Cozy Mysteries discussion

This is based on odd or wacky holidays that really exist (at least according to a website online. lol) The dates listed are the dates the wacky holiday falls on. You have the entire month to read one or all of the books. It's up to you. There are 5 categories, and you need only read 1 per category. You can choose to read as many or as few categories as you have time for.

July is National Ice Cream Month
July 1 - Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day
July 7 - Chocolate Day
July 7 - National Strawberry Sundae Day
July 17 - National Ice Cream Day (third Sunday of the month)
July 17 - Peach Ice Cream Day
July - 23 Vanilla Ice Cream Day

With sooo many ice cream days falling this month, as well as national ice cream month, read a book that either shows ice cream on the cover, has a flavor of ice cream in the title, or someone eats ice cream somewhere in the book.

July 2- I Forgot Day
Read a book you've previously purchased, but forgot to read. Instead of reaching for the top of your TBR pile, reach for something lying forgotten on the bottom of it.

July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day
Read a book that you've borrowed from someone else or was given to you, read a book to someone else (reading to your own family counts), or share a book with someone else.

July 13 -Embrace Your Geekness Day
Read a book where someone has a geeky type profession, or read a non-fiction book (to increase your geekness! lol)

3 Stay out of the Sun Day
4 Independence Day (U.S.)
4 Sidewalk Egg Frying Day
6 National Fried Chicken Day
10 Teddy Bear Picnic Day
12 Pecan Pie Day
21 National Junk Food Day
23 National Hot Dog Day

It looks like the above 7 holidays are telling us we should all have a summer picnic. If you have a picnic and read part of a book there, that counts. Or read a book showing a picnic on the cover, in the title (any words from the above picnic related holidays counts, so "pie" or "hotdog" in the title works), or any book where somewhere in the book there is a picnic.

Some of these may be a little harder, but that's also part of the fun. There are so many ice cream flavors I'm sure you can find the name of one of them in a title. The mini-challenges each month are suppose to be fun.
Enjoy!

I guess I'm hungry because I haven't had dinner yet and it's close to 10 p.m. Just had to let you all know that I'm looking forward to the "foodie" days: July 12 and 23. I think I'll not try frying eggs on the sidewalk this year. When I was teaching I did do that with the kids. Really fun!!! Happy Fourth to All of you Booklovers!

In!
1/5 Done

July 1 - National Ice Cream Month - A Parfait Murder 7/16/11

July 2- I Forgot Day - Fundraising the Dead

July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day - Pinned for Murder

July 13 -Embrace Your Geekness Day -Curiosity Thrilled the Cat

July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day - Eggs Benedict Arnold

Should have saved for this month, but I could never have held out that long!

Kari wrote: "Looks like another fun challenge. Are booksellers or booklovers geeky?

Thanks Again"

It's whatever you think qualifies as geeky. Some might say it is. Others wouldn't. lol So it's up to you.

Melodie wrote: "Should have saved for this month, but I could never have held out that long!"

That would have been perfect Melodie. :)

Another fun one! I'm going to have to do some thinking about this one!!

This sounds like a fun challenge but I never met last month's challenge and I am not going to commit to anything. If it's not something I already have in my books I probably won't take that part of the challenge. My main goal right now is to get caught up on the free books I have won or been given and reviewing them.

It's suppose to be fun Kare. Just do what you can to take part. You don't have to do all of it, or any of it for that matter. Just do what works for you.

Kari wrote: "Does the mystery a la mode series need to read in order? I only have #2 now.

Thanks"

I don't necessarily read in order, but I did read this series from the beginning. You wouldn't have to read them in order, tho.

Kari wrote: "Does the mystery a la mode series need to read in order? I only have #2 now.

Thanks"

I don't think it needs to be read in order either and I've read the first 2 already.

July 10 - Teddy Bear Picnic Day
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones
July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely
Peter Pan by J M Barrie
July 13 - Embrace your Geekiness Day
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
(MC is a Harvard Professor of Psychology)
July 2 - I Forgot Day
The Haunted Hotel by Wilkie Collins

July Mini-Challenge
1/5 Done

1. Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate Dipped Death by Sammi Carter
2. I Forgot: Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews
3. Borrowed from Mom:The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby 7/3 ★★★★
4. Geekness Day: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris
5. Egg Frying: Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs

July is National Ice Cream Month - Mattie ia constantly eating Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia.

July Mini-Challenge

July 2 - I Forgot Day! A Peach of a Murder
by Livia J. Washburn

JUly 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day! I borrowed a book
from my nephew. He insisted that I read this book. Saving Zasha by Randi
Barrow F/R: 7/17/11 (4 stars)

July 13 - Embrace your Geekness Day!
Reading a non-fiction book Blood Work: A Tale of Medicine and Murder in the Scientific Revolution by Holly Tucker (currently reading).

July Mini-Challenge
2/5 Done

1. Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate Dipped Death by Sammi Carter
2. I Forgot: Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews
3. Borrowed from Mom:The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby 7/3 ★★★★
4. Geekness Day: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris 7/19 ★★★
5. Egg Frying: Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs

July Mini Challenge

5/5 DONE 7/22/11

July is National Ice Cream Month
With sooo many ice cream days falling this month, as well as national ice cream month, read a book that either shows ice cream on the cover, has a flavor of ice cream in the title, or someone eats ice cream somewhere in the book. Wither by Lauren DeStefano DONE 7/9/11

July 2- I Forgot Day
Read a book you've previously purchased, but forgot to read. Instead of reaching for the top of your TBR pile, reach for something lying forgotten on the bottom of it. The Cruelest Month: A Three Pines Mystery by Louise Penny DONE 7/22/11

July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day
Read a book that you've borrowed from someone else or was given to you, read a book to someone else (reading to your own family counts), or share a book with someone else. The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry DONE 7/8/11

July 13 -Embrace Your Geekness Day
Read a book where someone has a geeky type profession, or read a non-fiction book (to increase your geekness! lol) Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay DONE 7/14/11

If you have a picnic and read part of a book there, that counts. Or read a book showing a picnic on the cover, in the title (any words from the above picnic related holidays counts, so "pie" or "hotdog" in the title works), or any book where somewhere in the book there is a picnic. Matched by Ally Condie DONE 7/2/11

, , , ,

I Forgot Day: Read a book you've previously purchased, but forgot to read. To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf (Also a group read for TNBBC here at GR)

Cheer up the Lonely Day: Read a book that you've borrowed from someone else Read five that qualify, one borrowed from my sister, and four from a friend:
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost
Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost
This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

I do have one book in the TBR for National Ice Cream Day/Month, but doesn't look like I am going to get to it as planned.

July Mini-Challenge
4/5 Done

1. Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate Dipped Death by Sammi Carter
2. I Forgot: Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews 7/21 ★★★★
3. Borrowed from Mom:The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby 7/3 ★★★★
4. Geekness Day: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris 7/19 ★★★
5. Egg Frying: Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs 7/27 ★★★

Congrats to all the finishers this month! I'm eagerly awaiting next months challenge!!

5/5 Done Yay!

1. Ice Cream Flavor: Chocolate Dipped Death by Sammi Carter 7/29 ★★★★
2. I Forgot: Murder With Puffins by Donna Andrews 7/21 ★★★★
3. Borrowed from Mom:The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby 7/3 ★★★★
4. Geekness Day: Real Murders by Charlaine Harris 7/19 ★★★
5. Egg Frying: Eggs in Purgatory by Laura Childs 7/27 ★★★

Finished several days ago, but was too lazy to post. lol

Ice Cream: Murder a la Mode
I Forgot: The Seven Dials Mystery
Cheer up the Lonely: Cream Puff Murder (lent to Mom) Also read
How I Spent My Summer Vacation to a class of preschoolers
Geekness: Lessons in Love
Picnic: Jane and the Man of the Cloth

National Ice Cream Month: Summer Rental by Mary Kay Andrews
I Forgot: Read eight M C Beaton Agatha Raisin mysteries that had been sitting on my bookshelf for more than a year:
Agatha Raisin and the Wizard of Evesham
Agatha Raisin and the Witch of Wyckhadden
Agatha Raisin and the Wellspring of Death
Agatha Raisin and the Day the Floods Came
Agatha Raisin and the Love from Hell
Agatha Raisin and the Fairies of Fryfam
Agatha Raisin and the Case of the Curious Curate
Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House
Cheer Up the Lonely: I received Summer Rental from GR bookswap and sent 10 books through GR bookswap, including seven of the Agatha's listed above.

Do we know if we are going to have a challenge for August? I'd be glad to help out if needed.

Valorie wrote: "Do we know if we are going to have a challenge for August? I'd be glad to help out if needed."

I've also been looking out for it!

Finished July up last Friday. I had some trouble getting my geeky book from the library and had to do a last minute substitution since I couldn't just not do that challenge. Glad I did since I really liked that book.

National Ice Cream Month - The Chocolate Frog Frame-Up
I Forgot Day - Murder of a Botoxed Blonde
Cheer up the Lonely Day - False Premises
Embrace Your Geekness Day - The Sudoku Murder
Teddy Bear Picnic Day - Served Cold

Do we know what happened to the August Challenge? If help is needed I am willing to help.

Finished in time, although updated a bit late

5 / 5

Mini Challenge (Read so much themes as you like)

July 7 - Creative Ice Cream Flavors Day : Scoop to Kill by Wendy Lyn Watson (07/26 - ★★★★) (The flavor she creates for the wedding)

July 2- I Forgot Day: I'll Be Slaying You by Cynthia Eden (07/02 - ★★★★)

July 11 - Cheer up the Lonely Day: The Chocolate Snowman Murders by JoAnna Carl (07/22 - ★★★★) (Given to me by an author through her mail list)

July 13 - Embrace Your Geekness Day: Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay (07/25 - ★★★★)

July 4 - Sidewalk Egg Frying Day: Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs (07/24 - ★★★★)

Finally finished. The stickler was the picnic and to my surprise there was a picnic in the book I just finished!


cozy july
Ice cream-- on cover, eaten, or a flavor in title. -- Espresso Shot
Forgotten TBR (been on list awhile). -- A Fall from Grace: A Novel of Suspense
Geek-- NF book -- Dean and Me:
Something with picnic, picnic food in title, or something I read part of on a picnic. -- The American Heiress

Jennifer wrote: "Finally finished. The stickler was the picnic and to my surprise there was a picnic in the book I just finished!


cozy july
Ice cream-- on cover, eaten, or a flavor in title. -- [book:Espresso Sho..."

I read DEAN & ME a few years ago and really liked it.