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message 1: by Connie N. (last edited Jul 02, 2022 09:31AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 10:24AM

Connie N. The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

As Independence Day approaches, we need an expert at our side to help us get ready. Who better than Uncle Sam, the most recognized symbol of the USA? But where has he gone? Guess we'll have to find out.



For each clue you follow, you will be one step closer to finding Uncle Sam so he can lead the celebration on the 4th of July. You must follow his trail IN ORDER , exactly as he traveled it.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.") NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases) NOTE: These books must be read in order.

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.") NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. NOTE: You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when). NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title. NOTE: You can read these two books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!




message 3: by Connie N. (new)
Jun 24, 2022 10:26AM

Connie N. CHALLENGE RULES:
♦ You must follow his trail IN ORDER

♦ If you want to participate in a challenge, please sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.

♦ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. (See the link here for rules regarding graphic novels.) Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged :) Re-reads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book and not simply skim through it.

♦ For each book you read, please post a link to the title, and indicate the author and the date you finished reading it. If a challenge task gives several options, please make it clear which option you’ve chosen. If the task calls for an item on the cover, include a link to the book cover. If it’s not obvious from the book title or cover, be sure to explain how your book fits the task. If you don’t, you won’t get credit for completing that task.
* If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions here:
Add a link to the book title, book cover and/or author

♦ If you want the challenge moderator to verify your books as you post updates, please copy/paste your update into a new message. If you do this while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your formatting, etc. too. We don’t have time to scroll back through the entire thread looking for "message #15," or to follow links back to an original post.

♦ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message. If you copy the list while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your links and formatting. If you don’t repost your list, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.


message 4: by Connie N. (last edited Apr 01, 2025 10:14AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 10:32AM

Connie N. The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to 3/18/25
65/65

► Patriotic colors on the covers
1. Red - Guilt by Degrees by Marcia Clark - 10/5/22 ♥♥♥♥
2. White - In Such Good Company: Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox by Carol Burnett - 7/2/22 ♥♥♥♥
3. Blue - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald - 7/19/22 ♥♥♥♥

Guilt by Degrees (Rachel Knight, #2) by Marcia Clark In Such Good Company Eleven Years of Laughter, Mayhem, and Fun in the Sandbox by Carol Burnett The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

► 4. 60 Years Old - Imperfect Angel by Christi Barth - 11/6/22 ♥♥♥♥
Rhys – Loc 1085 – “I’m eighty-seven. Old enough to know more about finding mystical tools and dodging demons than you.”
5. Beard - Sweet Reality by Laura Heffernan - 10/27/22 ♥♥♥
Loc 863 – Dominic - “He’d grown a beard, cut his dark, curly hair, but otherwise hadn’t changed.”
6. Male Author - L.A. Rotten: A Tom Tanner Mystery by Jeff Klima - 11/10/22 ♥♥♥♥

Imperfect Angel (Unlocking His Heart, 1) by Christi Barth Sweet Reality (Reality Star, #2) by Laura Heffernan L.A. Rotten A Tom Tanner Mystery by Jeff Klima

►7. F - A Fool's Gold Christmas by Susan Mallery - 12/15/22 ♥♥♥♥
8. L - Love's Enduring Promise by Janette Oke - 12/13/22 ♥♥♥♥
9. A - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker - 11/16/22 ♥♥♥
10. G - Gingham Bride by Jillian Hart - 2/21/23 ♥♥♥♥

A Fool's Gold Christmas (Fool's Gold, #9.5) by Susan Mallery Love's Enduring Promise (Love Comes Softly, #2) by Janette Oke The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker Gingham Bride (Buttons and Bobbins, #1) by Jillian Hart

► 11. Under 18 - Dylan Glasco - Last Stop This Town by David H. Steinberg - 2/24/23 ♥♥♥
12. Student - Anya Balanchine - All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin - 2/26/23 ♥♥♥♥

Last Stop This Town by David H. Steinberg All These Things I've Done (Birthright, #1) by Gabrielle Zevin

► 13. Picnic - The Family Gathering by Robyn Carr - 3/2/23 ♥♥♥♥
Pg. 38 – “…in the hands of one of the other managers to go home for a backyard picnic with Rob and the boys.”
14. Have fun - You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus - 3/9/23 ♥♥♥
P. 17 – “…Autumn, and I all worked there, and it was fun as hell.”

The Family Gathering (Sullivan's Crossing, #3) by Robyn Carr You'll Be the Death of Me by Karen M. McManus

► 15. FOOD AND DRINK - The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister - 5/16/23 ♥♥♥
16. Sandwiched letters - Wild Invi-<b>TAT</b>-ion by Nalini Singh - 3/12/23 ♥♥♥♥
17. Food-Related Fiction #66 – The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen - 6/2/23 ♥♥♥♥

The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister Wild Invitation (Psy-Changeling, #0.5, #3.5, #9.5, #10.5) by Nalini Singh The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

► Title starts with last letter of the previous book.
18. The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny - 6/5/23 ♥♥♥♥
19. H - Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh - 6/15/23 ♥♥♥♥♥
20. N - Never Too Late by Robyn Carr - 7/2/23 ♥♥♥
21. E - The Ex-Girlfriends' Club by Rhonda Nelson - 7/4/23 ♥♥♥♥

The Cruelest Month (Chief Inspector Armand Gamache, #3) by Louise Penny Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling, #12) by Nalini Singh Never Too Late by Robyn Carr The Ex-Girlfriends' Club by Rhonda Nelson

► 22. Outdoor scene - Tucker by Emily March - 7/10/23 ♥♥♥
23. Direction word - FROM - Christmas from Hell by R.L. Mathewson - 7/8/23 ♥♥♥♥

Tucker (The McBrides of Texas #2; Eternity Springs #17) by Emily March Christmas from Hell (Neighbor from Hell, #7) by R.L. Mathewson

► 24. Flames - Fire & Brimstone by R.L. Mathewson - 7/17/23 ♥♥♥♥
25. Sparkly - Snowfall on Cedar Trail by Annie Rains - 7/30/23 ♥♥♥♥
Christmas decorations

Fire & Brimstone (Neighbor from Hell, #8) by R.L. Mathewson Snowfall on Cedar Trail (Sweetwater Springs, #3) / Then There Was You by Annie Rains

► 26. Title words same letter - Henna House by Nomi Eve - 8/6/23 ♥♥♥
27. Author same letter - Melt by Helen Hardt - 8/9/23 ♥♥♥♥

Henna House by Nomi Eve Melt (Steel Brothers Saga, #4) by Helen Hardt

► 28. Hat - Rocky Mountain Rebel by Vivian Arend - 8/19/23 ♥♥♥♥
29. Single tree - Chance of a Lifetime by Jodi Thomas - 8/30/23 ♥♥♥♥♥

Rocky Mountain Rebel (Six Pack Ranch, #5; Rocky Mountain House, #5) by Vivian Arend Chance of a Lifetime (Harmony, #5) by Jodi Thomas

► 30. Summer - Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke - 9/13/23 ♥♥♥♥
31. Small-Town - The Country Guesthouse by Robyn Carr - 9/18/23 ♥♥♥♥♥

Summer at the Little French Cafe by Karen Clarke The Country Guesthouse (Sullivan's Crossing, #5) by Robyn Carr

► 32. Author P – James Patterson - The 19th Christmas by James Patterson - 11/4/23 ♥♥♥♥
33. MC N – Nick Cappuano - Fatal Mistake by Marie Force - 10/29/23 ♥♥♥♥
34. Location C – Chance Creek, MT - The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride by Cora Seton - 10/5/23 ♥♥♥

The 19th Christmas (Women's Murder Club, #19) by James Patterson Fatal Mistake (Fatal, #6) by Marie Force The Cowboy's E-Mail Order Bride (The Cowboys of Chance Creek, #1) by Cora Seton

► 35. Non-Horizontal - Murder Makes Waves by Anne George - 12/17/23 ♥♥♥♥
36. Cursive - Once Upon A Star by Nora Roberts - 11/19/23 ♥♥♥♥

Murder Makes Waves (Southern Sisters, #4) by Anne George Once Upon A Star (Once Upon, #2) by Nora Roberts

► 37. Family Designation – Husband - The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn - 1/6/24 ♥♥♥♥
38. Family in Plot - The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson - 12/18/23 ♥♥♥♥
39. Author name Unisex – Sam - Memoirs of a Gas Station: A Delightfully Awkward Journey Across the Alaskan Tundra by Sam Neumann - 2/13/24 ♥♥♥
40. Character named Sam - Sam Holland - Fatal Jeopardy by Marie Force - 12/20/23 ♥♥♥♥

The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys, #2) by Julia Quinn The Christmas Wedding by James Patterson Memoirs of a Gas Station A Delightfully Awkward Journey Across the Alaskan Tundra by Sam Neumann Fatal Jeopardy (Fatal #7) by Marie Force

► 41. North Carolina - Dear John by Nicholas Sparks - 2/17/24 ♥♥♥♥
42. New Jersey - The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest - 2/27/24 ♥♥♥♥

Dear John by Nicholas Sparks The Partner Plot (The Greene Sisters, #2) by Kristina Forest

► 43. Pg Count - 304 pgs - Gold Digger by Vicki Delany - 2/29/24 ♥♥♥♥
44. TBR – “Own It” Shelf - #2 - The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold - 3/31/24 ♥♥♥
45. Number in title - Billion Dollar Beast by Olivia Hayle - 3/10/24 ♥♥♥♥

Gold Digger (A Klondike Mystery #1) by Vicki Delany The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold Billion Dollar Beast (Seattle Billionaires, #2) by Olivia Hayle

► 46. Short - 192 pgs - I Do? by Jo Ann Algermissen - 7/15/24 ♥♥♥♥
47. Pub 2022 - Pub 8/23/22 - Soul Taken by Patricia Briggs - 6/29/24 ♥♥♥♥

I Do? (Silhouette Yours Truly, #20) by Jo Ann Algermissen Soul Taken (Mercy Thompson, #13) by Patricia Briggs

► 48. One - Twisted by Helen Hardt - 8/20/24 ♥♥♥
49. Two - Getting Played by Emma Chase - 7/17/24 ♥♥♥♥♥
50. Three - Rocky Mountain Shelter by Vivian Arend - 7/16/24 ♥♥♥♥
51. Four - The Man You'll Marry by Debbie Macomber - 7/19/24 ♥♥♥
52. Five - Starting Over at Blueberry Creek by Annie Rains - 9/9/24 ♥♥♥♥
53. Six - Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe - 7/22/24 ♥♥♥

Twisted (Steel Brothers Saga, #8) by Helen Hardt Getting Played (Getting Some, #2) by Emma Chase Rocky Mountain Shelter (Six Pack Ranch, #9; Rocky Mountain House, #13) by Vivian Arend The Man You'll Marry by Debbie Macomber Starting Over at Blueberry Creek (Sweetwater Springs, #4) by Annie Rains Walking in Circles Before Lying Down by Merrill Markoe

► 54. Baker - Hannah - Cherry Cheesecake Murder by Joanne Fluke - 9/21/24 ♥♥♥♥
55. Pet - Dewey - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron - 9/18/24 ♥♥♥

Cherry Cheesecake Murder (Hannah Swensen, #8) by Joanne Fluke Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

► 56. Favorite Genre - Romance - Can't Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan - 9/28/24 ♥♥♥♥
57. Rated 4 or 5 Stars - A Husband of Her Own by Brenda Novak - 9/22/24 ♥♥♥♥
58. Favorite Author - Silver Silence by Nalini Singh - 9/27/24 ♥♥♥♥

Can't Help Falling in Love by Sophie Sullivan A Husband of Her Own (Dundee, Idaho, #2) by Brenda Novak Silver Silence (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #1; Psy-Changeling, #16) by Nalini Singh

► 59. Holiday - Christmas - Skipping Christmas by John Grisham - 9/29/24 ♥♥♥♥
60. Published in July - Pub 7/1/99 - Husband for Hire by Susan Wiggs - 11/3/24 ♥♥♥♥

Skipping Christmas by John Grisham Husband for Hire (Heart of the West/Bachelor Auction, #1) by Susan Wiggs

► 61. Published in 2018 – Pub 6/12/18 - Ocean Light by Nalini Singh - 11/7/24 ♥♥♥♥
62. Published in 2012 – Pub 5/1/12 - Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski - 1/15/25 ♥♥♥♥

Ocean Light (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #2; Psy-Changeling, #17) by Nalini Singh Objects of My Affection by Jill Smolinski

► 63. Letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order - Devil's Game by Joanna Wylde - 3/6/25 ♥♥♥♥
Devil's Game (Reapers MC, #3) by Joanna Wylde

► 64. Double repeated vowels in the title - Trouble in Bloom by Heather Webber - 3/18/25 ♥♥♥♥
65. Punctuation in the title - Deserts, Driving, & Derelicts by Tonya Kappes - 3/9/25 ♥♥♥

Trouble in Bloom (Nina Quinn, #4) by Heather Webber Deserts, Driving, & Derelicts (Camper & Criminals, #2) by Tonya Kappes

*****CHALLENGE COMPLETE 3/18/25*****


message 5: by Jimena (last edited Mar 28, 2025 03:00PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 11:30AM

Jimena Rodríguez The Quest to Find Uncle Sam post 1
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?

65/65 Tasks

Follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.
► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover – one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
* 1-RED
Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott_Aug 13, 2022****
* 2-BLUE
Spirit Walker by Michelle Paver _Aug 6, 2022****
* 3-WHITE
The World's Strongest Librarian: A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne_Jul 9, 2022***
Bury Me Deep by Megan Abbott Spirit Walker (Chronicles of Ancient Darkness #2) by Michelle Paver The World's Strongest Librarian A Memoir of Tourette's, Faith, Strength, and the Power of Family by Josh Hanagarne

(Do you know what he looks like? He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.
► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.4, 5, 6)
* 4 - Mrs. Polllifax i older than 60 years old
Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer by Dorothy Gilman_Sept 22, 2022***
* 5 - older Sam has a beard
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin_Sept 30, 2022****
* 6 - Male author
Tommy Orange-There There_Aug 16, 2022****
Mrs. Pollifax and the Lion Killer (Mrs. Pollifax, #12) by Dorothy Gilman Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin There There by Tommy Orange

Our first clue... Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!
► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
F-Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder_Oct 9, 2022****
L-The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder_Oct 14, 2022*****
A-Anne of Green Gables / Anne of Avonlea by L.M. Montgomery_Oct 11, 2022*****
G-Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss_Oct 22, 2022****
Farmer Boy (Little House, #2) by Laura Ingalls Wilder The Long Winter (Little House, #6) by Laura Ingalls Wilder Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea (Anne of Green Gables, #1-2) by L.M. Montgomery Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!
► (11, 12) Read TWO books – one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age – as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11- Maggie Rose is 9 years old
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson_Oct 23, 2022****
12- MAIN character is a student
A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride_oct 26, 2022***
Along Came a Spider (Alex Cross, #1) by James Patterson A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing by Eimear McBride

No one wants to miss the picnic! They're always so much fun.
► (13, 14) Read TWO books – one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
* 13-PICNIC. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards_Nov 13, 2022****
"They spread out their picnic: cheese and crackers and clusters of grapes. David sat down on the blanket,... " (page 109)
* 14- FUN. I Was Born for This by Alice Oseman_Oct 27, 2022***
...‘We just played music together and had fun for the first time in months. (page 349)
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards I Was Born for This (I Was Born for This, #1) by Alice Oseman

Speaking of picnics, I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.
► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books – one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
* 15- FOOD AND DRINK,
The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister_Nov 24, 2022***
* 16- "sandwich"ed letters.
We Are All CompleTely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler_Nov 15, 2022****
* 17- Listopia list with Food or Culinary: Food-Related Fiction
The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister_Nov 23, 2022***
The Lost Art of Mixing by Erica Bauermeister We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler The School of Essential Ingredients by Erica Bauermeister

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.
► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
* 18. The Glass HoteL by Emily St. John Mandel_Nov 27, 2022****
* 19. Last Train to IstanbuL by Ayşe Kulin_Jan 9, 2023***
* 20. The Light Through the LeaveS by Glendy Vanderah_Jan 17, 2022****
* 21. Sins & Needles by Karina Halle_Jan 26, 2023***
The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel Last Train to Istanbul by Ayşe Kulin The Light Through the Leaves by Glendy Vanderah Sins & Needles (The Artists Trilogy, #1) by Karina Halle


message 6: by Jimena (last edited Mar 28, 2025 03:01PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 11:31AM

Jimena Rodríguez The Quest to Find Uncle Sam post 2

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?
► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
* 22_ OUTDOOR:
Heima es hogar en islandés by Laia Soler_Feb 7, 2023***
Heima es hogar en islandés by Laia Soler
*23_ DIRECTION WORD:
Break It Down: Stories by Lydia Davis_Feb 14, 2023***
Break It Down Stories (FSG Classics) by Lydia Davis

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.
► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
*24_ FLAMES:
A Burning by Megha Majumdar_Mar 19, 2023****
A Burning by Megha Majumdar
*25_ SPARKLY:
Sugar and Iced by Jenn McKinlay_Feb 26, 2023****
Sugar and Iced (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #6) by Jenn McKinlay

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.
► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
*26_same letter words in tittle: In the Month of the Midnight Sun by Cecilia Ekbäck_Apr 19, 2023****
In the Month of the Midnight Sun (Svartåsen #2) by Cecilia Ekbäck
*27_same letter author names: Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta_Mar 20, 2023****
Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.
► (28, 29) Read TWO books:
*28_ one with any kind of hat on the cover: I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira_MAy 4, 2023***
I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira
*29 _one with a single tree on the cover.
A Separate Peace by John Knowles_Jun 30, 2023***
A Separate Peace by John Knowles

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.
► (30, 31) Read TWO books:
*30_One that is set in the summer months (June, July, August)
A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck_July 29, 2023****
A Long Way from Chicago (A Long Way from Chicago, #1) by Richard Peck
*31_One with a small-town setting.
Beach Read by Emily Henry_Aug 13, 2023***
Beach Read by Emily Henry

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.
► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books
*32- author's first or last name starts with P,
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck_Aug 26, 2023****
A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck
*33- main character's first or last name starts with N
The Mystery of the 99 Steps by Carolyn Keene_Aug 14, 2023***
Nancy
The Mystery of the 99 Steps (Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, #43) by Carolyn Keene
*34- location starts with C.
Little Souls by Sandra Dallas_Oct 1, 2023****
Colorado
Little Souls by Sandra Dallas

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...
► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive
*35- title is non-horizontal
One Day by David Nicholls_Oct 27, 2023***
One Day by David Nicholls
*36- title is in cursive
Julie and Romeo Get Lucky by Jeanne Ray_Nov 18, 2023***
Julie and Romeo Get Lucky by Jeanne Ray

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?
► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books: one with a family designation in the title AND one with a family featured in the plot AND one with an author's name that is unisex AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
*37- family designation in the title
The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four SISTERS, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall_Dec 10, 2023****
The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy (The Penderwicks, #1) by Jeanne Birdsall
*38- family featured in the plot
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan_Dec 5, 2023****
The Cement Garden by Ian McEwan
*39- unisex author's name
One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters_Nov 20, 2023****
Ellis is a gender-neutral name of Welsh origin
One Corpse Too Many (Chronicles of Brother Cadfael, #2) by Ellis Peters
*40- character or author named Sam
Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine_Jan 16, 2024****
Sam Cade

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?
► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
*41_ Set in California: I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara_Jan 20, 2024****
I'll Be Gone in the Dark One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara
*42_ Set in New Hampshire: Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey_Jan 21, 2024***
Miss Hickory by Carolyn Sherwin Bailey

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.
► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
*43_ 2,3,0 in page count: Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis_Feb 4, 2024***
302 pages
Young Fu of the Upper Yangtze by Elizabeth Foreman Lewis
*44_ #2 in TBR: The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson_Jan29, 2023*****
The Hero of Ages (Mistborn, #3) by Brandon Sanderson
*45_ Number in title: Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field_Jan 29, 2024***
Hitty, Her First Hundred Years by Rachel Field

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.
► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages AND one book published in 2022
*46_Short book: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron_March 17, 2024****
154 pages
The Higher Power of Lucky (The Hard Pan Trilogy, #1) by Susan Patron
*47_ Pub in 2022: A Woman Of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa_June 17, 2024****
pub april 12, 2022
A Woman of Endurance by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...
► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
*48_ One-word title:
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore_June 30, 2024***
Valentine by Elizabeth Wetmore
*49_Two-word title: The Marchesa by Simonetta Agnello Hornby_June 25, 2024***
The Marchesa by Simonetta Agnello Hornby
*50_Three-word title: The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera_June 21, 2024***
The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera
*51_Four-word title: The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin_June 20, 2024****
The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
*52_Five-word title: The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James_Aug 21, 2024****
The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James
*53_Six-word title:_It Is Wood, It Is Stone by Gabriella Burnham_Aug 15, 2024**
It Is Wood, It Is Stone by Gabriella Burnham

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!
► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
*54: Baker as MC: Caramel Crush by Jenn McKinlay_Sept 11, 2024****
Caramel Crush (Cupcake Bakery Mystery, #9) by Jenn McKinlay
*55: Pet important to the plot: Gay-Neck: The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji_Aug 22, 2024***
Gay-Neck The Story of a Pigeon by Dhan Gopal Mukerji

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.
► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
* 56: Favorite genre: Historical Fiction
I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño_Sept 13, 2024****
I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño
* 57: 4 or 5 stars: Brothers of the Wind by Tad Williams_Sept 14, 2024****
Brothers of the Wind (The Last King of Osten Ard, #0.75) by Tad Williams
*58: Favorite author: Terry Pratchett - Small Gods_Nov 16, 2024****
Small Gods (Discworld, #13) by Terry Pratchett

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.
► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
* Holyday: The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley_Dec 27, 2024*****
New Year
The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley
* published in July: Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio_Nov 21, 2024***
July 24, 2024
Catalina by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?
► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
* pub 2018: The Only Story by Julian Barnes_Feb 7, 2025****
The Only Story by Julian Barnes
* pub 2012: A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri_March 4, 2025***
A Teaspoon of Earth and Sea by Dina Nayeri

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.
► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
* The Spare Room by Helen Garner_Mar 13, 2025*****
The Spare Room by Helen Garner

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!
► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
* Double vowels in tittle: Milk! A 10,000-Year FOOd Fracas_Mar 24, 2025***
Milk! A 10,000-Year Food Fracas by Mark Kurlansky
* Punctuation in tittle: By the Lake of Sleeping Children: The Secret Life of the Mexican Border by Luis Alberto Urrea_March 28, 2025****
By the Lake of Sleeping Children The Secret Life of the Mexican Border by Luis Alberto Urrea


message 7: by Amy (last edited Mar 13, 2025 09:42AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 11:39AM

Amy The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
1. Ten Big Ones (Stephanie Plum, #10) by Janet Evanovich by Janet Evanovich 7/10/22
2. The Witch Elm by Tana French by Tana French 7/20/22
3. The Last Flight by Julie Clark by Julie Clark 7/25/22

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
4. The members of the Thursday Murder Club are all over 60:
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman 2/28/23
5. Armand Gamache has a beard:
"You're him? That Surete Officer? Jesus. The beard threw me off." PAGE 250
Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny 4/13/23
6. As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust by Alan Bradley 4/1/23

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
F - A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham 5/13/23

L - The Lost Man by Jane Harper 4/30/23

A - An Affair to Remember by Karen Hawkins 6/7/23

G - The Gates of Evangeline by Hester Young 6/15/23

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11. The Searcher by Tana French 8/26/23 [Trey]
12. Twisted by Sara Shepard 10/9/23 [all four main characters are in high school]

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13. A.:PICNIC -
14. B.: FUN - “I’ll do better than that,” Joyce said. “My date is Friday night. That only gives me two days to shop. I’ll pick you up tomorrow for lunch and we’ll do some shopping. It’ll be fun.” [Location 341]
Buttercream Bump Off by Jenn McKinlay 4/8/24

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.


message 8: by Ruth (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:12PM

Ruth The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks
0/65 Complete


You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.


message 9: by Jimena (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:21PM

Jimena Rodríguez Any kind of BLUE works for task one, Connie?


message 10: by [deleted user] (last edited Sep 28, 2022 09:59AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:25PM

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
RED: Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence 7/25/22
WHITE: Burned by Ellen Hopkins 8/2/22
BLUE: Unsolved by James Patterson 9/8/22
Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
-Small Favor by Jim Butcher 9/27/22

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!


message 11: by Connie N. (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:33PM

Connie N. Thanks for joining me, Jimena, Sugar Snap, Ruth, and Nancy!


message 12: by Connie N. (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:34PM

Connie N. Jimena wrote: "Any kind of BLUE works for task one, Connie?"

Yes, Jimena, as long as blue is the predominant color.


message 13: by Jennifer (last edited May 28, 2023 05:26PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:34PM

Jennifer In! Any book posted has been read. ***FINISHED 5/28/23

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).

Finished 7/3: Passing Fancies (Julia Kydd #2) by Marlowe Benn We Bought a Zoo by Benjamin Mee Town in a Blueberry Jam (A Candy Holliday Mystery, #1) by B.B. Haywood

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
Finished 7/08 Impact Statement A Family's Fight for Justice against Whitey Bulger, Stephen Flemmi, and the FBI by Bob Halloran (Whitey Bulger has a beard) Death by Hot Apple Cider (Bookstore Cafe Mystery #9) by Alex Erickson Alex Erickson (written by male) Enough Already Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli Valerie Bertinelli (Author is 61)

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). **Finished 07/17/22
Fool Me Once
Left on Tenth: A Second Chance at Life
All the Gin Joints: A novel of World War II Hollywood
Guns Will Keep Us Together

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
67 Shots: Kent State and the End of American Innocence — the four dead who are at the center of this story were all students at kent state. Jackrabbit Junction Jitters ( (Jess is 16). Finished this category 7/19

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun."). ***** Finished 7/21*****
“Tyler had a lot of fun on the swings. Oh, and before I forget, you got a delivery, a box from the police. The… Mint Condition Murderpg 40
They snapped pictures of one another posed in front of its magnificent arched gate, grand ancestral homes, and panoramic views of pristine hills and crystal waters. Max retrieved a picnic basket from the trunk and carried it to a riverside dock, where he haggled with two locals. (A Pledge of Silence pg 63)

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list). **Finished 09/04/22***
Happy NEvEr After Kill 'Em with Cayenne Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates ( List: Food Cozies https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9... — 12th of 92 books).

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)
No Fixed Line Eggs, Beans, and Crumpets Scones and Scoundrels She Made Me Laugh: My Friend Nora Ephron

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.). The Sauvignon Secret (Wine Country Mysteries, #6) by Ellen Crosby The View from Penthouse B by Elinor Lipman

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
Finished 12/5/2022 The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot by Marianne Cronin (Stars) The Ghost of Christmas Past (Southern Ghost Hunter Mysteries, #8.5) by Angie Fox

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter. Finished 12/27 To Live & Die in Dixie The Mousse Wonderful Time of Year H.Y. Hanna

► ► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers). Smoke Signal by Marie Benedict Terror in East Lansing The Tale of MSU Serial Killer Donald Miller by R. Barri Flowers

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting. Finished 01/27/23
Granny's Got a Gun (Small town setting - cheerville, somewhere in New England) Beach House Summer (set in summer)

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C. Finished 01/29/23
Chapter and Curse (Elizabeth Penney), A Treacherous Tale (Cambridge, England), Chasing Salomé: A Novel of 1920s Hollywood (Alla Nazimova)

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
Movieland (Eve Ronin, #4) by Lee Goldberg Wicked Times (Ivy Morgan #3) by Lily Harper Hart

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha). Battle of Brothers: William and Harry–The Inside Story of a Family in Tumult (family word) The Moonshine Shack Murder (Diane KELLY, unisex name) Dearest Vicky, Darling Fritz (Victoria’s family) We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Film (Sam the piano player).

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states). Blacktop Wasteland (Virginia) A Fatal Family Feast. (Idaho)

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
We Thought We Knew You: A Terrifying True Story of Secrets, Betrayal, Deception, and Murder (372 pages) My Big Fat Witch Wedding (#23 on very next up when sorted by inverse of date added) In Twenty Years

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
A Dastardly Death in Hillbilly Hollow (160 pages) His Other Woman (5/1/22)

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
A Dangerous Departure From Hillbilly Hollow (6)
I Was Better Last Night (5)
Crime for the Books (4)
The Merlot Murders(3)
Bitter Roots(2)
Fidelity(1)

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot. A Murder Yule Regret (Bread shop mystery) Single Malt Murder

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
Bossypants (rated 4.5) Murder Most Grave (GM McKevett)

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story (July 20, 2021) The Murder of Kelsey Berreth: A Shocking True Crime Story (Takes place over thanksgiving weekend)

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
►The Secret to Southern Charm (4/3/2018) Lost Girls (1/1/2012)

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
Why They Do It: Inside the Mind of the White-Collar Criminal

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
Beyond Reason: The True Story of a Shocking Double Murder, a Brilliant, Beautiful Virginia Socialite, and a Deadly Psychotic Obsession
Jane and the Waterloo Map


message 14: by Connie N. (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:39PM

Connie N. You're all set, Jennifer!


message 15: by Barbara ★ (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:43PM

Barbara ★ No Way! > The Quest to Find Uncle Sam

Start Date: July 1, 2022
End Date:

READ: 0/65

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.


message 16: by Barbara ★ (new)
Jun 24, 2022 12:43PM

Barbara ★ continued...

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!


message 17: by Andrea (last edited Dec 11, 2022 03:44PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 01:18PM

Andrea Cox I'm in! Saving an extra spot, just in case.

The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
July 1, 2022 - ??

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

🎆 (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
1. Red Cover
Anastasia: The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer 9/2/22
2. Blue Cover
You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao 7/5/22
3. White Cover
The Reluctant Warrior by Mary Connealy 7/26/22
Anastasia The Last Grand Duchess, Russia, 1914 by Carolyn Meyer You've Reached Sam by Dustin Thao The Reluctant Warrior (High Sierra Sweethearts, #2) by Mary Connealy

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

🎆 (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
4. The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson 10/5/22
Frank, 82
5. The Alliance by Jolina Petersheim 10/3/22
Moses Hughes
6. 600 Hours of Edward by Craig Lancaster 9/15/22
The Lost Ticket by Freya Sampson The Alliance (The Alliance #1) by Jolina Petersheim 600 Hours of Edward (Edward, #1) by Craig Lancaster

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

🎆 (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The).
7. From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer 11/22/22
8. Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles 12/2/22
9. The Alcatraz Escape by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman 12/11/22
10.
From This Moment by Kim Vogel Sawyer Love, Ruby Lavender by Deborah Wiles The Alcatraz Escape (Book Scavenger, #3) by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

🎆 (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

🎆 (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

🎆 (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh, good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

🎆 (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

🎆 (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look! - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

🎆 (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

🎆 (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

🎆 (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

🎆 (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P.N.C.

🎆 (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

🎆 (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

🎆 (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

🎆 (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh-oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

🎆 (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

🎆 (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

🎆 (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally! - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

🎆 (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

🎆 (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

🎆 (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

🎆 (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

🎆 (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray! - All the townsfolk are cheering!

🎆 (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.


message 18: by Andrea (last edited Jun 24, 2022 01:18PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 01:18PM

Andrea Cox Saved.

(view spoiler)


message 19: by Andrea (new)
Jun 24, 2022 01:21PM

Andrea Cox Connie, this is my favorite of new challenges that I've seen across several groups lately. Thank you so much for featuring such a fun and patriotic adventure!

Would this book work for the at-least-60 category? The secondary lead (the lead's grandpa) is heavily featured, and he's 83.

Remembering You by Tricia Goyer

Bonus: It's also patriotic, to go with our theme, because he's a WWII veteran. :)


message 20: by Frankie (last edited Sep 17, 2023 08:19PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 01:31PM

Frankie Johnson The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: July 1, 2022, Open Ended
65 Tasks

65/65 Completed. Finished

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
1.Cyn & the Peanut Butter Cup-Pru Warren 7/09/22
2.Love at First Sight-Kelly Elliott 7/10/22
3.Hidden-Rebecca Zanetti 7/07/22
Cyn & the Peanut Butter Cup A Laugh-Out-Loud Romantic Comedy (The Ampersand Series Book 1) by Pru Warren Love at First Sight (Southern Bride, #1) by Kelly Elliott Hidden (Deep Ops, #1) by Rebecca Zanetti

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
4.GeeBee:I Love Rock and Roll-Tamie Dearen 7/14/22
5.Marcel:Reckless Truths-Autumn Jones Lake 7/20/22
6.M.Z. Kelly-Hollywood Homicide 7/17/22

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
07.F:Fallen-Rebecca Zanetti 8/12/22
08.L:Last Day Alive-J.R. Adler 8/12/22
09.A:All Rhodes Lead Here-Mariana Zapata 8/02/22
10.G:Get Tragic-Lani Lynn Vale 7/21/22

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11.Maeve(under 18):Someone Like You-Marie Force 8/24/22
12.Juliette(student):Renegade Path-Autumn Jones Lake 8/15/22

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13.Picnic:Pg.74:" I glanced at the picnic and then at the water."
Delicate Promises-Kelly Elliott 8/28/22
14.Fun:Loc.1127:"...it was really fun watching you try not to turn beet red."
Help Me Remember-Corinne Michaels 8/25/22

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
15.Food and Drink:Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly-Anthony Bourdain 10/26/22
16.Sdwd Letter:Sweet Right Here-Jenny B. Jones 9/07/22
17.Listopia-Culinary Romance:Don't Call Me Cupcake-Tara Sheets 10/18/22

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)
18.Death Blow-Isabella Maldonado 10/27/22
19.Whiskey Sour-J.A. Konrath 11/04/22
20.Rain After Fire-Amber Kelly 11/06/22
21.Edge of Peril-Christy Barritt 11/24/22

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
22.The Chosen Girls-Elle Gray 11/25/22
The Chosen Girls (Blake Wilder FBI Mystery Thrillers #4) by Elle Gray
23.South of Broad-Pat Conroy 12/13/22

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
24.Real Good Love-Meghan March 1/21/23
25.From the Embers-Aly Martinez 2/10/23
Real Good Love (Real Duet Book 2) by Meghan March From the Embers by Aly Martinez

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
26.Resisting Roots-Audrey Carlan 2/15/23
27.Catherine Cowles-Whispers of You 3/16/23

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
28.Buck Wild-Lauren Landish 3/19/23
29.I'm Watching You-Mary Burton 3/23/23
Buck Wild (Bennett Boys Ranch, #1) by Lauren Landish I'm Watching You (Richmond Novels #1) by Mary Burton

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
30.The Summer Deal-Jill Shalvis 3/25/23
31.Flawless-Elsie Silver 4/12/23

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
32.Penny Reid-Homecoming King 4/23/23
33.Nolan:Take Me Away-Kelly Elliott 4/15/23
34.Chicago:Storm's Wrath-Mary Stone 4/14/23

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
35.Bickering Birds-Mildred Abbott 5/12/23
36.Phony Photos-Mildred Abbott 5/06/23
Bickering Birds (Cozy Corgi Mysteries, #3) by Mildred Abbott Phony Photos (Cozy Corgi Mysteries, #16) by Mildred Abbott

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
37.Our Daughter's Bones-Ruhi Choudhary 5/24/23
38.Edge of Reason-Freya Barker 5/13/23
39.Charly Cox-All His Pretty Girls 5/12/23
40.Samantha Christy-Abstract Love 6/17/23


message 21: by Frankie (last edited Sep 17, 2023 08:18PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 01:31PM

Frankie Johnson The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: July 1, 2022, Open Ended
65 Tasks

65/65 Completed. Finished

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
41.Georgia:Bound by Passion (Ravage MC #20): A Motorcycle Club Romance-Ryan Michele 6/18/23
42.Idaho:Tessa's Trust-Rebecca Zanetti 6/18/23

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
43.304:Wait With Me-Amy Daws 6/21/23
44.Random#230:Agony to Ashes-Autumn Jones Lake 6/22/23
45.Girl Nine: Gone-Molly Black 7/16/23

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
46.200:An Axe to Rind-Ally Roberts 7/24/23
47.2022:Falling for the Ice Queen-Cynthia Eden 7/16/23

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
48.Crow-Jessica Gadziala 8/13/23
49.Herd That-Lani Lynn Vale 7/28/23
50.The Seventh Victim-Mary Burton 7/26/23
51.Special Kind of Twisted-Lani Lynn Vale 8/09/23
52.What Was Meant to Be-Q.B. Tyler 8/08/23
53.The Woman in the Wrong Place-Jessica Gadziala 8/08/23

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
54.BAKER:Meet Your Baker-Ellie Alexander 8/14/23
55.PET:Sealed With Courage-Laura Scott 8/13/23

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
56.Genre:Mystery Thriller: Whisper in the Night-D.K. Hood 8/23/23
57.Rating: 4*:Cold Wicked Lies-Toni Anderson 8/17/23
58.Author:Marni Mann-The Bachelor 8/24/23

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
59.Thankgiving:Into the Tide-Laura Pavlov 8/27/23
60.7/24/23:Mine to Take-Natasha Madison 9/06/23

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
61.2012:Gone Missing-Linda Castillo 9/06/23
62.2018:Inside-Brenda Novak 9/07/23

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
63.Swamp Sniper-Jana Deleon 9/10/23

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
64.Blood on the Badge-Mary Stone 9/17/23
65.It's Not Me, It's You-Elle Wright 9/16/23


message 22: by Lesley (last edited Dec 25, 2023 12:27PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 02:23PM

Lesley The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
1. BLUE Tess by Kirsten McDougall / Kirsten McDougall 07/13/2022
2. WHITE An Expert in Murder (Josephine Tey, #1) by Nicola Upson / Nicola Upson 07/30/2022
3. RED She's a Killer by Kirsten McDougall / Kirsten McDougall 08/06/2022

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
4. 60+ Buttons and Bones / Monica Ferris (Betsy Devonshire) 08/10/2022
5. BEARD Dirt Town / Hayley Scrivenor (“Uncle Peter waved at me from the side of the pool. “Your mum’ll be here, Ronnie,” he said, one hand on his hip , the other rubbing his goatee.” Page 104) 08/11/2022
6. MALE AUTHOR Without Mercy / Jefferson Bass 08/15/2022

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
7. F Forgotten in Death / J.D. Robb 08/24/2022
8. L Lying Beside You / Michael Robotham 08/21/2022
9. A All Dressed Up and No Place to Haunt / Rose Pressey Betancourt 09/02/2022
10. G The Gown / Jennifer Robson 09/03/2022

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11. The Maze of Bones / Rick Riordan (Dan is 11 and Amy is 14) 09/05/2022
12. All the Bright Places / Jennifer Niven (Theodore and Violet are students) 09/17/2022

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13. Geared for the Grave / Duffy Brown (“I’m taking Rudy for a picnic.” Page 282) 09/19/2022
14.Sweet Revenge / Karen MacInerney (“…You sure know how to have all the fun.” Page 131) 09/21/2022

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
15. FOOD AND DRINK A Deadly Éclair / Daryl Wood Gerber 10/15/2022
16. sandwiched - Éclair and Present Danger / Laura Bradford (ese) 10/09/2022
17. LISTOPIA The Silence of the Flans / Laura Bradford (culinary mysteries part 5) 10/20/2022

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
18. The Woods in Winter / Stella Gibbons 10/20/2022
19. Rum Cake Murder / Carol Durand 10/27/2022
20. Run Girl / Eva Hudson 10/27/2022
21. The Lark Shall Sing / Elizabeth Cadell 10/30/2022

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
22. outdoor scene on cover – Muddled Through (A Maine Clambake Mystery, #10) by Barbara Ross / Barbara Ross 11/04/2022
23. direction word in title – In Hot Water / Kate Kingsbury 11/06/2022

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
1. flames - Body Wave (Text-A-Nurse Cozy Mystery Series #1) by R.V. Doon / R.V. Doon
2. sparkly – Body Aches (Text-A-Nurse Cozy Mystery Series #2) by R.V. Doon / R.V. Doon 11/25/2022

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
1. Title – Digging Up the Dirt / Miranda James 11/28/2022
2. author - Decaffeinated Corpse / Cleo Coyle 11/26/2022

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
28. Hat – The Storm Sister (The Seven Sisters, #2) by Lucinda Riley / Lucinda Riley 02/17/2023
29. Tree – The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths / Elly Griffiths 01/13/2023

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
30. Summer – [bookProdigal Summer|14249] / Barbara Kingsolver 02/28/2023
31. Small town – Hearse and Buggy / Laura Bradford (Heavenly, Pennsylvania) 02/26/2023

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
32. Author (P) – Forever Charmed / Rose Pressey Betancourt 04/04/2023
33. MC (N) – The Burning Pages / Paige Shelton (Delany Nichols) 04/22/2023
34. Location (C) – In Farm's Way / Amanda Flower (Cherry Glen, Michigan) 04/03/2023

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
35. Non-horizontal - In for a Penny (Seasoned Southern Sleuths #1) by Kelsey Browning / Kelsey Browning 05/03/2023
36. Cursive – Motorhomes, Maps, & Murder (Camper & Criminals, #5) by Tonya Kappes / Tonya Kappes 05/10/2023

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
37. Family designation Atlas: The Story of Pa Salt / Lucinda Riley 06/03/2023s
38. Family in plot The Madness of Crowds / Louise Penny (Gamache family) 05/12/2023
39. Unisex author name No One Can Hear You / Nikki Crutchley 05/13/2023
40. Character or author named Sam Ukulele Murder / Leslie Langtry 05/25/2023

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
41. Trouble on the Books / Essie Lang (NY) 06/03/2023
42. A Bidder End / Ellery Adams (NC) 06/27/2023

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
Page count – The little paris bookshop / Nina George (392 pages) 07/03/2023
44. #TBR Bun for Your Life / Karoline Barrett (#342/arranged numerically) 07/06/2023
45. #in title Murder by Page One / Olivia Matthews 06/27/2023

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
46. A Fatal Fabergé / Ellery Adams (174 pages) 07/10/2023
47. Ithaca Bound / Kirsten McKenzie (Dec. 21, 2022) 07/23/2023

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
48. One-word title – Dust / Patricia Cornwell 08/26/2023
49. Two-word title – Dark Night / Paige Shelton 08/19/2023
50. Three-word title – Te Motunui Epa / Rachel Buchanan 07/28/2023
51. Four-word title - Hitches, Hideouts, & Homicides / Tonya Kappes 07/25/2023
52. Five-word title - The House on Cocoa Beach / Beatriz Williams 08/31/2023
53. Six (or more) word title – Kāwai For Such A Time As This / Monty Soutar 08/05/2023

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
54. Baker – Caught Bread Handed / Ellie Alexander (Jules Capshaw) 10/15/2023
55. Pet - Good Dog, Bad Cop / David Rosenfelt (retired K-9 partner, now pet dog, Simon Garfunkel) 09/24/2023

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
56. Fave Genre-cozy mysteriesWhale of a Crime/Karen MacInerney 10/18/2023
57. Star Rating– 4 stars Lucia in London/E.F. Benson 10/19/2023
58. Fave Author–Payback in Death/J.D. Robb 10/21/2023

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
59. Holiday-Bright Lights, Big Christmas/Mary Kay Andrews (Christmas) 11/03/2023
60. Published in July–No Parm No Foul/Linda Reilly (July 26,2022) 11/06/2023

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
61.2012 Old Haunts/E.J. Copperman (Feb. 7, 2012) 11/22/2023
62.2018 Plain Secrets/Samantha Price (May 9, 2018) 11/11/2023

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
63. Claws for Alarm / Karen MacInerney 12/16/2023

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
64. Double vowels – All the Ways We Said Goodbye / Beatriz Williams 12/19/2023
65. Punctuation – Hercule Poirot's Christmas / Agatha Christie 12/25/2023


message 23: by Lesley (new)
Jun 24, 2022 02:23PM

Lesley Reserved


message 24: by Connie N. (last edited Jun 24, 2022 02:55PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 02:54PM

Connie N. Andrea wrote: "Connie, this is my favorite of new challenges that I've seen across several groups lately. Thank you so much for featuring such a fun and patriotic adventure!

Would this book work for the at-least..."

That works, Andrea. And, thanks, I hope you have fun with it!


message 25: by Connie N. (new)
Jun 24, 2022 02:57PM

Connie N. Welcome to Barbara, Andrea, Frankie, and Lesley. You're all linked up and ready to go!


message 26: by [deleted user] (last edited Aug 15, 2022 05:48AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 03:01PM

The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

► (1, 2, 3)(view spoiler)

► (4, 5, 6) (view spoiler)

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
7. F - The Finder of Forgotten Things/Sarah Loudin Thomas
8. L - The Lost Book of Eleanor Dare/Kimberly Brock
✔️9. A- Animal Life/Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir 8/7/22 2☆
✔️10. G- A Gift of Sanctuary/Candace Robb 8/14/22 3.75☆

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!


message 27: by [deleted user] (new)
Jun 24, 2022 03:03PM

Res


message 28: by Andrea (new)
Jun 24, 2022 03:38PM

Andrea Cox Thanks, Connie!


message 29: by Vickie (last edited Jun 04, 2024 04:25AM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 06:18PM

Vickie The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
7/1/22 - No Deadline

1. Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover
Red - We Are All Made of Stars - Rowan Coleman - 8/17/2022 - ♥♥♥♥
White - And When She Was Good - Laura Lippman - 8/31/2022 - ♥♥♥♥
Blue - A Lowcountry Christmas - Mary Alice Monroe - 9/3/2022 - ♥♥♥♥♥
We Are All Made of Stars by Rowan Coleman And When She Was Good by Laura Lippman A Lowcountry Christmas (Lowcountry Summer, #5) by Mary Alice Monroe

2. Read THREE books with:
Main character at least 60 years old -Jacob - Jacquelyn Frank - 9/27/2022 - ♥ - 700-y-o demon
Any character with a beard - Summer of Change - Elena Aitken - 9/5/2022 - ♥♥♥ - Trent
Male author - The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China - Jonathan Kaufman - 10/24/2022 - ♥♥♥♥
Jacob (Nightwalkers, #1) by Jacquelyn Frank Summer of Change (The Springs, #1) by Elena Aitken The Last Kings of Shanghai The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China by Jonathan Kaufman

3. Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with:
F - The Favorite Daughter - Patti Callahan Henry - 11/1/2022 - ♥♥♥♥
L - The Lost Husband - Katherine Center - 11/24/2022 - ♥♥♥♥
A - The Attic on Queen Street - Karen White - 1/21/2023 - ♥♥♥
G - The Girls of Mischief Bay - Susan Mallery - 1/14/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
The Favorite Daughter by Patti Callahan Henry The Lost Husband by Katherine Center The Attic on Queen Street (Tradd Street, #7) by Karen White The Girls of Mischief Bay (Mischief Bay, #1) by Susan Mallery

4. Read TWO books with:
Any character under 13 - The Good Father - Diane Chamberlain - 1/29/2023 - ♥♥♥♥ - Bella is 4-y-o
Main character is a student - The Friendship Pact - Jill Shalvis - 2/7/2023 - ♥♥♥♥ - April Homes is studying photography
The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove, #2) by Jill Shalvis

5. Read TWO books with:
Character goes on a picnic - Last Day - Luanne Rice - 4/26/2023 - p. 254 - "She shook out a plaid picnic blanket...say by the river...eaching lunch"
Characters have some fun - Miss Janie's Girls - Carolyn Brown - 5/1/2023 - ♥♥♥♥ - p. 245 - "We've had so much fun with this one, I'm kind of looking forward to starting on Will's place," Kayla said.
Last Day by Luanne Rice Miss Janie's Girls by Carolyn Brown

6. Read THREE books:
Book marked FOOD AND DRINK - Julia's Chocolates - Cathy Lamb - 5/8/2023 - ♥♥♥♥♥
Title with sandwiched letters - Between Sisters - Kristin Hannah - 5/11/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
Book from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary - Eight Hundred Grapes - Laura Dave - 5/15/2023 - ♥♥ - Food and Drink
Julia's Chocolates by Cathy Lamb Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah Eight Hundred Grapes by Laura Dave

7. Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
18 - Winter Cottage - Mary Ellen Taylor - 5/17/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
19 - Every Fifteen Minutes - Lisa Scottoline - 5/21/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
20 - The Stolen Lady - Laura Morelli - 5/25/2023 - ♥♥♥♥♥
21 - Yours Truly - Abby Jimenez - 6/1/2023 - ♥♥♥♥♥
Winter Cottage by Mary Ellen Taylor Every Fifteen Minutes by Lisa Scottoline The Stolen Lady by Laura Morelli Yours Truly (Part of Your World, #2) by Abby Jimenez

8. Read TWO books with:
Outdoor scene on cover - I Must Betray You - Ruta Sepetys - 6/16/2023 - ♥♥♥♥♥
Direction word in the title - The Night the Lights Went Out - Karen White - 6/26/2023 - ♥♥♥
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys The Night the Lights Went Out by Karen White

9. Read TWO books with - show both covers
Flames on the cover - Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson - 7/24/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
Something sparkly on the cover - The Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller - 7/26/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

10. Read TWO books with:
Two words in the title starting with the same letter - The Devine Doughnut Shop - Carolyn Brown - 7/26/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
Author whose first and last names begin with the same letter - This Changes Everything - Gretchen Galway - 9/7/2023 - ♥♥
The Devine Doughnut Shop by Carolyn Brown This Changes Everything (Oakland Hills, #4) by Gretchen Galway

11. Read TWO books with - show both covers
Any kind of hat on the cover - Winter's Burn - Elena Aitken - 9/11/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
A single tree on the cover - Bright Lights, Big Christmas - Mary Kay Andrews - 10/23/2023 - ♥♥
Winter's Burn (The Springs, #4) by Elena Aitken Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews

12. Read TWO books with
Set in the summer months (June, July, August) - The Vintage Cinema Club - Jane Linfoot - 10/29/2023 - ♥♥
A small-town setting - Gulf Coast Secrets - Maggie Miller - 10/24/2023 - ♥♥♥
The Vintage Cinema Club by Jane Linfoot Gulf Coast Secrets (Blackbird Beach, #2) by Maggie Miller

13. Read THREE books with:
Author's first or last name starts with P - Pam Jenoff - The Winter Guest - 11/25/2023 - ♥♥
Main character's first or last name starts with N - Norma
A Different Kind of Gone - Catherine Ryan Hyde - 12/19/2023 - ♥♥♥
Location starts with C - Charleston
The Book Club On Waverly Lane - Rachel Hanna - 11/30/2023 - ♥♥
The Winter Guest by Pam Jenoff A Different Kind of Gone by Catherine Ryan Hyde The Book Club on Waverly Lane by Rachel Hanna

14. Read TWO books with - show both covers
Title is non-horizontal - The Matzah Ball - Jean Meltzer - 12/30/2023 - ♥♥♥♥
Title is in cursive - The Island - Maggie Miller - 12/26/2023 - ♥♥
The Matzah Ball by Jean Meltzer The Island (Compass Key, #1) by Maggie Miller

15. Read FOUR books with:
A family designation in the title - The Starfish Sisters - Barbara O'Neal - 1/7/2024 - ♥♥♥♥
Family featured in the plot - How the Penguins Saved Veronica - Hazel Prior - 1/3/2024 - ♥♥♥♥
Author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) - Avi - The Cross of Lead - 1/10/2024 - ♥♥♥
A character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
Hero - Samantha Young - 2/9/2024 - ♥♥♥
The Starfish Sisters by Barbara O'Neal How the Penguins Saved Veronica (Veronica McCreedy, #1) by Hazel Prior The Cross of Lead (Crispin, #1) by Avi Hero (Hero, #1) by Samantha Young

16. Read TWO books set in different states
US State - Maine - Evvie Drake Starts Over - Linda Holmes - 2/10/2024 - ♥♥♥♥
US state - South Carolina - Only If You're Lucky - Stacy Willingham - 2/11/2024 - ♥
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes Only If You're Lucky by Stacy Willingham

17. Read THREE books - 2, 3, 0
At least two of these numbers in the page count - 352 pgs - Fragile Designs - Colleen Coble - 2/17/2024 - ♥♥♥♥
One in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers - #1993 - The Baker's Man - Jennifer Moorman - 2/24/2024 - ♥♥
One with any type of number in the title - cardinal or ordinal - Five Ways to Fall - K.A. Tucker - 3/12/2024 - ♥♥
Fragile Designs by Colleen Coble The Baker's Man by Jennifer Moorman Five Ways to Fall (Ten Tiny Breaths, #4) by K.A. Tucker

18. Read TWO books:
One short book--between 150-200 pages - Trouble in Paradise - Carolyn Brown - 3/16/2024 - ♥♥♥ - 182 pgs
One book published in 2022 - Now Is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson - 3/16/2024 - ♥♥♥
Trouble in Paradise by Carolyn Brown Now Is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson

19. Read SIX books:
One-word title - Northwoods - Amy Pease - 3/16/2024 - ♥♥♥
Two-word title - The Dressmaker - Kate Alcott - 3/17/2024 - ♥♥♥
Three-word title - Zahrah the Windseeker - Nnedi Okorafor - 3/23/2024 - ♥♥♥
Four-word title - The Little Flower Shop - Lori Foster - 4/8/2024 - ♥♥
Five-word title - The Last Bookshop in London - Madeline Martin - 4/21/2024 - ♥♥♥
Six+-word title - Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe - Jenny Colgan - 4/5/2024 - ♥♥♥
Northwoods by Amy Pease The Dressmaker by Kate Alcott Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor The Little Flower Shop (Indiana Summers Series, #2) by Lori Foster The Last Bookshop in London by Madeline Martin Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe (Cupcake Café #1) by Jenny Colgan

20. Read TWO books with:
Baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) - Sunrise by the Sea - Jenny Colgan - 4/29/2024 - ♥♥
A pet as a MAIN part of the plot - Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World - Vicki Myron - 4/29/2024 - ♥♥♥
Sunrise by the Sea (Little Beach Street Bakery, #4) by Jenny Colgan Dewey The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

21. Read THREE books that are:
Favorite genre - Romance/Chick Lit - The Break-Up Book Club - Wendy Wax - 4/29/2024 - ♥♥♥
Rated 4 or 5 stars - Nightwork - Nora Roberts - 5/10/2024 - ♥♥♥♥
Favorite author - Debbie Macomber - Back on Blossom Street - 5/12/2024 - ♥♥♥
The Break-Up Book Club by Wendy Wax Nightwork by Nora Roberts Back on Blossom Street (Blossom Street, #4) by Debbie Macomber

22. Read TWO books:
Any other holiday besides the 4th of July - The Christmas Fix - Lucy Score - 5/15/2024 - ♥♥♥
Book published in July - Pub 7/6/2017
Mr. Fixer Upper - Lucy Score - 5/24/2024 - ♥♥♥
The Christmas Fix by Lucy Score Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score

23. Read TWO books
Published in 2018 - The Lost Carousel of Provence - 5/27/2024 - ♥♥♥ - Pub 9/18/2018
Published in 2012 - Scent of Triumph - Jan Moran - 5/30/2024 - ♥♥♥ - Pub 5/1/2012
The Lost Carousel of Provence by Juliet Blackwell Scent of Triumph by Jan Moran

24. Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell - Robert Dugoni - 6/2/2024 - ♥♥♥♥♥
The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni

25. Read TWO books with
Doubled repeated vowels in the title - The Book Club Hotel - Sarah Morgan - 6/3/2024 - ♥♥♥
Some sort of punctuation in title - Forever, Interrupted - Taylor Jenkins Reid - 6/4/2024 - ♥♥
The Book Club Hotel by Sarah Morgan Forever, Interrupted by Taylor Jenkins Reid


message 30: by Vickie (new)
Jun 24, 2022 06:19PM

Vickie Reserved!


message 31: by Chaitra (last edited Oct 07, 2023 12:58PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 10:33PM

Chaitra THE QUEST TO FIND UNCLE SAM

Duration: Jul 01, 2022 - ?
Completed: 65/65

🟢 (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
- The Masked City | Genevieve Cogman ★★ (07/01/22)
- Fatal Brushstroke | Sybil Johnson ★★ (07/07/22)
- Zuckerman Unbound | Philip Roth ★★ (07/09/22)

The Masked City (The Invisible Library, #2) by Genevieve Cogman Fatal Brushstroke (Aurora Anderson Mystery #1) by Sybil Johnson Zuckerman Unbound by Philip Roth

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

🟢 (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
- The Children on the Hill | Jennifer McMahon ★★ (07/20/22)
Helen Hildreth, I think she's in her 70s.
- The Hobbit | J.R.R. Tolkien ★★★★ (07/29/22)
All the dwarves have long beards they tuck into their belts and so does Gandalf.
- Ordinary Monsters | J.M. Miro ★★★ (07/14/22)
Male author.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

🟢 (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

- Final Exam | Carol J. Perry ★★★ (07/29/22)
- The Last to Vanish | Megan Miranda ★★★ (08/15/22)
- Akata Woman | Nnedi Okorafor ★★★★ (09/19/22)
- The Graveyard Book | Neil Gaiman ★★★★ (09/16/22)

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

🟢 (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
- A Redbird Christmas | Fannie Flagg ★★★ (09/22/22)
Patsy is 6-ish (they don't know how old she is).
- The Namesake | Jhumpa Lahiri ★★ (09/24/22)
Gogol, who goes from being a pre-schooler to attending architecture school through the course of the book.

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

🟢 (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
- Passing Strange | Ellen Klages ★★★ (10/08/22)
Magic light is the best kind of light for a picnic, isn't it? Page 107 - Haskel and Emily go on a picnic.
- My Broken Language: A Memoir | Quiara Alegría Hudes ★★★★ (10/03/22)
Despite initial reticence, they eventually agreed to start the fun without me. Page 60 - Everyone has fun except for the author, who is sick.

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

🟢 (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
- Flipped for Murder | Maddie Day ★★★ (12/14/22)
Food.
- Round Up the Usual Peacocks | Donna Andrews ★★★★ (11/08/22)
UsUal.
- Grace Takes Off | Julie Hyzy ★★★ (12/01/22)
Cozy Cooking #304 .

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

🟢 (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
- Death in the Clouds | Agatha Christie ★★★ (12/18/22)
- Stella Maris | Cormac McCarthy ★★ (12/19/22)
- The Song of the Cell | Siddhartha Mukherjee ★★★★ (12/29/22)
- Light from Uncommon Stars | Ryka Aoki ★★★ (01/09/23)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

🟢 (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
- Three Shots to the Wind | Sherry Harris ★★★ (01/23/23)
Three Shots to the Wind (Chloe Jackson, Sea Glass Saloon Mystery #3) by Sherry Harris
- In the Night Wood | Dale Bailey ★ (02/01/23)

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

🟢 (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
- The Battle of the Labyrinth | Rick Riordan ★★★ (02/03/23)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians, #4) by Rick Riordan
- All the Light We Cannot See | Anthony Doerr ★★★★★ (02/03/23)
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The water.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

🟢 (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
- F is for Fugitive | Sue Grafton ★★★ (02/05/23)
- Pandora | Susan Stokes-Chapman ★ (02/24/23)

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

🟢 (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
- Dead in the Water | Carola Dunn ★★★ (02/28/23)
Dead in the Water (Daisy Dalrymple, #6) by Carola Dunn
- The Poisonwood Bible | Barbara Kingsolver ★★★★ (04/29/23)
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

🟢 (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
- Murder, Take Two | Carol J. Perry ★★★ (05/04/23)
- Take What You Need | Idra Novey ★★ (05/01/23)
An unnamed little town in the Alleghany mountains.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

🟢 (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
- In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex | Nathaniel Philbrick ★★★★ (05/10/23)
- Nell. Old Babes in the Wood: Stories | Margaret Atwood ★★★ (05/17/23)
- Cirith Ungol, Cirith Gorgol. The Return of the King | J.R.R. Tolkien ★★★★★ (05/14/23)

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

🟢 (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
- The Diva Delivers on a Promise | Krista Davis ★★★ (06/20/23)
- Amy and Isabelle | Elizabeth Strout ★★ (05/26/23)
The Diva Delivers on a Promise (A Domestic Diva Mystery, #16) by Krista Davis Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

🟢 (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
- The Bone Shard Daughter | Andrea Stewart ★★★ (07/06/23)
- The Codys. Atticus | Ron Hansen ★★ (06/23/23)
- Citizen Vince | Jess Walter ★★★★ (06/22/23)
- Mouthful of Birds | Samanta Schweblin ★★ (07/29/23)

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

🟢 (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
- New York. Harlem Shuffle | Colson Whitehead ★★★ (08/02/23)
- Oregon. A Batter of Life and Death | Ellie Alexander ★★ (08/04/23)

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

🟢 (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
- 352 pages. The Imposters | Tom Rachman ★ (08/09/23)
- #2, Sort by Date Added Oldest First. Dirt Music | Tim Winton ★★ (08/11/23)
- One of Us Is Back | Karen M. McManus ★ (08/12/23)

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

🟢 (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
- 152 pages. Untethered Sky | Fonda Lee ★★★ (08/14/23)
- Jun 07, 2022. A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons | Kate Khavari ★ (08/13/23)


message 32: by Chaitra (last edited Oct 07, 2023 12:59PM) (new)
Jun 24, 2022 10:33PM

Chaitra I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

🟢 (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
- Revenge | Yōko Ogawa ★★★ (08/25/23)
- War Trash | Ha Jin ★★ (08/15/23)
- Hammerhead Ranch Motel | Tim Dorsey ★★★★ (08/16/23)
- When Red Is Black | Qiu Xiaolong ★★ (08/17/23)
- The Keeper of Hidden Books | Madeline Martin ★★★★ (08/18/23)
- When the Grits Hit the Fan | Maddie Day ★★★ (08/25/23)

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

🟢 (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
- Poppy. The Great Witches Baking Show | Nancy Warren ★★★ (09/01/23)
- Eddie the cat. Booking the Crook | Laurie Cass ★★★★ (08/29/23)

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

🟢 (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
- Literary Fiction. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store | James McBride ★★★★ (09/04/23)
- Murder on Washington Square | Victoria Thompson ★★★★ (09/05/23)
- Ghostwritten | David Mitchell ★★★★★ (09/04/23)

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

🟢 (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
- Christmas. Cooked Goose | G.A. McKevett ★★★ (09/08/23)
- July 06, 2010. The Darling Dahlias and the Cucumber Tree | Susan Wittig Albert ★★★ (09/11/23)

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

🟢 (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
- 2018. The Poison Thread | Laura Purcell ★★ (09/12/23)
- 2012. Stake & Eggs | Laura Childs ★★★ (09/12/23)

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

🟢 (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
- felineS And fundaMental. Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics | Gregory J. Gbur ★★★ (09/15/23)

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

🟢 (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
- Murder at Redwood Cove | Janet Finsilver ★★★ (09/19/23)
- Under Lock & Skeleton Key | Gigi Pandian ★★★ (09/25/23)

*** Completed (09/25/23) ***


message 33: by Olivermagnus (last edited Jun 25, 2022 04:16AM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 04:15AM

Olivermagnus The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
July 1, 2022 - ?

0 of 65 Tasks Complete

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.


message 34: by Olivermagnus (new)
Jun 25, 2022 04:15AM

Olivermagnus Res


message 35: by Amanda K (new)
Jun 25, 2022 04:54AM

Amanda K The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

You must follow his trail IN ORDER , exactly as he traveled it.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
1.
2.
3.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
4.
5.
6.

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
7.
8.
9.
10.

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11.
12.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13.
14.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
15.
16.
17.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)
18.
19.
20.
21.

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
22.
23.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
24.
25.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
26.
27.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
28.
29.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
30.
31.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
32.
33.
34.


message 36: by Amanda K (new)
Jun 25, 2022 04:55AM

Amanda K ► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
35.
36.

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
37.
38.
39.
40.

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
41.
42.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
43.
44.
45.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
46.
47.

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
54.
55.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
56.
57.
58.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
59.
60.

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
61.
62.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
63.

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
64.
65.


message 37: by Connie N. (last edited Jun 25, 2022 05:30AM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 05:30AM

Connie N. I've added the newcomers: KarenK2, Vickie, Chaitra, Olivermagnus, and Amanda K. Have fun!

Vickie, happy birthday--how appropriate :)


message 38: by Elle (last edited Jun 25, 2022 08:22PM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 07:51AM

Elle The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 - ?

0/65

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
1.
2.
3.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
4.
5.
6.

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.
7.
8.
9.
10.

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11.
12.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13.
14.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
15.
16.
17.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)
18.
19.
20.

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
22.
23.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
24.
25.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
26.
27.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
28.
29.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
30.
31.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
32.
33.
34.

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
35.
36.

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
37.
38.
39.
40.

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
41.
42.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
43.
44.
45.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
46.
47.

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
54.
55.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
56.
57.
58.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
59.
60.

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
61.
62.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
63.

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.
64.
65.


message 39: by Rachel N. (last edited Mar 16, 2024 10:14AM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 10:46AM

Rachel N. 65 Tasks

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

red: The Cat Who Came for Christmas (Compleat Cat #1) by Cleveland Amory -Cleveland Amory 7-6-22
blue: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig -Matt Haig 11-12-22
White: I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella -Sophie Kinsella 11-16-22

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who)
Cold Storage-David Koepp 1-11-23 Roberto Diaz is 68

AND
one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who): Mad Mouse-Chris Grabenstin 11-19-22 George Weese

AND one written by a male author. James Monroe: A Life-Tim McGrath 11-28-22

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

F Finlay Donovan Is Killing It-Elle Cosimano 5-31-23
L A Lady's Guide to Gossip and Murder-Dianne Freeman 1-31-23
A Ash and Quill-Rachel Cain 10-6-23
G Ghost Gone Wild-Carolyn G Hart 3-27-23

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character)
Whack A Mole-Chris Grabenstein 10-28-23 Stacey

AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
No Exit-Taylor Adams 10-12-23 Darby Thorne

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Fun: In a Holidaze-Christina Lauren 12-21-23 "...would be a fun time to get a tattoo in Las Vegas." pg 157

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--
one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page
AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) : And Only to Deceive-Tasha Alexander 3-16-24 (d-ece-ive)

AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).


Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.


message 40: by Rachel N. (new)
Jun 25, 2022 10:46AM

Rachel N. r


message 41: by Joann (last edited Jan 19, 2024 11:52AM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 11:52AM

Joann Finished!

You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld - Rene Denfeld - 7/3/22
Stargazey Point by Shelley Noble - Shelley Noble - 7/4/22
Cold Cold Heart by Tami Hoag - Tami Hoag - 7/7/22


Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.
► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who)
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields - 7/14/22 - MC Daisy and others
one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) Dandelion Wine- Ray Bradbury - 7/9/22 - Colonel
one written by a male author.
Zen: The Art of Simple Living- Shunmyo Masuno - 7/11/22

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!
► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books
one whose title starts with F
Fortune and Glory - Janet Evanovich - 7/23/22
one starting with L
Lucky Bastard- Deborah Coonts - 7/17/22
one starting with A
Absent in the Spring - Mary Westmacott - 7/20/22
one starting with G
The Golden Son - Somaya Shilpi Gowda - 7/29/22

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--
one in which a character is a child under the age of 18
Summerwater - Sarah Moss - 8/2/22 - quite a few including Lola
one book in which the MAIN character is a student
I Temporarily Do - Ellie Callhill - 8/4/22 - MCs Emmie & Beckett

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--
one where the characters go on a picnic -
p. 196 “Nothing beats a well packed PICNIC.”
Peace Like a River - Leif Enger - 8/15/22
one where the characters have some fun -
ebook pg 343 “He’d not only has something FUN to do, he’d had someone FUN to do it with.”
Catch Me - Lisa Gardner - 8/5/22

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--
one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page
The Kitchen Front- Jennifer Ryan - 9/17/22
AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence)
The Ape Who Guards the Balance - Elizabeth Peters - 8/28/22 - B - ala -nce
AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
The Strawberry Thief - Joanne Harris - 9/15/22 - #102 - Food in Book Titles list https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/5...

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)
Invisible Girl - Lisa Jewell - 10/4/22
The Lost Ticket- Freya Sampson - 10/5/22
Touch and Go - Lisa Gardner - 10/14/22
Outsider - Linda Castillo - 11/10/22

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--
one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover)
Sleeper's Castle by Barbara Erskine - Barbara Erskine - 11/15/22
AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris - Daisy Wood - 11/24/22

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--
one with flames on the cover
Death of a Chimney Sweep (Hamish Macbeth #26) by M.C. Beaton - M.C. Beaton - 2/17/23
AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation);
A Wicked Conceit (Lady Darby Mystery, #9) by Anna Lee Huber - Anna Lee Huber - 12/6/22 - dress

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--
one with two words in the title starting with the same letter
One O’Clock Hustle - Joanne Pence - 2/23/23
AND
one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
The Book of Cold Cases - Simone St. James - 3/12/23

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--
one with any kind of hat on the cover
Be Frank With Me by Julia Claiborne Johnson - Julia Claiborne Johnson - 4/3/23
AND
one with a single tree on the cover
Rise & Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick - Phaedra Patrick - 3/16/23


There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--
one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August)
Book Lovers - Emily Henry - 4/8/23
AND
one with a small-town setting.
Lamb to the Slaughter - Karen Ann Hopkins - 4/6/23

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--
one whose author's first or last name starts with P,
Resurrection Row - Anne Perry - 4/28/23
another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N,
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig - 5/9/23 - Nora
AND
a third whose location starts with C.
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus - 4/14/23 - Commons, California

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--
one whose title is non-horizontal
The Mysterious Mr. Quin (Harley Quin, #1) by Agatha Christie - Agatha Christie - 5/24/23
AND
one whose title is in cursive
Rutland Place (The Charlotte and Thomas Pitt Novels) by Anne Perry - Anne Perry - 5/15/23

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--
One with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.)
The Mother-in-Law - Sally Hepworth - 7/10/23
AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation)
Lord of the Silent - Elizabeth Peters - 6/2/23
AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry)
The Whisper Man - Alex North - 6/29/23
AND one with a character or author named Sam
Find Her - Lisa Gardner - 5/26/23

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
Mississippi & Georgia - Anywhere you Run - Wanda M. Morris - 7/11/23
Massachusetts - Look For Me - Lisa Gardner - 7/15/23

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--
one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many)
320 pgs - Watching You - Lisa Jewell - 7/19/23
AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list)
#31 on TBR - On the Other Side - Carrie Hope Fletcher - 7/21/23
AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
The Hidden One - Linda Castillo - 7/21/23

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.
► (46, 47) Read TWO books,
one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages)
190 pgs - When A Rogue Loves a Woman - Samantha Holt - 7/29/23
AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
Published May 2022 - Every Summer After - Carley Fortune - 8/2/23

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--(You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

one with a one-word title, Snapped - Laura Griffin - 8/19/23
one with a two-word title, Going Rogue - Janet Evanovich - 8/4/23
one with a three-word title, Gone Daddy Gone - Cheryl Bradshaw - 8/6/23
one with a four-word title, Barcelona the Great Enchantress - Robert Hughes - 8/10/23
one with a five-word title, and If You Could Go Anywhere - Paige Toon - 8/17/23
one with a six (or more)-word title. The Last Thing He Told Me - Laura Dave - 8/21/23


message 42: by Joann (last edited Jan 19, 2024 11:51AM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 11:53AM

Joann cont

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books,
one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who)
Olivier - Summer at the French Olive Grove - Sophie Clare - 8/28/23
and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
Wish You Were Here - Rita Mae Brown - 9/6/23

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books,
one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre)
Historical Fiction - The Venice Sketchbook - Rhys Bowen - 9/19/23
AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating)
4 * - K is for Killer - Sue Grafton - 10/9/23
one by a favorite author.
Mrs Jeffries Aims to Win - Emily Brightwell - 10/13/23

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books,
one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday)
Christmas - Death of a Toy Soldier - Barbara Early - 10/28/23
AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
July 2012 - The Good Dream - Donna VanLiere -10/31/23

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--
one published in 2018
No Exit - Taylor Adams - 11/4/23
AND one published in 2012.
Crow’s Landing - Brad Smith - 12/3/23

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
The Wind Knows My Name - Isabel Allende - 12/4/23

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books,
one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray)
Maureen - Rachel Joyce - 1/3/24
AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title
Life Is Short, Wear Your Party Pants - Loretta LaRoche - 1/19/24


message 43: by Kate (new)
Jun 25, 2022 12:51PM

Kate This looks like a really fun challenge!

The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks

You must follow his trail IN ORDER , exactly as he traveled it.

Let's start! - If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!


message 44: by Kate (new)
Jun 25, 2022 12:51PM

Kate Reserved


message 45: by Barb (new)
Jun 25, 2022 01:45PM

Barb Vickie wrote: "I have to do this challenge since I was born on the 4th of July!!!"

And of course, when I read this, I heard the line "born on the 4th of July" from the song Yankee Doodle Dandy :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q36fW...


message 46: by Sallie(GeorgiaGirl) (last edited Jul 03, 2022 06:46PM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 05:08PM

Sallie(GeorgiaGirl) The Quest to Find Uncle Sam
Timeframe: 7/1/22 to ?
65 Tasks~You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
1 RED
2 WHITE
3 BLUE ~ Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult 07/03/2022



Do you know what he looks like? - He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

Our first clue... - Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

And if he's missing - All the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

No one wants to miss the picnic! - They're always so much fun.

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Speaking of picnics... - I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Oh good... - He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

We'd better keeping looking... - Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Look!... - I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

And over there... - There's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Hey, I think I see something... - Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

There's no time to waste... - This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Another clue... - There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.

► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title


message 47: by Sallie(GeorgiaGirl) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 05:08PM

Sallie(GeorgiaGirl) reserved


message 48: by Barb (last edited Mar 10, 2023 05:39PM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 07:30PM

Barb THE QUEST TO FIND UNCLE SAM, no deadline
You must follow his trail IN ORDER.

Let's start! If you're not from the United States, you might not have heard of Uncle Sam. But since the early 19th century, he has been a popular symbol of the U.S. government in American culture and a personification of patriotism.
► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover – one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers).
1. Making It Write (Writer for Hire #3), by Betty Hechtman, finished 7/2/22 ★★★.5
2. Winterkill (Joe Pickett #3), by C.J. Box, finished 7/6★★★★
3. Endangered Species (Anna Pigeon #5), by Nevada Barr, finished 7/8 ★★★.5
Making It Write by Betty Hechtman Winterkill (Joe Pickett, #3) by C.J. Box Endangered Species (Anna Pigeon, #5) by Nevada Barr

Do you know what he looks like? He's usually depicted as an older man with long white hair and chin whiskers.
► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author.
4. male author Zac Bissonnette – A Killing in Costumes (Hollywood Treasures #1), by Zac Bissonnette, finished 7/9 ★★★.5
5. Claire is 70 yrs old : A Zen for Murder (Mooseamuck Island #1), by Leighann Dobbs, finished 7/10★★★.5
6. The Body in the Castle Well (Bruno, Chief of Police #12), by Martin Walker, finished 7/11 ★★★★
Bourdeille : p 69 “the old man’s dense and spade-shaped BEARD was white”

Our first clue... Wasn't he sitting right here in his red, white, and blue striped outfit? Now all that's here is an American flag on his chair. We've got to find him soon. He's expected to wave this flag at the 4th of July celebration!
► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books – one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The).
7. (F) A Fistful of Collars (Chet & Bernie #5), by Spencer Quinn, finished 7/12 ★★★★
8. (L) Lattes, Ladyfingers and Lies (Cape Bay Café #4), by Harper Lin, finished 7/19 ★★★.5
9. (A) The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes #3), by Arthur Conan Doyle, finished 7/15 ★★★.5
10. (G) Golden Poppies (Freedman/Johnson #3), by Laila Ibrahim, finished 7/14 ★★★★

And if he's missing, all the children will have to go to school and study instead of coming to the picnic!
► (11, 12) Read TWO books – one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age – as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).
11. STUDENT / Stella : The Care and Feeding of a Pet Black Hole, by Michelle Cuevas, finished 7/21 ★★★.5
12. UNDER 18 / Flavia : Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew’d (Flavia de Luce #8), by Alan Bradley, finished 8/6 ★★★★

No one wants to miss the picnic! They're always so much fun.
► (13, 14) Read TWO books – one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")
13. FUN : Dewey Decimated (Haunted Library #6), by Allison Brook, finished 8/8 ★★★.5
loc. 2931 “This is such fun!”
14. 14. PICNIC : Picnics, Pies and Lies (Chocolate Centered #1), by Cindy Bell, finished 8/16/22 ★★★.5
p. 2 “Are you headed to the picnic?” “Yes I am."

Speaking of picnics, I see a picnic basket by the door. Is that his? Let's check inside...Hmm, it seems pretty full of picnic food.
► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books – one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).
15. SANDWICH : Howl to Get Away with Murder (Dog Groomer #5), by Chelsea Thomas, finished 8/22/22 ★★.5 (*awa*y)
16. FOOD & DRINK : Crime Rib (Food Lovers’ Village #2), by Leslie Budewitz, finished 8/27/22 ★★★★
17. LIST / FOOD ON THE COVER #633 : Before the Coffee Gets Cold (Before the Coffee Gets Cold #1), by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, finished 9/2/22 ★★★

Oh good. He also has a tablecloth inside. So he'll be able to lay out his lunch on the ground and have something to sit on.
► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book (disregard A, An and The).
18. A Trick of the LighT (Chief Insp. Armand Gamache #7), by Louise Penny, finished 9/9/22 ★★★★
19. They Rang Up the PolicE (Insp. Guy Northeast #1), by Joanna Cannan, finished 9/10/22 ★★.5
20. Eleven Pipers PipinG (Father Christmas #2), by C.C. Benison, finished 9/15/22 ★★★.5
21. Granny’s Got a Gun (Secret Agent Granny #1), by Harper Lin, finished 9/24/22 ★★★.5

We'd better keeping looking. Let's go outside and look around. But which way should we go?
► (22, 23) Read TWO books – one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).
22. OUTDOORS : The Pint of No Return (Sloan Krause #2), by Ellie Alexander, finished 9/26/22 ★★★★
23. DIRECTION : A Case of Blackmail IN Belgravia (Freddy Pilkington-Soames #1), by Clara Benson, finished 10/11/22 ★★★.5
The Pint of No Return (A Sloan Krause Mystery, #2) by Ellie Alexander

Look! I see some sticks on the path over there. No, wait, I think they're sparklers. Do you know what those are? They are a type of hand-held firework that burns slowly while emitting bright, intense colored flames and sparks.
► (24, 25) Read TWO books – one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.
24. SPARKLY : Killing Trail (Timber Creek K-9 #1), by Margaret Mizushima, finished 10/22/22 ★★★★
The water is sparkling in the sunlight
25. FLAMES : The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1), by Robert B. Parker, finished 10/24/22 ★★★.5
Killing Trail (Timber Creek K-9 Mystery #1) by Margaret Mizushima The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser, #1) by Robert B. Parker

And over there, there's a broken branch there and a bent bough here. He definitely must have come this way.
► (26, 27) Read TWO books – one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.
26. TITLE : Diners, Dives and Dead Ends (Rose Strickland #1), by Terri L. Austin, finished 11/3/22 ★★★.5
27. AUTHOR : author Megan Morrison – Grounded: The Adventure of Rapunzel (Tyme #1), finished 11/5/22 ★★★.5

Hey, I think I see something. Yes, that's his red, white, and blue hat behind that tree. We'd better grab it. He's going to need it later.
► (28, 29) Read TWO books – one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).
28. TREE : Raven Black (Shetland Island #1), by Ann Cleeves, finished 11/8/22 ★★★.5
29. HAT : If Cats Disappeared From the World, by Genki Kawamura, finished 11/9/22 ★★★★
Raven Black (Shetland Island, #1) by Ann Cleeves If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura

There's no time to waste. This is a favorite festival every summer. Everyone in town wants to share in the fun.
► (30, 31) Read TWO books – one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.
30. SMALL TOWN : Harvest OH : Honeymoons Can Be Hazardous (Amish Matchmaker #4), by Amanda Flower, finished 11/13/22 ★★★.5
31. SUMMER : Chai Another Day (Spice Shop #4), by Leslie Budewitz, finished 11/14/22 ★★★.5

Another clue... There's a scrap of paper attached to that branch. It looks like part of the flyer for the picnic, but some of the letters are missing. I can only see P..N.C.
► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books – one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.
32. MC Ned : The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (Dangerous Damsels #1), by India Holton, finished 11/15/22 ★★★.5
33. AUTHOR : Paige Shelton – Winter’s End (Alaska Wild #4), finished 11/17/22 ★★★★
34. LOCATION cruise ship : A Cruise to Die For (Alix London #2), by Charlotte & Aaron Elkins, finshed 11/17/22 ★★★.5

Here's another scrap. Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...
► (35, 36) Read TWO books – one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).
35. CURSIVE : Your Perfect Year, by Charlotte Lucas, finished 11/19/22 ★★★
36. NOT HORIZONTAL : Murder in the Round (Pamela Barnes Acoustic #5), by Patricia Rockwell, finished 11/20/22 ★★★
Your Perfect Year by Charlotte Lucas Murder in the Round (Pamela Barnes Acoustic Mystery, #5) by Patricia Rockwell

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?
► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books – one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).
37. FAMILY DESIGNATION : She Has Her MOTHER'S Laugh: The Powers, Perversions and Potential of Heredity, by Carl Zimmer, finished 11/21/22 ★★★.5
38. AUTHOR SAM : author Sam Kean – The Icepick Surgeon: Murder, Fraud, Sabotage, Piracy, and Other Dastardly Deeds Perpetrated in the Name of Science, finished 11/22/22 ★★★★
39. UNISEX NAME : author Tony Hillerman – The Dark Wind (Leaphorn & Chee #5), finished 11/24/22 ★★★★
40.FAMILY IN PLOT : The Nightingale Before Christmas (Meg Langslow #18), by Donna Andrews, finished 11/26/22 ★★★★

Wait! U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?
► (41, 42) Read TWO books – both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).
41. Texas : Never Trifle with Murder (Fresh Baked #15), by Livia J. Washburn, finished 11/27/22 ★★★.5
42. Tennessee : Bitter Falls (Stillhouse Lake #4), by Rachel Caine, finished 11/30/22 ★★★★

Uh oh! We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.
► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books – one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")
43. TBR #26 (sorted by Random) : Fields’ Guide to Abduction (Poppy Fields Adventures #1), by Julie Mulhern, finished 12/2/22 ★★★.5
44. TITLE : Murder ONE (David Sloane #4), by Robert Dugoni, finished 12/6/22 ★★★★
45. PAGES = 234 : The Search for South Pole Santa (South Pole Santa #1), by Jinglebelle Jackson, finished 12/13/22 ★★★.5


message 49: by Barb (last edited Mar 10, 2023 05:37PM) (new)
Jun 25, 2022 07:30PM

Barb .

Time is getting short! Let's get going.
► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book – between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).
46. 156 pages : I'd Rather be Reading: The Delights and Dilemmas of the Reading Life, by Anne Bogel, finished 12/15/22 ★★★★
47. publ 3/9/22 : Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Ernest Cunningham #1), by Benjamin Stevenson, finished 12/16/22 ★★★.5

I'm getting so tired of walking. Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...
► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books – one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order 48. 1 WORD : Exiles (Aaron Faulk #3), by Jane Harper, finished 1/9/23 ★★★★
49. 2 WORDS : Trophy Hunt (Joe Pickett #4), by C.J. Box, finished 12/25/22 ★★★★
50. 3 WORDS : Broken Bone China (Tea Shop #20), by Laura Childs, finished 12/20/22 ★★★★
51. 4 WORDS : Lana’i of the Tiger (Islands of Aloha #3), by JoAnn Bassett, finished 12/19/22 ★★★.5
52. 5 WORDS : Murder in the Queen’s Armes (Gideon Oliver #3), by Aaron Elkins, finished 1/4/23 ★★★★
53. 6+ WORDS : Wined and Died in New Orleans (Vintage Cookbook #2), by Ellen Byron, finished 1/7/23 ★★★★

Finally! I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!
► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.
54. PET : Flash (Dogleg Island #1), by Donna Ball, finished 1/13/23 ★★★★
55. BAKER / Jules : A Crime of Passion Fruit (Bakeshop #6), by Ellie Alexander, finished 1/15/23 ★★★★

No more stress! Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.
► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.
56. AUTHOR : The Last Kingdom (Cotton Malone #17), by Steve Berry, finished 1/17/23 ★★★★.5
57. GENRE / MYSTERY : Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide, by Rupert Holmes, finished 1/19/23 ★★★.5
58. RATING : In Farm’s Way (Farm to Table #3), by Amanda Flower, finished 1/21/23 ★★★★

Just in time! What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.
► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).
59. PUBL 7/1/20 : News and Nectarines (Tri-Town #1), by Carly Winter, finished 1/28/23 ★★★.5
60. HOLIDAY | Christmas : Cruel Candy (Cozy Corgi #1), by Mildred Abbott, finished 2/6/23 ★★★.5

Here he is! We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?
► (61, 62) Read TWO books – one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.
61. publ 9/25/18 : Forever Fudge (Candy Coated #6), by Nancy Coco, finished 2/9/23 ★★★.5
62. publ 10/18/12 : He Needed Killing (Needed Killing #1), by Bill Fitts, finished 2/13/23 ★★★★

It's him! And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.
► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.
63. Mastering the Art of French Murder (An American in Paris #1), by Colleen Cambridge, finished 3/2/23 ★★★★
Ma*s*tering the *A*rt of French *M*urder


Hip-hip-hooray! All the townsfolk are cheering!
► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title
64. PUNCTUATION : A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (Countess of Harleigh #2), by Dianne Freeman, finished 3/4/23 ★★★.5
65. VOWELS : Murder Under a BLOOD Moon (Mona Moon #2), by Abigail Keam, finished 3/8/23 ★★★★


message 50: by Suzanne (last edited Sep 13, 2023 12:10PM) (new)
Jun 26, 2022 06:55PM

Suzanne THE QUEST TO FIND UNCLE SAM
Begins July 1, 2022 | No deadline

You must follow his trail IN ORDER , exactly as he traveled it.

► (1, 2, 3) Read THREE books, each showing a patriotic color predominantly (over 50%) on the cover--one should be mainly RED, one should be mainly BLUE, and one should be mainly WHITE (show us the covers). NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.
Red - The Hypnotist | Lars Kepler - 8/14/22
White - The First Kennedys | Neal Thompson - 7/8/22
Blue - The Hotel Nantucket | Elin Hilderbrand - 7/15/22

The Hypnotist (Joona Linna, #1) by Lars Kepler The First Kennedys The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty by Neal Thompson The Hotel Nantucket by Elin Hilderbrand

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (4, 5, 6) Read THREE books, one with a MAIN character who is at least 60 years old (tell us who) AND one with any character who is described as having a beard (tell us who) AND one written by a male author. NOTE: You can read these three books in any order before moving on to the next set of tasks.

60+ - Murder by Arrangement | Suzanne Young - Edna Davies - 9/2/22
Beard - Time and Again | Jack Finney - MC Sy Morely must grow a beard so that he can be sent back in time. - 8/24/22
Male Author - Ian Skewis | A Murder of Crows - 8/20/22

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (7, 8, 9, 10) Read FOUR books, one whose title starts with F, one starting with L, one starting with A, and one starting with G (Disregard A, An, The). NOTE: You can read these four books in any order before moving on to the next task.

F - A Fatal Waltz | Tasha Alexander - 9/6/22
L - Lowcountry Bonfire | Susan M. Boyer - 11/18/22
A - Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions | Mario Giordano - 9/16/22
G - The Girl with the Louding Voice | Abi Daré - 9/5/22

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (11, 12) Read TWO books--one in which a character is a child under the age of 18 (tell us the name of the character, doesn't have to be the main character) AND one book in which the MAIN character is a student (of any age--as long as he/she is attending school; tell us the character's name).

Child <=18: Fixing Delilah | Sarah Ockler - Delilah is 16 - 11/22/22
Student: Final Notice Jo Dereske - Bronus Muszkaviczas is a graduate student spending his summer term in Bellhaven. - 11/24/22

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (13, 14) Read TWO books--one where the characters go on a picnic AND one where the characters have some fun (provide the page number or location and a partial sentence containing the word "picnic" and another with the word "fun.")

Picnic: This Place of Wonder | Barbara O'Neal - We'd pile the girls into the car and drive to the mountains or or a lake or the ocean and have picnics. p. 169 - 11/30/22
Fun: The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover | Susan Wittig Albert - (horseback riding with Captain Campbell) That had been fun, and she reciprocated with an offer to cook dinner for him that night...p.45. - 11/29/22

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (15, 16, 17) Read THREE books--one marked FOOD AND DRINK on the main GR genre page AND one in which the title contains a word with "sandwich"ed letters (like ind-epe-ndence) AND one from any Listopia list that contains the word Food or Culinary (tell us which list and the # of your book on that list).

Food and Drink: Love & Saffron: A Novel of Friendship, Food, and Love | Kim Fay - 12/19/21
Sandwiched Letters: The Bordeaux Betr-aYa-l | Ellen Crosby - 12/5/22
Listopia: French Pressed | Cleo Coyle - Mysteries in Good Taste! 66/607 - 12/12/22

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (18, 19, 20, 21) Read FOUR books that make four corners of the tablecloth, each matching the last letter of the previous book.
Example: Start with a book of your choice, such as To Kill a Mockingbird - (next title starts with D) - Down River - (next title starts with R) - The Right Stuff - (next title starts with F) - F is for Fugitive (Disregard A, An, The in all cases)

Corner 1: Up to No Gouda | Linda Reilly - 12/21/22
Corner 2 (A): An Anonymous Girl | Greer Hendricks - 1/3/23
Corner 3 (L): Lowcountry Boomerang | Susan M. Boyer - 1/6/23
Corner 4 (G): The Guest List | Lucy Foley - 2/21/23

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (22, 23) Read TWO books--one with an outdoor scene on the cover (show us the cover) AND one with a direction word in the title (in, out, up, down, north, south, around, etc.).

Outdoor: Optical Delusions in Deadwood | Ann Charles - 2/21/23
Optical Delusions in Deadwood (Deadwood, #2) by Ann Charles
Direction: A Noise Downstairs | Linwood Barclay - 3/23/23

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (24, 25) Read TWO books--one with flames on the cover AND one with something sparkly on the cover (your interpretation); show us both covers.

Flames: The Burning Room | Michael Connelly - 5/18/23
The Burning Room (Harry Bosch, #17; Harry Bosch Universe, #26) by Michael Connelly
Sparkle: The Moonshine Shack Murder | Diane Kelly - Fireflies sparkle - 6/16/23
The Moonshine Shack Murder (Southern Homebrew Mystery, #1) by Diane Kelly

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (26, 27) Read TWO books--one with two words in the title starting with the same letter AND one with an author whose first and last names begin with the same letter.

Two ttl words same ltr: The Coloring Crook | Krista Davis - 7/1/23
Author 1st and last initial same: Colleen Cambridge | Mastering the Art of French Murder - 7/17/23

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (28, 29) Read TWO books--one with any kind of hat on the cover AND one with a single tree on the cover (show us both covers).

Hat: The Five-Star Weekend | Elin Hilderbrand - 8/5/23
The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand
Tree: What Happens in Paradise | Elin Hilderbrand - 8/31/23
What Happens in Paradise (Paradise, #2) by Elin Hilderbrand

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵

► (30, 31) Read TWO books--one that is set in the summer months (June, July, August) AND one with a small-town setting.

Summer: Y is for Yesterday | Sue Grafton - 9/3/23
Small Town: The Darling Dahlias and the Red Hot Poker | Susan Wittig Albert - 9/10/23

🔴-------------------------🇺🇸a - 🇺🇸a-------------------------🔵


► (32, 33, 34) Read THREE books--one whose author's first or last name starts with P, another book whose main character's first or last name starts with N, and a third whose location starts with C.

Here's another scrap... - Can you reach it? It's hanging crooked on this branch. It might be a note with a signature...

► (35, 36) Read TWO books--one whose title is non-horizontal AND one whose title is in cursive (show us both covers).

Yes, it's clearly signed "U.S." - It must stand for Uncle Sam. What else could it be?

► (37, 38, 39, 40) Read FOUR books--one with a family designation in the title (like uncle, daughter, mother, etc.) AND one with a family featured in the plot (your interpretation) AND one with an author's name that is unisex (like Sam or Terry) AND one with a character or author named Sam (reasonable variations acceptable, including Samuel, Samantha).

Wait! - U.S. could also stand for the United States, right?

► (41, 42) Read TWO books--both set in the United States but in different states (tell us the states).

Uh oh! - We're really running out of time. The festivities begin at 2:30 so we'd better hurry.

► (43, 44, 45) Read THREE books--one with at least two of these numbers in the page count: 2, 3, 0 (tell us how many) AND one in a spot on your TBR that contains one or more of these numbers (#2, #23, #203, #230, etc. [you may arrange your TBR in whatever way you wish]; tell us how you arranged your TBR and the placement on your list) AND one with any type of number in the title (can be cardinal like "two" or ordinal like "second.")

Time is getting short! - Let's get going.

► (46, 47) Read TWO books, one short book--between 150-200 pages (tell us how many pages) AND one book published in 2022 (tell us the publication date).

I'm getting so tired of walking... - Just a few more steps, I hope. I'm counting them down...

► (48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53) Read SIX books--one with a one-word title, one with a two-word title, one with a three-word title, one with a four-word title, one with a five-word title, and one with a six (or more)-word title. (You can read these 6 books in any order you wish, but ALL words count!).

Finally!... - I think we're getting close. It's a good thing, too, since Uncle Sam is supposed to judge the annual pie-eating contest, not to mention the pet parade!

► (54, 55) Read TWO books, one with a baker as a MAIN character (tell us who) and one with a pet as a MAIN part of the plot.

No more stress! - Soon we'll be able to relax and enjoy the day.

► (56, 57, 58) Read THREE books, one that is your favorite genre (tell us what genre) AND one that you rated either 4 or 5 stars (tell us the rating) AND one by a favorite author.

Just in time... - What a relief to find Uncle Sam since he's such an important part of our holiday.

► (59, 60) Read TWO books, one featuring any other holiday besides the 4th of July (tell us the holiday) AND one published in July (any year, tell us when).

Here he is! - We'd just like to confirm, sir, that you're the man we're looking for. You were a businessman from Troy, New York, called Samuel Wilson, right?

► (61, 62) Read TWO books--one published in 2018 AND one published in 2012.

It's him! - And the barrels of beef that you supplied the army during the War of 1812 were stamped “U.S.” to indicate government property. So, therefore, we hear that you became known affectionately as “Uncle Sam” Wilson.

► (63) Read ONE book with the letters S-A-M found in the title, in that order but not necessarily in the same word.

Hip-hip-hooray - All the townsfolk are cheering!

► (64, 65) Read TWO books, one with double repeated vowels in the title (like h-oo-ray) AND one with some sort of punctuation in the title.

Congratulations! It was him! You've helped find Uncle Sam and saved the day!


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