Chaitra’s
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(group member since Apr 29, 2012)
Chaitra’s
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from the Crazy Challenge Connection group.
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Old, Obsolete and Obscure Words #4 - Food and DrinkDuration: May 01, 2025 - ?
Completed: 26/26
✔ A is for AFTERMELK: Read a book which involves politics in some way.
The Glass Key | Dashiell Hammett ★★ (05/21/25)
The main characters are dirty politicians and do all the evil things they do to win elections.
✔ B is for BLANC MANGER/BLAMANG/BLOMANGER/BLAMANGER: Read a book that has a predominantly white cover (post the cover).
A Lethal Lesson | Iona Whishaw ★★★★ (05/16/25)
✔ C is for CHASTLETES: Read a book that seems open-ended or ‘unfinished’ in some way (briefly tell us why).
Conclave | Robert Harris ★★★ (05/09/25)
The pope who is elected at the end has a secret that has enormous implications to the papacy and the church should it ever be revealed, and we’re just left with the secret and basically the book says oh well, que será será. Which was deeply unsatisfying.
✔ D is for DUBBATTE: Read a book in which someone is learning or struggling with a new language (tell us who and the language).
Fellowship of Fear | Aaron Elkins ★ (05/27/25)
Gideon, German. He has only a rudimentary knowledge of it.
✔ E is for ENDORE: Read a book that features an artist (bonus for a painter) (tell us who).
My Friends | Fredrik Backman ★★★★★ (05/20/25)
The Artist and Louisa – both painters.
✔ F is for FARCE: Read a book that is marked HUMOUR (or HUMOR) on its GR mainpage.
Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) | Jesse Q. Sutanto ★★★★ (05/05/25)
✔ G is for GALENTYN/GALENTYNE/GALYNTYN/GALYNTYNE/GALYTYNE: Read a book that has a title word that has more than one common meaning (e.g. ‘galentyn’ means both ‘a hot sauce’ and ‘a cold jelly’ and ‘crane’ could mean ‘a large bird’ or ‘a machine that lifts objects,’ etc.).
Chapter and Curse | Elizabeth Penney ★★ (05/03/25)
Chapter: a main division of a book or a period of time or an episode.
✔ H is for HORSE BREAD: Read a book in which someone is particularly rich or someone is particularly poor (tell us who).
Foundryside | Robert Jackson Bennett ★★★★ (05/23/25)
Sancia is extremely poor, Dandolo is extremely rich.
✔ I is for IOWTES: Read a book that has two or three co-protagonists (or a protagonist with one or two important sidekick(s)) (tell us who).
My Friends | Fredrik Backman ★★★★★ (05/20/25)
Fennell, Conway and Zanele.
✔ J is for JENEVER/GENEVA: Read a book in which a speaking character works in a medical field (tell us who).
An American in Scotland | Lucy Connelly ★★★ (05/18/25)
Emilia is a doctor.
✔ K is for KYCHOUN/KECHEN: Read a book with an important character who makes food for their job (tell us who).
Murder at Gulls Nest | Jess Kidd ★★★ (05/12/25)
Irene is Gulls Nest’s cook.
✔ L is for LETLARDYS/LETELORYE: Read a book with a compound word in its title.
Long Overdue at the Lakeside Library | Holly Danvers ★★ (05/17/25)
✔ M is for MAWMENEE/MAMMENYE/MAMMENE/MAUMENEE/MAWMENNY/ MAWMENYE: Read a book in which something strange, unexpected, or unusual occurs (using spoilers if needed briefly tell us what).
Song of Susannah | Stephen King ★★★ (05/08/25)
The whole of Susannah’s plot arc in this book is strange – she’s carrying the Crimson King’s child, but really it’s not her carrying it, it’s a demon that’s also part of her. It’s an accelerated pregnancy and because it’s inside her head (and in the demon) she can hit the brakes on it when she wants at least for a few hours. It’s super weird.
✔ N is NALE, NAPPY ALE, NAZY, and NIP/NYP: Read a book with an alcoholic drink shown clearly on its cover (bonus for ale/beer) (post the cover).
Shot Through the Book | Eva Gates ★★★ (05/24/25)
The spilled glass of wine.
✔ O is for OTEMELE: Read a book that has a title word that is spelled differently than it sounds.
A Midsummer Night's Scheme | Harper Kincaid ★ (05/17/25)
✔ P is for PAIN DE MAYNE/PAYNDEMAYN: Read a book in which someone lives in a manor or a posh/fancy home (tell us who and where they live).
A Murder of Crows | Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ★ (05/25/25)
Nell lives in a posh home that looks like it’s out of Architectural Digest apparently.
✔ Q is for QUINKINS: Read a book that has spirits or similar beings (e.g. ghost, phantoms, etc.).
The Dark Tower | Stephen King ★★★★★ (06/10/25)
Demons.
✔ R is for RUAYN/RUAYNE/REWEN/ROWEN: Read a book that is the second book of a series or trilogy (tell us the series/trilogy).
The Sayers Swindle | Victoria Abbott ★★★ (05/04/25)
Book Collector Mystery #2.
✔ S is for SEWE/SEW, SIPPETS, and SOPPES/SOWPES/SOWPYS: Read a book in which someone eats soup (bonus if they have it with bread) (tell us who and the type of soup they ate).
Under the Midnight Sun | Keigo Higashino ★★★★ (06/05/25)
Tomohiko eats miso soup with rice. No bread.
✔ T is for TALEMOUSE: Read a book with something triangular shown clearly on its cover (post the cover).
A Cold, Cold World | Elena Taylor ★★★ (06/15/25)
The top of the mountain.
✔ U is for UMBLES/NUMBLES/HUMBLES: Read a book in which someone or something being inside something is important to the book (use your interpretation) (using spoilers if needed tell who/what is in what).
A Drop of Corruption | Robert Jackson Bennett ★★★★★ (05/14/25)
Din needs to go inside the Shroud, a dangerous, eerie place, to interview the coworkers of the suspected killer.
✔ V is for VERJUICE/VERIOUS/VERIAWS/VARIOUS/VERGOUS: Read a book that has a predominantly green cover (post the cover).
Death at the Manor | Katharine Schellman ★★ (05/29/25)
✔ W is for WORM CASTLE: Read a book that is set during a real or fictional war (bonus for US Civil War) (tell us the war).
Suite Française | Irène Némirovsky ★★★ (05/22/25)
World War II.
✔ X is for XYLOCARP: Read a book from a short series (five or fewer books) of an ended series (e.g. the author died or indicated they are no longer writing those books; it has been many years since the last one was published; it was planned to be a small number of books, like a trilogy; etc.). (tell us the series and number of books).
Read or Alive | Nora Page ★★★ (05/04/25)
Bookmobile Mysteries #3. It’s the last book in the series – the author seems to have abandoned the series.
✔ Y is for Y-: Read a book marked ‘HISTORICAL’ or ‘HISTORICAL FICTION’ on its GR main page.
A Body at a Boarding School | Benedict Brown ★★★★★ (05/09/25)
✔ Z is ZEOÞ/ZEOÞEN/SEEÞ/SEÞEN: Read a book that you found to be a ‘slow simmer’ (tell us how).
Moby-Dick | Herman Melville ★★★ (05/16/25)
I mean, it takes forever and a day to get to the whale.
***Completed (06/15/25) ***
Congrats, L&M!
image
Congrats, Angel!
Welcome to the challenge, Frankie!
I'll do Level 3, using moderator's lists.Listopia 2025
Duration: May 01, 2025 - Apr 30, 2026
Completed: 0/72
May
Chosen List: Best Crime and Mystery Books
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NEW CHALLENGE ALERT!!!
Countries of the World #10 - CubaDuration: May 01, 2025 - May 31, 2025
Completed: 10/6+
✔ Country: Cuba
🚩Read a book whose title starts with a letter in CUBA (ignore A, An and The or equivalent if not English).
Chapter and Curse | Elizabeth Penney ★★ (05/03/25)
Stats
✔ Capital: Havana
🚩Read a book whose author's first and last initials are in the word HAVANA (letters can only be used as many times as they appear in the word).
The Sayers Swindle | Victoria Abbott ★★★ (05/04/25)
✔ Population: 11,089,511 (2022 census)
🚩Read a book whose total number of pages contain at least 2 of the numbers in the population (tell us the page count).
The Mill on the Floss | George Eliot ★★ (05/02/25)
579 pages.
✔ Area: 42,800 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).
Sweetland | Michael Crummey ★★ (05/11/25)
Pub. 2014
Trivia
✔ 1. Almendrones
🚩Read a book whose cover shows a car prominently (post the cover; bonus for a vintage model).
Run for the Hills | Kevin Wilson ★★★★ (06/30/25)
✔ 2. Cuban Missile Crisis
🚩Read a book that you added to your TBR between 16 and 28th of October of any year (tell us the year).
Truth of the Divine | Lindsay Ellis ★★ (08/15/25)
Added Oct 21, 2021.
✔ 3. Rumba
🚩Read a book with a protagonist of African descent (who could live anywhere).
Song of Susannah | Stephen King ★★★ (05/08/25)
Susannah is African-American.
✔ 4. Bee Hummingbird
🚩Read a book with either a bee or a bird shown prominently on the cover (post the cover).
A Murder of Crows | Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ★ (05/25/25)
✔ 5. Ernest Hemingway
🚩Read a book in which the main character is an author of novels.
Endling | Maria Reva ★★★★★ (06/29/25)
One of the main characters is the author, who writes novels.
✔ 6. Ice cream
🚩Read a book in which a spaceship is used for whatever reason.
The Last Colony | John Scalzi ★★★ (05/28/25)
Science fiction space opera.
*** Completed (08/15/25) ***
Reserved for PARTICIPANTSThe link below will take you directly to your post.
♦♦ Finishers ♦♦
Lali & Michelle 🚩(05/11/25)
Angel 🚩(05/13/25)
Joann 🚩(05/22/25)
Olivermagnus 🚩(05/20/25)
Frankie 🚩(05/23/25)
Meg 🚩(05/23/25)
Patrizia 🚩(05/27/25)
Mary! 🚩(05/31/25)
Jimena 🚩(06/28/25)
Karen 🚩(07/17/25)
Amanda K 🚩(07/18/25)
Chaitra 🚩(08/15/25)
♦♦♦♦
Marie-Anne
Robin
Ruth
Countries of the World #10: CubaDuration: May 01, 2025 - May 31, 2025
To finish, you will have to complete a total of six tasks, choosing at least four of the tasks from the Trivia section of the challenge. You do not have to choose the tasks beforehand; you can fill in as you go. You may choose to do all 10 tasks if you wish also. Happy reading!
(If you're wondering about the random, haphazard order of the countries, it's because my son is the one choosing the order).
CUBA
An island country located where the northern Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, and Atlantic Ocean meet.
🚩Read a book whose title starts with a letter in CUBA (ignore A, An and The or equivalent if not English).
Stats
- Capital: Havana
🚩Read a book whose author's first and last initials are in the word HAVANA (letters can only be used as many times as they appear in the word).
- Population: 11,089,511 (2022 census)
🚩Read a book whose total number of pages contain at least 2 of the numbers in the population (tell us the page count).
- Area: 42,800 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).
Trivia
1. Classic cars (called Almendrones) in Cuba are a national icon. Cuba was a top importer of American cars since 1919, helped along by American car companies that used Cuban roads to test track some of their vintage models. But when Fidel Castro took power in 1959, the US government imposed a trade embargo that made it impossible to access American cars and mechanical parts. It wasn’t until 2016 that the first new car entered the island from the US. And until 2014, Cubans were prohibited from buying and selling cars, except for a few specific cases. Cuba became a museum for these classic cars.
🚩Read a book whose cover shows a car prominently (post the cover; bonus for a vintage model) -or- read the first book of a series first published in 2016 (tell us the publication date and the series).
2. The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation between the governments of the United States and the Soviet Union, when American deployments of nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey was matched by Soviet deployments in Cuba. The crisis lasted from 16 to 28 October 1962. The confrontation is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into full-scale nuclear war.
🚩Read a book in which a nuclear missile is launched or is threatened to be launched -or- read a book that you added to your TBR between 16 and 28th of October of any year (tell us the year).
3. Rumba is a genre of Cuban music involving dance, percussion and song. It originated in the northern regions of Cuba, mainly in urban Havana and Matanzas, during the late 19th century. It is based on African music and dance traditions, namely Abakuá and yuka, as well as the Spanish-based coros de clave. Traditionally performed by poor workers of African descent in streets and solares (courtyards), rumba remains one of Cuba's most characteristic forms of music and dance.
🚩Read a book with a protagonist of African descent (who could live anywhere) -or- read a book in which an important character is a musician (tell us who and what they play).
4. The bee hummingbird or Helena hummingbird is a species of hummingbird, native to the island of Cuba. It is the smallest known bird. The bee hummingbird has a slender, pointed bill and feeds on nectar of flowers and bugs found in Cuba. Females weigh 2.6g and are 6.1 cm long, and are slightly larger than males, which have an average weight of 1.95g and length of 5.5 cm. Compared to other small hummingbirds, which often have a slender appearance, the bee hummingbird looks rounded and plump.
🚩Read a book that is small but mighty (your definition; tell us why your book works) -or- read a book with either a bee or a bird shown prominently on the cover (post the cover).
5. Writer Ernest Hemingway moved to Cuba in the 1930s, buying a house called Finca Vigia which would then become his home and office for some of the most important works of his career. He would live in this residence until 1960, just a year prior to his death. Hemingway wrote a large portion of For Whom the Bell Tolls, about the Spanish Civil War and all of The Old Man and the Sea, for which he would earn a Pulitzer Prize and a Nobel Prize for Literature. This was also a period in which the author took an interest in breeding cats.
🚩Read a book in which the main character is an author of novels -or- read a book that is described as Hemingwayesque (for the purpose of this task option, any book written by Hemingway is fine as well).
6. Cuba is crazy about ice cream, and there’s no better place to sample one than Coppelia. Located in Havana, Coppelia was originally built in 1966, when Fidel Castro, who was extremely interested in dairy products, commissioned it. The resulting ice cream compound was designed to look like a UFO, with long concrete spokes radiating from the top of the structure. In the early days, the store offered 26 flavors, rising to around 50 during Coppelia’s heydey. It has since aged, but it still serves thousands of scoops everyday to people lined up for an ensalada (five scoops in a bowl).
🚩Read a book with ice cream on the cover (post the cover) -or- read a book in which a spaceship is used for whatever reason.
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.
NEW CHALLENGE ALERT!!!
May 2025 Scavenger - May HolidaysDuration: May 01, 2025 - May 31, 2025
Completed: 11/7+
✔ May 1: National Mother Goose Day
💠Read a book with a bird shown prominently on its cover (post the cover).
A Murder of Crows | Sarah Yarwood-Lovett ★ (05/25/25)
✔ May 2: International Harry Potter Day
💠Read a book in which a speaking character is a politician (tell us who and what they are).
Shot Through the Book | Eva Gates ★★★ (05/24/25)
Connor is the mayor.
✔ May 4: Star Wars Day/May the Fourth.
💠Read a book first published on the 4th of any month (tell us the date).
The Mill on the Floss | George Eliot ★★ (05/02/25)
Pub. Apr 04, 1860.
✔ May 9: National Lost Sock Memorial Day.
💠Read a book in which something minor is lost (tell us what it is).
An American in Scotland | Lucy Connelly ★★★ (05/18/25)
A shawl.
✔ May 10: National Clean Up Your Room Day
💠Clean up your TBR - either read one of the first 10 books you added to your TBR.
Half of a Yellow Sun | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ★★ (07/14/25)
This was #1 on my TBR until I read it, added Jun 21, 2012.
✔ May 11: National Twilight Zone Day
💠Read a book that has paranormal elements in it (tell us what if not a spoiler).
Song of Susannah | Stephen King ★★★ (05/08/25)
Demon.
✔ May 12: National Limerick Day
💠Read a book marked Humor on its main page.
Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) | Jesse Q. Sutanto ★★★★ (05/05/25)
✔ May 14: National Dance Like a Chicken Day
💠Read a book in which there is a formal dance.
Murder at Brighton Beach | Lee Strauss ★★★ (06/02/25)
✔ May 21: Talk Like Yoda Day
💠Read a book with a character you think is wise -and- read a book whose main character's first name begins with a letter in YODA (tell us the name).
A Drop of Corruption | Robert Jackson Bennett ★★★★★ (05/14/25)
Wise character = Ana. YODA = Ana & Din.
✔ May 25: Towel Day
💠Read a book whose author has died (link to the author's GR page!)
Kidnapped | Robert Louis Stevenson ★★ (05/03/25)
✔ May 31: National Speak in Complete Sentences Day
💠Read a book whose title is a complete sentence.
K is for Killer | Sue Grafton ★★ (05/21/25)
*** Completed (07/14/25) ***
Reserved for PARTICIPANTSThe link below will take you directly to your post.
♦♦ Finishers! ♦♦
Lali & Michelle💠(05/11/25)
Catsalive💠(05/12/25)
Angel💠(05/15/25)
Jimena💠(05/16/25)
Robin💠(05/17/25)
Helen💠(05/17/25)
Mary!💠(05/21/25)
Barb💠(05/22/25)
Frankie💠(05/22/25)
Meg💠(05/24/25)
Richard💠(05/25/25)
Joann💠(05/25/25)
Olivermagnus💠(05/28/25)
Patrizia💠(05/29/25)
Bonita💠(05/30/25)
Tari💠(06/12/25)
Amanda 💠(07/01/25)
Chaitra💠(07/14/25)
♦♦♦♦
Aine
Barbara
Claire
Ruth
May 2025 Scavenger - May HolidaysDuration: May 01, 2025 - May 31, 2025
Here's a challenge based on some amusing/bookish/fun May holidays that caught my eye. Choose any seven to finish. You can choose as you go!
May 1: National Mother Goose Day. Dedicated to the beloved Mother Goose of nursery rhymes and stories.
💠Read a book whose title has words that rhyme -or- read a book with a bird shown prominently on its cover (post the cover).
May 2: International Harry Potter Day. This was Battle of Hogwarts day when Voldemort was finally defeated. In 2012, the then UK Prime Minister David Cameron officially dubbed the day International Harry Potter day.
💠Read the 7th book of a series (tell us the series) -or- read a book in which a speaking character is a politician (tell us who and what they are).
May 4: Star Wars Day/May the Fourth. May the Fourth has its origin in UK too. On May 4th, 1979, a day after Margaret Thatcher won the election for Prime Minister of UK, her party (the Tories) placed an ad in the Evening News saying "May the Fourth be With You, Maggie. Congratulations".
💠Read a book first published on the 4th of any month (tell us the date) -or- read a book in which a speaking character works at a newspaper (tell us who and what they do).
May 9: National Lost Sock Memorial Day. Honor all your lost socks on this day. May they find their way back to you!
💠Read a book in which something minor is lost (tell us what it is) -or- read a book whose cover shows unworn clothes (post the cover - bonus for socks).
May 10: National Clean Up Your Room Day. Ideally, everyday should be clean up your room day for my perpetually messy son, but I'll take one dedicated day.
💠Clean up your TBR - either read one of the first 10 books you added to your TBR or sort your TBR by Random and read the first book on the list (tell us which option you chose and when you added the book if you chose the first option).
May 11: National Twilight Zone Day. I've only watched an episode or two of the Twilight Zone, but the ride based on it - the Tower of Terror - is my absolute favorite ride in Hollywood Studios.
💠Read a book that has been made into a TV show (tell us which if it's not obvious) -or- read a book that has paranormal elements in it (tell us what if not a spoiler).
May 12: National Limerick Day. This is a holiday that coincides with the birthday of Edward Lear, who was a renowned poet of limericks.
💠Read a book marked Humor on its main page -or- read a book set in Ireland.
May 14: National Dance Like a Chicken Day. I have two left feet but even I can do the chicken dance.
💠Read a book in which there is a formal dance -or- read a book with a savory food on the cover (sorry chicken; post the cover).
May 21: Talk Like Yoda Day. On this day, spread wisdom like Yoda you can!
💠Read a book with content that you think is wise, or a character you think is wise -or- read a book whose main character's first name begins with a letter in YODA (tell us the name).
May 25: Towel Day. This one is a tribute to Douglas Adams, who in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy extols the humble towel's extraordinary virtues. On this day, fans openly carry a towel with them, because as they know, a person who struggles against terrible odds and still knows where their towel is is a person to be reckoned with.
💠Read a book with a towel (or sheet) on the cover (post the cover) -or- read a book whose author has died (link to the author's GR page!)
May 31: National Speak in Complete Sentences Day. A holiday dedicated to using proper sentence structure.
💠Read a book whose title is a complete sentence -or- read a book in which someone speaks ungrammatically (tell us who).
~
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.
creed
Res
Res
Song Track Spell - A Night at the Opera, QueenDuration: May 01, 2025 - Oct 31, 2025
Completed: 0/236
1. Death on Two Legs
2. Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon
3. I'm in Love with My Car
4. You're My Best Friend
5. 39 (spell out Thirty Nine)
6. Sweet Lady
7. Seaside Rendezvous
8. The Prophet's Song
9. Love of My Life
10. Good Company
11. Bohemian Rhapsody
12. God Save the Queen
Bonus choices:
A Night at the Opera
Brian May
Roger Taylor
John Deacon
Freddie Mercury
Congrats, Frankie!
