
2021 Extreme Reader Challenge
Sign up now for the 2021 Extreme Reader year-long reading challenge!
- Read 50 books (teens read 25) in 50 weeks from 55 categories to complete the challenge
- Open to adults and teens (age 13 and over at time of sign up)
- Books read must apply to current category list
- Participants must have a valid Tacoma Public Library card to register
Key Dates for the 2021 Challenge:
Tuesday, Jan. 5 – 2021 Extreme Reader challenge begins
Sunday, Feb. 21 through Sunday, Feb. 28 – TPL Budget Closure – see 'Updates' below
Saturday, July 31 – Final day to register for the challenge
Monday, Aug. 2 – First day to complete the challenge
Sunday, Nov. 28 through Sunday, Dec. 5 – TPL Budget Closure – see 'Updates' below
Saturday, Dec. 18 – Last day to complete the challenge

Categories & Recommendations
Reading Log
Use the official Extreme Reader reading log to track your progress! Reading logs may be picked up at the library or downloaded and printed from home.
Printable Reading Log l Downloadable Fillable Reading Log
Category List
Staff curated booklists are available for many of the categories and can be accessed by clicking on the category below. These links will take you directly to the Tacoma Public Library catalog where you can place holds and add titles of interest to your own library account lists. To print an easy to read list:
- Click the printer icon at the bottom of booklist
- In the top right hand section select “Print these…” or “Print Options”
- From "Print Options" you can choose to print the list with or without images
For 2021, booklists will be released in waves throughout the first several months of the challenge. If a catalog link isn’t currently available, please check again in the coming months.
Not sure what a category means or is asking for exactly? Descriptions for most categories can be found here or, see our recommendations in the booklists linked below.
Download the printable category list here!
2021 Extreme Reader Categories
- A book about climate change
- A book about music or musicians
- A book about or involving social media use
- A book about or with art or museums
- A book about or written by a journalist
- A book about or written by a woman in STEM
- A book about social justice
- A book about the American Civil War
- A book in which a natural disaster takes place
- 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
- A book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent
- A book set in Ireland
- A book set on a mode of transportation
- A book that passes the Bechdel Test
- A book that takes place during the 1920s
- A book that takes place during the Middle Ages
- A book that takes place during winter
- A book where the characters save (or attempt to save) the world
- A book with a book on the cover
- A book with a character who is older than you
- A book with a glyph in the title
- A book with a heist in it
- A book with a map
- A book with a medical professional
- A book with a metallic cover
- A book with a person’s name in the title
- A book with a royal moniker in the title
- A book with a skull on the cover
- A book with a title featuring repeating words
- A book with an unlikely pair
- A book with crafting or related to the Do-It-Yourself “DIY” movement
- A book with military personnel
- A book with one of the four elements (Fire, Water, Earth, Air) in the title
- A book with only words on the cover
- A book with parents or parental figures in it
- A book written by a South American author
- A book written by an author that uses an initial(s) in their name
- A book written by an author you’ve never read before
- A book written in the first person
- A book you finished in one day
- A Goodreads Choice Awards winner
- A legal thriller
- A magical realism book
- A play
- A prequel or a sequel to another book or series
- A Pulitzer Prize winning or finalist book from the non-fiction category
- An Afro Futurism book
- An alternate history book
- An anthology book
- An antiracist book
- Reread a favorite book
- Two books that share the same title (Title A)
- Two books that share the same title (Title B)
Curious to see what the categories for previous challenge years looked like? Check out our category archives here!
Completion & Rewards
Completion for the 2021 challenge will be available starting Monday, Aug. 2. Due to the continually evolving environment the library finds itself in due to the COVID-19 pandemic, completion may take place online, in person at the library, or a combination of both options. The completion procedure will be announced prior to or on the first day of completion and instructions updated in this space.
Updates & Challenge FAQs
Check back here for corrections, updates, and frequently asked questions!
01/14/21 - Tacoma Public Library announces two week-long closures in 2021 due to budget shortfall
Please take a moment to read the press release regarding the upcoming budget closures of Tacoma Public Library during Feb. 21–28 and Nov. 28–Dec. 5 2021. A full list of specific service disruptions is included in this information.
How will this impact Extreme Reader?
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- ER Facebook Group - Extreme Reader Facebook group will be archived during these time frames. Group members will receive a notification once the group has been archived. Existing members can still see and access group content but cannot post, comment, or react. No new members can request to join. Once the closure time has ended, the group will be unarchived and all functions will return to normal.
- ER Website Access - The library website and online catalog will be unavailable, including the dedicated Extreme Reader web page. Challenge information, category lists and definitions, along with access to booklists for the challenge will be unavailable as well. Sign ups for the challenge will not be available.
- Email - Contact via extremereader@tacomalibrary.org will be met with an auto-reply. Staff will respond once they’ve returned to work.
- Overbooked - Overbooked meetups will not be held during these time frames.
- Completion Reporting - An update will be given for the Nov. 28–Dec. 5 2021 closure and how it will impact completion reporting, once it has been established.
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Please reach out to the Extreme Reader team with any questions at extremereader@tacomalibrary.org and be sure to download and check out any materials in the weeks prior to closure!
Challenge FAQs:
- Can both fiction and non-fiction titles count towards the challenge?
Absolutely! Either fiction or non-fiction titles can be read for any category unless the category itself states otherwise.
- Does the subtitle of a book apply to category parameters?
Unfortunately, it does not. If a category requires a specific word or parameter, that content needs to be included in the main title.
For example, for the category 'A book with a royal moniker in the title,' the book "A Princess in Theory" by Alyssa Cole would count whereas "Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens" by Jane Dunn would not fulfill the requirements.
- Do audiobooks and graphic novels count in this challenge?
Absolutely! Both audiobooks and graphic novels are just another way to tell a story. As long as they are at the appropriate reading level for the participant, they are acceptable formats.
- Do juvenile books count towards reading challenge?
As Extreme Reader is based on the honor system, we hope that participants will honor the nature of the challenge with their reading selections. Teen and higher level Juvenile books count, but other lower level books (easy readers, picture books, and board books) will not be accepted.
- I love podcasts; both fictional and non-fiction storytelling varieties. Can they count towards the Extreme Reader challenge?
Unfortunately, podcasts cannot be counted towards the Extreme Reader challenge.
- If I sign up for the challenge later in the year, can books I’ve already read be applied to the challenge or can I only count books that are read after I’ve officially registered?
Books read between Tuesday, Jan. 5 and Saturday, Dec. 18, 2021 can be counted towards the challenge, regardless of when you register. Registration ends on Saturday, July 31, 2021.
- Do I have to use the official Extreme Reader reading log or can I keep track on my own?
You may keep a reading log in any form you choose (spreadsheet, journal, typed list, etc.). However, if in person reporting takes place in 2021, a printable version that includes the following information may be required:
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- Categories (exact wording from official log/category list included)
- Title
- Author
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- Can I read one book and apply it to multiple categories?
Each title you read can only fulfill a single category.
- If I read a book for the challenge that I’ve already read before, does it still count?
Absolutely! If you read through a book during the challenge, it can be used, regardless of how many times you’ve read it in the past.
- How do I get a reading log or category list if my local branch is closed?
Visit a branch during TPL to Go hours and request a reading log or category list. Staff can print on demand or may have one readily available. If a branch currently allows patrons into the building, you can also request from staff while visiting. Reading logs can also be printed from home using the link provided with the category list above.
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- Click the printer icon at the bottom of booklist
- In the top right hand section select “Print these…” or “Print Options”
- From "Print Options" you can choose to print the list with or without images
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- I’m not old enough to register, can I still participate?
To officially sign up for the challenge, participants must be 13 or older by the time registration ends on July 31. However, anyone can use the category list to steer their reading for fun!
- What if I’m too young to sign up, but will turn 13 during the challenge?
You can still register for the challenge once you’ve met the age requirements, as long as that happens before the registration cut off date in July. Any books you’ve read since the start of the challenge in January will count, even if you weren’t registered at that time.
- How do I pick which challenge level to join if I’m 18, or will be turning 18 during the challenge year?
Currently, the only difference between the challenge levels is the book requirement to complete. While adults 20 and over must participate in the adult challenge, teens may participate in either level they wish to.
Connect & Contact
Connect with fellow Extreme Readers in the TPL Extreme Reader 2021 Facebook group! Share what you’re reading, support to fellow participants, exchange tips and reading recommendations, interact with the ER staff team, and make book loving friends! This group is for registered participants only, registration is required prior to joining the Facebook group.
Newsletter
Stay up to date on announcements, challenge updates, and more through our Extreme Reader email newsletter! Don’t worry about signing up; if you’ve registered for the challenge, you are already on the mailing list.
Missed a newsletter? No problem! Check out previously published editions here:
- Watch your inboxes for the first newsletter coming in February 2021!
Overbooked Book Group
Overbooked is our low key, no pressure book group for Extreme Reader participants. We meet up throughout the year for fun socializing – where members can talk about what they are reading, share recommendations, and discuss the challenge. Dates and locations for Overbooked meetups are announced via the Extreme Reader newsletter and Facebook group. Currently, all Overbooked meetups are conducted virtually through Zoom.
Goodreads
There is an 'unofficial' Goodreads group for the challenge, run and moderated by a small group of challenge participants! If you aren't on Facebook, this is a great way to share book recommendations with fellow Extreme Readers! Extreme Reader library staff will add any Overbooked events to the Goodreads group as they are scheduled but other than that, library staff are hands off. Head over to Goodreads to join the TPL Extreme Reader 2021 Goodreads group!
Questions?
Please reach out to the Extreme Reader staff team at extremereader@tacomalibrary.org with any questions, comments, feedback, or concerns!