The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

25.3 - Mrs. Soule's task: A Series in Your Stocking
Celebrate the holiday season by reading one Christmas/Winter Holiday book from a normally non-Christmas/holiday series AND read a non-Christmas/holiday book from the same series. To qualify as a Christmas/Winter Holiday book, the title, cover, or description must make it obvious that the plot involves one of the winter holidays (Christmas, Hanukkah, New Years, Valentine's Day). Compilations will be accepted for this challenge. However, the entire compilation must consist of Christmas/Winter Holiday stories, the series numbers must be listed on the book’s Goodreads page, and the second book must come from one of the series in the compilation. Compilations must also meet all SRC rules (at least 100+ pages, you must read the entire book of stories, etc.). Stand-alone short stories will not be accepted.

Examples:
A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr AND any other book from her Virgin River series.
All Through the Night: A Troubleshooter Christmas by Suzanne Brockmann AND any other book from her Troubleshooters series.
Hogfather by Terry Pratchett AND any other book from his Discworld series
Hercule Poirot's Christmas AND any other book in the Hercule Poirot series
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe by Various Authors (Includes: Sookie Stackhouse #8.1, Kitty Norville #2.5, Cassandra Palmer #3.2, and Mercedes Thompson #1.5) AND any other book from Harris's Sookie Stackhouse series, Vaughn's Kitty Norville series, Chances's Cassandra Palmer series or Briggs's Mercedes Thompson series.

Some lists to get you started. The usual Listopia list cautions apply. Make sure the book you pick is from a non-Christmas series and otherwise fits the task:
Christmas Mysteries
Best Seasonal Romance
YA Holiday Novels
Christmas Mystery Book List
Valentine's Day & St. Patrick's Day Book List -- Be Careful! St. Patrick's Day is NOT considered a winter holiday for the purposes of this task.

Required: If the connection to the winter holidays is not obvious from the GRs description of the book, explain it when you post.

Approved Books & Series

The Wallflowers series with A Wallflower Christmas.

The Penny Brannigan series with A Killer's Christmas in Wales.

The Lily Bard series with Shakespeare's Christmas.

The Vampire Academy series with Frostbite.

The Stephanie Plum series with Visions of Sugar Plums.

The Cedar Cove series with 1225 Christmas Tree Lane.

The Hannah Swensen series with Sugar Cookie Murder.

The Students Across the Seven Seas series with French Kissmas.

The Luxe series with Rumors. Note: Requires mention of content when posting completed task.

The Lineage of Grace series with Unafraid.

The Pink Carnation series with Ivy & Intrigue and The Mischief of the Mistletoe.

The Princess Diaries series with Holiday Princess: A Princess Diaries Book.

The Hercule Poirot series with Hercule Poirot's Christmas & The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.



Approved Compilations with multiple series

Hot for the Holidays
Tied with a Bow
Wolfsbane and Mistletoe

Reserved

This thread is now open.

I'm going to read A Wallflower Christmas and then finish up the series by reading the prequel Again The Magic. Does this work?

Sassafrass wrote: "I'm going to read A Wallflower Christmas and then finish up the series by reading the prequel Again The Magic. Does this work?"

Looks great! I was thinking of trying this series myself... :-)

I started this during the last challenge. I'm not usually a fan of historical romances, but I really LOVE this series!

Is there a minimum number for how many books are in the series? I was thinking of The Cold Light of Mourning and A Killer's Christmas in Wales, but there are only three books in the series, counting the holiday book.

Im thinking its been a while since i've visited Jules/Robin - so I might re-read their book, and then one of the T/S ones I haven't read yet...unless I can find something else

Randi wrote: "Is there a minimum number for how many books are in the series? I was thinking of The Cold Light of Mourning and A Killer's Christmas in Wales, but there are only thr..."

Nope - as long as there are two books (one Christmas, one "regular"). Your series looks fine!

and of course as I typed that, I found something - Hot for the Holidays and then going to read the second Stormwalker book by Allyson James

Could I use Tied with a Bow and then either a Breeds book by Lora Leigh or Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra, both featured in the first anthology?

Mrs.soule wrote: "Randi wrote: "Is there a minimum number for how many books are in the series? I was thinking of The Cold Light of Mourning and A Killer's Christmas in Wales, but ther..."

Excellent! Thank you. I'm really excited about this challenge. I clicked on the link for Christmas mysteries, and the sidebar showed the Christmas in Wales cozy. I spent a semester in Wales and LOVE it, so this series was a great new find for me. Thanks again! :)

Dee wrote: "and of course as I typed that, I found something - Hot for the Holidays and then going to read the second Stormwalker book by Allyson James"

I hate to throw a wrench in your book works, but Hot for the Holidays doesn't list the Stormwalker series in the title - it does list Lora Leigh's Breeds series though. Although going from the reviews, maybe the series needs to be added to the book page along with the Megaverse series? I see it listed in the small print...

but it does if you click on the series listing on the page...and if you hover over the hyperlink for the book it lists all 4

and if I go to the librarian section to try and edit, it says this in the title block

"Hot for the Holidays (Breeds, #20; Mageverse, #9; Stormwalker, Prequel; Dark Magick, Prequel)"

Dee wrote: "and of course as I typed that, I found something - Hot for the Holidays and then going to read the second Stormwalker book by Allyson James"

Okay, cancel the last post! (Not deleting in case you already read it!) Hot for the Holidays should work fine, but you might want to mention in your post that the series is listed in the small print under the book description. No matter what I do to the book info, it only shows Breeds by the title as the primary series - grrr.

yeah - I tried as well...I noticed that on a few other anthologies I looked at...even though it had a couple of series, only 1 was showing in the title

LOL, I hope us trying at the same time didn't ruin it! But yes, the book should be fine, just point that out for the moderators! :-)

I'm reading Shakespeare's Christmas #3
and Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris. #4 :-)

Fran wrote: "Could I use Tied with a Bow and then either a Breeds book by Lora Leigh or Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra, both featured in the first anthology?"

Fran, the only series this book info mentions is the Breeds series. I can't find any mention of the Children of the Sea series in the reviews or I'd correct the book information for you! Per Melindeeloo's review, the Kantra story is actually a Children of the Air prequel (although I can't find any mention of that series on the author's page - maybe it's not out yet?). I'd recommend going with the Breeds series.

will do - thanks!

Sorry! I don't know why I thought it was the other series. It must be getting too late for me, lol.

Kathy G. wrote: "I'm reading Shakespeare's Christmas #3
and Shakespeare's Trollop by Charlaine Harris. #4 :-)"

Looks great! Wow, Charlaine Harris has written so many series! (serieses?) Now all I can think of is Buffy Season 6: "We are your arch nemeses-es-es!"

will this work for a christmas holiday. it is during the winter break from school. Frostbite

this book is also on the Christmas mystery book list but cant see in the description that it involves Christmas. So I am checking to make sure The Cat Who Turned On and Off

Will this work?

Visions of Sugar Plums for the Christmas part and One for the Money for the other part.

Jenn Renee wrote: "will this work for a christmas holiday. it is during the winter break from school. Frostbite"

Jenn Renee, Frostbite will work - you might want to put a note to "see description" when you post, just to make things easier on the moderators. I can't find anything about The Cat Who Turned on and Off being Christmas or holiday-related either, so I'd go with the Vampire Academy series.

Felina wrote: "Will this work?

Visions of Sugar Plums for the Christmas part and One for the Money for the other part."

Yes, those work!

Hi Mrs soule.

Will and by Debbie Macomber?

They are listed in the Cedar Cove Series

It will be nice to visit Cedar Cove WA again. I miss Macomber. She's fun to read.

So I can read:
and ?

there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas list. the entire book takes place through the entire month of december. The dates are in the book.

I'm going to go with Sugar and Spice
which includes a holiday Hannah Swenson story from Joanne Fluke's series, then read Carrot Cake Murder for the regular series book

will you accept The Mystery of Cabin Island and then another hardy boys book? thanks for your help!

Felina wrote: "Will this work?

Visions of Sugar Plums for the Christmas part and One for the Money for the other part."

I loved Visions of Sugar Plums. I was reading on my Nook and laughing hysterically and my parents kept looking over at me and finally my mom asked what on earth I was reading.

Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Hi Mrs soule.

Will and by Debbie Macomber?

They are listed in the Cedar Cove Series

It will be..."

Anne, those will be fine. Enjoy!

Anomander wrote: "So I can read:
and ?"

Anomander - Oh thank you! I didn't know about Wolfsbane and Mistletoe and I'm reading through the Mercedes series right now! Those two should be fine - you might want to mention the Mercedes Thompson series is mentioned in the small print under the book description when you post to make life easier on the moderators.

Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas list. the entire book takes place through the entire mont..."

Jenn Renee, let me ask the moderators about this one. Maybe they can come up with an acceptable way to "prove" the book is about a winter holiday.

Christine US wrote: "I'm going to go with Sugar and Spice
which includes a holiday Hannah Swenson story from Joanne Fluke's series, then read Carrot Cake Murder for the regular series book"

Christine US - looks good! Enjoy!

kiki wrote: "will you accept The Mystery of Cabin Island and then another hardy boys book? thanks for your help!"

kiki, that would fit for this task. My ONLY concern with the Hardy Boys series is they might be considered "Young Reader" books (see Rules of the Challenge). It's been a long time since I read one though, so I can't remember how much "white space" is in them. :-) If you've used them before in the 20+ points tasks, then go for it. If not, you might want to check with the moderators first just to be sure.

great, thanks, mrs. soule. will do!

Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas list. the entire book takes place thro..."


lol I will look for a way. I can take some pictures of the pages lol. I will look on amazon. :)

Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas list. the entire book takes place thro..."


ok here ya go.

there is a review on amazon that says its
Christmas time in New York 1899. its the second review.

http://www.amazon.com/Rumors-Luxe-Nov...

Mrs.soule wrote: "Anne (Booklady) wrote: "Hi Mrs soule.

Will and by Debbie Macomber?

They are listed in the Cedar..."

Thanks so much! Will enjoy your task Mrs. Soule!

I have a austin about the Students Across the Seven Seas series. It is identified as a series, but the books aren't numbered. There appears to be a christmas themed one, as well: French Kissmas.

Thoughts?

Stacie wrote: "I have a austin about the Students Across the Seven Seas series. It is identified as a series, but the books aren't numbered. There appears to be a christmas themed one, as well: [book:French Kissm..."

Stacie, if you post in anyone with librarian status.... a librarian can help you correct the series (if appropriate) Amazon has a list S.A.S.S.

Stacie wrote: "I have a austin about the Students Across the Seven Seas series. It is identified as a series, but the books aren't numbered. There appears to be a christmas themed one, as well: [book:French Kissm..."

Stacie, I second Dlmrose's post about fixing the series, but as far as the task goes, the books are fine as long as they're both in the same series. No numbering required! :-)

Jenn Renee wrote: "Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas list. the entire boo..."

Were you able to look at this yet to approve rumors for the Christmas book?

there is a review on amazon that says its
Christmas time in New York 1899. its the second review.

http://www.amazon.com/Rumors-Luxe-Novel-...

Jenn Renee wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhere on a Christmas l..."

I haven't heard back the moderators yet but I'll let them know about the review links and all - that might make it easier for them. :-)

Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember seeing it somewhe..."


ok great thanks!

Jenn Renee wrote: "Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "Mrs.soule wrote: "Jenn Renee wrote: "there is one more i am checking on too is Rumors I glanced at the book because i remember..."

Jenn Renee, the mods added a modifier to the taskf or books like Rumors. See new end of task description:

Required: If the connection to the winter holidays is not obvious from the GRs description of the book, explain it when you post.


So enjoy!