I didn't do well at the Calendar of Crime challenge hosted by Bev at My Reader's Block last year, mostly because I forgot to keep track. So, I'm trying again this year. Twelve mysteries, one representing each month, are required for a complete challenge. Each month comes with several categories.
January - The Old Fox Deceiv'd by Martha Grimes (takes place in January)February - God Rest Ye, Royal Gentleman by Ryhs Bowen (couple on cover) March - Premeditated Mortar by Kate Carlisle (title has word starting with "M")April - The Three Locks by Bonnie MacBird (church/minister/religion has major role)May - Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (title has word starting with "M")June - A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie (original publication month)July - Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett (takes place in US)August - Shucked Apart by Barbara Ross (month related item on cover - beach/water)September - The Inspector of Strange and Unexplained Deaths by Olivier Barde-Cabuçon (title has word starting with...
I didn't read as much nonfiction in 2020 as I would have liked. Of course, I also didn't do as well as challenges as I would have liked either, but I'm still joining the 2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge hosted by Shelleyrae at Book'd Out in the hopes of reading more and varied nonfiction.
The challenge is to read nonfiction books from twelve different categories. There’s three different goals, either read:
Three Books, Any CategorySix Books, Any CategoryTwelve Books, One from Each Category
I’m going to go with the first option reading three from any category. The categories are:
Biography Travel Self-helpEssay Collection - White Negroes by Lauren Michele JacksonDisease OceanographyHobbies Indigenous CulturesFoodWartime ExperiencesInventions - Strange Frequencies by Peter BebergalPublished in 2021 - Four Hundred Souls edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha N. Blain...
I'm happy to see Karen at Books and Chocolate is doing the Back to the Classics Challenge, again this year. Hopefully I'll complete all 12 categories.
From Books and Chocolate:
THE CATEGORIES: (My potential reads are in italics, but they’re open to change.)
1. 19th Century Classic. Middlemarch by George Eliot
2. 20th Century Classic. Anatomy of a Murder by Robert Traver
3. Classic by a Woman Author. High Rising by Angela Thirkell
4. Classic in Translation. The Odyssey by Homer
5. Classic by BIPOC Author. Passing by Nella Larsen
6. Classic by a New-to-You Author. Death Comes for the Archbishop by Willa Cather
7. New-To-You Classic by a Favorite Author. A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie
8. A Classic About an Animal, or with an Animal in the Title. Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien
9. A Children's Classic. The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
10. A Humorous or Satirical Classic. Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
11. A Travel of Adventure Classic (fiction or non-fiction). Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan...
The Christmas Spirit Reading Challenge started yesterday Monday, November 23. I love reading Christmassy stories. Thanks to Michelle at Christmas Spirit and Seasons of Reading for hosting.
Details:
challenge will run from Monday, November 23, 2020 through January 6, 2021 (Twelfth Night or Epiphany).cross over with other challenges is totally permitted AND encouraged!These must be Christmas novels, books about Christmas lore, a book of Christmas short stories or poems, books about Christmas crafts, and a children’s Christmas books level!
I’m aiming for the Christmas Tree level, which is 5 or 6 books.
This year, the challenge is running in tandem with the Christmas Spirit Readathon. You don’t have to read only Christmas/holiday books during the readathon, but hopefully you will pick up at least one holiday tale.
Books Finished:
The Hour of Death by Jane WillanThe Christmas Train by David BaldacciAn English Murder by Cyril HareThe Finishing Stroke by Ellery QueenA Resolution at Midnight by Shelley NobleMurder at an Irish Christmas by Carlene O'ConnorMistletoe Murder by...
Bonfires.
Gourds.
Sweaters and seasonal socks and candles.
It’s the perfect time of year to curl under a blanket with a book an a cup of hot chocolate. And if those books are mystery or gothic or horror, all the better.
Both the FrightFall and RIP XV started yesterday.
The FrightFall Readathon is sponsored by Michelle at Seasons of Reading. Remember, the one main "rule" of FrightFall is that you must read ONE scary book (which can be a thriller, mystery, Gothic novel, or similar for those who, like me, are faint of heart). The rest of the month? Keep reading scary if you want, or read whichever genre you choose. The hashtag is #FrightFall.
RIP XV is hosted by @perilreaders on instagram and twitter. As always, the purpose of the R.I.P. Challenge is to enjoy books that could be classified as:
MysterySuspenseThrillerDark FantasyGothicHorrorSupernatural
The hashtag is #RIPXV.
Clearly, most of what I read this season will fit these challenges.
These are the books I read:
A Conspiracy...
The Sci-Fi Summer Readathon wraps up this evening. Thanks, Michelle, for hosting again this year.
I finished several books:
Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan; finished June 8, reviewBishop to Queen by Lexy Wolfe; finished June 10, review coming in JulyFinder by Suzanne Palmer; finished June 15, reviewThe Caledonian Gambit by Dan Moren; finished June 22, review“Pilot Error” by Dan Moren; finished June 22A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine; finished June 22, review
And started a couple that I haven't quite finished yet:
Westside by W.M. AkersThe Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
My favorite was A Memory Called Empire. I loved the world-building and the characters. It's also one of the finalists for this year's Hugo Award.
My least favorite was Bishop to Queen. I didn't really connect with any of the characters and the story itself wasn't full enough for me....
