You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

YTLO Puzzle Me This 2023 Main Page

Puzzle Me This 2023 Challenge Rules

Puzzle Me This 2023 General Discussion

📱 Kindle version (owned)
💻 Kindle version (borrowed from Libby)
KU Kindle version (borrowed from Kindle Unlimited)
🌲 Print version (owned)
📚 Print version (borrowed)
🎧 Audio version (borrowed)
🔗 Series Book

✔️ Completed

Reporting:
1. Badge x, Book x
2. Puzzle x, Task
3. Link
4. Listened to , Hardcover edition is 567 pages
5. Summary of task
6. How it fits

⭐️
⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Badge 1

✔️ 1. Last Dance on the Starlight Pier 📚 T5
✔️ 2. Christmas Cupcake Murder KU T6
✔️ 3. Caramel Pecan Roll Murder KU T5
✔️ 4. Coconut Layer Cake Murder KU T8
✔️ 5. Raspberry Danish Murder KU T9
✔️ 6. The Taster 📱 T4
✔️ 7. The Woman on the Orient Express KU T1
✔️ 8. Rules of Civility 💻 T10
✔️ 9. Banana Cream Pie Murder KU T10
✔️ 10. Daisy Darker 💻 T7
✔️ 11. The Marriage Portrait 💻 T3
✔️ 12. The Keeper of Happy Endings KU T3

Badge 1 finished

Badge 1, Book 1
2. Site 1, Task 5
3. Link: Last Dance on the Starlight Pier
4. Hardcover edition 426 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book set in Texas
6. How it fits: More than 50% of the book is set in Texas.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My only knowledge of dance marathons during the Depression came from watching They Shoot Horses, Don't They, and I didn't remember much from it. I was fascinated by the whole marathon experience, the rules, lingo, corruption, the people who would do this and more.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 2
2. Site 9, Task 10
3. Link: Banana Cream Pie Murder
4. Kindle version 432 pages; HC 355 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a cozy mystery featuring food as a main theme.
6. How it fits: Cozy mystery is listed on the mgp and food (cookie baking etc) plays a major role in the series.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one had a cliffhanger. I've had my suspicions about one of the characters since he came on the scene.

Badge 1, Book 3
2. Site 5, Task 9
3. Link: Raspberry Danish Murder
4. Kindle version 385 pages; HC 364 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where the main character is a businessman or businesswoman.
6. How it fits: The main character, Hannah Swensen, owns and runs The Cookie Jar, a bakery/coffee shop.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was right to suspect that character!

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Badge 1, Book 4
2. Site 11, Task 3
3. Link: The Marriage Portrait
4. Kindle version 353 pages; HC 355 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book set in the 16th century (1501-1600)
6. How it fits: The story takes place in Italy from about 1550 to 1561,

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️ 3 1/2

🔆

I see you're still longing for the road trip and listing site numbers. :)

LOL, I didn't even notice. i must have copied the reporting format from the wrong thread. How funny! Time to move on...

LOL!

Badge 1, Book 5
2. Puzzle 10, Task 7
3. Link: Daisy Darker
4. Kindle version 340 pages; HC 352 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where there are significant plot twists, as explained in the book blurb.
6. How it fits: The blurb indicates that there are "unforgettable twists" and alludes tp Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None. There are secrets revealed, bodies found, memories relived, but the biggest twist comes at the end of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Couldn't put it down. A completely dysfunctional family.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 6
2. Puzzle 4, Task 8
3. Link: Coconut Layer Cake Murder
4. Kindle version 418 pages; HC 341 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where the first letter of the title (not including articles) starts with ABCDE.
6. How it fits: The book title starts with the letter C.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

🔆

Badge 1, Book 7
2. Puzzle 2, Task 6
3. Link: Christmas Cupcake Murder
4. Kindle version; HC 368 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with a Christmas theme.
6. How it fits: The book takes place during the Christmas season with Hannah Swensen decorating trees/rooms, catering Christmas parties and baking Christmas cookies/cupcakes/treats, like Christmas Baked Brie, Sugar Plum Cookies. Christmas Date Cupcakes, Santa'a Christmas Wreath Pancakes, Santa's Hat Pancakes, Christmas Coconut Crunch Cookies and more.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

No dead bodies in this one, but I was intrigued by some of the holiday baking, especially the German Chocolate Cake/Cupcakes.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 8
2. Puzzle 3, Task 5
3. Link: Caramel Pecan Roll Murder
4. Kindle version; HC 288 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where someone is protecting someone else.
6. How it fits: A character is engaged to the murder victim (Sonny) who is an alcoholic womanizer. (view spoiler)[Her mother, who is also plagued by addictions that have compromised her own marriage and her relationship with her daughter, has tried to get her daughter to call off the marriage, to no avail. To protect her daughter from entering into a poor marriage to a man who the mother feels will ruin her daughter's life, the mother kills Sonny. Protection by death. (hide spoiler)]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Still liking the series, but I won't be sad when I get to the end, although I'm sure the author will still be writing more after I finish the last published book (so far). The last few books have had cliffhangers so she must realize that the series is long and needs to keep her audience coming back for more.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 9
2. Puzzle 12, Task 3
3. Link: The Keeper of Happy Endings
4. Kindle version; PB 416 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book that has a pregnant character or a new born baby in it.
6. How it fits: At one point the main character becomes pregnant and has a baby.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I enjoyed the book even with the convenient and tidy ending. After all, "happy endings" is in the title.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 10
2. Puzzle 8, Task 10
3. Link: Rules of Civility
4. Read Kindle version; HC 335 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with someone wearing a gown on the cover.
6. How it fits: There is a woman wearing a gown on the cover.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loved it! The writing was marvelous, witty, picture perfect. The characters, full bodied. I originally read this book for my RT book club March selection and then found that it fit a puzzle task.

🔆

Badge 1, Book 11
2. Puzzle 7, Task 1
3. Link: The Woman on the Orient Express
4. Read Kindle version; PB 330 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book set between 1901 and 1946.
6. How it fits: The book takes place in 1928.

⭐️⭐️ Meh

🔆

Badge 1, Book 12
2. Puzzle 6, Task 4
3. Link: The Taster
4. Read Kindle version; PB 323 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book set in Germany.
6. How it fits: The book is st in Germany during WWII.

⭐️⭐️ Meh
I expected better writing.

🔆

Congrats on finishing the first badge.

Badge 2

Puzzle 2

✔️ 1. The Last Kingdom
✔️ 2. The Wedding Shroud - A Tale of Ancient Rome
✔️ 3. Under the Tulip Tree
✔️ 4. Exiles
✔️ 5. An Eye for an Eye
6. done for Badge 1
✔️ 7. The Earth, My Butt, and Other Big Round Things
✔️ 8. Mr. Dickens and His Carol
✔️ 9. The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle
✔️ 10. Malibu Rising

Puzzle 8

✔️ 1. The Cold Dish
✔️ 2. Twenty Years Later: A Riveting New Thriller
✔️ 3. The Flight Attendant
✔️ 4. The Direction of the Wind
✔️ 5. The Lincoln Lawyer
✔️ 6. The Shop on Royal Street
✔️ 7. A Gentleman in Moscow
✔️ 8. Dear Edward
✔️ 9. The Girl with All the Gifts
10. done for Badge 1

Badge 2 Book 1

2. Puzzle 8, Task 8
3. Link: Dear Edward
4. Read Kindle version; HC 340 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where the author's last name starts with an n, and whom you've never read before.
6. How it fits: The author's name is Ann Napolitano. I've never read anything by this author,

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🔆

Badge 2 Book 2

2. Puzzle 8, Task 1
3. Link: The Cold Dish
4. Read Kindle version; PB 354 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where Western is listed on the MPG.
6. How it fits: Western is listed under genres on the MP.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Entertaining flawed characters. Need to continue with this series.

🔆

Badge 2 Book 3

2. Puzzle 8, Task 9
3. Link: The Girl with All the Gifts
4. Read Kindle version; PB 461 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with genre dystopia and tagged zombies. Both words must be on the MBP.
6. How it fits: Dystopia and Zombies are both on the MBP.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Not your usual zombie book.

Badge 2 Book 4

2. Puzzle 8, Task 2
3. Link: Twenty Years Later: A Riveting New Thriller
4. Read Kindle version; HC 357 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with a measure of time in the title
6. How it fits: "Years" in the title.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WOW! That was unputdownable.

🔆

Badge 2 Book 5

2. Puzzle 2, Task 3
3. Link: Under the Tulip Tree
4. Read Kindle version; PB 400 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with one person on the cover. Both arms must be showing.
6. How it fits: There is one person on the cover with both arms showing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked the premise of the book (interviewing former slaves and recording their experiences to preserve the history). But parts of the plot were contrived and expected.

Badge 2 Book 6

2. Puzzle 2, Task 9
3. Link: The Wedding Dress Sewing Circle
4. Read HC 402 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with an ankle clearly showing on the cover.
6. How it fits: Ankles are clearly showing.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really liked this feel good romantic historical fiction novel set in a small English country village during WWII.

🔆

Badge 2 Book 7

2. Puzzle 2, Task 4
3. Link: Exiles
4. Read the Kindle version, HC 356 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book with a higher than 4.1 average rating on Goodreads.
6. How it fits: At the time of reading, the book has a 4.12 rating.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one was my favorite of the series (so far).

🔆

Badge 2 Book 8

2. Puzzle 2, Task 1
3. Link: The Last Kingdom
4. Read the Kindle version, HC 451 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book that is set in the 21st century.
6. How it fits: Although no year is specifically mentioned, several "mentions" throughout the book put it in the 21st C: euros came into active/extensive use in 2002; YouTube came out in 2005; noting that waterboarding was banned in the US in 2009; mentioning that China is a leading supplier of rare earths in the 21st C (since 2006).

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / ⭐️ 4.5

I've been enjoying this series for a long time.

🔆

Badge 2 Book 9

2. Puzzle 8, Task 4
3. Link: The Direction of the Wind
4. Read the Kindle version, PB 308 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book where a letter has a significant role.
6. How it fits: MC grows up thinking her mother died when she was 6 years old. After her father dies, she finds letters in his closet that tell a different story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I liked it but I found the writing awkward at times and concepts were repetitive.

🔆

I had to come and peek to see where you were in the challenge.
I finally finished book 12 for my challenge and was searching for my thread to report it when your name came up. :o)

Peek away. I'm pretty sure I'll be able to finish Badge 2 but it just seems that there's always a task or two per puzzle that I have a hard time finding a book that I can find to borrow or that I already own and that I actually want to read. Picky, picky.

Yes, I’ve become very picky about the books too. I really don’t want to buy more just for challenges but lack of availability makes some tasks really harder than others. I am still struggling with getting through the books I own in print. IF I can get a library book, it becomes a priority to finish, especially if it is in a continuing series. The Lady Sherlock book that I am currently reading is very good, so far, but it is making me realize that I missed quite a bit in the previous story, which I listened to. I must have slept through more than I thought. Lol.

Badge 2 Book 10

2. Puzzle 2, Task 2
3. Link: The Wedding Shroud
4. Read the Kindle version (514 p), PB 486 pages
5. Summary of task: Read book about the Roman Empire.
6. How it fits: The story takes place "Italy" in the early 400s BC and is about the relationship between Rome and Veii, where a Roman woman is wedded to an Etruscan in order to keep a treaty. Much is written about the differences between the two cultures, their politics and lifestyles.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I've had this on my tbr since the beginning of time. Now that I've read it, I want to read the rest of this short series. Oh, those lusty Etruscans!

🔆

Badge 2 Book 11

2. Puzzle 8, Task 3
3. Link: The Flight Attendant
4. Read the Kindle version, HC 354 pages
5. Summary of task: Read a book that features a flight attendant
6. How it fits: The MC is a flight attendant.

⭐️⭐️/⭐️ (2 1/2 ) generous because I've liked the author in the past

Not a favorite. I didn't like the MC. She got on my last nerve (so stupid, and irresponsible). I wanted to smack her, but I couldn't reach into the book far enough.