September 2024 Mini-Challenge

September 2024 Mini-Challenge

It’s time for a new mini-challenge! This month we have three new prompts inspired by the classic board game, Clue (Cluedo)! In this board game, players move around the board trying to solve a murder and figure out “whodunnit.”

For this September mini we’ve narrowed down the suspects, eliminated locations and weapons and made our accusation! It’s up to you to pair this specific suspect, location, and weapon with a book of your choice. (Note: These mini prompts are a little abstract, so don’t be afraid to get creative and think outside the box!)

Ready to see who we accused?

What is a mini-challenge?

Mini-challenges are small, month-long reading challenges. They usually contain three prompts built around a specific theme. Match one book to each prompt, getting as creative as you like. If you think the book fits the prompt, it does! These mini-challenges are released sporadically and not every month will have one. (The surprise is part of the fun!)

September Stickers:

This month is also the first time that we have released stickers to pair with our mini-challenge! If you purchase September Mini-Challenge stickers, you are welcome (and invited!) to share them now on your social media sites and spread the reading joy! Feel free to tag @the52bookclub and @planitwithstickers and show us how your sticker and journal layouts!

If you missed out on the September stickers and want to get in on the fun for next month’s challenge, here’s the link to purchase October’s stickers now!

September 2024 Mini-Challenge:

1. Professor Plum

2. In the Kitchen

3. With a Revolver

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 #the52bookclub2024. You can also find these listed as bonus prompts on our StoryGraph challenge.

Graphics & Printables:

Need some suggestions?

1) Professor Plum — Professor Plum is a famous character in the board game Clue (Cluedo). For this prompt, feel free to choose any book inspired by the word “Professor” or “Plum.”

If you’re inspired by the word, “Professor” you may choose a character who is a professor, a book set on a University campus, a book written by a professor, the word “Professor” in the title, etc.

You may also be inspired by the word “plum.” This could be the color, fruit, or any alternate definition of the word. You may choose a book with a plum-colored cover or a plum (fruit) on the cover. It could be a character who owns an orchard, the word “plum” in the title, or an author or character whose last name is Plum (or Plummer.) The Britannica also defines the word plum as “something that many people want or think is very good.” This definition could also play into the plot line or story.

Examples: One for the Money (Stephanie Plum series) by Janet Evanovich, The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yōko Ogawa, In Spite of Myself: A Memoir by Christopher Plummer, On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder, The Professor by Charlotte Brontë, etc.

Goodreads list: Professor Plum

2) In the kitchen — For this prompt, get creative and pick any book that somehow relates to cooking or the kitchen. This may be a character who loves to cook or works as a chef or baker. A kitchen may be featured on the cover, or the word “kitchen” included in the title, subtitle, or series title. The book may be written by a chef or an author whose last name is Kitchen (Kitchener, etc.)

Examples: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain, Julie and Julia by Julie Powell, Arsenic and Adobo (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery) by Mia P. Manansala, The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan, Garlic and Sapphires by Ruth Reichl, Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge, From Scratch by Tembi Locke, etc.

Goodreads List: In the kitchen

3) With a revolver: A revolver is a type of firearm, and one of the six weapons featured in the board game Clue. For this prompt, choose any book featuring or related to the phrase, “with a revolver.” This may be a classic murder mystery featuring a revolver (or any type of firearm) or a book that features a revolver or firearm on the cover. You may also choose a title with the word “revolver” in it (or as a creative interpretation, the words “revolve,” “revolves,” etc.)

As a broader interpretation, you may choose a true crime story, a social commentary on gun violence, a book that involves any weapon or firearm (not specifically a revolver), a character who thinks the world “revolves” around them, a graphic revolve, a character who is a “hired gun,” etc.

Examples: The Science of Murder by Carla Valentine, Finlay Donovan Jumps the Gun by Elle Cosimano, Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart, Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie, The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, etc.

Goodreads List: With a revolver

Mini-challenge tips:

1) Do I have to complete this challenge in September?
Nope! You can complete this mini-challenge whenever you like. Some members prefer to focus on finishing the main 2024 challenge first, and then go back to complete all the minis afterward. Others enjoy the added challenge of completing mini-challenges in the month they’re released. If you start the September challenge but don’t finish this month, feel free to carry it over into the coming months. Do whatever works for you!

2) Is this a part of the main 52 books in 52 weeks challenge?
Yes and no. Mini-challenges are related to our 52 books in 52 weeks challenge but are also completely optional. Some members may decide to complete the full challenge and all the minis. Other members may choose to skip mini-challenges or to complete some of the minis but not all of them. Some challenge participants might only be joining in for the minis. It’s up to you how (or if) you’d like to participate.

3) Can I use the same books as my 52 book challenge?
It all depends on your personal reading goals! You can choose to read these books in addition to your regular 52 Book Club reads (this mini-challenge makes 64 prompts for 2024, not counting the Summer Challenge), or you can double up and combine them with prompts still left on your 2024 list. Your challenge, your rules!

Comment below and let us know what you’re reading this month!