2021 Diversify Your Reading Challenge

Doing this one again.

  

• January: Literary Fiction: Chasing Redbird--Sharon Creech 
• February: Memoir/Autobiography: Thirteen Senses--Victor Villaseñor
• March: Historical Fiction: Sophie's Choice--William Styron
• April: Classics: Absalom, Absalom!--William Faulkner
• May: History & Biography: Code Girls--Liza Mundy
• June: Romance: Elizabethan Lover--Barbara Cartland
• July: Contemporary Fiction: American Royals--Katharine McGee
• August: Thriller: The Better Liar--Tanen Jones
• September: Crime: Fear--Bob Woodward
• October: Science Fiction: Jade City--Fonda Lee
• November: Non-Fiction: Against the Machine--Lee Siegel
• December: Fantasy: A Christmas Carol--Charles Dickens

Our quarterly bonus challenge is a great way to explore some new books, without an emphasis on genre:

• Q1 (Jan-Mar): Award Winner: Girl, Woman, Other--Bernardine Evaristo (Booker Prize)
• Q2 (April-Jun): Translated Text: The Plague--Albert Camus
• Q3 (Jul-Sep): Banned Book: TTFN--Lauren Myracle
• Q4 (Oct-Dec): 2021 Best Seller: The Newcomer--Mary Kay Andrews

Challenge completed on December 1

Something Good in an "Amazingly Bad" Year

 This came up on my Facebook memories today:

A year ago, all this likely seemed like something to look forward to. Of course we had no idea what was really going to happen. And Christmas hasn't even occurred this year yet, but the current circumstances don't seem to be getting better just yet. It's been amazingly bad, a friend on Facebook remarked to day. Yes, it has.

This is what we got:

Now it's the last month of JASON, and there's a Friday the 13th this month. The other Friday the 13th this year was in March at the beginning of the pandemic. No one seemed to connect the two, though. I was walking through the grocery store that night, not even giving a thought to the superstitious date occurring during the onset of Coronavirus. And now we have another Friday the 13th in the wake of Halloween and the election. 

This came up on Facebook other day:

I then began to wonder how long this would be going on. Well, today was the end. And I am glad for the results! 

2021 Reading Challenge 52 Books in 52 Weeks

 This is at this new link.

1. Set in a school: Monster High--Lisi Harrison
2. Featuring the legal profession: The Pelican Brief--John Grisham
3. A dual timeline: The Alice Network--Kate Quinn 
4. Author who is deceased: Bitch--Elizabeth Wurtzel (reread)
5. Published by Penguin: The Truths We Hold--Kamala Harris
6. A character with the same name as a male family member: Agatha Raisin and the Haunted House--M.C. Beaton
7. An author with only one published book: Ziggy, Stardust and Me--James Brandon
8. A book in the 900s of the Dewey Decimal System: Too Much and Never Enough--Mary L. Trump
9. Set in a Mediterranean country: Circe--Madeline Miller
10. Related to the word "fire": Incendiary--Chris Cleave
11. Book with discussion questions inside: Abide With Me--Elizabeth Strout
12. Title staring with the letter "D": The Dogfather--Susan Conant
13. Includes an exotic animal: Dingoes at Dinnertime--Mary Pope Osborne
14. Written by an author over 65 (when published): 21st Birthday--James Patterson
15. A book mentioned in another book (in The End of Your Life Book Club): Girls Like Us--Sheila Weller 
16. Set before the 17th century: Eleanor: Crown Jewel of Aquitaine--Kristiana Gregory
17. A character "on the run": Dear Justyce--Nic Stone
18. Author with a nine-letter last name: The Last Days of John Lennon--James Patterson
19. Book with a deckled edge: Cordelia--Winston Graham
20. Made into a TV series: You--Caroline Kepnes
21. Book by Kristin Hannah: The Four Winds
22. A family saga: The Vanishing Half--Brit Bennett
23. An ending that surprises you: Chasing Harry Winston--Lauren Weisberger
24. A book you think they should read in school: Praise of Folly--Erasmus
25. Book with multiple character POV: What Happens in Paradise--Elin Hilderbrand
26. An author of color: Girls Like Me--Lola St. Vil
27. First chapter ends on an odd page number: Ravished--Amanda Quick
28. Includes a historical event you know little about: Code Girls--Liza Mundy
29. Featuring the environment: Lab Girl--Hope Jahren
30. Watch out for dragons!: How to Be a Pirate--Cressida Cowell
31. Shares a title similar to another book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo--Taylor Jenkins Reid
32. A selfish character: The Poisonwood Bible-Barbara Kingslover
33. Featuring adoption: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit--Jeanette Winterson
34. A book you'd rate 5 stars: Girl, Woman, Other--Bernardine Evaristo
35. Set in a country that starts with the letter "S": The Terrorists--Maj Sjowall
36. A nameless narrator: The Quiet American--Graham Greene
37. An educational read: Untamed--Glennon Doyle
38. Recommended on BookBub: Hillbilly Elegy--J.D. Vance
39. An alternate history novel: Jane in Love--Rachel Givney
40. Found via #bookstagram: One Last Stop--Casey McQuiston
41. An endorsement for a famous author on the cover: This Mournable Body--Tsitsi Dangarembga
42. An epistolary: The History of Emily Montage--Frances Brooke
43. A character with a pet cat: Twelve Angry Librarians--Miranda James
44. Includes a garden: The Secret Garden--Frances Hodgson Burnett
45. A coming of age novel: Girl Made of Stars--Ashley Herring Blake
46. Winner of the National Book Award (any year): Inside Out & Back Again--Thanhha Lai
47. A character with a disability: Forget Me Not--Ellie Terry
48. A cover with a woman who is facing away: One to Watch--Kate Stayman-London
49. A flavor in the title: Triple Chocolate Cheesecake Murder--Joanne Fluke
50. A shoe on the cover: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend--Matthew Dicks
51. Published in 2021: Everybody Fights--Kim and Penn Holderness
52. Redo one of the previous 51 categories from the 2021 challenge (Set Before the 17th Century): The Blood Countess--Andrei Codrescu

Challenge completed on December 8

2020 Christmas Ornament

I'm trying not to think about Christmas just yet, but reminders are everywhere. And not just at stores either. 

This keeps coming up on Facebook:

Really? Do people want to be reminded of this past horror-show of a year? And on their Christmas trees?  Some of the tree ornaments I have seen in recent years have seemed weird, such as hamburgers and fries, checkered flags, trucks and way too many others to list. But this is just too much!

And then there are these:

Again, I'm trying not to think about this so soon, and am not even sure about getting a tree. But I certainly won't be buying any of these ornaments.

Even these seem too weird to put on a tree:

2021 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

 Another favorite up now too.

JANUARY – End, Princess, Dance, Midnight, Court, Why, Winter, Story: The Glittering Court--Richelle Mead

FEBRUARY – Over, Edge, Rain, Blade, Red, Come, None, Glass: The Edge of Town--Dorothy Garlock

MARCH – Dear, Ink, Mercy, Fly, Lost, Never, Match, True: Dear Justyce--Nic Stone

APRIL – Last, Watch, Save, Girl, Sun, Tell, Garden, Tomorrow: One to Watch--Kate Stayman-London

MAY – Away, Wait, Book, Raven, Lake, Angel, Nine, Island: The Library Book--Susan Orlean

JUNE – Beneath, Crown, Sing, Rule, Earth, Find, Happen, Cruel: The Cider House Rules--John Irving

JULY – Ever, Shine, Gone, Search, Wood, Under, Road, Like: Everybody Fights--Kim and Penn Holderness

AUGUST – One, Secret, Will, Tree, Blue, You, Flame, Thousand: I Never Promised You a Rose Garden--Joanne Greenberg

SEPTEMBER – Country, House, Top, Man, Wild, Sweet, Once, Wake: The Country Guesthouse--Robyn Carr

OCTOBER – Fear, Night, Silent, Wicked, Hidden, Bones, Lied, Ghost: The Silent Girls--Eric Rickstad

NOVEMBER – Again, Loud, Star, Stay, Air, When, Since, Race: Olive, Again--Elizabeth Strout

DECEMBER – Cold, Room, Life, Bell, Kiss, Dream, Until, Drink: Not a Drop to Drink--Mindy McGinnis

Challenge completed on December 11

2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge

 Another favorite of mine is now up!

JANUARY-  Once Upon A Time. Read a book from the Fantasy, Fairytale, Mythology, or Folklore Sub Genres: The Glittering Court--Richelle Mead

FEBRUARY- Laughter and Love. Read a relationship story, romance, comedy, or feel good contemporary: The Happy Ever After Playlist--Abby Jimenez

MARCH- Countries and Cultures. Read a book set in a country, or about a culture, that’s different than your own and that you’d like to learn more about: SLAY--Brittney Morris

APRIL- Books on the Menu. Read a book that features food, restaurants, cafes, cooking, or baking, on the cover or in the story: The Blue Bistro--Elin Hilderbrand

MAY- Magnificent Middle Grade. Read a Middle Grade book – a book that is marketed toward ages 8-14: Caddie Woodlawn--Carol Ryrie Brink

 JUNE- The Great Outdoors. Read a book featuring a garden, nature, country, or harvest setting or plot: The Secret Garden--Frances Hodgson Burnett

JULY- Short But Fabulous. Read a novella, comic, graphic novel, manga, or short book of poetry: Dingoes at Dinnertime--Mary Pope Osborne

AUGUST- Bag of Tricks. Read a book featuring any kind of magic, illusion, super powers, or enchantments: Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Volume 1--Shiro Amano

SEPTEMBER- Back to School. Read a book with a school setting, featuring a student or educator OR read a book to educate yourself on a topic you’re interested in learning more about: TTFN--Lauren Myracle

OCTOBER- Lurking in the Shadows. Read a book that has a gray, black, and/or white cover OR a book that shows a shadow on the cover: The Silent Girls--Eric Rickstad 

NOVEMBER- In the Library with the Candlestick. Read a mystery- cozy, detective, spies, true crime, whodunnit, or the like: Yule Log Murder--Leslie Meier 

DECEMBER- That’s History. Read a historical fiction book or a book about a true historical event: Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say--Jane Juska

---

Challenge completed on December 4

Chapter Break Bingo – November 2020

 The card for November is here.

November Bookish Bingo

My Books:

1. The Color of Magic--Terry Pratchett (5 squares): Shelf Love, Physical Book, Fantasy Novel, Honor Lost or Found, In a Series
2. Lions at Lunchtime--Mary Pope Osborne (5 squares): Audiobook, Travel/Distance/Space/Time, Quest, Warrior, Family
3. The Museum of Modern Love--Heather Rose (3 squares): E-Book, Book Club Read, Not in a Series
4. There, There--Tommy Orange (2 squares): Library Book, Free Space
5. American Dirt--Jeanine Cummins (1 square): Feast
6. Lord of Shadows--Cassandra Clare (2 squares): Witch/Warlock, Weapon on the Cover
7. Twins--Varian Johnson (2 squares): Twins, Pink on Cover
8. Let's Talk About Love--Claire Kann (1 square): Set in College
9. Best. Night. Ever--Jen Malone & others (2 squares): Reread, Computer/Phone/Tablet on the Cover
10. Christmas Cupcake Murder--Joanne Fluke (2 squares): Free Book, Food on Cover

25 squares completed on November 28