Rusalka's Resolved Riddles

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Puzzle 1

1. Read a book set in Mexico.- The Murmur of Bees
2. Read a book that is MPG Historical Fiction and set in England. - lots
3. Read a book that is set at a university or boarding school. - Gentlemen and Players
4. Read a book that is included in a series of 5 primary works series - Blameless
5. Read a book set in Texas - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe
6. Read a book with a photograph on the cover. The Shifting Fog
7. Read a book set in Italy. - Death in a Strange Country or My Brilliant Friend
8. Read a book with a significant character that is a cowboy. - The Sisters Brothers
9. Read a book with a boat of any kind on the cover. - Red Seas Under Red Skies
10. Read a book with "sea" in the title. -Red Seas Under Red Skies, One Salt Sea, The Island of Sea Women, On Such a Full Sea, or The Sailor Who Fell from Grace with the Sea

Puzzle 2

1. Read a book that is set in the 21st century. Yes, it may be set in the future, if it takes places prior to December 2100. - lots
2.Read book about the Roman Empire. (For example it could be set in England when they occupied England. but it must be about the Roman Empire)
3. Read a book with one person on the cover. Both arms must be showing. -The Wild Beasts of Wuhan
4. Read a book with a higher than 4.1 average rating on Goodreads. - lots
5. Read a book with duplicated (or more) words in the title. Articles such as 'the', and conjoiners like 'and' are not included. eg - Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen.
6. Read a book with a Christmas theme.
7. Read a book with shoulder or round in the title.
8. Read a book with a beard or top hat on the cover.
9. Read a book with an ankle clearly showing on the cover.
10. Read a book from the first 5 pages of this list https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/.... It must be tagged as "adult" on the main book page. - lots

Puzzle 3

1. Read a book about the environment.
2. Read a book set in Russia. - Metro 2033, The Secret History of Moscow, or The Master and Margarita
3. Read a book with a main page genre of humour.-
4. Read a book with the name of a tree in the title from this site - http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/list.... Note, you may only use the name of a tree, You may not use any descriptors (like black, white, American, slippery, etc). - Fire and Hemlock
5. Read a book where someone is protecting someone else. Explain how they are protecting someone else.
6. Read a book that is number 50 on your TBR or other personal shelf. Specify which shelf it's on.
7. Read a book where the main character sets forth on a major journey. - Home Fire
8. Read a book that is the third or ninth book in a series. - The Cruelest Month
9. Read a book set in ancient Egypt. - Ramese: Son of the Light
10. Read a book with a large door on the cover. Must be the focus of the cover.

Puzzle 4

1. Read a book with a significant character who is a painter.
2. Read a book with a character who is a maid servant whose responsibilities would include ironing clothing.
3. Read a book with one or more of the following barnyard animals on the cover - Chickens, Cattle, Sheep, Ducks, Goats, or Pigs .
4. Read a book with the theme of tourism.
5. Read a book where all the initials of the author are included in RSTU in any order. You may not duplicate letters as in Ron Rash. A good acceptable answer would be example would be Sarah Rayne. - Kim Stanley Robinson, Tracy Sorensen, Szczepan Twardoch, Salman Rushdie, Tracey Spicer, Taiye Selasi, Sarah Thornton, or Rob Thurman
6. Read a book that is a coming-of-age story. - Goodwood
7. Read a book with Bone(s) in the title. - The Bone People, The Bone Season, or A Morbid Taste for Bones
8. Read a book where the first letter of the title (not including articles) starts with ABCDE. - Bel Canto
9. Read a book set in Nevada.
10. Read a book with a wreath of flowers or a hedge of flowers on it. There may also be a flower bed full of flowers.

Puzzle 5

1. Read a book that is set in at least 3 different countries across the globe. - The Wild Beasts of Wuhan,
2. Read a book that contains the word - error, mistake, or perfect in the title.
3. Read a book that has at least one playing card on the cover.
4. Read a book that is main page genre of young adult. - lots
5. Read a book set in Denmark, or written by a Danish author. - The Keeper of Lost Causes
6. Read a book where there is a volcano in the story or there is a volcano on the cover.
7. Read a book that is set in the Himalayans ( India, Pakistan, China, Bhutan, Nepal) - The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra, many others
8. Read a book with Child in the title or author's name is Child. - The Snow Child
9. Read a book where the main character is a businessman or businesswoman.
10. Read a book with a road on the cover where the lanes can clearly be identified.

Puzzle 6

1. Read a book with a dog as a significant character.
2. Read a book with someone wearing jeans on the cover.
3.Read a book with the name of a gem in the title Use this list: https://www.britannica.com/list/9-gem.... - The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer, Gods of Jade and Shadow
4. Read a book set in Germany. - Half Blood Blues
5. Read a book that was set in the 60's of any century (1960's, 1860's, 1760's etc.) Future 60's will be allowed (2060's)
6. Read a book set in Ohio. - Beloved
7. Read a book where there is a character that is a teacher.
8. Read a book where the initials of the author are W and M (in any order). - Minette Walters
9. Read a book where the title is in a script font on the cover. - Cannot be fonts that are italics. It must look like handwriting.
10. Read a book where the cover has flowers WITH stems

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Puzzle 7

1. Read a book set between 1901 and 1946. - lots
2. Read a book where a main character is a fireman.
3. Read a book with a type of liquor in the title.
4. Read a book set in Wales or written by a Welsh author.
5. Read a book where the cover has only the title and author's name. - China Rich Girlfriend
6. Read a book with Ed or Edward as a main character - or author.
7. Read a book with Hill in the title or is the author's name. - Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure, Horns
8. Read a book with mpg of poetry.
9. Read a book with Inn in the title or subtitle,
10. Read a book where the author writes under a pseudonym. State the author's name and pseudonym. - Brilliance of the Moon or My Brilliant Friend

Puzzle 8

1. Read a book with mpg of Western - The Sisters Brothers
2. Read a book with a measure of time in the title - ex. Sec, second, minute, etc.
3. Read a book where a flight attendant is a character - doesn't need to be a main character, but not just a mention.
4. Read a book where a letter has a significant role. IE letters back and forth, found letters are significant to story.
5. Read a book that it is a legal thriller Both words must be on the MBP.
6. Read a book with a store front on the cover.
7. Read a book set in a city that beings with the letter M. - The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
8. Read a book where the author's last name starts with an n, and whom you've never read before. - lots
9. Read a book with genre dystopia and tagged zombies. Both words must be on the MBP. - World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
10. Read a book with someone wearing a gown on the cover. - The Girl in the Steel Corset

Puzzle 9

1. Read a book with Invisible in the title.
2. Read a book that has a bar or saloon featured in it.
3. Read a book whose cover is 75% dark red.
4. Read a book with thorns on the cover or in the title. - A Court of Thorns and Roses
5. Read a book with an unreliable narrator. List of books for ideas https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/6... - The Girl on the Train, The Remains of the Day, Atonement, The Wasp Factory, Alias Grace, The Dinner
6. Read a book with a gate on the cover or in the title.
7. Read a book written by a British author. - lots The House of Silk
8. Read a book that is set in the ocean on a ship or submarine.
9. Read a book where a word in the title contains kiss - may be imbedded.
10. Read a cozy mystery with food as the main theme.

Puzzle 10

1. Read a book with the moon on the cover or in the title. - The Killing Moon
2. Read a book that is about the Civil War in the US. - March
3. Read a book that has dragons in it.
4. Read a book with has a knife on the cover. Tableware not included. It must be a weapon.
5. Read a book with a ship on the cover that is flying its sails.
6. Read a book where a significant character is a bachelor or bachelorette. The character must remain unmarried through the entire book. - An Unnecessary Woman
7.Read a book where there are significant plot twists, as explained in the book blurb.
8. Read a book from this list: Symbolism Books https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
9. Read a book from a this list.: Swimmy Titles https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1... - A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali
10. Read a book set in Sweden or written by a Swedish author. - a few

Puzzle 11

1. Read a book that is numbered 7th in a series.
2. Read a book from this list Jesters, Fools, and Tricksters https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/3... - Red Seas Under Red Skies, The Amulet of Samarkand
3. Read a book set in the 16th century (1501-1600) - Dark Fire
4. Read a book that was/is a new release in 2023. - Old God's Time
5. Read a book where a significant character is an alien (may be angels/demons too). May not be a fantasy world.
6. Read a book that is tagged as "play".
7. Read a book set in Boston.
8. Read a book with a puppy or a dog on the cover.
9. Read a book with "Cave" or "Bat" in the title.
10. Read a book with a car on the cover. At least one wheel must be pictured.

Puzzle 12

1. Read a book that shows shelves or stacks of books on the cover. - The Thirteenth Tale
2. Read a book written by an author with the initials BP or PB. - Paolo Bacigalupi, Patricia Briggs, Parker Bilal, Bruce Pascoe
3. Read a book that has a pregnant a character or a new born baby in it.
4. Read a book with one of the words in the title - snow, bald, black, Barbary, spider, blue, emperor. Monkey is another word you may use. - The Spider King's Daughter, A Spool of Blue Thread, Snow Crash, The Snow Child, Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, Snow, Boy, Snow, Bird, Raven Black, Black Mamba Boy, Black Maria, Athenian Blues
5. Read a book with something broken in pieces on the cover. - The Book of Mirrors
6. Read a book about the persecution of witches. - The Mercies
7. Read a book with a female title in the title (dame, Lady, Duchess) - The Lady of the Rivers, The Silent Duchess
8. Read a book set in Africa - lots. American Spy
9. Read a book set in Arizona. - Inland
10. Read a book originally published in 2015. - Slade House

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Badge 1:

🧩 Puzzle 1, Task 10. "Sea" in the title. - One Salt Sea
🧩 Puzzle 2, Task 3. One person on the cover, both arms showing. - Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
🧩 Puzzle 3, Task 7. Main character sets forth on a major journey. - Home Fire
🧩 Puzzle 4, Task 8. First letter of the title starts with ABCDE. - Bel Canto
🧩 Puzzle 5, Task 4. Book that is main page genre of young adult. - The Girl from the Well
🧩 Puzzle 6, Task 4. Book set in Germany. - Half Blood Blues
🧩 Puzzle 7, Task 5. Cover has only the title and author's name. - China Rich Girlfriend
🧩 Puzzle 8, Task 7. Set in a city that beings with the letter M. - The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
🧩 Puzzle 9, Task 7. Book written by a British author. - The House of Silk
🧩 Puzzle 10, Task 6. Significant character is a bachelor or bachelorette - An Unnecessary Woman
🧩 Puzzle 11, Task 4. Book that was/is a new release in 2023. - Old God's Time
🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 4. Monkey word in the title - Raven Black

COMPLETED 8 June 2023

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Badge 2:

Puzzle 1
🧩 1. Read a book set in Mexico. - Gods of Jade and Shadow
🧩 2. Read a book that is MPG Historical Fiction and set in England. - The Remains of the Day
🧩 3. Read a book that is set at a university or boarding school. - The Maidens
🧩 4. Read a book that is included in a series of 5 primary works series - Blameless
🧩 5. Read a book set in Texas - We Are All the Same in the Dark
🧩 6. Read a book with a photograph on the cover. - The Shifting Fog
🧩 7. Read a book set in Italy. - My Brilliant Friend
🧩 8. Read a book with a significant character that is a cowboy. - The Sisters Brothers
🧩 9. Read a book with a boat of any kind on the cover. - Red Seas Under Red Skies
🧩 10. Read a book with "sea" in the title. - One Salt Sea

Puzzle 12
🧩 1. Read a book that shows shelves or stacks of books on the cover. - Gentlemen & Players
🧩 2. Read a book written by an author with the initials BP or PB. - River Marked
🧩 3. Read a book that has a pregnant a character or a new born baby in it. - My Name Is Salma
🧩 4. Read a book with a Monkey word in the title - Raven Black
🧩 5. Read a book with something broken in pieces on the cover. - The Book of Mirrors
🧩 6. Read a book about the persecution of witches. - The Witches of Vardø
🧩 7. Read a book with a female title in the title (dame, Lady, Duchess) - The Constant Princess
🧩 8. Read a book set in Africa - Morality for Beautiful Girls
🧩 9. Read a book set in Arizona. - Inland
🧩 10. Read a book originally published in 2015. - Slade House

COMPLETED 31 December 2023

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Reserved

[Cherie]

I like your challenge title!

I’m watching your book list. 😊

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 1
2. 🧩 Puzzle 3, Task 7
3. Home Fire
4. 264pp
5. Read a book where the main character sets forth on a major journey
6. Isme goes to America for uni finally, Parvaiz goes to the Middle East, Aneeka goes to Pakistan. All three journeys are pivotal in the story and for their characters.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 2
2. 🧩 Puzzle 8, Task 7
3. The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra
4. 296pp
5. Read a book set in a city that beings with the letter M.
6. The entire book is set in Mumbai, India.

[Cherie]

Oh, you just gave me a “city that begins with M” book title and it is on my TBR list. Thanks!

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "Oh, you just gave me a “city that begins with M” book title and it is on my TBR list. Thanks!"

Excellent!! I was going to read it for the Himalaya's task, but about halfway through the book realised Mumbai starts with M. It's amazing how you read things but tune out the mechanics of reading.

The best thing about the first books in a challenge is that you have so many options about where to put them. The problem with the first books of the challenge is remembering all the possible tasks!

I hope you enjoy. I just bought a new copy of it for my Mum for her birthday, so definitely recommend to those who like police procedural/mysteries which border cozy but are a bit too real world to be a cozy.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 3
2. 🧩 Puzzle 4, Task 8
3. Bel Canto
4. 318pp
5. Read a book where the first letter of the title (not including articles) starts with ABCDE.
6. Bel Canto starts with the letter B.

[Almeta]

Rusalka wrote: "1. Badge 1, Book 3
2. Puzzle 4, Task 8
3. Bel Canto
4. 318pp
5. Read a book where the first letter of the title (not including articles) starts with ABCDE.
6. Bel Canto starts with the ..."

I HAD to go read your review, because my memory told me that I liked this book. After I read your review I HAD to go read MY review. Apparently I was not totally bowled over by it, but it did impress me enough to give it 4 stars back in 2013.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sounds like I liked it slightly more than you then. It was an interesting premise and I was impressed she wrote such a compelling book set within one house.

Lol I hadn't read your review yet (I try to avoid reading reviews until I write my own). I can see what you mean about not blown away, but you seem to enjoyed it still as well. I agree with you, not a historical fiction.

Again, I feel that maybe the *waves hands around* "feeling" towards the book has made it slightly more loved. I see it beat Fingersmith that year in the Prize-Formerly-Known-as-the-Orange-Prize, and I am not 100% I agree with that assessment.

[Almeta]

Rusalka wrote: "S.... I see it beat Fingersmith that year in the Prize-Formerly-Known-as-the-Orange-Prize, and I am not 100% I agree with that assessment...."

NO, Fingersmith knocked my socks off!!!

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Janice, Moderator]

I agree with Almeta about Fingersmith. I gave it 5 stars.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I also think Fingersmith was better. I still think of it now (although no idea why I only gave it four stars), and I don't think I will think about Bel Canto for as long.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 4
2. 🧩 Puzzle 7, Task 5
3. China Rich Girlfriend
4. 378pp
5. Read a book where the cover has only the title and author's name.
6. The edition I read only had the name of the author and the title on the cover:

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 5
2. 🧩 Puzzle 1, Task 10
3. One Salt Sea
4. 354pp
5. Read a book with "Sea" in the title.
6. The title includes the word "Sea".

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 6
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 4
3. Raven Black
4. 376pp
5. Read a book with one of these monkey words in the title - snow, bald, black, Barbary, spider, blue, emperor, monkey.
6. The title includes the word "Black"

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 7
2. 🧩 Puzzle 10, Task 6
3. An Unnecessary Woman
4. 291pp
5. Read a book where a significant character is a bachelor or bachelorette.
6. Aaliya, the main character, is divorced and remains unmarried throughout the entire book. She does recount some memories of when she was married, but we find out this was only for around 3 years (she is in her 70s) and the marriage was unconsummated.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 8
2. 🧩 Puzzle 2, Task 3
3. Fanny Hill, or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure
4. 204pp
5. Read a book with one person on the cover. Both arms must be showing.
6. There is one woman on the cover of this book, and once you get past the rest of her loveliness, you can see that two of her arms are showing.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

And two buttocks.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Indeed, as they are really what we are all looking at lol

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 9
2. 🧩 Puzzle 5, Task 4
3. The Girl from the Well
4. 267pp
5. Read a book that is main page genre of young adult.
6. The second genre on the main page is "young adult".

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 10
2. 🧩 Puzzle 9, Task 7
3. The House of Silk
4. 294pp
5. Read a book written by a British author.
6. Anthony Horowitz is a British author.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 11
2. 🧩 Puzzle 6, Task 4
3. Half Blood Blues
4. 343pp
5. Read a book set in Germany
6. The majority of the book is set in 1930s Germany and 1990s Germany.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 1, Book 12
2. 🧩 Puzzle 11, Task 4
3. Old God's Time
4. 261pp
5. Read a book that was/is a new release in 2023.
6. This book was first published February 28, 2023.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

Congrats on finishing Badge 1. :)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 1
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 8
3. Morality for Beautiful Girls
4. 225pp
5. Read a book set in Africa
6. This book is set in Botswana.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Onwards HO!

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

Badge 2, here you come, guns blazing.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I might need a hat.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 2
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 2
3. River Marked
4. 291pp
5. Read a book written by an author with the initials BP or PB.
6. The author is Patricia Briggs

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 3
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 1
3. Gentlemen & Players
4. 512pp
5. Read a book that shows shelves or stacks of books on the cover.
6. The book has a stack of books on the cover

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 4
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 5
3. The Book of Mirrors
4. 336pp (audiobook, page count of first paper edition)
5. Read a book with something broken in pieces on the cover.
6. Book has a shattered mirror on the cover

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 5
2. 🧩 Puzzle 1, Task 3
3. The Maidens
4. 337pp (audiobook, page count of first paper edition)
5. Read a book that is set at a university or boarding school.
6. Book is set in Cambridge University.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 6
2. 🧩 Puzzle 12, Task 10
3. Slade House
4. 233pp
5. Read a book originally published in 2015.
6. Book was first published October 1, 2015

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

1. Badge 2, Book 7
2. 🧩 Puzzle 1, Task 7
3. My Brilliant Friend
4. 331pp
5. Read a book set in Italy.
6. The book is set in Naples, Italy.

[Janice, Moderator]

🔆

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Badge 2, Book 8
2. 🧩 Puzzle 1, Task 6
3. The Shifting Fog
4. 576pp is the first paperback. I listened to the audio.
5. Read a book with a photograph on the cover.
6. The version I listened to had a photograph on the cover