Summer Reading Challenge

Complete Rules, Terms & Conditions

Challenge Period

  • Starts Sunday, June 22, 2025, at 12:00pm

  • Ends Sunday, September 21, 2025, at 12:00pm

Main Challenge (Bookworm Challenge)

  • Participants are challenged to read as many hours as possible during the Challenge Period. Any hours spent reading before or after do not qualify.

  • Qualifying reading material includes physical books and ebooks. We strongly encourage participants to get their books from an independent bookstore or from a library.

  • Magazines, newspapers, periodicals, journals and podcasts do not qualify.

  • Audiobooks only qualify for the All Ears challenge. Audiobooks do not qualify for the Bookworm Challenge, Bonus Challenges or Mini Challenge.

Participation

  • Participation is open to readers aged 18 and older.

  • Participants must pick up and drop off a physical copy of the Reading Log from Green Apple Books (506 Clement) or Friends & Neighbors (275 6th Ave, Ste 102) in San Francisco, CA.

  • Reading Logs will not be mailed or made available electronically.

Logging Criteria

  • Participants can pick up a Reading Log from Green Apple Books during business hours or at Friends & Neighbors events

  • Participants can keep track of their hours in whatever way they choose. However, they must submit an official paper Reading Log showing the total number of hours read and any other criteria for other challenges.

  • Hours should be rounded to the nearest 15-minute increment.

  • Submit completed Reading Logs after the challenge ends.

  • The Challenge ends at 12:00 pm on Sunday September 21, 2025.

  • The deadline to turn in Reading Logs to Green Apple Books is 9:00 pm PT Sunday, September 28, 2025.

  • Reading Logs must be turned in physically to Green Apple Books.

  • Hours are self-reported. Be honest or risk being cursed!

How to win

There are multiple challenges to win depending on what form of book you read.

  • Books & ebooks (no audiobooks)

    • Bookworm Challenge: Most number of hours read (top 10 readers get a prize)

    • Bonus Challenges:

      • Most Pages Read: Participant who reads the most number of pages

      • Most Books Read: Participant who reads the most number of books

      • Book Salad: Read 10 books in 10 different genres to be entered into a raffle for a big prize package

    • Mini Challenge: Read for 30 hours, fill out a Mini Challenge Log, exchange it for a prize at Green Apple Books 

      • Participants can exchange a completed Mini Challenge Log for a prize at any point throughout the challenge period

      • Get an extra stamp on your Mini Challenge Log by attending an event associated with the reading challenge!

  • Audiobooks

    • All Ears Challenge: Most number of hours listening to audiobooks—top 3 listeners get a prize

    • Audiobooks only qualify for this challenge, not for any other challenges.

  • Participants can compete in multiple challenges at once.

  • In order to win a prize, participants must meet the criteria for a particular challenge

  • Winners will be announced at the closing ceremony on Sunday, October 5, 2025

  • Winners can pick up their prize(s) from Green Apple Books (506 Clement Street)

Challenge Descriptions

Bookworm Challenge (Main Challenge)

  • Read as many hours as you can during the Challenge Period.

  • This is the main challenge. The top 10 readers will win a prize.

  • Only physical books and ebooks qualify for this challenge.

  • Audiobooks do not qualify for this challenge.

Bonus Challenges

  • Most Pages Read: Single participant who reads the most number of pages wins a prize

  • Most Books Read: Single participant who reads the most number of books wins a prize. Books must be read in their entirety to qualify.

  • All Ears Challenge: Top 3 listeners of audiobooks during the challenge period will win a prize. Audiobook hours will only qualify for this challenge, not any others.

  • Book Salad: Read 10 different books in 10 different genres during the Challenge Period.

    • Each book must be in a different genre picked from the list below.

    • Books only qualify for one genre, even if they may be classified as more than one.

    • Books must be read in their entirety to qualify.

    • Books can qualify for both Book Salad and Most Books Read bonus challenges.

    • Participants who complete this challenge will be entered into a raffle to win a prize package.

    • List of qualifying genres

      • Poetry collection

      • Romance

      • Mystery

      • Sci-fi

      • Psychology/Self-help

      • Art/Design/Architecture

      • Essay collection

      • Biography/Autobiography/Memoir

      • Food writing

      • Graphic novel/Manga/Comic book

      • LGBTQ+

      • History

      • Fantasy

      • Travel

      • Sports

      • Book in a language other than English

      • Banned book

      • Book about San Francisco/California

      • Book written by a writer who currently lives in San Francisco, CA

      • A book you were assigned in school but didn’t read

      • The book that’s been on your shelf/reading list the longest

Mini Challenge

Win a prize for every 30 hours you read

  • How to participate

  • Pick up a Mini Challenge Log. This is separate from the Main Challenge reading log.

  • Use the Mini Challenge Reading Log to keep track of how many hours you read. The front of the log is illustrated with 30 books—each representing one hour of reading. Color in a book as you read.

  • When you completely color in all the books on a Mini Challenge Reading Log, bring it to Green Apple Books (506 Clement St.) and exchange it for a prize.

  • You can exchange a completed Mini Challenge Log at any time throughout the Challenge Period.

  • Participants must fill out their name and email address on the Mini Challenge Log

  • Hours logged in the Mini Challenge also count towards the Bookworm Challenge 

  • Maximum 3 Mini Challenge entries per participant

All Ears Challenge

  • Audiobook hours will only qualify for this challenge, not any others.

Events

  • There will be hosted events throughout the Summer Reading Challenge. Attend an event and get a special stamp on your Mini Challenge Log worth one hour of reading time. The stamp only counts towards the Mini Challenge.

Other Conditions

  • Only one entry per participant for the Bookworm Challenge, each Bonus Challenge category and the All Ears Challenge

  • The Summer Reading Challenge organizers reserve the right to disqualify an entry for any reason.