2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

2021 Challenges

Annual Challenges
MM Let’s Play Yahtzee Challenge Message #12 6/13

Bi-Annual Challenges

Quarterly Challenges

Monthly Challenges
Valentine's Challenge Message #26 5
Wedding Season Challenge Message #17 1


Other Challenges
The Yahtzee Challenge Message #87 12/13

Thousand Oaks Book Club
January: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton REREAD 1/7/21 ★★★★★
February: The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian 2/27/21 ★★★
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August: Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan 3/30/21 ★★★★★
September: The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 4/28/21 ★★★★★
October : Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb 10/20/21 ★★★
November: Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton 11/12/21 ★★★
December: The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware 1/21/20 ★★★★

Buddy Reads
January:
February:
March: The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James
April: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix
May: The Fisherman by John Langan
June:
July:
August:
September:
October :
November:
December:

Group Reads

January
2021RC: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
AAA: Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
BSBC: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 3/25/19 ★★
BB: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
BB BOTQ: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
MCT1: The Jealous Kind by James Lee Burke
MCT2: The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
FR: On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
CMT: The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 7/14/18 ★★★★
CMT COZY: Here Comes the Body by Maria DiRico
CMT LOC: City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson
CMT TC: A Descent Into Hell by Kathryn Casey
CMT COLLECTION5: The Shining by Stephen King
CMT COLLECTION6: Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
LD: NONE
MM AOM: Jay Northcote, A.E. Via, Saxon James, Casey Cox
RRRC FAC: Jayne Ann Krentz

February
2021RC: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 12/16/19 ★★★★
AAA: This is Gomorrah: the dark web threatens one innocent man by Tom Chatfield
BSBC: The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 3/25/19 ★★
BB: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
BB BOTQ: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
MCT 1: Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 3/9/18 ★★★
MCT 2: Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré
FR: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
CMT: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
CMT COZY: Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor
CMT LOC: Death in Delft by Graham Brack
CMT TC: The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth
CMT COLLECTION7: Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
CMT COLLECTION8: A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
LD: When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
MM AOM: Parker St. John, Alessandra Hazard, Adrienne Wilder
RRRC FAC: Jill Shalvis

March
2021RC: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 7/16/12 ★★★★
AAA: Absolute Power by David Baldacci
BSBC: The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar DNF 4/19/21 ★★
BB: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
BB BOTQ: The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
MCT1: The Searcher by Tana French
MCT2: Skeletons in the Attic by Judy Penz Sheluk
FR: The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
CMT: Best Kept Secrets by Tracey S. Phillips
CMT COZY: Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander
CMT LOC: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
LD: House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
MM AOM: Chloe B. Young, E. Davies, Silvia Violet, A.H. Lee
RRRC FAC: Kristen Callihan

April
2021RC: Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 11/22/20 ★★★
AAA: Fade by Kyle Mills
BSBC: The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar DNF 4/19/21 ★★
BB: The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
BB BOTQ: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
MCT 1: Entry Island by Peter May
MCT 2: The Suicide Murders by Howard Engel
FR: Malorie by Josh Malerman 4/11/21 ★★★★
CMT: One by One by Ruth Ware 4/3/21 ★★
CMT COZY: Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
CMT LOC: The Searcher by Tana French
CMT TC: If You Really Loved Me by Ann Rule
CMT COLLECTION: Murderers' Row: Baseball Mysteries by Otto Penzler
LD: Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson 4/16/21 ★★★★
MM AOM: Charlie Adhara, Megan Derr, E.M. Lindsey
RRRC FAC: Eloisa James

May
2021RC: The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
AAA: Thunderhead by Douglas Preston
BSBC: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
BB: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 12/5/20 ★★★
BB BOTQ: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
MCT 1: Black Out by John Lawton
MCT 2: A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot
FR: Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
CMT: A Caller's Game by J.D. Barker
CMT COZY: Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell
CMT LOC: Lying and Dying by Graham Brack
CMT TC: Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife by Ariel Sabar
CMT COLLECTION: Murder at the Racetrack: Original Tales of Mystery and Mayhem Down the Final Stretch from Today's Great Writers by Otto Penzler
LD: They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
MM AOM: K.C. Wells, Adara Wolf, Marina Vivancos, James Berry
RRRC FAC: Kaje Harper

June
2020RC: The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 12/5/20 ★★★
AAA: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
BSBC: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
BB: American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
BB BOTQ: The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
MCT 1: The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
MCT 2: Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger
FR: Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood
CMT: A Murder of Principal by Saralyn Richard
CMT COZY: The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander
CMT CLASSIC: A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle 6/26/18 ★★
CMT LOC: The Bat by Jo Nesbø 2/19/18 ★★★
CMT SHORT STORY: The Grown Up by Gillian Flynn
CMT TC: Ghost: The True Story of One Man's Descent into Madness and Murder by Glenn Puit
CMT COLLECTION: Death Cruise: Crime Stories on the Open Seas by Lawrence Block
LD: The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal
MM AOM: Anyta Sunday, Nora Phoenix, Davidson King
RRRC FAC: Thea Harrison

July
2021RC: Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
AAA: The Paris Protection by Bryan Devore
BSBC: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 7/28/19 ★★
BB: The Guest List by Lucy Foley 6/4/20 ★★★★★
BB BOTQ: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
MCT1: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
MCT2: The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
FR: The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff
CMT: Slow Horses by Mick Herron
CMT: My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
CMT CLASSIC: Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
CMT COZY: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
CMT TC: The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder by John Glatt
CMT COLLECTION: ...And the Dying is Easy by Annette Riffle
LD: Survive the Night by Riley Sager
MM AOM: Alice Winters, Roan Parrish, S.J. Himes, Kess McKinley
RRRC FAC: Vi Keeland

August
2021RC: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
AAA: The Killing Game by Toni Anderson
BSBC: The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 7/28/19 ★★
BB: Beach Read by Emily Henry
BB BOTQ: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
MCT1: Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic
MCT2: Crimson Lake by Victor Methos
FR: Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson
CMT1: My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
CMT2: Slow Horses by Mick Herron
CMT CLASSIC: Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
CMT COZY: Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
CMT TC: The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder by John Glatt
CMT COLLECTION: Murder Intercontinental by Cynthia Manson
LD: For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
MM AOM: Lily Morton, A.J. Sherwood, Tal Bauer
RRRC FAC: Jewel E. Ann

Let’s Play Yahtzee! Challenge
Duration: January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2021
Challenge: Roll 5 dice once per month (except 1 month, double up to make 13 Tasks). You can re-roll any number of dice until you reach three rolls. Fit your roll to a task. If your roll does not fit a task, complete the alternate task and assign it to a task. You need 3 of the same number to complete a numbers task. No repeating books/tasks. No page minimums unless stated in task.

Dice Roller

Rolls:
January: 1, 2, 3, 6, 6 Alternate Task
February: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6 Yahtzee
March: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 Large Straight
April: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 Small Straight
May: 1, 1, 1, 3, 5 3 of a Kind
June: 4, 4, 4, 4, 6 4 of a Kind
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:

Tasks:
Ones:
Twos:
Threes:
Fours:
Fives:
Sixes:
3 of a kind: May The One That Got Away by Nicky James 5/12/21 ★★★★★
4 of a kind: May Commitment Issues by Ali Ryecart
Full house: Alternate Task January All That Remains by R.J. Scott 1/10/21 ★★★
Small straight: April The Engineer by C.S. Poe 5/28/21 ★★★
Large straight: March Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell 3/3/21 ★★★★
Yahtzee: February To Live Again by L.A. Witt 2/20/21 ★★★★
Chance: GhosTV by Jordan Castillo Price 2/6/21 ★★★★

The Yahtzee Challenge
Duration: June 1, 2020- June 30, 2021
Challenge: Roll 5 dice once per month. You can re-roll any number of dice until you reach three rolls. Fit your roll to a task. If your roll does not fit a task, complete the alternate task. Minimum page count 90 pages. You need 3 of the same number to complete a numbers task. Roll between the 25th and the 5th of the next month. No rolling ahead. No repeating tasks.

Dice Roller

Rolls:
June: missed roll Alternate Task
July: 3, 3, 3, 3, 5 Four of a Kind
August: 1, 1, 1, 3, 5 Ones
September: 1, 2, 4, 4, 6 Chance
October: 1, 1, 1, 1, 4 Three of a Kind
November: 2, 3, 3, 6, 6 Alternate Task
December: 2, 2, 2, 2, 4 Twos
January: 1, 2, 3, 4, 4 Small Straight
February: 1, 5, 5, 5, 5 Alternate Task
March: 1, 1, 2, 5, 6 Alternate Task
April: 1, 1, 3, 3, 3 Full House
May: 3, 3, 5, 5, 6 Alternate Task
June: 1, 3, 5, 5, 5 Alternate Task

Tasks:
Ones: August Hideaway by Nora Roberts 8/15/20 ★★★
Twos: December Mistletoe and Mr. Right by Sarah Morgenthaler 12/14/20 ★★★★
Threes: Alternate Task MayDangerous Ground by Rachel Grant
Fours: Alternate Task March Shipped by Angie Hockman 3/9/21 ★★★★
Fives: Alternate Task November Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade 11/18/20 ★★★★★
Sixes: Alternate Task June Silver Brewer by L.B. Dunbar 7/10/20 ★★
3 of a kind: October The Magic Ingredient by Lindy Miller 11/1/20 ★★★
4 of a kind: July 500 Miles from You by Jenny Colgan 7/22/20 ★★
Full house: AprilFloat Plan by Trish Doller
Small straight: January Party Naked by Mari Carr
Large straight: Alternate Task February Duke Looks Like a Groomsman by Valerie Bowman 2/9/21 ★★★★★
Yahtzee: Alternate Task June Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert
Chance: September Dance Away with Me by Susan Elizabeth Phillips 9/12/20 ★★★

Valentine's Challenge
Duration February 1, 2021 - February 28, 2021

Spin 1 Loves Me - RAB by a favorite author: To Live Again by L.A. Witt 2/20/21 ★★★★
Spin 2 Loves Me Not - RAB first published in any month other than February, any year: Just a Bit Wrong by Alessandra Hazard 2/21/21 ★★★
Spin 3 Loves Me Not - RAB with no red on the cover: The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn 2/22/21 ★★★
Spin 4 Loves Me Not - RAB where "love" is not mentioned in the Title, Series or precis: NoX by Adrienne Wilder 2/26/21 ★★★★
Spin 5 Loves Me Not - RAB by a new to you author - Time to start Over!: The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon2/28/21 ★★★

Wedding Season Challenge
Duration June 1, 2021 - June 30, 2021

Spin the Wheel

1. Do - RAB with formal clothing on the cover: Commitment Issues by Ali Ryecart 6/5/21 ★★
2. Do - RAB with blue anywhere on the cover: The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas 6/7/21 ★★★★★
3. Do – RAB a new release (published in 2021): Men, Murder & Makeup by Shane K. Morton 6/13/21 ★★★★
4. Don’t – RAB with a family conflict or shelved “drama” – Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert 6/21/21 ★★★
5. Don’t – RAB with a menage or harem theme, or a slow-burn romance: This Is Not the End by Sidney Bell

JANUARY

Task Reads
Party Naked by Mari Carr 1/9/21 ★★★
All That Remains by R.J. Scott 1/10/21 ★★★

Group and Book Club Reads
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 7/14/18 ★★★★
The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 3/25/19 ★★
The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton REREAD 1/7/21 ★★★★★
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
The Jealous Kind by James Lee Burke
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
The Shining by Stephen King
Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
Here Comes the Body by Maria DiRico
City of Saints & Thieves by Natalie C. Anderson
A Descent Into Hell by Kathryn Casey

ARC Reads
Down Comes the Night by Allison Saft 1/19/21 ★★★★

New Releases 2021
The Ballad of Hattie Taylor by Susan Andersen 1/20/21 ★★★
The Murder Between Us by Tal Bauer 1/30/21 ★★★★
Sheriff's Secret by K. Webster 1/31/21 ★★★★

Series Reads
Dead Ringer by Pandora Pine 1/8/21 ★★
Secrets by Jordan Castillo Price 1/15/21 ★★★
Common Goal by Rachel Reid 1/17/21 ★★★★
Craft Brew by Layla Reyne 1/22/21 ★★★★
Camp Hell by Jordan Castillo Price 1/25/21 ★★★★★
Noble Hops by Layla Reyne 1/28/21 ★★★
Final Gravity by Layla Reyne 1/29/21 ★★★

Free Reads
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah 1/1/21 ★
Snowfall and Romance by Wendy Rathbone 1/1/21 ★★
Christmas on the Coast by Lee Tobin McClain DNF 1/1/21 ★
Holiday Amnesia by Lynette Eason 1/2/21 ★★
The Less Than Spectacular Times of Henry Milch by Marshall Thornton 1/3/21 ★★★★
Little Comfort by Edwin Hill 1/4/21 ★
A Solitude of Wolverines by Alice Henderson 1/10/21 ★★★★★
The Best Corpse for the Job by Charlie Cochrane 1/12/21 ★★★
Imperial Stout by Layla Reyne 1/13/21 ★★★
The Footman and I by Valerie Bowman 1/14/21 ★★★★★
The Cul-de-Sac War by Melissa Ferguson 1/16/21 ★
Not a Hero by Cherise Sinclair 1/23/21 ★★★★
Ararat by Christopher Golden 1/27/21 ★★★★
The Burning Chambers by Kate Mosse 1/28/21 ★★★★

FEBRUARY

Task Reads
GhosTV by Jordan Castillo Price 2/6/21 ★★★★
Duke Looks Like a Groomsman by Valerie Bowman 2/9/21 ★★★★★
To Live Again by L.A. Witt 2/20/21 ★★★★
Just a Bit Wrong by Alessandra Hazard 2/21/21 ★★★
NoX by Adrienne Wilder 2/26/21 ★★★★

Group and Book Club Reads
Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 3/9/18 ★★★
The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 12/16/19 ★★★★
The Leisure Seeker by Michael Zadoorian 2/27/21 ★★★
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
Murder at an Irish Wedding by Carlene O'Connor Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
A Simple Plan by Scott Smith
When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Death in Delft by Graham Brack
This is Gomorrah: the dark web threatens one innocent man by Tom Chatfield
Agent Running in the Field by John le Carré
The Midnight Assassin: Panic, Scandal, and the Hunt for America's First Serial Killer by Skip Hollandsworth

New Releases 2021
The Arctic Fury by Greer Macallister 2/2/21 ★
Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker 2/7/21 ★★★
Teddy Spenser Isn't Looking for Love: An LGBTQ Romcom by Kim Fielding 2/9/21 ★★
The Survivors by Jane Harper 2/11/21 ★★★
The Sanatorium by Sarah Pearse 2/15/21 ★★
The Children's Blizzard by Melanie Benjamin 2/17/21 ★★★★
Make Up Break Up by Lily Menon 2/17/21 ★★
Much Ado About You by Samantha Young 2/18/21 ★★★★
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 2/21/21 ★★
The Wedding Game by Meghan Quinn 2/22/21 ★★★
The Ex Talk by Rachel Lynn Solomon 2/28/21 ★★★

Series Reads
The Valet Who Loved Me by Valerie Bowman 2/14/21 ★★★

Free Reads
The Coincidence by Felice Stevens 2/1/21 ★★★
Saving Mercy by Abbie Roads 2/3/21 ★★★
The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton 2/5/21 ★★★
Gifts for the Season by R.J. Scott 2/10/21 ★★★
The Nidderdale Murders by J.R. Ellis 2/24/21 ★★★

MARCH

Task Reads
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell 3/3/21 ★★★★
Shipped by Angie Hockman 3/9/21 ★★★★
Professional Distance by Silvia Violet REREAD 3/25/21 ★★★★★
The Capital by A.H. Lee 3/31/21 ★★★★★
Worth It by Chloe B. Young
Outmatched by Kristen Callihan
Hard Hart by E. Davies

Group and Book Club Reads
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 7/16/12 ★★★★
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar DNF 4/19/21 ★★
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
The Searcher by Tana French
Absolute Power by David Baldacci
Skeletons in the Attic by Judy Penz Sheluk
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
Best Kept Secrets by Tracey S. Phillips
Death on Tap by Ellie Alexander
The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan

ARC Reads
The Ladies of the Secret Circus by Constance Sayers 3/13/21 ★★★

Buddy Reads
The Haunting of Maddy Clare by Simone St. James 3/16/21 ★★★★

New Releases 2021
Do No Harm by Christina McDonald 3/2/21 ★★★★
Finlay Donovan Is Killing It by Elle Cosimano 3/7/21 ★★★★
The Downstairs Neighbor by Helen Cooper 3/10/21 ★★★
Dangerous Women by Hope Adams 3/11/21 ★★★
Ten Rules for Faking It by Sophie Sullivan 3/11/21 ★★★★★
Love at First by Kate Clayborn 3/14/21 ★★
Just Curious by Ariella Talix DNF 3/17/21 ★
The Swimmers by Marian Womack DNF 3/18/21 ★
Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi 3/21/21 ★★★★★
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 3/23/21 ★★★
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay 3/24/21 ★★★★
Surviving Savannah by Patti Callahan 3/30/21 ★★★★★

Series Reads
Spook Squad by Jordan Castillo Price 3/6/21 ★★★★
Enjoy the View by Sarah Morgenthaler 3/8/21 ★★★★
PsyCop Briefs: Volume 1 by Jordan Castillo Price 3/18/21 ★★★★
The Stills by Jess Montgomery 3/27/21 ★★★
Personal Entanglement by Silvia Violet 3/28/21 ★★★★
Perfect Alignment by Silvia Violet 3/28/21 ★★★★
The Border by A.H. Lee 3/31/21 ★★★★

Free Reads
Shadow Ridge by M.E. Browning 3/17/21 ★★★
The Ghost and Charlie Muir by Felice Stevens 3/20/21 ★★
The Woman in the Mirror by Rebecca James 3/25/21 ★★

APRIL

Task Reads
The Engineer by C.S. Poe 4/21/21 ★★★
Float Plan by Trish Doller 4/30/21 ★★★★★

Group and Book Club Reads
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman 11/22/20 ★★★
One by One by Ruth Ware 4/3/21 ★★
Malorie by Josh Malerman 4/11/21 ★★★★
Every Vow You Break by Peter Swanson 4/16/21 ★★★★
The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar DNF 4/19/21 ★★
The Searcher by Tana French
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Entry Island by Peter May
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
Fade by Kyle Mills
The Suicide Murders by Howard Engel
Murder at the Mena House by Erica Ruth Neubauer
If You Really Loved Me by Ann Rule
Murderers' Row: Baseball Mysteries by Otto Penzler

ARC Reads
Out of Crisis by Richard Caldwell 4/14/21 ★★
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 4/28/21 ★★★★★

Buddy Reads
The Fisherman by John Langan 4/8/21 ★★★
The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix 4/23/21 ★★★

New Releases 2021
The Memory Collectors by Kim Neville 4/15/21 ★★
The Lamplighters by Emma Stonex 4/18/21 ★★★★
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon 4/25/21 ★★★★
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams 4/27/21 ★★★
The Three Mrs. Greys by Shelly Ellis DNF 4/30/21 ★★★★★

Series Reads
The Sea by A.H. Lee 4/3/21 ★★★★★
Putting the Romance in Necromancy by A.H. Lee 4/4/21 ★★★★
Spring in the Haunted Forest by A.H. Lee 4/4/21 ★★★★
Enthralled by A.H. Lee 4/4/21 ★★★★
Skin After Skin by Jordan Castillo Price 4/10/21 ★★
To Love and to Loathe by Martha Waters 4/13/21 ★★
The Gangster by C.S. Poe 4/22/21 ★★★★★

Free Reads
Somebody 2 Love by Maria Vickers DNF 4/4/21 ★
The Player by K. Bromberg DNF 4/19/21 ★

MAY

Task Reads
The One That Got Away by Nicky James 5/12/21 ★★★★★
Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant

Group and Book Club Reads
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 12/5/20 ★★★
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
Thunderhead by Douglas Preston
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Black Out by John Lawton
A Very Long Engagement by Sébastien Japrisot
Something to Talk About by Meryl Wilsner
A Caller's Game by J.D. Barker
Nightshade for Warning by Bailey Cattrell
Lying and Dying by Graham Brack
Veritas: A Harvard Professor, a Con Man and the Gospel of Jesus's Wife by Ariel Sabar
Murder at the Racetrack: Original Tales of Mystery and Mayhem Down the Final Stretch from Today's Great Writers by Otto Penzler

ARC Reads
It Had to Be You by Georgia Clark 5/8/21 ★★★★
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne 5/14/21 ★★★★
The Betrayals by Bridget Collins 5/20/21 ★

New Releases 2021
THE ULTIMATE MEDITERREANEAN DASH DIET FOR BEGINNERS: A Very Good Eating Plan To Control Your Weight And Improve Your Health For Life The Nutritious Way by Eric Scott 5/5/21 ★
The Jock by Tal Bauer 5/6/21 ★★★
The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell 5/18/21 ★★
The Push by Ashley Audrain 5/22/21 ★
Hot Copy by Ruby Barrett 5/23/21 ★★
The Endless Road to Sunshine by Nicky James 5/24/21 ★★★★★
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren 5/26/21 ★★★★★
Heart on a Leash by Alanna Martin 5/27/21 ★
The City of Tears by Kate Mosse 5/29/21 ★★★
Arthropoda by Xenia Melzer 5/30/21 ★★★

Series Reads
The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo 5/5/21 ★★★★
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo 5/11/21 ★

JUNE

Task Reads
Commitment Issues by Ali Ryecart 6/5/21 ★★
Men, Murder & Makeup by Shane K. Morton 6/13/21 ★★★★
Burn Zone by Annabeth Albert 6/21/21 ★★★
Made for You by Anyta Sunday
Press by Nora Phoenix
The Hunt by J.M. Dabney and Davidson King

Group and Book Club Reads
The Bat by Jo Nesbø 2/19/18 ★★★
A Study in Scarlet by Arthur Conan Doyle 6/26/18 ★★
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig 12/5/20 ★★★
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
Fortune Favors the Dead by Stephen Spotswood The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
Murder in Mykonos by Jeffrey Siger
A Murder of Principal by Saralyn Richard
The Pint of No Return by Ellie Alexander
The Grown Up by Gillian Flynn
Ghost: The True Story of One Man's Descent into Madness and Murder by Glenn Puit
Death Cruise: Crime Stories on the Open Seas by Lawrence Block
The Lost Ones by Sheena Kamal

ARC Reads
Dangerous Ground by Rachel Grant 6/4/21 ★★★★
The Last Goodbye by Fiona Lucas 6/7/21 ★★★★★
A Distant Grave by Sarah Stewart Taylor 6/20/21 ★★★★

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021
Find You First by Linwood Barclay 6/1/21 ★★★
Like Cats and Dogs by Kate McMurray 6/2/21 ★★
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
When the Stars Go Dark by Paula McLain DNF 6/10/21 ★
The Damage by Caitlin Wahrer 6/12/21 ★★★★
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 6/14/21 ★★★★★
Hour of the Witch: A Novel by Chris Bohjalian 6/17/21 ★★

Series Reads

Free Reads
Yes by Brad Boney 6/14/21 ★★★★
The Mountains Wild by Sarah Stewart Taylor 6/18/21 ★★★

JULY

Task Reads
Nothing but Good by Kess McKinley 7/6/21 ★★★★
Natural Enemies by Roan Parrish 7/8/21 ★★★
The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love by Alice Winters 7/9/21 ★★★★
The Necromancer's Dance by S.J. Himes 7/28/21 ★★★★
Beautiful Mistake by Vi Keeland
Forever & Ever: A Collection of Stories by Tere Michaels

Group and Book Club Reads
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 7/28/19 ★★
The Guest List by Lucy Foley 6/4/20 ★★★★★
Survive the Night by Riley Sager 7/4/21 ★★★
The Orphan's Tale by Pam Jenoff7/16/21 ★★★
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
The Quiet Girl by S.F. Kosa
The Paris Protection by Bryan Devore
The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder by John Glatt
...And the Dying is Easy by Annette Riffle

ARC Reads
Her Sister's Secret by S.E. Lynes 7/3/21 ★★★
Mark Of Guilt by Diane Hester 7/5/21 ★★★★
The Bone Wars by Erin Evan 7/11/21 ★★★★★

Buddy Reads
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard

New Releases 2021
In a Book Club Far Away by Tif Marcelo 7/7/21 ★★★
Talk Bookish to Me by Kate Bromley 7/12/21 ★
Radio Static by Nicky James 7/15/21 ★★★★
Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutanto 7/17/21 ★
Our Woman in Moscow by Beatriz Williams 7/18/21 ★★★
The Whispering House by Elizabeth Brooks 7/25/21 ★
Rare Vigilance by M.A. Grant 7/27/21 ★★★★
The Layover by Lacie Waldon7/29/21 ★★★★

Series Reads
The Hitman's Guide to Staying Alive Despite Past Mistakes by Alice Winters 7/12/21 ★★★
The Hitman's Guide to Making Friends and Finding Love by Alice Winters 7/23/21 ★★★★
Divas, Death & Drag by Shane K. Morton 7/26/21 ★★★

Free Reads
One Call Away by Felice Stevens REREAD 7/13/21 ★★★★★
Where the Lost Wander by Amy Harmon 7/23/21 ★★★★★
Try by Ella Frank REREAD 7/31/21 ★★★★★
Take by Ella Frank REREAD 8/1/21 ★★★
Trust by Ella Frank REREAD 8/2/21 ★★★★

AUGUST

Task Reads
Beautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton8/6/21 ★★★★
The Grave Between Us by Tal Bauer 8/15/21 ★★★
The Necromancer's Reckoning by S.J. Himes8/30/21 ★★★★★
Jon's Downright Ridiculous Shooting Case by A.J. Sherwood

Group and Book Club Reads
The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 7/28/19 ★★
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing8/26/21 ★★★★
Technically, You Started It by Lana Wood Johnson 8/26/21 ★★★
Beach Read by Emily Henry
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
Resurrection Bay by Emma Viskic
Crimson Lake by Victor Methos
My Sister's Grave by Robert Dugoni
Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett
Slow Horses by Mick Herron
The Perfect Father: The True Story of Chris Watts, His All-American Family, and a Shocking Murder by John Glatt
The Killing Game by Toni Anderson
Murder Intercontinental by Cynthia Manson

ARC Reads
Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik8/14/21 ★★★★
The Haunting of Leigh Harker by Darcy Coates 8/22/21 ★★★
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks 8/29/21 ★★★★★
Dare to Know by James Kennedy

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021
Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica 8/3/21 ★★★
Mirrorland by Carole Johnstone8/5/21 ★★★
The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell 8/8/21 ★★★
The Right One by Felice Stevens 8/9/21 ★★★
The Guncle by Steven Rowley 8/17/21 ★★★★★
An Ambush of Widows by Jeff Abbott 8/19/21 ★★★★★
Not the Kind of Earl You Marry by Kate Pembrooke 8/20/21 ★★★
Heartbreak for Hire by Sonia Hartl 8/21/21 ★★★★
The Long Game by Anna Martin 8/24/21 ★★★
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard
The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby

Series Reads
The Necromancer's Dilemma by S.J. Himes 8/29/21 ★★★★

Free Reads

Group Reads

Post 2 of 2

September
2021RC: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
AAA: One Second After by William R. Forstchen
BSBC: The White City by Grace Hitchcock
BB: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 2/21/21 ★★
BB BOTQ: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
MCT1: The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 6/14/21 ★★★★★
MCT2: One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
FR: Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 9/30/21 ★★
CMT: The Therapist by B.A. Paris
CMT COZY: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
CMT LOC: The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey
CMT TC: Signs of Murder: A small town in Scotland, a miscarriage of justice and the search for the truth by David Wilson
CMT COLLECTION: Malice by Keigo Higashino
CMT CLASSIC: The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
CMT SHORT: Siege Mentality by Christopher Brookmyre
LD: All's Well by Mona Awad
MM AOM: S.E. Harmon, Amy Lane, Charlie Cochet, Arshad Ahsanuddin, Cynthia Hamill
RRRC FAC: Sarah MacLean

October
2021RC: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 3/23/21 ★★★
AAA: The Relic by Douglas Preston 1997 ★★★★
BSBC: The White City by Grace Hitchcock
BB: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 3/23/21 ★★★
BB BOTQ: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MCT1: The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
MCT2: The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
FR: The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
CMT: Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
CMT CLASSIC: The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler
CMT LOC: The Père-Lachaise Mystery by Claude Izner
CMT TC: A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
CMT COLLECTION: The Long Fall by Walter Mosley
LD: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling
MM AOM: Josh Lanyon, Hailey Turner, Onley James
RRRC FAC: Lynsay Sands

November
2021RC: The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
AAA: Deep Fathom by James Rollins 2010 ★★★★
BSBC: Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
BB: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
BB BOTQ: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MCT1: Little Black Lies by Little Black Lies
MCT2: The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
FR: Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
CMT: Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George
CMT MOD Choice: The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
CMT COLLECTION: Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden
LD: The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling 10/26/21 ★★★★
MM AOM: Jordan Castillo Price, Aimee Nicole Walker, John Patrick
RRRC FAC: Samantha Towle

December
2021RC: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
AAA: The Hunter by Richard Stark
BSBC: Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
BB: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
BB BOTQ: The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
MCT1: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
MCT2: The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
FR: Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor
CMT1: The Shadows by Alex North
CMT2: The Cumberland Killers: A Kentucky Mystery by James Aura
CMT COLLECTION: The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal
LD: none
MM AOM: Heidi Cullinan, R. Cooper, A.J. Demas
RRRC FAC: Jennifer Ashley

SEPTEMBER

Task Reads
Love Springs Eternal by S.J. Himes 9/13/21 ★★★★
Coddiwomple by S.E. Harmon 9/15/21 ★★★★
Bonfires by Amy Lane 9/19/21 ★★★★
Love and Payne by Charlie Cochet 10/1/21 ★★★
Sunset by Arshad Ahsanuddin
Did It All Before by Cynthia Hamill

Group and Book Club Reads
The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah 2/21/21 ★★
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave 4/28/21 ★★★★★
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
The Maidens by Alex Michaelides 6/14/21 ★★★★★
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn 9/30/21 ★★
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
One of Us Is Next by Karen M. McManus
The Therapist by B.A. Paris
One Second After by William R. Forstchen
The White City by Grace Hitchcock
The Last Detective by Peter Lovesey
Malice by Keigo Higashino
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
All's Well by Mona Awad
Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor by Stephanie Barron
Siege Mentality by Christopher Brookmyre
Signs of Murder: A small town in Scotland, a miscarriage of justice and the search for the truth by David Wilson

ARC Reads
Dare to Know by James Kennedy 9/9/21 ★★
Vanishing Edge by Claire Kells 9/24/21 ★★★

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021
What You Never Knew by Jessica Hamilton 9/1/21 ★★
Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby 9/5/21 ★★★★★
To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne 9/10/21 ★★★★★
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary 9/10/21 ★★
We Were Never Here by Andrea Bartz 9/14/21 ★★★★
The Woods Are Always Watching by Stephanie Perkins 9/16/21 ★★★
Graveyard Fields by Steven Tingle 9/20/21 ★★★
The Guide by Peter Heller 9/21/21 ★★★
Over the Falls by Rebecca Hodge 9/26/21 ★★★★

Series Reads
Mastering the Flames by S.J. Himes 9/3/21 ★★★
Agent Bayne by Jordan Castillo Price 9/17/21 ★★★★
Crocus by Amy Lane 9/19/21 ★★★★
Murder House by Jordan Castillo Price 9/28/21 ★★★★

Free Reads
Variable Onset by Layla Reyne 9/6/21 ★★
A Gentleman Tutor by Harper Fox 9/7/21 ★★★
The Road Home by Elsa Winters & Brad Vance 9/11/21 ★★★★
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center 9/18/21 ★★★
The River at Night by Erica Ferencik 9/23/21 ★★★
Sex & Sourdough by A.J. Thomas REREAD 9/23/21 ★★★★★
Beta Test by Annabeth Albert 9/25/21 ★★★
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey 9/29/21 ★★★★

OCTOBER

Task Reads
I fit most tasks to the series reads this month
Unhinged by Onley James

Group and Book Club Reads
The Relic by Douglas Preston 1997 ★★★★
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner 3/23/21 ★★★
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed by Lori Gottlieb 10/20/21 ★★★
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling 10/26/21 ★★★★
The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Before the Fall by Noah Hawley
The White City by Grace Hitchcock
The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
The Cold Cold Ground by Adrian McKinty
The Père-Lachaise Mystery by Claude Izner
A Stolen Life by Jaycee Dugard
The Long Fall by Walter Mosley
The Little Sister by Raymond Chandler

ARC Reads
Comfort Me With Apples by Catherynne M. Valente 10/13/21 ★★★
Such a Pretty Smile by Kristi DeMeester

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021
Sailor Proof by Annabeth Albert 10/3/21 ★★★
Hyde by Craig Russell 10/8/21 ★★★
The Orphan Witch by Paige Crutcher 10/11/21 ★★★
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling 10/18/21 ★★★
Come With Me by Ronald Malfi 10/22/21 ★★
The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell 10/27/21 ★★★★
Cackle by Rachel Harrison by Catriona Ward 11/3/21 ★★

Series Reads
Role Model by Rachel Reid 10/2/21 ★★★★★
The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles REREAD 10/4/21 ★★★★
A Case of Possession by K.J. Charles 10/6/21 ★★★
Flight of Magpies by K.J. Charles 10/6/21 ★★★
Draakenwood by Jordan L. Hawk 10/9/21 ★★★★
Dead in the Water by Pandora Pine 10/13/21 ★★
Bitter Pill by Jordan Castillo Price 10/17/21 ★★★★
Bell, Book and Scandal by Josh Lanyon 10/22/21 ★★★
A Ferry of Bones & Gold by Hailey Turner REREAD 10/24/21 ★★★
All Souls Near & Nigh by Hailey Turner REREAD 10/28/21 ★★★
A Crown of Iron & Silver by Hailey Turner REREAD 10/29/21 ★★★
A Vigil in the Mourning by Hailey Turner 11/6/21 ★★★

Free Reads
The Professor's Green Card Marriage by Heidi Cullinan 10/1/21 ★★★
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave 10/16/21 ★★
How Not to Blend by Susan Hawke 10/23/21 ★★★

NOVEMBER

Task Reads
First Impressions by Jay Hogan 11/10/21 ★★★
Jordan Castillo Price
Aimee Nicole Walker
John Patrick
Samantha Towle
Diagnosis: Death by A.P. Eisen

Group and Book Club Reads
The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling 10/26/21 ★★★★
Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton 11/12/21 ★★★
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. RichardsGingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Five Total Strangers by Natalie D. Richards
The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson
Little Black Lies by Little Black Lies
Summer of '69 by Elin Hilderbrand
Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George
The Sign of the Four by Arthur Conan Doyle
Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

ARC Reads

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021
56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard 11/1/21 ★★
The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky 11/1/21 ★★★★★
Unwritten Rules by K.D. Casey 11/4/21 ★★★
The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater 11/4/21 ★★★★
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig 11/15/21 ★★★
The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward 11/16/21 ★★
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood 11/18/21 ★★★★★
The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams 11/18/21 ★★
Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell 11/20/21 ★★★★
Well Matched by Jen DeLuca 11/21/21 ★★★★
Grave Reservations by Cherie Priest 11/22/21 ★★★
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker 11/25/21 ★★★★
The Best Gift by Eli Easton 11/27/21 ★★★★
Sexted by Santa by D.J. Jamison 11/30/21 ★★★★

Series Reads
On the Wings of War by Hailey Turner 11/14/21 ★★★
An Echo in the Sorrow by Hailey Turner 11/20/21 ★★★
A Veiled & Hallowed Eve by Hailey Turner 11/24/21 ★★★

Free Reads
We Still Live by Sara Dobie Bauer 11/8/21 ★★
Mr. Right Now by Annabeth Albert 11/26/21 ★★★
Twelve Dates of Christmas by Marina Ford 11/28/21 ★★
A Cop for Christmas by Jamie Fessenden 11/28/21 ★★★
Fatal Identity by Jodie Bailey 11/30/21 ★★
The Healing Power of Eggnog by Jamie Fessenden 11/30/21 ★★★

DECEMBER

Task Reads
Read a book by:
Heidi Cullinan
R. Cooper
A.J. Demas
Jennifer Ashley
Read a book with an HIV+ character

Group and Book Club Reads
The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware 1/21/20 ★★★★
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 6/9/21 ★★★★★
Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War I by Hazel Gaynor
The Shadows by Alex North
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
The Hunter by Richard Stark
Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
The Number One Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Cumberland Killers: A Kentucky Mystery by James Aura
The Golden Scales by Parker Bilal

ARC Reads

Buddy Reads

New Releases 2021

Series Reads

Free Reads
Cool Story, Bro by Lisa Henry 12/1/21 ★★★
The Mistletoe Problem by Geneva Vand 12/1/21 ★★★★
Burying the Hatchet by A.C. Thomas 12/2/21 ★★★