Pick-a-Shelf discussion

This is the thread for January. Some of the instructions are posted below as well for your ease of reference.

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from November 2024 reads.

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

List:

Amy

Bea

CassieV

Christina (AKA Babbling)

Dee

Jayme(theghostreader)

Joanna

LaurLa

LynnB

Marina

Meg

Susan

Tien

My Top 5 reads & shelves
The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta : contemporary, 2019, fiction, favorites, australian
Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik : fantasy, short-stories, 2024, fiction, netgalley,
LIFEL1K3 (LIFEL1K3 #1) by Jay Kristoff : sci-fi, young-adult, science-fiction, ya, dystopian
Ghosts of Empire (The Ghost #4) by George Mann : steampunk, mystery, pulp, owned, urban-fantasy
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg : fantasy, 2023, kindle, historical-fiction, romance

Like 4 Like
The Place on Dalhousie by Melina Marchetta
Top Shelf: australian
🗸 Book 1: Hive (Hive #1) by A.J. Betts -Read 01/07

Buried Deep and Other Stories by Naomi Novik
Top Shelf: fantasy
🗸 Book 2: Partikel (Supernova #4) by Dee Lestari -Read 01/17

LIFEL1K3 (LIFEL1K3 #1) by Jay Kristoff
Top Shelf: science-fiction
🗸 Book 3: Beyond The Bounds Of Time (The Gemarine Chronicles #2) by J.P. McDonald -Read 01/24

Ghosts of Empire (The Ghost #4) by George Mann
Top Shelf: owned
🗸 Book 4: The Edge of Everything (The Edge of Everything #1) by Jeff Giles -Read 01/09

Keeper of Enchanted Rooms (Whimbrel House #1) by Charlie N. Holmberg
Top Shelf: romance
🗸 Book 5: All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter -Read 01/28

D.1. Your TBR (all these books are on my TBR)
🗸 1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added
Hive (Hive #1) by A.J. Betts >> Jan '24 >> Somewhere Beyond the Sea (Cerulean Chronicles #2) by T.J. Klune -Read 01/12

🗸 2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author
All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter >> See How They Run (Embassy Row #2) -Read 02/09

🗸 3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
Partikel (Supernova #4) by Dee Lestari >> DL >> The Faceless Ones (Skulduggery Pleasant #3) by Derek Landy -Read 02/01

🗸 4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)
Beyond The Bounds Of Time (The Gemarine Chronicles #2) by J.P. McDonald >> Beyond Year Zero by Lawrence Held -Read 02/21

🗸 5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
The Edge of Everything (The Edge of Everything #1) by Jeff Giles >> 360 + 50 = 410++p >> We Solve Murders (We Solve Murders #1) by Richard Osman (457p) -Read 01/16


D.2. new books
🗸 1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.
Beyond The Bounds Of Time (The Gemarine Chronicles #2) by J.P. McDonald >> 2023 >> Seams like Murder (Grace Designs Mysteries #1) by Tilly Wallace -Read 01/17

🗸 2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author
Partikel (Supernova #4) by Dee Lestari >> Murder in the Bookshop (Miss Merrill and Aunt Violet Mystery #1) by Anita Davison -Read 01/20

🗸 3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)
All Fall Down (Embassy Row #1) by Ally Carter >> AC --> CA >> Alpha (Charon #2) by Catherine Asaro -Read 02/27

🗸 4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective
The Edge of Everything (The Edge of Everything #1) by Jeff Giles >> everything >> Red Rising (Red Rising Saga #1) by Pierce Brown -Read 01/16

🗸 5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages
Hive (Hive #1) by A.J. Betts >> 272p >> 288p >> Every Version of You by Grace Chan -Read 01/20

Another crazy challenge Tien - well done! I think I will aim for 3 books per month but go for both old and new options.

My top 3 reads from November 2024
Hello Beautiful fiction, historical fiction, audiobook, romance
The God of the Woods mystery, fiction, thriller
The Outsider horror, fiction, thriller, mystery

Like 4 Like
1. Hello Beautiful = historical fiction = The Secret Wisdom of the Earth ✔️
2. The God of the Woods = mystery = The Hangman ✔️
3. The Outsider = horror = Cursed Bread✔️

D1 - TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added
The Secret Wisdom of the Earth added Apr 22, 2015
>>For Today I Am a Boy added Apr 10, 2015 ✔️

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series
The Hangman
>> A Trick of the Light ✔️

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials
Cursed Bread (SM)
>> Mislaid in Parts Half-Known ✔️

I'm going to start with just 3 books, I may go to 4 or 5 books later. I'll start this as a placeholder. I can't plan too far in advance 'cuz odds are that I'll read some of them in December, forgetting that they're for January. Lol!

My top 3 reads from November 2024, 4&5 star
1.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout - 2024, fiction, literary fiction
2.
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta - non-fiction, politics, 2024
3.
Straw Dogs of the Universe: A Novel by Ye Chun - historical fiction, fiction, 2024

Like4Like
1. (Tell Me Everything)
Shelf: 2024
Read:
Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, Kirsten Miller, 2 Jan 2025

2. (The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism)
shelf: non-fiction
Read:
Secrets of the Octopus, Sy Montgomery, 2 Jan 2025

3. (Straw Dogs of the Universe)
Shelf: historical fiction
Read:
The Potter's Field, Ellis Peters, 5 Jan 2025

D1 - Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author.
(Secrets of the Octopus)
What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird, Sy Montgomery, 5 Jan 2025


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

D2 - New Books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.
(Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, 2024)
Sandwich, Catherine Newman, 3 Jan 2025, pub. June 2024


2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author.
(The Potter's Field, Brother Cadfael)
She Who Knows, Nnedi Okorafor, 5 Jan 2025, She Who Knows #1


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

TBR Bender - January
Goal: 3
(No 5* reads in November.)

Top 3 reads & shelves:
A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom from an Unconventional Woman by Joan Anderson: Spirituality, Womens, Romance

The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, and The Accident by Elie Wiesel: History, Classics, War

Winter Cottage by Mary Ellen Taylor: Historical Fiction, Mystery, Contemporary, Romance

Like 4 Like
A Walk on the Beach: Tales of Wisdom from an Unconventional Woman by Joan Anderson
Top Shelf: Womens
Book 1: The Colour by Rose Tremain

The Night Trilogy: Night, Dawn, and The Accident by Elie Wiesel
Top Shelf: History
Book 2: In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson

Winter Cottage by Mary Ellen Taylor
Top Shelf: Mystery
Book 3: The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley



D. 1. Your TBR (all these books are on my TBR)

1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added.

The Colour by Rose Tremain added to TBR May 22, 2019. Also added on same date: Shylock's Daughter by Mirjam Pressler

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author.

The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley - Also by same author: The Hunting Party

3. Author:
4. Title:

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.

In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson [448p] + 50p = 498p. - Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith [509p]

ugh November was such a mediocre month for me :(

Top 5 November 2024 Books
Birding with Benefits
That Summer Feeling
Superheroes Anonymous
Dead Man's Hand
Woman, Captain, Rebel: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain

Like for Like (L4L)
Birding with Benefits - Contemporary Romance - The Spanish Love Deception (added Feb 2024)

That Summer Feeling - Queer - The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue (added Nov 2020)

Superheroes Anonymous - Superheroes - Hench (added Feb 21)

Dead Man's Hand - Magic - The Prison Healer (added May 24) - Finished - April 27, 2025

Woman, Captain, Rebel: The Extraordinary True Story of a Daring Icelandic Sea Captain - Feminisim - Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story (added Jun 19)

TBR Bender - January
Read: 6/6 - completed 5/31/25

Top 3 Nov. 2024
Controlled Burn: Stories of Prison, Crime, and Men - Short Stories, Crime
Gap Creek - Historical Fiction, Southern, Romance
In the Dream House - Memoir, LGBT, Queer, Horror

L4L
Controlled Burn: Stories of Prison, Crime, and Men - Short Stories, Crime
✅1. Die Trying - Crime - 1/22/25

Gap Creek - Historical Fiction, Southern, Romance
✅2. The Kiss Quotient - Romance - 1/7/25

In the Dream House - Memoir, LGBT, Queer, Horror
✅3. Somewhere Beyond the Sea - LGBT - 1/21/25

D1
Date: Die Trying (added Nov. 21, 2024)
✅4. Crow Lake (added same month) - 1/27/25

Title: The Kiss Quotient
✅5. Black Lipstick Kisses - 5/31/25

D2
Title: Somewhere Beyond the Sea (416pp)
✅6. Shelf - "beyond" (p. 6) - The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store - 1/26/25

B. Your Books
Pick your 3 - 5 top reads from November 2024 reads.
Eye Spy 1/31/25
Arrow's Flight
Arrow's Fall

C. Like for Like (L4L)
For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).
Here With Me
More Than the Game
The Castaways
You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR).

D. Your Options

For this section, you may choose to either read purely from your TBR or new books* or BOTH! There are separate tasks as per below options:

*the definition of new books here is quite liberal; it could literally be a new book you've brought home or newly published book which you've put on your TBR last year or new-to-you... whichever works for you

Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)-A Christmas Memory 1/1/25

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author-The Hills Have Spies completed 1/15/25
"Magician Apprentice" 1/25/25


3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.


D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author-

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages

TBR Bender 2025

Finally completed one! I've been trying to coordinate with my By-the-Month reads, which is definitely slowing me down.

>>>JANUARY

My Top 5 Reads in November & shelves:
✔All the Seas of the World: fantasy, historical fiction
✔Service Model: science fiction, sci-fi, 2024
✔Natchez Burning(Penn Cage #4): fiction, mystery, historical fiction
✔Ruin and Rising(The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #3): fantasy, young adult, favorites
✔A Memory Called Empire(Teixcalaan #1):sci-fi, science fiction, fiction, fantasy, favorites

Like 4 Like : a book on one of the 3-5 top shelves
Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (All the Seas of the World)
✔Book 1: The Sacrifice of Tamar - fin 1/11

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Service Model)
✔Book 2: Finder (Finder Chronicles #1) - fin 4/25

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Natchez Burning)
✔Book 3: Murder By Other Means, by John Scalzi - fin 1/20

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (Ruin and Rising)
✔Book 4: Traveler(Traveler #1) - fin 1/11

Top Shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... (A Memory Called Empire)
✔Book 5: Fantasy in Death (In Death, #30) - fin 2/17

D1 Your TBR

1. Date: Using one of your [Like 4 Like] books, read from closest date added
✔The Sacrifice of Tamar, added 5/1/2015
✔Girl in the Spider's Web(Millennium #4), added 5/15/2015 - fin 1/18

2. Series: Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or another book by the same author
✔Finder (Finder Chronicles #1)
✔Driving the Deep (Finder Chronicles #2)53005399 - fin 5/23

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
✔Murder By Other Means, by John Scalzi
✔A Fountain Filled with Blood, by Julia Spencer-Fleming - fin 4/19

4. Title:Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
✔ Fantasy in Death (In Death, #30) (death)
✔Wrongful Death (David Sloane, #2) - fin 7/9

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
✔Traveler(Traveler #1), 352 pages
✔Absolute Power, 511 pages - fin 1/21

COMPLETED 7/9

Now this is embarrassing - I've only read 3 books in November (new job, not really got used to my new schedule yet) and one of them was a 1-star - ugh! Anyway, let's try this :)

My top 3 reads in November:
The Benefactress - Classics / Fiction / Germany / Humor / Audiobook
The Almond Tree - Historical Fiction / Fiction / War / Historical / Contemporary
A Master of Djinn - Fantasy / Historical Fiction / Fiction / Steampunk / Mystery

L4L

The Benefactress by Elizabeth von Arnim
Top shelf: classics
Book #1: The Pastor's Wife by Elizabeth von Arnim - read 20/01

The Almond Tree by Michelle Cohen Corasanti
Top shelf: contemporary
Book #2: Veleni di Dio, medicine del diavolo by Mia Couto - read 05/01

A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark
Top shelf: fantasy
Book #3: Killing Time by Jodi Taylor - read 28/01

Options

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Veleni di Dio, medicine del diavolo (added 27/06/2014) --> Arctic Rising (added 26/06/2014) - read 11/01

4. Title: Killing Time --> The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul - read 08/03

5. Pages: The Pastor's Wife (492 pages) --> Entry Island (554 pages) - read 12/02

Read: 6/6

It's been a while since I've done any challenges, but I'd like to get back into them :)

B: My Books - November
-Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies - Parenting / Christian / Non-Fiction
-Death on the Nile - Mystery / Fiction / 2022
-The Princes of Ireland - Historical Fiction / Fiction / Ireland

C. Like for Like
✔1. A Severe Mercy: A Story of Faith, Tragedy, and Triumph Shelf: Christian Added: Aug 2024 Read 2/11
✔2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd Shelf: Mystery Added: Jan 2022 Read 1/29
✔3. And the Mountains Echoed Shelf: Historical Fiction Added: Dec 2013 Read 1/26

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)
✔Dear Mr. Knightley (Added Dec 2013, using And the Mountains Echoed) Read 1/31

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

✔3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo (using Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Agatha Christie) Read 2/15

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

✔5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more.
Brideshead Revisited: The Sacred and Profane Memories of Captain Charles Ryder - 351 pages (using A Severe Mercy, 240 pages) Read 3/8

Read: 6/6

@Meg - thank you :) Hope you find it enjoyable throughout the year!

@LynnB - I have the same problem. I keep having to check my notes lol

@Dee - I didn't really have anything outstanding either though mostly ok

@Marina - aww, why does real life have to intrude on reading!

@CassieV - welcome!! It's good to take a break from challenges some times (says someone who hasn't been able to stay away no matter what lol)

January

0/6

1. The Stardust Thief by Chelsea Abdullah 8 November 2024 ★★★★ Fantasy
2. Fatalities and Folios by A.C.F. Bookens 9 November 2024 ★★★★ Books about books
3. A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher 13 November 2024 ★★★★★ Young Adult

L4L
Fantasy: Jade City by Fonda Lee
Books about books: Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Yong Adult: The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas




D1.
date added: Jan 2021 Jade City
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty

Word in title: book Book Lovers
The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Author initials: AT The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

January Bender - DONE!

The Mystery Guest - fiction
Shelterwood - Completed 1/18/25

Into the Gray - mystery
The Hunting Wind - Completed 1/12/25

A Killer Harvest - thriller
First Lie Wins - Completed 1/9/25

The Deceiving Look - 2024
Now or Never - Completed 1/2/25

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date added: Shadows of Pecan Hollow
The Girl in Cabin 13 - both added Nov 16, 2024 - Completed 1/12/25

2. Series: The Hunting Wind
North of Nowhere (next in series) - Completed 5/3/25

3. Author: Shelterwood by Lisa Wingate
The Swimmer by Loreth Anne White - Completed 5/9/25

4. Title word: Now or Never
You Will Never Be Me - Completed 1/12/25

5. Pages: First Lie Wins - 340 pages
The Waiting - 407 pages - Completed 1/2/25


D.2. new books
1. Date: Shelterwood
The Grey Wolf - both published in 2024 Completed 1/5/25

2. Series: The Hunting Wind
Hidden in Snow (The Åre Murders, #1) - Completed 1/16/25

3. Author: Now or Never by Janet Evanovich
A Quiet Life by Ethan Joella - Completed 6/8/25

4. Title: First Lie Wins
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/first
A ​Court of Silver Flames (p. 4) - Completed 2/14/25

5. Pages: Shadows of Pecan Hollow - 432 pages
The Man Feared by Darkness - 287 pages - Completed 1/29/25

TBR Bender ❱❱ January ❱❱ COMPLETE
January - December 2025

My January TBR Bender (msg 16)

November Books
🔺Party of Two ❱❱ romance; fiction; contemporary; chick-lit; adult
🔺Fall Hard ❱❱ mm; contemporary; romance; mystery; amnesia
🔺Network Effect ❱❱ sci-fi; fiction; space; adult; space-opera

Like for Like



☑️romance ❱❱ Party of Two
🔺Christmas in Destiny ❱❱ 01.07 ★★★★
☑️mystery ❱❱ Fall Hard
🔺The Crawling Darkness ❱❱ 01.13 ★★★
☑️sci-fi ❱❱ Network Effect
🔺Passions in Death ❱❱ 02.22 ★★★★

Options - TBR



☑️Date ❱❱ Passions in Death ❱❱ added July 2024 ❱❱ Aug 2024
🔺Irish Rose ❱❱ 01.25 ★★★★
☑️Series ❱❱ Christmas in Destiny ❱❱ Destiny series
🔺Return to Destiny ❱❱ 03.14 ★★★★
☑️Author ❱❱ The Crawling Darkness ❱❱ author initials ❱❱ JB
🔺Taking a Shot ❱❱ 02.03 ★★★★

Options - New



☑️Date ❱❱ Passions in Death ❱❱ published Sep 2024 ❱❱ published Oct 2024
🔺You Can Kill ❱❱ 01.18 ★★★★
☑️Author ❱❱ Christmas in Destiny ❱❱ author initial ❱❱ TB
🔺Fix Her Up ❱❱ 04.22 ★★★★
☑️Pages ❱❱ The Crawling Darkness ❱❱ 222 pages ❱❱ 298 pages
🔺Bound ❱❱ 01.29 ★★★★

January
Goal: 3 Books
Read: 9/9

November Books
1. Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh
Shelves: Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, 2019
2. Shadow Fall by Laura Griffin
Shelves: Romantic Suspense, Romance, Suspense, Mystery, Laura Griffin
3. The Proposal by Mary Balogh
Shelves: Historical Romance, Historical, Historical Fiction, Regency, Mary Balogh

Like for Like
✔︎ 1. Paranormal - Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts
Read: January 5, 2025
Rating: 2.5 Stars
✔︎ 2. Mystery: Bad Liar by Tami Hoag
Read: January 20, 2025
Rating: 4 Stars
✔︎ 3. Historical - Who Cries for the Lost by C.S. Harris
Read: February 1, 2025
Rating: 4 Stars

Options - TBR
✔︎ 1. 50 Extra Pages (377+): Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep (417 pages)
Read: January 25, 2025
Rating: 4 Stars
✔︎ 2. Date added (May 2022): The Cliff's Edge by Charles Todd (Added June 2022)
Read: January 8, 2025
Rating: 3.5 Stars
✔︎ 3. Next in series: What Cannot Be Said by C.S. Harris
Read: March 12, 2025
Rating: 4 Stars

Options - New
✔︎ 1. Series w/New Author: A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane
Read: January 16, 2025
Rating: 1 Star
✔︎ 2. Publication Year (2024): People in Glass Houses by Jayne Castle
Read: February 15, 2025
Rating: 2.5 Stars
✔︎ 3. Title (Shelf-Lost): Hidden by Fern Michaels (p.7)
Read: January 18, 2025
Rating: 2 Stars

Goal: 3 books
Read: 6/6

November Books
1. The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis
2. Beloved
3. The Past Is Red

L4L
1. Nonfiction - Airplane Mode: An Irreverent History of Travel 2/3
2. Classics - Catch-22 5/22
3. Science Fiction - Red Rising 4/11

Options: D.1 TBR
1. Title - "history" - A History of the World in Twelve Shipwrecks 2/23
2. Author - JH - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels 4/26
3. Series - Golden Son 7/27

I think maybe I understand... LOL.

I will give it a try!

Goal: 6 books
Read: 8/9

November Books
1. NYPD Red 2 - james-patterson, mystery, fiction, 2014, thriller
2. This Guy - horror, short-stories, audiobook, fiction
3. The Pond - horror, short-stories, audiobook, dark, fiction

✔️ L4L
1. Thriller Run on Red by Noelle W. Ihli 1/7/25
2. Fiction The Donor by Clare Mackintosh 1/2/25
3. Short Stories The Bottle Imp by Robert Louis Stevenson 1/3/25

D1. Your TBR
2. Series: Same author Noelle Ihli -Run on Red
Red X by Noelle W. Ihli 1/7/25

5. Pages: At least 50 pages more - The Bottle Imp 52 pages
Manhunt by James Patterson 1/5/2025
145 pages

✔️ D2. New Books
1. Date: Published same year - Run on Red Published November 3, 2022
The Girls Who Disappeared by Claire Douglas 1/18/25
Published September 15, 2022

2. Series: New Series - The Donor
Hide in Place (Sylvan #1) by Emilya Naymark 1/29/25

5. Pages: First page number is L4L book's last - The Bottle Imp 52 pages
My Friend Dahmer: A Graphic Novel by Derf Backderf 1/12/25
224 pages

January TBR Bender

Challenge Accepted: January 1, 2025
Challenge (hopefully) Completed: January 31, 2025

4/9 Complete

B. My Top November Reads

1. You Can Kill
2. Bowling for Turkeys
3. The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

C. Like 4 Like (numbers correspond with books as listed above)

1. The Body in the Backyard(Rom Suspense) 2-6-25
D1.
D2.

2. Curse of Silver & Blood (MM Romance) 1-8-25 (154 p.) (Sheena Jolie)
D1.5-Pages: The Stablemaster's Heart 1-10-25 (230 p.)
D2.3-Author: (Jill Shalvis)

3. Haunt Your Heart Out (Romance) DNF
D1.
D2.

D1/TBR: (Use L4L books as starting point)
(view spoiler)[

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more. (hide spoiler)]


D2/New Books: (Use L4L books as starting point)
(view spoiler)[D.2. new books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author OR (for stand alone book) read another book by a new-to-you author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in a flipped position)

4. Title: Using one of your book titles, read from a shelf with a word* in title
www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/[INSERT WORD IN TITLE HERE]
*word cannot be articles, preposition, or connective

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book where the first number of pages is that of your book's last number of pages (hide spoiler)]

Joyce January TBR Bender: COMPLETED

B. My Top November Reads

1. Nothing to See Here
2. Seventh Grave and No Body
3. DallerGut Dream Department Store

C. Like 4 Like (numbers correspond with books as listed above)
(view spoiler)[For each of Your Books, pick one shelf from their top 3-5 shelves (aside from "to-read", "currently-reading"). (they may end up being duplicated if you are a genre reader).

You will read a book from each of these shelves (preferably those already on your TBR). (hide spoiler)]

1. Fiction shelf-A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers - 2/15/25

2. Urban Fantasy - Chill Factor Finished 1/26/25

3. 2024 shelf- The Ministry of Time Finished 1/17/25

D1/TBR: (Use L4L books as starting point)
(view spoiler)[Each of the books you read for L4L are to be used as starting point for each of below prompts (ie. 1 book cannot be used for more than 1 prompt per option).

D.1. Your TBR
1. Date: Using one of your books, read from closest date added (could be the month and even if it was a new book you read/added in January 2025, read another book you added in January 2025)

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author

3. Author: Using one of your books, read a book from an author with the same initials (first & last only in the same position)

4. Title: Using one of your books, read a book with an identical^ word in title
^we're not going to be super strict here, it could be exactly identical, found intact or just of similar nature (eg. monster - monstrous is acceptable)

5. Pages: Using one of your books, read a book with at least 50 pages more. (hide spoiler)]

1. Title Word - using A Psalm for the Wild-Built - The Broken Mirror 2/26/25
2. Pages: using book Chill Factor has 337 + 50= 387 Hell Bent 481 pages Read 1/26/25
3. Author: using The Ministry of Time author has initials KB- Magical Midlife Madness by K.F. Breene Finished 2/6/25

My top three November reads
Elusive top 3 shelves - fantasy, historical fiction, vampires
Not the Ones Dead top 3 shelves - mystery, 2023, fiction
The Hermit Next Door top 3 shelves - science fiction, fantasy, fiction

L4L
historical fiction The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty read Jan 17
mystery The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles read Feb 7
science fiction The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump read Jan 11

D1 my TBR
2. series The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump is a stand alone so a book by the same author
The Guns of the South read Feb 9

3. Author The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry
book by author with same initials
The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop read Feb 10

5. pages The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles has 208 pages
The Haunting of Alaizabel Cray 292 pages, read Jan 26

D2 New Books
1.Date The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles published 2024
The Warm Hands of Ghosts read Feb 14

2. Series The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty
stand alone - new to me author
The Ten Loves of Mr. Nishino read Jan 29

4. title The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump using the shelf - just in case
The Art of Racing in the Rain

Completed.

My top 3 reads from November 2024, 4&5 star
1.
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout - 2024, fiction, literary fiction
2.
The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism by Tim Alberta - non-fiction, politics, 2024
3.
Straw Dogs of the Universe: A Novel by Ye Chun - historical fiction, fiction, 2024

Like4Like
1. (Tell Me Everything)
Shelf: 2024

Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, Kirsten Miller, 2 Jan 2025

2. (The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism)
shelf: non-fiction

Secrets of the Octopus, Sy Montgomery, 2 Jan 2025

3. (Straw Dogs of the Universe)
Shelf: historical fiction

The Potter's Field, Ellis Peters, 5 Jan 2025

D1 - Your TBR

2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read the next book in the series or (for stand alone book) read another book by the same author.
(Secrets of the Octopus)
What the Chicken Knows: A New Appreciation of the World's Most Familiar Bird, Sy Montgomery, 5 Jan 2025


D2 - New Books
1. Date: Using one of your books, read a book published in the same year.
(Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books, 2024)
Sandwich, Catherine Newman, 3 Jan 2025, pub. June 2024


2. Series (maybe): Using one of your books, read a book from a series by a new-to-you author.
(The Potter's Field, Brother Cadfael)
She Who Knows, Nnedi Okorafor, 5 Jan 2025, She Who Knows #1

look good, Lynn! And well done on finishing so early!

Well done Lynn!