November - Fur, Fins & Feathers

[Blagica , Challenges]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025

Love animals? Love books? For this month’s challenge, we’re celebrating our furry, feathered, finned, and scaly friends! Your goal is to read books whose first letters of the titles spell out a pet’s name. You can choose a common pet (Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird, Snake, Hamster, Turtle, Guinea Pig), your own pet’s name (past or present), or even a pet from a book. Let’s read our way through the animal kingdom one letter at a time!

To join, post a message telling the challenge leader which pet name you’re spelling and how many books you plan to read. If you’re new to our group and/or our group challenges, take a moment to check out the
Yearly, Quarterly, Monthly Challenges – Start Here thread for more information on how our challenges are run.

Thanks to Susan for sharing this challenge idea, and to GailW for volunteering to lead it!

[GailW]

Welcome to the November Challenge – “FUR, FINS & FEATHERS”

Once you have signed up for the challenge with a preliminary goal, you can change that goal at any time by providing an update with your change.

Updating your progress
When posting your progress, please be sure to include both your original message number and progress:
Example: Updated msg #10: 2/8

If you decide to drop out of the challenge, please do not delete your original sign-up post. Simply post an update letting me know. If you wish to do so, you can delete the information that is in your post, but it will be necessary to at least leave one character in the post.

Any questions - please don't hesitate to ask. And have fun!

PARTICIPANTS
Alyssa (# 27) - 0/6
Amy (# 31) - 5/7
Angel **Book Junkie** (# 19) - 9/9 - Completed!
Blu's World (# 12) - 0/5
Brianna Raquel (# 33) - 14/14 - Completed!
Brittni (# 52) - 4/4 - Completed!
Bubbles (# 7) - 0/5
Caraina (# 15) - 5/6
Carolyn (# 6) - 7/7 - Completed!
Carri Carey (# 11) - 8/8 - Completed!
Carrie (# 30) - 3/3 - Completed!
Chrissie (# 42) - 2/12
Ciara (# 25) - 0/7
Diana S (# 49) - 0/13
Frankie (# 8) - 13/13 - Completed!
Gail (# 3) - 6/6 - Completed!
JennH (# 9) - 6/6 - Completed!
Jennifer (# 24) - 5/6
Jill (# 29) - 0/8
Kristina (# 21) - 0/15
Laurie (# 88) - 3/3 - Completed!
LinaVer (# 47) - /4
Rachael (# 4) - 3/3 - Completed!
Sarah (# 14) - 17/17 - Completed!
SarahKat (# 20) - 3/3 - Completed!
Shari (# 16) - 9/9 - Completed!
Susan (# 17) - 9/9 - Completed!
Syd (# 23) - 0/5
TerryJane (# 5) - 6/6 - Completed!

----------------------------------------------------------------

STATS
Participants: .......... 29
Active: .................... 20
Books Read: .......... 137
Book Goal: ............ 219
Completed ! .......... 15

Updated through message #94 on December 9, 2025

[GailW]

Goal is to read books whose first letters of the titles spell out a pet’s name. You can choose a common pet, your own pet’s name, or even a pet from a book.

🦉 Progress: 6 / 6 ..... completed

Hedwig
🦉H ..... The House of Doors
🦉E ..... Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret
🦉D ..... The Devil Comes Calling
🦉W .... When the Cranes Fly South
🦉I ....... I Am Not Sidney Poitier
🦉G ..... A Girl in Exile

[Rachael]

Please sign me up for 3 books. I'll be spelling out the name of a fish I had when I was little: Tim 🐟

COMPLETED: 3/3 books

✔️ T: That Bonesetter Woman
✔️ I: Ill Wind
✔️ M: Mrs. Dalloway

[TerryJane, Challenges]

🐱 FUR, FINS & FEATHERS - Monthly Challenge
Duration: November 1 - November 30, 2025
Progress: 6/6

🐱 S - A Snake Falls to Earth
🐱 H - How to Find Love in a Bookshop
🐱 A - All Adults Here
🐱 D - The Dry Grass of August
🐱 O - Out of My Mind
🐱 W - War with the Newts

[Carolyn]

I am In Using my Gentle Giant, Part Maine Coon Cat's Name

B - Bitter Roots 14/11
R - Rune Academy: The Witch's Curse: A Magical Paranormal YA Academy Series 04/11
A - Alchemy of Secrets 24/11
X - The Ex-mas Breakup, ARC Book 28/11
T - On His Bended Knee 13/11
O - Once Upon a Multiverse 16/11
N -New Year's Masquerade 20/11

[Bubbles]

I'm going to go with our Dachshund
Goal: 0/5

C
O
M
E
T: The Restaurant of Lost Recipes by Hisashi Kashiwai - 11/10

[Frankie]

November - Fur, Fins & Feathers

13/13 Books Completed. Finished

Nitrous
01.N:No Ordinary Hate-Whitney Dineen 11/19/25
02.I:In My Life-Kay Bratt 11/20/25
03.T:Take My Name-Brooke Montgomery 11/07/25
04.R:Reminders of Him-Colleen Hoover 11/20/25
05.O:Only For Tonight-Natasha Madison 11/19/25
06.U:Unafraid-Nyssa Kathryn 11/05/25
07.S:Secret Haven-Catherine Cowles 11/07/25


Marley
08.M:Murder at Eagle Mine-Henry D. Smith 11/17/25
09.A:Against All Odds-Brittney Sahin 11/07/25
10.R:Right Man, Right Time-Meghan Quinn 11/14/25
11.L:Love...It's Messy-Jeannine Colette 11/04/25
12.E:Everything He Couldn't-Harlow James 11/16/25
13.Y:Yours Truly-Abby Jimenez 11/13/25

[JennH, Cheerleader]

Please sign me up for 6.

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025

6/6

T - Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 8 by Natsuki Takaya 11/13/25
W - We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson 11/5/25
E - Evil-ish by Kennedy Tarrell 11/25/25
E - Estranged by Ethan M. Aldridge 11/25/25
T - Fruits Basket Collector's Edition, Vol. 7 by Natsuki Takaya 11/7/25
Y - Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa 11/13/25

[GailW]

Welcome everyone! Loving the pet names.

[Carri Carey, TBR Twins]

Please sign me up for 8 - the names of two of my late dogs

✅ T - The Truth About Melody Browne - Read 11/2/25
✅ H - Hawkeye, Volume 1: My Life as a Weapon - Read 11/7/25
✅ O - The Opposite of Everyone - Read 11/10/25
✅ R - The Road - Read 11/14/25

✅ B - Between, Georgia - Read 11/20/25
✅ E - Ex Libris: Confessions of a Common Reader - Read 11/16/25
✅ A - Agents of Change - Read 11/18/25
✅ R - The Return of Ellie Black - Read 11/5/25

[Blu's World]

Please sign me up for 5 books!

Z - The Zodiac Academy The Awakening

E- The Ex-Wives Club

L - Love in the Time of Serial Killers

D - Dark Petition: A Supernatural Thriller

A - All They Need to Know

Completed: 0/5

[GailW]

Welcome, Carri Carey and Blu's World!

[Sarah]

Sign me up for 17 books. I am going to spell out the names of my three cats Tobi, Jake and Charlotte.

17/17 - COMPLETED

✅T - The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (13/11/25)
✅O - Olivia (14/11/25)
✅B - Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction (16/11/25)
✅I - Ivanhoe (17/11/25)

✅J - Jumanji (18/11/25)
✅A - Americanah (19/11/25)
✅K - Katherine (20/11/25)
✅E - Elektra (17/11/25)

✅C - Crime And Criminals in Victorian London (28/11/25)
✅H - Henrietta (16/11/25)
✅A - Ariel (25/11/25)
✅R - Rabbit Hole: A Novel of Suspense (15/11/25)
✅L - London Made Us: A Memoir of a Shape-Shifting City (14/11/25)
✅O - Orlando (15/11/25)
✅T - The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War (12/11/25)
✅T - The Tell-Tale Heart and Other Stories (13/11/25)
✅E - Excuse Me While I Disappear: Tales of Midlife Mayhem (18/11/25)

[Caraina]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025

*Your goal is to read books whose first letters of the titles spell out a pet’s name

Completed: 5/6

HARLEY (my pet cat's name)
H: Hardcore Twenty-Four - Janet Evanovich 11/5/25
A: Around the World in Eighty Days - Jules Verne 11/3/25
R: Rules Of Prey - John Sandford 11/1/25
L: Let the Church Say Amen - ReShonda Tate Billingsley 11/6/25
E: The Emperor of Gladness - Ocean Vuong 11/21/25
Y:

[Shari]

I'm in for 9 (fingers crossed!)

COMPLETED!!

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025

I'm using the octopus from Remarkably Bright Creatures

M - DNF 1st book. Missing and Endangered - completed 11-16-25
A - An Amish Buggy Ride - completed 11-6-25
R - Radar Girls - completed 11-13-25
C - Counting Miracles - completed 11-10-25
E - DNF 1st book. The Escape Game - completed 11-22-25
L - Loving Isaac - completed 11-2-25
L - Leaving Home - completed 11-21-25
U - Unexpected: Leave Fear Behind, Move Forward in Faith, Embrace the Adventure - completed 11-29-25
S - Stealing Freedom - completed 11-9-25

[Susan, Games & Events]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025

Progress: 9/9

C - The Coworker - Finished 11/2/25
H - The Haunting of Maddy Clare - Finished 11/13/25
A - The Awakening - Finished 11/26/25
R - Resistance - Finished 11/30/25
L - Lucky Man - Finished 11/3/25
O - One of Us Is Lying - 11/24/25
T - The Twist of a Knife - Finished 11/4/25
T - Trace - Finished 11/10/25
E - End of Story - Finished 11/22/25

[GailW]

Welcome Sarah, Caraina. Shari, and Susan! Glad to see you all here.

[Angel **Book Junkie**]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1 – November 30, 2025
Completion : 9/9
D: Did I Kill My Husband? | A.J. Campbell | 11.14
A: Almost Surely Dead | Amina Akhtar | 11.01
I The Intruder | Freida McFadden | 11.04
S: The Secrets My Mother Kept: A gripping heart-wrenching historical novel based on a true story | Elana Milman | 11.13
Y: Yellowface | R.F. Kuang | 11.01
R: The Road Trip | Beth O'Leary | 11.11
O: One of Us Is Lying | Karen M. McManus | 11.08
S: Soul of the Witch | Deanna Chase | 11.18
E: Everything She Never Knew | Annette Chavez Macias | 11.14

[SarahKat, Buddy Reads]

I'm in for 3! None of my other planned books is any help with any of my other pets.

3/3

S: The Sun and Other Stars by Brigid Pasulka
I: Intoxicated with Babylon: The Seduction of God's People in the Last Days by Steve Gallagher
F: Feather by Olivia Wildenstein

[Kristina]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
November 01 - November 30, 2025
Progress: 0/15

I'll be spelling out the names of my two cats! ✌️ Sign me up for 15.

T: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith
R: The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
U: The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
F: Furia by Yamile Saied Méndez
F: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon
L: The Lost Future of Pepperharrow by Natasha Pulley
E: Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

D: Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
U: Under a Flaming Sky: The Great Hinckley Firestorm of 1894 by Daniel James Brown
M: The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
P: Playground by Richard Powers
L: A Little Devil in America: Notes in Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib
I: If Not, Winter: Fragments of Sappho by Sappho
N: North Woods by Daniel Mason
G: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

[GailW]

Hello to Angel, SarahKat, and Kristina!
Glad you are here.

[Syd (gojo’s ver.)]

Hi! Sign me up for 5 pls!

Fur, Fins, and Feathers
November 1 - November 30, 2025
Progress 0/5

The name of my favorite doberman ever!

R - Reckless by Lauren Roberts
U - The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion Vol. 1 by Beth Brower
M - The Masterpiece by Francine Rivers
O - Omni and the Blazed Boy by Benjamin Ver Burg
R - Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

[Jennifer]

Since two of the books on my "to read" list begin with "C" and one begins with "K":

5/6

C - Children of Jotunheim: When Human Gods Fall
H - Hedgehog's Birthday Surprise
I - Iron Kissed
C- The Castle of Love
K- Kindred
E-
N- Not Without Laughter

[Ciara]

Put me down for seven books. I'm spelling out my cat's name.

C
L
A
U
D
I
A

[GailW]

Welcome to Sydney, Jennifer and Ciara!

[Alyssa]

Put me down for 6. 0/6
B-
A-Any Other City
R-Robin
B-Black Buck
I- I Curse You With Joy
E-

[GailW]

Welcome Alyssa!

[Jill]

I’m using the name of my much loved, much missed cat—Sundance. 5/8
S—Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow
U
N—Not Another Christmas Rom Com
D—Digging Up Devils: The Search for a Satanic Murder Cult in Rural Ohio
A
N
C—Cemetery Research on the Internet (A Genealogy Guide)
E—Exit Strategy

[Carrie]

Sign me up for 3!

🪶FUR, FINS, & FEATHERS🪶
Duration: November 1 - November 30, 2025
Completed: 3/3


In honor of the Bob the Cat series, I am going with Bob (because I need this to be a short one so that I can focus on all of the yearly challenges that I have neglected)


B - The Beekeeper's Promise
O - Out of My Mind
B - Beartooth

[Amy]

I will try and get both of my dogs' names.
5/7

M: Their Monstrous Hearts
A: And the Birds Rained Down
E: Evil Eye

J;
U:
N: This Life or the Next
E: Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations

[Amy]

Updated message 31-- 1/7

[✨ Brianna Raquel ✨]

FUR, FINS & FEATHERS
Duration: November 1, 2025 – November 30, 2025

14/14


Diamond (my first dog)
D: Death Row
I: Indiginerds
A: All the Words We Know
M: My Big Fat Fake Marriage
O: Open Water
N: Nikhil Out Loud
D: Death and Dinuguan

Tiny (the family dog)
T: Totally Fine
I: If This Was a Movie
N: Next Time Will Be Our Turn
Y: Yours for the Season

Tom (the family cat)
T: Tools of Engagement
O: One Night Only
M: Maya's Laws of Love

[GailW]

Welcome all new players!

[Jennifer]

Updated message #24 1/6

[Susan, Games & Events]

Update message #17

Progress: 2/9

[Susan, Games & Events]

Update message #17

Progress: 3/9

[Caraina]

Updated msg #15: 3/6

[Carri Carey, TBR Twins]

Update to message #11 - 2/8 books read!

[GailW]

Stats updated through message 40 - 11/6/2025

Great start!

[Amy]

Updated message 31-- 2/7

[Chrissie]

Late to the party.

Your goal is to read books whose first letters of the titles spell out a pet’s name. You can choose a common pet (Dog, Cat, Fish, Bird, Snake, Hamster, Turtle, Guinea Pig), your own pet’s name (past or present), or even a pet from a book.

Chairman Meow (3/12)
C - Crimson Spell Bd. 4 by Yamane Ayano ✓ 11/17
H -
A - Anne of Ingleside by L.M. Montgomery ✓ 11/11
I -
R -
M -
A - After the quake by Murakami Haruki ✓ 11/13
N -

M -
E -
O -
W -

[GailW]

Chrissie wrote: "Late to the party..."

Never TOO late - welcome!

[Shari]

Update msg #16:

Completed 4 of 9 so far!

[GailW]

Shari wrote: "Update msg #16: Completed 4 of 9 so far!"

Nice!!

[Carolyn]

Update to message #6
1 completed

[LinaVer]

Gail, would you please sign me up for 4?
Spelling out my tuxedo cat's name Xavi.



X - XOXO or X Marks the Spot: The Story of Archaeology in Eight Extraordinary Discoveries or X
A -
V -
I - Geišos išpažintis (will use the second word in the title)

[Susan, Games & Events]

Update to message #17

Progress: 4/9

[Diana S]

Spell-out: CHARLIE & BLANCO (my cats) (0/13)

C
H
A
R
L
I
E

&

B
L
A
N
C
O

[GailW]

Good to see you here LinaVer and Diana S!

Participant list updated