too long for no reason)

“Chilly Down” – Read a book that makes a chill run down your spine

“As the World Falls Down” – Read a book about the end of the world

“Within You” – Read a book in which a character has multiple ‘personalities’ within themselves

NEVER LET ME DOWN (1987)

“Day In Day Out” – Read a book that takes place over the course of one day

“Time Will Crawl” – Read a book that seemed to take forever to finish

“Beat of Your Own Drum” – Read a book that is unlike anything you’ve read before

“Never Let Me Down” – Read a book in which a character places their faith in something

“Zeroes” – Read a book whose final page number ends in a 0

“Glass Spider” – Read a horror novel (bonus: if it has a spider in it)

“Shining Star (Makin’ My Love)” – Read a western or a book that takes place in the wild west

“New York’s In Love” – Read a book by an author who is from or currently resides in New York

“’87 and Cry” – Read a book about someone revisiting their home town (or country)

“Too Dizzy” – Read a book that makes your head spin

“Bang Bang” – Read a book that is a complete disappointment

BLACK TIE WHITE NOISE (1993)

“You’ve Been Around” – Read a book that has a profound effect on you

“I Feel Free” – Read a book, any book, and take credit for reading it

“Black Tie White Noise” – Read a book that takes place in Los Angeles

“Jump They Say” – Read a book that revolves around a loss in the family

“Nite Flights” – Read a book in which an airplane is used as a mode of travel

“Pallas Athena” – Read a book that deals with religion

“Miracle Goodnight” – Read a book that kept you up way past your bedtime

“Don’t Let Me Down & Down” – Read a translation

“I Know it’s Gonna Happen Someday” – Read a book in which nothing much seems to happen

“The Wedding Song” – Read a book in which a wedding takes place

“Lucy Can’t Dance” – Read a book that can be considered “brain candy” (a quick, easy, enjoyable read)

BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA (1993)

“Buddha of Suburbia” – Read a book that takes place in the suburbs

“Sex and the Church” – Read an erotica novel

“Bleed Like a Craze, Dad” – Read a book that takes inspiration from another book

“Strangers When We Meet” – Read a book by a previously-unknown-to-you author

“Dead Against It” – Read a book you had initially refused to read

“Untitled No. 1” – Free Space Read: Read any book and take credit here

1. OUTSIDE (1995)

“Leon Takes Us Outside” – Read a book that contains diary or date entries

“Outside” – Read a book in which all of the action takes place outside

“The Hearts Filthy Lesson” – Read a book narrated by someone distant and/or menacing

“A Small Plot of Land” – Read a book that is long and punishing yet unputdownable

“Baby Grace (A Horrid Cassette)” – Read a mystery novel

“Hallo Spaceboy”  - Read a ghost story

“The Motel” – Read a book that takes place in or prominently features a motel

“I Have Not Been To Oxford” – Read a book that takes place in a city or country you have not yet been to

“No Control” – Read a book that someone recommended to you

“Algeria Touchshriek” – Read a book in which the title is the character’s name

“The Voyeur of Utter Destruction (As Beauty)” – Read a book that features torture of some sort

“Ramona A Stone / I am With Name” – Read a book with a badass villain

“Wishful Beginnings” – Read a book that had a great beginning but fizzled as it went on

“We Prick You” – Read a book with a sex scene

“Nathan Adler” – Read a detective novel

“I’m Deranged” – Read a book that features a crazy ass protagonist

“Thru These Architect’s Eyes” – Read a book that uses punctuation oddly

EARTHLING (1997)

“Little Wonder” – Read a book about someone who is haunted by their past

“Looking For Satellites” – Read a book that focuses on technology and its impact on a character

“Battle for Britain (The Letter)” – Read a book that takes place in Britain

“Seven Years in Tibet” – Read a book that takes place over a long period of time

“Dead Man Walking” – Read a book that required many rewrites before being published

“Telling Lies” – Read a book in which the narrator is unreliable

“The Last Thing You Should Do” – Take credit for a book you DNF’d

“I’m Afraid of Americans” – Read a book by a non-american author

“Law (Earthlings on Fire)” – Read a book about regrets

HOURS (1999)

“Thursday’s Child” – Read a book about an unlucky character, someone who just can’t seem to catch a break

“Something in the Air” – Read a post-pandemic novel

“Survive” – Read a book about survival or in which a character beat the odds

“If I’m Dreaming My Life” – Read a book in which dreams are prominently featured

“Seven” – Read a book with a number in the title

“What’s Really Happening” – Read a book in which you weren’t able to guess what was happening

“The Pretty Things Are Going to Hell” – Read a dark comedy

“New Angels of Promise” – Read a book about or featuring video games

“The Dreamers” – Read a book that is basically a mid-life lament

Heathen (2002)

“Sunday” – Read a book that is narrated by a survivor of some apocalypse

“Cactus” – Read a western

“Slip Away” – Read a book that features puppets in some way

“Slow Burn” – Read a book that slowly angered or annoyed you

“Afraid” – Read a book that others were scared by

“I’ve Been Waiting For You” – Read a book that you’ve been dying to get your get your hands on

“I Would Be Your Slave” – Read a love story

“I Took a Trip on a Gemini Spacecraft” – Read a book about space travel

“5.15 The Angels Have Gone” – Read a book about the rapture

“Everyone Says Hi” – Read a book that deals with death

“A Better Future” – Read a novel about a Utopia

“Heathen” – Read a book about a main character who has lost their faith/is faithless

REALITY (2003)

“New Killer Star” – Read a book that takes place in New York City

“Pablo Picasso” – Read a book that is about art or features a character who is an artist or works with art in some way

“Never Get Old” – Read a book that was written in a previous century

“The Loneliest Guy” – Read a book that features a hermit or anti-social character

“Looking For Water” – Read a book that features water in some way

“She’ll Drive the Big Car” – Read a book that focuses on a car or features a car as the main mode of transportation

“Days” – Read a book in which someone takes advantage or is taken advantage of

“Fall Dog Bombs the Moon” – Read a book that has a title that appears to be gibberish

“Try Some, Buy Some” – Read a book that is set in, or written in, the 60’s.

“Reality” – Read a book that deals with issues that mirror those we are currently dealing with

“Bring Me the Disco King” – Read a book whose title starts with an verb

THE NEXT DAY (2013)

“The Next Day” – Read a book that takes place in the near future

“Dirty Boys” – Read a book that is FULL of characters

“The Stars (Are Out Tonight)” – Read a book with stars in the title

“Love is Lost” – Read a book that is narrated by one’s older self

“Where Are We Now?” – Read a book in which the main protagonist is lost (physically or mentally)

“Valentine’s Day” – Read a book that is written on or around a holiday

“If You Can See Me” – Read a book in which the main character is especially vulnerable

“I’d Rather Be High” – Read a Vladimir Nobokov novel

“Boss of Me” – Read a book that takes place in an office or features a memorable boss

“Dancing Out in Space” – Read a book that takes place out in space

“How Does the Grass Grow?” – Read a book with a military theme

“(You Will) Set the World on Fire” – Read a book with the word fire in the title or that prominently features a fire

“You Feel So Lonely You Could Die” – Read a book that gives you all the feels

“Heat” – Read a book written by a Japanese author or that takes place in Japan

THE NEXT DAY (EXTRA) (2013)

“Atomica” – Read a book that shares a likeness to another book or is written in a style similar to another author

“The Informer” – Read a book that features a hitman of sorts

“Like a Rocket Man” – Read a book that was written in or takes place in the 20^th century

“Born in a UFO” – Read a book that features aliens or space ships

“I’ll Take You There” – Read a book that just sucked you right into the story

“God Bless the Girl” – Read a book written by a female author

“So She” – Read a book told from a female’s point of view

BLACKSTAR (2016)

“Blackstar” – Read a book that is open to interpretation

“’Tis a Pity She Was a Whore” – Read a book that features prostitution

“Lazarus” – Read a book that is told from the pov of a ghost or a person who has died

“Sue (or In a Season of Crime) – Read a straight up who-dun-it novel

“Girl Loves Me” – Read a book that makes no sense whatsoever

“Dollar Days” – Read a book you picked up at a used book store or book sale

“I Can’t Give Everything Away” – Read a book that someone gave to you

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