HAPPILY EVER AFTER discussion

Hi all,
I thought it might be fun to do a Reading Challenge together :-)

The challenge is called BOOK TRAIN CHALLENGE and it has three types:

(A) Book Train Challenge (Title)
(B) Book Train Challenge (Author)
(C) Book Train Challenge (Title & Author)

You have to do only ONE of the three types.

(A) BOOK TRAIN CHALLENGE (TITLE)

In this challenge, the title of the second book has to start with the last letter of the first book's title.

For example:

1) Lessons in Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
2) Longing for Sin by Kennedy Layne (May 2025)
3) A Not So Meet Cute by Meghan Quinn (Jan 2025)
4) Explosive Engagement by Lisa Childs (March 2025)
5) The Dead Play On by Heather Graham (Feb 2025)
And so on...

You can keep the three articles—a, an, and the—or you can ignore them. Whatever is needed to continue the train.

You can't repeat a book but you can read different books from the same author if you wish.

The books don't have to be read in order.

For example:

You read Explosive Engagement in March. You now need to read a book starting with "T". You remember you read The Dead Play On in February and use that to continue the train. You can do this as long as both months are within the challenge duration.

The challenge duration is one year, starting either from the date you join or from 1st January. You may backdate to the 1st of January if you wish.

For example:

You start the challenge on 15th February 2025 and set your start date as 15th February 2025. Your year will be up on 14th February 2026.

Or you start the challenge on 15th February 2025 but set your start date as 1st January 2025. You can now also use the books you read between 1st January to 14th February for the challenge. Your year will be up on 31st December 2025.

You need to read at least ten books to complete the challenge.

If you finish ten books before the year ends then you could:

(a) either switch the status from "ongoing" to "complete" and end the challenge on that date only
(b) or continue adding books till your year is up

If you complete the next level before the year ends then you can again select either option (a) or (b).

Here are the levels:

Level 1 = Ten books
Level 2 = Twenty books
Level 3 = Thirty books
Level 4 = Forty books
Level 5 = Fifty books
And so on...

The books can be of any genre.

The books you're reading for other challenges can be used here if they meet the requirements.

(B) BOOK TRAIN CHALLENGE (AUTHOR)

It's pretty much the same as (A), except in this challenge, the first name of the second book's author has to start with the last letter of the last name of the first book's author.

For example:

1) Lessons in Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
2) Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard (Oct 2025)
3) Survive the Night by Diana Duncan (Aug 2025)
4) The Obsession by Nora Roberts (Nov 2025)
5) Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella (Nov 2025)
And so on...

You can't repeat an author.

Here are the levels:

Level 1 = Ten authors
Level 2 = Twenty authors
Level 3 = Thirty authors
Level 4 = Forty authors
Level 5 = Fifty authors
And so on...

The rest of the procedure is the same.

(C) BOOK TRAIN CHALLENGE (TITLE & AUTHOR)

This challenge is a combination of (A) and (B). Here both conditions have to be met:

—the title of the second book has to start with the last letter of the first book's title.
—the first name of the second book's author has to start with the last letter of the last name of the first book's author.

For example:

1) Lessons in Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
2) Loving Evangeline by Linda Howard (Oct 2025)
And so on...

You can't repeat books or authors in this challenge.

Here are the levels:

Level 1 = Ten titles & authors
Level 2 = Twenty titles & authors
Level 3 = Thirty titles & authors
Level 4 = Forty titles & authors
Level 5 = Fifty titles & authors
And so on...

The rest of the procedure is the same.

As I mentioned above, you have to do only ONE of the three types: (A), (B), or (C).

However, you can do more than one type if you want. Either one after the other or during the same challenge duration. In both cases, you would need to do each type in a separate template, assigning each template a different challenge number.

You can use the same books in all the types for overlapping challenge durations.

For example:

If the challenge duration of (A) is 15th February 2025 to 14th February 2026 and the challenge duration of (B) is 15th March 2025 to 14th March 2026 then you can use the same books in both (A) and (B) from 15th March 2025 to 14th February 2026.

You can't use the same books for your next (A), (B), or (C) challenges.

You can repeat authors for your next (A) challenge but not for your next (B) or (C) challenges. That is, you can't use those authors in (B) #2 that you used in (B) #1 and you can't use those authors in (C) #2 that you used in (C) #1.

Interested in participating? If yes then copy the blank template below, paste it into a new comment, and start your challenge!

Book Train Challenge #

Start Date =
End Date =
Type =
Type # =
Level =
Progress = 0/?
Status =

Wish you all the best and Happy Reading :-)

Book Train Challenge # 1

Start Date = 01/01/2025
End Date = 08/19/2025
Type = (A) Title
Type # = (A) # 1
Level = 1
Progress = 10 /10
Status = Complete

✅ 1. Edge of the Moon by Rebecca York - Comp. 01/01/2025
✅ 2. Not Who We Expected by Lisa Black - Comp. 02/11/2025
✅ 3. A Darkness Absolute by Kelley Armstrong - Comp. Jun 22, 2025
✅ 4.Eternal Magic by Alexandra Ivy - Comp. 02/06/2025
✅ 5. Chain Reaction by James Bryne - Comp. 01/02/2025
✅ 6. The Night Collector (rls. in Sep.) by Victor Methos - Comp. 08/19/2025
✅7. Robert B. PArker's Buried Secretsby Christopher Farnsworth - Comp. 01/13/2025
✅ 8. Save Your Breath by Melinda Leigh - Comp. 01/26/2025
✅ 9. A Haunting in the Arctic by C.J. Cooke - Comp. 01/16/2025
✅10. Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong - Comp. 01/11/2025

Book Train Challenge # 2

Start Date = 01/01/2025
End Date = 12/31/2025
Type = (B) Author
Type # = (B) # 1
Level = 1
Progress = 9 /10
Status = Ongoing

✅ 1. I Heard a Fly Buzz When I Died by Amanda Flower - Comp. 02/14/2025
✅ 2. Edge of the Moon by Rebecca York - Comp. 01/01/2025
✅ 3. Cold as Hell by Kelley Armstrong - Comp. 01/11/2025
✅ 4. The Library Game by Gigi Pandian - Comp. Mar 10, 2025
✅ 5. Hidden Nature by Nora Roberts - Comp. May 18, 2025
✅ 6. Witness 8 by Steve Cavanagh - Comp. Mar 20, 2025
7. Razor by Heather Slade
✅ 8. Gothictown by Emily Carpenter - Comp. Mar 17, 2025
✅ 9. The Medusa Protocol by Rob Hart - Comp. Jun 09, 2025
✅10. The Summer Guests by Tess Gerritsen - Comp. Mar 13, 2025

Book Train Challenge #1

Start Date = 1st January 2025
End Date = 31st December 2025
Type = (A) Title
Type # = (A) #1
Level = 3
Progress = 20/30
Status = Ongoing

1) False Front by Debbie Baldwin (Jan 2025)
2) The Rapids by Carla Neggers (Feb 2025)
3) Shattered Vows by Christina Sol (Jan 2025)
4) Shattered Illusions by Christina Sol (Jan 2025)
5) Shattered Dreams by Christina Sol (Jan 2025)
6) Soft Focus by Jayne Ann Krentz (March 2025)
7) Shot in the Dark by Tracy Solheim (Jan 2025)
8) Knife in the Back by Karen Rose (TBR)
9) A Killer's Code by Isabella Maldonado (March 2025)
10) Exposed by Anna J. Stewart (TBR)
11) Dead Man's List by Karen Rose (TBR)
12) The Blind Spot by C.R. Chandler (TBR)
13) The Bequest by Hope Anika (June 2025)
14) The Cipher by Isabella Maldonado (June 2025)
15) Road to Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
16) Lessons in Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
17) Longing for Sin by Kennedy Layne (June 2025)
18) Next Girl On The List by Roger Stelljes (TBR)
19) Trust Me by Jayne Ann Krentz (March 2025)
20) Explosive Attraction by Lena Diaz (Feb 2025)
21) Night's Landing by Carla Neggers (Feb 2025)
22) Gathering Bones by Melinda Woodhall (April 2025)
23) Silenced Girls by Roger Stelljes (April 2025)
24) The Snow Graves by Roger Stelljes (May 2025)
25) The Silent Dolls by Rita Herron (TBR)
26) Stolen Angels by Rita Herron (TBR)
27) The Sleeping Girls by Rita Herron (TBR)
28) Stone Cold by Winter Renshaw (TBR)
29) The Drowned Girls by Loreth Anne White (TBR)
30) Save Her from Evil by Melinda Woodhall (April 2025)

Book Train Challenge #2

Start Date = 1st January 2025
End Date = 31st December 2025
Type = (B) Author
Type # = (B) #1
Level = 1
Progress = 3/10
Status = Ongoing

1) A Merciful Death by Kendra Elliot (May 2025)
2) Recipe for Disaster by Tracy Solheim (Jan 2025)
3) Lessons in Evil by Melinda Woodhall (March 2025)
4) The Drowned Girls by Loreth Anne White (TBR)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

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My Monthly TBR Books & Actual Reads:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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My Challenges:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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My Challenge Journey:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

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PamG wrote: "I'm not sure what Type # is supposed to be."

Hi Pam,
In Type you have to mention the type of challenge you're doing: (A), (B), or (C).
The Type # is supposed to help you keep track of the number of challenges you've done of each type. For example: (A) #1, (A) #2, (A) #3, and so on.
Hope it's clear now :-)

Ramla Zareen wrote: "PamG wrote: "I'm not sure what Type # is supposed to be."

Hi Pam,
In Type you have to mention the type of challenge you're doing: (A), (B), or (C).
The Type # is supposed to help you keep track of..."

Thanks, Ramla. I should have realized that.

PamG wrote: "Thanks, Ramla. I should have realized that."

No worries, Pam, I'm glad I could help :-) I can see why it might be confusing, but I couldn't figure out how else to write it in the template to make it clearer. Lol.

You seem to be almost done with your (A) and have your (B) all planned out too. Well done! :-)

I doubt I'll manage to complete my (B). I'm planning to binge on quite a lot of series this year, so I'll be reading only a limited number of authors. Still, I wanted to give it a try. I'm not going to even touch (C) though. Lol. But I should manage to complete my (A)—at least the minimum level. Let's see :-)

I notice you have Nora Roberts upcoming release—Hidden Nature—planned for your (B). I'm looking forward to that book :-) I also want to read Nightwork and Mind Games. Hopefully soon :-)

Ramla Zareen wrote: "PamG wrote: "Thanks, Ramla. I should have realized that."

No worries, Pam, I'm glad I could help :-) I can see why it might be confusing, but I couldn't figure out how else to write it in the temp..."

I enjoy Nora Roberts's books, too. My (A) challenge is a little fluid. I would like to get to a book before Sep. for # 6. If so, I would be able to start a second challenge on (A) Title a lot sooner.

I went through my upcoming books for the (B) challenge and all but one that I still need to read are NetGalley books. I already own the other one. I definitely won't be trying the (C) challenge this year. Thanks again for the clarifications.

You're welcome Pam :-) Your plan sounds great. Wish you all the best :-)

Going to try to see how far I can get with my minimum goal being 10!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Book Train Challenge #1
Start Date = Jan 1st, 2025
End Date = Dec 31st, 2025
Type = A - Title
Type # = A1
Level = 1+
Read = 20
Status = Ongoing

🚂 D ...

Stasi wrote: "Going to try to see how far I can get with my minimum goal being 10!"

Best of luck, Stasi, thank you for participating :-)

Book Train Challenge #

Start Date = April 1, 2025
End Date = March 31, 2026
Type = Title
Type # = A1
Level = 1
Progress = 2/10
Status = Ongoing

1. All Systems Red by Martha Wells
2. Down World by Rebecca Phelps
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

I completed the Book Train (A) Title Challenge # 1. This is where I am starting the second challenge for (A) Title.

Book Train Challenge # 3

Start Date = 08/19/2025
End Date = 08/18/2026
Type = (A) Title
Type # = (A) # 2
Level = 1
Progress = 3 /10
Status = Ongoing

1. The Highland Heist by Pepper Basham - Comp. Aug 24, 2025
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. The Salvage by Anbara Salam - Comp. Aug 29, 2025
8.
9. You Make It Feel Like Christmas by Sophie Sullivan - Comp. Aug 26, 2025
10.

PamG wrote:

"Book Train Challenge # 1

Start Date = 01/01/2025
End Date = 08/19/2025
Type = (A) Title
Type # = (A) # 1
Level = 1
Progress = 10 /10
Status = Complete"

Congratulations on completing the challenge, Pam!

PamG wrote:

"I completed the Book Train (A) Title Challenge # 1. This is where I am starting the second challenge for (A) Title.

Book Train Challenge # 3

Start Date = 08/19/2025
End Date..."

And best of luck with your next one :-)