2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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THE TBR RANDOMISER CHALLENGEDuration: January 1 - December 31, 2014
225. Deadly Sting by Jennifer Estep
24. Darker Than Night by John Lutz
√ 226. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
√ 116. The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø
84. Running Blind by Lee Child
100. Deep Down by Karen Harper
√ 326. Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
59. Pale Immortal by Anne Frasier
220. The Realm Shift by James Somers
17. Bloodstream by Tess Gerritsen
231. Divine by Karen Kingsbury
√ 188. Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
READ THE MONTH AROUND THE WORLDDuration: January 1, 2014 - December 31, 2014
This is a modified spell out challenge where each month of the year is spelled out in a different language!
For each letter, read a book where that letter is contained somewhere in the title or the author's name. It does NOT need to be the first letter of the word. The book used must be read in the month it represents.
January: Kapampangan (a language of the Philippines)
✔E - A Deeper Darkness-J.T. Ellison
✔N - The Next to Die-Kevin O'Brien
✔E - In Silence-Erica Spindler
✔R - 206 Bones-Kathy Reichs
✔O - A Wicked Snow -Gregg Olsen
February: Arabic (Algeria & Tunisia)
✔F - Fallen Angel-Daniel Silva
✔I - Storm Cycle-Iris Johansen
✔F - Trial by Fury-J.A. Jance
✔R - Spider Bones-Kathy Reichs
✔I - Pandora's Daughter -Iris Johansen
March: Malay (a language of places like Indonesia etc)
✔M - Trunk Music -Michael Connelly
✔A - Where All The Dead Lie by J.T. Ellison
✔ C - The Collectors-David Baldacci
April: Papiamento (a language of the Caribbean ABC Islands => Aruba, Bonaire & Curacao)
✔ A - Angels Flight-Michael Connelly
✔ P - The Last Precinct -Patricia Cornwell
✔ R - Don't Look Twice - Andrew Gross
✔ E - The English Girl-Daniel Silva
✔ L - The Lost Stories - John Flanagan
May: Romanian (Romania)
✔ M - Let Me Go-Chelsea Cain
✔ A - The Pawn-Steven James
✔ I - Edge of Black- J.T. EllIson
June: Greenlandic (Greenland)
✔ J - Flesh and Bone by Jefferson Bass
✔ U - Cuts Like a Knife by M.K. Gilroy
✔ N - Shelter by Harlan Coben
✔ I - The Ghost of a Flea by John Brinling
July: Swahili (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda etc.)
✔ J - A Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
✔ U - Jet by Russell Blake
✔ L - Blow Fly by Patricia Cornwell
✔A - Scared Stiff - Anne Annelise
✔ I - Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride
August: Japanese (Japan)
✔ H - She Is Risen - Travis Adams Irish
✔ A - Shiver - Lisa Jackson
✔ D - Mama Does Time by Deborah Sharp
✔ U - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
✔ K - Whiskey Sour by J.A. Konrath
✔ I - The Heist - Daniel Silva
September: Basque (Basque Country, Spain)
✔ I - Birdman by Mo Hayder ★★★☆☆
✔ R - The Dragon Heir by Cinda Williams Chima ★★★☆☆
✔ A - The Savage Garden, Revised: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants by Peter D'Amato ★★★★☆
✔ I - book:The Sleeping Doll|1050383] by Jeffery Deaver ★★★★★
✔ L - Relic by Douglas Preston ★★★★☆
October: Ewe (is a Niger–Congo language spoken in southeastern Ghana and southern Togo)
✔ K - Flash & Bones-Kathy Reichs
✔ E - A Raging Storm by Richard Castle
✔ L - Lost Light - Michael Connelly
✔ E - Violets are Blue-James Patterson
November: Venda (South Africa) (is a Bantu language predominately spoken in the Limpopo Province, Botswana)
✔ L- Raging Heat - Richard Castle
✔ A- Die Again - Tess Gerritsen
✔ R- You're Next - Gregg Hurwitz
✔ A- The Desert Spear - Peter V. Brett
December: Niuean (Niue Island, Tokelau)
√ T - A Tap on the Window by Linwood Barclay
√ The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
√ S - Suspect by Robert Crais 12/3/14
√ E - The Power of Six
√ M - The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
√ O - The Blood of Olympus - Rick Riordan
THE LISTOPIA CHALLENGE - 6/11The Brass Verdict-Michael Connelly
A Cold Day for Murder -Dana Stabenow
The Neighbor -Lisa Gardner
Divine Justice-David Baldacci
✔ Fireproof-Alex Kava
✔ Stranded-Alex Kava
✔ Swimsuit-James Patterson
✔ The Quickie-James Patterson
✔ Trace-Patricia Cornwell
✔ The Sleeping Doll-Jeffery Deaver
Chosen Prey-John Sanford
January's Let it Snow! Mini ChallengeJanuary 1 - 31, 2014
For those of us living in cold, northern climates during this time of year, it can be very snowy indeed. Let's do a snow-inspired challenge!
2. Whiteout. A whiteout is a weather condition where visibility is severely reduced due to snow. Read a book with a predominantly white cover.
DONE3. All snowflakes have six sides. Read a book with the number 6 in its page number. (For example, The Golem and the Jinni has 486 pages.)
-DONE
FIRST QUARTER CHALLENGE: LILAC'S RAINBOW CHALLENGEDuration: January 1 - March 31, 2014
Thank you to Lilac for this lovely idea! Make a rainbow out of the book covers. You can use as few as four books (red, yellow, green, blue) or as many as you like as long as the final result is a rainbow of books.
- DONE 7/7
DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME MINI CHALLENGEDuration: March 1 - 31, 2014. 2/3
In many parts of the northern hemisphere, Daylight Savings Time begins in March.
1. Read a book set in a place that currently uses daylight savings time.
-Takes place in Australia 2. Read a book set in a place that does not currently use daylight savings time.
- Takes place in Thailand3. Daylight savings time was first implemented in 1916. Read a book that takes place before 1916.
SECOND QUARTER CHALLENGE: FINISH THOSE SERIES!Duration: April 1 - June 30, 2014
This challenge focuses on finishing series you've started. They can be series you started as a child and want to know what happened to your favorite childhood characters (for example, Lowry's The Giver or L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time), they can be series you would like to start and finish within the span of the quarter, or they can just be any series you started but never finished.
Rules:
- For the purposes of this challenge, a series must have at least three books in it
- Identify how many and which series you plan to finish
- Books marked as x.5 in the series are optional (for example, Percy Jackson and the Sword of Hades is #4.5 in the series so does not need to be read)
- No matter how many books you've read in the series prior to the start of this challenge (even if you've read four of the five books, say), it counts as long as you finish
- You can change your planned lists at any time
- Progress will be tracked by completed series only--individual books will not count, but you can still use this thread to track them
- To count, you must finish the series through books published in 2013 (i.e., if a series has three books currently out but a fourth is coming out later in 2014, you only need to finish the first three books to count it toward this challenge)
Jodi is both the person who suggested this challenge and its leader. Thank you, Jodi!
I LOVE this challenge. I have been trying to finish a bunch this year. I already finished 3. 5/5 series
The Gabriel Allon Series 13/13
Archie and Gretchen Series 6/6
Women's Murder Club Series 13/13
Samantha Owens Series 2/2
Ty Hauck Series 3/3
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✔I may add later.
For May, you will need to read a book with an animal in the title. The name of the species of animal has to be in the title, not the name of the individual animal. Ie. Fido wouldn't count but The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time would. Breeds count too. So you could have Voyage of the Beagle or Silkie for example (but please explain to me like I am 5).
Sounds simple, but as you will see below, "All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others". Have fun!
General Rules:
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be in any genre.
3. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Chunkster Challenge.
4. The book must be read between May 1 to May 31, 2014 (based on your own time zone).
5. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose, but only the highest scoring book will apply.
6. The book must be 150 pages or more determined by the issue you read. If reading eBook or audiobook page numbers will be determined by the issue that comes up on a Goodreads search.
The Ghost of a Flea - 18 points
Scoring: (Count all qualifiers that apply)Genre: - Must be a mystery
5 points – Historical Mystery
4 points – Police/Detective
3 points – Paranormal Mystery
2 points – Cozy Mystery
1 point – Whodunit
Note: Exception to the rule - you may count only one genre! Because there are so many connotations and crossovers as to the specific type of mystery, pick the one that best suits the book you read. Consider the intent of the author. Did the author intend the book to be historical? Or did he/she intend it to be a whodunit (Agatha Christie). Ask for a ruling if in doubt.
Author:
5 points – Writes under a pseudonym (Specify) the author is Mark Gilroy who writes under M.K. Gilroy
4 points – Born or resides in the country where you reside.
3 points – Uses an initial.
2 points – Is male.
1 point – Is NOT a Goodreads author
Title: - Subtitles count
5 points – Is two words long.
4 points – Has the proper name of a person or place in it. (Specify if not obvious.)
3 points – Is a play on words.
2 points – Have two or more words starting with the same letter (exclude a, the, but, or, etc.)
1 point – Starts with the word "The"
Cover: (based on the edition you read)
5 points – Has a murder implement on it. (May differ from the game items.)
4 points – Has blood on it.
3 points – Has a person's face on it.
2 points – Title is under the author's name.
1 point – Black is a predominant colour (over 50% of the cover).
Setting:
5 points - Set in Scandinavia
4 points - Set in Germany
3 points - Set in New York
2 points - Set in Canada
1 point - Set in England
Pages:
5 pts - 600 - 1000 pages
4 pts - 500 - 599 pages
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages 416 pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages
1 pts - 200 - 299 pages
Bonus points:
5 points – if you have words from two difference categories in the title/author's name.
10 points – if you have words from each of the three categories in the title/author's name.
3 points – In honour of “National Bathroom Reading month”, count 3 points if you read more than one page of the book in the bathroom. This one's for those who like to soak in the tub while reading (not to mention the other).
3 points – In honour of “National Columnists' Day”, count 3 points if there is a reporter or columnist in the story.
3 points - In honour of "Garfield the Cat Day", count 3 points if there is a house cat in the story.
Challenges > June 2014 - Solved! (Reporting Thread for Clue!) Genre: - Must be a mystery
4 points – Police/Detective
Author:
5 points – Writes under a pseudonym (Specify) the author is Mark Gilroy who writes under M.K. Gilroy
4 points – Born or resides in the country where you reside. (USA)
3 points – Uses an initial.
2 points – Is male.
Title: - Subtitles count
3 points – Is a play on words.
Cover: (based on the edition you read)
5 points – Has a murder implement on it. (May differ from the game items.)
2 points – Title is under the author's name.
1 point – Black is a predominant colour (over 50% of the cover).
Pages:
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages (416)
Bonus points:
3 points – In honour of “National Bathroom Reading month”, count 3 points if you read more than one page of the book in the bathroom. This one's for those who like to soak in the tub while reading (not to mention the other).
3 points – In honour of “National Columnists' Day”, count 3 points if there is a reporter or columnist in the story.
Total: 34
The MCT Summer Mini Selfie Challenge Starts: Friday 13 June 2014
Ends: Sunday 31 August 2014
This is a "selfie challenge" ... you will need to keep track of your own books and points.
The idea is to expand your reading horizons, to push you to read books that you might not otherwise have read. To boldly read where... *ahem* sorry, wrong genre...
Rules:
** Books used for the challenge must be Mysteries, Crime Stories, or Thrillers.
** Each book can be used only once in the challenge, even if it can fit in multiple categories.
** Re-reads are permitted.
** You can use books started before June 13th, but the "finished reading" date must be on or after the 13th.
** You must include a link to the book title, or to the cover where appropriate.
** Start your own thread here in the Selfie Challenge Folder.
** Copy the template in message 3 into your thread. You can edit and add books as you go along.
** If you need help or suggestions you can leave a message in the "Help" thread and someone will be along to give you a hand.
1) Total Selfie!
Read a book with a travel word in the title (plane, journey, boat, voyage, trip, etc.).
1 point each, max 2 books
5 Bonus Points: post a selfie -- a picture of you holding the book in the appropriate place, i.e., a picture of you on a boat holding a copy of The Mystery Boat (that's a made-up title).
Please don't have an accident, however! You can have someone else take the picture if you risk falling in the water or something.
2) Watch the temperature!
Read a book with a temperature/weather word in the title: hot, boiling, cool, humid, etc.
=or=
whose author's name is a temperature/weather word.
1 point each, max 2 books
3 Bonus points: Both title and author with temperature words.
Example: The Long Hot Summer by G. Swelter
(I don’t even know if one exists, so I made up that example too.)
3) That's cool...
It's summer in the northern hemisphere... so to cool off, and for our members in the southern hemisphere who are in the middle of winter:
Read a book with a winter theme on the cover or in the title, or that takes place in the snow and/or cold.
Example: Ice Station Zebra
1 point each, max 2 books
4) Time Travel!
And finally, for those of you who will not have the opportunity to take a vacation this summer, there is always the option of Time Travel.
Read a book first published in each of the time periods listed below.
1 point for first book, 2 points for second, 3 points for third, etc.
The books can be read in any order (although it might be interesting to work backwards in time).
Example:
Murder Must Advertise first published in 1933, 1 point;
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie published in 2009, 2 points;
Bonecrack published in 1971, 3 points.
Total: 6 points
2000-2014 __
1980-1999 __
1960-1979 __
1940-1959 __
1900-1939 __
1850-1899 __
before 1850 _
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1) Total Selfie! Points: 2
Book 1: - Blow Fly-Patricia Cornwell 1 point
Book 2: Jet-Russell Blake
Bonus Book: __
2) Watch the Temperature! Points: 2
Book 1: A Brewing Storm 1 point
Book 2: Stone Cold 1 point
Bonus Book: __
3) That's cool... Points: 2
Book 1: Cold Granite 1 point
Book 2: Gingerbread Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke
4) Time Travel! Points: __
2000-2014 - Flesh and Bone 1 point - Published in 2007
1980-1999 __
1960-1979 - In the Heat of the Night 1 point - Published in 1965
1940-1959 __
1900-1939 - Death in Stocks by Georgette Heyer published in 1935 - 1 point
1850-1899 __
before 1850 - The Murders in the Rue Morgue by Edgar Allan Poe in 1841 - 1 point
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Books That Qualify
Bonus: Dead Dry by Sarah Andrews
Dead in the Water by Stuart Woods
The Score-Richard Stark published in 1963
He Didn't Mind Danger by Michael Gilbert published in 1948
A Strange Disappearance by Anna Katharine Green published in 1880
This month, we're going to go exploring! Read a book with a setting that takes place at or near one of the new 7 wonders of the world:Great Wall of China, China
Petra, Jordan
Christ the Redeemer, Brazil
Macho Picchu, Peru
Chichen Itza, Mexico
Colossuem, Italy
Taj Mahal, India
Great Pyramid of Giza, Egypt (honorary site)
General Rules:
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be in any genre.
3. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Chunkster Challenge.
4. The book must be read between August 1 to August 31 (based on your own time zone).
5. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose, but only the highest scoring book will apply.
6. The book must be 150 pages or more determined by the issue you read. If reading eBook or audiobook page numbers will be determined by the issue that comes up on a Goodreads search.
Scoring: (Count all qualifiers that apply)
Genre:
5 points – Historical Fiction
4 points – Mystery
3 points – Memoir/Biography
2 points – Science Fiction
1 point – Romance
Author:
5 points - Born or resides in the main setting of the book.
4 points – Initial of last name is W O N D E or R.
3 points – Is deceased.
2 points – Is female.
1 point – Is new to you.
Title:
5 points – Is two words long. (Sub-titles don't count.)
4 points – Has the proper name of a person or place in it. (Specify if not obvious.)
3 points – Is a play on words.
2 points – Have two or more words starting with the same letter (exclude a, the, but, or, etc.)
1 point – Starts with the word "The"
Cover: (based on the edition you read)
5 points – Has a picture of the Seventh Wonder on it.
4 points – Has a sun, moon, or stars on it.
3 points – Author's name is larger than title.
2 points – Has just words on it.
1 point – Blue is a predominant colour (over 50% of the cover).
Setting:
7 points - Set in Jordan
6 points - Set in Peru
5 points - Set in Italy
4 points - Set in Brazil
3 points - Set in India
2 points - Set in Mexico
1 point - Set in China
Pages:
5 pts - 600 - 1000 pages
4 pts - 500 - 599 pages
3 pts - 400 - 499 pages
2 pts - 300 - 399 pages
1 pts - 200 - 299 pages
Bonus points:
3 points - If the book mentions the Seventh Wonder and not just set in the country of the Seventh Wonder.
3 points - For International Beer Day, add 3 points if there is a drunkard in the story (may only count once)
3 points - For Bad Poetry Day, add 3 points if there is a poem in the book (may only count once, and must be quoted)
3 points - Pony Express Day, add 3 points if there is a live horse in the book (may only count once)
39 points
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
The Savage Garden, Revised: Cultivating Carnivorous Plants (other topics)Relic (other topics)
The Dragon Heir (other topics)
Birdman (other topics)
Mama Does Time (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Douglas Preston (other topics)Jeffery Deaver (other topics)
Peter D'Amato (other topics)
Cinda Williams Chima (other topics)
Mo Hayder (other topics)
More...
THE MONOPOLY GENRE CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014
Young Adult
✔ Coming of Age - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
✔ YA Fantasy - I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
Historical (time periods)
✔ Medieval - The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England by Susan Higginbotham
✔ Victorian - The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great by Eva Stachniak
✔ Ancient - Petra: City of Stone by T.L. Higley
Fantasy
✔ Epic/high fantasy - A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin
✔Mythic fiction - The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
✔Magical realism - The Wizard Heir by Cinda Williams Chima
Suspense
✔ Crime - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
✔ Horror - Relic-Douglas Preston
✔ Mystery - So Close to the Hand of Death - J.T. Ellison