Cozy Mysteries discussion

I'm at 47/52. Of the five I have left, I'm in the middle of reading two. And I know what I'll be reading for two of the other three. For the last one, I know I'll read a Shakespeare play, I just haven't decided which one (I have them all, and I have several favorites, so I just got to decide). My full list is here. And, thanks Kirsten for pasting the link for next year's list. I think I might give it a try. :)

A book by an author you never read before: Armoires and Arsenic by Cassie Page-I wasn't too impressed with this one. I didn't care for the characters or the mystery. I probably won't read anything else by this author. Thankfully, it was a free download on my Kindle. :)
A book you own but have never read before: The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott-I bought this book many, many years ago when I was going thru my "collecting classic books" phase. I never read half of them! ;) But, I was building up my book collection. :) It turned out to be a pretty good book. :) It was Alcott's first book written, at 17, but wasn't published until well after her death. I can't believe it took me so long to read it. ;)
A book written by an author with your same initials: The Devil's Cure by Kenneth Oppel-I enjoyed this book. I searched throughout my library (first mystery, then science fiction, and then literature) to find a book for this category. Nothing really jumped out at me until this one. It was a thriller and had to do with science (basically a serial killer won't give up his cancer killing blood, escapes jail, and goes on the run)... Not sure why it was under literature. ;) But, needless to say it definitely kept my interest and I would read other books by this author. :)

November Update

51/52

[X] A book with antonyms in the title – Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker - 11/3/15
[X] A classic romance – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – 11/8/15

One left.

[X] A book with a number in the title - Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones (5 stars)

One more off the list!

[X] A book with a color in the title A Touch of Gold by Joyce Lavene


This puts me at 40/52. I am not going to finish this challenge, but do hope to cross 2 or 3 more items off the list.

Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular category will not be checked off for me this year :\

Lacey wrote: "Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular category will not be checked off for me this year :\"

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho fits this category. It's a short book with excellent reviews.

Lacey wrote: "Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular category will not be checked off for me this year :\"

What did you read? There are a lot of good Nordic mysteries out there. Also I agree with Nell, The Alchemist would be good.

I finished. This was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the challenge next year.

52/52

[X] A book with 500 pages - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - 5/22/15
[X] A classic romance - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - 11/7/15
[X] A book that became a movie - Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine - 1/18/15
[X] A book published this year - Ming Tea Murder by Laura Childs - 6/5/15
[X] A book with a number in the title - The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - 7/4/15
[X] A book written by someone under age 30 - Frankenstein by Mary Shelley - 8/26/15
[X] A book with nonhuman characters - Ralph S. Mouse by Beverly Cleary - 2/8/15
[X] A funny book - When You Look Like Your Passport Photo, It's Time to Go Home by Erma Bombeck - 1/22/15
[X] A book with a female author - Aunt Dimity: Snowbound by Nancy Atherton - 1/5/15
[X] A mystery or thriller - Aunt Dimity and the Next of Kin by by Nancy Atherton - 1/11/15
[X] A book with a one-word title - Kim by Rudyard Kipling - 8/16/15
[X] A book of short stories - Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen - 2/11/15
[X] A book set in a different country - Aunt Dimity Takes a Holiday by Nancy Atherton - 1/3/15
[X] A nonfiction book - America's Hidden History: Untold Tales of the First Pilgrims, Fighting Women, and Forgotten Founders Who Shaped a Nation by Kenneth C. Davis - 1/10/15
[X] A popular author's first book - Digital Fortress by Dan Brown - 3/3/15
[X] A book you have not read from an author you love - Cat-a-Lyst by Alan Dean Foster - 5/27/15
[X] A book a friend recommended - The Cubicle Next Door by Siri L. Mitchell - 10/16/15
[X] A Pulitzer Prize winning book - Tales of the South Pacific by James A. Michener - 3/19/15
[X] A book based on a true story - Secretariat by William Nack - 4/30/15
[X] A book at the bottom of your to-read list - The Baylors of Newmarket: The Decline and Fall of a Virginia Planter Family by Thomas Katheder - 2/6/15
[X] A book your mom loves - Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels - 2/5/15
[X] A book that scares you - Dracula by Bram Stoker - 8/2/15
[X] A book more than 100 years old - The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells - 7/15/15
[X] A book based entirely on its cover - The Sign by Raymond Khoury - 2/22/15
[X] A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky - 10/18/15
[X] A memoir - A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson - 2/15/15
[X] A book you can finish in a day - The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary - 2/1/15
[X] A book with antonyms in the title - Always the Baker, Never the Bride by Sandra D. Bricker - 11/3/15
[X] A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit - Angels & Demons by Dan Brown - 4/3/15
[X] A book that came out the year you were born - Runaway Ralph by Beverly Cleary - 2/7/15
[X] A book with bad reviews - Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë - 6/6/15
[X] A trilogy - The Highlander's Stolen Heart (8/9/15); Highlander's Rebellious Love (8/15/15); Highlander The Dark Dragon (8/19/15) by Donna Fletcher
[X] A book from your childhood - The Secret of the Mansion (Trixie Belden) by Julie Campbell - 9/4/15
[X] A book with a love triangle - G'Day to Die by Maddy Hunter - 5/29/15
[X] A book set in the future - The Time Machine by H.G. Wells - 7/9/15
[X] A book set in high school - Avalon High by Meg Cabot - 3/12/15
[X] A book with a color in the title - Aunt Dimity and the Deep Blue Sea by Nancy Atherton - 1/16/15
[X] A book that made you cry - Chicken Soup for the Soul of America: Stories to Heal the Heart of Our Nation by Jack Canfield - 9/20/15
[X] A book with magic - The Goodbye Witch by Heather Blake - 8/22/15
[X] A graphic novel - The Merlin Prophecy by Meg Cabot - 4/14/15
[X] A book by an author you've never read before - The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames - 4/6/15
[X] A book you own but have never read - The Big 5-Oh! by Sandra D. Bricker - 6/9/15
[X] A book that takes place in your hometown (or close to where you live) - Sprinkle with Murder by Jenn McKinlay - 7/11/15
[X] A book originally written in a different language - Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne - 2/28/15
[X] A book set during Christmas - What Happens At Christmas by Victoria Alexander - 2/28/15
[X] A book written by an author with your same initials - The Blessing Way by Tony Hillerman - 10/22/15
[X] A play - The Crucible by Arthur Miller - 3/24/15
[X] A banned book - The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald - 10/24/15
[X] A book based on or turned into a TV show - The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line (Veronica Mars) by Rob Thomas - 8/28/15
[X] A book you started but never finished - Paradise Lost by John Milton - 12/8/15

Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular category will not be checked off for me this year :\"

What did yo..."


I tried to read this book called The Glassblower by Petra Durst-Benning and I didn't like it at all. I was thinking of trying The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo instead.

Lacey wrote: "Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular category will no..."

I used Like Water for Chocolate for my translated book. It's an odd story, but it was good!

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I used Like Water for Chocolate for my translated book. It's an odd story, but it was good! "

When I read that story a lot of years ago (Spanish...) I don't like it a lot, and it made me clear (after trying "Cien años de soledad" and others like that) that magical realism ("Realismo mágico") is not my cup of tea.

Congrats Teresa! :)

❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Kirsten *Dogs Welcome - People Tolerated" wrote: "Lacey wrote: "Well I tried reading a novel that was translated to English but I just couldn't get into it. I guess that particular ca..."

I really enjoyed it, Jennifer.

Marisa wrote: "❂ Jennifer (reviews on BookLikes) wrote: "I used Like Water for Chocolate for my translated book. It's an odd story, but it was good! "

When I read that story a lot of years ago (Spanish...) I don..."

I read that one, Marisa, and it wasn't the magical realism that threw me. It was keeping track of the characters. I really should have made a flow chart or something.

Marisa wrote: "When I read that story (Like Water for Chocolate) a lot of years ago (Spanish...) I don't like it a lot, and it made me clear (after trying "Cien años de soledad" and others like that) that magical realism ("Realismo mágico") is not my cup of tea. "


I felt the same way after managing to get through One Hundred Years of Solitude -- magical realism really isn't my cup of tea.


As for a book translated into English . . . I actually reread Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren for that one, after coming across a copy at the Library's monthly used book sale. It doesn't say you can't use children's books, and there are a lot of good ones out there in all languages. '-)

Teresa wrote: "I finished. This was a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to the challenge next year.

52/52

[X] A book with 500 pages - The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova - 5/22/15
[X] A ..."


Congratulations! Good job.

50/52

[X] A classic romance --- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

[X] A book of short stories --- American Fairy Tales by L. Frank Baum

Updated post #48

Updated at #469. I still have 7 to go:
Pulitzer Winner
Book my mom loves
Book that scares you
A book I did not read at school
a trilogy
I book I own but never read
A Play.

I think I can get about 4 or 5 of them in but not all 7. We shall see.

Finished book #95 yesterday: Darkness on His Bones by Barbara Hambly

#39 -- A book written by an author with my initials

The Woman Who Would Be King: Hatshepsut's Rise to Power in Ancient Egypt by Kara Cooney

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

52/52
Updated post #48

[X] A book with 500 pages -- Under the Jolly Roger: Being an Account of the Further Nautical Adventures of Jacky Faber by L.A. Meyer

[X] A book that came out the year you were born -- Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself by Judy Blume

Finished! I have enjoyed not just reading these books, but the process of finding a particular book for each category.

I managed to squeeze one more book in before the end of the year at least:

[X] A book based on or turned into a TV show - Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (Turned into Longmire that aired on A&E and was taken over by Netflix) 5 stars.

I've only managed 24/52 but I did get a late start on this challenge. So I'm proud of myself for getting 24.

Good job Melissa! :)

Way to go, Melissa!

Congrats, Melissa!

Congratulations Melissa.

I love the challenges because they push me to expand my horizons on books, but the one for this year had some categories that I just didn't want to do. I did read and enjoy several books that I would not have otherwise, and found some new authors that I dearly love. Got 38 of the 52 completed.

Kellene wrote: "I love the challenges because they push me to expand my horizons on books, but the one for this year had some categories that I just didn't want to do. I did read and enjoy several books that I wou..."

I think that was the point. To go a little out of your comfort zone, and to do more than you would have done. It was not suppose to be the Bataan Death March. Congrats on finding new enjoyable reads!

Lacey wrote: "I managed to squeeze one more book in before the end of the year at least:

[X] A book based on or turned into a TV show - Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (Turned into Longmire that aired..."

Good job reading! Glad you made your own personal achievement.

Kellene wrote: "I love the challenges because they push me to expand my horizons on books, but the one for this year had some categories that I just didn't want to do. I did read and enjoy several books that I wou..."


There are some categories for this year's challenge I don't normally read in, and at least half a dozen in the 2016 challenge I already doubt I will get to. There seems to be more nonfiction on the 2016 list than this year, most of which fall within the memoir/biography genres I dislike.

Lacey wrote: "I managed to squeeze one more book in before the end of the year at least:

[X] A book based on or turned into a TV show - Kindness Goes Unpunished by Craig Johnson (Turned into Longmire that aired..."

Melissa, your goal was 52 books. That's the final number, right? So any book you read puts you that much closer to your final goal. Good for you for making an attempt to reach your goal, especially since you got a late start! You should be proud of yourself.

Heather L wrote: "Kellene wrote: "I love the challenges because they push me to expand my horizons on books, but the one for this year had some categories that I just didn't want to do. I did read and enjoy several ..."

I have gone through the 2016 Challenge and made some revisions to make it more to my liking. Guess it's the "Kellene 2016 Reading Challenge". I did stick with over half of the categories to continue broadening horizons, but changed some that were going to make it more burden than joy.

Kellene wrote: "Heather L wrote: "Kellene wrote: "I love the challenges because they push me to expand my horizons on books, but the one for this year had some categories that I just didn't want to do. I did read ..."

If you feel like sharing it might help some of us also. There were several things I am just NOT INTO. I am all for broadening our horizons but not so much into torture.

I'm probably not going to finish the challenge (not unless a minor miracle occurs). I'd like to say I really enjoy it. One of the things it's doing is helping me clean up my backlist.

#40 -- A book that scares you

Delirious by Daniel Palmer

2015 Ultimate Challenge 40/52

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Good job Kirsten, every one knocked off is a plus.

[x] A book set during Christmas - Through the Zombie Glass by Gena Showalter

That makes 26/52. I'm actually pretty proud of that since I started the challenge super late. I've definitely got a head start on next years challenge though.

I finished! :) Nothing like a last minute finish. ;)

Ultimate 2015 Reading Challenge
Start Date: 1/1/2015
52/52

A book with 500 pages-Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott 5/29/15
A classic romance-My Antonia by Willa Cather 6/4/15
A book that became a movie-The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis 1/5/15
A book published this year-Oh Say Can You Fudge by Nancy CoCo 10/9/15
A book with a number in the title-One for the Money by Janet Evanovitch 10/3/15
A book written by someone under 30-My Story by Elizabeth Smart 9/3/15
A book with nonhuman characters-The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis 1/12/15
A funny book-Bluegrass State of Mind by Kathleen Brooks 11/3/15
A book with a female author-Through a Glass, Deadly by Sarah Atwell 10/11/15
A mystery or thriller-Murder Will Out by Alison Joseph 10/28/15
A book with a one-word title-Healer by Linda Windsor 1/18/15
A book of short stories-The Complete Short Stories by Ernest Hemingway 11/4/15
A book set in a different country-Gold and Fishes by Donna Carrick 6/22/15
A nonfiction book-I'm OK - You're OK by Thomas A. Harris 6/3/15
A popular author's first book-The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie 6/30/15
A book from an author you love that you have not read yet-Relentless by Dean Koontz 8/31/15
A book a friend recommended-Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West by Cormac McCarthy 8/1/15
A Pulitzer Prize winning book-The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 4/13/15
A book based on a true story-The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd 6/28/15
A book at the bottom of your to-read list-Touched by Angels by Debbie Macomber 7/17/15
A book your mom loves-The Black Echo by Michael Connelly 4/29/15
A book that scares you-The Stand by Stephen King 9/17/15
A book more than 100 years old-Michael Strogoff; The Courier of the Czar by Jules Verne 12/13/15
A book based entirely on its cover-Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins 8/15/15
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't-To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 5/23/15
A memoir-Waiting to Be Heard: A Memoir by Amanda Knox 8/8/15
A book you can finish in a day-The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis 1/7/15
A book with antonyms in the title-Dead and Alive by Dean Koontz 12/28/15
A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit-G'Day to Die by Maddy Hunter 2/4/15
A book that came out the year you were born-Touch Not the Cat by Mary Stewart 10/4/15
A book with bad reviews-You've Been Warned by James Patterson 4/10/15
A trilogy-Cornelia Funke, Inkheart 1/30/15; Inkspell 2/16/15; Inkdeath 3/19/15
A book from your childhood-Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 1/7/15
A book with a love triangle-Brownies and Broomsticks by Bailey Cates 3/31/15
A book set in the future-Summer Ruins by Trisha Leigh 7/23/15
A book set in high school-Glimpse by Stacey Wallace Benefiel 6/11/15
A book with a color in the title-The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis 1/10/15
A book that made you cry -The Prayer Box by Lisa Wingate 5/20/15
A book with magic-The Magician's Nephew by C.S. Lewis 1/13/15
A graphic novel-In Odd We Trust by Dean Koontz and Queenie Chan 9/17/15
A book by an author you've never read before-Armoires and Arsenic by Cassie Page 11/11/15
A book you own but have never read-The Inheritance by Louisa May Alcott 11/18/15
A book that takes place in your hometown (or close to where you live)-City on Fire: The Explosion That Devastated a Texas Town and Ignited a Historic Legal Battle by Bill Minutaglio 12/4/15
A book originally written in a different language-An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne 8/24/15
A book set during Christmas-The Christmas Carol Murders by Christopher Lord 3/2/15
A book written by an author with your same initials-The Devil's Cure by Kenneth Oppel 11/6/15
A play-The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare 12/31/15
A banned book-The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne 9/16/15
A book based on or turned into a TV show-Heat Wave by Richard Castle 12/30/15
A book you started but never finished-The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis 1/16/15

Congratulations Kimberly! Well done!

Congrats, Kimberly! Impressive.

SQUEAK! I just finished under the wire also. I was able to broaden my horizons and avoid stinkers.
Cozy Challenge 2015 -- 52

[X] A book with 500 pages – Coming Home by Rosamunde Pilcher in 11-12/15
[X] A classic romance – North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell in 10/15
[X] A book that became a movie – The Help by Kathryn Stockett in 8/15
[X] A book published this year – One Year by Mary McDonough in 5/15
[X] A book with a number in the title – 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff in 6/15
[X] A book written by someone age under 30 – The Outsiders by SE Hinton in 8/15
[X] A book with nonhuman characters – A Purrfect Murder by Rita Mae Brown in 1/15
[X] A funny book - Killer Blonde by Laura Levine in 4/15
[X] A book with a female author – Full of Grace by Dorothea Benton Frank in 1/15
[X] A mystery or thriller – Dead Man’s Bones by Susan Wittig Albert in 2/15
[X] A book with a one-word title – Blueprints by Barbara Delinsky in 6/15
[X] A book of short stories – Runaway: stories by Alice Munro in 1/15
[X] A book set in a different country – Payment in Blood - Elizabeth George in 1/15
[X] A nonfiction book – About Alice – by Calvin Trillin in 3/15
[X] A popular author's first book - John Chancellor Makes Me Cry by Anne Rivers Siddons in 3-4/15
[X] A book you have not read from an author you love – Ladies Night by Mary Kay Andrew s in 2/15
[X] A book a friend recommended – A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny in 6/15
[X] A Pulitzer Prize winning book – The Color Purple by Alice Walker in 9/15
[X] A book based on a true story – More Ketchup Than Salsa by Joe Cawley in 3/15
[X] A book at the bottom of your to-read list - Needles and Pearls by Gil McNeil in 12/15
[X] A book your mom loves – Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach in 5/15
[X] A book that scares you – Wildaone by Krassi Zourkova in 6/15
[X] A book more than 100 years old – Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster in 2/15
[X] A book based entirely on its cover – Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs in 2/15
[X] A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't – Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes in 9/15
[X ] A memoir – We’ll always have Paris by Jennifer Coburn in 5/15
[X] A book you can finish in a day - Wife for Hire by Janet Evanovich in 1/15
[X] A book with antonyms in the title – A Tine To Live, A Tine To Die by Edith Maxwell in 4/15
[X] A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit – A Cereal Killer by Morgana Best in 2/15
[X] A book that came out the year you were born (1950)– Belles On Their Toes by Frank B. Gilbreth, Jr. and Ernestine Gilbreth Carey in 4/15
[X] A book with bad reviews – The Reading Circle by Ashton Lee in 4/15
[X] A trilogy – Bats and Bones, The Blue Coyote, Peete and Repeat by Karen Musser Nortman in 5/15
[X] A book from your childhood – All of a Kind Family by Sydney Taylor in 4/15
[X] A book with a love triangle – Double Fudge Brownie Murder by Joanne Fluke in 4/15
[X] A book set in the future – Naked in Death by JD Robb in 7/15
[X] A book set in high school – The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky in 3/15
[X] A book with a color in the title – Baltimore Blues by Laura Lippman in 4/15
[X] A book that made you cry – Isle of Palms by Dorothea Benton Frank in 1/15
[X] A book with magic – Magician’s Nephew by C. S. Lewis in 2/15
[X] A graphic novel – A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Hope Larson (adapter) in 5/15
[X] A book by an author you've never read before – Small Blessings by Martha Woodruff in 2/15
[X] A book you own but have never read – Bingo by Rita Mae Brown in 12/15
[X] A book that takes place in your hometown (or close to where you live) – Long Upon the Land by Margaret Maron in 8/15
[X] A book originally written in a different language – The Visit by Friedrich Durrenmatt, Patrick Bowles (translator)
[X] A book set during Christmas – A Covington Christmas by Joan Medlicott in 4/15
[X ] A book written by an author with your same initials – The Wedding Day by Catherine Alliott in 3/15
[X] A play – Brighton Beach Memoirs by Neil Simon in 6/15
[X] A banned book – Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden in 6/15
[X] A book based on or turned into a TV show – Deja Dead by Kathy Reichs in 6/15
[X] A book you started but never finished – The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb in 12/15

Congrats, Carol! Impressive too

Congratulations Kimberly and Carol, that is quite impressive!

Congratulations Carol!

Congrats Kimberly and Carol!!!

Congratulations Carol! :)

Updated post 363. I finished 37 of 52 books.

Congrats Kimberly and Carol!!

Congrats Kimberly and Carol!


I finished this challenge with 41/52, better than I thought I would do, so I'm satisfied. You can see my complete list here.

Congrats Kimbery and Carol!