You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

It’s been a while since I tried my last yearly challenge here. But always loved them. This year I might have enough time to do it again. Probably not.. We’ll see..

Badge 2 - Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Badge 1: Middle Earth

Start
✔ Book 1: At Home: A Short History of Private Life
Task: Read a book with home, homeward, or homebound in the title.
✔ Book 2: Lessons in Chemistry
Link: Written by an author who was born in the 1950s in the US and later moved to England
✔ Book 3: The Road to Roswell
Link: Author name has 12 letters, 6 in the first and 6 in the last name

Checkpoint 1 - Bree
✔ Book 1: Paladin's Grace (audio)
Task - Read a book that is the 1st book of a series of 4
✔ Book 2: The Atlas Six
Link: Sword on the cover
✔ Book 3: First Lie Wins
Link: False Identity: Book with a character who to pretends to be someone he/she is not.

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendell
✔ Book 1: The Valley of Fear
Task: Read a book with "Sanctuary" or "Valley" in the title, or subtitle.
✔ Book 2: The Code of the Woosters
Link: English author who are accorded the title Sir.
✔ Book 3: A Tempest of Tea
Link: Person with a hat on the cover

Checkpoint 3 - Moria
✔ Book 1: The Witch & The City
Task: Read a book with a cover that is 75% black.
✔ Book 2: Der Spurenfinder
Link: Both books have fantastical and magical creatures in them.
✔ Book 3: Love Painted in Lies: A Maida Vale Tale: Hilarious British Romantic Comedy
Link: Both books feature a pair of twins (brother and sister) in their early teens with a single parent. I was a bit surprised by this connection. Initially I only wanted to link them by being humours mysteries.

Checkpoint 4 - Black Gate
✔ Book 1: Eleanor and the Iron King
Task: Read a book with "Iron" in the title.
✔ Book 2: Nine Coaches Waiting
Link: Woman on the cover
✔ Book 3: How to Solve Your Own Murder
Link: Genre: Mystery

✔ Finish - Mount Doom
Book 1: The Familiar
Task: Read a book that is between 400 and 450 pages.

Middle Earth

Start
1. Badge 1 Book 1
2. At Home: A Short History of Private Life 1/13/24 ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 497 pages
4. Task: Read a book with home, homeward, or homebound in the title.

Middle Earth

Start
1. Badge 1 Book 2
2. Lessons in Chemistry 1/17/24 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 390 pages
4. Task: Written by an author who was born in the 1950s in the US and later moved to England: Bill Bryson and Bonnie Garmus

Middle Earth

Start
1. Badge 1 Book 3
2. The Road to Roswell 1/27/24 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 399 pages
4. Task: Author name has 12 letters, 6 in the first and 6 in the last name: Bonnie Garmus and Connie Willis

Looks like you've found some great books to start your challenge with.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 1 - Bree
1. Badge 1 Book 4
2. Paladin's Grace 2/10/24 ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 366 pages
4. First book in a series of 4 (The Saint of Steel)

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 1 - Bree
1. Badge 1 Book 5
2. The Atlas Six 2/14/24 ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 383 pages
4. Both books have a sword on the cover

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 1 - Bree
1. Badge 1 Book 6
2. First Lie Wins 2/16/34 ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 340 pages
4. False Identity: In both books are main characters who pretend to be someone they are not.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendell
1. Badge 1 Book 7
2. The Valley of Fear 2/20/24 ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 240 pages
4. Task: Valley in the title

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendelll
1. Badge 1 Book 8
2. The Code of the Woosters 2/23/24 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
3. 272 pages
4. Two english author who are accorded the title Sir.: Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle and Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendelll
1. Badge 1 Book 9
2. A Tempest of Tea 2/24/24 ★ ★ ★
3. 352 pages
4. Both books have a person with a hat on the cover

I just used a credit on A Tempest of Tea today. What did you think of it?

It was ok. I was expecting something else. I was hoping for an atmospheric story in the tea/blood house with a lot of vampire lore and intrigue and mystery. But actually you don’t see much of the tea room in action. It was “just” a adventurous heist story to save the tea room.

But it was a quick and entertaining read.

I likely won't get to it quickly. I have it slated for one of hikes that is on my itinerary for later this year.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 3 - Moria
1. Badge 1, Book 10
2. The Witch & The City
3. 344 pages
4. Task: Bookcover is over 75 percent black

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 3 - Moria
1. Badge 1, Book 11
2.Der Spurenfinder
3. 336 pages
4. Link: Both books have fantastical and magical creatures in them.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 3 - Moria
1. Badge 1, Book 12
2.Love Painted in Lies: A Maida Vale Tale: Hilarious British Romantic Comedy
3. 270 pages
4. Link: Both books feature a pair of twins (brother and sister) in their early teens with a single parent. I was a bit surprised by this connection. Initially I only wanted to link them by being humours mysteries.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 4 - Black Gate
1. Badge 1, Book 13
2. Eleanor and the Iron King
3. 224 pages
4. Link: Task: Read a book with "Iron" in the title.

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 4 - Black Gate
1. Badge 1, Book 14
2. Nine Coaches Waiting
3. 404 pages
4. Link: Woman on the Cover

Middle Earth

Checkpoint 4 - Black Gate
1. Badge 1, Book 15
2. How to Solve Your Own Murder
3. 368 pages
4. Link: Genre Mystery

Middle Earth

Finish - Mount Doom
1. Badge 1, Book 16
2. The Familiar
3. 400 pages
4. Task: Read a book that is between 400 and 450 pages.

Res

Badge 2

Read 20/48 (29 to read)
Hike 1: 14/16
Hike 2: 6/16
Hike 3: 0/16

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA (14/16)

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia (5/16)

Hike 3: Chasing Dracula (0/16)

Badge 2 - Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Start: McLarty Treasure Museum
✔ Book 1: The Treasure Hunters Club
Task: Read a book with one of the following words in the title: treasure, Gold, Silver, or Copper.
✔ Book 2: Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
Link: A character is an author who writes a new book
✔ Book 3: Something Fresh
Link: First Book in a series

Checkpoint 1: Turkey Creek Sanctuary
✔ Book 1: Frenchman's Creek
Task: Read a book that has one of these words in the title: Turkey, Creek, Butterfly.
✔ Book 2: The Paradise Problem
Link: Character is an artist who makes sketches of people he/she knows
✔ Book 3: The Last Murder at the End of the World
Link: Setting: on an island

Checkpoint 2: The Wizard of Oz Museum
✔ Book 1: A Tale Dark & Grimm
Task: Read a book that is a retelling of a fairy tale.
✔ Book 2: Foul Days
Link: MPG Fantasy
✔ Book 3: The Ministry of Time
Published in 2024

Checkpoint 3: Manatee Observation Deck
✔ Book 1: A Moveable Feast
Task: Read a book with a bridge traversing a body of water. You must be able to see the water as well as the bridge.
✔ Book 2: The Wedding People
Link: Three word title
✔ Book 3: The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
Published in 2024

Checkpoint 4: Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
✔ Book 1: The North Line
Task: Read a book with a stormy seascape on the cover.
✔ Book 2: The Fox Wife
Link: Three word title starting with The
Book 3: The Ninth Rain / Starling house
Link: Three word title starting with The / Animal in the title

Finish: Kennedy Space Center
Book 1: The Stardust Grail
Task: Read a book that has Space Opera as a main page genre.

Badge 2 - Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Start - Zagreb
✔ Book 1: The Prince and the Pauper
Task: Task: Read a book with a character or author has the name Mark.
✔ Book 2: The Way We Live Now
Link: Published in the 19th century
✔ Book 3: Finding Mr. Write
Link: Satire of the publishing industry

Checkpoint 1 - Ptujska
✔ Book 1: A Sorceress Comes to Call
Task: Read a book that has a tag of "gothic" on the main book page.
✔ Book 2: The Gathering
Link: Centers around uncovering an evil persons doings and the fight against them.
✔ Book 3: The God of the Woods
Link: MPG Thriller

Checkpoint 2 - Postojna Caves
Book 1: Orient Express
Task: Read a book with a train on the cover.
Book 2: Birnam Wood
Link: Two word title
Book 3: Bellwether
Link: Female writer

Checkpoint 3 - Opatija
Book 1: Evil Under the Sun
Task: Read a book where the character goes on holiday to a beach resort.
Book 2: The Fourteen-Carat Car
Link: Published in the 1940s
Book 3: Yumi and the Nightmare Painter
Link: Two people on the cover

Checkpoint 4 - Medjugorje
Book 1: How to Sell a Haunted House
Task: Read a ghost story. "Ghost(s)" must be tagged on the main book page.
Book 2: The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story
Link: MPG Horror
Book 3: The Paradox Hotel
Link: Set in a kind of guesthouse

Finish - Dubrovnik
Book 1: Scoop
Task: Read a book that was made into a movie.

Badge 2 - Hike 3: Chasing Dracula

Start - London
Book 1: La Rôtisserie de la reine Pédauque
Task: Task: Read a book with a group of people on the cover.
Book 2: Margo's Got Money Troubles
Link: MPG Humor
Book 3: The Trouble with Peace
Link: Trouble in the title

Checkpoint 1 - Paris
Book 1: Chaos at the Lazy Bones Bookshop (pub 7/24)
Task: Read a book with Halloween as a theme.
Book 2: The Wandering Inn
Link: Name of a business in the tilte
Book 3: All Things Huge & Hideous
Link: MPG Fantasy

Checkpoint 2: Munich
Book 1: La vie n'est pas un roman de Susan Cooper
Task: Read a book with a character or author named Susanna or Susan.
Book 2: Moi qui n'ai pas connu les hommes
Link: First published in French
Book 3: The Scent of Rain and Lightning or How to Sell a Haunted House
Link: Long title

Checkpoint 3: Budapest
Book 1: At Bertram's Hotel
Task: Read a book with savory food on the cover. It may not be "on the hoof", so a cute goose or calf on the cover is not going to cut it.
Book 2: The Grand Sophy
Link: Female British author of the 20th century
Book 3: The Pursuit of Love or Good Material
Link: MPG Romance

Checkpoint 4: Bran Castle
Book 1: Julie of the Wolves
Task: Read a book with a wolf on the cover, in the title, or about wolves. They may be shapeshifters.
Book 2: Eynhallow
Link: MPG Historical Fiction
Book 3: The Trials of Marjorie Crowe
Link: Set in Scotland

Finish: Bucharest
Book 1: Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect
Task: Read a book tagged as "Crime" on the main book page.

Congrats on earning the first badge. :)

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Start: McLarty Treasure Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1 Book 1 (Total 1)
2. The Treasure Hunters Club
3. 384 pages
4. Task: Read a book with one of the following words in the title: treasure, Gold, Silver, or Copper.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Start: McLarty Treasure Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1 Book 2 (Total 2)
2. Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies
3. 342 pages
4. Link: A character is an author who writes a new book

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Start: McLarty Treasure Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 3 (Total 3)
2. Something Fresh
3. 284 pages
4. Link: First book in a series

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 1: Turkey Creek Sanctuary
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 4 (Total 4)
2. Frenchman's Creek
3. 253 pages
4. Link: Task: Read a book that has one of these words in the title: Turkey, Creek, Butterfly.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 1: Turkey Creek Sanctuary
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 5 (Total 5)
2. The Paradise Problem
3. 352 pages
4. Link: Character is an artist who makes sketches of people he/she knows

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 1: Turkey Creek Sanctuary
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 6 (Total 6)
2. The Paradise Problem
3. 354 pages
4. Link: Setting: on an island

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Start - Zagreb
1. Badge 2, Hike 2, Book 1 (Total 7)
2. The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
3. 240 pages
4. Task: Read a book with a character or author has the name Mark.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 2: The Wizard of Oz Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 7 (Total 8)
2. A Tale Dark & Grimm
3. 256 pages
4. Task: Read a book that is a retelling of a fairy tale.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 2: The Wizard of Oz Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 8 (Total 9)
2. Foul Days
3. 359 pages
4. Link: MPG Fantasy

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 2: The Wizard of Oz Museum
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 9 (Total 10)
2. The Ministry of Time
3. 341 pages
4. Link: Published in 2024

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 3: Manatee Observation Deck
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 10 (Total 11)
2. A Moveable Feast
3. 192 pages
4. Task: Read a book with a bridge traversing a body of water. You must be able to see the water as well as the bridge.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 3: Manatee Observation Deck
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 11 (Total 12)
2. The Wedding People
3. 384 pages
4. Link: Three word title

How did you like The Wedding People?

I really enjoyed it. A very good mix of humour and seriousness. The characters had some very good conversations and all grew on me.

Sounds like something right up my alley.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 3: Manatee Observation Deck
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 12 (Total 13)
2. The Dead Cat Tail Assassins
3. 213 pages
4. Link: Published in 2024

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 4: Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 13 (Total 14)
2. The North Line
3. 313 pages
4. Task: Read a book with a stormy seascape on the cover.

Hike 1: Cape Canaveral, Florida, USA

Checkpoint 4: Cape Canaveral Lighthouse
1. Badge 2, Hike 1, Book 14 (Total 15)
2. The Fox Wife
3. 390 pages
4. Link: Three word title starting with The

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Start - Zagreb
1. Badge 2, Hike 2, Book 2 (Total 16)
2. The Way We Live Now
3. 776 pages
4. Link: Published in the 19th century

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Start - Zagreb
1. Badge 2, Hike 2, Book 3 (Total 17)
2. Finding Mr. Write
3. 368 pages
4. Link: Satire of the publishing industry

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Checkpoint 1 - Ptujska
1. Badge 2, Hike 2, Book 4 (Total 18)
2. A Sorceress Comes to Call
3. 327 pages
4. Task: Read a book that has a tag of "gothic" on the main book page.

Hike 2: Tour of Slovania, Croatia, and Bosnia

Checkpoint 1 - Ptujska
1. Badge 2, Hike 2, Book 5 (Total 19)
2. The Gathering
3. 336 pages
4. Centers around uncovering an evil persons doings and the fight against them.