2015 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge

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

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2015
Hosted by: The Book Vixen

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more in 2015 than you did in 2014. 
• Books can be any format (print, ebook, audio). 
• Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, mystery, etc.). 
• Novellas that are 100 pages in length (give or take), as well as full-length novels, will count for this reading challenge. 
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed. 
• See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. You can move up a level as often as you’d like but no moving down. Remember, the idea is to challenge yourself. 
• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015 (books read prior to 1/1/2015 do not count towards the challenge). You can join anytime before 9/30/2015. Sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.

Levels:

1. Getting My Heart Rate Up: read 1–5 more books (or 250–1,499 more pages)
2. Out of Breath: read 6–10 more books (or 1,500–2,749 more pages) 
3. Breaking a Sweat: read 11–15 more books (or 2,750–3,999 more pages) 
4. I’m on Fire!: read 16+ more books (or 4,000+ more pages) 

I'm signing up at the "Getting My Heart Rate Up" level, so I'll be trying for 1-5 more books than I read in 2014 (I read 46 books in 2014).

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


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

1. The Red House Mystery. A.A. Milne
2. Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown. Roger Moore
3. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Flavia de Luce #7). Alan Bradley
4. The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Gardner
5. The After House. Michael Phillip Cash 
6. Mike Mulligan and More: A Virginia Lee Burton Treasury. Virginia Burton
7. Against the Fall of Night. Arthur C. Clarke
8. The Resurrection Maker. Glenn Cooper 
9. The Room. Jonas Karlsson 
10. The Third Man. Graham Greene 
11. Elidor. Alan Garner 
12. The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler 
13. Nightbird. Alice Hoffman
14. Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown 
15. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose 
16. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell 
17. A Fine Summer's Day (Inspector Ian Rutledge #17). Charles Todd 
18. Wylding Hall. Elizabeth Hand 
19. As the Crow Flies (DI Nick Dixon #1). Damien Boyd
20. Fear the Darkness (Brigid Quinn Thriller #2). Becky Masterman
21. Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter
22. A Saintly Killing (Faith Morgan Mystery #3). Martha Ockley
23. Beethoven's Tenth. Brian Harvey
24. The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne 
25. Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates 
26. The Silence of Ghosts. Jonathan Aycliffe 
27. Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac 
28. Pines (Wayward Pines #1). Blake Crouch 
29. The Tale of Despereaux. Kate DiCamillo; illus. by Timothy Basil Ering 
30. A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay 
31. The Truth and Other Lies. Sascha Arango (trans. by Imogen Taylor) 
32. Tail Gait (Mrs. Murphy #23). Rita Mae Brown 
33. The Angel Court Affair (Charlotte and Thomas Pitt #30). Anne Perry 
34. The Forgotten Room (Jeremy Logan #4). Lincoln Child
35. In the Dark Places (Inspector Banks #22). Peter Robinson 
36. Goodbye Stranger. Rebecca Stead 
37. Ramona Quimby, Age 8. Beverly Cleary 
38. Newport: A Novel. Jill Morrow 
39. A Man of Some Repute. Elizabeth Edmondson
40. The Quick. Lauren Owen 
41. The Postman Always Rings Twice. James M. Cain
42. Champagne for One (Nero Wolfe #31). Rex Stout
43. Slade House. David Mitchell 
44. The Maltese Falcon. Dashiell Hammett
45. The Night Sister. Jennifer McMahon 
46. The Anger Meridian. Kaylie Jones 
47. Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Potting Shed Mystery #3). Marty Wingate 
48. South of the Border, West of the Sun. Haruki Murakami 
49. What We Keep. Elizabeth Berg
50. Backstabbing in Beaujolais. Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen; trans. by Anne Trager  
51. Five picture books:
    Anatole. Eve Titus; illus. by Paul Galdone (1956; 40 pages)
    Corduroy. Don Freeman (1948; 32 pages)
    Harry and the Lady Next Door. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1960; 64 pages)
    Harry the Dirty Dog. Gene Zion; illus. by Margaret Bloy Graham (1956; 32 pages)
    One Morning in Maine. Robert McCloskey (1952; 62 pages)

2015 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge

**Technical Difficulties! Challenge a non-starter**

Dates: January 1 to December 31, 2015
Hosted by: Dollycas @ Escape with Dollycas into a Good Book

Guidelines:

• Read one book for each letter of the alphabet (by book titles)
• All genres, and all formats are allowed
• Crossovers with other challenges are OK
• Re-reads are allowed
• Reviews are not required
• You don't need a blog to participate
• Make your list at the beginning of the challenge, or add titles as you read them

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

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

A: The After House. Michael Phillip Cash 
B: The Book of Speculation. Erika Swyler
C: The Case of the Velvet Claws (Perry Mason #1). Erle Stanley Gardner
D:
E: Elidor. Alan Garner
F: The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell
G: Gently Does It (Inspector George Gently #1). Alan Hunter
H: A Head Full of Ghosts. Paul Tremblay
I: The Ice Twins. S.K. Tremayne
J: Jack of Spades. Joyce Carol Oates
K:
L: Let Sleeping Dogs Lie ("Sister" Jane #9). Rita Mae Brown
M:
N: Nightbird. Alice Hoffman
O:
P: Pines (Wayward Pines #1). Blake Crouch
Q:
R: The Red House Mystery. A. A. Milne
S: A Saintly Killing. Martha Ockley
T: The Third Man. Graham Greene
U:
V: Vertigo. Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac
W: The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose
X:
Y:
Z:

R.eaders I.mbibing P.eril / IX

Dates: September 1 through October 31, 2014
Hosted by: Carl V. Anderson at Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines:

✸ There are several different levels of participation:

• Peril the First: Read four books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Second: Read two books of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• Peril the Third: Read one book of any length, from any subgenre you choose.
• 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 Group Read: A third extra -- see announcement page for info.

✸ Choose your books from the following subgenres:

• Mystery
• Suspense
• Thriller
• Dark Fantasy
• Gothic
• Horror
• 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 Challenge review page here. 


MY BOOK LIST (books read; with links to reviews):

1. Peter Pan Must Die. John Verdon (thriller)
2. The Mist in the Mirror. Susan Hill (ghost story) 
3. The Celtic Dagger. Jill Paterson (mystery)
4. Children of the Revolution. Peter Robinson (police procedural)
5. The Dirty Book Murder. Thomas Shawver (bibliomystery)

MY SHORT STORY LIST (with links to reviews):

1. "The Bus Conductor." E.F. Benson (ghost story)
2. 
   

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part I (Movies):

1. 13 Ghosts (1960)
2. Fragile (2005)
3. The Haunting (1963) 
4. Insidious (2010)
   
5. Laura (1944)
6. Madhouse (1974)
7. The Vampire Bat (1933)

MY SCREEN PERIL LIST, Part II (TV Shows):

1. Agatha Christie's Marple: Endless Night (2014; Season 6/ Episode 3) 
2. Agatha Christie's Marple: Greenshaw's Folly (2014; Season 6/ Episode 2) 
3. Agatha Christie's Marple: A Caribbean Mystery (2014; Season 6/ Episode 1)
4. Cold Case Files: The Black Dahlia (2006; Season 5/Episode 16) 
5. Inspector Lewis: Entry Wounds (2014; Season 8/ Episode 1) 
6. Inspector Lewis: The Lions of Nemea (2014; Season 8/ Episode 2)
7. Midsomer Murders: Death in the Slow Lane (2011; Season 14/Episode 1) 
8. Midsomer Murders: Death in Chorus (2006; Season 9/Episode 7)
9. Midsomer Murders: Country Matters (2006; Season 9/Episode 6)
10. Midsomer Murders: Four Funerals and a Wedding (2006; Season 9/ Episode 5)
11. Midsomer Murders: Down Among the Dead Men (2006; Season 9/ Episode 4)
12. Midsomer Murders: Vixen's Run (2006; Season 9/ Episode 3)
13. Midsomer Murders: Dead Letters (2006; Season 9/ Episode 2)
14. Midsomer Murders: The House in the Woods (2005; Season 9/ Episode 1)
15. The Rockford Files: Tall Woman in Red Wagon (1974; Season 1/Episode 5)
16. The Rockford Files: This Case Is Closed (1974; Season 1/Episode 6) 
17. The Rockford Files: The Big Ripoff (1974; Season 1/Episode 7)
18. The Rockford Files: Find Me If You Can (1974; Season 1/ Episode 8)
19. 
    

Once Upon a Time VIII

Dates: 21 March - 21 June, 2014
Hosted by: Carl V. Anderson @ Stainless Steel Droppings

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Readings should come from these four genres: fantasy, fairy tale, folklore and mythology. 
• Participants can choose one or more of the following levels (or Quests):

1. The Journey - Read at least one book from any of the four genres. No need to commit to any set number of books.
2. Quest the First - Read at least 5 books that fit somewhere within the Once Upon a Time III criteria. They might all be fantasy, or folklore, or fairy tales, or mythology…or your five books might be a combination from the four genres.
3. Quest the Second - Read at least one book from each of the four categories. In this quest you will be reading 4 books total: one fantasy, one folklore, one fairy tale, and one mythology.
4. Quest the Third - Fulfill the requirements for the Journey, or Quest the First or Quest the Second, AND top it off with a June reading of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream OR a viewing of one of the many theatrical versions of the play.
5. Short Story Quest - This quest involves the reading of one or more short stories that fit within at least one of the four genres during the course of the weekend. Ideally you would post about your short story readings on Sundays or Mondays, but this is not strictly necessary.
6. Quest on the Screen - To participate in this quest simply let the other participants know about the films and/or television shows that you feel fit into the definitions of fantasy, fairy tales, folklore or mythology that you are enjoying during the challenge.

✸ I'm signing up at the "Journey" level, so I'll be reading at least one book, but (as usual) hope to read a few more.

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

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

1. While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell
2. The Thief of Always. Clive Barker
3. 
   

LIST OF POSSIBLE CHOICES:

Bedknob and Broomstick. Mary Norton
The Bell at Sealey Head. Patricia A. McKillip  
Black Light. Elizabeth Hand
The Book of Lost Things. John Connolly
The Castle of Llyr. Lloyd Alexander
The Children of Llyr. Evangeline Walton
The City of Dreaming Books. Walter Moers
The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart
Elidor. Alan Garner
The Eyre Affair. Jasper Fforde
The Fairy-Tale Detectives (Sisters Grimm #1). Michael Buckley
Five Children and It. E. Nesbit
The Halloween Tree. Ray Bradbury
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field
Inkheart. Cornelia Funke 
James and the Giant Peach. Roald Dahl
The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories. Susanna Clarke
Luka and the Fire of Life. Salman Rushdie
The Mabinogion.
The Magic City. E. Nesbit 
The Magic of Finkleton. K.C. Hilton 
Magic or Not? Edward Eager
Mary Poppins Comes Back. Pamela L. Travers
The Mennyms.  Sylvia Waugh 
Miss Hickory. Carolyn Sherwin Bailey
The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley 
The Moon of Gomrath: A Tale of Alderley. Alan Garner
The Mysterious Benedict Society. Trenton Lee Stewart
Mythago Wood. Robert Holdstock  
The Other Book. Philip Womack 
The Phantom Tollbooth. Norton Juster 
Photographing Fairies. Steve Szilagyi 
The Prince of Mist. Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Princess and the Goblin. George MacDonald
The Red Pyramid. Rick Riordan 
Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper 
Stuart Little. E.B. White 
The Thief of Always. Clive Barker 
The Trumpet of the Swan. E.B. White 
The Well-Wishers. Edward Eager 
While Beauty Slept. Elizabeth Blackwell 
The Wind in the Willows. Kenneth Grahame

2014 Chunkster Reading Challenge

**Challenge completed (well, almost)**

See my wrap-up post HERE

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Vassily (of Thoughts of an Eclectic Reader)

Guidelines:

• A chunkster is any book (adult or YA) with 450 or more pages.
• Both fiction and nonfiction are allowed.
• Audio books and e-books are allowed. Graphic novels are not.
• Essay, short story, and poetry collections are allowed but must be read in their entirety to count. 
• Books may crossover with other challenges. 
• Anyone can join. 
• You don’t have to list your books ahead of time. 
• There are no set levels; participants can determine their own level to aim for. 

✵ I'm setting myself a goal of two books for the challenge.

● 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 page HERE.


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

1. Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (490 pages)
2. 
   

POSSIBILITIES:

• The Book of the Dead. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (454 pages) 
• The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt (675 pages)  
• A Gentle Madness. Nicholas A. Basbanes (638 pages) 
• The Girl Who Played With Fire. Stieg Larsson (503 pages) 
• Inkheart. Cornelia Funke (500+ pages) 
• Jane Eyre. Charlotte Brontë (450+ pages)
  
• The Land of Painted Caves. Jean M. Auel (757 pages) 
  
• The Map of Time. Felix J. Palma (613 pages) 
• The Peabody Sisters. Megan Marshall (602 pages) 
• The Secret History. Donna Tartt (522 pages) 
• The Secret Keeper. Kate Morton (496 pages) 
• Ten Lords A-Leaping. C.C. Benison (490 pages)

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2014

**See my wrap-up post HERE**

Dates: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Hosted by: Bev @ MY READER'S BLOCK

Guidelines (quoted from the challenge announcement page):

• Challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2014. 
• You may sign up anytime from now until November 30th, 2014. 
• Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find that you're on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are certainly welcome to upgrade. All books counted for lower mountains may carry over towards the new peak.
• Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2014. 
• No ARCs (none), no library books. 
• No rereads. 
• Audiobooks and E-books may count if they are yours and they are one of your primary sources of backlogged books. 
• Books may be used to count for other challenges as well. 
• Feel free to submit your list in advance (as incentive to really get those books taken care of) or to tally them as you climb. 
• There will be quarterly check-ins and prize drawings! A blog and reviews are not necessary to participate. 
• There will be a GoodReads group for the challenge, and a site for reviews. 

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 "Pike's Peak" level, so I'll be trying for twelve 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 Mount TBR Challenge Review Headquarters HERE.
~ See the March Checkpoint Page HERE.
~ See Checkpoint Number Two HERE.
~ See Checkpoint Number Three HERE. 

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

1. The Only Problem. Muriel Spark 
2. The Lady in the Lake. Raymond Chandler
3. The High Window. Raymond Chandler
4. The Quilter's Apprentice. Jennifer Chiaverini
5. The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
6. 
   

POSSIBILITIES:

1. Afternoon Men. Anthony Powell 
2. The Art of Mending. Elizabeth Berg  
3. The Cabinet of Curiosities. Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
4. The Children's Book. A.S. Byatt 
5. The Chrysalids. John Wyndham 
6. The Conjurer's Bird. Martin Davies 
7. The Crystal Cave. Mary Stewart 
8. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick 
9. Appointment in Samara. John O'Hara 
10. The Dud Avocado. Elaine Dundy 
11. The Family Man. Elinor Lipman
12. Flaubert's Parrot. Julian Barnes 
13. Framed in Lace. Monica Ferris
14. The Ghost Writer. Philip Roth
15. The Glass Room. Simon Mawer
16. Invitation to the Waltz. Rosamond Lehmann 
17. July and August. Nancy Clark 
18. Just Kids. Patti Smith 
19. Labyrinth. Kate Mosse 
20. Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon 
21. The Middle Age of Mrs. Eliot. Angus Wilson 
22. The Mists of Avalon. Marion Zimmer Bradley 
23. The Nautical Chart. Arturo Pérez-Reverte
24. Patterns in the Carpet. Margaret Drabble
25. The Public Image. Muriel Spark
26. The Rector of Justin. Louis Auchincloss
27. The Road to Lichfield. Penelope Lively
28. The Sea. John Banville
29. The Sign of the Book. John Dunning 
30. Silver on the Tree. Susan Cooper 
31. The Wapshot Chronicle. John Cheever
32. The Winthrop Covenant. Louis Auchincloss

Nonfiction Reading Challenge 2014

Dates: 1 January - 31 December, 2014
Hosted by: The Introverted Reader

Guidelines: (quoted from challenge announcement page) "Read any non-fiction book(s), adult or young adult. That's it. You can choose anything. Memoirs? Yes. History? Yes. Travel? Yes. You get the idea? Absolutely anything that is classified as non-fiction counts for this challenge."

• Crossovers with other challenges are allowed.
• You don't need a blog to participate.
• There will be a link for reviews.
• Sign up anytime during the year.

Levels:

1. Dilettante -- Read 1-5 non-fiction books
2. Explorer -- Read 6-10
3. Seeker -- Read 11-15
4. Master -- Read 16-20 

 ** I'm signing up at the "Dilettante" level, so I'll be reading 1-5 books.

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


MY READING LIST (books I've read, with links to reviews):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

POSSIBILITIES: 

• 1959: The Year Everything Changed. Fred Kaplan (history)
• Books: A Memoir. Larry McMurtry (autobiography) 
• The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair That Changed America. Erik Larson (history/true crime)
• A Gentle Madness: Bibliophiles, Bibliomanes, and the Eternal Passion for Books. Nicholas A. Basbanes (reading/book collecting)
• In Cold Blood. Truman Capote (true crime) 
• Just Kids. Patti Smith (memoir)
• The Library at Night. Alberto Manguel (reading and books)
• Manhattan '45. Jan Morris (history) 
• Old Books, Rare Friends: Two Literary Sleuths and Their Shared Passion. Madeleine B. Stern and Leona Rostenberg (book collecting) 
• The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. Margaret Drabble (family history) 
• The Perfect Summer: England 1911, Just Before the Storm. Juliet Nicolson (history) 
• The Sisters of Sinai: How Two Lady Adventurers Discovered the Hidden Gospels. Janet Martin Soskice (history)

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: Terminal Freeze (Jeremy Logan #2). Lincoln Child (read in 2022)
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: Pale Horse, Pale Rider. Katherine Anne Porter (read in 2018)
7. CONNECTICUT: The Man Who Couldn't Miss (Stewart Hoag #10). David Handler (read in 2018)
8. DISTRICT of COLUMBIA 
9. DELAWARE 
10. FLORIDA: Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls Mystery #1). Rachel Ekstrom Courage (read in 2025)
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: Lives of the Saints. Nancy Lemann (read in 2026) 
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: Los Alamos. Joseph Kanon (read in 2026) 
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.