Barb’s Comments (group member since Dec 30, 2011)

Barb’s comments from the Crazy Challenge Connection group.

ANNOUNCEMENT!
Many of us have been working on Sam's Littlest Pet Shop spell-out challenge for several years now and are still a l-o-n-g way from completion. Sam is no longer moderating in this group, so the rest of us made an executive decision that we hope will make it a little easier to finish the challenge.

From here on (beginning 8 October 2025 - you cannot backdate this!), we're making allowances for the letters Q, X, Y and Z.

Titles and author names DO NOT have to begin with these letters to use them to spell out your words. Instead, we will accept these letters anywhere in the book's title or author's first or last name. As usual, middle names/initials cannot be used.


*** END ANNOUCEMENT ***

ANNOUNCEMENT!
Many of us have been working on this challenge for several years now and are still a l-o-n-g way from completion. Sam is no longer moderating in this group, so the rest of us made an executive decision that will make finishing the challenge a little easier (we hope!)

From here on (from 8 October 2025 - you cannot backdate this!), we're making allowances for the letters Q, X, Y and Z.

Titles and author names DO NOT have to begin with these letters to use them to spell out your words. Instead, we will accept these letters anywhere in the book's title or author's name.

*** END ANNOUCEMENT ***

Finished a few :) Not quite ready for Christmas books yet, but now is when they're being published - or about to be published.

H D R K : In on the Joke: The Original Queens of Stand-Up Comedy, by Shawn Levy, finished 10/3/25 ★★★.5

T R C K : A Cozy Kind of Christmas, by Ellie Alexander, finished 10/4/25 ★★★.5

M A R E : A Ferry Merry Christmas, by Debbie Macomber, finished 10/5/25 ★★★★

In on the Joke A Cozy Kind of Christmas A Ferry Merry Christmas

Still looking for Y R E N

Oops! And I apparently zoned out and didn't even notice!

Thank you! It feels good to cross this one off the list :)

Thanks! Next year, I'll go with fewer books :)

Congrats, Amanda!

Other than Danielle, is there anyone else still waiting on recommendations for this round?

ROUND 14, for Amanda K
You have exactly four books on your shelf that I would recommend, so choosing books for you this time was easy :) Hope you enjoy whatever you choose to read!

Sounds like the GR gremlins have come out to play again :( Katie and Carrie, thanks for posting/reposting your recommendations.

Agnieszka - or someone else? - I see that nobody picked for Danielle this round either.. or if they did, their post vanished. Would someone like to remedy that please?

.

2024 BIRTHSTONES BY THE MONTH – Choose one month NOW (June or later); complete two tasks for that month
OCTOBER - Opal/Tourmaline
2. ◈ Read a book whose title starts with O (disregard A, An, The)
* Old Ducks’ Hen Do (Old Ducks Club #2), by Maddie Please, finished 3/2/25 ★★★★
6. ◈ Read a book with a cardinal number in the title.
* One Sharp Stitch (Nimble Needle #1), by Allie Pleiter, finished 3/2/25 ★★★.5

A MOVIE LIST FOR CHRISTMAS – Choose any three tasks NOW
73. Read a book marked Classic on its main GR page
* The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2), by Agatha Christie, finished 7/20/25 ★★★.5
84. Read a book set during Halloween
* Swamp Spook (Miss Fortune #13), by Jana Deleon, finished 10/1/25 ★★★★
95. Read a book in which the main character is a lawyer
* Andy Carpenter : Play Dead (Andy Carpenter #6), by David Rosenfelt, finished 6/3/25 ★★★★

WINTER SCAVENGER
14) Read a book with a character who uses social media (tell us who)
* Patricia : Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale (Mr. Lemoncello’s Library #6), by Chris Grabenstein, finished 2/1/25 ★★★.5

.

HOW DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW? – Choose six tasks NOW (one each from Planning Part I, Planning Part II and Planning Part III; TWO from Planting; and one from and Maintaining; follow the task instructions)
PLANNING PART I : FORMAL 5) One with a main character you think of as very proper or rule-oriented (your interpretation, tell us who).
* Pauline : In the Beginning, There Was a Murder (Miss Riddell #1), by P.C. James, finished 4/1/25 ★★★
She worried the entire book about doing just the right thing in just the right way – even while investigating a murder!
PLANNING PART II : E) Herbs 1. Read a book where a spice shop, bakery or restaurant figures prominently, tell us which and how)
* MC owns/runs herb shop & café : Death Come Quickly (China Bayles #22), by Susan Wittig Albert, finished 3/14/25 ★★★★
PLANNING PART III : 2) You can choose some colors and read a book by an author whose first and/or last names contain all the vowels found in the color you chose | Lavender
* author Margaret Coel – The Ghost Walker (Wind River Reservation #2), finished 7/5/25 ★★★★
PLANTING : 4) Read a book where at least one scene takes place in a bookstore or library (tell us which).
* Murder in the Library (Miss Merrill & Aunt Violet #2), by Anita Davison, finished 6/5/25 ★★★★
PLANTING 5) Read a book with hands visible on the cover (post the cover).
* Welcome to Murder Week, by Karen Dukess, finished 5/18/25 ★★★.5
MAINTAINING : 10) Read a book set in a cold climate (tell us where)
* Alaska : Thin Ice (Alaska Wild #1), by Paige Shelton, finished 2/21/25 ★★★★


AUGUST SCAVENGER
2. Read a book with Sport or Sports as Genre.
* America's Game: The Epic Story of How Pro Football Captured a Nation, by Michael MacCambridge, finished 4/6/25 ★★★.5

COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD #1 – CZECH REPUBLIC
6. Read a half-step book (or enough half-step books to make 150 pages).
* 140 pages : The Ordeal of the Haunted Room (Chron. of St. Mary’s #11.5), by Jodi Taylor, finished 3/29/25 ★★★★
* 146 pages : Spirit of Steamboat (Walt Longmire #9.1), by Craig Johnson, finished 6/13/25 ★★★★

2024/25 HOARD NO MORE – Choose one month August-November NOW; read two books that fit the theme
November - Books with an outdoor scene on the cover and no visible people.
* Murder at Everham Hall (Marius Quin #1), by Benedict Brown, finished 3/26/25 ★★★.5
* Treacherous Strand (Inishowen #2), by Andrea Carter, finished 5/20/25 ★★★★


CRAZY TIME
17. Read a book whose author’s initials are A.M or P.M in this order.(post a link to the author’s page)
author Addison Moore – Cutie Pies and Deadly Lies (Murder in the Mix #1), finished 9/29/25 ★★★.5

SEPTEMBER SCAVENGER
4) Read a book where someone writes notes or makes a list or jots something down (tell us who and what).
* Deborah makes notes on the case : Uncommon Clay (Deborah Knott #8), by Margaret Maron, finished 2/20/25 ★★★★

(46) COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD #2 - SRI LANKA
3. Read a book first published in 2015.
* publ 8-25-15 : Quicksand (Jaya Jones #3), by Gigi Pandian, finished 7/24/25 ★★★★

DULCE DE LECHE – Choose one task now (not spelling)
4. Read a book first published before 2003 (tell us the date of publication)
* publ 1-1-96 : Acqua Alta (Commissario Brunetti #5), by Donna Leon, finished 4/20/25 ★★★★

WORLD'S STRANGEST FESTIVALS
7. Read a book set in Asia or with a main character who is of Asian descent; tell us the setting or the ethnicity
* Lana is Chinese : Killer Kung Pao (Noodle Shop #6), by Vivien Chien, finished 5/9/25 ★★★★

DISCWORLD – Choose one task from each of the five sections NOW (one each from Rincewind & the Wizards, The Witches & Tiffany Aching, Death, Ankh-Morpork, Assorted Locations etc.)
RINCEWIND AND THE WIZARDS : 9. Read a book whose author has written and published more than 30 books (link to the author's page).
* author Julie Anne Lindsey – Beating the Wrap (Bonnie & Clyde #3), by Julie Anne Lindsey, finished 2/19/25 ★★★.5
THE WITCHES & TIFFANY ACHING : 8. Read a book whose author's first or last name is 3-letters-long
* author Harper Lin – Bloodier Than Fiction (Bookish Café #2), finished 3/28/25 ★★★.5
DEATH : 10. Read a book whose cover shows an alcoholic beverage (post the cover).
* The Malt in Our Stars (Literary Pub #3), by Sarah Fox, finished 5/25/25 ★★★★
ANKH-MORPORK : 4. Read a book whose cover shows a board game or crossword (post the cover)
* This Way to Murder (Board Game Café #1), by Shelley Shearer, finished 2/8/25 ★★★.5
ASSORTED LOCATIONS, CHARACTERS, GODS, DEMONS, DOG, CAT AND RATS : 2. Read a book set in Egypt
* A River in the Sky (Amelia Peabody #19), by Elizabeth Peters, finished 6/2/25 ★★★★


FALL SCAVENGER
11. Read a book with a full circle on the cover, please post the cover
* The Linking Rings (Eli Marks #4), by John Gaspard, finished 2/17/25 ★★★★


OCTOBER SCAVENGER
6. Read the 10th book on a series (Tell us the series name)
* A Midsummer Night's Fudge (Candy-Coated #10), by Nancy Coco, finished 2/24/25 ★★★★

COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD #3 – SOLOMON ISLANDS
4. Read a book in which a ghost is part of the plot.
* Matcha Do About Murder (Pebble Cove Teahouse #2), by Eryn Scott, finished 4/18/25 ★★★★

THE CRUISE OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS
13. Read a book with an exclamation mark in the title
* You Are Looking Live!: How The NFL Today Revolutionized Sports Broadcasting, by Rich Podolsky, finished 2/23/25 ★★★.5

2024/25 CONNECTIONS – Choose one month NOW and make one connection (read a total of 2 books)
FEBRUARY : “There is always in February some one day, at least, when one smells the yet distant, but surely coming summer.” - Gertrude Jekyll
* matching Summer / Day : Death on a Summer’s Day (Lord Edington Investigates #3), by Benedict Brown, finished 6/6/25 ★★★★
* matching Death : The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7), by Jacqueline Winspear, finished 6/22/25 ★★★★

IT'S ALL GOLDEN! – Choose one task from each section NOW (one each from products, businesses, events, people, books, other entertainment)
PRODUCTS : 9. Read a book from a series that is a spin-off from another series; tell us both series names
* Peg and ROSE Solve a Murder (Senior Sleuths #1), by Laurien Berenson, finished 1/31/25 ★★★.5
spin-off from Melanie Travis series
BUSINESSES : 23. Read a book set in Pennsylvania; tell us where
* near Pittsburgh : Lost Legacy (Zoe Chambers #2), by Annette Dashofy, finished 2/18/25 ★★★★
EVENTS : 30. Read a book published on the 26th, 27th or 28th of any month; tell us the publication date
* publ 5-27-25 : The Potting Shed Murder (Hill House Vintage #1), by Paula Sutton, finished 5/1/25 ★★★.5
PEOPLE : 39. Read a book with a titled character (Duke, Lady, King, etc.) in the story; tell us who
* Lord Wrexford and more : Murder at Kensington Palace (Wrexford & Sloane #3), by Andrea Penrose, finished 3/30/25 ★★★★
BOOKS : 59. Read a book that might be found in the reference section of a library
* The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World, by Wade Davis, finished 3/23/25 ★★★.5
OTHER ENTERTAINMENT : 79. Read a book set in the 1920s
* The Case at Barton Manor (Mrs. Lillywhite Investigates #1), by Emily Queen, finished 2/10/25 ★★★.5

NOVEMBER SCAVENGER
3. Read a book with rain or snow on the cover (post the cover)
* A Wolf Called Romeo, by Nick Jans, finished 6/6/25 ★★★★


COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD #4 – ETHIOPIA
3. Read a book that is set during the medieval time period (for the purpose of this task: 500AD – 1500 AD, tell us when your book is set)
* 7th century : The Haunted Abbot (Sister Fidelma #12), by Peter Tremayne, finished 3/15/25 ★★★★

EMPANADAS – Choose one task NOW (not spelling)
5. Read a book marked FOOD in the GR main page.
* The Kitchen Counter Cooking School: How a Few Simple Lessons Transformed Nine Culinary Novices into Fearless Home Cooks, by Kathleen Flinn, finished 3/13/25 ★★★★

(59) INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD
10. Read a book in which someone owns milking cows.
* Stella is a dairy farmer : Different Paths (Stella Crown #5), by Judy Clemens, finished 6/13/25 ★★★★

OLD, OBSOLETE AND OBSCURE WORDS – INSULTS
EASTIE-WASTIE: Read a book that is set in Scotland.
* Written in Stone (Scottish Bookshop #10), by Paige Shelton, finished 2/9/25 ★★★★

BORN IN NOVEMBER – Choose one person NOW, complete all five tasks | Martin Luther
A : Read a book originally published on the 10th of any month; tell us the original publication date
* publ 4-10-19 : The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle #5), by T.E. Kinsey, finished 3/1/25 ★★★.5
B : Read a book by an author whose first and last initials can be found in MARTIN LUTHER; post a link to the author's GR page
* author Mildred Abbott – Chaotic Corgis (Cozy Corgi #6), finished 4/23/25 ★★★★
C : Read a book whose main character's first initial can be found in leader of the Protestant reformation; tell us the name
* Ruth : A Murder in Helvetica Bold (Thistlewood Star #1), by Jessa Archer, finished 2/7/25 ★★★.5
D : Read a book whose page count includes at least two numbers in 1483; tell us how many pages
* 304 pages : The World's Fair Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #23), by Jennifer Chiaverini, finished 2/26/25 ★★★★
Read a book that features a monk, nun, pastor or other religious leader; tell us who
* Dead Man's Ransom (Chron. of Brother Cadfael #9), by Ellis Peters, finished 2/23/25 ★★★★

DECEMBER SCAVENGER
OLD CITY BAR : Read a book set primarily in a bar/pub; tell us its name
* Top Shelf : Double Shot (Top Shelf #4), by Lolli Powell, finished 6/24/25 ★★★★

COUNTRIES OF THE WORLD #5 – TURKEMISTAN
5. Read a book with less than 200 ratings on GR (tell us the number of ratings).
* 12 ratings : The Widows' Guide to Murder (Widows' Detective Club #1), by Amanda Ashby, finished 2/3/25 ★★★.5

RARE PIGMENTS
13. Read a book whose authors' first and last initials are AK
* author Abigail Keam – Murder Under a Silver Moon (Mona Moon #4), finished 8/23/25 ★★★★

THE SOLAR SYSTEM
12. Read a book with a red cover; post the cover.
* A Fashionably French Murder (An American in Paris #3), by Colleen Cambridge, finished 2/10/25 ★★★★


2024/25 MINE YOUR TBR MOUNTAIN – Choose one month NOW; read THREE books originally published that month that were on your to-read list when you joined this challenge; tell us when they were published *and* when you added them. | September
* publ 9-1-11 : Sleight of Paw (Magical Cats #2), by Sofie Kelly, finished 4/15/25 ★★★.5 | added 6-8-14
* publ 9-14-19 : A Case of Conspiracy in Clerkenwell (Freddy Pilkington-Soames #3), by Clara Benson, finished 4/19/25 ★★★★ | added 10-3-22
* publ 9-11-18 : Burning Ridge (Timber Creek K-9 #4), by Margaret Mizushima, finished 5/29/25 ★★★★ | added 4-17-22

continued

Finished

LOOKING BACK on 2024, no deadline

2024 RANDOMIZER
#72 : Blood Hollow (Cork O’Connor #4), by William Kent Krueger, finished 4/3/25 ★★★★
#288 : Dark Clouds Over Nuala (Inspector de Silva #2), by Harriet Steel, finished 2/19/25 ★★★★
#146 : Murder on St. Mark's Place (Gaslight #2), by Victoria Thompson, finished 2/12/25 ★★★★
#85 : Murder in the Grave (Redmond & Haze #5), by Irina Shapiro, finished 3/25/25 ★★★★
# 349 : What the Cat Dragged In (Cat in the Stacks #14), by Miranda James, finished 4/18/25 ★★★★

OLYMPICS #49 – VOLLEYBALL
5. Read a book with a beach scene shown prominently on the cover; post the cover
* Summer Light on Nantucket, by Nancy Thayer, finished 3/25/25 ★★★★


POPCORN – Choose one task NOW (not spelling)
2) Read a book where either the title contains one word that begins with P and another that begins with C, or where the author’s initials are P and C (any order, link the author if you use that option)
* author Peg Cochran – Berried in the Past (Cranberry Cove #5), finished 4/21/25 ★★★★

JANUARY SCAVENGER
2. Read a book that you added to your TBR in the first year of your membership (tell us when you added it and what number it is on your TBR list)
* added 8-20-12 : The Alehouse Murders (Templar Knight #1), by Maureen Ash, finished 8/5/25 ★★★.5

QUIRKY Q
3. Read a book whose MC is in the medical profession (tell us what)
* Bess is a nurse : An Unmarked Grave (Bess Crawford #4), by Charles Todd, finished 4/5/25 ★★★★

1-2-3 CHALLENGE, TAKE 3 – Choose one category NOW (other than [1] books that were free; [2] books from your favorite genre; or [3] books of your choice); read three books that fit the category | Books with MORE THAN 10,000 ratings on Goodreads; tell us how many ratings
* 77,454 ratings : A Great Reckoning (Chief Insp. Armand Gamache #12), by Louise Penny, finished 4/7/25 ★★★★
* 180,767 ratings : James, by Percival Everett, finished 4/16/25 ★★★★
* 162,584 ratings : The Berry Pickers, by Amanda Peters, finished 8/4/25 ★★★★

FEBRUARY SCAVENGER
6. Read a book with a palindrome in the author's first or last name.
* author Anna Lee Huber – Mortal Arts (Lady Darby #2), finished 8/14/25 ★★★★

OLYMPICS #50 – ICE HOCKEY
1. Read a book with between 1920 and 1998 (inclusive) ratings on Goodreads; tell us how many ratings
* 1983 ratings : No Stone Unturned (Lucy Lawrence #1), by Pam Lecky, finished 6/27/25 ★★★.5

NATIONAL HOT BREAKFAST MONTH
7. Read a book with the word “breakfast” somewhere in the text (give us page/loc and a brief excerpt)
* Goodbye Cruller World (Deputy Donut #2), by Ginger Bolton, finished 3/8/25 ★★★.5
p. 74 "After BREAKFAST and a mug of delicious Maui coffee..."

24x24 CHALLENGE – Choose one category NOW that you did not use in this year's challenge; read four books to fit that category | ROMANCE
* Under a Greek Sun, by Mandy Baggot, finished 5/10/25 ★★★.5
* The Echo of Old Books, by Barbara Davis, finished 6/12/25 ★★★★
* In the Middle of Hickory Lane, by Heather Webber, finished 6/23/25 ★★★★

2024 REMEMBERING THEM
May 24 Tina Turner : Read a book whose title contains the word I or WHAT
* WHAT the Cat Dragged In (Cat in the Stacks #14), by Miranda James, finished 4/18/25 ★★★★

MARCH SCAVENGER
4. Read a book by an author whose last name begins with SCH; post a link to the author’s GR page
* author Katharine Schellman – Silence in the Library (Lily Adler #2), by Katharine Schellman, finished 5/21/25 ★★★★

OLYMPICS #51 – SPEED SKATING & SHORT-TRACK
5. Read book #11 in a series (tell us the series).
* Never Murder a Birder (Leigh Koslow #11), by Edie Claire, finished 2/16/25 ★★★★

POP-TARTS – Choose one task NOW (not spelling)
4) Read a book with something sweet on the cover (your interpretation, doesn't have to be food, post the cover)
* Murder by Cheesecake (Golden Girls #1), by Rachel Ekstrom Courage, finished 3/18/25 ★★★.5


ODD HOLIDAYS IN MARCH
March 5 - National Cheese Doodle Day : Read a book with a predominantly orange cover (show us the cover)
* There's Something in a Sunday (Sharon McCone #8), by Marcia Muller, finished 2/15/25 ★★★★


2024/25 AUTHOR SCAVENGER CHALLENGE
16. Author is a celebrity in some field other than writing.
* author Mari K. Eder is a retired US Army Major General – The Girls Who Stepped Out of Line, finished 4/22/25 ★★★★

2024/25 NEW-TO-YOU AUTHOR CHALLENGE
In August, read a book by a new-to-you author whose first AND last initials can be found in FRIENDSHIP DAY
* author Emma Dakin – Hazards in Hampshire (British Book Tour #1), finished 5/17/25 ★★★.5

THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL – Choose any THREE consecutive tasks NOW and complete them IN ORDER, going north to south OR south to north (your choice, but specify which when you sign up for this challenge)
63. Read a book with ice cream on the cover (post the cover) -or- read a book you consider sweet.
* Thrown for a Scoop (Shake Shop #4), by Dana Mentink, finished 3/21/25 ★★★★
64. Read a book that is very easy to read -or- read a book where nothing much happens.
* Sweets and a Stabbing (Pink Cupcake #1), by Harper Lin, finished 4/23/25 ★★★.5
65. Read one of the oldest books on your TBR (tell us when you added it)
* added 3-24-12 : Death of a Cozy Writer (St. Just #1), by G.M. Malliet, finished 8/1/25 ★★★


SPRING SCAVENGER
12. Read a book in which a character visits a museum (tell us who).
* Nell and more : Privy to the Dead (Museum #6), by Sheila Connolly, finished 9/12/25 ★★★★

APRIL SCAVENGER
6. Read a book set in Alabama.
* The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover (Darling Dahlias #7), by Susan Wittig Albert, finished 7/2/25 ★★★.5

OLYMPICS #52 – ARCHERY
4. Read a book whose number of pages have both a 6 and a 4 (tell us the number of pages).
* 246 pages : An Ear for Trouble (Riverbend K-9s #2), by K.T. Lee, finished 5/24/25 ★★★★

SPRING INTO READING!
JUNE 11 is NATIONAL CORN ON THE COB DAY : Read a book with a predominantly yellow cover; post the cover
* Double Shots, Donuts & Dead Dudes (Cape Bay Café #8), by Harper Lin, finished 2/13/25 ★★★.5


MAY SCAVENGER
4. Read a book with a MAIN character who is a writer of some kind; tell us what they write
* Maeve is a ghostwriter : A Ghostwriter’s Guide to Murder, by Melinda Mullet, finished 7/1/25 ★★★.5

OLYMPICS #53 – WEIGHTLIFTING
3. Read a book with a kickass female main character.
* A Steep Price (Tracy Crosswhite #6), by Robert Dugoni, finished 2/27/25 ★★★★

SNICKERS – Choose one task NOW (not spelling)
6) Read a book where the first and last letters of the title are both "S" (all words count)
* Seven Reasons to Murder Your Dinner Guests, by K.J. Whittle, finished 8/18/25 ★★★.5

WILD ANIMALS IN US NATIONAL PARKS
3. Read a book that focuses on an environmental issue; tell us which issue
* decline of insect populations : The Insect Crisis: The Fall of the Tiny Empires That Run the World, by Oliver Milman, finished 6/4/25 ★★★★

2024/25 LISTOPIA – Choose one moderator-chosen list NOW and read two books from that list
February's "Moderator Seven" Lists : Best Historical Mystery
* #66 : A Death in the Small Hours (Charles Lenox #6), by Charles Finch, finished 3/6/25 ★★★★
* #97 : To Kingdom Come (Barker & Llewelyn #2), by Will Thomas, finished 3/12/25 ★★★★

2024/25 DECK OF CARDS
Three of Diamonds - Read a book with someone on the cover who appears to be well-dressed or expensively dressed. (Post the cover.)
* No One Was Supposed to Die at This Wedding (Vacation Mysteries #2), by Catherine Mack, finished 4/25/25 ★★★


100 MOVIE QUOTES – Choose one task NOW from Option A
56. Read a book with a controlling mother character (tell us who and who they control)
* Eleanor, mother to Ellison : Back Stabbers (Country Club #8), by Julie Mulhern, finished 4/19/25 ★★★★

JUNE SCAVENGER
9) Read a book whose title has a double meaning or is a play on words
* Knot on Your Life (Yarn Retreat #7), by Betty Hechtman, finished 2/21/25 ★★★★

OLYMPICS #54 – SNOWBOARDING AND FREESTYLE SKIING
1. Read a boook whose title includes the letters S-N-U-R-F, in any order
* The Book Club for Troublesome Women, by Marie Bostwick, finished 2/11/25 ★★★★

TANGO!
9. Read the last book in a series that you wish hadn't ended (tell us the series)
* Murder at the Capitol (Lincoln’s White House #3), by C.M. Gleason, finished 5/7/25 ★★★★

PLACES TO VISIT IN SOUTH AMERICA
28. Read a book set in any of the South American countries (Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana or Suriname, Tell us where)
* Peru : Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time, by Mark Adams, finished 5/14/25 ★★★★

2024/25 SHRINK THAT TBR – Choose one task NOW that requires reading at least two books (excluding #15 and #18)
14. Set your Goodreads TBR list to show 100 books per page and sort by number of ratings. Read two books from the first page AND two books from the last page of that list. Tell us how many ratings each book has.
FIRST PAGE
* 77 ratings : The Widows’ Guide to Backstabbing (Widows’ Detective Club #2), by Amanda Ashby, finished 2/28/25 ★★★.5
* 87 ratings : Strangers in Time, by David Baldacci, finished 3/16/25 ★★★★
LAST PAGE
* 38,179 ratings : First Frost (Waverly Family #2), by Sarah Addison Allen, finished 4/19/25 ★★★★
* 44,316 ratings : Lula Dean’s Little Library of Banned Books, by Kirsten Miller, finished 4/29/25 ★★★.5

SUMMER SCAVENGER
11. Read a book whose title has the format of (one word) and (one word). (Arthur & George, Pride and Prejudice work, but The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven doesn't).
* Crowned and Dangerous (Her Royal Spyness #10), by Rhys Bowen, finished 8/7/25 ★★★★

JULY SCAVENGER
STEP 4: Read a book with water shown prominently on the cover; post the cover
* The Long Call (Two Rivers #1), by Ann Cleeves, finished 3/11/25 ★★★★


LEMONADE – Choose one task NOW (not spelling)
5) Read a book where someone drinks beer (or, for that matter, shandy) (tell us who)
* Rhett, Mike and more : From Beer to Eternity (Chloe Jackson #1), by Sherry Harris, finished 7/14/25 ★★★★

RUNNING
SECTION 8 : Read a book with a fruit or vegetable on the cover (post the cover)
* Grave Words (Deadly Deadlines #2), by Gerri Lewis, finished 2/14/25 ★★★.5


2024-25 READING ROULETTE – Choose one Beginner's Luck task NOW (any task designated BL/HR)
July 6, 2024: Read the FOURTH book on your TBR whose author's last name starts with a K. (Link the author's GR page when you're posting the finished challenge).
* author Jess Kidd – Murder at Gulls Nest (Nora Breen Investigates #1), finished 3/10/25 ★★★

continued

Finished

2025 RANDOMIZER, 1/1 - 12/31

✔ For Letter or Worse (Stationery Shop #2), by Vivian Conroy | 1/6/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Devil’s Claw (Joanna Brady #8), by J.A. Jance | 6/20/25 | ★★★★
✔ A Lady Compromised (Rosalind Thorne #4), by Darcie Wilde | 9/8/25 | ★★★★
✔ Quicksand (Jaya Jones #3), by Gigi Pandian | 7/24/25 | ★★★★
✔ Killer Kung Pao (Noodle Shop #6), by Vivien Chien | 5/9/25 | ★★★★
✔ Old Ducks’ Hen Do (Old Ducks Club #2), by Maddie Please | 3/2/25 | ★★★★
✔ Blood Hollow (Cork O’Connor #4), by William Kent Krueger | 4/3/25 | ★★★★
✔ Fields’ Guide to Assassins (Poppy Fields #2), by Julie Mulhern | 9/28/25 | ★★★★
✔ Acqua Alta (Commissario Brunetti #5), by Donna Leon | 4/20/25 | ★★★★
✔ Back Stabbers (Country Club #8), by Julie Mulhern | 4/19/25 | ★★★★


✔ The Noose’s Shadow (Master Mercurius #4), by Graham Brack | 6/8/25 | ★★★★
✔ Death of a Cupcake Queen (Hayley Powell #6), by Lee Hollis | 7/19/25 | ★★★★
✔ Gone But Knot Forgotten (Quilting #3), by Mary Marks | 7/15/25 | ★★★★
✔ Double Shot (Top Shelf #4), by Lolli Powell | 6/24/25 | ★★★★
✔ Flash of Brilliance (Dogleg Island #3), by Donna Ball | 9/27/25 | ★★★★
✔ Death Wears a Mask (Amory Ames #2), by Ashley Weaver | 9/6/25 | ★★★★
✔ Death Through a Dark Green Glass (Writer’s Apprentice #6), by Julia Buckley | 3/31/25 | ★★★★
✔ Fatal Cajun Festival (Cajun Country #5), by Ellen Byron | 7/23/25 | ★★★★
✔ An Ear for Trouble (Riverbend K-9s #2), by K.T. Lee | 5/24/25 | ★★★★
✔ Play Dead (Andy Carpenter #6), by David Rosenfelt | 6/3/25 | ★★★★


✔ Beating the Wrap (Bonnie & Clyde #3), by Julie Anne Lindsey | 2/19/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Relics (Faye Longchamp #2), by Mary Anna Evans | 1/25/25 | ★★★★
✔ Burning Ridge (Timber Creek K-9 #4), by Margaret Mizushima | 5/29/25 | ★★★★
✔ Treacherous Strand (Inishowen #2), by Andrea Carter | 5/20/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder on the Hour (Penny Brannigan #7), by Elizabeth J. Duncan | 5/8/25 | ★★★★
✔ Bloodier Than Fiction (Bookish Café #2), by Harper Lin | 3/28/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Grave Words (Deadly Deadlines #2), by Gerri Lewis | 2/14/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Death on a Summer’s Day (Lord Edington Investigates #3), by Benedict Brown | 6/6/25 | ★★★★
✔ Hard Time (Time Police #2), by Jodi Taylor | 1/5/25 | ★★★★.5
✔ Thrown for a Scoop (Shake Shop #4), by Dana Mentink | 3/21/25 | ★★★★


✔ Murder by Invitation Only (Phyllida Bright #3), by Colleen Cambridge | 1/24/25 | ★★★★
✔ Of Mutts and Men (Chet & Bernie #10), by Spencer Quinn | 4/27/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Linking Rings (Eli Marks #4), by John Gaspard | 2/17/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder Under a Silver Moon (Mona Moon #4), by Abigail Keam | 8/23/25 | ★★★★
✔ Purrfectly Deadly (Mysteries of Max #2), by Nic Saint | 8/12/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Sleight of Paw (Magical Cats #2), by Sofie Kelly | 4/15/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Blood Trail (Joe Pickett #8), by C.J. Box | 1/13/25 | ★★★★
✔ Mortal Arts (Lady Darby #2), by Anna Lee Huber | 8/14/25 | ★★★★
✔ Chaotic Corgis (Cozy Corgi #6), by Mildred Abbott | 4/23/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Ghost Walker (Wind River Reservation #2), by Margaret Coel | 7/5/25 | ★★★★


✔ Hen Pecked (Aloha Chicken #4), by Josi Avari | 3/28/25 | ★★★★
✔ Another Time, Another Place (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #12), by Jodi Taylor | 4/26/25 | ★★★★.5
✔ Paradox (FBI #22), by Catherine Coulter | 4/13/25 | ★★★★
✔ Cabaret Macabre (Spector Locked Room #3), by Tom Mead | 1/30/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder at the Orpheus Theatre (Tate and Bell #4), by Irina Shapiro | 1/19/25 | ★★★★
✔ Rest in Peach (Georgia Peach #2), by Susan Furlong | 1/10/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Death Come Quickly (China Bayles #22), by Susan Wittig Albert | 3/14/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder at Kensington Palace (Wrexford & Sloane #3), by Andrea Penrose | 3/30/25 | ★★★★
✔ Planet of the Grapes (Wits’ End #2), by Kirsten Weiss | 4/21/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Murder at the Lobstah Shack (Cozy Capers Book Group #3), by Maddie Day | 9/11/25 | ★★★★


✔ Perilous Arrangements (Flower Shop #5), by Annie Adams | 9/22/25 | ★★★★
✔ Coyote Waits (Leaphorn & Chee #10), by Tony Hillerman | 1/4/25 | ★★★★
✔ Kills Well with Others (Killers of a Certain Age #2), by Deanna Raybourn | 2/6/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Singing of the Dead (Kate Shugak #11), by Dana Stabenow | 4/17/25 | ★★★★
✔ Swamp Spook (Miss Fortune #13), by Jana Deleon | 10/1/25 | ★★★★
✔ To Kingdom Come (Barker & Llewelyn #2), by Will Thomas | 3/12/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Malt in Our Stars (Literary Pub #3), by Sarah Fox | 5/25/25 | ★★★★
✔ Beneath the Ashes (Jessie Arnold & Alex Jensen #7), by Sue Henry | 4/14/25 | ★★★★
✔ Silent in the Sanctuary (Lady Julia Grey #2), by Deanna Raybourn | 4/10/25 | ★★★★
✔ Fever Season (Benjamin January #2), by Barbara Hambly | 5/5/25 | ★★★★


✔ Once Bitten (Melanie Travis #8), by Laurien Berenson | 3/29/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Crowded Grave (Bruno, Chief of Police #4), by Martin Walker | 7/16/25 | ★★★★
✔ Of Spice and Men (Pancake House #3), by Sarah Fox | 1/20/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Murder in the Grave (Redmond & Haze #5), by Irina Shapiro | 3/25/25 | ★★★★
✔ Lost Legacy (Zoe Chambers #2), by Annette Dashofy | 2/18/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Darling Dahlias and the Unlucky Clover (Darling Dahlias #7), by Susan Wittig Albert | 7/2/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Murder on St. Mark's Place (Gaslight #2), by Victoria Thompson | 2/12/25 | ★★★★
✔ Silence in the Library (Lily Adler #2), by Katharine Schellman | 5/21/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle #5), by T.E. Kinsey | 3/1/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Written in Stone (Scottish Bookshop #10), by Paige Shelton | 2/9/25 | ★★★★


✔ An Antique Murder (Oldminster Mysteries #2), by Norman Russell | 5/27/25 | ★★★★
✔ Icy Clutches (Gideon Oliver #6), by Aaron Elkins | 1/26/25 | ★★★★
✔ A Midsummer Night's Fudge (Candy-Coated #10), by Nancy Coco | 2/24/25 | ★★★★
✔ Never Murder a Birder (Leigh Koslow #11), by Edie Claire | 2/16/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder Off the Books (By the Book #3), by Tamara Berry | 3/5/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder at Kensington Gardens (Ginger Gold #6), by Lee Strauss | 8/16/25 | ★★★★
✔ Murder in the Library (Miss Merrill & Aunt Violet #2), by Anita Davison | 6/5/25 | ★★★★
✔ A River in the Sky (Amelia Peabody #19), by Elizabeth Peters | 6/2/25 | ★★★★
✔ A Death in the Small Hours (Charles Lenox #6), by Charles Finch | 3/6/25 | ★★★★
✔ Goodbye Cruller World (Deputy Donut #2), by Ginger Bolton | 3/8/25 | ★★★.5


✔ Poppy Harmon and the Hung Jury (Desert Flowers #2), by Lee Hollis | 1/20/25 | ★★★.5
✔ The Kill Fee (Poppy Denby #2), by Fiona Veitch Smith | 9/16/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Uncommon Clay (Deborah Knott #8), by Margaret Maron | 2/20/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Hollywood Spy (Maggie Hope #10), by Susan Elia MacNeal | 5/23/25 | ★★★★
✔ The World's Fair Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #23), by Jennifer Chiaverini | 2/26/25 | ★★★★
✔ Last Diner Standing (Rose Strickland #2), by Terri L. Austin | 1/12/25 | ★★★.5
✔ The Mapping of Love and Death (Maisie Dobbs #7), by Jacqueline Winspear | 6/22/25 | ★★★★
✔ Unhallowed Ground (Chron. of Hugh de Singleton, Surgeon #4), by Melvin R. Starr | 3/22/25 | ★★★★
✔ Fear in February (Calendar Mysteries #2), by Camilla Chafer | 1/9/25 | ★★★.5
✔ Bone Yard (Raine Stockton #4), by Donna Ball | 6/19/25 | ★★★★


✔ The Key Lime Crime (Key West Food Critic #10), by Lucy Burdette | 7/26/25 | ★★★★
✔ The Haunted Abbot (Sister Fidelma #12), by Peter Tremayne | 3/15/25 | ★★★★
✔ Nail Biter (Home Repair is Homicide #9), by Sarah Graves | 5/12/25 | ★★★★
✔ A Steep Price (Tracy Crosswhite #6), by Robert Dugoni | 2/27/25 | ★★★★
✔ Flashback (Anna Pigeon #11), by Nevada Barr | 4/8/25 | ★★★★
✔ A Serpent’s Tooth (Walt Longmire #9), by Craig Johnson | 1/23/25 | ★★★★
✔ Sacred Clowns (Leaphorn & Chee #11), by Tony Hillerman | 5/13/25 | ★★★★
✔ Senior Moments are Murder (Paul Jacobson #3), by Mike Befeler | 2/22/25 | ★★★.5
✔ The Medici Return (Cotton Malone #19), by Steve Berry | 1/14/25 | ★★★★.5
✔ Dead Man's Ransom (Chron. of Brother Cadfael #9), by Ellis Peters | 2/23/25 | ★★★★

Congrats, Amanda!

Congrats, Chaitra!

Congrats, Chaitra!

Sign-ups for this one closed several years ago, but you're welcome to participate anyhow, Mary. Keep track of your post though, so you can find it when you're ready to update your progress :)

Amy wrote: "Barb wrote: "Would you like to play again?"
YES PLEASE!"

Your next word is set up, so you're good to start reading and guessing :)

Welcome to the challenge, Mary!