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

Chaitra’s comments from the Crazy Challenge Connection group.

I'm finished.

12 Days of Christmas

Duration: Nov 01, 2023 - ?
Completed: 78/78

🎄 1. A Partridge in a Pear Tree: Read a book whose title and an author initial (first or last) begins with a P.
Post Captain | Patrick O'Brian ★★ (11/06/23)

🎄 2. Two Turtle Doves: Read 2 books whose cover show birds prominently (show the cover).
- Birder, She Wrote | Donna Andrews ★★★★ (11/07/23)
- Let It Crow! Let It Crow! Let It Crow! | Donna Andrews ★★★★ (11/09/23)


🎄 3. Three French Hens: Read 3 books that have been translated from the French or are set in France. (Tell us which option your book fits, you don't have to stick with one option for all 3).
- Set in Paris. Mastering the Art of French Murder | Colleen Cambridge ★★★ (11/20/23)
- Set in Perigord. The Dark Vineyard | Martin Walker ★★★ (01/03/24)
- Set in Paris. Dark Star | Alan Furst ★★★ (01/08/24)

🎄 4. Four Calling Birds: Listen to 4 audiobooks (tell us the narrators).
- Ruth Urquhart. The Art of Betrayal | Connie Berry ★★★ (01/08/24)
- Ali Ahn, Morgan Hallett etc. Battleborn | Claire Vaye Watkins ★★ (01/09/24)
- Orlagh Cassidy. The Bees | Laline Paull ★ (01/11/24)
- Soneela Nankani. America for Beginners | Leah Franqui ★ (01/15/24)

🎄 5. Five Golden Rings: Read 5 books whose book's title or author's name contains an intact GOLD or RING.
- Yes, I Can Say That: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble | Judy Gold ★★ (02/01/24)
- Dead West | Matt Goldman ★★★ (02/03/24)
- The Whispering Skull | Jonathan Stroud ★ (03/02/24)
- Outofshapeworthlessloser: A Memoir of Figure Skating, F*cking Up, and Figuring It Out | Gracie Gold ★★★ (03/08/24)
- Wandering Stars | Tommy Orange ★★★★ (03/30/24)

🎄 6. Six Geese a-Laying: Read 6 books whose title contains at least one intact EE.
- The Mango Tree: A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony | Annabelle Tometich ★★★★★ (05/10/24)
- Now You See Me | Sharon J. Bolton ★★ (05/18/24)
- Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials | Ovidia Yu ★★★★ (05/18/24)
- These Fleeting Shadows | Kate Alice Marshall ★★★★ (05/19/24)
- The Deep Sky | Yume Kitasei ★ (05/19/24)
- I Cheerfully Refuse | Leif Enger ★★★★ (05/22/24)

🎄 7. Seven Swans a-Swimming: Read 7 books with a water body prominently shown on the cover (Swans must be able to swim in it, post the cover).
- The Narrow | Kate Alice Marshall ★★ (05/28/24)
- Our Last Echoes | Kate Alice Marshall ★★★ (05/29/24)
- Every Time I Go on Vacation, Someone Dies | Catherine Mack ★★ (05/29/24)
- The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club | Helen Simonson ★★★ (05/31/24)
- Long Island | Colm Tóibín ★ (06/01/24)
- The Stranger in the Library | Eva Gates ★★★★ (06/06/24)
- Islands | Marta Randall ★★ (06/07/24)



🎄 8. Eight Maids a-Milking: Read 8 books from long-running series (for the purpose of this task, long-running means >10 books. Tell us the series name and your book's position.
- Daisy Dalrymple #13. 23 books in series. A Mourning Wedding | Carola Dunn ★★★★ (06/09/24)
- Anna Pigeon #3. 19 books in series. Ill Wind | Nevada Barr ★★★ (06/12/24)
- Josephine Tey #5. 11 books in series. The Death of Lucy Kyte | Nicola Upson ★★★ (06/12/24)
- Jaine Austen #2. 20 books in series. Last Writes | Laura Levine ★★★ (06/12/24)
- Cat in the Stacks #4. 16 books in series. Out of Circulation | Miranda James ★★ (07/01/24)
- Miss Fortune #8. 27 books in series. Fortune Hunter | Jana Deleon ★★★★ (07/02/24)
- Kindle County #1. 12 books in series. Presumed Innocent | Scott Turow ★★ (07/08/24)
- Second Chance Cat #11. 11 books in series. Fur Love or Money | Sofie Ryan ★★★★ (07/09/24)

🎄 9. Nine Ladies Dancing: Read 9 books whose cover shows a woman (face must be seen on cover, post the cover).
- Vida | Patricia Engel ★★★ (07/14/24)
- My Calamity Jane | Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows ★ (07/16/24)
- Joan | Katherine J. Chen ★★ (07/24/24)
- The Dead Cat Tail Assassins | P. Djèlí Clark ★★★★ (08/24/24)
- A Witch Before Dying | Heather Blake ★★★ (08/31/24)
- The Goose Girl | Shannon Hale ★★ (09/13/24)
- Grave Importance | Vivian Shaw ★★ (09/27/24)
- Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye | Victoria Laurie ★★★ (10/04/24)
- Island of the Blue Dolphins | Scott O'Dell ★★★★ (10/17/24)



🎄 10. Ten Lords a-Leaping: Read 10 books whose authors are male (Link to the author page).
- Blue: In Search of Nature’s Rarest Color | Kai Kupferschmidt ★★★★★ (10/19/24)
- Black Diamond | Martin Walker ★★★ (10/23/24)
- Doctor Sleep | Stephen King ★★★★ (10/27/24)
- The Message | Ta-Nehisi Coates ★★★★★ (11/04/24)
- The Last Word | Taylor Adams ★★ (11/07/24)
- I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom | Jason Pargin ★★★★★ (11/09/24)
- Mr. Mercedes | Stephen King ★★ (11/09/24)
- Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret | Benjamin Stevenson ★★★★ (11/10/24)
- The Ghost Brigades | John Scalzi ★★★ (11/10/24)
- The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes | Arthur Conan Doyle ★★★ (11/13/24)

🎄 11. Eleven Pipers Piping: Read 11 books that were recommended by a website/Booktuber or nominated for an award (tell us where you found each book, if nominated for an award tell us which and the year it was nominated).
- Newbery Medal 1976. The Grey King | Susan Cooper ★★★★ (11/13/24)
- Agatha Award Nominee for Historical Novel 2018. Murder on Union Square | Victoria Thompson ★★ (11/18/24)
- She Reads Best of Award Nominee for Book of the Year 2024. The Mighty Red | Louise Erdrich ★★ (11/21/24)
- PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography Nominee 2020. Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution | Helen Zia ★★★ (11/21/24)
- Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Science Fiction 2024. The Stardust Grail | Yume Kitasei ★★★★ (11/22/24)
- CWA Silver Dagger 1994. Smilla's Sense of Snow | Peter Høeg ★★ (11/30/24)
- Agatha Award Nominee for Best Contemporary Mystery Novel 2024. The Raven Thief | Gigi Pandian ★★★ (01/01/25)
- Edgar Award for Best Novel 1972. The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth ★★★★ (01/02/25)
- Agatha Award for Best First Novel 1996. Murder on a Girls' Night Out | Anne George ★★★ (01/03/25)
- Shirley Jackson Award Nominee for Novel 2009. The Owl Killers | Karen Maitland ★★★ (01/06/25)
- Lord Ruthven Award for Fiction (2000). Carpe Jugulum | Terry Pratchett ★★★★★ (01/11/25)

🎄 12. Twelve Drummers Drumming: Read 12 books that have something on the cover that would make noise if you drummed on it (post the cover, if not immediately obvious, tell us what on the cover counts).

- The train. The Waste Lands | Stephen King ★★★ (01/13/25)
- The car. Death Around the Bend | T.E. Kinsey ★★★★ (01/13/25)
- The tables. Death Waits in the Dark | Julia Buckley ★ (01/15/25)
- The table. Death of a Mad Hatter | Jenn McKinlay ★★ (01/15/25)
- The chairs & tables. Strangled Eggs and Ham | Maddie Day ★★★ (01/20/25)
- The ship. The Voyage Home | Pat Barker ★★ (01/22/25)
- The table. Murder at a Scottish Social | Traci Hall ★★★ (01/24/25)
- The table. Paint the Town Dead | Nancy Haddock ★★★ (01/25/25)
- The table. The Crime That Binds | Laurie Cass ★★★★ (01/26/25)
- The table. A Conspiracy of Paper | David Liss ★★ (01/27/25)
- The armor. Baudolino | Umberto Eco ★★★ (01/29/25)
- The table. Old School | Gordon Korman ★★★★ (02/03/25)



*** Completed (02/03/25) ***

I'm finished I think.

Old, Obsolete, Obscure Words - Compliments

Duration: Jan 01, 2025 - ?
Completed: 26/26


✔ A is for AFTERNOONIFIED: Read a book that has a time word in its title.
The Day of the Jackal | Frederick Forsyth ★★★★ (01/02/25)

✔ B is for BEL-ESPRIT: Read a book that has spirits, ghosts, or similar creatures.
Lowcountry Boughs of Holly | Susan M. Boyer ★★★ (01/04/25)
Claire.

✔ C is for CRAFTIOUS: Read a book that has between 1200 and 1400 GR ratings at the time that you read it (tell us how many).
The Raven Thief | Gigi Pandian ★★★ (01/01/25)
1308 ratings on 01/05.

✔ D is for DILLYDOUN/DILLYDOWN: Read a book where someone goes to bed - bonus if it is a child being sent or taken to bed or tucked into bed (cite the sentence).
Darkly | Marisha Pessl ★★ (01/08/25)
One night he [George] was tucked into his bed. The next morning, he had vanished. Page 71.

✔ E is for EIDENT: Read a book with rain or snow shown clearly on the cover.
Thread on Arrival | Lea Wait ★★ (01/04/25)

Falling snow outside the window.

✔ F is for FAUNTKIN/FAUNTLET/FAUNTEKIN/FAUNTELET: Read a book whose GR main page has a classification indicating it is ‘for children’ (e.g. MIDDLE SCHOOL, CHILRENS, etc.).
Old School | Gordon Korman ★★★★ (02/03/25)
Middle Grade.

✔ G is for (THE) GINCHIEST: Read a book in which someone sends or receives a package (tell us who).
Murder at an Irish Castle | Ellie Brannigan ★★★ (01/23/25)
Rayne gets packages full of her clothes and shoes as she’s unexpectedly moved to Ireland.

✔ H is for HEART-: Read a book that is marked ROMANCE on its GR main page.
Paint the Town Dead | Nancy Haddock ★★★ (01/25/25)

✔ I is for INNERLY/INNERLIE: Read a book that has a shoreline, coast, or beach featured on its cover (post the cover).
Fall of a Philanderer | Carola Dunn ★★★ (01/09/25)


✔ J is for JOLLY-TIT and JOLLY-DOG: Read a book that features two (or more) friends spending pleasant times with one another.
Aunt Bessie Enjoys | Diana Xarissa ★★★ (01/03/25)
Aunt Bessie with many friends, but mainly Doona.

✔ K is for KILLER DILLER: Read a book which has someone from a marginalized community for its protagonist (e.g. a person of colour, someone with a disability, an ex-convict, etc).
The Waste Lands | Stephen King ★★★ (01/13/25)
Susannah is both a POC and disabled.

✔ L is for LAKESOME/LAKISH: Read a book in which someone goes to a lake or similar body of water for relaxation or recreation (tell us who).
Death Waits in the Dark | Julia Buckley ★ (01/15/25)
Lena and Starr.

✔ M is for MYN LYKING: Read a book that features a mother-child relationship.
The Lost Heir | Tui T. Sutherland ★★★ (01/07/25)
Tsunami & Anemone and their relationship with their mother Queen Coral.

✔ N is for NACKETY/NACKY: Read a book that has a title word with a silent letter.
Murder on a Girls' Night Out | Anne George ★★★ (01/03/25)

✔ O is for OREFUL: Read a book where a main character follows a code of honour (one created either externally or one which they have created for themselves) (tell us who).
The Owl Killers | Karen Maitland ★★★ (01/06/25)
One of the MCs is a beguine: they do not take holy orders, but they have their own code of ethics – they are in it to serve people and to worship god in their own way.

✔ P is for PIPPIN: Read a book that has a predominantly red cover (for either option post the cover).
Egg Drop Dead | Vivien Chien ★★★ (01/07/25)


✔ Q is for QUEMEFUL: Read a book that you find particularly pleasing to read (briefly tell us why).
Death Around the Bend | T.E. Kinsey ★★★★ (01/13/25)
Armstrong & Hardcastle are a hoot.

✔ R is for RUM: Read a book in which someone has a secret or double life (tell us who).
Wizard and Glass | Stephen King ★ (01/23/25)
Roland, Cuthbert and Alain are using fake names and identities as they want to find traitors to the Affiliation.

✔ S is for SAPIENT: Read a book that shows all, or most, of a human clearly on its cover (post the cover).
London Rain | Nicola Upson ★★ (01/10/25)


✔ T is for TRUEPENNY: Read a book set in the Victorian era (1837-1901) (tell us when).
The Black Country | Alex Grecian ★★ (01/08/25)
1889.

✔ U is for UMBRELLAS: Read a book in which someone drinks alcohol (tell us who and their drink of choice).
One of the Girls | Lucy Clarke ★★ (01/03/25)
It’s a hen weekend and all the ladies except Lexi drink – gin and wine mostly.

✔ V is for VERSANT: Read a book set in a mountainous region (tell us where).
Carpe Jugulum | Terry Pratchett ★★★★★ (01/11/25)
Lancre.

✔ W is for WEALSOME: Read a book that makes you feel happy when you read it.
Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust | Mindy Quigley ★★★★ (01/11/25)

✔ X is for XENODOCHIAL: Read a book in which someone moves from one place to another (tell the from and to locations).
Murder at the Grand Hotel | Isabella Bassett ★★ (01/11/25)
Lady Caroline from England to the French Riviera.

✔ Y is for YARE-WITEL: Read a book which has a main character who is particularly quick-witted or intelligent (tell us who).
You'll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist | Kari Ferrell ★★★ (01/10/25)
Kari.

✔ Z is for ZIGGETY!: Read a book that has rhyming words in its title.
Later Gator | Jana Deleon ★★★★ (01/06/25)

*** Completed (02/03/25) ***

Congrats, Richard!

Finished.

Running

Duration: Jul 01, 2024 - Dec 31, 2024
Completed: 30/30

Sections in Order

✽ Section 1. Running or Jogging?
* Read a book you found fast to read.
- Fortune Hunter | Jana Deleon ★★★★ (07/02/24)

* Read a book with more than 300 pages. (Tell us the number of pages)
- You Like It Darker | Stephen King ★★★ (07/03/24)
502 pages.

✽ Section 2. Both running and jogging are forms of aerobic exercise.
* Read a book whose author’s first or last initial is in OXYGEN. (post a link to the author's page)
The Book of Goose | Yiyun Li ★ (07/04/24)

* Read a book with a genre you really enjoy reading.
No Parm No Foul | Linda Reilly ★★ (07/05/24)

✽ Section 3. Getting fit
* Read book #1 of a series (tell us the series)
Presumed Innocent | Scott Turow ★★ (07/08/24)
Kindle County #1.

* Read book #2 of a series (tell us the series)
The Hurtwood Village Murders | Benedict Brown ★★★★ (07/07/24)
Marius Quin #2.

* Read a book that has two of the following numbers: 1, 2, 3 in the total number of pages (Tell us the number of pages)
Assassins Anonymous | Rob Hart ★★★ (07/08/24)
320 pages.

✽ Section 4. See your doctor for a check-up before starting a running program.
* Read a book in which a speaking character is a doctor (tell us who).
Dinosaurs | Lydia Millet ★★★ (07/09/24)
Sarah.

* Read a book in which a character is described as large (tell us who).
In the Market for Murder | T.E. Kinsey ★★★★ (07/10/24)
Mr. Spratt.

* Read a book in which a character is over 40 years old (tell us who).
Fur Love or Money | Sofie Ryan ★★★★ (07/09/24)
Rose, Charlotte, Mr. P., and Liz are all seniors over 60 years of age.

✽ Section 5. Precautions.
* Read a book with water on the cover (post the cover).
Lost Hours | Paige Shelton ★★★★ (07/15/24)


* Read a book you feel comfortable to read (your interpretation)
Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void | Mary Roach ★★★★ (07/11/24)
It was funny and the subjects talked about were interesting.

* Read a book with more than 3.5 of average rating (Tell us the rating)
Winter Counts | David Heska Wanbli Weiden ★★ (07/11/24)
3.84 when I read it.

* Read a book with a cardinal number in the title (such as one or two, NOT first or second)
The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper | Hallie Rubenhold ★★★★ (07/14/24)

* Read a short story collection or anthology
Vida | Patricia Engel ★★★ (07/14/24)

✽ Section 6. Plan your route.
* Read a book with a patch of flat, grassy area on the cover (Post the cover)
The Whistling Season | Ivan Doig ★★★★★ (07/19/24)


* Read a book with a vehicle on the cover (Post the cover).
Checking Out Crime | Laurie Cass ★★★★ (08/07/24)


* Read a book in which a speaking character has some health issue. (tell us who)
All My Puny Sorrows | Miriam Toews ★★ (07/19/24)
Elf and Yoli's mother has heart issues, their aunt dies of cardiac issues as well, their uncle is a diabetic.

✽ Section 7. Choosing your running shoes.
* Read a book that helps you finish another challenge. (Tell us what challenge).
Speaker for the Dead | Orson Scott Card ★ (08/22/24)
Pick a Theme 2020.

* Read a book with shoes on the cover (Post the cover).
Comic Sans Murder | Paige Shelton ★★★ (08/12/24)


✽ Section 8. Some Health and Safety suggestions with running and jogging

* Well-Balanced Diet: Read a book with a fruit or vegetable on the cover (post the cover)
Our Kind of Game | Johanna Copeland ★★ (08/26/24)


* Avoid Eating Before: Read a book published before 2015. (Tell us the publication date).
Murder on Marble Row | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (08/29/24)
Jun 01, 2004.

* Avoid running in the summer: Read a book set in the summer.
A Witch Before Dying | Heather Blake ★★★ (08/31/24)

* Plenty of Water: Read a book whose title contains WATER or AFTER in it.
All the Water in the World | Eiren Caffall ★★ (01/30/25)

* Keep phone close: Read a book whose title contains a familial relationship word (like uncle or daughter).
Children of Memory | Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★ (09/01/24)

* Stay Alert: Read a book whose title has a negative sounding word (no, not, don't, cannot, all work).
No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories | Gabriel García Márquez ★★★ (10/05/24)

* Wear reflective materials: Read a book with a night scene on the cover. (Post the cover)
Where I'm Calling From: New and Selected Stories | Raymond Carver ★★★ (09/28/24)


* Tell Someone: Read a book you have planned to read for a while. (tell us when you added it to your to-read shelf)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay | Michael Chabon ★★ (08/28/24)
Added Jun 29, 2012.

* Well-lit routes: Read a book with a light cover (post the cover).
The Last Dragonslayer | Jasper Fforde ★★★ (08/23/24)


* Medical Advice: Read a book in which a speaking character seeks medical advice. (tell us who)
The Dead Cat Tail Assassins | P. Djèlí Clark ★★★★ (08/24/24)
Eveen, when she's injured.

*** Completed (01/30/25) ***

Finished.

Song Track Spell Out #8 - Master of Puppets, Metallica

Duration: Oct 01, 2024 - Mar 31, 2025
Completed: 108/108

🎸1. Battery

✔ B - Magic and Other Misdemeanors | Michael Buckley ★★★★ (10/06/24)
✔ A - The Tale of Hill Top Farm | Susan Wittig Albert ★★★ (10/03/24)
✔ T - Murder on Lenox Hill | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/11/24)
✔ T - Murder in Little Italy | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/13/24)
✔ E - The Everafter War | Michael Buckley ★★★ (10/12/24)
✔ R - Jane Darrowfield, Professional Busybody | Barbara Ross ★★★ (10/29/24)
✔ Y - The Stardust Grail | Yume Kitasei ★★★★ (11/22/24)

🎸2. Master of Puppets

✔ M - Murder at the Mansion | Janet Finsilver ★★★★ (10/12/24)
✔ A - Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye | Victoria Laurie ★★★ (10/04/24)
✔ S - Halting State | Charles Stross ★★★ (10/05/24)
✔ T - Murder in Chinatown | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/15/24)
✔ E - Murder Cuts the Mustard | Jessica Ellicott ★★★★ (10/12/24)
✔ R - Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door | Barbara Ross ★★ (10/29/24)

✔ O - We Solve Murders | Richard Osman ★★ (10/02/24)
✔ F - Murder at the Mushroom Festival | Janet Finsilver ★★★ (10/22/24)

✔ P - Berry the Hatchet | Peg Cochran ★★★ (10/10/24)
✔ U - Under the Surface | Diana Urban ★★ (10/01/24)
✔ P - Dead and Berried | Peg Cochran ★★★ (10/12/24)
✔ P - The PMS Murder | Laura Levine ★★★★ (10/29/24)
✔ E - The Examiner | Janice Hallett ★★★★ (10/28/24)
✔ T - Murder on Bank Street | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/17/24)
✔ S - Shoes To Die For | Laura Levine ★★★★ (10/20/24)

🎸3. The Thing That Should Not Be

✔ T - Murder on Waverly Place | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/18/24)
✔ H - The High King | Lloyd Alexander ★★★★ (10/09/24)
✔ E - The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story | Olga Tokarczuk ★★★ (10/28/24)

✔ T - Murder on Lexington Avenue | Victoria Thompson ★★ (10/19/24)
✔ H - The Fangs of Freelance | Drew Hayes ★★★★ (10/14/24)
✔ I - The Island of Dr. Moreau | H.G. Wells ★★★ (10/13/24)
✔ N - No One Writes to the Colonel and Other Stories | Gabriel García Márquez ★★★ (10/05/24)
✔ G - The Ghost Brigades | John Scalzi ★★★ (11/10/24)

✔ T - Murder on Sisters' Row | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/20/24)
✔ H - Murder Under a Red Moon | Harini Nagendra ★★★ (11/06/24)
✔ A - The Castle of Llyr | Lloyd Alexander ★★★★ (10/04/24)
✔ T - Murder on Fifth Avenue | Victoria Thompson ★★ (10/22/24)

✔ S - Doctor Sleep | Stephen King ★★★★ (10/27/24)
✔ H - The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door | H.G. Parry ★★★ (11/12/24)
✔ O - Once Upon a Crime | Michael Buckley ★★★★ (10/04/24)
✔ U - Unraveller | Frances Hardinge ★★★ (10/24/24)
✔ L - Killer Blonde | Laura Levine ★★★★ (10/18/24)
✔ D - Death Over Easy | Maddie Day ★★ (10/08/24)

✔ N - No Virgin Island | C. Michele Dorsey ★★★ (10/13/24)
✔ O - Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge | Ovidia Yu ★★★ (10/11/24)
✔ T - Murder in Chelsea | Victoria Thompson ★★ (10/23/24)

✔ B - Tales From the Hood | Michael Buckley ★★ (10/09/24)
✔ E - Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret | Benjamin Stevenson ★★★★ (11/10/24)

🎸4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

✔ W - Black Diamond | Martin Walker ★★★ (10/23/24)
✔ E - Judgment at Santa Monica | E.J. Copperman ★★★★ (11/16/24)
✔ L - Killing Bridezilla | Laura Levine ★★★★ (11/03/24)
✔ C - Confessions | Kanae Minato ★★ (10/07/24)
✔ O - Meddling and Murder | Ovidia Yu ★ (10/13/24)
✔ M - Murder at the Fortune Teller's Table | Janet Finsilver ★★★ (10/18/24)
✔ E - Eggs on Ice | Laura Childs ★★ (11/17/24)

✔ H - The Archive of the Forgotten | A.J. Hackwith ★★★★ (11/14/24)
✔ O - Island of the Blue Dolphins | Scott O'Dell ★★★★ (10/17/24)
✔ M - Murder on Amsterdam Avenue | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/25/24)
✔ E - A Murder at the Movies | Ellie Alexander ★★★ (11/19/24)

✔ S - Lowcountry Bonfire | Susan M. Boyer ★★★ (10/30/24)
✔ A - Taran Wanderer | Lloyd Alexander ★★ (10/07/24)
✔ N - Drowning | T.J. Newman ★★ (11/05/24)
✔ I - Death at the Salon | Louise R. Innes ★★ (10/19/24)
✔ T - Murder in Murray Hill | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/25/24)
✔ A - Alien Clay | Adrian Tchaikovsky ★★★★★ (10/11/24)
✔ R - Rockin' Around the Chickadee | Donna Andrews ★★★★ (11/05/24)
✔ I - We'll Prescribe You a Cat | Syou Ishida ★★★★ (11/04/24)
✔ U - London Rain | Nicola Upson ★★ (01/10/25)
✔ M - Murder on St. Nicholas Avenue | Victoria Thompson ★★★★ (10/25/24)

🎸5. Disposable Heroes

✔ D - Death by Pantyhose | Laura Levine ★★★★ (11/02/24)
✔ I - I'm Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom | Jason Pargin ★★★★★ (11/09/24)
✔ S - Lowcountry Bookshop | Susan M. Boyer ★★ (10/31/24)
✔ P - Berried at Sea | Peg Cochran ★★ (10/30/24)
✔ O - One of the Girls | Lucy Clarke ★★ (01/03/25)
✔ S - Lowcountry Boomerang | Susan M. Boyer ★★★ (11/02/24)
✔ A - The Polish Officer | Alan Furst ★ (10/14/24)
✔ B - Blue: In Search of Nature’s Rarest Color | Kai Kupferschmidt ★★★★★ (10/19/24)
✔ L - Killer Cruise | Laura Levine ★★★★ (11/03/24)
✔ E - The Mighty Red | Louise Erdrich ★★ (11/21/24)

✔ H - Last Boat Out of Shanghai: The Epic Story of the Chinese Who Fled Mao's Revolution | Helen Zia ★★★ (11/21/24)
✔ E - Egg Drop Dead | Vivien Chien ★★★ (01/07/25)
✔ R - Vanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures | Katherine Rundell ★★★★ (12/02/24)
✔ O - The Owl Killers | Karen Maitland ★★★ (01/06/25)
✔ E - End of Watch | Stephen King ★★ (01/20/25)
✔ S - Lowcountry Boondoggle | Susan M. Boyer ★★ (11/02/24)

🎸6. Leper Messiah

✔ L - The Last Word | Taylor Adams ★★ (11/07/24)
✔ E - Murder at an Irish Castle | Ellie Brannigan ★★★ (01/23/25)
✔ P - The Breakdown | B.A. Paris ★★ (11/05/24)
✔ E - The Witch of Blackbird Pond | Elizabeth George Speare ★★★ (01/28/25)
✔ R - The Raven Thief | Gigi Pandian ★★★ (01/01/25)

✔ M - Murder in Morningside Heights | Victoria Thompson ★★ (10/26/24)
✔ E - Baudolino | Umberto Eco ★★★ (01/29/25)
✔ S - Mr. Mercedes | Stephen King ★★ (11/09/24)
✔ S - The Grey King | Susan Cooper ★★★★ (11/13/24)
✔ I - A Deceptive Devotion | Iona Whishaw ★★★★ (11/19/24)
✔ A - Verse and Vengeance | Amanda Flower ★★★ (10/17/24)
✔ H - The God of Lost Words | A.J. Hackwith ★★★★★ (11/25/24)

🎸7. Orion

✔ O - Death of the Author | Nnedi Okorafor ★★ (02/02/25)
✔ R - Death in an English Cottage | Sara Rosett ★★★ (01/16/25)
✔ I - I'm Laughing Because I'm Crying: A Memoir | Youngmi Mayer ★★★★★ (12/02/24)
✔ O - Old School | Gordon Korman ★★★★ (02/03/25)
✔ N - The Children of Jocasta | Natalie Haynes ★ (11/23/24)

🎸8. Damage, Inc.

✔ D - Death of a Trophy Wife | Laura Levine ★★★★ (11/03/24)
✔ A - Crimes and Covers | Amanda Flower ★★★★ (10/21/24)
✔ M - Murder in the Bowery | Victoria Thompson ★★★ (10/27/24)
✔ A - Dumb Witness | Agatha Christie ★★ (11/09/24)
✔ G - The Gunslinger | Stephen King ★★★ (11/16/24)
✔ E - All the Water in the World | Eiren Caffall ★★ (01/30/25)

✔ I - Murder at the Grand Hotel | Isabella Bassett ★★ (01/11/25)
✔ N - Buried Deep and Other Stories | Naomi Novik ★★★★ (12/01/24)
✔ C - The Message | Ta-Nehisi Coates ★★★★★ (11/04/24)

*** Completed (02/03/25) ***

1a. New beginnings, reader version -- any series #1 book because you might as well start drowning in new series early in 2025....
- Southern Sisters #1. Murder on a Girls' Night Out | Anne George ★★★ (01/03/25)
- Lady Caroline #1. Murder at the Grand Hotel | Isabella Bassett ★★ (01/11/25)
- Sister Agatha and Father Selwyn #1. The Shadow of Death | Jane Willan ★★★ (01/14/25)
- Blacktongue #1. The Blacktongue Thief | Christopher Buehlman ★★★ (01/17/25)
- Cozy Capers Book Group #1. Murder on Cape Cod | Maddie Day ★★★★ (01/23/25)
- Irish Castle #1. Murder on Cape Cod | Maddie Day ★★★★ (01/23/25)
- Benjamin Weaver #1. A Conspiracy of Paper | David Liss ★★ (01/27/25)

1b. New beginnings, character version -- any book in which a character starts a new job, including opening a business.
- Bill & Holly open Finders Keepers, a detective agency. Finders Keepers | Stephen King ★★★ (01/18/25)
- Joseph moves to New Zealand to start a farm, and then gets caught up in a gold rush. The Colour | Rose Tremain ★★ (01/26/25)
- Kit starts teaching kids. The Witch of Blackbird Pond | Elizabeth George Speare ★★★ (01/28/25)

2. Resolutions -- any book in which a prominent character is weight-conscious or is on a diet/fitness regimen, as weight loss/fitness is one of the more popular New Year's resolutions one hears about.
- Fen, Robyn. One of the Girls | Lucy Clarke ★★ (01/03/25)
- Sam. Ashes to Ashes, Crust to Crust | Mindy Quigley ★★★★ (01/11/25)

I got these:

January's roll was a 3 and a 6, so you can read a series #3, a series #6, a series #9, a series #36 or a series #63. Enjoy your reads!

#3
- The Dark Tower #3. The Waste Lands | Stephen King ★★★ (01/13/25)
- Lady Hardcastle #3. Death Around the Bend | T.E. Kinsey ★★★★ (01/13/25)
- Bill Hodges #3. End of Watch | Stephen King ★★ (01/20/25)
- Women of Troy #3. The Voyage Home | Pat Barker ★★ (01/22/25)
- Scottish Shire #3. Murder at a Scottish Social | Traci Hall ★★★ (01/24/25)

#6
- Josephine Tey #6. London Rain | Nicola Upson ★★ (01/10/25)
- Country Store Mysteries #6. Strangled Eggs and Ham | Maddie Day ★★★ (01/20/25)

#9
- Miss Fortune #9. Later Gator | Jana Deleon ★★★★ (01/06/25)

Sugar Snap wrote: "Chaitra wrote: "Welcome to the challenge, Jimena, Chris, SS

Jimena, you have two extra tasks - one in the Appalachian Trail (needs 3, you have 4) and the Birthstones task (needs 2, you have 3).

S..."

Thanks! You're good to go!

Jimena wrote: "Chaitra, thanks!
I've removed the two extra tasks I had. I think I am good to go."

Thanks Jimena! You're good to go!

Olivermagnus wrote: "Chaitra wrote: " Olivermagnus wrote: "I'm ready for review, Chaitra. Thanks."

OM, you're mostly good, but you've not chosen your six tasks from It's All Golden. :)"

It's complete now. Sorry about..."

Thank you! You're good to go!

Catsalive wrote: "Ready for checking

Looking Back on 2024, part 1
1 Feb - open
69 challenges - 0/107 books
2/58

1. 2024 Randomiser: 5 random
326. 84, Charing Cross Road
602. [book:Random in Death|127..."

Cats, you have a lot of tasks that you've picked both available options for, I need you to narrow those down to one option! That is, for Olympics #49, you've picked - Read a book originally published in a year beginning with 19; tell us the year OR a book set in Japan or in Atlanta; I need you to pick either the year published or the location task. Thanks!!

Catsalive wrote: "Chaitra wrote: "

2024/25 New-to-You Author Challenge - Choose one month NOW, from March to December..."

Do we have to read it in the actual month for this challenge?"

Nope! Sorry I'm late to respond!

Andrea wrote: "Red | Green | Black | Yellow

..."

You have 3 colors right and all three are in the right position.

I couldn't think of any hyphenated author I'd have on my TBR off the top of my head, but luckily (or unluckily) I've added the most random books over the years, so I've got plenty options lol.

Angel wrote: "Guess #19
Suspect: Landscaper (L.R.)
Cause of death: Hanging (String)
Location: The Secret Garden (D&N)

- Lev A.C. Rosen - 1/25/25

[book:Death..."

The murder was not by hanging.

Meg wrote: "Movie Star ==> Maia Ross Dead Calm 01/20

Stabbing ==> The Body in the Belfry, Katherine Hall Page 01/20

Field of Dreams ==> ..."

The murder was not by stabbing.

Congrats, Amanda!

Thanks ladies!

Congrats, Vickie!

Congrats, all finishers!