The Book Bucket Challenge, a sequel to the viral Ice Bucket Challenge, has become the latest fad among young social network users in Vietnam, as they share their interest in reading, have fun, and hopefully inculcate a habit of reading among youngsters.

After the ice bucket challenge and rice bucket challenge, the Book Bucket Challenge, a new form of the viral sensation, has attracted many young Vietnamese.

According to the challenge’s rules, people list their ten favorite books, explain why they love them, and challenge their friends to read them.

The challenge has created quite a stir among local Facebook users.

“As for me, no book has such a timeless appeal as ‘Dream of the Red Chamber.’ The book just keeps me reading on again and again whenever I open a page. It’s no wonder that the book is the only novel which has ‘Redology,’ an academic study solely devoted to researching it,” Tran Thanh Long wrote on his Facebook page about the book, one of China's Four Great Classical Novels, which was written by Cao Xueqin.

One author who is frequently mentioned by challenge-takers is famed Japanese novelist Haruki Murakami.

His notable novels, including “Norwegian Wood,” “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle,” and “Kafka on the Shore,” appear on many lists.

Long also found the challenge particularly useful, as the lists supplied by his friends, and many others, give him valuable suggestions on what to read, saving time from his hectic work schedule.

Meanwhile, Kim Quy, another youngster, found the lists a priceless opportunity to relive precious past moments and life milestones, which are often attached to her most-loved books.

Viet Dung, 25, who is studying at Myongji University in South Korea, shared that the challenge has also given him a chance to learn more about his friends’ personalities and preferences, especially those whom he rarely contacts.

The challenge has also appealed to middle-aged book lovers.

Xuan Phuong enthusiastically shared her current ten favorite books, as well as ten other memorable ones.

Meanwhile, Ngoc Trinh, a 21-year-old university student, is amused by the fact that a number of people have used the challenge to petition for aid to buy their most-desired books, or to tactfully remind friends who have ‘forgotten’ to return overdue books.

“Though many may disregard the challenge as a mere laugh and a trendy follow-up, I myself find it highly practical and useful,” commented 27-year-old Hoang Anh.

Anh Tuan, also 27, an employee of Johnson & Johnson Vietnam, warned of the negative side of the Book Bucket Challenge.

Some people have carelessly flipped through books and given them a quick summary just to keep up with the trend, or avoid being laughed at by their peers.

Since the Ice Bucket Challenge arrived in Vietnam last month, it has been warmly welcomed by people from almost every walk of life, from celebrities and high-profile figures to white-collar workers and young netizens.

Millions of people worldwide have taken the Ice Bucket Challenge to promote awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – a ‘rapidly progressive’ and ultimately fatal neurological disease that attacks nerve cells, called motor neurons, that control voluntary muscles in the body – and raise donations for the ALS Association.

Since it went viral through social media in mid-2014, the fundraising effort has swelled into a global phenomenon, with participation from world-renowned celebrities, tech moguls, and politicians, including Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and George W. Bush.

The association has received over US$100 million in donations compared to $2.8 million during the same time period last year (July 29 to August 29), with contributions ranging from under one dollar to $200,000, it said in a press release dated August 29.

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