The Challenge Factory discussion

We are fast approaching the holiday season - a time of joy, family and friends for many but also a very challenging time. It's getting colder. Days are shorter. Not everyone relishes the dark winter months ahead.
This challenge will prompt you to be good to yourself throughout the season whatever your circumstances.

This challenge has nine task sets that are "gentle affirmations" to help you through the day. Each set requires two books to be read. Books should be at least 125 pages long.
Report task completions in your own thread.

Sample completion post:

Book:
Author:
Pages:
Date Read:
Task:
How it fits:

Be good to yourself this season!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word HEARD.
2. Read a book where a character is hard of hearing.
3. Read a book with a scene in a kitchen.
4. Read a book where the MC has a pet dog.
5. Read a book set in the American South.

Book: Jon's Helter Skelter Cold Case
Author: A.J. Sherwood
Pages: 296 pages
Date Read: 11/4/2024
Task: 5. Read a book set in the American South.
How it fits: primarily set in Tennessee, but some parts are in Georgia

Book: The Nightmare Before Kissmas
Author: Sara Raasch
Pages: 368 pages
Date Read: 11/5/2024
Task: 3. Read a book with a scene in a kitchen.
How it fits: multiple scenes in a kitchen, especially with the MC grabbing breakfast and talking to the chef and her staff

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC has a moment of indecision.
2. Read a book where a character cleans something.
3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word DOUBT.
4. Read a book with a rainbow on the cover.
5. Read a book set in Europe.

Book: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
Author: James McBride
Pages: 385 pages
Date Read: 11/7/2024
Task: 2. Read a book where a character cleans something.
How it fits: Miggy Fludd is a cleaner (she cleans houses, inside and outside: yard, kitchen, beds, bed pans, and people)

Book: Dead Serious Halloween Special
Author: Vawn Cassidy
Pages: 141 pages
Date Read: 11/10/2024
Task: 5. Read a book set in Europe.
How it fits: set in London

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with a confident MC.
2. Read a book with a bright cover (your interpretation).
3. Read a book with an opinionated character.
4. Read a book that has a celebration of some sort.
5. Read a book set in New England.

Book: The Darkness Knows
Author: Cheryl Honigford
Pages: 352 pages
Date Read: 11/11/2024
Task: 1. Read a book with a confident MC.
How it fits: Vivian Witchell is confident - she's sassy, does not back down, and always gets what she wants

Book: Something Borrowed
Author: Lily Morton
Pages: 286 pages
Date Read: 11/14/2024
Task: 4. Read a book that has a celebration of some sort.
How it fits: the MCs attend a wedding celebration of their best friends

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC has long hair.
2. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word SPEAK.
3. Read a book a character has to give a speech.
4. Read a book with three 1's in its publication date (January 11, 2020 or March 12 1961 as examples).
5. Read a book set in Canada, Alaska or Greenland.

Book: Athena the Brain
Author: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Pages: 160 pages
Date Read: 11/15/2024
Task: 1. Read a book where the MC has long hair.
How it fits: the MC (Athena) has long hair

Book: A Catered Thanksgiving
Author: Isis Crawford
Pages: 307 pages
Date Read: 11/18/2024
Task: 2. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word SPEAK.
How it fits: title begins with A

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the author's initials can be found in the word PAUSE.
2. Read a book where the MC is on holiday.
3. Read a book where someone is packing to go somewhere (to move, to go on vacation, to change schools/office, etc.).
4. Read a book set on an island.
5. Read a book set in the Southeast Asia.

Book: The (Maybe) Murderer Who Knocked Me Up
Author: Amy Bellows
Pages: 203 pages
Date Read: 11/25/2024
Task: 3. Read a book where someone is packing to go somewhere (to move, to go on vacation, to change schools/office, etc.).
How it fits: one of the MCs (Quin) brothers are packing to go somewhere: two to college, one to work in a horse farm, and one to trade school to be an airplane mechanic

Book: Italy Ever After
Author: Leonie Mack
Pages: 336 pages
Date Read: 11/28/2024
Task: 2. Read a book where the MC is on holiday.
How it fits: the MC (Lou) is on holiday in Italy

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with a horse in it.
2. Read a book with a MC under age 20.
3. Read a book with a character who goes running for exercise or competition.
4. Read a book in one weekend (Saturday-Sunday only).
5. Read a book set in Africa.

Book: Once Upon a Christmas Song
Author: Mary Calmes
Pages: 151 pages
Date Read: 12/5/2024
Task: 1. Read a book with a horse in it.
How it fits: one of the MCs and his bandmate, for rehab, worked at a horse sanctuary and they took care of horses

Book: Grimm Curiosities
Author: Sharon Lynn Fisher
Pages: 297 pages
Date Read: 12/15/2024
Task: 4. Read a book in one weekend (Saturday-Sunday only).
How it fits: read in one weekend: Saturday, the 14th, to Sunday, the 15th

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word VALID.
2. Read a book whose MC expresses a lot of emotions.
3. Read a book with a friend (does not need to be a formal buddy read but tell us who you read with).
4. Read a book with at least 5 colors on the cover.
5. Read a book set in the mountains.

Book: Ice & Sweet
Author: Charlie Novak
Pages: 196 pages
Date Read: 12/16/2024
Task: 1. Read a book whose title begins with a letter found in the word VALID.
How it fits: title starts with the letter I

Book: Eleanor & Park
Author: Rainbow Rowell
Pages: 328 pages
Date Read: 12/18/2024
Task: 2. Read a book whose MC expresses a lot of emotions.
How it fits: the two MCs (Eleanor and Park) expresses a lot of emotions as their relationship develops from acquaintances to friends to boyfriend/girlfriend (there are also lots of emotions expressed between each's relationship with their respective parents)

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book where the MC makes a big mistake.
2. Read a book where a character changes for the better over the course of the book.
3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word MISTAKE.
4. Read a book with the number 7 in its page count.
5. Read a book set in Texas or Florida.

Book: Daughters of the New Year
Author: E.M. Tran
Pages: 320 pages
Date Read: 12/29/2024
Task: 3. Read a book whose author's initials can be found in the word MISTAKE.
How it fits: author initials are E and T

Book: The Wrong Mr. Right
Author: Stephanie Archer
Pages: 376 pages
Date Read: 1/8/2025
Task: 4. Read a book with the number 7 in its page count.
How it fits: 376 pages

COMPLETE!!

Tasks (choose 2)
1. Read a book with the word BEST in the title
2. Read a book whose MC is trying their best to do something.
3. Read a book where a character has enough guts to try something new in their life.
4. Read a book with lots of green on the cover (your interpretation).
5. Read a book set in New York or California.

Book: Chloe and the Kaishao Boys
Author: Mae Coyiuto
Pages: 353 pages
Date Read: 1/12/2025
Task: 3. Read a book where a character has enough guts to try something new in their life.
How it fits: the MC is moving from Manila, Philippines to the US to go to USC to pursue her dreams of becoming an animator

Book: The Obituary Society
Author: Jessica L. Randall
Pages: 321 pages
Date Read: 1/26/2025
Task: 4. Read a book with lots of green on the cover (your interpretation).
How it fits: lots of green on the cover: lots of stalks and grass

COMPLETE!!

Great work - you beat the winter blues!!

Thank you, Erica! :)