Wednesday, December 18, 2019

2020 Calendar of Crime Challenge


**Challenge complete. See my wrap-up post HERE.**


Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2020

Guidelines (from announcement page):

  • Challenge runs from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2020. All books should be read during this time period. Sign up any time between now and November 1, 2020. 
  • All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.
  • Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a completed challenge and to be eligible for the end-of-year prize drawing. Each month comes with several categories that may be selected to fulfill the month's reading. 
  • To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. For instance, if you are claiming a book for December and you want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas must figure in some way in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will? 
  • The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month, then for category #9, you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way — other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot. 
  • For the category that says "Book title contains a word that starts with the letter A," the following do not count: "A" and "An."  
  • Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges. If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change the category/month at any time prior to the final wrap-up.
  • Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.
  • A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a calendar of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)].
  • All participants who complete the challenge will be eligible for an end-of-year prize drawing. There will also be a "My Calendar's Booked" prize for the challenger who fills their calendar with the most books, so challengers are encouraged to read more than one category for each month. In case of a tie, there will be a prize drawing among the the folks who booked-up their year so fully.

Monthly Categories:


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

MY  READING  LIST:

JANUARY:
In the Last Analysis (Kate Fansler #1). Amanda Cross (Category #2: Author's birth month)

FEBRUARY:
A Fragment of Fear. John Bingham (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "F")

MARCH:
The Silent Speaker (Nero Wolfe #11). Rex Stout (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

APRIL:
And Be a Villain (Nero Wolfe #13). Rex Stout (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "A")

MAY:
• Agatha Raisin and the Murderous Marriage (Agatha Raisin #5). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Book title has word starting with "M")

JUNE:
The Haunted Lady (Hilda Adams/"Miss Pinkerton" Mystery). Mary Roberts Rinehart (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

JULY:
Where There's a Will (Nero Wolfe #8). Rex Stout (Category #3: Primary action takes place during this month)

AUGUST:
A Death Long Overdue (Lighthouse Library Mystery #7). Eva Gates (Category #9: Summer holiday setting - Nags Head NC)

SEPTEMBER:
The Suicide House. Charlie Donlea (Category #7: Book title has word beginning with "S")

OCTOBER:
Still Life (Inspector Gamache #1). Louise Penny (Category #3: Primary action takes place in this month)

NOVEMBER:
Knot of This World (Quilting Mystery #8). Mary Marks (Category #9: Family relationships play major role)

DECEMBER:
Snow (St. John Strafford #1). John Banville (Category #3: Primary action takes place in this month) 

Friday, December 13, 2019

NetGalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2020


Hosted by: Tina @ Reading Between the Pages
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2020

Guidelines (from announcement post):
  • The challenge runs from January 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020. There is no deadline to sign up.
  • You do not need to have a blog to participate.
  • Any genre, release date, length, etc. counts – it just needs to be a book from NetGalley or Edelweiss.
  • Books can count for more than one challenge that you are participating in.
  • The first day of each month there will be a monthly “link-up” for linking reviews. If you forget one month, you can catch up the next month.
  • If you have questions, leave a comment on the sign-up page, or use the contact page at the top of that post.
  • Use the hashtag #NGEW2020 on social media.
Levels:
  1. Bronze – 10 Books
  2. Silver – 25 Books
  3. Gold – 50 Books
  4. Platinum – 75 Books
  5. Diamond – 100 Books

I'm signing up at the Bronze Level, but hope to read more than ten books.


• See my original blog post about the challenge HERE.
• See the challenge announcement/sign-up page HERE. 
• See the monthly review link-up page HERE.

My Reading List (Books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. The Circus. Jonas Karlsson (Hogarth; Jan 28, 2020)
  2. The Light After the War. Anita Abriel (Atria Books; Feb 4, 2020)
  3. The Illness Lesson. Clare Beams (Doubleday; Feb 11, 2020)
  4. Big Summer. Jennifer Weiner (Atria Books; 19 May 2020)
  5. The List of Things That Will Not Change. Rebecca Stead (Random House/Wendy Lamb; Apr 7, 2020)
  6. Knot of This World (A Quilting Mystery). Mary Marks (Kensington Books, Jul 28, 2020) 
  7. A Death Long Overdue (A Lighthouse Library Mystery). Eva Gates (Crooked Lane Books; Oct 6, 2020)
  8. The Suicide House (Rory Moore / Lane Phillips #2). Charlie Donlea (Kensington Books; Jul 28, 2020)
  9. Snow. John Banville (Faber & Faber, Oct 1, 2020)  
  10. Take a Look at the Five and Ten (Subterranean Press; November 30, 2020)


My List of Books To Be Read (2019-2020)
(Listed by publication date)

• NetGalley Books To Be Read:
  1. The Long Call. Ann Cleeves (St. Martin's Press; Sep 3, 2019) 
  2. What Rose Forgot. Nevada Barr (Minotaur Books; Sep 17, 2019)
  3. Imaginary Friend. Stephen Chbosky (Grand Central; Oct 1, 2019)
  4. The Pursuit. Joyce Carol Oates (Grove Atlantic; Oct 1, 2019)
  5. Olive, Again. Elizabeth Strout (Random House; Oct 15, 2019)
  6. The Circus. Jonas Karlsson (Hogarth; Jan 28, 2020)
  7. The Light After the War. Anita Abriel (Atria Books; Feb 4, 2020)
  8. The Illness Lesson. Clare Beams (Doubleday; Feb 11, 2020)  
  9. Big Summer. Jennifer Weiner (Atria Books; 19 May 2020) 
  10. The List of Things That Will Not Change. Rebecca Stead (Random House/Wendy Lamb; Apr 7, 2020) 
  11. Living on the Edge of Empire: The Objects and People of Hadrian's Wall. Barbara Birley, et al. (Pen & Sword Archaeology; May 30, 2020) 
  12. Knot of This World (A Quilting Mystery). Mary Marks (Kensington Books; Jul 28, 2020)
  13. The Suicide House (Rory Moore / Lane Phillips #2). Charlie Donlea (Kensington Books; Jul 28, 2020)
  14. Life in Miniature: A History of Dolls' Houses. Nicola Lisle (Pen & Sword; Sep 30, 2020)
  15. Snow. John Banville (Faber & Faber, Oct 1, 2020) 
  16. A Death Long Overdue (A Lighthouse Library Mystery). Eva Gates (Crooked Lane Books; Oct 6, 2020) 
  17. Take a Look at the Five and Ten. Connie Willis (Subterranean Press; Nov 30, 2020)
  18. An Extravagant Death (A Charles Lenox Mystery). Charles Finch (St. Martin's Press / Minotaur Books; Feb 16, 2021)
  19. The Postscript Murders. Elly Griffiths (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt; Mar 2, 2021) 
  20. The Lost Village. Camilla Sten (St. Martin's/Minotaur; Mar 23, 2021) 
  21. Astrid Sees All. Natalie Standiford (Atria Books; Apr 6, 2021)

• Edelweiss Books To Be Read:
  1. Takes One to Know One. Susan Isaacs (Atlantic Monthly Press; Oct 1, 2019)



Sunday, September 22, 2019

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril XIV



Dates: September 1 - October 31, 2019
Website: RIP 14

Guidelines:

✸ There are several different levels of participation:
  • Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any of the challenge categories.
  • Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any category.
  • Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any category.
  • Peril of the Short Story: An extra option, for those who want to read shorter works.
  • Peril on the Screen: Another extra option, for those who like to watch scary or suspenseful fare on the large or small screen.
  • Peril of the Review: Submit a review for possible inclusion on the blog website.
✸ Choose books from the following categories:
  • Mystery
  • Suspense
  • Thriller
  • Gothic
  • Horror
  • Dark Fantasy
  • Supernatural

✷ I'm signing up at the Peril the First level (four books), and I'll be combining that with Peril on the Screen and possibly Peril of the Short Story.

See my original post about the challenge HERE.
See the challenge announcement page HERE.
See the review page HERE.
See the link page HERE. (For submitting reviews, posts, etc.)
Submit a review HERE. (For possible inclusion on the website.)

❖❖❖❖❖❖

MY BOOK LIST (books read, with links to any reviews/notes):
  1. The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (2019; mystery)
  2. Fake Like Me. Barbara Bourland (2019; suspense)
  3. The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen (2019; mystery/romantic suspense/ghost story)
  4. Who Goes There? John W. Campbell Jr. (1938; horror/sci-fi) 
  5. We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (2019; mystery/thriller)

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 1 (Movies):
  1. The Blood on Satan's Claw (1971 film; horror) 
  2. The Caretaker (2016 film; horror)
  3. Dracula (1931 film; horror) 
  4. The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936 film; mystery / romantic comedy)
  5. The Gorgon (1964 film; horror) 
  6. The Mummy (1932 film; horror) 
  7. Slender Man (2018 film; horror / thriller)
  8. The Son of Dr. Jekyll (1951 film; horror)
  9. The Witches (1966 film; horror) aka: "The Devil's Own"

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part 2 (TV Shows):
  1. Death in Paradise (2019; TV series; Season 8/ Episode 2)
  2. Death in Paradise (2019; Season 8/ Episode 3)
  3. Death in Paradise (2019; Season 8/ Episode 4)
  4. Death in Paradise: Beyond the Shining Sea, Parts 1&2 (2019; Season 8/ Episodes 5&6) 
  5. Death in Paradise (2019; Season 8/ Episode 7)
  6. Death in Paradise (2019; Season 8/ Episode 8)
  7. Flower Shop Mystery: Mum's the Word (2016; Made-for-TV movie) 
  8. Ironside: All About Andrea (1973; TV series; Season 6/ Episode 19)
  9. Ironside: All Honorable Men (1973; Season 6/ Episode 21) 
  10. Ironside: A Game of Showdown (1973; Season 6/ Episode 23)
  11. Ironside: Confessions - From a Lady of the Night (1973; Season 7/ Episode 1)
  12. Ironside: In the Forests of the Night (1973; Season 7/ Episode 3)
  13. Ironside: The Armageddon Gang (1973; Season 7/ Episode 5)
  14. Ironside: The Helping Hand (1973; Season 7/ Episode 7) 
  15. The Last Detective: Willesden Confidential (2005; TV series; Season 3/ Episode 4) 
  16. The Last Detective: Once Upon a Time on the Westway (2007; Season 4/ Episode 1)
  17. Murder She Wrote: Menace, Anyone? (1986; TV series; Season 2/ Episode 20)
  18. Murder She Wrote: Steal Me a Story (1987; Season 4/ Episode 8)
  19. Murder She Wrote: Indian Giver (1987; Season 4/ Episode 10)
  20. Perry Mason: The Case of the Restless Redhead (1957; TV series; Season 1/ Episode 1)
  21. Perry Mason: The Case of the Sleepwalker's Niece (1957; Season 1/ Episode 2)
  22. Perry Mason: The Case of the Nervous Accomplice (1957; Season 1/ Episode 3)
  23. Perry Mason: The Case of the Sulky Girl (1957; Season 1/ Episode 5)
  24. Perry Mason: The Case of the Silent Partner (1957; Season 1/ Episode 6) 
  25. Perry Mason: The Case of the Angry Mourner (1957; Season 1/ Episode 7)
  26. Perry Mason: The Case of the Crimson Kiss (1957; Season 1/ Episode 8)
  27. Perry Mason: The Case of the Vagabond Vixen (1957; Season 1/ Episode 9)
  28. Perry Mason: The Case of the Runaway Corpse (1957; Season 1/ Episode 10)
  29. Perry Mason: The Case of the Crooked Candle (1957; Season 1/ Episode 11)
  30. Perry Mason: The Case of the Negligent Nymph (1957; Season 1/ Episode 12)
  31. Perry Mason: The Case of the Moth-Eaten Mink (1957; Season 1/ Episode 13)
  32. Perry Mason: The Case of the Baited Hook (1957; Season 1/ Episode 14)
  33. Perry Mason: The Case of the Fan-Dancer's Horse (1957; Season 1/ Episode 15)
  34. Perry Mason: The Case of the Demure Defendant (1958; Season 1/ Episode 16)
  35. Perry Mason: The Case of the Sun Bather's Diary (1958; Season 1/ Episode 17)
  36. Perry Mason: The Case of the Cautious Coquette (1958; Season 1/ Episode 18)
  37. Perry Mason: The Case of the Haunted Husband (1958; Season 1/ Episode 19)
  38. Perry Mason: The Case of the Lonely Heiress (1958; Season 1/ Episode 20)
  39. Perry Mason: The Case of the Green-Eyed Sister (1958; Season 1/ Episode 21)
  40. Perry Mason: The Case of the Fugitive Nurse (1958; Season 1/ Episode 22)
  41. Perry Mason: The Case of the One-Eyed Witness (1958; Season 1/ Episode 23)
  42. Perry Mason: The Case of the Deadly Double (1958; Season 1/ Episode 24) 
  43. Perry Mason: The Case of the Empty Tin (1958; Season 1/ Episode 25
  44. Perry Mason: The Case of the Half-Wakened Wife (1958; Season 1/ Episode 26
  45. Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Daughter (1958; Season 1/ Episode 27)
  46. Perry Mason: The Case of the Daring Decoy (1958; Season 1/ Episode 28)
  47. Perry Mason: The Case of the Hesitant Hostess (1958; Season 1/ Episode 29)
  48. Perry Mason: The Case of the Screaming Woman (1958; Season 1/ Episode 30)
  49. Thriller: The Return of Andrew Bentley (1961, TV series; Season 2/ Episode 12)

❖❖❖❖❖❖

Perilous Reading Possibilities:
  • Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton
  • Beyond the Ice Limit. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 
  • The Big Sleep (Philip Marlowe #1). Raymond Chandler
  • Blue Labyrinth. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child 
  • The Body in the Wake (Faith Fairchild #25). Katherine Hall Page 
  • The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly 
  • Cast, in Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • The Colony. F.G. Cottam 
  • The Complete Wandering Ghosts (Stories). Marion Crawford 
  • Curtains for Romeo (Coastal Playhouse Mysteries #1). Jessa Archer 
  • Dark Entries (Stories). Robert Aickman 
  • The Dead of Winter. Chris Priestley 
  • Doll Bones. Holly Black; illus. by Eliza Wheeler 
  • Faceless Killers (Kurt Wallander #1). Henning Mankell 
  • Full Dark, No Stars (Stories). Stephen King 
  • Gallows View (Inspector Banks #1). Peter Robinson 
  • A Garden Lost in Time. Jonathan Aycliffe 
  • Haunted (David Ash #1). James Herbert
  • The Haunted Hotel. Wilkie Collins 
  • Imaginary Friend. Stephen Chbosky 
  • The Laughing Policeman (Martin Beck Police Mystery #4). Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  • Let the Devil Sleep (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon 
  • The Long Call (Two Rivers #1). Ann Cleeves 
  • Lovecraft Unbound (Stories). Ellen Datlow, ed. 
  • The Man Who Died Laughing (Stewart Hoag Mysteries #1). David Handler
  • The Man Who Lived By Night (Stewart Hoag Mysteries #2). David Handler
  • The Man Who Would Be F. Scott Fitzgerald (Stewart Hoag Mysteries #3). David Handler
  • The Midnight Side. Natasha Mostert 
  • A New Lease of Death (Inspector Wexford #2). Ruth Rendell 
  • Old Bones (Nora Kelly #1). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Origin. Dan Brown 
  • The Possession (The Anomaly Files #2). Michael Rutger 
  • Pursuit. Joyce Carol Oates 
  • Roseanna (Martin Beck Police Mystery #1). Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö
  • Shadow Ritual. Eric Giacometti and Jacques Ravenne 
  • The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen 
  • A Song of Shadows. John Connolly 
  • A Stitch in Time. Penelope Lively 
  • Strangers on a Train. Patricia Highsmith 
  • The Talisman. Jonathan Aycliffe 
  • This House Is Haunted. John Boyne 
  • A Very Mummy Holiday (Tourist Trap Mysteries #10). Lynn Cahoon
  • We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman 
  • What Rose Forgot. Nevada Barr 
  • What You Did. Claire McGowan 
  • When the Music's Over (Inspector Banks #23). Peter Robinson 

Thursday, January 3, 2019

2019 Reading Challenge Announcements

The List
(In roughly alphabetical order,
with links to announcement/signup posts/pages.)

The challenges listed here are, in general (although it's not a strict rule), year-long challenges, open to everyone. I don't usually list read-a-thons, read-alongs, "personal" challenges, or challenges linked to special days or time periods.

Please NOTE: This list is NOT meant to be a complete list of ALL the reading challenges available for 2019. It's mainly just challenges that seem attractive to me. But I'm not necessarily recommending any of these — just keeping track.

Two more things. In general I'm not a fan of the "check list" type of reading challenge with a bunch of set categories — so I'll list a few, but not every one of them. Also, I don't do a lot of social media hanging out, so if a challenge is being hosted primarily on Facebook or Twitter or Instagram, you probably won't find it on this list.


📚📚📚📚📚

For more comprehensive, up-to-date lists of 2019 Reading Challenges, you can check the A Novel Challenge website or the Reading Challenge Addict website.

Challenges in red are ones I've signed up for.
  1. 2019 All About the Trope Challenge | Host: Herding Cats & Burning Soup
  2. 2019 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge | Host: Escape with Dollycas
  3. 2019 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge - Author Edition | Host: Escape with Dollycas
  4. 2019 A to Z Reading Challenge | Host: Megan @ Ginger Mom and the Kindle Quest
  5. 2019 Audiobook Challenge | Host: Hot Listens
  6. 2019 Audio Books Reading Challenge | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  7. Aussie Author Challenge 2019 | Host: Booklover Book Reviews
  8. 2019 Australian Women Writers Challenge | Host: Australian Women Writers
  9. The Backlist Reader Challenge 2019 | Host: The Bookwyrm's Hoard
  10. Back to the Classics Challenge 2019 | Host: Books and Chocolate
  11. The Bad Boys of Romance Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Shari @ Delighted Reader
  12. 2019 Beat the Backlist Challenge | Host: Novel Knight
  13. Birth Year Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Hotchpot Cafe
  14. 2019 Blogger Shame Reading Challenge | Host: Herding Cats & Burning Soup
  15. #Bookiary2019 Reading Challenge | Host: Fabia @ Fabiary
  16. 2019 Bookish Resolutions Challenge | Host: Because Challenges Make Reading More Fun.
  17. 2019 Book to Screen Challenge | Host: Whole Latte Ideas
  18. British Crime Classics Challenge 2019 | Host: The Book Decoder
  19. Calendar of Crime Challenge 2019 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block.
  20. Charity Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  21. 2019 Chunkster Reading Challenge | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  22. A Classic A Month Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: The Perks of Being Noura
  23. Cloak and Dagger 2019 Reading Challenge | Hosts: Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm.
  24. 2019 Color Coded Reading Challenge | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  25. 2019 Connect Five Books Reading Challenge | Host: Book Date
  26. Contemporary Romance Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Andi @ Andi's ABCs. 
  27. Craving For Cozies 2019 | Host: Escape With Dollycas.
  28. Creativity Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  29. Cruisin' Thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews.  
  30. Dancing with Fantasy and Sci-Fi – A (2019) Reading Challenge + Bingo Cards | Host: Annemieke @ A Dance With Books
  31. 2019 Deal Me In Short Story Reading Challenge | Host: Bibliophilopolis
  32. 2019 Diversify Your Reading Challenge | Host: Mongan Moments
  33. 2019 Diversity Reading Challenge | Host: Celebrity Readers
  34. Dread & Read Challenge 2019 | Host: Hotchpot Cafe
  35. 2019 Dystopia Reading Challenge | Host: Brittani @ Hope, Faith & Books
  36. 2019 eBooks Reading Challenge | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  37. Epistolary Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  38. 2019 European Reading Challenge | Host: Gilion @ Rose City Reader
  39. Family Tree Reading Challenge 2019 | Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  40. 2019 Finishing the Series Reading Challenge | Host: Celebrity Readers
  41. For the Love Ebooks 2019 Reading Challenge | Host: Tina @ As Told by Tina
  42. 2019 Georgian Reading Challenge | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  43. 2019 Good Rule Reading Challenge | Host: Becky @ Becky's Book Reviews
  44. 2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge | Host: Passages to the Past
  45. Humor Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!
  46. Just the Facts, Ma'am (Vintage Mystery) Challenge 2019 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  47. Learn Something New 2019 Reading Challenge | Host: SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews. 
  48. Let's Read Indie 2019 Reading Challenge | Host: As Told By Tina
  49. 2019 Library Love Reading Challenge | Host: Angel's Guilty Pleasures
  50. 2019 Literary Escapes Reading Challenge | Host: Escape With Dollycas
  51. Literary Loners Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Readeropolis
  52. Literary Pickers Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Delighted Reader
  53. 2019 Memoir Reading Challenge | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!.
  54. Mental Health Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Jamie @ Whatever I Think Of!.
  55. 2019 Middle Grade Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  56. Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  57. 2019 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge | Host: Kimberly Lynne @ girlxoxo.com
  58. Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block.   
  59. NetGalley & Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Reading Between the Pages
  60. 2019 Newbery Reading Challenge | Host: Julie @ Smiling Shelves
  61. 2019 New Release Reading Challenge | Host: Lexxie @(un)Conventional Book Views. 
  62. The Official 2019 TBR Pile Challenge | Host: Adam @ Roof Beam Reader. 
  63. 2019 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge | Host: Corinne @ Everyday Gyaan
  64. 2019 Pages Read Challenge | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  65. Pick-a-Theme 2019 Challenge | Host: She's Got Books on Her Mind
  66. 2019 Picture Book Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  67. 2019 Popsugar Reading Challenge | Host: Popsugar.com
  68. Print Only 2019 Reading Challenge | Host: As Told By Tina
  69. The Purrfect Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews
  70. 2019 Read 52 Books in 52 Weeks | Host: Robin of My Two Blessings
  71. Reading Challenge Addicts 2019 | Host: Bev (of My Reader's Block) @ Reading Challenge Addict blog
  72. 2019 Reading Challenge Throwback | Host: Books and Ladders
  73. 2019 Read It Again, Sam Reading Challenge | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  74. 2019 Read My Name Reading Challenge: Host: SMS Nonfiction Book Reviews
  75. 2019 Reporter's Challenge | Host: Ellie @ The Challenge Factory on Goodreads
  76. 2019 Resist Reading Challenge | Host: Magic Resists.
  77. 2019 Retellings Reading Challenge | Host: Tracy @ Cornerfolds
  78. 2019 Review Writing Challenge | Host: Shari @ Delighted Reader
  79. Royal Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: She's Got Books on Her Mind
  80. 2019 Series Challenge | Host: Mamma Got Time to Read
  81. The Series That Never Ends Challenge 2019 | Host: Delighted Reader
  82. 2019 Share-a-Tea Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  83. 2019 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge | Host: Rick Mills Project
  84. SpaceTime Reading Challenge | Host: Jemima Pett
  85. Strictly Print Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  86. Sweet Southern Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Readeropolis
  87. 2019 Tackle My TBR Challenge | Host: Kimberly Faye @ Kimberly Faye Reads
  88. Three In a Row Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  89. 2019 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  90. 2019 Victorian Reading Challenge | Host: Belle's Library
  91. The VIRTUAL Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
  92. 2019 War Through the Generations Reading Challenge | Host: Serena and Anna @ War Through the Generations
  93. 2019 What An Animal Reading Challenge | Host: Yvonne @ Socrates' Book Reviews.  
  94. What's In a Name Challenge 2019 | Host: Andrea @ Carolina Book Nook
  95. 2019 When Are You Reading? Challenge | Host: Sam @ Taking On a World of Words
  96. 2019 Where Are You Reading? Challenge | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
  97. Where In Canada Are You Reading Challenge 2019 | Host: Faith Hope and Cherrytea
  98. 2019 World At War Reading Challenge | Host: Becky's Book Reviews
  99. 2019 You Read How Many Books? | Host: Book Dragon's Lair
More to come....?

📚📚📚📚📚


Wednesday, December 19, 2018

Back to the Classics Challenge 2019


Host: Karen K @ Books and Chocolate
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

How the challenge works:
  • Complete six categories, and you'll get one entry in the drawing; 
  • Complete nine categories, and you'll get two entries in the drawing; 
  • Complete all twelve categories, and you'll get three entries in the drawing

The Categories:
  1. 19th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1800 and 1899.
  2. 20th Century Classic. Any classic book originally published between 1900 and 1969. All books in this category must have been published at least 50 years ago. The only exceptions are books that were published posthumously but were written at least 50 years ago. 
  3. Classic by a Female Author.
  4. Classic in Translation. Any classic originally written in a novel other than your native language. You may read the book in your native language, or its original language (or a third language for all you polyglots!) Modern translations are acceptable, as long as the book was originally published at least 50 years ago. Books in translation are acceptable in all other categories as well.
  5. Classic Comedy. Any comedy or humorous work. Humor is very subjective, so if you think Crime and Punishment is hilarious, go ahead and use it, but if it's a work that's traditionally not considered humorous, please tell us why in your post. 
  6. Classic Tragedy. Tragedies traditionally have a sad ending, but just like the comedies, this is up for the reader to interpret. 
  7. Very Long Classic. Any classic single work 500 pages or longer, not including introductions or end notes. Omnibus editions of multiple works do not count. Since page counts can vary depending on the edition, average the page count of various editions to determine the length.
  8. Classic Novella. Any work of narrative fiction shorter than 250 pages. 
  9. Classic From the Americas (includes the Caribbean). Includes classic set in either continent or the Caribbean, or by an author originally from one of those countries. Examples include Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (United States); Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Jamaica); or One Hundred Years of Solitude (Columbia/South America). 
  10. Classic From Africa, Asia, or Oceania (includes Australia). Any classic set in one of those contents or islands, or by an author from these countries. Examples include Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt); The Makioka Sisters by Junichiro Tanizaki (Japan); On the Beach by Nevile Shute (Australia); Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria). 
  11. Classic From a Place You've Lived. Read locally! Any classic set in a city, county, state or country in which you've lived. Choices for me include Giant by Edna Ferber (Texas); Sister Carrie by Theodore Dreiser (Chicago); and Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (Germany). 
  12. Classic Play. Any play written or performed at least 50 years ago. Plays are eligible for this category only.

The Rules (quoted from the challenge announcement post):
  • All books must be read from January 1 through December 31, 2019. Books started before January 1 do not qualify. All reviews must be linked to this challenge by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2019. 
  • Participants must post a wrap-up and link it to the challenge, and it must include links to all the books they've read for this challenge, specifying which books for each category. It is fine to rearrange books for the challenge, since many books can fit multiple categories — just be sure to explain that in the final wrap-up.
  • The wrap-up post MUST include contact information so that the winner can be contacted privately. 
  • If you do NOT have a blog and wish to enter, you need to link to individual reviews on a publicly accessible site like Goodreads. You can specify which categories in the comments section of the link to the Final Wrap-Up Post. Do not simply link to your Goodreads account.
  • All books must have been written at least 50 years ago to qualify; therefore, books must have been published no later than 1969 for this challenge. The only exceptions to this rule are books which published posthumously but written before 1969. Recent translations of classic novels are acceptable. 
  • E-books and audiobooks are acceptable! You may also count books for this challenge that you've read for other challenges. 
  • Books may NOT cross over within this challenge — that is, you may not count the same book multiple times within this challenge. You MUST read a different book for each category in this challenge, or it doesn't count. 
  • Multiple books by the same author are acceptable. 
  • Children's classics are acceptable, but no more than three total for the challenge! And please, no picture books.
  • Single short stories and short poetry collections do not count, but you may use full-length narrative poems (like The Odyssey) and short story collections such as The Canterbury Tales, as long as you read the entire book.
  • You do NOT have to list all the books you intend to read in your sign-up post, but it's more fun if you do! You may certainly rearrange or change the books for this challenge, and books may be read in any order. 
  • The deadline to sign up for the challenge is March 1, 2019. After that, the link will be closed and you'll have to wait until 2020 for the next year's challenge. Please include a link to your actual sign-up post, not your blog URL/home page. Make sure you sign up in the Linky on the announcement page, not the comments section. If your name doesn't appear in the sign-ups, you are not eligible. If you've made a mistake with your link, just add a new one and explain in the comments. 
  • The winner will be announced the first week of January, 2020. All qualifying participants will receive one or more entries, depending upon the number of categories they complete as stated above. One winner will be randomly selected from all qualifying entries. The winner will be contacted privately before the announcement is posted on the blog. 
  • The winner will receive a gift certificate in the amount of $30 (US) from Amazon.com (US) OR $30 in books from The Book Depository. Winners must live in a country that receives shipment from one of these online retailers.

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


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  • Category 1:
  • Category 2:
  • Category 3: O Pioneers! Willa Cather (first published 1913)
  • Category 4:
  • Category 5:
  • Category 6:
  • Category 7: 
  • Category 8: Who Goes There? John W. Campbell, Jr. (first published 1938)
  • Category 9:
  • Category 10: 
  • Category 11:
  • Category 12:

POSSIBLE  READS:

This is my list of TBR classics that match up with one or more of the categories in the challenge.

All Passion Spent. Vita Sackville-West  (1931)
The Ambassadors. Henry James  (1903)
The American. Henry James  (1877)
Anna Karenina. Leo Tolstoy  (1877)
Appointment in Samarra. John O'Hara (1934)
Barchester Towers (Barsetshire #2). Anthony Trollope (1857)
Barry Lyndon. William Makepeace Thackeray (1844)
The Beckoning Fair One. Oliver Onions (1911)
The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath (1963)
The Bostonians. Henry James (1886)
The Code of the Woosters. P.G. Wodehouse (1938)
Cranford. Elizabeth Gaskell (1853)
Cry, the Beloved Country. Alan Paton (1948)
The Custom of the Country. Edith Wharton (1913)
Delta Wedding. Eudora Welty (1946)
Demian. Hermann Hesse (1919)
The Edwardians. Vita Sackville-West (1930)
Eight Cousins. Louisa May Alcott (1874)
The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim (1922)
The Europeans. Henry James (1878)
Far from the Madding Crowd. Thomas Hardy (1874)
Fathers and Sons. Ivan Turgenev (1862)
The 42nd Parallel (USA Trilogy #1). John Dos Passos (1930)
Foundation. Isaac Asimov (1951)
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Anita Loos (1924)
The Go-Between. L.P. Hartley (1953)
The Golden Bowl. Henry James (1904)
Grand Hotel. Vicki Baum (1929)
The Heart of the Matter. Graham Greene (1948)
High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell (1933)
Horseman, Pass By. Larry McMurtry (1961)
The House of Mirth. Edith Wharton (1905)
In Chancery (Forsyte Sage #2). John Galsworthy (1920)
The Invention of Morel. Adolfo Bioy Casares (1940)
Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann (1932)
Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (1847)
King, Queen, Knave. Vladimir Nabokov (1928)
Lady Windermere's Fan. Oscar Wilde (1893)
The Magnificent Ambersons. Booth Tarkington (1918)
The Man in the Queue. Josephine Tey (1929)
The Marble Faun. Nathaniel Hawthorne (1860)
Medea. Euripides (431 BC)
The Metamorphosis. Franz Kafka (1915)
Misty of Chincoteague. Marguerite Henry (1947)
The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins (1868)
The Mousetrap. Agatha Christie (1952)
The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie (1930)
The Old Wives' Tale. Arnold Bennett (1908)
One Hundred Years of Solitude. Gabriel Garcia Marquez (1967)
O Pioneers! Willa Cather (1913)
Our Man in Havana. Graham Greene (1959)
Persuasion. Jane Austen (1818)
Pinocchio. Carlo Collodi (1883)
The Ponder Heart. Eudora Welty (1954)
A Raisin in the Sun. Lorraine Hansberry (1959)
Sense and Sensibility. Jane Austen (1811)
The Sheltering Sky. Paul Bowles (1949)
She Stoops to Conquer. Oliver Goldsmith (1773)
Sister Carrie. Theodore Dreiser (1900)
Six Characters in Search of an Author. Luigi Pirandello (1921)
Something Fresh (Blandings Castle #1). P.G. Wodehouse (1915)
The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James (1896)
Things Fall Apart. Chinua Achebe (1958)
Where Angels Fear to Tread. E.M. Forster (1905)
Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys (1966)
Winesburg, Ohio. Sherwood Anderson (1919)
The Wings of the Dove. Henry James (1902)
A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor (1949)


Thursday, December 13, 2018

Print Only 2019 Reading Challenge


Host: As Told By Tina
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Goal: Read as many physical books as you can. These can be books you’ve purchased, been sent, or borrowed! As long as it is a physical book, then it counts.

Guidelines (quoted from announcement/sign-up page):
  • Challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st and you can sign up at anytime.
  • Every book must be a physical book. Hardback, paperbacks, soft board books all count.
  • All genres count.
  • Re-reads are OK, and books can be crossovers with other challenges.
  • You don’t have to be a blogger to join; sign up if you are just a reader, only on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
  • If you are a blogger, you can do a sign up post (you can also include all the other challenges you are in, it doesn’t have to be just for this challenge) to announcing your commitment.
  • Use the hash tag #PrintOnlyRC19 to share your progress.
  • There will be a link on the last Friday of every month to link up reviews. 

Levels:
  1. 1-10Out Of Print
  2. 11-20 1st Edition
  3. 21-302nd Printing
  4. 31- 40Signed Edition
  5. 41+Collector’s Edition

I'll be signing up at Level 1 (Out of Print) and definitely hope to read more than one book!

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● See the Monthly Link-Up pages: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.


MY  READING  LIST (books I've read for the challenge, with links to reviews):
  1. The Last Romantics. Tara Conklin (2019, William Morrow) 
  2. The Body in the Wake (Faith Fairchild #25). Katherine Hall Page (2019, William Morrow)



Sunday, December 9, 2018

2019 European Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2019 - January 31, 2020

Guidelines (quoted from the announcement page):
The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour. 
  • Books should be read between January 1, 2019 and January 31, 2020.  If you participated in the 2018 European Reading Challenge, you can only count books read in January 2018 for one year -- either the end of the 2018 challenge or the start of the 2019 challenge -- you don't get to count one book for both challenges. 
  • You do not have to commit to your choices now; and 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. 
  • There will be a page for linking your reviews. Reviews are not necessary, unless you are going for the prize, in which case only books reviewed count.
  • If you do not have a blog, put your reviews or reports in a comment on the review list page. 
  • There will be a page for posting links to wrap-up posts. 
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.
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.

✹ I'm signing up for the Four Star ("Honeymooner") level.

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


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (set in UK)
2. 

Thursday, December 6, 2018

Cloak and Dagger 2019 Reading Challenge


Hosted by: Stormi @ Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! and Barb @ Booker T's Farm
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Rules and Guidelines:
  • Any book from the mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genres qualifies. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of those genres.
  • A blog isn't necessary to participate, but you do need a place to post your reviews to link up. (A blog, Goodreads, booklikes, etc.)
  • Sign-up until March 15, 2019. Post your goal for the challenge and link it back to the sign-up page.
  • Books should be novellas or novels (no short stories), and should be over 100 pages. 
  • Books can crossover with other challenges.
  • There will be quarterly link-ups to check your progress and show everyone your reviews. At the halfway mark and at the end there will be a giveaway for those participating.
  • If you tweet about your progress or reviews, use the hashtag #CloakDaggerChal so others can find it.

Levels:
  1. Amateur sleuth  (5-15 books)
  2. Detective  (16-25 books)
  3. Inspector  (26-35 books)
  4. Special agent  (36-55 books)
  5. Sherlock Holmes  (56+ books)

I'm signing up at the "Detective" level, and will try for 25 books.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See the challenge announcement/signup page HERE.
● See the quarterly review linkups: January-March, April-June, July-September, October-December.
● See my challenge wrap-up post HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (1992; mystery / cozy mystery) [review linked 1/23/2019]
  2. The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway #2). Elly Griffiths (2010; mystery / cold case, forensics) 
  3. Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3). Andrew Mayne (2019; thriller) 
  4. The Stranger Diaries. Elly Griffiths (2018/2019; mystery / psychological suspense) 
  5. Run Away. Harlan Coben (2019; thriller)
  6. The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (2015; mystery / cozy mystery)
  7. The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (1993; mystery / cozy mystery)
  8. Little Darlings. Melanie Golding (2019; thriller) 
  9. The Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (2019; mystery / historical mystery)
  10. The Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (1994; mystery / cozy mystery)
  11. The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (2019; mystery)
  12. Fake Like Me. Barbara Bourland (2019; mystery)
  13. The Shape of Night. Tess Gerritsen (2019; mystery/romantic suspense)
  14. We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (2019; mystery / thriller) 
  15. Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (2019; mystery / historical mystery)
  16. The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (1995; cozy mystery)

POSSIBILITIES (books I'd like to knock off my TBR pile):
  • The Book of the Dead  (Pendergast #7). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child
  • The Bookwoman's Last Fling  (Cliff Janeway #5). John Dunning 
  • The Cabinet of Curiosities  (Pendergast #3). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • The Case of the Gilded Fly  (Gervase Fen #1). Edmund Crispin 
  • Cast, in Order of Disappearance  (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • Cutwork  (Needlecraft Mysteries #7). Monica Ferris 
  • Death at the President's Lodging  (Sir John Appleby #1). Michael Innes 
  • Death in Disguise  (Inspector Barnaby #3). Caroline Graham 
  • Death is a Word  (Sheila Malory #21). Hazel Holt 
  • Death of a Hollow Man  (Inspector Barnaby #2). Caroline Graham 
  • Dumb Witness  (Hercule Poirot #16). Agatha Christie 
  • Faithful Unto Death  (Inspector Barnaby #5). Caroline Graham 
  • Final Curtain  (Roderick Alleyn #14). Ngaio Marsh 
  • Five Red Herrings  (Lord Peter Wimsey #7). Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • Framed in Lace  (Needlecraft Mysteries #2). Monica Ferris 
  • Gallows View  (Inspector Alan Banks #1). Peter Robinson 
  • Hanging By a Thread  (Needlecraft Mysteries #6). Monica Ferris 
  • In the Best Families  (Nero Wolfe #13). Rex Stout
  • The League of Frightened Men  (Nero Wolfe #2). Rex Stout 
  • Let the Devil Sleep  (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon 
  • The Little Sister  (Philip Marlow #5). Raymond Chandler 
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • The Man in the Queue  (Inspector Alan Grant #1). Josephine Tey 
  • The Man Who Died Laughing  (Stewart Hoag #1). David Handler 
  • The Moving Finger  (Miss Marple #4). Agatha Christie 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family  (Sheila Malory #17). Hazel Holt 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End  (Sheila Malory #20). Hazel Holt 
  • Murder Must Advertise  (Lord Peter Wimsey #10). Dorothy L. Sayers
  • The Murder on the Links  (Hercule Poirot #2). Agatha Christie
  • Murder, She Meowed  (Mrs. Murphy #5). Rita Mae Brown 
  • Murder with Mirrors  (Miss Marple #8). Agatha Christie 
  • Nemesis  (Miss Marple #12). Agatha Christie 
  • Origin  (Robert Langdon #5). Dan Brown 
  • Pay Dirt  (Mrs. Murphy #4). Rita Mae Brown 
  • Reliquary  (Pendergast #2). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Say It with Poison  (Mitchell & Markby #1). Ann Granger 
  • The Second Confession  (Nero Wolfe #12). Rex Stout 
  • The Sign of the Book  (Cliff Janeway #4). John Dunning 
  • The Singing Sands  (Inspector Alan Grant #6). Josephine Tey 
  • Still Life  (Chief Inspector Gamache #1). Louise Penny 
  • Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd  (Flavia de Luce #8). Alan Bradley
  • Too Many Clients  (Nero Wolfe #23). Rex Stout 
  • The Wheel of Darkness  (Pendergast #8). Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
...

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

2019 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge


Host: Amy @ Passages to the Past
Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019

Guidelines:
  • Choose your level.
  • Read any sub-genre of historical fiction (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, etc.)
  • You don't need a blog to participate.
  • There will be a monthly link 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

My goal: "Victorian Reader" (5 books).

● See my original post about the challenge HERE
● See the challenge announcement/sign-up post HERE.
● See the pages for linking reviews: JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC .
● See the page for linking wrap-ups and recaps HERE.


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. O Pioneers! Willa Cather (published 1913; set in late 19th/early 20th Centuries)
  2. Mrs. Everything. Jennifer Weiner (published 2019; set primarily in mid-20th Century)
  3. Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (published 2019; set in 1960s) 
  4. Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (published 2019; set between WWI and 1950s)
  5. Old Baggage. Lissa Evans (published 2018/2019; set in 1920s)

POSSIBILITIES (some books I'd like to knock off my TBR pile):
  • Alias Grace. Margaret Atwood 
  • The Alienist. Caleb Carr 
  • The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
  • The Conjurer's Bird. Martin Davies 
  • The Crystal Cave (Arthurian Saga #1). Mary Stewart 
  • The English Patient. Michael Ondaatje 
  • Flora. Gail Godwin 
  • The Fountain Overflows. Rebecca West 
  • A Gentleman in Moscow. Amor Towles 
  • Girl in Hyacinth Blue. Susan Vreeland 
  • The Glass Room. Simon Mawer 
  • The House of the Spirits. Isabel Allende 
  • I Am Madam X. Gioia Diliberto 
  • The Last Painting of Sara de Vos. Dominic Smith
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • Lydia Cassatt Reading the Morning Paper. Harriet Scott Chessman 
  • A Mercy. Toni Morrison 
  • The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley 
  • Number the Stars. Lois Lowry 
  • Remarkable Creatures. Tracy Chevalier 
  • Rules of Civility. Amor Towles 
  • The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton 
  • The Summer Before the War. Helen Simonson 
  • The Virgin in the Garden. A.S. Byatt 
  • When We Were Orphans. Kazuo Ishiguro 
  • Wide Sargasso Sea. Jean Rhys 
  • The Women in the Castle. Jessica Shattuck 
...

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2019


Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2019
Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block

Guidelines
  • Sign-up anytime before November 1, 2019.
  • Choose a level of participation. Once you choose, you're locked in for at least that many books. You can increase your level; all books counted for lower levels carry over towards the new level.
  • Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2019. No library books.
  • Books can be counted for other challenges.
  • Reviews aren't required, and a blog isn't necessary.
  • Rereads may count (see challenge announcement page for details).
  • Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books.
  • You may count any "currently reading" book that you begin prior to January 1– provided that you had 50% or more of the book left to finish in 2019.
  • "Did Not Finish" books can be counted, under some circumstances (see challenge announcement page for details).
  • You can submit a list in advance, or add your books as you read them.
  • There will be a year-end check-in.
  • There will be a GoodReads group for the challenge.
  • There will be a challenge headquarters page which will offer links to monthly review pages, and the final wrap-up.

Challenge Levels:
  1. Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s
  2. Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
  3. Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
  4. Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR piles/s
  5. Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
  6. El Toro: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s
  7. Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
  8. Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

✸ I'm signing up at the first level (Pike's Peak), so I'll be trying for at least 12 books from my TBR pile.

● See my original post about the challenge HERE.
● See my wrap-up post HERE.
● See the challenge announcement page HERE.
● See the challenge headquarters page HERE.
● See the review pages:
JAN, FEB, MAR, APR, MAY, JUN, JUL, AUG, SEP, OCT, NOV, DEC.
● See the year-end check-in page HERE.


MY READING LIST (Books I've read, with links to reviews):
  1. The Quiche of Death (Agatha Raisin #1). M.C. Beaton (1992) [Review linked 1/23/2019] 
  2. The Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (1993) 
  3. The Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (1994) 
  4. The Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (1995)
  5. O Pioneers! Willa Cather (1913)
  6. The Magic Bedknob. Mary Norton (1943)
  7. The Uninvited. Dorothy Macardle (1942) 
  8. The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (2015)
  9. Who Goes There? John W. Campbell, Jr. (1938)

Books I'd Like to Read in 2019 (many of these have been on the shelves for a LONG time):
  • Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell 
  • American Eve. Paula Uruburu 
  • The Art of Mending. Elizabeth Berg 
  • The Bell. Iris Murdoch 
  • The Bell Jar. Sylvia Plath 
  • The Berlin Stories. Christopher Isherwood 
  • The Black Prince. Iris Murdoch 
  • Black Sun. Geoffrey Wolff 
  • The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Busman's Honeymoon. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • The Cabinet of Curiosities. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • Cast, In Order of Disappearance (Charles Paris #1). Simon Brett 
  • The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
  • Cutwork (Needlecraft Mysteries #7). Monica Ferris 
  • Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick 
  • The Enchanted April. Elizabeth von Arnim 
  • The Europeans. Henry James 
  • Family Album. Penelope Lively 
  • The Fencing Master. Arturo Pérez-Reverte 
  • Five Red Herrings. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes 
  • Foundation. Isaac Asimov 
  • Framed in Lace (Needlecraft Mysteries #2). Monica Ferris 
  • The Ghost Writer. Philip Roth 
  • The Glass Room. Simon Mawer 
  • Hanging By a Thread (Needlecraft Mysteries #6). Monica Ferris
  • The Haunted Bookshop. Christopher Morley 
  • High Rising (Barsetshire #1). Angela Thirkell 
  • How It All Began. Penelope Lively 
  • Identity. Milan Kundera 
  • Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann 
  • Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon 
  • Jane Eyre. Charlotte Bronte 
  • July and August. Nancy Clark 
  • Jumping the Queue. Mary Wesley 
  • The Lake House. Kate Morton 
  • Let the Devil Sleep (Dave Gurney #3). John Verdon 
  • Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
  • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Eric Hodgins 
  • Mrs. Malory and a Death in the Family. Hazel Holt
  • Mrs. Malory and a Necessary End. Hazel Holt
  • The Moonstone. Wilkie Collins 
  • Murder At the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1). Agatha Christie 
  • Murder Must Advertise. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • The Mystery of Lewis Carroll. Jenny Woolf 
  • The Nine Tailors. Dorothy L. Sayers  
  • Oracle Night. Paul Auster 
  • The Pale Horse. Agatha Christie 
  • Prater Violet. Christopher Isherwood 
  • Prophecy. S.J. Parris 
  • Providence. Anita Brookner 
  • Relic. Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child 
  • The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively 
  • The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton 
  • The Silent World of Nicholas Quinn (Inspector Morse, #3). Colin Dexter
  • Silver on the Tree (The Dark Is Rising series, final book). Susan Cooper 
  • The Sisters: The Lives and Times of the Fabulous Cushing Sisters. David Grafton 
  • The Talented Mr. Ripley. Patricia Highsmith 
  • The Takeover. Muriel Spark
  • Time and Again. Clifford D. Simak 
  • Two Serious Ladies. Jane Bowles 
  • The Spoils of Poynton. Henry James 
  • The Unicorn. Iris Murdoch 
  • Unnatural Death. Dorothy L. Sayers 
  • When the Music's Over (DCI Banks #23). Peter Robinson
  • A Wreath of Roses. Elizabeth Taylor 
  • The Year of Magical Thinking. Joan Didion 

2019 Calendar of Crime Challenge


Host: Bev @ My Reader's Block
Dates: 1 January - 31 December 2019

Guidelines (quoted from announcement page):
  • Challenge runs from January 1, 2019 to December 31, 2019. all books should be read during this time period. Sign up any time between now and November 1, 2019. 
  • All books must be mysteries. Humor, romance, supernatural elements (etc.) are welcome, but the books must be mysteries/crime/detective novels first.
  • Twelve books, one representing each month, are required for a completed challenge and to be eligible for the end-of-year prize drawing. Each month comes with several categories that may be selected to fulfill the month's reading. 
  • To claim a book, it must fit one of the categories for the month you wish to fulfill. Unless otherwise specified, the category is fulfilled within the actual story. For instance, if you are claiming a book for December and you want to use "Christmas" as the category, then Christmas must figure in some way in the plot. Did someone poison the plum pudding? Did Great-Uncle Whozit invite all the family home for Christmas so he could tell them he plans to change his will? 
  • The "wild card" book is exactly that. If July is your birth month, then for category #9, you may read any mystery book you want. It does not have to connect with July in any way — other than a July baby chose it. The other eleven months, you must do the alternate category #9 if you want to fulfill that slot. 
  • For the category that says "Book title contains a word that starts with the letter A," the following do not count: "A" and "An."  
  • Books may only count for one month and one category, but they may count for other challenges. If it could fulfill more than one category or month, then you are welcome to change the category/month at any time prior to the final wrap-up.
  • Books do not have to be read during the month for which they qualify. So if you're feeling like a little "Christmas in July" (or May or...), then feel free to read your book for December whenever the mood strikes.
  • A wrap-up post/comment/email will be requested that should include a calendar of books read and what category they fulfilled. [Example: January: The House of Sudden Sleep by John Hawk (original pub date January 1930)].
  • All participants who complete the challenge will be eligible for an end-of-year prize drawing. There will also be a "My Calendar's Booked" prize for the challenger who fills their calendar with the most books, so challengers are encouraged to read more than one/all category/ies for each month. In case of a tie, there will be a prize drawing among the the folks who booked-up their year so fully.

Monthly Categories:



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

MY  READING  LIST:

JANUARY:
The Janus Stone (Ruth Galloway Mysteries #2). Elly Griffiths (Category #7: Title has word starting with "J") [See Review]

FEBRUARY:
Murder Theory (The Naturalist #3). Andrew Mayne (Category #6: Original publication month)

MARCH:


APRIL:
The Appleton Case (Markham Sisters #1). Diana Xarissa (Category #7: Title has word starting with "A")

MAY:
• The Man in the White Linen Suit (Stewart Hoag #11). David Handler (Category #7: Title has word starting with "M")

JUNE:
Run Away. Harlan Coben (Category #9: Father figures prominently)

JULY:
Lady in the Lake. Laura Lippman (Category #6: Original publication month)

AUGUST:
Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet (Agatha Raisin #2). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Title has word starting with "A"; would also fit Category 6: Original publication month)

SEPTEMBER:
Agatha Raisin and the Potted Gardener (Agatha Raisin #3). M.C. Beaton (Category #9: Birth Month / Wild Card)

OCTOBER:
We Were Killers Once (Brigid Quinn #4). Becky Masterman (Category #7: Title has word starting with "O")

NOVEMBER:
Sorry for the Dead (Josephine Tey #8). Nicola Upson (Category #9: Family relationships play a major role)

DECEMBER:
Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin #4). M.C. Beaton (Category #7: Title has word starting with "D")