Chaitra’s Comments (group member since Apr 29, 2012)

Chaitra’s comments from the Crazy Challenge Connection group.

Hot & Cold
Duration: Jun 01, 2025 - Nov 30, 2025

I get a bit of a whiplash with the coming of summer - I like the idea of summer, because I love dresses and flipflops and the beach, but when I go out and meet the actual reality of the heat I start longing for sweater weather. So anyway, this is a challenge that combines both. To finish, read a book that fits every task.

The Challenge


1. The Ring of Fire is a zone in the Pacific basin where three-quarters of Earth’s active volcanoes lie.
🔥Read a book whose cover shows a ring-shape (post the cover) -or- read a book set in a country with an active volcano (tell us where your book is set).

2. During the last ice age 11,500 years ago, one-third of Earth’s surface was covered in ice. Today, ice only covers one-tenth.
❄️Read a book whose cover shows a snowy/icy landscape (post the cover) -or- read a book whose position on your TBR is within the first one-tenth of your TBR sorted by date added (that is, if your TBR has 1000 books, your chosen book must be within the first 100 sorted by date added. Tell us the position of your book and the number of books on your TBR).

3. One-third of all the lava that has erupted from Earth in the past 500 years has flowed out of Iceland.
🔥Read a book set in a country that ends with -land (tell us where your book is set) -or- read a book with fire prominently shown on the cover (post the cover).

4. 90% of all recovered meteorites come from Antarctica because weather conditions preserve them, and because they’re easy to spot on ice.
❄️Read a non-fiction science book (bonus for astronomy books that mention meteorites) -or- read a book whose cover shows only one object against a light background (something like these: ; post the cover).

5. Currently holding the title for the World’s hottest Chili pepper is Pepper X, measured at its max at 3.18 million Scoville Heat Units (SHU). In comparison, jalapeno peppers are between 2,000-8,000 SHUs.
🔥Read a book whose cover shows a savory food (post the cover) -or- read a book you’d consider hot for whatever reason (tell us why).

6. Snow Cones sold during the Great Depression were called “hard times sundaes” because they were cheap to make.
❄️Read a book set during the years of Depression (1929-1939 inclusive; tell us when your book is set) -or- read a book with a dessert on the cover (post the cover).

7. The surface temperature on Venus, the hottest planet in our solar system, is 854 °F.
🔥Read a book with a woman’s name in the title -or- read a book set in outer space.

8. Water boils at ten degrees above freezing on Mars.
❄️Read a book with a man’s name in the title -or- read a book which is set in cold weather.

9. Rarely seen Fire tornadoes occur when intense heat and turbulent winds spur whirling currents of air, called eddies. The eddies form a tornado like structure that sucks in burning debris.
🔥Read a book set in a state in tornado alley (for the purpose of this task, use only: Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Kansas, South Dakota, Iowa and Nebraska. Tell us where your book is set) -or- read a book where a character is an Eddie (reasonable variations like Ed, Eddy, Edward are okay, cats called Eddie are also fine, no Teds though).

10. When lightning occurs with a snowstorm it’s called Thundersnow.
❄️Read a book in which a snowstorm is important to the plot -or- read a book whose title contains a compound word.

11. For a few years, there was a public swimming pool called the Secret Pool in the Mojave Desert. It was free to use, doubled as an art installation, and you needed permission (and the GPS coordinates for the Pool itself) from the West Hollywood Art Institute to use it.
🔥Read a book in which the main character is a visual artist of some kind (tell us their medium) -or- read a book in which the location of something is a secret the characters need to find (like a secret lair, someone’s hideout etc., tell us how your book fits, use spoilers if needed).

12. Icehotel in Sweden is made from a mixture of snow and ice and is rebuilt each year. The hotel, including the chairs and beds, is constructed from snow and ice blocks taken from the nearby Torne River.
❄️Read a book set mostly in a hotel/inn/b&b -or- read a book with a chair or bed on the cover (post the cover).

13. Oriental fire-bellied toads show their true colors when they feel under threat. Green on top with black spots, they reveal their bright red belly by arching their back or flipping over as a warning to predators.
🔥Read a book in which the main character defends themselves against an attacker successfully -or- read a book with a predominantly red cover (post the cover).

14. Wood frogs have special antifreeze-like chemicals in and around their cells that allow them to nearly freeze solid, then hop back to life after they thaw.
❄️Read a book in which a character wakes up from a coma or returns after being thought dead (tell us who, use spoilers if needed) -or- read a book with a predominantly brown cover (post the cover).

15. Every year, there is a solar egg frying contest in Arizona. Contestants try to fry an egg on a sidewalk – often using mirrors, magnifying glasses and other contraptions to help the egg cook faster.
🔥Read a book whose cover shows a sidewalk, mirror or magnifying glass (post the cover) -or- read a book in which a speaking character is a professional cook (tell us who).

16. In 1905, an 11-year-old named Frank Epperson left a soda-filled cup with a stick in on his porch on a cold night. He called the result an Epsicle. When he grew up and had kids, they called it a Popsicle. Frank then patented the name.
❄️Read a book whose main character is a parent -or- read a book in which something is invented (tell us what).

17. Energy from lightning heats the air up to 60,000 °F. That’s six times hotter than the surface temperature of the sun.
🔥Read book #6 of a series (tell us the series) -or- read a book whose cover shows lightning (post the cover).

18. An iceberg is a chunk of ice larger than 16 ft across. Bergy bits are chunks less than 16 ft. Growlers are chunks less than 6.6 ft across.
❄️Read a book whose author’s first and last initials are found in BERGY BITS -or- read a book with a dog that looks like a growler on the cover (post the cover).

19. The hottest temperature ever recorded on Earth is 134.1 °F recorded on 10 July 1913 at Furnace Creek Ranch, in Death Valley in Eastern California.
🔥Read a book set in California -or- read a book whose page count contains 2 of the numbers: 1, 3, 4 (tell us the page count).

20. The lowest temperature ever directly recorded at ground level on Earth is -128.6 °F at the then Soviet Vostok Station in Antarctica on 21 July 1983 by ground measurements.
❄️Read a book set in any of the former Soviet Union states (tell us where the book is set) -or- read a book first published in the 1980s (tell us when the book was published).

21. The ritual of walking on hot coals has been around for thousands of years. While the coals reach temperatures of around 1,000 °F, most people aren’t badly injured because only a small amount of heat transfers to their feet.
🔥Read a book that is like the equivalent of walking on hot coals for you (sorry, but hopefully you’re not burned too badly) -or- read a book whose cover shows feet (animal paws are fine; but chair legs are not; post the cover).

22. A brain freeze has nothing to do with your brain. It occurs when the blood vessels in your head swell.
❄️Read a book in which a speaking character practices medicine (tell us who and what they do) -or- read a book with blood on the cover (post the cover).

23. The Sahara is the world’s largest hot desert. It is almost as big as the United States.
🔥Read a book set in Africa (tell us where your book is set) -or- read a book with sand dunes shown on the cover (post the cover).

24. Antarctica is the world's largest cold desert, made up of 98% continental ice sheet and 2% barren rock. Some of the barren rock is to be found in the so-called Dry Valleys of Antarctica that almost never get snow.
❄️Read a book with at least one scene set in Antarctica -or- read a book in which no snow falls.


CHALLENGE RULES - PLEASE READ!
See this thread for more detailed rules for CCC challenges.

❖ If you want to participate in a challenge, sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.

❖ Books must be at least 150 pages long (unless they are graphic novels, see below) and may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged.

❖ Graphic novels must be at least 300 pages long, but two books can be combined to make up the page count as long as they both meet the same criteria.

❖ For each book you read, please post a link to the title and mention the author and the date you finished reading it. If a challenge task gives several options, make it clear which option you’ve chosen. If the task calls for an item/color on the cover, include a link to the book cover.* If it’s not obvious from the book title or cover, be sure to explain how your book fits the task. If you don’t, you won’t get credit for completing that task.

❖ If you want the challenge moderator to verify those books as you post them, please copy/paste your update into a new message. If you do this while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your formatting, etc. too. It will make it easier on the moderators if we won't have to scroll back through the entire thread looking for "message #15," or to follow links back to an original post.

❖ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read :) If you don’t repost your list, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.

❖ Rereads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book and not just skim the best portions! :)

* If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions HERE.

Finished.

This Very Day

Duration: Apr 01, 2025 - Sep 30, 2025
Completed: 22/22

✔ 1. 1807 - British Parliament abolished the slave trade in the West Indies
Read a book set in a place/time that still had slavery (tell us when/where).
James | Percival Everett ★★★★ (04/26/25)
Missouri, just before the Civil War.

✔ 2. 1911 - The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire happened in NYC killed 146 people, most of them young women
Read a book set in New York City.
Come Hell or Highball | Maia Chance ★ (04/03/25)

✔ 3. 1306 - Robert the Bruce was crowned king of Scotland
Read a book set in the United Kingdom (tell us where).
Real Tigers | Mick Herron ★★★★ (04/02/25)
London

✔ 4. 2021 - Children's author Beverly Cleary died at the age of 104
Read a YA or children's book -and- a book where a female character is a writer (tell us who).
The Hanging Hill | Chris Grabenstein ★★★ (04/12/25)
Incidentally, Zack’s stepmom Judy is a children’s author.

✔ 5. 1942 - Aretha Franklin was born
Read a book where every letter in R E S P E C T can be found in the title.
Perfect Storm | Paige Shelton ★★ (04/16/25)
PERfECT Storm.

✔ 6. 2002 - A 6.1 magnitude earthquake rocked Afghanistan
Read a book with both the numbers "2" and "0" in the page count, (post the count).
Death Bee Comes Her | Nancy CoCo ★ (04/08/25)
320 pages.

✔ 7. 1975 - King Faisal (Saudi Arabia) was murdered by his nephew
Read a book that has a murder as part of the plot line.
Tourist Season | Carl Hiaasen ★★ (04/01/25)

✔ 8. 1947 - Sir Elton John was born
Read an LGBTQ book (MPG).
A Drop of Corruption | Robert Jackson Bennett ★★★★★ (05/14/25)

✔ 9. 1934 - Feminist icon Gloria Steinem was born
Read a book with a senior citizen female as a main character (tell us who).
Miss Julia Speaks Her Mind | Ann B. Ross ★★★ (04/17/25)
Miss Julia

✔ 10. 1655 - Titan, the largest moon of Saturn, was discovered
Read a book with an MPG of Science Fiction.
The Third Rule of Time Travel | Philip Fracassi ★ (04/12/25)

✔ 11. 451 - Traditional founding date of the city of Venice
Read a book set in a place with a pretty wet climate (tell us where).
The Return of Ellie Black | Emiko Jean ★ (04/28/25)
Pacific Northwest.

✔ 12. 1918 - French composer Claude Debussy died at 55
Read a book where music plays a role (tell us how your book fits).
The Fortress of Solitude | Jonathan Lethem ★★ (04/11/25)
A major character is a singer in a soul group. The main character is a music writer and radio DJ.

✔ 13. 1965 - Martin Luther King Jr., and other civil rights activists made it to Montgomery from Selma (Alabama)
Read a book set in the American South (tell us where).
The English Breakfast Murder | Laura Childs ★★★ (04/10/25)
Charleston, South Carolina.

✔ 14. 1954 - RCA manufactured the first color television set
Read a book with a colorful cover (post the cover).
Cat Got Your Killer | Sofie Ryan ★★★★ (04/08/25)


✔ 15. 1939 - Billboard started the "hillbilly" (country) music chart
Read a book set in a rural environment (tell us where).
Birnam Wood | Eleanor Catton ★★ (04/07/25)
Korowai.

✔ 16. 1961 - Elvis Presley takes the stage again in Pearl Harbor
Read a book set in a place with a lot of name recognition (Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, Paris, the Moon, Burger King, etc., tell us where).
Appointment with Death | Agatha Christie ★★ (04/09/25)
Petra.

✔ 17. 1954 - "From Here to Eternity" wins best picture at the Oscars, and William Holden/Audrey Hepburn take home best actor/actress.
Read a book with a character who is an actor/actress (tell us who).
Shadow Of Doubt | Nancy Cole Silverman ★★ (04/06/25)
Amber, Clarissa

✔ 18. 1993 - Wendy's founder Dave Thomas gets his GED at age 60
Read a book with a main character you think of as successful (tell us why).
Deadly Assessments | Drew Hayes ★★★★★ (04/05/25)
Fred, he’s a successful accountant, has a really powerful clan and gets things done.

✔ 19. 1941 - Yugoslavia joins the Axis powers
Read a book where any word in the title starts with the letter "Y."
Yeast of Eden | Sarah Fox ★★ (04/24/25)

✔ 20. 1958 - Sugar Ray Robinson wins the middleweight title
Read a book featuring a sporting event (tell us what).
Shadow of a Bull | Maia Wojciechowska ★★★★ (04/03/25)
Bullfighting

✔ 21. 1957 - Allen Ginsburg's book, "Howl," is seized by U.S. Customs officials amid allegations it was obscene
Read a book with a one-word title.
Solaris | Stanisław Lem ★★ (04/17/25)

✔ 22. 2184 - Purported birthday of Pavel Chekhov, beloved Star Trek character.
Read any book you like.
A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs That Made Our Brains | Max Solomon Bennett ★★★★ (04/04/25)

*** Completed (05/14/25) ***

Finished.

Countries of the World #8: Liechtenstein

Duration: Mar 01, 2025 - Mar 31, 2025
Completed: 10/6+

✔ Country: Liechtenstein
🚩Read a book whose title starts with a letter in LIECHTENSTEIN (ignore A, An and The or equivalent if not English).
Shift: Managing Your Emotions—So They Don't Manage You | Ethan Kross ★★★★ (03/04/25)

Stats

✔ Capital: Vaduz
🚩Read a book whose author's first and last initials are in the word VADUZ (letters can only be used as many times as they appear in the word).
The Sayers Swindle | Victoria Abbott ★★★ (05/04/25)

✔ Population: 40,015 (2023 estimate)
🚩Read a book whose total number of pages contain at least 2 of the numbers in the population (tell us the page count).
Your Brain on Art: How the Arts Transform Us | Susan Magsamen & Ivy Ross ★★ (03/10/25)
304 pages.

✔ Area: 61.97 sq mi
🚩Read a book whose year it was first published has at least 2 of the numbers in the area (tell us the year published).
The Club Dumas | Arturo Pérez-Reverte ★ (03/05/25)
1993.

Trivia

✔ 1. Prince Johann Adam Andreas I von Liechtenstein
🚩Read a book in which a major character has at least 3 names, not including the last name (tell us their full name).
Royal Flush | Rhys Bowen ★ (03/03/25)
Georgie is Victoria Georgiana Charlotte Eugenie.

✔ 2. Vaduz Castle
🚩Read a book that was first published in August of any year (tell us when the book was published).
A Troubling Tail | Laurie Cass ★★★★ (03/08/25)
Aug 01, 2023.

✔ 3. Absolute Monarchy
🚩Read a book with a king or emperor as an important character (a biography of a monarch is fine).
Babylonia | Costanza Casati ★★ (03/09/25)
One of the MCs is Ninus, the Assyrian emperor.

✔ 4. Golden Boos
🚩Read a book in which the main character has a sidekick.
Summer of a Thousand Pies | Margaret Dilloway ★★★ (03/03/25)
Cady & Jay.

✔ 5. No Army
🚩Read a book in which the main character who has served or is currently serving in their country’s military (tell us which country and branch).
National Security | Marc Cameron ★★ (03/01/25)
Jericho is USAF and Jacques is a Marine.

✔ 6. No Airports
🚩Read a book set in a location you don’t want to visit (tell us where and why you don’t want to visit, fantasy locations are fine as long as the reason you don’t want to visit is not because it’s fantasy).
We Do Not Part | Han Kang ★★ (03/03/25)
South Korea. I’m sure it’s beautiful and it was on my list until recently, but I visited Singapore last year and found that as someone with a soy allergy I was a little too close to anaphylaxis every time I ate out. I survived Singapore with a few scares and a bottle of Benadryl, but Korea/Japan/China are pretty much off my bucket list.

*** Completed (05/04/25) ***

Congrats, Ellen!

Congrats, Vickie!

Congrats, Robin!

Congrats, Joann!

Congrats, Amanda!

Mary-Megan wrote: "Next Guess:

M6 - Once a Laird by Mary Jo Putney [368 pages] (5/20)"

M6 is a hit.

Barb wrote: "Chaitra wrote: "HR : May 24, 2025: Read the FIRST book on your TBR whose cover shows jewelry or a gemstone (post the cover)."

Oh ugh. This has always been one of my least favorite tasks. I'll be b..."

Mine as well. I have so many covers with women on them so I end up squinting at them like a creep in the odd chance that the women are wearing jewelry and then nope. I always go for royalty books in this case lol, they're good for a gem or two at least.

Meg wrote: "Movie star ==> Alyssa Maxwell - Murder at Rough Point 05/17

Hanging (pennant string) ==> A Village Fete Murder, Katie Gayl..."

The murderer is not the movie star.

opine

Congrats, Joann!

Congrats, Robin! I've got your link moved!

I think this one is the first unambiguous cover I found that shows jewelry:

#116: by Alexandre Dumas.

Today's callout:

HR : May 24, 2025: Read the FIRST book on your TBR whose cover shows jewelry or a gemstone (post the cover).

smile

Mabeelle wrote: "Guess #12

Suspect: Computer programmer (MA)
C'est le cœur qui lâche en dernier by Margaret Atwood - 05/15/2025

Cause of Death: Vehicle (car)
[book:La Société très secrète des sorc..."

The murder was not by vehicle.

Michelle wrote: "GUESS #5

SUSPECT - 2. Postal workeR (RP) - Fashionably Flawed by Robyn Peterman - 5/18/25
CAUSE OF DEATH - 2. Stabbing - Spider's Revenge by [autho..."

The murder was not at Secret Garden.

Meg wrote: "Landscaper ==> Deanna Chase - Haunted on Bourbon Street 05/13

Stabbing ==> The Soggy Cannoli Murder, M P Black 05/16..."

The murder was not at Silicon Valley.