2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Yearly Challenge - Personal Goal= 100 books

1.) The Winter King by Bernard Cornwell

2.) Winterland by Rae Meadows

3.) Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood

4.) The Castlemaine Murders by Kerry Greenwood

5.) The School for German Brides by Aimie K. Runyan

6.) When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris

7.) The Socialite's Guide to Murder by S.K. Golden

8.) What Darkness Brings by C.S. Harris

9.) Why Kings Confess by C.S. Harris

10.) Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood

11.) Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen

12.) The Bangalore Detectives Club by Harini Nagendra

13.) Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Yearly Challenge - Clear My Shelves- January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 143

2023's goal is to read 15 books from my personal library. Three of those books will be non-fiction reads with the remaining being works of fiction.

Non-Fiction
1.) In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone

2.) A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings by Stella Tillyard

3.) The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones

Fiction
1.) For a Queen's Love: The Stories of the Royal Wives of Philip II by Jean Plaidy

2.) The Room on Rue Amelie by Kristin Harmel

3.) Dragonwyck by Anya Seton

4.) John Saturnall's Feast by Lawrence Norfolk

5.) The Courtesan by Alexandra Curry

6.) Beach Read by Emily Henry

7.) Loyal in Love: Henrietta Maria, Wife of Charles I by Jean Plaidy

8.) The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley

9.) The Mitford Murders by Jessica Fellowes

10.) Persuasion by Jane Austen

11.) The Poison Bed by E.C. Fremantle

12.) The Tide Watchers by Lisa Chaplin

Yearly Challenge - Serial Reader- January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 95

The goal for 2023 is to read five books from three different series. The series are series I've already started reading.

Phyrne Fisher by Kerry Greenwood
1.) Murder in Montparnasse
2.) The Castlemaine Murders
3.) Queen of the Flowers
4.)
5.)

The Morland Dynasty by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)

Sano Ichrio by Laura Joh Rowland
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)

Yearly Challenge- Bookworms Take Shelfies- January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 76

In 2023 I'm going to read five books from five different shelfs/themes.

Author (5 books by the same author) - C.S. Harris
1.) When Maidens Mourn
2.) What Darkness Brings
3.) Why Kings Confess
4.)
5.)

Setting (5 books that take place in the same country)
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)

Female Leads (5 books featuring a female protagonist)
1.) Murder in Montparnasse (Phryne Fisher)
2.) The School for German Brides
3.) The Socialite's Guide to Murder
4.) Peril in Paris
5.) Killers of a Certain Age

New Releases (5 books released in 2023)
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
5.)

Mysteries (5 mystery books)
1.) The Castlemaine Murders
2.) The Bangalore Detectives Club
3.)
4.)
5.)

Yearly Challenge - PopSugar Challenge - January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 156

1.) Read a book you meant to read in 2022
Peril in Paris

2.) Read a book you bought from an independent bookstore

3.) Read a book about a vacation

4.) Read a book by a first time author
The Socialite's Guide to Murder

5.) Read a book with a mythical creature

6.) Read a book published in spring 2023

7.) Read a book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past challenge - A Book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
When Maidens Mourn (Takes place in England)

8.) Read a book becoming a tv series or movie in 2023

9.) Read a book with a map
The Bangalore Detectives Club (Has a map of Bangalore in the front)

10.) Read a book you bought secondhand

11.) Read a book about a family

12.) Read a book that comes out in the second half of 2023

13.) Read a historical fiction book
The School for German Brides

Yearly Challenge - To Boldly Go - January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 14

The goal of this challenge is to visit as many countries as possible. Book can be set in a country or written by an author from that country.

1.) England
When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris

2.) Australia
Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood

3.) France
Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen

4.) Greece

5.) Italy

6.) United States
The Socialite's Guide to Murder by S.K. Golden

7.) Egypt

8.) Spain

9.) Russia
Winterland by Rae Meadows

10.) Japan

Yearly Challenge - TBR Jar - January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 83

1.) In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

2.) The Courtesan by Alexandra Curry

3.) Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle by Rosalind Miles

4.) Kingdom of the Grail by Judith Tarr

5.) The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Anne of York by Jean Plaidy

6.) Stone Blind by Natalie Haynes

7.) The Mistress of Bhatia House by Sujata Massey

8.) The Sheen on the Silk by Anne Perry

9.) The Black Pearl by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles

10.) Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose

Yearly Challenge - Magical Mystery Tour - January 1, - December 31, 2023 - Msg 77

Who? Read a book with a main character in one of the below areas.
1.) Writer

2.) Domestic

3.) Education

What? What makes this case distinctive?

1.) Second or Third in a Series

2.) A private investigator
Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood - Featuring private investigator Phyrne Fisher

3.) A person's name in the title

When? When did the dastardly deed take place or get reported?

1.) In the winter

2.) In the 1900s

3.) Reported (published) in 2023

Where? Where did the dastardly deed take place?

1.) A vacation destination

2.) A public venue

3.) A tropical climate

How? Each means of murder must be different.

1.) Peril in Paris (Poison)
2.)
3.)

Why? What motivated you to chose a particular case?

1.) A favorite author or series

2.) A favorite mystery subgenre

3.) A cold case (TBR for over a year)
The Castlemaine Murders


Bonus Case (personal challenge)

Quarterly Challenge - For All Humankind - January 1, - March 31, 2023 - Msg 64

1.) Read a book set in the 20th century.
The Castlemaine Murders - Takes place in 1928

2.) Read a book involving Russian history
Winterland by Rae Meadows

3.) Read a book written by an author from a different country than you
The Bangalore Detectives Club - Author was born in India

4.) Read a book set far away from where you live
Murder in Montparnasse by Kerry Greenwood

5.) Read a book set during a vacation