Fiona’s Comments (group member since Apr 01, 2023)

Fiona’s comments from the Bookish Challenges group.

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June 2025 - Moments that changed the world
4/4

June 6, 1944 – D-Day, Normandy Landings
2. Read a historical novel that captures the tension and triumph of a major battle or military operation.
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia August 2 - Historical Fiction with a magic battle

June 28, 1969 – The Stonewall Riots
1. Read a book featuring a LGBTQ+ character.
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong July 14 - MC is an LGBTQ+ character.

June 16, 1963 – Valentina Tereshkova, First Woman in Space
2. Read a book with a pioneering woman as a main character.
Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham September 2 - FMC is a pioneering writer given her time

June 18, 1940 – De Gaulle’s Appeal, Birth of the French Resistance
1. Read a novel set in France or in London.
Third Girl by Agatha Christie August 13 - set in London

Paint it up!

20/20


1. Mona Lisa by Leonardo da Vinci
b. Read a book which is tagged Best Books (>10 tags)
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong July 14 - tagged 20x

2. The Birth of Venus by Sandro Botticelli
a. Read a book with a birth scene in it
To Catch A Suitor by Sarah Adams July 21 - MC delivers her sister's baby

3. The Creation of Adam by Michelangelo Buonarroti
a. Read a book where someone is very religious
Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd August 9 - MC's father is a priest

4. The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci
a. Read a book with a betrayal involved
Do Not Disturb by Freida McFadden July 16 - betrayal in the form of cheating involved

5. Sacred and Profane Love by Tiziano Vecelli
a. Read a book with a wedding in it
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas July 16 - MC gets married

6. Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer
a. Read a book with an ear visible on the cover
The Break-Up Bet by Cat Carmine July 19 - ears visible on cover

7. Liberty Leading the People by Eugene Delacroix
a. Read a book with themes of revolution
Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine September 10 - there's a revolution at the radio station

8. The Madonna Litta by Leonardo da Vinci
a. Read a book with a student and a teacher in the story (as the baby in the painting is thought to be painted by Leonardo's student)
Die Stadt und ihre ungewisse Mauer by Haruki Murakami September 13 - MC is the student of the old library director

9. The School of Athens by Raffaello Santi
b. Read a book with a character having a secret identity
Sense and Suitability by Pepper Basham September 2 - FMC has a secret identity as a writer

10. The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder
a. Read a book with a building/tower on the cover
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas July 19 - tower on cover

11. The Kiss by Gustav Klimt
a. Read a book with a golden cover or gold in the title
The Golden Girls: Tales from the Lanai by Taylor Cole Miller September 22 - gold(en) in title

12. The Scream by Edvard Munch
b. Read a book which has induced fear and anxiety
Headless Hollow by Brooklyn Cross September 23 - scary dark romance

13. The Starry Night by Vincent van Gogh
b. Read a book with a very popular book (>200k ratings)
Beeren pflücken by Amanda Peters July 1 - 228,604 ratings

14. The Great Wave of Kanagawa by Katsushika Hokusai
a. Read a book with waves on cover
Der Leuchtturm am Ende der Welt by Jules Verne August 16 -

15. Impression, Sunrise by Claude Monet
a. Read a book with a beautiful day weather on cover
Obsession Falls by Claire Kingsley September 7 - beautiful weather on cover

16. Les Demoiselles d’Avignon by Pablo Picasso
b. Read a book which is divided into parts
The Bewitching by Silvia Moreno-Garcia August 2 - divided into parts (1908, 1934, 1998)

17. The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymous Bosch
b. Read a book with a character overcoming temptations
Der Donnerstagsmordclub und der unlösbare Code by Richard Osman October 8 - Connie overcomes the temptation of killing Ron

18. The Raft of the Medusa by Théodore Géricault
a. Read a book where someone undeserving is in a position of power (even for a brief moment)
The Plot Twist by Eleanor Goymer September 4 - Jake is a publisher in power who is doing a lot of shady and illegal things

19. The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali
b. Read a book which had a psychedelic experience
Atlas of Unknowable Things by McCormick Templeman October 1 - MC has a psychedelic experience after drinking something weird

20. Girl with Balloon by Banksy
a. Read a book with red cover
Ein Cookie für den Dämon by Annette Marie September 18 - 73.7% red

I'd like to try hard :)

DAY 5
📸 Investigation: Camila Rivas


Camila hasn’t said much since Javier died.
She’s barely slept, barely eaten—and won’t speak unless someone sits beside her long enough.
But when the ship’s officer gently asked what she remembered from that night, she finally whispered a few words.
Just enough to raise eyebrows… and more questions.

🗣️ Interrogation Snippet:
“He was in a mood that night,” Camila says, voice low. “Something about his phone... he said someone texted him something he didn’t like. He stormed off before I could ask.”

She hesitates. “Later, I heard loud voices near the pool. One of them sounded like Juliette. But I didn’t go check—I... I stayed in our cabin.”

A pause. “He wasn’t always like this, you know. I loved him once.”

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book where grief is a theme
2. Read a book with a strong female lead
3. Read a book involving secrets in a relationship

🏠 Step 2: Choose Your House Type
What kind of house do you want?

🏰 A Castle

10 points
1. Read a book featuring royalty 👑
2. Read a book with a dark or gothic setting 🖤
3. Read a book with a title that starts with "The" 📖

🌊 Beachfront Villa

7 points

🌳 Cabin in the Woods

5 points

🌆 Modern City Apartment

3 points

🏡 A Cozy Cottage

0 points

Surprise

0 points

🛏️ Step 4: Choose Your Bedroom
What vibe do you want in your sleeping space?

💎 Glamorous & Elegant

10 points
1. Read a book with a fancy or rich character 💎
2. Read a book with a jewel color on the cover (emerald, ruby, sapphire) 💚❤️💙
3. Read a book set in high society 🏛️

🌿 Bohemian & Relaxed

7 points

🌙 Dark & Mysterious

5 points

Soft & Pastel

3 points

🛸 Futuristic & High-Tech

0 points

Surprise

0 points

📸The Victim


The body has been identified: Javier Rivas, 34, newlywed.
Last seen at the pool bar the night before—laughing, drinking, charming everyone as usual.
Now, he’s gone, and his wife Camila can barely speak.
Some say he slipped.
Others are certain it wasn’t an accident.

🕵️‍♀️Tasks:
1. Read a book where a man dies
2. Read a book with an unreliable narrator or shifting perspectives
3. Read a book with tension between lovers or spouses

DAY 4
📸The Murder


Day Four.
The sky was clear. The sea was calm. The party was in full swing.
And then someone screamed.
A body has been found floating in the ship’s infinity pool—and this cruise just turned into a crime scene.

🕵️‍♀️Tasks:
1. Read a book where someone dies
2. Read a book that includes a mystery, thriller, or crime
3. Read a book with a shocking twist

📸Javier Rivas


Javier Rivas lights up every room he walks into.
He’s charming, confident, and always the first to suggest shots at the bar.
But he watches his wife like a hawk, and more than one guest has heard him raise his voice behind closed doors.
He says he loves her more than anything.
He just doesn’t like when she talks to strangers.

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book featuring a toxic or controlling relationship
2. Read a book with dual POVs or contrasting perspectives
3. Read a book where love and danger are intertwined

📸Camila Rivas


Camila Rivas is here on her honeymoon—but she doesn’t look like a woman in love.
She smiles when people talk to her, but her eyes keep flicking toward the nearest exit.
Guests have noticed she’s often alone, walking the ship in the early hours.
She told the spa staff she’s “just tired.”
But some things exhaustion can’t explain.

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book featuring a marriage or wedding
2. Read a book with a sad or emotionally complex female lead
3. Read a book where a relationship has secrets or tension

📸Captain Elias Monroe


Captain Elias Monroe has captained Euphoria of the Seas for over a decade. Calm under pressure and always in control, he’s respected by his crew and trusted by the guests.
But no one really knows him beyond his polished professionalism.
He’s rarely seen off duty, and when he is, he’s usually alone—staring at the sea like it’s holding a secret.
Maybe it is.

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book featuring a leader or authority figure
2. Read a book where the setting plays an important role
3. Read a book with a blue or white cover

DAY 2
📸Priya Kapoor


No one really noticed Priya Kapoor at first. She didn’t check in with the others and kept her distance during the welcome dinner. When someone asked where she was from, she just smiled and said, “Nowhere important.”
She claims she won a ticket in an online giveaway—but her name isn’t on any official list. And sometimes, it feels like she’s watching everyone just a little too closely...

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book with a mysterious female character
2. Read a book where someone is keeping a secret
3. Read a book with a one-word title

📸Juliette St. Clair


Juliette St. Clair is always camera-ready. With 1.2 million followers and a suitcase full of designer outfits, she’s here to turn the cruise into content. From unboxing her “Welcome Aboard” basket to flirting with the bartenders on live, she makes sure her audience doesn’t miss a thing.
But when the cameras are off, Juliette’s smile slips just a little. There’s something behind those sunglasses she doesn’t want anyone to see...

📚Tasks:
1. Read a book featuring a social media influencer or public figure
2. Read a book with a pink cover or glamorous vibe
3. Read a book with duality—someone who hides their true self

nadine wrote: "Book: I Leave It Up to You
Author: Jinwoo Chong
Date completed: 27-Jun
Task: A book by an author who writes in multiple genres.
How it fits: This book is romance/family, and his pr..."

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Natasha wrote: "Book: Tailchaser's Song
Author: Tad Williams
Date completed: 6/22/25
Task: 2. A book published before the year 2000.
How it fits: Published in 1985"

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July - Hot Reads


Level 1
✅1. A book you associate with “hot” topics or intense emotions.
✅2. A book released during summer (any year).
3. A book with a sunny, yellow, or orange cover.

Level 2
1. A book set during summer or in a warm location.
✅2. A book with a literal or metaphorical fire.
3. A book with a summer fling or vacation theme.

Level 3
1. A book with "fire," "heat," or "hot" in the title.
✅2. A book featuring a beach, island, or desert.
✅3. A book by an author from a tropical or hot climate.

July - Hot Reads


Level 1
1. A book you associate with “hot” topics or intense emotions.
2. A book released during summer (any year).
3. A book with a sunny, yellow, or orange cover.

Level 2
1. A book set during summer or in a warm location.
2. A book with a literal or metaphorical fire.
3. A book with a summer fling or vacation theme.

Level 3
1. A book with "fire," "heat," or "hot" in the title.
2. A book featuring a beach, island, or desert.
3. A book by an author from a tropical or hot climate.