Barb’s
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(group member since Dec 30, 2011)
Barb’s
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from the Crazy Challenge Connection group.
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Finished SHRINK THAT TBR, 6/1/25 – 5/31/26
18/18 TASKS COMPLETE
Using series-next shelf
1. Read three books from series on your Goodreads TBR list that you have started and not finished. Books can be from the same series or from different series. Tell us the series.
* Devil’s Claw (Joanna Brady #8), by J.A. Jance, finished 6/20/25 ★★★★
* Batter Off Dead (Southern Cake Baker #2), by Maymee Bell, finished 7/9/25 ★★★.5
* Gone But Knot Forgotten (Quilting #3), by Mary Marks, finished 7/15/25 ★★★★
2. Read two books from your TBR list that you own – print books only please!
NOTE: If you don't own ANY print books, you may use e-books, audiobooks or library books that are on your TBR for this task.
* Lemonade and Lies (Peridale Café #2), by Agatha Frost, finished 6/18/25 ★★★★
* Badger’s Moon (Sister Fidelma #13), by Peter Tremayne, finished 8/20/25 ★★★★
3. Read two books from your TBR list that will help with two different , difficult-to-finish challenges. Tell us which challenges the books work for.
* Y for spelling challenges : Yeast of Eden (Pancake House #4), by Sarah Fox, finished 6/29/25 ★★★★
* children’s book for CCC July scavenger : Bow Wow (Bower & Birdie #3), by Spencer Quinn, finished 7/12/25 ★★★.5
4. Read three books from your TBR list that are by new-to-you authors. Be sure to post links to the author names.
* author Oliver Milman – The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World, finished 6/4/25 ★★★★
* author Donna Ashcroft – The Little Cornish House, finished 6/14/25 ★★★.5
* author Korina Moss – Cheddar Off Dead (Cheese Shop #1), finished 6/19/25 ★★★.5
5. Read two books from your TBR list that a friend, co-worker or family member has recommended to you. Tell us who recommended them.
* Diana : The Hidden City (Charles Lenox #12), by Charles Finch, finished 7/31/25 ★★★★
* Christa : Crowned and Dangerous (Her Royal Spyness #10), by Rhys Bowen, finished 8/7/25 ★★★★
6. Open your TBR list and sort by date added. Make a note of the number of books on your to-read list. Divide that number in half (if you come up with a fraction, round up), and read the book that corresponds to that number.
* #243 on series-next shelf : Mortal Arts (Lady Darby #2), by Anna Lee Huber, finished 8/14/25 ★★★★
7. Set your TBR list to show 75 books per page, and sort by Date Added, newest to oldest. Read two books from the first page of that list. Tell us when they were added.
* added 8-26-24 : Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue (Mrs. Plansky #2), by Spencer Quinn, finished 6/10/25 ★★★★
* added 4-12-25 : The Impossible Fortune (Thursday Murder Club #5), by Richard Osman, finished 8/15/25 ★★★★
8. Set your TBR list to show 20 books per page, and sort by Date Added, oldest to newest. Read one book from the first page of that list. Tell us when it was added.
* added 3/24/12 : A River in the Sky (Amelia Peabody #19), by Elizabeth Peters, finished 6/2/25 ★★★★
9. Set your TBR list to show 30 books per page, and sort by author, A-Z. Read one book from the first page of that list. Be sure to post a link to the author name.
* author Lynn Bohart – All Roads Lead to Murder (Old Maids of Mercer Island #4), finished 6/26/25 ★★★★
10. Set your TBR list to show 40 books per page, and sort by author, Z-A. Read one book from the first page of that list. Be sure to post a link to the author name.
* author Martin Walker – The Crowded Grave (Bruno, Chief of Police #4), finished 7/16/25 ★★★★
11. Set your TBR list to show 50 books per page, and sort by number of pages, shortest to longest. Read two books from the first page of that list (must be over 150 pages long). Tell us how many pages.
NOTE #1: If, like most of us, you have books under the 150-page minimum on your list, you have two choices: You can (1) choose two books from your 50 shortest books that are over 150 pages or (2) combine two (and only two!) shorter books to equal each 150-page book. This would necessitate reading FOUR books to complete this task. If you choose option 2, please make that clear when you post your challenge, thanks!
* 160 pages : Bone Yard (Raine Stockton #4), by Donna Ball, finished 6/19/25 ★★★★
* 208 pages : Triple Shot (Maggy Thorsen #7), by Sandra Balzo, finished 7/5/25 ★★★
12. Set your Goodreads TBR list to show 100 books per page. Sort by publication date, newest to oldest.
Read two books from the first page AND one book from the last page of that list (or last two pages, if there are less than 30 books on the last page). Tell us when they were published.
FIRST PAGE :
* publ 2-9-24 : Murder in the Library (Miss Merrill & Aunt Violet #2), by Anita Davison, finished 6/5/25 ★★★★
* publ 10-7-25 : Book ’Em, Eddie (Bookmobile Cat #13), by Laurie Cass, finished 8/21/25 ★★★★
LAST PAGE :
* publ 9-1-08 : Different Paths (Stella Crown #5), by Judy Clemens, finished 6/13/25 ★★★★
13. Set your TBR to show 75 books per page, and sort by average rating, high to low. Read two books from the first page of that list. Tell us the ratings.
* av rating = 4.21 : Play Dead (Andy Carpenter #6), by David Rosenfelt, finished 6/3/25 ★★★★
* av rating = 4.25 : The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7), by Jacqueline Winspear, finished 6/22/25 ★★★★
14. Set your Goodreads TBR list to show 100 books per page and sort by number of ratings. Read two books from the first page AND two books from the last page of that list. Tell us how many ratings each book has.
Clouds of Witness 24,779
FIRST PAGE :
* 24,779 ratings : Clouds of Witness (Lord Peter Wimsey #2), by Dorothy L. Sayers, finished 7/18/25 ★★★★
* 111,694 ratings : The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2), by Agatha Christie, finished 7/20/25 ★★★.5
LAST PAGE :
* 26 ratings : Solid Gold Murder (Golden Motel #2), by Ellen Byron, finished 7/2/25 ★★★★
* 9 ratings : Murder on Platform Four (Tate & Bell #5), by Irina Shapiro, finished 7/3/25 ★★★★
15. Set your Goodreads TBR list to show 50 books per page, then choose Random in the Sort menu. Read two books from the first page AND two books from the last page of that list.
FIRST PAGE :
* Edam and Weep (Grilled Cheese #6), by Linda Reilly, finished 7/13/25 ★★★★
* Any Other Name (Walt Longmire #10), by Craig Johnson, finished 8/6/25 ★★★★
LAST PAGE :
* Inherit the Word (Cookbook Nook #2), by Daryl Wood Gerber, finished 6/21/25 ★★★★
* Fatal Cajun Festival (Cajun Country #5), by Ellen Byron, finished 7/23/25 ★★★★
16. Set your TBR list to show 30 books per page, and sort by title, A-Z. Read one book from each of the first two pages of that list. (In other words, read one book from page 1, and another book from page 2.)
PAGE ONE :
* Breaking the Mould (Vintage Kitchen #8), by Victoria Hamilton, finished 6/14/25 ★★★★
PAGE TWO :
* Death on a Summer’s Day (Lord Edington Investigates #3), by Benedict Brown, finished 6/6/25 ★★★★
17. Set your TBR list to show 40 books per page, and sort by title, Z-A. Read one book from each of the first two pages of that list. (In other words, read one book from page 1, and another book from page 2.)
PAGE ONE :
* Total Recall (V.I. Warshawski #10), by Sara Paretsky, finished 8/10/25 ★★★★
PAGE TWO :
* The Noose’s Shadow (Master Mercurius #4), by Graham Brack, finished 6/8/25 ★★★★
18. After you have completed the rest of the challenge, read any three books from your TBR list that were on your list when this challenge began and are still hanging around :)
* Murder in Miniature (Maple Bishop #2), by Katie Tietjen, finished 8/26/25 ★★★★
* Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village #4), by Carlene O’Connor, finished 9/1/25 ★★★★
* In the Time of Five Pumpkins (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #26), by Alexander McCall Smith, finished 9/2/25 ★★★★
Finished HOT & COLD, 6/1 – 11/30
24/24 COMPLETE
1. 🔥Read a book set in a country with an active volcano (tell us where your book is set)
set in Greece : The Fury, by Alex Michaelides, finished 6/8/25 ★★★
2. ❄️Read a book whose cover shows a snowy/icy landscape (post the cover)
Fast Into the Night: A Woman, Her Dogs, and Their Journey North on the Iditarod Trail, by Debbie Clarke Moderow, finished 7/29/25 ★★★★
3. 🔥Read a book set in a country that ends with -land (tell us where your book is set)
Netherlands : The Noose’s Shadow (Master Mercurius #4), by Graham Brack, finished 6/8/25 ★★★★
4. ❄️Read a non-fiction science book -or- read a book whose cover shows only one object against a light background (post the cover)
both : Of Time and Turtles, by Sy Montgomery, finished 7/17/25 ★★★★
5. 🔥Read a book you’d consider hot for whatever reason (tell us why)
222,194 ratings = very popular : The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters, finished 8/4/25 ★★★★
6. ❄️Read a book set during the years of Depression (1929-1939 inclusive; tell us when your book is set)
1925 : Death on a Summer’s Day (Lord Edington Investigates #3), by Benedict Brown, finished 6/6/25 ★★★★
7. 🔥Read a book with a woman’s name in the title
SAVVY Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes (Savvy Summers #1), by Sandra Jackson-Opoku, finished 6/15/25 ★★★.5
8. ❄️Read a book with a man’s name in the title
The Man Who Would Be SHERLOCK: The Real Life Adventures of Arthur Conan Doyle, by Christopher Sandford, finished 6/11/25 ★★★
9. 🔥Read a book where a character is an Eddie (reasonable variations like Ed, Eddy, Edward are okay, cats called Eddie are also fine, no Teds though)
Book ’Em, Eddie (Bookmobile Cat #13), by Laurie Cass, finished 8/21/25 ★★★★
10. ❄️Read a book whose title contains a compound word
Death in the SUNSHINE (Retired Detectives Club #1), by Steph Broadribb, finished 6/16/25 ★★★★
11. 🔥Read a book in which the main character is a visual artist of some kind (tell us their medium)
quiltmaking : Gone But Knot Forgotten (Quilting #3), by Mary Marks, finished 7/15/25 ★★★★
12. ❄️Read a book with a chair on the cover (post the cover)
The Key Lime Crime (Key West Food Critic #10), by Lucy Burdette, finished 7/26/25 ★★★★
13. 🔥Read a book with a predominantly red cover (post the cover)
The Librarians, by Sherry Thomas, finished 7/7/25 ★★★.5
14. ❄️Read a book with a predominantly brown cover (post the cover)
Double Shot (Top Shelf #4), by Lolli Powell, finished 6/24/25 ★★★★
15. 🔥Read a book whose cover shows a sidewalk
Murder in an Irish Pub (Irish Village #4), by Carlene O’Connor, finished 9/1/25 ★★★★
16. ❄️Read a book whose main character is a parent
Devil’s Claw (Joanna Brady #8), by J.A. Jance, finished 6/20/25 ★★★★
17. 🔥Read book #6 of a series (tell us the series)
Play Dead (Andy Carpenter #6), by David Rosenfelt, finished 6/3/25 ★★★★
18. ❄️Read a book whose author’s first and last initials are found in BERGY BITS
author Ellen Byron – Solid Gold Murder (Golden Motel #2), finished 7/2/25 ★★★★
19. 🔥Read a book whose page count contains 2 of the numbers: 1, 3, 4 (tell us the page count)
304 pages : Mrs. Plansky Goes Rogue (Mrs. Plansky #2), by Spencer Quinn, finished 6/10/25 ★★★★
20. ❄️Read a book first published in the 1980s (tell us when the book was published)
publ 1988 : Baby Doll Games (Sigrid Harald #5), by Margaret Maron, finished 8/12/25 ★★★★
21. 🔥Read a book whose cover shows feet (animal paws are fine; but chair legs are not; post the cover)
A Wolf Called Romeo, by Nick Jans, finished 6/6/25 ★★★★.5
22. ❄️Read a book with blood on the cover (post the cover)
Death of a Cozy Writer (St. Just #1), by G.M. Malliet, finished 8/1/25 ★★★
23. 🔥Read a book set in Africa (tell us where your book is set)
Botswana : In the Time of Five Pumpkins (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #26), by Alexander McCall Smith, finished 9/2/25 ★★★★
24. ❄️Read a book in which no snow falls
The List, by Steve Berry, finished 6/9/25 ★★★★
trade
Finished two and enjoyed both of them.S T B D : Big Trouble on Sullivan’s Island (Carolina Tales #1), by Susan M. Boyer, finished 8/28/25 ★★★.5
F R I E : The Memory Thief: The Secrets Behind How We Remember, by Lauren Aguirre, finished 9/4/25 ★★★★
Week 45 — September 6 -- Row 5 Column 5Landed on Privy to the Dead, by Sheila Connolly
It's one of my few remaining books by this author, and I've been parsing them out to make the series last longer :)
Olivermagnus wrote: "Week 45 — September 6 - Row 5, Column 5Her Hidden Genius - Marie Benedict"I've read a few of her books recently and have enjoyed them all. You can tell she really does her research! I'll be watching to see what you think of this one.
You have to actually read the book before you can guess it to fill one of your spots. In your example, you can certainly read your H book, but you must complete all five books, in order, before posting the word you want to guess. Again from your example, you would need to read an H title, then an O title, then an S title, then a T title and last, an A title.
Danielle wrote: "I would like to go back in. I did not have a pick or pick for some one this round thanks"Because you didn't pick for your assigned partner in the last round. When that happens, you're dropped from the challenge until you ask to be reinstated. I'll add you to the rotation again for the next round, which will be posted on September 19 or 20. If you miss that one too, you'll only have one more chance to participate on time.
This post has a list of all the dates you'll need to keep track of.
Martha wrote: "Round 12 - 9/6 - Martha picks for BarbIt's always hard to pick for you ... I should just add you entire list to my TBR."
LOL I've often felt that way about other's shelves :)
I need to read Homecoming for this month's book group, so I'll probably start with that, especially since it's such a long book!
ROUND 12, for Joy DI've only read two of the books on your shelf and wouldn't recommend either of them, so I found one book by an author I've enjoyed and a few others that sound good enough that I added two of them to my to-read shelf. Hope you enjoy whatever you choose to read.
ROUND 12 | September 6 Links to participants and their shelves
Post your suggestions no later than midnight (eastern time) Tuesday, September 9. If you don't post by then, you will be omitted from future rounds until you post in this thread and ask to be added back. NO REMINDER PMs will be sent, so it will be up to you to keep track of HMD weekends.
✔ Agnieszka picks for Katie
✔ Amanda K picks for Kris
✔ Angel picks for LittleRedRidingHood
✔ Barb picks for Joy D
Carrie picks for LoriLovesBooks
Chaitra picks for Martha
✔ Christina AKA Babbling picks for Karin
✔ Elaine picks for Christina (AKA Babbling)
✔ Jackie picks for Mary-Megan
✔ Jennifer picks for Meg
Jimena picks for Melissa (ladybug)
✔ Joanne picks for Michelle
✔ Joy D picks for Jimena
Karin picks for Olivermagnus
Katie picks for Agnieszka
✔ Kris picks for Amanda K
LittleRedRidingHood picks for Angel
✔ LoriLovesBooks picks for Joanne
✔ Martha picks for Barb
✔ Mary-Megan picks for Carrie
✔ Meg picks for Chaitra
✔ Melissa (ladybug) picks for Elaine
✔ Michelle picks for Jackie
✔ Olivermagnus picks for Jennifer
Not a problem, Vanessa!
You can always try again with next year's challenge which will begin in October :)
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Congrats, Brandy and L&M!
Congrats, everyone!
