Tanya Patrice’s Comments (group member since Dec 31, 2019)

Tanya Patrice’s comments from the Chapter Adventure Reading Challenges group.

Challenge complete!
I read Maame by Jessica George. This is an excellent read, but even better as an audiobook as the narrator really made the story come to life. If you liked Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, you'll love this.

Challenge complete! Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah.

Good read about a dystopian society where prisoners battle each other to the death in an effort to get one step closer to freedom.

Challenge Complete! I read Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah. Prisoners travel as Links in Chain-Gangs, competing in death-matches.

Complex, beautifully written, but brutal book.

Challenge Complete - Keyword - Found.
I read Lost in the Moment and Found by Seanan McGuire. This is #8 in the Wayward Children series - but can be read as a standalone. Enjoyed it a lot and glad the series continues.

Catching up on posting - Challenge Complete!
I read The Killing Floor by Lee Child which is 474 pages long (Paperback) and 17+ hours of audio (which is the format I used). I had seen the tv series on Prime video, and not sure why but I also wanted to read the book. It was pretty good - different from my normal fare, but I enjoyed it.

I'm late but Challenge Complete!
Finlay Donovan Knocks 'Em Dead by Elle Cosimano
=
Really enjoyed book 2 in the series, although it took a bit to get into it,

I'm reading Hidden Pictures ... which has trees on the cover ... close enough!

I think this is one of my most favorite challenge prompts - it was fun to see the different "directional" words everyone chose.

So many good books for this month! ... and unfortunately some not so good ones too :-) Keep the mojo going into next month!

Challenge complete! I read The Ink Black Heart by Robert Galbraith (a pseudonym of JK Rowling). I loved it. It's a Big Book at 1000+ pages but it held my attention. I will say there's definitely a critique / underlying subtext about internet culture / haters / trolls.

Now reading Black Cake, Charmaine Wilkerson - which is what I originally planned on reading.

Joosje wrote: "I read Blackout, a collection of love stories by YA authors about black teens, straight and queer, during a blackout in the summer New York. I loved it, it made me want..."

Loved Blackout too! Such an awesome book of connected short stories - although I didn't see all the connections at first.

Jennifer wrote: "Finished a second key word book for this month!
Heart-Shaped Box, by Joe Hill. I gave it 3 stars.
My review: *SPOILERS*"

I will say I liked Heart Shaped Box - for a next Joe Hill read go with NOS4A2 - loved that one, but didn't love Horns as much.

Laura wrote: "hello! I just found this group! I am going to read Alice in Wonderland for January."

Welcome!!

Dee wrote: "My first time taking part of this reading challenge and I must admit.... I'm nervous. I'm just trying to get back into reading. so I guess to start off January I will be reading The girl I was by J..."

Welcome Dee! No need to be nervous!! I look at it as a "challenge" to see how many months I can do - and no pressure on myself to do it all ... although that would be nice too :-)

Challenge complete! Carrie Soto is Back, Taylor Jenkins Reid. Wow - what a book! I loved it. My directional word is "back"

My plan is to read Carrie Soto Is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

2023 Monthly Key Words

JAN – Crown, Girl, Whisper, Black, Heart, Guide, All, Ever - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson
FEB – Please, Might, Return, Shy, Vanish, Book, Ash, Come - Come with Me, Ronald Malfi or Come Closer, Sara Gran or The Book of Koli, M.R. Carey
MAR – Crimson, Beyond, Friend, Cry, Wait, Six, Run, Woods - Six Crimson Cranes, Elizabeth Lim
APR – Vicious, Ask, Wind, Found, Circle, Broken, Beneath, Drown - Vicious, V.E. Schwab
MAY – Dragon, Day, Chain, Another, Thousand, Begin, Stolen, And - Liberation Day: Stories by George Saunders
JUN -Bridge, Everything, Blue, Why, First, Wild, Luck, Tomorrow - Wild and Wicked Things, Francesca May
JUL – Final, Clock, This, Way, Poison, Summer, Future, Kiss - Summer Sons, Lee Mandelo
AUG – Dangerous, Again, Best, Chase, How, Flower, Date, Together
SEP – Sign, With, Just, Lies, Grace, Enough, Sleep, Name - The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré
OCT – Old, After, Take, Shadow, Monster, Haunt, Darkness, Of - Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
NOV – Paris, Hidden, Sparrow, Realm, Two, Fair, Street, Say - Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore

DEC – Silver, Wish, Forgotten, Dance, Also, My, Fate, Dream - The Silver Linings Playbook, Matthew Quick

2023 Monthly Motif Challenge
JANUARY- New Year, New Direction - “Read a book with one, or more, ‘directional’ words in the title.” - Carrie Soto Is Back

FEBRUARY- If You Have A Garden and a Library… “Read a book with a plant or flower on the cover.” Hidden Pictures by Jason Rekulak

MARCH- Animal, Number, Color, Name - “Read a book with an animal, number, color, or name in the title.“ - The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin

APRIL- I Like Big Books - “Read a book over 400 pages long or listen to an audiobook over 14 hrs long.” The Diamond Eye by Kate Quinn

MAY- In It To Win It - “Read a book that involves a game or contest of some sort." Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah

JUNE- Take the Plunge - “Read a book from any genre that is set on or near a body of water.” Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

JULY- I Need Only One Word - “Read a book with only one word as the title.” Upgrade by Blake Crouch

AUGUST- A Book and a Song - “Read a book with the same title as a song you’ve heard.”

SEPTEMBER- Speculative Stories - “Read a book from the speculative fiction subgenre” - Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

OCTOBER- Spellbinding or Spooktacular - “Read a book that involves something spooky or magical or both.” Ghost 19 by Simone St. James

NOVEMBER- Around OR Out of this World - “Read a book set in a country other than the one you live in OR read a book that takes place in space or on another planet.”

DECEMBER- White-out - “Read a book with a wintery setting or a book with a mostly white cover.

Winners for the 2022 Anthony Awards honoring the best in crime fiction were announced on Sep. 19, 2022.

Best Novel
Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

Best First Novel
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia Manansala

Best Paperback/Ebook/Audiobook
Bloodline by Jess Lourey

Best Short Story
Not My Cross to Bear by S. A. Cosby

Best Anthology
This Time for Sure: Bouchercon Anthology 2021 by Hank Philippi Ryan

Best Critical/Non-Fiction
How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by Lee Child and Laurie R. King

Best Childrens/YA
I Play One on TV by Alan Orloff

Challenge complete! I read Best Novella - A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers which won a 2022 Hugo Award for Best Novella.

The winners of the 2022 Hugo Awards were announced Sunday, September 4th.

Best Novel - A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine
Best Novella - A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
Best Series - Wayward Children by Seanan McGuire
Best Graphic Story or Comic - Far Sector by N.K. Jemisin, art by Jamal Campbell
Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book - The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik