2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Keeping all my challenges in one place.

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xx

BASIC LEVEL (40)

[x ] A book recommended by a librarian....A Wee Homicide in the Hotel....6/4/17
[x ] A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long....At Wicks End.....3/5/17
[ ] A book of letters
[ ] An audiobook
[x ] A book by a person of color......Murder in G Major.....12/28/17

[ x] A book with one of the four seasons in the title......A Winter's Tail.....5/4/17
[x ] A book that is a story within a story......The Bookman’s Tale.....1/5/17
[x ] A book with multiple authors.....Racing the Devil......3/2/17
[ ] An espionage thriller
[x ] A book with a cat on the cover (Gee, this is a tough one for cozy mystery readers!)......Prose and Cons.....1/10/17

[x ] A book by an author who uses a pseudonym.....Symptoms of Death.......1/23/17
[x ] A bestseller from a genre you don't normally read.....Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music.....7/18/17
[x ] A book by or about a person who has a disability....The Question of the Missing Head.....2/17/17
[x ] A book involving travel.....Death on the Patagonian Express.....1/21/17
[x ] A book with a subtitle....New York Nocturne: The Return of Miss Lizzie.....2/28/17

[x ] A book that's published in 2017.....A Perilous Undertaking........1/25/17
[x] A book involving a mythical creature......The Masquerading Magician.....2/1/17
[ ] A book you've read before that never fails to make you smile
[x ] A book about food.....Bread Machine Cookbook: Countless Tasty Breads: from Basic to Modified, Classic to Modern Recipes - Plus Some Bonus Recipes....11/27/17
[ ] A book with career advice

[x ] A book from a nonhuman perspective.........Dying To Tell.....2/22/17
[x ] A steampunk novel........Fields of Air.......2/23/17
[x ] A book with a red spine......Murders on Elderberry Road.......3/5/17
[x] A book set in the wilderness.....The Undesired......3/15/17
[ x] A book you loved as a child......The Secret of the Old Clock.....5/23/17

[ x] A book by an author from a country you've never visited...Death of a Serpent.....1/27/17....(Italy)
[x ] A book with a title that's a character's name......Who Killed Blanche DuBois?.....2/6/17
[ x] A novel set during wartime.....The Apothecary's Widow......2/10/17
[x] A book with an unreliable narrator.....The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Writings.....2/15/17
x] A book with pictures......Library of Souls...5/22/17

[x ] A book where the main character is a different ethnicity than you.......Rivals in the City.....1/6/17
[x] A book about an interesting woman........The Nun's Tale: The Owen Archer Series - Book Three....1/29/17
[x ] A book set in two different time periods....A Debt is Finally Paid.......4/26/17
[ ] A book with a month or day of the week in the title
[x ] A book set in a hotel......A Caribbean Mystery...5/20/17

[ ] A book written by someone you admire
[ ] A book that's becoming a movie in 2017
[x ] A book set around a holiday other than Christmas......'Tis the Witching Time: A Stratford Upon Avondale Mystery......4/15/17
[ ] The first book in a series you haven't read before.......Murder on Cue.......1/4/17
[ ] A book you bought on a trip

ADVANCED (12)

[ ] A book recommended by an author you love
[ ] A bestseller from 2016
[x ] A book with a family member term in the title.....The Inspector's Daughter.........1/8/17
[ ] A book that takes place over a character's life span......The Gallery.....2/18/17
[ ] A book about an immigrant or refugee

[ ] A book from a genre/subgenre you've never heard of
[x ] A book with an eccentric character.....Ghosts of Tsavo.....2/4/17
[ ] A book that's more than 800 pages
[ ] A book you got from a used book sale
[x ] A book that's been mentioned in another book....The Book Club Murders....4/22/17

[x] A book about a difficult topic (open to your interpretation of "difficult").....Where the Dead Lie....5/1/17
[ ] A book based on mythology

REPORTER CHALLENGE: The challenge runs from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017.

Who? What? Where? When? How?
Why? – because it’s fun to read!

Cub reporter: 5 books (1 from each category)
Columnist: 10 books (2 from each category)
News Anchor: 15 books (3 from each category)
Editor: 20 books (4 from each category)
Newspaper Mogul: 25 books (5 from each category)

BONUS CATEGORY: Pulitzer Prize Winner (Newspaper Mogul plus Bonus Category) = 30 books

WHO
Protagonist is a religious person (priest, nun, cleric, minister, deacon, etc)........The Nun's Tale: The Owen Archer Series - Book Three........1/29/17
Protagonist is in the medical profession (doctor, nurse, EMT, hospital staff, etc.)......Symptoms of Death.....1/23/17
Protagonist is a dead person (ghost, skeleton, vampire, zombie…anybody who is dead)......Dying To Tell.....2/22/17
Protagonist is a writer........The Woman on the Orient Express.....2/5/17
Protagonist is an innkeeper (Inn, B&B, hotel, motel, etc)......Bed, Breakfast and Bones



WHAT
A Short Story from an Anthology
Poison in the title........A Pinch of Poison.......1/3/17
Weather in the title......Murder in Tropical Breeze......2/7/17
A Cold Case (crime investigated is over 10 years old)......My Lady's Chamber: A Midtown Murder Mystery.....4/22/17
Time in the Title (minute, week, clock, year, hour, etc).....



WHERE
Set in a big city.......Murder Offstage....2/17/17
NOT set on land (cruise ship, boat, airplane, spaceship, etc)......Death on the Patagonian Express..........(Chile).........1/21/17
Set in a state beginning with the letter ‘N’........Troubled Treats......2/24/17 (North Carolina)
Set in England......The Secrets of Wishtide.....1/15/17
Set in Europe (anywhere but England).....The Piper....2/12/17...Scotland



WHEN
Set during a competition (Olympics, ballroom dancing, cooking contest, etc.).....Bookman Dead Style
Centers around a holiday......Murder on Bonfire Night......3/12/17
Set during summer......Tea, Tiramisu, and Tough Guys.....1/30/17
One where the protagonist has to beat the clock (time is crucial to solving mystery)........Half A Mind To Murder.....2/10/17
Set during a courtroom trial (Not the whole book)......Fortunate Son: My Life, My Music.....7/18/17



HOW
Framed for Murder......New York Nocturne: The Return of Miss Lizzie.......2/28/17
Attempted Murder (victim recovers).....Beeline To Trouble.....3/20/17
Fire (burned, smoke inhalation, etc.).....Hiding the Past....7/5/17
Drowned......Fair and Tender Ladies.....3/16/17
Supernatural death (exsanguinations, staked, voodoo, magic, etc).....Ghosts of Tsavo....2/4/17



BONUS CATEGORY
WHO - Protagonist is industrious (deaf, blind, wheelchair-bound, ADHD, Aspergers, etc.).......The Question of the Missing Head.....2/27/17
WHAT – Title starts with the same letter as your pet’s name (or the pet of someone close to you)
WHERE - Set at work (main event occurs at protagonist’s workplace).....Silence of the Jams....5/6/17
WHEN – Book set during a snowstorm......Iced Under.....3/8/17
HOW – 2 different attempts to kill the same victim (killer can be successful on 2nd attempt).......Racing the Devil....3/2/17

Arizona's Interstate 17 Challenge:

description

For this challenge, you will need to read books that correspond to the exits you will see as you travel from Flagstaff down to Phoenix. You are welcome to make as many 'trips' as you like.

One trip is 17 books.
You can repeat 'exits' if you like during your second or third trip.
Duration : Jan. 1 - Dec. 31, 2017
No page limit.

Here is a list of the exits:
340 (junction with I-40) - read a book where the main character is over 40.......Running Stitches.....2/7/17
339 (Lake Mary Road) - read a book where time is spent at a lake
337 (John Wesley Powell Boulevard) - read a book by a male author......At Wicks End.....3/5/17
333 (Kachina Boulevard) - read a book with a Native American character
331 (Kelly Canyon Road) - read a book set in Ireland.....Murder in an Irish Village......5/6/17
328 (Newman Park Road) - read a book that was made into a movie
326 (Willard Springs Road) - read a book with water on the cover....Murder on the SS Rosa.....7/4/17
322 (Munds Park) - read a book that starts with a 'M'........Murder at the Vicarage....2/9/17
320 (Schnebly Hill Road) - read a book with a lot of red on the cover .....A Question of Inheritance
317 (Fox Ranch Road) - read a book with a wild animal on the cover.......Ghosts of Tsavo.......2/4/17
315 (Rocky Park Road) - read a book where the main character has a 'rocky' (difficult) time......The Visitor.....1/9/17
306 (Stoneman Lake Road) - read a book with one man on the cover.......Rules of Murder.....1/14/17




298 (SR 179 going to Sedona) - read a book with a beautiful character
293 (McGuireville, Cornville) - read a book set in a small town/village.....When The Rooster Kills.....1/18/17
289 (Montezuma Castle Nat'l Monument) - read a book where the main character visits a museum......Who Killed Blanche DuBois?....2/6/17
287 (SR 260 going to Payson) - read a book with a banker in it.....The Bookman’s Tale.....1/5/17
285 (General Crook Trail) - read a book with a military person in it.........The Case of the Hidden Flame.....1/2/16
278 (SR 169, Dewey-Humboldt) - read a book with two authors.....Racing the Devil.....3/2/17
268 (Orme Road) - read a book whose title starts with an 'O'.......Omens.......1/28/17
263 (Arcosanti Road) - read an ebook *.....The Bitter Taste of Betrayal.....1/22/17
262 (SR 69 going to Prescott) - read a prequel......All-Butter ShortDead........2/3/17
259 (Bloody Basin Road) - read a book where things get bloody......Fearless......1/31/17
256 (Badger Springs Road) - read a book where an animal plays an important part......Crime and Catnip.....1/13/17
248 (Bumble Bee Road) - read a book with flowers on the cover.... The Apothecary's Widow.....2/10/17
244 (Black Canyon City) - read a book with a lot of black on the cover.......Triad: A Novel of the Supernatural......2/6/16
242 (Rock Springs) - read a book with rocks on the cover
236 (Table Mesa Road) - read a book where the main character is a chef/cook/baker.....Custom Baked Murder....1/19/17
232 (New River) - read a book published in 2016 or 2017.......Plaid and Plagiarism........2/25/17
229 (Anthem Way) - read a book where music happens.....Murder Offstage....2/17/17
227 (Daisy Mountain Drive) - read a book set in the mountains......Fatality by Firelight....3/29/17
225 (Pioneer Road) - read a historical novel......The Secrets of Wishtide.....1/15/17
223 (Carefree Highway) - read any book of your choice.....Lowcountry Book Club.....1/12/17
222 (Dove Valley Road) - read a book with a religious person in it......No Farm, No Foul.....1/20/17




221 (Sonoran Desert Drive) - read a book set in a desert
220 (Dixileta Drive) - read a book with a 'X' on the cover
219 (Jomax Road) - read a book with a main character by the name of Jo, Joe, Joey, Josephine, etc......Yarned and Dangerous....10/18/17
218 (Happy Valley Road) - read a book that you think will make you happy
217 (Pinnacle Peak Road) - read any book after you peek at the last page.....A Fever of the Blood.....7/5/17
215 (Rose Garden Lane) - read a book where the main character has a garden....A Bodkin for the Bride....1/16/17
214C (Loop 101) - read a book where the main character attends a university
214A & B (Union Hills Drive/Yorkshire Drive) - read a book of short stories
212 (Bell Road) - read a book with a wedding in it.......Newlywed Dead......1/27/17
211 (Greenway Road) - read a book with a lot of green on the cover.......Rivals in the City......1/6/17
210 (Thunderbird Road) - read a book with a bird on the cover.....Iced Tea for Two: a sparrow falls mystery #3.....1/7/17
209 (Cactus Road) - read a book with a 'prickly' character in it......Dying To Tell.....2/22/17
208 (Peoria Avenue) - read a book set in the USA.......Dangerous Dough.....2/15/17
207 (Dunlap Avenue) - read a book with only a torso on the cover
206 (Northern Ave) - read a book set north of where you live.....The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder.....11/27/17
205 (Glendale Ave) - read a book set in California......A Beeline to Murder.....2/16/17
204 (Bethany Home Road) - read a book with a mother as the main character......Scheduled to Death....7/22/17
203 (Camelback Road) - read a book where the main character rides an animal.....The Woman on the Orient Express.....2/5/17
202 (Indian School Road) - read a middle grade book......The Minuscule Monk: A Lizzie Borden, Girl Detective Mystery....3/3/17
201 (Thomas Road) - read a book with a person's name in the title......Dear Kate
200B (Van Buren Street) - read a book where the main character is president of something
200A (I-10 going to California) - read a book with a lot of traveling



199B (Adams Street) - read the first book in a series...The Last Necromancer
199A (Grant Street) - read a book where the main character receives a lot of money.....The Gallery....2/18/17
198 (Buckeye Road) - read a book where eyes are prominent on the cover
197 (Durango Street) - read a book with a car or a truck on the cover......Crack Of Death.....2/19/17
196 (Central Ave) - read the middle book of a trilogy.....The Masquerading Magician
195B (7th Street) - read a book where the main character is lucky
195A (16th Street) - read a YA book.....The Watchmaker's Daughter.....1/17/17
194 (Sky Harbor) - read a book where the main character flies on an airplane

The Really, Really Hard Book Challenge 2017:

January – 5 books that are first in a series.
A Pie to Die For..........1/1/16
The Inspector's Daughter.....1/8/17
An Uncollected Death.....1/12/17
No Farm, No Foul.....1/20/17
Death of a Serpent....1/23/17

NOTE: I just found the 2017 one today (1/29), so leaving January as is since a substitution is allowed:

The Really, Really, Really, Really, Hard 2017 Challenge!

January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017

January – This month: Blood Donor Month and Male Watcher’s Day! Read 5 books that either have men on the cover or blood is involved somehow (think donation or vampires, etc).

SEE SUBSTITUTION ABOVE

February – This month: Groundhog Day! Re-read 5 books you’ve enjoyed in the past.

Who Killed Blanche DuBois?....2/6/17
Murder at the Vicarage......2/9/17
The Yellow Wallpaper and Other Stories.....2/15/17
Ice Cream Murder......2/7/17
Triad: A Novel of the Supernatural.....2/6/17

March – This month: Middle Name Pride Day! Read 5 books by authors who use their middle name or initial (ie: Karen Marie Moning or Jennifer L. Armentrout).

A Body at Book Club......3/18/17
Bed, Breakfast and Bones......3/4/17
The Charm Bracelet Murder: A Jade Scott Mystery......3/3/17
The Last Necromancer.........3/10/17
Shots in the Dark.....3/11/17

April – This month: Library Week! Read 5 books that you got from the library or were lent to you by a friend.

Brighton Belle....4/10/17
Silence of the Flans....4/4/17
Death at First Sight....4/6/17
Death of a Ghost.......4/3/17
Murder at Ashgrove House.....4/5/17

May – This month: Star Wars Day and Cinco de Mayo! Read 5 books that are either sent in space or are the 5th book in a series.

Hither to London: A Stratford Upon Avondale Mystery....5/12/17
Prayers for the Dying.....5/10/17
Murder in the Servants' Hall.....5/7/17
A Darling of Death......5/17/17
The Tempting Taste of Danger....5/26/17

June – This month: Name Your Poison Day! Read 3000 pages or more this month.

A Wee Homicide in the Hotel.....6/4/17....303 pages
What the Dead Leave Behind.....6/5/17....304 pages
The Woodpecker Always Pecks Twice.....6/6/17....244 pages
A Twist in Time......6/8/17.........452 pages
Death in Dark Blue........6/9/17.....304 pages


July – This month: I Forgot Day! Read 5 books that you forgot were on your TBR (put the date added to your TBR as well as the date you finally finished it).

A Fever of the Blood....8/9/16.....7/7/17
Dead in a Flash......7/3/17.....12/7/16
The Perfectly Proper Paranormal Museum.....7/1/17.....2/9/17
Spooky Sweet.....7/20/17....1/18/17
Fugitive Filling.....7/15/17....4/12/16

August – This month: Romance Awareness Month! Read 5 books with at least a romantic subplot.

One Bad Egg....8/18/17
Ghost of a Chance......8/15/17
Deception on Sable Hill.......8/7/17
30 Second Death.....8/6/17
The Missing Calico......8/15/17

September – This month: Swap Ideas Day! Read 5 books that were recommended to you by a friend or Goodreads.

A Death for a Cause....9/3/17
Thursday Morning Breakfast (and Murder) Club....9/3/17
The Tell-Tale Tarte......9/6/17
Yarned and Dangerous.....9/7/17
Sugar Coated Sins.....9/9/17

October – This month: Frugal Fun Day! Read 5 books that you either got for free or super cheap.

The Coroner's Daughter.....10/2/17
Dancing with Death.....10/6/17
The Rookery.....10/9/17
When the Bishop Needs an Alibi....10/25/17
Murder at an Irish Wedding....10/26/17


November – This month: World Peace Day! Read 5 books set in 5 different countries.

Ha'Penny Schemes.....11/7/17 (Ireland)
In the Market for Murder.....11/24/17 (England)
The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder.....11/27/17 (Canada)
A Second Chance.....11/29/17

December – This month: Happy Holidays! Time is short for a lot of us this month. Read as many books as you can this month, but they must be holiday themed books.

A Toast to Murder........12/9/17
Hark the Herald Angels Slay....12/4/17
Creepy Christmas Waffle.....12/13/17
Death Comes to the School....12/18/17
Death Overdue.....12/14/17
A Mother's Day Murder....12/19/17


(You may substitute one month with a challenge from another month if it is too challenging OR you may create your own challenge for that month.)

5/5

January 1 - January 31, 2016

1. Read the first book in a series you have not read before.
The Inspector's Daughter.....1/8/17

2. Read a book with a bird on the cover or in the title
Iced Tea for Two: a sparrow falls mystery #3....1/7/17

3. Read a book with a man on the cover (from waist up will do. Sorry — Snowmen, Gingerbread men and voodoo dolls DO NOT count.).
Rules of Murder.....1/14/17

4. Find a book with a clock, watch or a calendar on the cover.
An Uncollected Death......1/11/17

5. Whether beautiful or zany, Interesting or romantic, choose a book based on the cover.
A Bodkin for the Bride.....1/16/17

Mary (Biblophile) wrote: "The Really, Really Hard Book Challenge:

January – 5 books that are first in a series.

February – Read 5 books by authors you love.

March – Read 5 books with green covers.

April – Read 5 book..."

Wow, this is a really, really hard book challenge. About many books to do you read a week? Month? Year? I'm impressed. August's challenge has me wondering about how many pages I read per month and for the year.

Chickadee wrote: "Mary (Biblophile) wrote: "The Really, Really Hard Book Challenge:

January – 5 books that are first in a series.

February – Read 5 books by authors you love.

March – Read 5 books with green cov..."

Well, I read one to two books a day most of the time, depending on the complexity and length of the book.

I'm finishing the year out with about 385 books. Was hoping to hit 400 but life interfered with vacation, etc. LOL.

I love different challenges here and other sites I belong to. Don't always make every category listed but helps we whittle down books I've had for ages and gets me reading new authors and sometimes new genres.

February Mini-Challenge

5/5

1. February 2 is Ground Hog Day: Find a book with a shadow on it.

Ice Cream Murder.......2/7/17

2. February 5 is National Weatherman's Day and February 10 is Umbrella Day: Find a book that has a weather-related word in the title.

Murder in Tropical Breeze.......2/7/17

3. February 13 is Get a Different Name Day: Read a book by an author who uses a pseudonym.

Half A Mind TO Murder...Paula Paul/Paula Carter.....2/10/17

4. February is American Heart Month and February 14 is Valentine's Day: Read a book with a mostly red or pink cover, or that at least has a red or pink spine.

Murder Offstage....2/17/17

5. February 20 is Love Your Pet Day, and February 22 Walking the Dog Day: Read a book with a dog on the cover.

A Beeline to Murder....2/16/17

March Mini-Challenge

5/5

National Craft Month, Crochet Week, National Quilting Day: Read a book that revolves around quilting or crochet.

Murders on Elderberry Road.....3/5/17

Mar 2 is Old Stuff Day: Read the oldest book in your TBR pile.

At Wicks End.....3/5/17

National Irish American Heritage Month and Mar 17 is Saint Patrick's Day: Read a book that is set in Ireland or which has a green cover.

Beeline To Trouble.....3/20/17

Mar 21 is Tea for Two Tuesday: Read a book set at a teashop, or which has a teapot or teacup on the cover.

An Aria of Omens.....3/23/17

Mar 31 is National Clam on the Half Shell Day: Read a book set on or by the ocean.

Iced Under.....3/8/17

April Mini-Challenge:

5/5

Read a book that revolves around a library, bookstore, book group—anything dealing with books: The Book Club Murders.....4/20/17

Read a book with a bird on the cover, in the title, or that has a bird character in it: As the Crowe Dies....4/7/17

Read a book with siblings in it: Evil Under the Moon.....4/9/17

Read a book by an author who uses an initial in his/her name: The Curse of Arundel Hall....4/8/17

Find a book that shows the sky: Murder at Ashgrove House....4/5/17

c

xx