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!). And then to honor David Bowie's passing, in 2017 we pulled together the Bowie Reading Challenge! In 2018 I decided to take a break from our music theme and challenged everyone to read whatever the fuck they wanted in our RWTFYW challenge. The only rule was that there were no rules : ) In 2019 I spread my love of Guster around, 2020 was all about Ani DiFranco, 2021 had us fan girling over PJ Harvey, and 2022 continued the female artist love with our Liz Phair challenge (I sucked at this one too, didn't complete one album but came soooo close for so many!). 2023 had me returning to my 80s roots and we concocted The Cure challenge, which was my most successful to date! I completed a total of 5 full albums!!)
for 2024 I'm going to keep the love of the classic alternative music going and am thrilled to annouce that we're hosting The Depeche Mode Reading Challenge!
I became obsessed with them when Violator dropped. It's one of the few "perfect" albums I've ever listened to. Though before I played that cassette on an endless loop, I remember first hearing them when I was visiting my dad's girlfriend's house back in middle school. Her daughter was a few years older, and much much cooler, than me and was cranking out one of their earlier records. It was so much deeper and different from what I had been currently listening to back then but I was smitten.
Whether you know and love Depeche Mode or this is the first time you are hearing of them (I mean it's possible, right? They haven't had a new album drop in almost 7 years), 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 musicians to participate. You just have to be a fan of READING!!
Depeche Mode (2024) Reading Challenge
So here's how this works:
*The goal is to cross off as many of Depeche Mode's songs as you can throughout the course of 2024.
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 may be 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!)
*Please 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. (obviously put your name in the thread title so we know whose challenge it is).
*Do not add your list directly to Rule and List thread.
*YOU MUST LIST THE BOOK TITLE AND AUTHOR that coincides with the song as you complete it for the challenge so we know what you read!
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An example of a completed song title task in your Challenge thread would look like this:““This Bouquet” – Read a book that features flowers on the cover - The Distance from Four Points by Margo Orlando Littell
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Speak & Spell (1981)
“New Life “ – Read a book that was published in the 1900’s
but feels like it was written now
“Puppets” – Read a book that features puppets, ventriloquist
dummies, or marionettes
“Dreaming of Me” – Read a book that you were dying to get
your hands on and take credit for it here
“Boys Say Go!” – Read a “manly” “dude” book
“Nodisco” – Read a book with a strange title
“What’s Your Name?” –
Read a book with a person’s name in the title
“Photographic” – If you read a book that has burned its words onto
your brain or contained very graphic scenes, take credit for it here
“Tora! Tora! Tora! – Read a translated book
“Big Muff” – If you read a book that’s a bit of a mess, or feels
clumsy, take credit for it here
“Any Second Now (voices)” – If you read a book that kept you
waiting for the twist, take credit for it here
“Just Can’t Get Enough” – Read a book in a genre you just
can’t get enough of
A Broken Frame (1982)
“Leave in Silence” – DNF a book and take credit for it here
“My Secret Garden” – Read a book that’s considered a guilty
pleasure
“Monument” – Read a historical fiction book
“Nothing to Fear” – Read a book that you're afraid will creep you out a bit
“See You” – Read a book written in second person
“Satellite” – Read a book that takes place in space
“The Meaning of Love” - Read a rom-com, or a book that
revolves around love
“Further Excerpts From: My Secret Garden” – Read the sequel
or prequel to a book you’ve already read
“A Photograph of You” – Read a book with a person on the
cover
“Shouldn’t Have Done That” – Read a book you DNFd in the
past and give it one more chance
“The Sun & the Rainfall” - Read a cli-fi book
Construction Time Again (1983)
“Love, in Itself” – Pick up a book by an auto-buy author,
and without reading the jacket copy just jump right in and read it
“More Than a Party” – Get on the bus and read a big buzz
book
“Pipeline” – Read an ARC (Advanced Readers Copy) and take
credit for it here
“Everything Counts” – Read whatever you want and take credit
for it here
“Two Minute Warning” – Read a book in which the apocalypse
or world-ending event is currently happening
“Shame” – Read a book that you’d be ashamed to be seen
reading
“The Landscape is Changing” – Stretch your comfort zone and read
a book in a genre you haven’t read yet
“Told You So” – Read a book someone recommended to you
because they knew you’d love it
“And Then…” – If you read a book that ends on a cliffhanger or
seems to not resolve itself, take credit for it here
Some Great Reward (1984)
“Something to Do” – Ignore all of your chores/errands and
read a book instead, then take credit for it here
“Lie to Me” – Finally read that book you’ve been telling
people you’ll get to
“People are People” – Read a book by someone who is
different than you (nationality, religion, ability, gender, etc)
“It Doesn’t Matter” – Read a book that features friendship
or unrequited love
“Stories of Old” – Read a classic!
“Somebody” – Read a book with a one word title
“Master and Servant” – Read a book that involves weird
relationship dynamics
“If You Want” – Run out and buy that book you’ve been
thinking of getting, then read it and take credit for it here
“Blasphemous Rumours” – Read a really popular book and take
credit for it here if you didn’t like it and don’t get what all the buzz was
about
Black Celebration (1986)
“Black Celebration” – Read a book in which the protagonist
overcomes a great obstacle or evil
“Fly on the Windscreen” – Read a book that features bugs/insects
on the cover or in its pages
“A Question of Lust” – Read a book by an author that you
have a crush on
“Sometimes” – If you read a book that leaves you questioning
everything, take credit for it here
“It Doesn’t Matter Two” – Read a book that makes you feel
all the feels
“A Question of Time” – Read a book that has 400 pages or
more
“Stripped” – Read a book with really short, sparce writing
“Here is the House” – Read a book that prominently features
a house (bonus points if it’s haunted!)
“World Full of Nothing” – Read a post apocalyptic book
“Dressed in Black” – Read a book that features a funeral or
the death of a main character
“New Dress” – read a brand new, just published book
Music for the Masses (1987)
“Never Let Me Down Again” – Read a book in a genre you don’t
typically enjoy
“The Things You Said” – If you read a book that’s incredibly
quote-worthy, take credit for it here
“Strangelove” – Read a book that’s considered weird fiction
“Sacred” – Read a book that features religion or a
conspiracy theory
“Little 5” – Read a book with a number in the title
“Behind the Wheel” – Read a book while on a road trip or
that features a road trip
“I Want You Now” – Give yourself permission to be a mood
reader and read whatever you want, then take credit for it here
“To Have and to Hold” – Read a physical book
“Nothing” – Read a book that was gifted to you
“Pimpf” – Read a book with a nonsensical title
Violator (1990)
“World in My Eyes” – Read a book written in first person
“Sweetest Perfection” – Save this task for the best book
you’ve read this year
“Personal Jesus” – If you read a book that touches you in ways you
hadn’t expected, take credit for it here
“Halo” – Read a book that you thought was a perfect 5 star
read
“Waiting for the Night” – Read a book that takes place at
night
“Enjoy the Silence” – Take a break from everyone, go ahead,
shut yourself away somewhere and read in silence for a while, then take credit
for it here when you finish it
“Policy of Truth” – Read a true crime or non fiction book
“Blue Dress” – Read a book with a blue cover
“Clean” – Read a book that deals with drugs/drug abuse
Songs of Faith and Devotion (1993)
“I Feel You” – Read a book that has deckled edges or an
embossed cover
“Walking in My Shoes” – Read a book written by an author
from a culture different than your own
“Condemnation” – If you read a book that has ruined you and convinced
you to never read another book by that author again, take credit for it here
“Mercy in You” – Read a book in which the main character
requires forgiveness
“Judas” – Read a book set in really harsh conditions
“In Your Room” – If you read a book that takes your breath
away, take credit for it here
“Get Right with Me” – Give an author another try, pick up a
different book by them, go on… give it a shot
“Rush” – If you read a book and found yourself skimming to
get to the good parts, take credit here
“One Caress” – Read a book that feels extremely vulnerable
and tender
“Higher Love” – Read a book that contains gorgeous end
papers
Ultra (1997)
“Barrel of a Gun” –Read a book that contains violence
“The Love Thieves” – Read a book that stole your heart
“Home” – Read a book in which the protagonist returns to
their hometown
“It’s No Good” – Read a book you should have DNFd but didn’t
and now you regret it
“Uselink” – Read a book that contains very little dialogue
“Useless” – Read a book that was pure brain candy
“Sister of the Night” – Read a book that features vampires
or werewolves
“Jazz Thieves” – Read a book that focuses on music or was
written by a musician
“Freestate” – Read a book that doesn’t seem to fit into any
specific genre
“The Bottom Line” – Read the book that is currently at the
bottom of your TBR
“Insight” – Read a book that taught you something
Exciter (2001)
“Dream On” – Read a book in which the main character(s) get
what’s coming to them
“Shine” – Read a book with a yellow cover or sparkly cover
“The Sweetest Condition” – Read a book that focuses on a
mental condition or disability
“When the Body Speaks” – Read a book that features body
horror
“The Dead of Night” – Read a book where all the action takes
place at night
“Lovetheme” – Read a book that’s told in a non traditional
way (found footage, post it notes, texts, emails, etc)
“Freelove” – Read a book that features a unique kind of love
“Comatose” – Read a book that knocked you dead
“I Feel Loved” – Gift a copy of your favorite book to
someone and take credit for it here
“Breathe” – Read a post-pandemic novel
“Easy Tiger” – Read a book that prominently features an
animal
“I Am You” – Read a book in which you totally relate to one
of the characters
“Goodnight Lovers” – Stay up all night reading a book and
take credit for it here
Playing the Angel (2005)
“A Pain That I’m Used To” – Read a book in the same position
for so long that your arms/legs start to hurt
“John the Revelator” – Read a book in which you didn’t
figure out the ending until the very end
“Suffer Well” – If you read a book and thought about DNFing
it but didn’t and ended up liking it, take credit for it here
“The Sinner in Me” – Read a book that features gods or
angels and devils
“Precious” – Read someone else’s favorite book and take
credit for it here
“Macro” – Read an epic novel, one that spans multiple
generations or takes place over many years
“I Want it All” – Read a book that you own in multiple
formats or have multiple editions of
“Nothing’s Impossible” – Read a bizarro book
“Introspectre” – Read a book that contains illustrations or
graphics throughout
“Damaged People” – Read a book that features characters who
are seriously F’d up
“Lilian” – Read a book written by someone who identifies as
female
“The Darkest Star” – Read a book that is super dark and
heavy
Sounds of the Universe (2009)
“In Chains” – Read a story that features prison or a
character who is in trouble with the law
“Hole to Feed” – Read a book that features food on the cover
or is food focused
“Wrong” – Read a book where you guessed the ending wrong
“Fragile Tension” – Read a psychological thriller
“Little Soul” – Read a chapbook
“In Sympathy” – Host a read-a-long / buddy read and take
credit for that book here
“Peace” – Read a book about war or fighting
“Come Back” – Reread a book
“Spacewalker” – Read a sci-fi book
“Perfect” – If you read a five star book, take credit for it
here
“Miles Away/The Truth Is” – Read a book that’s set in a
different country
“Jezebel” – Read a book that features a crafty, deceptive
female protag
“Corrupt” – read a crime non/fiction book
Delta Machine (2013)
“Welcome to My World” – Read a book that takes place on or
around another planet
“Angel” – Read a book with religion in it
“Heaven” – Read a book in your favorite reading spot and
take credit for it here
“Secret to End” – Read a book by an author who published
under a pseudonym
“My Little Universe” – Read a book that’s under 100 pages
“Slow” – Read a book that took forever to get going
“Broken” – Read a used book (the more beat up the better)
“The Child Inside” – Read a YA book or a book that features
a child protagonist
“Soft Touch/Raw Nerve” – Read a book that really pissed you
off and take credit for it here
“Should Be Higher” – Read a book that you thought more
people should be reading
“Alone” – Read a book that could be considered isolation
fiction
“Soothe My Soul” – Read a book in your go-to genre
“Goodbye” – Read the last book published in an author’s
bibliography
Spirit (2017)
“Going Backwards” – Read a book that was originally
published in the eighties or earlier
“Where’s the Revolution” – Read a dystopian novel or a novel
in which the people revolt
“The Worst Crime” – Watch the movie BEFORE you read the book
it was based on and take credit for it here
“Scum” – Read a book that features the most cringe
character(s)
“You Move” – Read a travel themed book
“Cover Me” – Save this space for the book with the best
cover you’ve read this year
“Eternal” – Read a book that is set in an unknown
time/period or that features time jumps/time travel
“Poison Heart” – Read a book that features an evil or
morally grey protagonist
“So Much Love” – Read a book by your favorite author
“No More (This is the Last Time)” – Read another book by an
author you read before and didn’t like
“Fail” – Read a book in which nothing seems to go right for
the main character
Memento Mori (2023)
“My Cosmos is Mine” – Read a space opera
“Wagging Tongue” – Read a book that could have benefited
from being shorter
“Ghosts Again” – Read a book that features ghosts
“Don’t Say You Love Me” – If you read a book and rate it
less than 3 stars, take credit for it here
“My Favorite Singer” – Read a book that fits one of our previous
years’ book challenges and take credit for it here
“Soul With Me” – Read a book about a haunting or possession
“Caroline’s Monkey” – Read a book that features a wild
animal
“Before we Drown” – Read a book that takes place on or near
the water
“People Are Good” – Read a book that has a high star rating
on goodreads
“Always You” – Read two books back to back by the same author
and take credit for it here
“Never Let Me Go” – Read a book that is absolutely
unputdownable
“Speak to Me” – Read an audiobook
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