2014 ARC Reading Challenge

**See my wrap-up post HERE**

Dates: Throughout 2014
Hosted by: Teddy Rose @ So Many Precious Books, So Little Time

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement/sign-up page):

• You can join this challenge at anytime throughout the year. 
• You don't have to make a list of which ARC's you plan to read, but you can if you want. If you choose a lower level, you can always change it to a higher level if you like. However, you cannot go from a higher level back down to a lower level.
• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed and Audio-books and ebooks are allowed as long as they are ARC's. 
• Read the books and review them on your blog. If you don't have a blog, you can post your review on sites like Powells, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc. 

Levels:

1. Level Bronze:
   a. All of us who have or will have fewer than 12 ARCs must read all of the ARCs we have. Note that if you have 11 ARCs and then receive a 12th one you will be bumped up to category b.
   b. All of us who have or will have 12 or more than 12 ARCs must read and review at least 12.
2. Level Silver: Read 24 ARCs
3. Level Gold: Read 35 ARCs
4. Level Platinum: Read 40 or more ARCs

✷ I'll be signing up at the Silver Level (read 24 ARCs) this year. 

● See my original post about the challenge HERE. 
● See my wrap-up post HERE. 
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
~ See the January review link page HERE.

MY READING LIST

(These are the ARCs and other books from publishers or authors that I need to read. As I acquire more books, I'll add them to the list.  As I read and review a book, I'll cross it off the list and add a link to the review.)

~ CURRENT PILE:  Books published / to be published in 2014, and those issued in 2013:

1. The After House. Michael Phillip Cash (30 September, 2014) 
   
2. After I'm Gone. Laura Lippman (February 2014)
3. Andrew's Brain. E.L. Doctorow (January 14, 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review) 
4. Another Side of Bob Dylan. Victor Maymudes and Jacob Maymudes (September 9, 2014) 
5. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faveron Patriau (June 3, 2014)
6. The Asylum. John Harwood (May 21, 2013)
7. Bellman & Black. Diane Setterfield (November 5, 2013) 
8. Bliss House. Laura Benedict (15 June, 2014) 
9. Blue Labyrinth. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (11 November 2014)  
10. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett (May 28, 2013)
11. The Burgess Boys. Elizabeth Strout (March 26, 2013)
12. Children of the Revolution: Inspector Banks #21. Peter Robinson (5 March, 2014)
13. A Cold Season. Allison Littlewood (September 24, 2013) 
14. The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose (April 8, 2014)
15. The Days of Anna Madrigal. Armistead Maupin (1 January, 2014)  
16. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches: Flavia de Luce #6. Alan Bradley (14 January, 2014)
17. A Delicate Truth. John LeCarré (May 7, 2013) 
18. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver (13 May, 2014)
19. The Good Suicides. Antonio Hill (June 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review)
20. Guilt by Association (A Rachel Knight Novel). Marcia Clark (26 July 2014)
21. The Hundred-Year House. Rebeca Makkai (10 July, 2014)
22. Hunting Shadows: Inspector Rutledge #16. Charles Todd (31 December, 2013)
23. The Innocent Sleep. Karen Perry (February 2014)  Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review)
24. Island Girls. Nancy Thayer (17 June 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers 
25. James Garner's Motoring Life. Matt Stone (15 September 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers
    
26. Kind of Cruel. Sophie Hannah (August 6, 2013)
27. Last Summer at Mar's Hill. Elizabeth Hand (May 14, 2013)
28. The Litter of the Law. Rita Mae Brown (January 1, 2013) Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review)
29. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (paperback reissue published February 11, 2014)
30. No Man's Nightingale: Inspector Wexford #24.  Ruth Rendall (5 November, 2013) 
31. One Lucky Bastard: Tales from Tinseltown. Roger Moore (October 21, 2014) 
32. Peter Pan Must Die: Dave Gurney #4. John Verdon (July 2014)  
33. The Pierced Heart. Lynn Shepherd (21 October, 2014) 
34. The Quick. Lauren Owen (17 June, 2014) 
35. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper (15 November 2014) 
36. Ripper. Isabel Allende (8 January, 2014) 
37. Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories. Elizabeth Hand (30 June, 2014)
38. Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange - How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos. Robert Hofler (15 January, 2014)
39. Small Blessings. Martha Woodroof (12 August, 2014)
40. Stranded. Alex Kava (July 16, 2013)
41. Sweet Thunder. Ivan Doig (August 20, 2013) 
42. Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (December 3, 2013)  Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review)
43. The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland (May 13, 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers (see review)
44. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (October 15, 2013)
45. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. Gavin Extence (June 25, 2013) 
46. The Very Witching Time of Night: Dark Alleys of Classic Horror Cinema. Gregory William Mank (1 July 2014)  Library Thing Early Reviewers
47. Voyage of the Slave Ship. Stephen May (8 May 2014) Library Thing Early Reviewers
48. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh (March 11, 2014)  
49. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell (20 February, 2014) 
50. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (17 March, 2015) 

~ THE LEFT-BEHIND PILE: Books published in 2012 and earlier (embarrassing, but yes, I do have a stack left over from former years) - I'd still like to read these, as time permits:

1. Altar of Bones. Philip Carter 
2. The Blue Death. Joan Brady
3. Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon
4. The Map of the Sky. Felix J. Palma
5. The Map of Time. Felix J. Palma
6. The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton
7. Torn. Casey Hill
8. The Yard. Alex Grecian
9. The House of Velvet and Glass. Katherine Howe
10. Prophecy. S.J. Parris
11. Dreams of Joy. Lisa See
12. Iron House. John Hart
13. The Land of Painted Caves. Jean M. Auel

Vintage Mystery Bingo 2014

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Bev @ My Readers Block

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• "Challenge runs from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014. Sign up any time between now and November 30, 2014. Any books read from January 1 on may count regardless of your sign-up date.... If you decide to go for broke and try to score on both cards, you only need sign up once--pick a card, any card for your link."
• "All books must be from the mystery category (crime fiction, detective fiction, espionage, etc.). The mystery/crime must be the primary feature of the book--ghost stories, paranormal, romance, humor, etc are all welcome as ingredients, but must not be the primary category under which these books would be labeled at the library or bookstore."
• "Challengers may play either the Silver Age or Golden Age Card—or both. For the purposes of this challenge, the Golden Age Vintage Mysteries must have been first published before 1960. Golden Age short story collections (whether published pre-1960 or not) are permissible provided all of the stories included in the collection were originally written pre-1960. . . . Silver Age Vintage Mysteries may be first published any time from 1960 to 1989 (inclusive). Again, Silver Age short story collections published later than 1989 are permissible as long as they feature stories first published during the declared Silver Age years and include no stories first published later than 1989."
• "One Free Space per card—you may use your Free Space to cover any spot on the board. The Free Space book must fulfill one of the categories from the card, but it may fulfill ANY space you like—even a category you have already fulfilled. For example…if you are having trouble finding a book to meet the 'mode of transportation' category, but you really need that space to complete a BINGO then you may read a book that meets any other category on the board and use your Free Space to claim the 'mode of transportation' space."
• "No double-counting. A book may not count for both the original category (say, 'Woman in the Title') and as the Free Space to replace 'mode of transportation.' A second 'Woman in the Title' would need to be read to complete the Free Space and replace 'mode of transportation'."
• "BINGOS may be claimed by completing all spaces in a row--horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. You may also claim a 'Four Corner' BINGO by reading a book for each of the four corners plus two more spaces—any two. A valid BINGO must have six complete spaces."
• Book may crossover with other challenges.
• Reviews are not required.

✷ I'm going to start with the Gold Edition card (mysteries published before 1960), and try to complete one whole line (horizontally, vertically, or diagonally - haven't decided which yet).  Then if I can complete that one I might go for the Silver as well - that would be a total of 12 books, and I definitely have that many want-to-read mysteries on my shelves.

Update 1/10/2014:  At the moment, I'm thinking I'll start by trying to complete a vertical line, using the second column ("O").  This plan could change.
Update 7/21/2014: Plan has changed. I'm pretty sure I'll be doing the four-corner-plus-two plan.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

~ Review link-up pages: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.
~ See the page for wrap-up links HERE.  



MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. Corner 1 - Read one book with a color in the title: ???
2. Corner 2 - One book with an animal in the title: ???
3. Corner 3 - One book set in the entertainment world: ???
4. Corner 4 - One book set in the U.S.: The High Window by Raymond Chandler, pub. 1942
5. Plus One - One mystery that involves water: The Lady in the Lake by Raymond Chandler, pub. 1943
6. Plus Two: - One book by an author you've read before:  ???

Quick Fix Challenge 2014

**Challenge completed**

See my Wrap-Up post HERE

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Jessie @ Jessie's Book Place

Guidelines:

• Books must have fewer than 300 pages to qualify.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• Reviews aren't required, but there will be a link-up for reviews if you do them.
• Books can crossover with other challenges.
• MG/YA, graphic novels/manga, audio, rereads, anthologies and short stories, can all count toward your goal.

Levels:

1. String: 5 books
2. Paperclips: 15 books
3. Duck tape: 25 books
4. Gorilla glue: 30+ books

✷ I'm signing up at the second level ("Paperclips"), so I'll be reading fifteen books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
~ See the challenge review link-up page HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. Coup de Grâce. Marguerite Yourcenar (151 pages)
2. The Only Problem. Muriel Spark (188 pages)
3. Fog Magic. Julia L. Sauer (104 pages)
4. Andrew's Brain. E.L. Doctorow (200 pages)
5. The Book Boy. Joanna Trollope (94 pages)
6. The Thief of Always. Clive Barker (288 pages)
7. The Litter of the Law. Rita Mae Brown (233 pages)
8. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst (272 pages) 
9. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau (240 pages) 
10. The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler (272 pages)
11. The High Window. Raymond Chandler (272 pages)
12. The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini (272 pages)
13. Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. Terrance Dicks (192 pages)
14. The Colors of Space. Marion Zimmer Bradley (114 pages) 
15. The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland (246 pages) 
16. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (288 pages) 
17. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (272 pages) 
18. The Celtic Dagger. Jill Paterson (221 pages) 
19. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver (220 pages) 
20. Murder at the Painted Lady. Barbara Warren (186 pages) 

USA Fiction Challenge: State By State in 2014

Dates:  Throughout 2014
Hosted by:  Kerrie @ Mysteries in Paradise

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement/sign-up page):

• "Ever thought you would like to read your way across America? The USA Fiction Challenge asks you to do just that. Read just one novel from each state - you choose whether the link is the setting or the author. You choose whether you confine yourself to a particular genre or not."
• "You can also regard it as an ongoing challenge to be completed when and if you can." 

✷ I don't expect to complete this in one year, so for me it will definitely be ongoing.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
● See my 2017 "Catch-up" post HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. ALABAMA 
2. ALASKA 
3. ARIZONA: Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn #2). Becky Masterman
4. ARKANSAS 
5. CALIFORNIA: The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler / The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1), Erle Stanley Gardner 
6. COLORADO
7. CONNECTICUT: The Man Who Couldn't Miss (Stewart Hoag #10). David Handler (read in 2018)
8. DISTRICT of COLUMBIA 
9. DELAWARE 
10. FLORIDA 
11. GEORGIA: Bloodless (Pendergast #20). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child (read in 2021)
12. HAWAII 
13. IDAHO: Pines (Wayward Pines Series #1). Blake Crouch
14. ILLINOIS: Anything Is Possible. Elizabeth Strout (read in 2017)
15. INDIANA: The Suicide House. Charlie Donlea (read in Sep 2020) 
16. IOWA 
17. KANSAS: The Roanoke Girls. Amy Engel (read in 2017)
18. KENTUCKY 
19. LOUISIANA 
20. MAINE: The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen (read in 2019)
21. MARYLAND: Vinegar Girl. Anne Tyler (set in Baltimore; read in 2016)
22. MASSACHUSETTS: Island Girls. Nancy Thayer / The Last September, Nina de Gramont 
23. MICHIGAN: The Virgin Suicides. Jeffrey Eugenides (read in 2020)
24. MINNESOTA
25. MISSISSIPPI 
26. MISSOURI: The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh 
27. MONTANA: As Good As Gone. Larry Watson (set in fictional town of Gladstone)
28. NEBRASKA: O Pioneers! (Great Plains Trilogy #1). Willa Cather (read in 2019)
29. NEVADA: The Days of Anna Madrigal. Armistead Maupin (mostly set at the Burning Man Festival in the Nevada desert; read in 2014)
30. NEW HAMPSHIRE: The Patience of a Dead Man. Michael Clark (read in Aug 2019)
31. NEW JERSEY: Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates
32. NEW MEXICO 
33. NEW YORK: The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland / Peter Pan Must Die. John Verdon / I Am No One. Patrick Flanery 
34. NORTH CAROLINA: Lovely In Her Bones. Sharyn McCrumb 
35. NORTH DAKOTA
36. OHIO 
37. OKLAHOMA 
38. OREGON: Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary (the "Ramona" books are set in Portland)
39. PENNSYLVANIA: The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini 
40. RHODE ISLAND: The Forgotten Room. Lincoln Child / Newport, Jill Morrow 
41. SOUTH CAROLINA: Killing in a Koi Pond (Murder She Wrote #53). Terrie Farley Moran (read in 2021)
42. SOUTH DAKOTA 
43. TENNESSEE: Devil Sent the Rain (Detective Billy Able #3). Lisa Turner (read in 2017)
44. TEXAS: Noon Wine. Katherine Anne Porter (read in May 2018)
45. UTAH 
46. VERMONT: The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon 
47. VIRGINIA: The Litter of the Law (A Mrs. Murphy Mystery). Rita Mae Brown
48. WASHINGTON: Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (Miss Zukas #1). Jo Dereske (read in February 2018)
49. WEST VIRGINIA: Missing May. Cynthia Rylant (read in 2014) 
50. WISCONSIN: What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg
51. WYOMING

POSSIBILITIES:

1. ALABAMA
   Burying the Honeysuckle Girls. Emily Carpenter
   The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree (Darling Dahlias #1). Susan Wittig Albert
   Go Set a Watchman. Harper Lee
   The Grass Harp. Truman Capote
   I Still Dream About You. Fannie Flagg
   Rabbit Cake. Annie Hartnett 
2. ALASKA
   Bone White. Ronald Malfi
   Drop City. T.C. Boyle
   The Great Alone. Kristin Hannah
   Icy Clutches (Gideon Oliver #6). Aaron Elkins
   The Quality of Silence. Rosamund Lupton
   The Snow Child. Eowyn Ivey
   Terminal Freeze (Jeremy Logan #2). Lincoln Child
   The Woman Who Married a Bear (Cecil Younger #1). John Straley
   The Yiddish Policemen's Union. Michael Chabon
   The Kate Shugak mystery series, by Dana Stabenow 
3. ARIZONA ✓
4. ARKANSAS
   Shakespeare's Landlord (Lily Bard #1). Charlaine Harris
   Summer of My German Soldier. Bette Greene
5. CALIFORNIA ✓
   Tales of the City. Armistead Maupin
6. COLORADO
   All Seated on the Ground. Connie Willis
   Pale Horse, Pale Rider. Katherine Anne Porter
   The Sign of the Book. John Dunning 
7. CONNECTICUT  ✓
   Ginger Pye. Eleanor Estes
   Mister Blandings Builds His Dream House. Eric Hodgins
   A Season in Purgatory. Dominick Dunne
8. DC: DISTRICT of COLUMBIA
   Last of the Southern Girls. Willie Morris
   Six Days of the Condor. James Grady
   The Alex Cross series, by James Patterson
   The Capital Crimes series, by Margaret Truman 
9. DELAWARE
   Hope Never Dies (Obama Biden Mysteries #1). Andrew Shaffer
   I'll Be Your Blue Sky (Love Walked In #3). Marisa de los Santos
   Still Life in Blood: A Delaware State Police Homicide Unit Mystery. Crystal Heidel
   Sunburn. Laura Lippman 
10. FLORIDA
    The Deep Blue Good-by. John D. MacDonald
    Duma Key. Stephen King
    La Brava. Elmore Leonard
    Strawberry Girl. Lois Lenski
    The Florida "caper" novels by Carl Hiaasen 
11. GEORGIA ✓  
    Real Murders (Aurora Teagarden #1). Charlaine Harris
12. HAWAII
    Democracy. Joan Didion 
    The Koa Kane mystery series, by Robert McCaw 
    Murder She Wrote: Aloha Betrayed (#41 in series). Jessica Fletcher & Donald Bain
    The Secret of the Golden Pavilion (Nancy Drew #36). "Carolyn Keene"
13. IDAHO ✓
14. ILLINOIS ✓
    Anything Is Possible. Elizabeth Strout
    Dream When You're Feeling Blue. Elizabeth Berg
    Home Safe. Elizabeth Berg 
15. INDIANA  ✓
    Ask the Right Question (Albert Samson #1). Michael Z. Lewin
    The Friendly Persuasion. Jessamyn West
    The Magnificent Ambersons. Booth Tarkington 
16. IOWA
    A Kiss Before Dying. Ira Levin 
17. KANSAS ✓
    Still Life With Crows. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
18. KENTUCKY
    Fidelity: Five Stories. Wendell Berry
    Hannah Coulter. Wendell Berry
19. LOUISIANA
    Keepsake Crimes (Scrapbooking Mysteries #1). Laura Childs
    Modern Baptists. James Wilcox 
20. MAINE ✓    
    The Body in the Wake (Faith Fairchild Mysteries #25). Katherine Hall Page
    Brandy and Bullets (Murder, She Wrote #4). Jessica Fletcher, Donald Bain
    The Burgess Boys. Elizabeth Strout
    Generation Loss. Elizabeth Hand
    Olive Kitteridge. Elizabeth Strout
    Twisted Threads (Mainely Needlepoint #1). Lea Wait
    The Weight of Water. Anita Shreve
    The Whole Cat and Caboodle (Second Chance Cat Mystery #1). Sofie Ryan
21. MARYLAND ✓
    Something by Anne Tyler
22. MASSACHUSETTS ✓
    The Cranefly Orchid Murders. Cynthia Riggs
    Night Passage (Jesse Stone #1). Robert B. Parker
23. MICHIGAN ✓
    Dead Dancing Women (Emily Kincaid #1). Elizabeth Kane Buzzelli
    The Figure in the Shadows (Lewis Barnavelt #2). John Bellairs
    The Virgin Suicides. Jeffrey Eugenides 
24. MINNESOTA
    The Art of Mending. Elizabeth Berg
    Framed In Lace (Needlecraft Mystery #2). Monica Ferris
    Lake Wobegon Days. Garrison Keillor
    Lake Wobegon Summer, 1956. Garrison Keillor
    The Lighthouse Road. Peter Geye
    Tapestry of Fortunes. Elizabeth Berg
    Wintering. Peter Geye 
25. MISSISSIPPI
    Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. Tom Franklin
    Delta Wedding. Eudora Welty
    Good Old Boy: A Delta Boyhood. Willie Morris
    Murder Past Due (Cat in the Stacks Mystery #1). Miranda James
    My Dog Skip. Willie Morris
    The Ponder Heart. Eudora Welty
    Taps: A Novel. Willie Morris 
26. MISSOURI ✓
27. MONTANA ✓
    The Whistling Season. Ivan Doig
28. NEBRASKA ✓
    My Antonia. Willa Cather
    O Pioneers! Willa Cather 
29. NEVADA ✓
    The Secret of the Forgotten City (Nancy Drew #52). Carolyn Keene
    Thanksgiving. Michael Dibdin 
30. NEW HAMPSHIRE  ✓
    Dashing Through the Snow. Mary Higgins Clark & Carol Higgins Clark
    Murder is Binding (Booktown Mystery #1). Lorna Barrett
    A Separate Peace. John Knowles 
31. NEW JERSEY ✓
32. NEW MEXICO
    The Blessing Way (Leaphorn & Chee #1). Tony Hillerman
    The Book of Illusions. Paul Auster
    Fire on the Mountain. Edward Abbey 
33. NEW YORK ✓
    The League of Frightened Men. Rex Stout
34. NORTH CAROLINA ✓
    Guests on Earth. Lee Smith
35. NORTH DAKOTA
    Ancient Shores. Jack McDevitt
    The Beet Queen. Louise Erdrich
    Born Brothers. Larry Woiwode
36. OHIO
    ...And Ladies of the Club. Helen Hooven Santmyer
    Beloved. Toni Morrison
    Sworn To Silence (Kate Burkholder #1). Linda Castillo
    Winesburg, Ohio. Sherwood Anderson 
37. OKLAHOMA
    Where the Heart Is. Billie Letts 
38. OREGON ✓
    The Quick and the Thread (Embroidery Mystery #1). Amanda Lee
39. PENNSYLVANIA ✓
    Mickelsson's Ghosts. John Gardner
40. RHODE ISLAND ✓
    The Ivory Tower. Henry James
    Theophilus North. Thornton Wilder
    The Witches of Eastwick. John Updike
    The Widows of Eastwick. John Updike
41. SOUTH CAROLINA ✓
    The House on Tradd Street. Karen White
42. SOUTH DAKOTA
    By the Shores of Silver Lake (Little House Books #5). Laura Ingalls Wilder
    Sleeping Giant (Themis Files #1). Sylvain Neuvel 
43. TENNESSEE ✓
44. TEXAS  ✓
    Durable Goods. Elizabeth Berg
    Duane's Depressed. Larry McMurtry
    Horseman, Pass By. Larry McMurtry
    Texas. James Michener
    Thyme of Death (China Bayles Mysteries #1). Susan Wittig Albert 
45. UTAH
    The 19th Wife. David Ebershoff
    Artifacts of Death (Manny Rivera #1). Rich Curtin 
46. VERMONT ✓
    The Secret History. Donna Tartt
47. VIRGINIA ✓
48. WASHINGTON
    Miss Zukas and the Library Murders (Miss Zukas #1). Jo Dereske 
49. WEST VIRGINIA ✓
50. WISCONSIN ✓
51. WYOMING
    The Cold Dish (Walt Longmire #1). Craig Johnson
    Open Season (Joe Pickett #1). C.J. Box 

Read Scotland 2014

Dates:  January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted By:  Peggy Ann @ Peggy Ann's Post

Guidelines:

• Read and review Scottish books - either written by a Scottish author (by birth or immigration), or set in Scotland.
• Any genre or format is allowed.
• Books can overlap with other challenges.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a page for linking up reviews. 
• There is a group at GoodReads you can join.

Levels:

1. Just A Keek (a little look): 1-4 books read 
2. The Highlander: 5-8 books 
3. The Hebridean: 9-12 books 
4. Ben Nevis: 13+ books 

✷ I'm signing up for the second level ("The Highlander"), so I'll be reading 5-8 books. 

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
~ See the review/progress/chit-chat page HERE.
~ See the GoodReads group HERE.

MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. The Only Problem. Muriel Spark (author born in Edinburgh)
2. Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. Terrance Dicks (set mostly in Scotland)
3. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (author born in Edinburgh) 
4. The Light Princess. George MacDonald (author born in Scotland)
5. 
   

European Reading Challenge 2014

**Challenge completed**

See my wrap-up post HERE.

Dates: January 1, 2014 - January 31, 2015
Hosted by: Rose City Reader

Guidelines:

• Read books by European authors; or books set in European countries, no matter where the author comes from.
• All genres are allowed.
• Each book read must be by a different author and set in a different country.
• For this challenge, "Europe" refers to the list of 50 sovereign states that mostly fall within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe (or those countries that belong to international European organizations such as the Council of Europe).  See the list of countries, below.
• All books must be read between January 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014.
• You don't need to commit to your choices now; you can change your mind about books at any time.
• Overlap with other challenges is allowed -- and encouraged! 
• Re-reads count. 
• Audiobooks count. 
• E-books count. 
• Self-published books count. 
• You don't need a blog to participate. 
• As you progress, please link to your reviews on the review list page. However, reviews are not mandatory, unless you're going for a prize, in which case only books reviewed count. 

The List of Countries: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

Levels of Participation:

1. Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. 
2. Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books. 
3. Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books. 
4. Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books. 
5. One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book. 

✷ I'm signing up at the Four Star Level (Honeymooner), so I'll be reading at least 4 books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
● See the review page HERE.
● See the wrap-up page HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. FRANCE: The Only Problem. Muriel Spark
   (Even though the book is about English characters, written by a Scot, the action takes place in France.)
2. UK (Wales): Love Story, with Murders. Harry Bingham 
3. SPAIN: The Good Suicides. Antonio Hill
4. PORTUGAL: The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt 

Newbery Reading Challenge 2014

***Challenge completed***

See my wrap-up post HERE

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Julie @ Smiling Shelves

Guidelines:

• Choose books from among Newbery Award winners, Newbery Honor Books, and Caldecott Medal winners
• Rereads count 
• Audiobooks and e-books count
• All books must be read between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2014. Books begun before January 1 don’t count. 
• Books can overlap with other challenges
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate. You can link up reviews from Amazon, Goodreads, etc., or leave your remarks in the comments.
• Reviews are encouraged, but not necessary
• There will be a monthly link up for reviews
• Choose your point level. You can always aim for a higher point level, but you can't move to a lower one.

Each book you read is worth points:

• 3 points for a Newbery Medal Winner
• 2 points for a Newbery Honor Book
• 1 point for a Caldecott Medal Winner

Choose a level to aim for.  "You can get to this level with any combination of points you want. You can read all Newbery Medal winners. You can throw in a few Honor Books. If you want, you can even read 75 Caldecott Medal winners! How you get to your point level is totally up to you."

1. L'Engle: 15 - 29 points
2. Spinelli: 30 - 44 points
3. Avi: 45 - 59 points
4. Lowry: 60 - 74 points
5. Konigsburg: 75+ points

✷ I'm signing up at the first level (L'Engle = 15-29 points)

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

~ See the list of Newbery Medal Books HERE.
~ See the list of Caldecott Medal Books HERE.
~ See the challenge review page HERE. 


MY READING LIST (books I've read):

1. Fog Magic. Julia L. Sauer (Newbery Honor Book, 1944) = 2 points 
2. The Hundred Dresses. Eleanor Estes; illus. by Louis Slobodkin (Newbery Honor Book, 1945) = 2 points
3. The House in the Night. Susan Marie Swanson; illus. by Beth Krommes (Caldecott Winner, 2009) = 1 point 
4. The Family Under the Bridge. Natalie Savage Carlson; illus. by Garth Williams (Newbery Honor Book, 1959) = 2 points 
5. My Father's Dragon. Ruth Stiles Gannett; illus. by Ruth Chrisman Gannett (Newbery Honor Book, 1949) = 2 points
6. Missing May. Cynthia Rylant (Newbery Medal Winner, 1993) = 3 points
7. The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Elizabeth Coatsworth (Newbery Medal Winner, 1931) = 3 points

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Newbery Winners

The Cat Who Went to Heaven. Elizabeth Coatsworth (1931)
Dead End in Norvelt. Jack Gantos (2012)
The Door in the Wall. Marguerite De Angeli (1950)
Ginger Pye. Eleanor Estes (1952)
Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Laura Amy Schlitz (2008)
The Higher Power of Lucky. Susan Patron (2007)
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field (1930)
Miracles on Maple Hill. Virginia Sorensen (1957)
Miss Hickory. Carolyn Sherwin Bailey (1947)
Missing May. Cynthia Rylant (1993)
Roller Skates. Ruth Sawyer (1937)
Strawberry Girl. Lois Lenski (1946)
The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo (2004)
Thimble Summer. Elizabeth Enright (1939)
The Trumpeter of Krakow.  Eric P. Kelly (1929)
The View from Saturday. E.L. Konigsburg (1997)
The Westing Game. Ellen Raskin (1979)
The Wheel on the School. Meindert De Jong (1955)
When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (2010)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Elizabeth George Speare (1959)
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze. Elizabeth Lewis (1933)

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Newbery Honor Books

Afternoon of the Elves. Janet Taylor Lisle (1990)
Black Fox of Lorne. Marguerite De Angeli (1957)
By the Shores of Silver Lake. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940)
The Cricket in Times Square. George Selden (1961)
The Family Under the Bridge. Natalie Savage Carlson (1959)
Feathers. Jacqueline Woodson (2008)
Fog Magic. Julia Sauer (1944)
The Golden Name Day. Jennie Lindquist (1956)
Gone-Away Lake. Elizabeth Enright (1958)
The Headless Cupid. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1972)
The Hundred Dresses. Eleanor Estes (1945)
The Light at Tern Rock. Julia Sauer (1952)
Little Town on the Prairie. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1942)
The Long Winter. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1941)
Millions of Cats. Wanda Gág (1929)
The Moorchild. Eloise McGraw (1997)
My Father's Dragon. Ruth S. Gannett (1949)
Penny from Heaven. Jennifer L. Holm (2007)
Ramona and Her Father. Beverly Cleary (1978)
Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary (1982)
Splendors and Glooms. Laura Amy Schlitz (2013)
Surviving the Applewhites. Stephanie S. Tolan (2003)
These Happy Golden Years. Laura Ingalls Wilder (1944)
Three Times Lucky. Sheila Turnage (2013)
The Witches of Worm. Zilpha Keatley Snyder (1973)

POSSIBLE  CHOICES: Caldecott Winners

The Funny Little Woman. llustrated by Blair Lent; text: retold by Arlene Mosel (1973)
Golem. David Wisniewski (1997)
The House in the Night. Illustrated by Beth Krommes, written by Susan Marie Swanson (2009)
The Invention of Hugo Cabret. Brian Selznick (2008)
Many Moons. Illustrated by Louis Slobodkin; text: James Thurber (1944)
Owl Moon. Illustrated by John Schoenherr; text: Jane Yolen (1988)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. William Steig (1970)

New Author Reading Challenge 2014

**Challenge completed**

See my wrap-up post HERE

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Literary Escapism

Guidelines:

• Authors must be new to you
• Novels are preferred
• Books can overlap with other challenges
• Only a third of your new authors can be from short stories/novellas or anthologies
• Pick 15, 25 or 50 new authors
• If you reach your goal halfway through the year, don’t stop
• You don’t have to have a blog to participate. You can link up via Facebook, GoodReads or even Amazon if you’d like. 

✷ I'll be trying for 15 new authors.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE. 
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. Coup de Grâce. Marguerite Yourcenar 
2. Fog Magic. Julia L. Sauer 
3. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. Gavin Extence 
4. Tens Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison 
5. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell 
6. The Thief of Always. Clive Barker 
7. The Innocent Sleep. Karen Perry 
8. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett 
9. Love Story, with Murders. Harry Bingham 
10. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst 
11. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau
12. The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini
13. The Good Suicides. Antonio Hill
14. Doctor Who and the Loch Ness Monster. Terrance Dicks
15. The Colors of Space. Marion Zimmer Bradley
16. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh 
17. The Transcriptionist. Amy Rowland 
18. Island Girls. Nancy Thayer 
19. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt
20. The Celtic Dagger. Jill Paterson
21. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver 
22. Murder at the Painted Lady. Barbara Warren 
23. Bliss House. Laura Benedict 
24. The Days of Anna Madrigal. Armistead Maupin
25. The Family Under the Bridge. Natalie Savage Carlson

2014 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

**Challenge completed**

See my wrap-up post HERE.

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Historical Tapestry

Guidelines:

• Challenge is open to anyone, even those who don't have a blog
• Any kind of historical fiction is accepted (HF fantasy, HF young adult,...)
• There will be a monthly link-up for reviews

Levels:

1. 20th century reader - 2 books 
2. Victorian reader - 5 books 
3. Renaissance Reader - 10 books 
4. Medieval - 15 books 
5. Ancient History - 25 books 
6. Prehistoric - 50 books

✷ I'm signing up at the second level, Victorian reader (5 books).

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

~ Review link pages:  January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, (no review page for September), October, (no review page for November), December. 


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. Coup de Grâce. Marguerite Yourcenar (first published 1931; set in the last years of the first World War)
2. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst (first published 2013; set mostly in France during 1937) 
3. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (first published 2013; set in Portugal in 1940) 
4. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (first published 1992; set in England, early 20th Century)
5. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (Flavia de Luce #6). Alan Bradley (first published 2014; set in England in 1951) 

2014 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge

**See my wrap-up post HERE**

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews

Guidelines:

• All books that are part of a continuing series qualify.
• It doesn't matter how many books you need to read to complete a series (if you only need to read one book, that's OK). The goal is to complete a series from wherever you are up to until the last published book.
• Books must be read during the time period from January 1, 2014 to December 31, 2014.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a GoodReads group for the challenge, for participants to join.
• Any format of book counts - audio, e-book, etc.
• You can choose the series you want to finish before the challenge begins, but it isn't necessary. 
• It's OK to change series during the year.

Levels:

• Level 1 - Complete 1 series
• Level 2 - Complete 2 series
• Level 3 - Complete 3 or more series

✷ I'm signing up at Level 1 (complete 1 series), and I'll probably try to finish up one of these series: the Mrs. Malory mystery series by Hazel Holt (I have three more books in the series to finish); the Inspector Alan Grant mystery series by Josephine Tey (four more books); the Flavia de Luce mystery series by Alan Bradley (five more books).
Update (July 2014): Change of direction. I'm thinking of trying to read all the Philip Marlowe books I haven't read (Raymond Chandler's classic detective series). That would be seven books, not counting the books written by other authors, after Chandler's death.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.


MY READING LIST (with links to reviews):

1. The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler (1943; Philip Marlowe mystery series)
2. The High Window. Raymond Chandler (1942; Philip Marlowe mystery series)
3. 
   

2014 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Emily @ Falling For YA

Guidelines:

• You don't need a blog to participate
• Any genre, release date, request date, length, etc. is acceptable so long as it comes from Edelweiss or Netgalley
• There will be monthly link-ups for reviews; if you forget to link up one month, you can add your reviews the next month
• You can change level, up or down, at your own discretion

Levels:

1. Aluminum – 5 books 
2. Bronze – 10 books 
3. Silver – 25 books 
4. Gold – 50 books 
5. Platinum – 75 books 
6. Diamond– 100 books 

✷ I'm signing up at the Silver Level (25 books).

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.
~ See the January review link page HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):

1. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. Gavin Extence 
2. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett 
3. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst 
4. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau
5. The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose
6. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh 
7. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill 
8. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt
9. Children of the Revolution. Peter Robinson
10. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver 
11. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. Alan Bradley
12. Bliss House. Laura Benedict 
13. 
    

NetGalley books I need to read:

1. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau
2. The Asylum. John Harwood
3. Berlin Noir (Three Novels). Philip Kerr 
4. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett
5. The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose
6. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver 
7. Hammett Unwritten. Owen Fitzstephen
8. Heads You Lose. Christianna Brand
9. Kind of Cruel. Sophie Hannah
10. Last Summer at Mars Hill. Elizabeth Hand  
11. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst 
12. Stranded. Alex Kava 
13. Sweet Thunder. Ivan Doig 
14. This House is Haunted. John Boyne
15. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt
16. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh
17. The White Cottage Mystery. Margery Allingham

Edelweiss books I need to read:

1. An Illustrated Death. Judi Culbertson
2. Bellman & Black. Diane Setterfield
3. Black Dog. Stephen Booth 
4. Bliss House. Laura Benedict 
5. Blood from Stone. Frances Fyfield
6. Children of the Revolution. Peter Robinson
7. A Cold Season. Alison Littlewood
8. The Days of Anna Madrigal. Armistead Maupin
9. The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches. Alan Bradley
10. Hunting Shadows. Charles Todd 
11. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill
12. No Man's Nightingale. Ruth Rendell 
13. The Pierced Heart. Lynn Shepherd
14. Ripper. Isabel Allende
15. Sexplosion: From Andy Warhol to A Clockwork Orange - How a Generation of Pop Rebels Broke All the Taboos. Robert Hofler 
16. The Universe Versus Alex Woods. Gavin Extence
17. The 7th Woman.  Frédérique Molay

2014 Netgalley Reading Challenge

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Ariel Avalon

Guidelines:

Basically, the idea is to read the books you've gotten from Netgalley.  Continue to request galleys, or just read the ones you already have.  "The point is to get your feedback ratio closer to the recommended 80%." 

I'm signing up at the Hard Level (11-15 books)


~ See my original post about the challenge HERE.
~ See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE.

MY READING LIST (books read, with links to reviews): 

1. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell
2. The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett
3. Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst
4. The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau
5. The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose
6. The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh
7. The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt
8. The Dirty Book Murder: A Rare Book Mystery. Thomas Shawver
9.
10.
11.

These are NetGalley books I still need to read (more will come):

The Antiquarian. Gustavo Faverón Patriau
The Asylum. John Harwood
Berlin Noir (Three Novels). Philip Kerr
The Blazing World. Siri Hustvedt
The Bookman's Tale. Charlie Lovett
The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose
The Dirty Book Murder: A Rare Book Mystery. Thomas Shawver
Hammett Unwritten. Owen Fitzstephen
Heads You Lose. Christianna Brand
The Hundred-Year House. Rebecca Makkai
Kind of Cruel. Sophie Hannah
Last Summer at Mars Hill. Elizabeth Hand 
Midnight in Europe. Alan Furst
The Midnight Side. Natasha Mostert
The Quick. Lauren Owen
Saffron and Brimstone: Strange Stories. Elizabeth Hand
Season of the Witch. Natasha Mostert
Small Blessings. Martha Woodroof
Stranded. Alex Kava 
Sweet Thunder. Ivan Doig 
This House is Haunted. John Boyne
The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt
The Weight of Blood. Laura McHugh
While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell
The White Cottage Mystery. Margery Allingham