75 for '75

[Barb]

Reaching the Big 5-0 means this year, I read 50 books! Let's do this!

[Barb]

Magical Mystery Tour, post 33

Who: 6/7
Solve cases featuring a main character (sleuth, perp, victim, or suspect) in one of the below fields.
1. Music (singer, drummer, etc.)- Death at an English Wedding- READ 9/22
2. Driving (courier, taxi driver, etc.)
3. Food service (chef, barista, etc.)- Death In the Clouds (Agatha Christie)
4. Healthcare (psychiatrist, midwife, etc.)-How Can I Help You? (Laura Sims)- nurse- READ 1/21
5. Games (athlete, game programmer, etc.)- Bridal Shower Murder (Leslie Meier)- READ 4/24
6. Books (editor, librarian, etc.)- The Murders in Great Diddling (Katarina Bivald)- READ 2/16
7. Events (wedding planner, photographer, etc.)- Engaged in Death (Stephanie Blackmoore)- READ 10/12

What: 7/7
What makes your case distinctive?
1. A middle grade or young adult sleuth- The Van Gogh Deception (Deron Hicks)- READ 7/20
2. An emotion in the title- Sad Cypress (Agatha Christie)- READ 12/2
3. A time in the title- The Last Hamilton (Jenn Bregman)- READ 9/23
4. A color in the title- Black Coffee (Agatha Christie)- READ 6/20
5. An animal companion or narrator- The Charity Shop Detective Agency (dog- Simon le Bon!)- READ 5/25
6. A food on the cover- The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing (Amanda Ashby)- READ 4/27
7. A mostly white cover- The Boyfriend (Freida McFadden)- READ 1/25

When: 6/7
When did the dastardly deed take place or get reported (published)?
1. In the 1920s- The Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie)- READ 6/15
2. In the last 25 years- The Widows' Guide to Murder (Amanda Ashby)- READ 3/18
3. Around a holiday- Dumb Witness/Easter (Agatha Christie)- READ 9/19
4. During a vacation- Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie)- READ 2/19
5. In your birth month
6. Between dusk and dawn- Finlay Donovan Digs Her Own Grave (Elle Cosimano)- READ 4/15
7. In summer- Murder in Mesopotamia (Agatha Christie)- READ 6/5

Where: 5/7
Where did the dastardly deed take place?
1. At an orchard or farm- Town In A Blueberry Jam (B.B. Haywood)- READ 7/16
2. On an island
3. In a capital city- Thunderstruck (London)- READ 6/29
4. At a restaurant or bar- The Impossible Fortune (Richard Osman)- READ 11/13
5. At a hotel or lodge- Murder By Cheesecake (Rachel Ekstrom Courage) -READ 7/7
6. At a park or campground
7. In someone’s home- Cards on the Table (Agatha Christie)- READ 1/18

How: 4/7
For this category, each means of murder must be distinctly different.
For example, pistols and rifles are both firearms; knives and daggers are too similar.
1. Appointment With Death (Agatha Christie)- Poison
2. The Turn of the Key (Ruth Ware)- Pushed from window
3. Murder in the Mews (Agatha Christie)- gun
4. The Regatta Mystery (Agatha Christie)- stabbed
5.
6.
7.

Why: 5/7
What motivated you to choose a particular case?
1. A favorite mystery author or series-The Black Wolf (Louise Penny)- READ 12/11
2. A favorite mystery subgenre- The Big Four (Agathe Christie)- READ 5/4 (Cozy Mystery)
3. On a Goodreads listopia (Which one?)- The A.B.C. Murders (Best Agatha Christie book)- READ 5/27
4. Won a literary prize for crime fiction (Which one?)
5. A challenged or banned crime book
6. A cold case (among your TBRs for over a year)- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil-READ 1/6
7. Average Goodreads rating of 4 stars or above- The Wrong Daughter (4.04)- READ 3/11

Bonus Cases: 0/8
After completing all 42 standard cases, you may become an Interpol Fugitive Investigator by solving a crime in each of the eight inhabited regions of the world.
1. Africa
2. Asia
3. Europe
4. Oceania
5. Caribbean
6. North America
7. Central America
8. South America

[Barb]

Serial Reader, post 40

I will complete 17 books for this challenge:

Finish Harry Potter series (books 4-7)

Complete 10 more Hercule Poirot books
10/10- Complete!
Cards on the Table- Read 1/18
Death in the Clouds - Read 2/5
Evil Under the Sun- READ 2/19
The Big Four- READ 5/4
The A.B.C. Murders- READ 5/27
Murder in Mesopotamia- READ 6/5
The Murder on the Links- READ 6/15
Black Coffee- READ 6/20
Dumb Witness- READ 9/19
Appointment With Death- READ 9/29

Read the Power of the Dog series (3 books)

Progress: 10/17

[Barb]

I Spy, post 75

12/12 books read- Challenge Complete!

1. In your heart - happy, love, shame
2. In the color wheel - crimson, green, sunshine
3. In the living room - sofa, television, laptop
4. In autumn - leaf, pumpkin, Halloween
5. In a cave - crystal, bat, spider
6. Of the body - arm, heart, eye
7. At the amusement park - rollercoaster, balloons, clown
8. On the table - napkin, hamburger, lamp- Cards on the Table (Agatha Christie) - READ 1/18
9. On the farm - hay, tractor, sheep- Eggs (Jerry Spinelli)- READ 5/3
10. In the church - angel, pew, candle
11. In communication - phone, typewriter, letter- The Charity Shop Detective Agency (phone)- READ 5/25
12. In the toy box - jacks, blocks, stuffed animal
13. On the beach - sea, umbrella, towel- Evil Under the Sun (Agatha Christie)- READ 2/19
14. In the library - book, video game, record- How Can I Help You? - READ 1/21
15. In celebration - balloons, fireworks, cake- The Widows' Guide to Backstabbing-cake- (Amanda Ashby)- 4/27
16. At the zoo - bear, snake, elephant
17. In the garden - vine, rose, tree- Midnight In the Garden of Good and Evil- READ 1/6
18. In a glass - wine, milk, water- Bridal Shower Murder (champagne)- READ 4/24
19. At the ballpark - ball, hot dog, hat
20. In the castle - throne, princess, crown
21. In the hospital - doctor, needle, patient
22. In fiction - dragon, satyr, fairy
23. In your free time - puzzle, sewing machine, stamps- The Murders in Great Diddling (book, tea cup)- READ 2/16
24. In school - book, locker, pencil- The A.B.C. Murders- READ 5/27
25. At the museum - art, statue, dinosaur
26. In the closet - jacket, scarf, vacuum- The Boyfriend (neck tie)- READ 1/25
27. At the police station - detective, case, cell
28. In the family - brother, dad, aunt
29. In the city - people, street light, school
30. In time - hour, year, later
31. Under the sea - fish, seaweed, coral
32. In the sky - bird, kite, cloud- Death in the Clouds- Read 2/5
33. In the armory - gun, sword, helmet
34. In space - star, asteroid, alien
35. In the world - Canada, Asia, Atlanta
36. In music - cello, notes, melody

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[Barb]

Clear the Shelves, post 32

I'm in for 10 physical books and 5 ebooks!

10/15 completed

Physical Books
1- The Power of the Dog (Don Winslow)
2-The Cartel (Don Winslow)
3-The Big Four (Agatha Christie)- READ 5/4
4-The Murder on the Links (Agatha Christie)- READ 6/15
5-Red, White and Royal Blue (Casey McQuiston)- READ 7/16
6- Ghostland (Colin Dickey)- READ 2/17
7- Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (John Berendt)- READ 1/6
8- On Writing (Stephen King)- READ 4/21
9-The Guncle (Steven Rowley)- READ 6/4
10- The Turn of the Key (Ruth Ware)- READ 8/13


Ebooks
1- The Border (Don Winslow)
2-I'm Fine and Neither Are You (Camille Pagan)
3- The Bad Mother's Book Club (Keris Stainton)- READ 11/4
4- Your Blue Is Not My Blue (Aspen Matis)
5- Thunderstruck (Erik Larson)- READ 6/29

[JennH, Cheerleader]

Hi Barb! For your 50th, I hope you get to celebrate all year, with lots of great books! You are making good progress on your goal. Wishing you many fantastic books this year! Happy reading!

[Barb]

Thanks, Jenn! So far, so good!

[JennH, Cheerleader]

Barb, I hope you're enjoying your 2025 reads!