February 2023 Mini-Challenge

February 2023 Mini-Challenge

Are you ready for our very first mini-challenge of 2023? February 2 is Groundhog Day, which means that we’ve got a super cute groundhog theme for you to kick off this new year of mini-challenges!

What is a mini-challenge:

Mini-challenges are smaller monthly challenges that are released sporadically throughout the year. We won’t have one every month, and when we do, we release them as a surprise. Usually, they have a theme of some sort but as always, the books you choose to fit each prompt are entirely up to you!

Ready to see our February challenge?

February 2023 Mini-Challenge:

1. Set in either winter or spring (depending on what the groundhog says!)

2. A shadow on the cover

3. A time loop

Match one book to each of the prompts (for a total of three books). Share your picks in our Facebook group, Goodreads group, or on Instagram using the hashtag #the52bookclub2023. You can also find these listed as bonus prompts on our StoryGraph challenge.

You can choose to read these books in addition to your regular 52 Book Club reads (this mini-challenge makes 55 prompts for the year so far), or you can combine them with prompts still left on your 2023 list. As always, get as creative as you like with the prompts and have fun!

Need some help with how to interpret these prompts?

1. Set in either winter or spring (depending on whatthe groundhog says): Groundhog day is a North American tradition observed in the United States and Canada on February 2nd. It derives from the superstition that if a groundhog emerges from his burrow and sees his shadow, winter will go on for another six weeks. If the groundhog does not see its shadow, spring will arrive early.
   
   While this tradition has little to do with when spring actually arrives, it does make for an amusing February mini-challenge theme. This time, the groundhog will decide the prompt for you!
   
   If the groundhog sees its shadow, pick a book set in winter.
   If the groundhog does not see its shadow, pick a book set in spring.
   
   Which groundhog do I choose? Not all places in the world celebrate groundhog day. (And for the places that do, your groundhog will likely say something different than the groundhogs in neighboring areas.) Pick the groundhog closest to you, or in a place you’d love to one day visit.
   
   Fun fact: According to Google, Punxsutawney Phil is the most famous groundhog. If you don’t have a local groundhog, feel free to let Phil pick your next setting.
   
   Goodreads List: Set in Spring
   Goodreads List: Set in Winter

2. A shadow on the cover: For this prompt, find a book with a shadow or shadows on the cover. This could be part of the cover design (shadow or shadows) or it could be the word “shadow” in the title or sub-title. It could also be an author with the first or last name “Shadow” or “Shadows.”
   
   Goodreads List: A shadow on the cover

3. Time loop story: A time loop story is a plot device in fiction where characters re-experience the same span of time more than once. Often their goal is to find some way to break this cycle of repetition. A common example of this is found in the movie, Groundhog Day.
   
   Goodreads List: Time loop story

Other Mini-Challenge Tips:

– Do I have to complete this challenge in February?

Nope! You can complete this mini-challenge whenever you like! If you don’t finish this mini-challenge in February, feel free to carry the prompts over into the coming months. Some members also prefer to complete their full 52 book challenge first and then go back to complete the mini-challenges after. Do whatever works best for you!

– Is this a part of the main 52 books challenge?

Mini-challenges are related to our full 52 books in 52 weeks challenge but they’re also completely optional. You can choose to add it on to your main challenge or not. If fifty-two books already feels like a stretch, feel free to skip the mini-challenges or double up the prompts. (Some members use one book to cross off a 52 prompt and a mini-challenge prompt. Your challenge, your rules!)

What books will you be reading for this month’s prompts?