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

Hope to complete more books for this challenge this year.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas Viji.

Badge One - Themes

Badge One will be for 15 books.

📍B - Books about books
📍C - Childhood
📍D - Dogs
📍F - Fantasy
📍G - Ghosts
📍H - History
📍L - Love
📍M - Mythology
📍N - Nature
📍P - Pirates
📍R - Religion
📍S - Survival
📍T - True Crime
📍V - Villainy
📍W – Women

Completion:

Badge: 1; Book: 1
List: 1 - Themes
Task: Fantasy
Title: The Scarlet Alchemist
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Pages: 432; Paperback
Date Read: 02/13/2025
How it fits: MPG - Fantasy; Fits the theme Fantasy

COMPLETION:

Badge: 1; Book: 2
List: 1 - Themes
Task: B - Books about books
Title: The Thirteenth Tale
Author: Diane Setterfield
Pages: 484; Kindle
Date Read: 04/29/2025
How it fits: MPG - Books about books; This is a book about a book which was left unfinished and the protagonist's efforts to complete it

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 3
List: 1 - Themes
Task: P - Pirates
Title: Restless Sea Lord
Author: Elizabeth Rose
Pages: 266; Kindle
Date Read: 05/01/025
How it fits: MPG - Pirates; Fiction about Rowan, the Restless, a notorious pirate set in the time of King Edward III

Good start Viji.

Janice wrote: "Good start Viji."

Thanks, Janice.

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 4
List: 1 - Themes
Task: W – Women
Title: Daughters of the Sun: Empresses, Queens and Begums of the Mughal Empire
Author: Ira Mukhoty
Pages: 300; Kindle
Date Read: 05/11/2025
How it fits: Chronicle of the women who played a vital role in building the Mughal empire - from the reign of Babur to Aurangzeb

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 5
List: 1 - Themes
Task: c - CHILDHOOD
Title: The Secret Garden
Author: Frances Hodgson Burnett
Pages: 372 - Kindle
Date Read: 05/17/2025
How it fits: Children bringing love into life through a garden

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 6
List: 1 - Themes
Task: N - Nature
Title: The Naturalist Society
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Pages: 391 - Kindle
Date Read: 05/23/2025
How it fits: It is about Beth Stanley, a naturalist with the gift of Arcane Taxonomy and her struggles to use her talent for the good of the world with the help of Bran, and Anton, members of the Naturalist Society striving to explore South Pole

Doing good. I parted ways with The Naturalist Society. It's good to see you finished it.

It made me feel how lucky we, womenfolk, are to be in this era. We have the freedom to work in any field we like.

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 7
List: 1 - Themes
Task: H - History
Title: Katherine of Aragon, the True Queen
Author: Alison Weir
Pages: 624 - ebook
Date Read: 05/29/2025
How it fits: Historical Fiction - Tudor period

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 8
List: 1 - Themes
Task: D - Dogs
Title: Pork Pie Pandemonium
Author: Steve Higgs
Pages: 223 - Kindle
Date Read: 05/30/2025
How it fits: Rex Harrison, an ex-police dog fired for having a bad attitude and companion to retired detective superintendent, Albert Smith, plays a major role in the book, saving his human and his friend from the villains and solving a major drug case. In many scenes, he shares his views about 'his human' and also his frustrations when he is held back every time Rex tries to point the villain gang and solve the mystery.

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 9
List: 1 - Themes
Task: V - Villainy
Title: The Godfather
Author: Mario Puzo
Pages: 610 - Kindle
Date Read: 06/03/2025
How it fits: About the Italian and American criminal underworld and the significant role played by the Corleone family

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 10
List: 1 - Themes
Task: T - True Crime
Title: The Art Thief
Author: Michael Finkel
Pages: 240 - PB
Date Read: 06/05/2025
How it fits: True-crime narrative of the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 11
List: 1 - Themes
Task: S - Survival
Title: Project Hail Mary
Author: Andy Weir
Pages: 482 - Kindle
Date Read: 06/17/2025
How it fits: Ryland Grace's interstellar adventure to survive and save the earth from dying

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 12
List: 1 - Themes
Task: g - Ghost
Title: The Pryce of Conceit: An Historical Ghost Cozy Mystery
Author: Kari Bovee
Pages: 336 - PB
Date Read: 06/20/2025
How it fits: Percival Bank, resident ghost of Hotel Arabella, plays a major role in helping Arabella Pryce to clear her name in the murder of Narcissa Platte and finding the real culprit

COMPLETION:
Badge: 1; Book: 13
List: 1 - Themes
Task: R - Religion
Title: Iscariot: A Novel of Judas
Author: Tosca Lee
Pages: 354 - Kindle
Date Read: 06/21/2025
How it fits: Judas Iscariot, the devout Jew, thinks he has found the Messiah in Jesus, his great friend and Master. He expects Jesus to overthrow Roman rule and establish Kingdom of God in Jerusalem but when finds that Jesus has a different view, he struggles to save him from being crucified but has to give in to the pressures of Bar-Abbas cult and finally ends his life

COMPLETION:

Badge: 1; Book: 14
List: 1 - Themes
Task: M - Mythology
Title: The Song of Troy
Author: Colleen McCullough
Pages: 512 - Kindle
Date Read: 06/28/2025
How it fits: Greek Mythology

COMPLETION:

Badge: 1; Book: 15
List: 1 - Themes
Task: L - Love
Title: Love is My Reason
Author: Mary Burchell
Pages: 189 - PB
Date Read: 07/01/2025
How it fits: Love is the main theme

Completed books for Badge 1 at last. Let me see if I could read for another Badge. I plan to clear a few books from my To Read list which have been there for a long time - many of the old romances.

Congrats on finishing the first badge.

Janice wrote: "Congrats on finishing the first badge."

Thanks, Janice.

BADGE 2:

List Two - Titles

A: Arabella; 07/14/2025
B: Bernadette's Dashing Doctor: The Bookshop Belles Book 4; 06/21/2025
C: Cleopatra's Dagger; 07/20/2025
D: Delilah: Treacherous Beauty; 07/22/2025
E: Emma's Engagement; 08/10/2025
F: Frederica in Fashion; 08/18/2025
G: Georgia On My Mind; 08/05/2025
H: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone; 08/22/2025
I: Ishbel's Party; 08/14/2025
J: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow; 08/03/2025
K: Kitty; 08/21/2025
L: Lauren's Designs; 07/15/2025
M: Matilda's Wedding; 07/21/2025
N: Nero's Fiddle; 08/17/2025
O: Ophelia; 07/19/2025
P: Perdita's Prince; 07/29/2025
Q: Quentin James and the Witches' Eye: The Prince of Light Book 1; 08/06/2025
R: Rachel Trevellyan; 08/24/2025
S: Sophie's Secret; 07/18/2025
T: Tabitha In the Moonlight; 08/02/2025
U: Ursula; 07/31/2025
V: Verity; 07/26/2025
W: Watson on the Orient Express; 08/19/2025
Y: Yasmin's Beginning; 08/08/2025
Z: Zoe and the Tormented Tycoon; 07/24/2025

COMPLETION:
Badge: 2; Book: 1
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: B
Title: Bernadette's Dashing Doctor: The Bookshop Belles Book 4
Author: Catherine Bilson
Pages: 271 - Kindle
Date Read: 07/09/2025
How it fits: Title starts with Bernadette

COMPLETION:
Badge: 2; Book: 2
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: A
Title: Arabella
Author: Georgette Heyer
Pages: 416 - PB
Date Read: 07/14/2025
How it fits: Arabella

COMPLETION:
Badge: 2; Book: 3
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: L
Title: Lauren's Designs
Author: Elizabeth Chater
Pages: 231 - Kindle
Date Read: 07/15/2025
How it fits: Lauren

Your numbering is a bit off. You're on Badge 2, and that looks like 3 books read.

Janice wrote: "Your numbering is a bit off. You're on Badge 2, and that looks like 3 books read."

Sorry about the mix up. I will edit the postings and correct the errors. Thanks.

No worries, just pointing it out.

COMPLETION:
Badge: 2; Book: 4
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: S
Title: Sophie's Secret
Author: Anne Weale
Pages: 192 - PB
Date Read: 07/18/2025
How it fits: Sophie

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 5
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: O
Title: Ophelia
Author: Lisa M. Klein
Pages: 354 - ebook
Date Read: 07/19/2025
How it fits: Ophelia

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 6
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: C
Title: Cleopatra's Dagger
Author: Carole Lawrence
Pages: 361 - Kindle
Date Read: 07/20/2025
How it fits: Cleopatra

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 7
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: M
Title: Matilda's Wedding
Author: Betty Neels
Pages: 192 - PB
Date Read: 07/21/2025
How it fits: Matilda

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 8
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: D
Title: Delilah: Treacherous Beauty
Author: Angela Elwell Hunt
Pages: 348 - PB
Date Read: 07/22/2025
How it fits: Delilah

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 9
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: Z
Title: Zoe and the Tormented Tycoon
Author: Kate Hewitt
Pages: 192 - PB
Date Read: 07/24/2025
How it fits: Zoe

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 10
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: V
Title: Verity
Author: Colleen Hoover
Pages: 336; ebook
Date Read: 07/26/2025
How it fits: Verity

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 11
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: P
Title: Perdita's Prince
Author: Jean Plaidy
Pages: 333; PB
Date Read: 07/29/2026
How it fits: Perdita

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 12
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: U
Title: Ursula
Author: Eleanor M. Harris
Pages: 236; Kindle
Date Read: 07/31/2025
How it fits: Ursula

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 13
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: T
Title: Tabitha In the Moonlight
Author: Betty Neels
Pages: 224 - PB
Date Read: 08/02/2025
How it fits: Tabitha

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 14
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: J
Title: John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow
Author: Mimi Matthews
Pages: 362 - PB
Date Read: 08/03/2025
How it fits: John

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 15
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: G
Title: Georgia On My Mind
Author: Emily Shacklette
Pages: 434 - Kindle
Date Read: 08/05/2025
How it fits: Georgia

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 16
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: Q
Title: Quentin James and the Witches' Eye: The Prince of Light Book 1
Author: Simon Hartwell
Pages: 201 - Kindle
Date Read: 08/06/2025
How it fits: Quentin

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 17
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: Y
Title: Yasmin's Beginning
Author: Bar Sagi
Pages: 227 - Kindle
Date Read: 08/08/2025
How it fits: Yasmin

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 18
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: E
Title: Emma's Engagement
Author: Susan G. Mathis
Pages: 224 - Kindle
Date Read: 08/10/2025
How it fits: Emma

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 19
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: I
Title: Ishbel's Party
Author: Stacy Absalom
Pages: 189 - PB
Date Read: 08/14/2025
How it fits: Ishbel

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 20
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: N
Title: Nero's Fiddle
Author: A.W. Exley
Pages: 285 - Kindle
Date Read: 08/17/2025
How it fits: Nero

COMPLETION:

Badge: 2; Book: 21
List: 2 - ALPHABETIC TITLES
Task: F
Title: Frederica in Fashion
Author: Marion Chesney
Pages: 182 - PB
Date Read: 08/18/2025
How it fits: Frederica