The Extreme Book Nerd challenge runs January 2 through December 19, 2020. Read one book per category for a total of 50 books. To earn the prize, report completion by December 19.

Alternate Challenges:

• Extreme Book Nerd for Kids
• Extreme Book Nerd for Teens
• NEW: Book Nerd Your Way – A new, flexible alternative to the traditional challenge

Reading Logs

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New this year, the library will use Beanstack to register participants and to record reading progress. Sign into Beanstack to log the title and author for each category you complete.

 Learn more about Beanstack

You are also welcome to record your reading on a paper reading log, in a journal, on a spreadsheet, or in a list as long as it has also been logged in Beanstack by the end of the challenge.

 Download the reading log (11″x17″)

Notes

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As always, books you read for other programs and book clubs can be counted toward Extreme Book Nerd as long as they match one of the categories and are completed by the end of the challenge.

Books written at the junior fiction level are acceptable for both the teen and adult challenge, but no other books from the children’s department will count, including junior nonfiction, intermediate fiction, easy readers, and picture books. Magazines are also not permitted in this challenge.

Prize

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This year’s completion prize for library patrons is an Extreme Book Nerd battery pack for charging mobile devices.

 See the prize for Book Nerd Your Way

EBN Community

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Connect with other members of the Extreme Book Nerd community online or in person:

 Extreme Book Nerd Facebook Group
 EBN Club

Reading Categories

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1. A book from the Book Club in a Bag collection
2. A trade paperback book
3. A book with a person on the cover
4. A book off a library top shelf
5. A book with a three-word title
6. A book from the nonfiction 700s
7. A wild card book (pick up your category at the 3rd-floor desk)
8. A book set in South America
9. A book with a teacher in it
10. A book set on an island
11. A book you own but have never read
12. A PNLA Young Reader’s nominee
13. A book with politics in it
14. A book with a fictitious creature
15. A book with light in the title
16. Latest book by your favorite author
17. Listen to an audiobook
18. A book by an Idaho author
19. A book you’ve never heard of
20. A book from a library display
21. A book with a mine (i.e., a gold mine)
22. A book with royalty in the title
23. A book published in the 1800s
24. A mystery
25. A book with a flower in the title
26. A book from the 2019 NPR Book Concierge list
27. A nonfiction book
28. A book with a doctor in it
29. A book with a noun in the title
30. A book with punctuation in the title
31. A book by an author who uses initials
32. A trilogy, book 1
33. A trilogy, book 2
34. A trilogy, book 3
35. A book with a color in the title
36. A young adult book
37. A book by an author you’ve never read
38. A book with an alliterative title
39. A book you love (read it again!)
40. A book you’re embarrased you haven’t read yet
41. A book that deals with mental health
42. A book with an immigrant
43. A book with L, M, N, O, or P in the title
44. A book with a ship in it
45. A book recommended by an IFPL librarian
46. A book with a compound word in the title
47. A book based on mythology
48. A book with an item of clothing in the title
49. A book with a time of day in the title
50. A book published this year

 Download and print this list
 Download the reading log (11″x17″)

New in 2020!

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 Download the reading log (11″x17″)
 Beanstack Login

Overview

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Book Nerd Your Way gives you the flexibility to choose your own reading categories. It works just like Extreme Book Nerd, except you are not bound to specific categories. BNYW gives students, professionals, and anyone else who loves to read—but who can’t always choose what they read—the opportunity to participate in the Extreme Book Nerd challenge.

Prize

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The completion prize for Book Nerd Your Way participants is a t-shirt.

Overview

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Extreme Book Nerd for Teens is for library patrons ages 13-18. The challenge is identical to the adult Extreme Book Nerd challenge except participants read only 25 categories.

 Download the reading log (8.5″x11″)
 Beanstack Login

Prize

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This year’s completion prize for library patrons is an Extreme Book Nerd battery pack for charging mobile devices.

Reading Categories

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Choose 25 from the following list:

1. A book with a person on the cover
2. A book off a top shelf at the library
3. A book with a three-word title
4. A book from the nonfiction 700s
5. A wild card book (pick up your category at the 3rd-floor desk)
6. A book with a teacher in it
7. A PNLA Young Reader’s nominee
8. A book with a fictitious creature
9. Listen to an audiobook
10. A book from a library display
11. A book published in the 1800s
12. A mystery
13. A nonfiction book
14. A book with a noun in the title
15. A book with a color in the title
16. A young adult book
17. A book by an author you’ve never read
18. A book with an alliterative title
19. A book you love (read it again!)
20. A book that deals with mental health
21. A book with an immigrant
22. A book with an L, M, N, O, or P in the title
23. A book recommended by an IFPL librarian
24. A book with a compound word in the title
25. A book based on mythology
26. A book published this year

 Download and print this list