Book Challenge by Erin 20.0

This is hosted at a private Facebook group. This runs from January 1 to April 30, 2024.

NEW, for this VERY SPECIAL 20th CHALLENGE - There will be 20 book categories! But you still are only challenged to read 10 books. How will this work? There will be our always-present freebie category plus 19 categories, one from our previous 19 challenges. You will choose 10 books that suit 10 of the categories and that will be your preliminary list. So, if there’s a category that you’re not interested in reading, for BCBE20, you can just select to skip it because there are 19 other categories to choose.

1. Freebie – Read a book that is at least 200 pages:  Bluebeard--Kurt Vonnegut
2. Read a book that was made into a movie (from BCBE1): It Ends With Us--Colleen Hoover
3. Read a book by a favorite author that is not a re-read (from BCBE2): Summer Secrets--Jane Green
4. Read a book of short stories (from BCBE3): Sourdough Sagas--Herbert L. Heller
5. Read a book with one of these seasonal words in the title: winter, summer, spring, autumn, or fall (from BCBE4): Winter Stroll--Elin Hilderbrand
6. Read a historical fiction book (from BCBE5): Weyward--Emilia Hart
7. Read a book set in your city/town/county/state/province (from BCBE6): Last Night at the Telegraph Club--Malinda Lo
8. Read a book with a non-human main character (from BCBE7): Never Cry Werewolf--Heather Davis
9. Read a book with the name of a character in its title (from BCBE8): Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous--Suzanne Park
10. Read a book (must be at least 2 words in the title) where each word in the title of the book begins with the same letter (from BCBE9); examples: Magpie Murders, Gone Girl, Peter Pan, Love’s Labor Lost; conjunctions and articles count; for example, if the title has “and” in the title, all of the other words must start with “A” to count; or if the title has “the” in it, all of the other words must start with “T”: Fatally Frosted--Jessica Beck
11. Read a book originally published over 100 years ago (from BCBE10): Persian Letters--Montesquieu
12. Read a book with a picture of a building (e.g. a house, a castle, a school, a hospital, etc.) on the cover (from BCBE11): The Address--Fiona Davis
13. Read a book that has won an Edgar award (from BCBE12): Greenglass House--Kate Milford
14. Read a (fiction or non-fiction) book with an immigrant as a main character (from BCBE13): Behold the Dreamers--Imbolo Mbue
15. Read a book by a LGBTIA+ author or main character (from BCBE14): If You're Out There--Katy Loutzenhiser
16. Read a book with to, two, or too in the title (from BCBE15): She's Too Pretty to Burn--Wendy Heard
17. Read a memoir, biography, or autobiography (from BCBE16): Paris: The Memoir--Paris Hilton
18. Read a book with one of these words in the title: book(s), bookshop, bookstore, library, librarian (from BCBE17): The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek--Kim Michele Richardson
19. Read a book set in Australia or written by an Australian author (from BCBE18): The Forgotten Garden--Kate Morton
20. Read a book with an animal on the cover or in the title (from BCBE19): Watership Down--Richard Adams

Challenge completed on February 9

Shelf Reflection’s 2024 Reading Challenge

A new-to-me challenge I want to participate in next year.

Shelf Reflection’s 2024 Reading Challenge:

1. Book with time travel:
2. Title containing an element from the Periodic Table:
3. About a kid or young adult with powers: The Total Eclipse of Nestor Lopez--Adrianna Cuevas
4. Nonfiction boo about technology:
5. With a king or queen: Red Queen--Victoria Aveyard
6. Knife on the cover:
7. Written from the villain's point of view:
8. Obscured face on the cover:
9. By an author who has written over 20 books: Leap of Faith--Danielle Steel
10. Book with a  musician:
11. Housekeeper as the main character: The Address--Fiona Davis
12. About an escape:
13. About art:
14. Set in the woods or mountains: Greenglass House--Kate Milford
15. #Ownvoices book: Behold the Dreamers--Imbolo Mbue
16. With a heist:
17. With a title containing a series of three:
18. Set in a different culture from your own:
19. With a character named Sofia or Nora: Winter Stroll--Elin Hilderbrand
20. Would recommend to your grandma:
21. Name of a flower in the title: The The Magnolia Palace--Fiona Davis--Fiona Davis
22. Two books with similar titles:
23. Set in the Pacific Northwest:
24. Winner of one of the 2023 Goodreads Choice Awards:
25. Book reviewed on shelfreflection.com:
26. Title that has a possessive noun ('s): Temptation's Darling--Johanna Lindsey
27. MC is male: Euphoria--Lily King
28. Author form a different country from you: The Cat Who Saved Books--Sosuke Natsukawa
29. Christian fiction book:
30. Author with a color somewhere in their name: Summer Secrets--Jane Green
31. With a one-word, plural title: Flights--Olga Tokarczuk
32. Book of poetry or novella:
33. Rom-com:
34. Trees on the cover: The Forgotten Garden--Kate Morton
35. With a house with secrets:
36. Without a death or murder:
37. With twins:
38. Character with red hair:
39. With a library or bookshop: The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek--Kim Michele Richardson
40. Title that begins "How to": How to See--Thich Nhat Hanh
41. Parenting book (or if you're not a parent, a book about relationships):
42. Book that might make you cry:
43. With a brother and sister relationship: Sugar and Spice--Sarah Mlynowski
44. Funny memoir:
45. Purple cover: XOXO--Axie Oh

Thanksgiving Weekend

With what's left of my family either working or going to other relatives' s houses for the holiday, I wasn't counting on doing much. This  has been the case in the last few years or so. This past year, I joined a client at the mental health center where I am a peer mentor. This older guy has no family nearby, and he, another mentor, and I have become good friends over the past year. The two of them came over to my house last month, meeting my mom. I was the only one who came for Thanksgiving, though, as the other girl was already going out of town to see relatives for the holiday, and my mom did not feel up to going.

It felt great helping someone this way. I helped make the stuffing, which included cutting an onion (it stung my eyes!) This was new to me, as whenever my family would have a big Turkey Day dinner, someone else was always doing the cooking. When I lived on my own, I either stayed home or went to a family member's house. I could never have done this on my own. I took some of the turkey home that night. 

On the way home that night, I drove by Target to see the empty parking lot. As I have said, I do not go to stores the days after Thanksgiving, at least not at 3 or 4AM to fight over electronic devices, but I did need to run by the grocery store for a few things, which I did in the early afternoon, after getting lunch at McDonald's. On Saturday afternoon, I visited a local store, almost forgetting it was Small Business Saturday. I did not see anything I wanted to get, though.

For weeks I had been planning to decorate for Christmas, with a gingerbread house theme for the front door and window. Since I had the day off, I decided to begin then. I finished by Saturday afternoon. These are the decorations:

We are planning to have a door-decorating contest for Christmas at work, similar to the one we had for Halloween. I plan on using the gingerbread theme, and another group is planning a Winter Wonderland theme. 

Other than this, I'm not thinking much about Christmas just yet. After the first on Friday, however...

2024 Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge

Another favorite up for 2024.

1. About travel: Into the Wild--Jon Krakauer
2. About climate change:
3. Work of historical fiction by an LGBTQ author:
4. Audiobook read by the author: Gmorning, Gnight!--Lin-Manuel Miranda
5. Buddy read or book club pick with someone new: Another Kind of Madness--Stephen P. Hinshaw
6. Romance by an indigenous author:
7. "Seasonal" or holiday book: Winter Stroll--Elin Hilderbrand
8. Recommended on a podcast:
9. With an unusual point of view:
10. Book on your booklist by a BIPOC author: Behold the Dreamers--Imbolo Mbue
11. Middle-grade novel in verse:
12. Published before 1950: By the Light of the Study Lamp--Carolyn Keene

Cyber Monday Humor

 Not planning on shopping online today, as far as I can tell just yet.

Millennial Christmas Wishlist- Reading Challenge

Another seasonal challenge at StoryGraph. 

Starts: Friday, 01 December 2023

Ends: Sunday, 31 December 2023

Toys in the 90’s were the absolute best, so we decided to celebrate our childhoods one more this year time with a millennial Christmas Wishlist-reading challenge!!

HOW IT WORKS:

-Read a book that matches each toy prompt

-Each book must be at least 150 pages, middle

Grade or higher.

-only one prompt per book

Happy Holidays and Happy Reading!! 

1. FURBY 

A book everyone has read but you: Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six--Lisa Unger

2. TAMAGOTCHI 

A book by a BIPOC author: Whereabouts--Jhumpa Lahiri

3. BEANIE BABIES

A book with an alliterative title: Santa's Sweetheart--Janet Dailey

4. GAMEBOY

A book with the world "GAME" in the title: Sherlock: The Great Game--Mark Gatiss

5. POLLY POCKET 

A book with animated people on the cover: Cold As Ice--Sarah Mlynowski

6. LINCOLN LOGS 

A book that starts with "L": The Lions of Little Rock--Kristin Levine

7. HOT WHEELS

A "hot" book on the NYT Bestseller List: The Maid--Nita Prose

8. POKEMON CARDS 

A book you were excited to "catch": Winter Street--Elin Hilderbrand

9. LITE BRITE

A book with a bright, colorful cover: Sister Stardust--Jane Green

10. DREAM PHONE

A book with your favorite romance trope: Dear Santa--Debbie Macomber

11. OPERATION

A book featuring a job you wanted as a kid: Cherry Ames, Student Nurse--Helen Wells

12. BARBIE

A book with a pink cover: Gingerbread--Helen Oyeyemi

Challenge completed on December 31

RAD Reading Challenge for 2024

 Another I have been doing for some time now.

1. Latine author: The Spanish Love Deception--Elena Armas
2. Indigenous or Native author: This Wound is a World--Billy-Ray Belcourt
3. Black author: Behold the Dreamers--Imbolo Mbue
4. Asian author: Last Night at the Telegraph Club--Malinda Lo
5. LGBTQIA+ author: This Wound is a World--Billy-Ray Belcourt
6. Disabled author:
7. Not set in North America: Scandal--Amanda Quick
8. Middle Eastern author: Love is an Ex-Country--Randa Jarrar
9. POC on the cover: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous--Suzanne Park

13 Moons Reading Challenge

This is a new one to me. This looks like a fun one to attempt. I will cover as categories many as possible.

Rules & Levels

The rules for this reading challenge are simple. First of all, this is just for fun so no need to feel pressured into doing anything or reading anything you don’t want to. You can also be flexible with the prompts if you choose to do so. The challenge will run from January 1st, 2024 and till December 31st, 2024.

There are a total of 104 reading prompts divided into 13 categories. There is a list of levels given and you can choose which level you wish to participate in based on your preference. The levels you can participate in are as follows:

Penumbral Lunar Eclipse: 13 books — fulfill one prompt from each category 

Partial Lunar Eclipse: 26 books — fulfill at least one prompt from each category

Central Lunar Eclipse: 52 books — fulfill at least one prompt from each category

Total Lunar Eclipse: 104 books — fulfill all the prompts

13 Moons Reading Challenge 2024 

Wolf Moon

• A Stand Alone novel: Temptation's Darling--Johanna Lindsey
• A furry creature on the cover
• Hair on the cover: She's Too Pretty to Burn--Wendy Heard
• The words Straight, Waves or Curly in the title
• Hair color in the title
• A book about found family
• A book about adoption
• A book with a hierarchy

Snow Moon

• The word White in the title
• Blanket on the cover
• Read a book while drinking a hot beverage
• Read a book while burning a candle
• Hat/Cap on the cover: Never Cry Werewolf--Heather Davis
• A book about mountains
• A book about a fresh start or a new beginning: The Cat Who Saved Books--Sosuke Natsukawa
• A book with necromancy themes

Worm Moon

• Read a book in a series with more than 5 books
• A book about rebirth or reincarnation
• A cozy book
• Book about insects 
• Continue a series: Winter Stroll--Elin Hilderbrand
• A book that gives you the creeps
• A book you’re not sure about: Reckoning--Catherine Coulter
• A book you’re thinking of unhauling 

Pink Moon

• A book with a princess
• Book about women empowerment: Lifting as We Climb--Evette Dionne
• A pink object on the cover: Fatally Frosted--Jessica Beck
• Book recommended by a celebrity 
• Book that tickles you pink
• A coming of age book: The Snow Child--Eowyn Ivey
• A celebrity memoir
• Start a book on a new moon

Flower Moon

• Book by a BIPOC author: XOXO--Axie Oh
• Book about friendship
• A book club pick
• Book with an animated cover
• Book with a character named after a flower: It Ends With Us--Colleen Hoover
• A speculative fiction
• A book set in spring
• Read a book at any time of the day: Euphoria--Lily King

Strawberry Moon

• Read a book from your backlist: Scandal--Amanda Quick
• Read a book with Bubbles on the cover
• A book with less than 400 pages: Weyward--Emilia Hart
• Book you see trending on social media
• Read a book from an author who is new to you: Tess of the Road--Rachel Hartman
• A debut novel: River Sing Me Home--Eleanor Shearer
• Book with the word Leaf in the title 
• Book about swimming 

Buck Moon

• A book that has multiple editions: By the Light of the Study Lamp--Carolyn Keene
• A Paperback
• A book recommended by a friend: Sourdough Sagas--Herbert L. Heller
• A biography: Lilibet--Carolly Erickson
• A book you’re seeing everywhere 
• A 2024 release
• A 5 star prediction 
• Book with a Man on the cover 

Sturgeon Moon

• Book with a map
• Book that people have been forcing you to read
• Book with a title that starts with the first letter of your name
• Book you hauled recently
• Book with a Tree on the cover: The Forgotten Garden--Kate Morton
• Book with the word Can’t in the title
• Book with a dark cover 
• A novella: Home--Toni Morrison

Harvest Moon

• An anthology
• A book you had to read for an assignment
• A book with a movie adaptation: Killers of the Flower Moon--David Grann
• Book you’d recommend to somebody else
• A book chosen by somebody else
• Book with a Fish on the cover
• A fruit in the title: Death by Cherry Chocolate Cheesecake--Sarah Graves
• Book about a celebration 

Hunter’s Moon

• Book about food
• Book set in Europe: The Paris Apartment--Lucy Foley
• Book with an Umbrella on the cover
• Book about a topic you’re curious about
• An award winning book: Greenglass House--Kate Milford 
• Read the 7th book on your shelf
• Book with Buildings on the cover 
• book divided into parts 

Beaver Moon

• Book about a psychological phenomenon 
• Book with the word Five in the title: Five Survive--Holly Jackson
• Book with a Street on the cover: Last Night at the Telegraph Club--Malinda Lo
• Start a book in the evening
• A book about a specific country 
• A book from your monthly TBR
• Book with a cover you don’t like 
• Book about a single parent 

Cold Moon

• Book set in the medieval times: Mystique--Amanda Quick
• Book with a Spider on the cover
• Read a book while wearing a pair of socks: The Painted Queen--Elizabeth Peters and Joan Hess
• A memoir
• Book about a historical event
• Book with a character’s name in the title: Sunny Song Will Never Be Famous--Suzanne Park
• Book you think you will love
• Book from a Goodreads shelf

Blue Moon

• Book with a unique format
• Read a classic
• Book with 3 or more people on the cover: Happy Place--Emily Henry
• Book recommended by your favorite social media influencer
• Book with a dramatic title: Apocalypse Baby--Virginie Despentes
• Book with a Dagger in the story
• Book set in high school
• Book about a spy