2015 Cloak & Dagger Mystery Reading Challenge

OK, I'm doing this one now.  I want to try reading more mysteries besides cozies.  I will go for Five books to

start with.  Sign up here. 

NOTE:  The challenge has moved to the blog Thoughts From an Evil Overlord.  Link here.

I love to curl up with a warm blanket, a nice hot cup of tea, and a book full of grisly murders and English gentlemen.

I ran a reading challenge in 2013 on my old blog “The Crafty Book Nerd”, but took a break from it in 2014, but instead of trying to resurrect my old reading challenge I decided to just start over with a new title to go along with all the other changes like my blog name and such.

There for awhile I was really focusing on Advanced Reader Reviews and I wasn’t really enjoying reading anymore, I actually fell so far behind in those review copies that I just gave up on reading for awhile. But I missed delving into a good book and losing myself so I decided from here on out that I will only read the books that I want to read and I swore to myself to stop hitting the request button in Netgalley & Edelweiss.

So this reading challenge is not just for all of you but for me to so that I can really get back into my favorite genre!

 So here are the rules should you want to join in the fun:

1.) The challenge starts January 1, 2015 and ends  December 31, 2015.

2.) You can read any novel, short story or author just so that the genre is mystery/crime/thriller.

3.) 1 novel counts as 1 novel( 1 novel is anything over 100 pages) of course but you will have to read 5 short stories to count as 1 novel.

4.) There will be a monthly post for you to add a link or links to your post showing the progress that you have made so far. There will be two link-ups on each reading challenge post, one is a text link-up for those of you who are participating without a blog/through Goodreads/or through another way and then a thumbnail link-up for those of you that are participating from a blog.

5.) There will be a book giveaway each month and for initially signing up.

As an incentive each month’s link-up post (including this sign-up link-up post) will be followed by another link-up post that will be a giveaway of a mystery/crime/thriller from my own bookshelf, just a note that these are used books but I would never give away something not up to par so even though it is used it is still in good condition.

The post for the giveaway and reading challenges are separate you will be able to see which book I am giving away and then you get to decide whether you want to enter for the giveaway or not, you do have to sign-up to enter the sign-up giveaway and then for the monthly giveaway you will have had to link-up a read for that month.

If you read a certain number of novels you receive a rank at the end I will award a secret prize to the person who reads the most books:

5 books= Inspector Lestrade

10 books = Amelia Peabody

15 books = Flavia de Luce

20 books = Inspector Ian Rutledge

25 books = Detective Simon Ziele

30 books= Miss Marple

35 books= Hercule Poirot

40+ books= Sherlock Holmes

Here is what I will be reading:

1. Death and Taxes--Susan Dunlap
2. Big Little Lies--Liane Moriarty
3. Candy Apple Dead--Sammi Carter
4. The Chocolate Cat Caper--Joanna Carl
5. The Girl on the Train--Paula Hawkins
6. Maigret and the Loner--Georges Simenon
7. Just Desserts--G.A. McKevett
8. A Salty Piece of Land--Jimmy Buffett
9. Cat With an Emerald Eye--Carole Nelson Douglas
10. Storm Front--Jim Butcher
11. Murder Past Due--Miranda James
12. 1st to Die--James Patterson
13. 2nd Chance--James Patterson
14. 3rd Degree--James Patterson
15. 4th of July--James Patterson
16. Carrot Cake Murder--Joanne Fluke
17. Fatal Shadows--Josh Lanyon
18. Spring Cleaning Murders--Dorothy Cannell
19. The Oath--Frank E. Peretti
20. Assault and Pepper--Tamar Myers
21. Cream Puff Murder--Joanne Fluke
22. Gossamer Ghost--Laura Childs
23. The Kitchen Witch--Annette Blair
24. Bewitched, Bothered and Biscotti--Bailey Cates
25. Charms and Chocolate Chips--Bailey Cates
26. Devil's Food Cake Murder--Joanne Fluke
27. Boy Toy--Michael Craft
28. Blackberry Pie Murder--Joanne Fluke
29. The Thirteenth Tale--Diane Satterfield
30. A Cold-Blooded Business--Dana Stabenow

Calling this one off as of December 11.  Link has been deleted.

Books N' Tunes Challenge 2015

Here is another challenge hosted by Delighted Reader.  This one seems a little difficult, but I'm going to try. I've never considered putting songs to books, but I'll try. It could be quite fun.  I guess you just have to use your imagination.  I'll go with the first level.  To sign up go to this link.

Love your tunes? Get a song stuck in your head after reading a book or maybe during? Maybe you create playlists for your favorite books, characters or series just like the authors. Then this might be the challenge for you. This challenge is just a fun way to match music to books and share what you have with other readers. You as the reader control how big of a challenge you want to match your individual circumstances. It can be a commitment to ten reads and tunes a year or a hundred. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Level One – Hum Baby – 10 items/10 tunes

Level Two – Dancing Diva – 25 items/ 25 tunes

Level Three – Raging Rocker – 50 items/50 tunes

Instructions:

1. Choose level and share in your level of choice initial post and/or below in the comments.
2. Make initial challenge post and then update once a month. Leave blog links or update in comment section for our monthly reading challenge post. Tracking may be as simple or as elaborate as you wish to make it (music with books in running tally or just updating with new additions from that month).
3. Start on or after January 1 and no later than November 1, 2015. End before or on December 31, 2015.

Rules:

1. Qualifying books must be published (ARCs may be included),
   Be romance or have strong romance element.
   No restriction on sub-genre (Dystopian, Historical, Contemporary, LGBT, etc), reading level (YA, NA, or Adult), format (paper, e-book, audio), source (purchased, gifted or borrowed) or length of book.
   May be a re-read as long as it is started after Jan. 1^st.
   Books can count toward other reading challenges.
   Qualifying songs may be from any era and any style with or without lyrics so long as it is published.
2. Please give proper credit by listing book by full title and author and song by full title and musician.
3. Reader must have an on-line place to track challenge whether it is on a blog or whether it is creating a specified ‘Tunes N’ Reads’ Challenge shelf at a place like GoodReads or Shelfari so other readers will be able to see what you are reading for encouragement to you, recommendations or discussion purposes. Having a review and rating for each book completed would be great, but not required.
4. Reader may choose a lower level to start and advance to an upper level if needed.
5. For song to count, it can be a direct correlation of title or main phrase that matches book, but it can also be a less direct correlation of song theme to book theme too. If you have the space in the post or comments section of our monthly post, feel free to share lyric phrases and book quotes etc that resonated with you.  This is not meant to be the challenging part. 
6. Song can just be listed with book or a link to audio/video of song attached to posting.
7. Most of all just have fun and encourage each other on in reading and chatting about books and music.

Here are my books and tunes:

1. Ruby's Slippers--Leanna Ellis/Goodbye Yellow Brick Road--Elton John [Youtube link]
2. Big Girl Panties--Stephanie Evanovich/All About That Bass--Meghan Trainor [Youtube link]
3. Shadow Falls: The Beginning--C.C Hunter/Dancing in the Moonlight--King Harvest [Youtube link]
4. Big Little Lies--Liane Moriarty/  Lyin' Eyes--The Eagles [Youtube link]
5. Whispers at Moonrise--C.C. Hunter/Moonlight Feels Right--Starbuck [Youtube link]
6. Chosen at Nightfall--C.C Hunter/Witchy Woman--The Eagles [Youtube link]
7. Bet Me--Jennifer Crusie/The Gambler--Kenny Rogers [Youtube link]
8. The Queen Geek Social Club--Laura Preble/ Loner [Youtube link]
9. Art Geeks and Prom Queens--Alyson Noel/Rio--Duran Duran [Youtube link]
10. Laguna Cove--Alyson Noel/Summer--Calvin Harris [Youtube link]

Challenge completed on July 14

Everything YA Reading 2015

 I wasn't sure about this one, since the host blog from last year moved to a new domain name and I just now found that out.  Before I knew all that however, it looked like the challenge might not be offered again.  But I'm always reading YA books, so I'll be signing up again.  The new host blog is here and here are the details below.  I will read as many books as I can.

Hi everyone and welcome to the 2015 Everything YA Reading Challenge! For those who participated last year, welcome back!

How long will the challenge run?

The Challenge will run from January 1, 2015 to December 31, 2015 

Who can participate? 

Anyone can participate! As long as you can provide a link to an online shelf or blog page of where you will list the books you have read 

What are the rules to the challenge?

• Participants must create a shelf or a page that is solely dedicated to this challenge and must be entitled “2015 Everything YA Reading Challenge”. This page should be easily accessible and should list the books that you’ve read for the year ^_^
• Book must meet any of the sub- genres of the young adult category, whether it’s paranormal, romance, drama, contemporary, horror, etc.
• Must be longer than 100 pages. Novellas are accepted- just as long as they meet this criteria ^_^
• The year of when the book was published does not matter. As long as you have read the book in 2015, it will be accepted.
• TO THOSE WHO HAVE A BLOG, feel free to post up a review of each book that you have read for the challenge and provide a link please?? I would love to read it 
• All formats are acceptable (paperback, ARC, ebook, etc.)

The Twist

Remember how I told you that I’ve made a few changes to this challenge? Well, unlike the previous year, this year, I decided to add mini challenges for every single month of the year. I figured that this would be a more fun twist to the challenge and I hope that it’ll help add a bit of diversity in our reading.

There will be a list of the months of the year below and in order to find out what the challenge is, one must click on the link provided. Participants will be given the opportunity to share what they thought of the book they chose to fulfill the challenge by placing a link to their review on the page. Did I also mention that I will be randomly selecting a month to hold a giveaway??? Yup! That’s right, instead of just creating a set giveaway schedule, why not randomize it?!?!? Submitting a review on the book of your choice to fulfill the month’s challenge will qualify as an entry for a possible giveaway, should I choose to host one for that particular month ^_^

 Here is what I'll be reading;

1. A Light in the Attic--Shel Silverstein
2. Where the Sidewalk Ends--Shel Silverstein
3. My Sister's Keeper--Jodi Picoult
4. The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963--Christopher Paul Curtis
5. The One and Only Ivan--Katherine Applegate
6. Redeemed--P.C. Cast
7. Peach Girl Volume 1--Miwa Ueda
8. Cruel Beauty--Rosamund Hodge
9. Pie--Sarah Weeks
10. The DUFF--Kody Keplinger
11. Down a Dark Hall--Lois Duncan
12. Shadow Falls: The Beginning--C.C. Hunter
13. Taken at Dusk--C.C Hunter
14. Whispers at Moonrise--C.C. Hunter
15. The Cricket in Times Square--George Selden
16. Chosen at Nightfall--C.C. Hunter
17. The Cupcake Queen--Heather Hepler
18. Library Wars: Love and War, Volume 1--Kiiro Yumi
19. Library Wars: Love and War, Volume 2--Kiiro Yumi
20. Strawberry Girl--Lois Lenski
21. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian--Sherman Alexie
22. The Selection--Kiera Cass
23. Kira-Kira--Cynthia Kadohata
24. The Elite--Kiera Cass
25. The One--Kiera Cass
26. The Queen Geek Social Club--Laura Preble
27. The Crossover--Kwame Alexander
28. Multiple Choice--Janet Tashjian
29. The Thief--Megan Whalen Turner
30. From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler--E.L. Konisburg
31. Art Geeks and Prom Queens--Alyson Noel
32. Just Ella--Margaret Peterson Haddix
33. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Graceful Ice Princess--Rachel Renee Russell
34. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Smart Miss Know-It-All--Rachel Renee Russell
35. Frostfire--Amanda Hocking
36. Ice Kissed--Amanda Hocking
37. The Mother-Daughter Book Club--Heather Vogel Frederick
38. On the Jellicoe Road--Melina Marchetta
39. Summer of My German Soldier--Bette Greene
40. Hush, Hush--Becca Fitzpatrick
41. A Really Nice Prom Mess--Brian Sloan
42. Miki Falls 1: Spring--Mark Crilley
43. Miki Falls 2: Summer--Mark Crilley
44. Miki Falls 3: Autumn--Mark Crilley
45. Miki Falls 4: Winter--Mark Crilley
46. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-so-Happy Heartbreaker--Rachel Renee Russell
47. The Wednesday Wars--Gary D. Schmidt
48. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Glam TV Star--Rachel Renee Russell
49. Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So-Happily Ever After--Rachel Renee Russell
50. The Witch of Blackbird Pond--Elizabeth George Speare
51. Laguna Cove--Alyson Noel
52. Second Chance Summer--Morgan Matson
53. Paper Towns--John Green
54. The Scorch Trials--James Dashner
55. Blizzard of the Blue Moon--Mary Pope Osborne
56. Moonlight on the Magic Flute--Mary Pope Osborne
57. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe--Benjamin Alire Saenz
58. Four--Veronica Roth
59. Bridge to Terabithia--Katherine Paterson
60. A Long Way From Chicago--Richard Peck
61. A Year Down Yonder--Richard Peck
62. Angus and Sadie--Cynthia Voigt
63. Life of Pi--Yann Martel
64. The Heir--Kiera Cass
65. Crystal Kingdom--Amanda Hocking
66. Blubber--Judy Blume
67. Killing Mr. Griffin--Lois Duncan
68. Thirteen Reasons Why--Jay Asher
69. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 1--Svetlana Chmakova
70. Nightschool: The Weirn Books Volume 2--Svetlana Chmakova
71. The Silver Kiss--Annette Curtis Klause
72. The Secret Circle: The Initiation and the Captive Part 1--L.J. Smith
73. The Secret Circle: The Captive Part II and The Power--L.J. Smith
74. The Poison Apples--Lily Archer
75. Vampire Beach--Alex Duval
76. Vampire Beach 2--Alex Duval
77. The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle--Avi
78. Boy Toy--Barry Lyga
79. Christmas in Camelot--Mary Pope Osborne
80. Me and Earl and the Dying Girl--Jesse Andrews

Challenge completed on December 21

Literary Pickers Reading Challenge 2015

I'm getting even more addicted to these reading challenges and have signed for more this year than I did last year.  But there are few more I couldn't resist joining, including this one: The Literary Pickers at Delighted Reader.  Since this is new, I'll go for the first level, but may go up, just have to see how many of the items I can find in my reading.  Sign up at the link above and see details below:

How keen of an observer are you? Good at finding important stuff? Or maybe not, but you just want to participate anyway? This challenge is just a fun way to see if you can find a list of items as you read no matter what romance style you pick up. The reader picks and chooses how many books and what list items they want to find. It can be a commitment to ten reads a year or a hundred. Everyone is welcome to participate.

Level One – Treasure Hunter in Training- 10 items/10 places

Level Two – Garage Sale Guru- 25 items/ 25 places

Level Three -Professional Picker- 50 items/50 places

Instructions:

1. Choose level and share in your initial post and/or below in the comments.
2. Make initial challenge post and then update once a month. Leave blog links or update in comment section for our monthly reading challenge post. Tracking may be as simple or as elaborate as you wish to make it (list objects with books in running tally or just updating with new additions from that month).
3. Start on or after January 1 and no later than November 1, 2015 – End before or on December 31of 2015.

Rules:

1. Qualifying books must be published (ARCs may be included),
   Be romance or have strong romance element.
   No restriction on sub-genre (Dystopian, Historical, Contemporary, LGBT, etc), reading level (YA, NA, or Adult), format (paper, e-book, audio), source (purchased, gifted or borrowed) or length of book.
   May be a re-read as long as it is started after Jan. 1^st.
   Must be listed by Title and Author. Place in a series or connection to series would be good to know too.
   Books can count toward other reading challenges.
2. Reader can count only one item per book even if book offers several items from the Scavenger Hunt list.
3. Reader must have an on-line place to track for challenge whether it is on a blog or whether it is creating a specified ‘Literary Pickers’ Challenge shelf at a place like GoodReads or Shelfari as the point is for other readers be able to see what you are reading.Having a review and rating for each book completed would be great, but not required.
4. Reader may choose a lower level to start and advance to an upper level if needed.

Scavenger Hunt participants must work off the specified list, but if you found an object that is in the same spirit of the one on the list you can count it. Most of all just have fun and encourage each other on in reading and chatting about books.

Here are the items to find:

Objects:
Rose(s)
Frying Pan 
Lamp  Cruel Beauty--Rosamund Hodge (pg. 56)
Guitar 
Picture  For All Their Lives--Fern Michaels (pg. 22)
Hand Gun/Laser Hot Pursuit--Kathryn Jensen (pg. 151)
Porch Light 
Painting  Light of the Moon--Luanne Rice (audio)
Beach Towel
Eye Glasses (cat's-eye glasses) The Cupcake Queen--Heather Hepler (pg. 149)
Child's Toy
Lip Stick (lipstick) Ruby's Slippers--Leanna Ellis (pg.34)
House Plant
CD(s)   Daddy's Little Girl--Mary Higgins Clark (pg. 154)
Bear-skinned Rug (or any animal skin)
Coffee Maker  Second Chance Summer--Morgan Matson (pg 71)
Map (Maps) Shadow Falls: The Beginning--C.C. Hunter (pg. 256 of "Born at Midnight")
Alarm
Fireplace
Picnic Basket  Sea Glass--Anita Shreve (pg. 12)
Toothbrush  The Kitchen Witch--Annette Blair (pg. 19)
Microwave
Tea Tray or Cart
Library Card or Book  Taken at Dusk--C.C. Hunter (pg. 120)
Whip
King Sized Bed  Big Little Lies--Liane Moriarty (pg. 57)
Kiss(es)  Austenland--Shannon Hale (pg. 193)
Sports Equipment
Window  Like Water for Chocolate--Laura Esquivel (Audiobook)
Shovel
Bar Stool
Hair Dyer
Drums
Condom  The DUFF--Kody Keplinger (page 67)
Barn Door
Card Game
Couch  Sunset in St. Tropez--Danielle Steel (pg. 60)
Handcuffs
Shopping Cart/Basket/Bag  Not Another Bad Date--Rachel Gibson (pg. 10)
Rope
Purse/Wallet  Oh My Stars--Lorna Landvik (pg. 96)
Pool Table
Laptop Computer  (laptop) The Girl on the Train--Paula Hawkins (pg. 30)
Pencil  Chosen at Nightfall--C.C. Hunter (pg 129)
Mirror  Laguna Cove--Alyson Noel (pg 42)

Transportation:
Saddle
Carriage  All He Ever Wanted--Anita Shreve (pg. 12)
Motorcycle
Sports Car
Airplane
Boat or Ship
Space Ship
Truck/Jeep  Hero at Large--Janet Evanovich (pg. 10)
Bicycle
Skis or Skates

Places:
Balcony
Clouds  The Sweet Spot--Stephanie Evanovich (pg. 1)
Tent   Just Ella--Margaret Peterson Haddix (pg.102)
Concert
Mountain  Blue Ridge Reunion--Mia Ross (pg. 206)
Private Club
Garden  Summer Days--Lisa Jackson (pg. 129)
Swimming Pool  One Day--David Nicholls (pg. 21)
Mall
Jungle
Lake
Mansion/Estate  Outlander--Diana Gabaldon (pg. 30)
Another Planet/Dimension

Personages/Animals:
Bird
Best Friend  Letting Go--Maya Banks (pg. 23)
Duke or Prince  The Selection--Kiera Cass (pg. 137)
Lawyer
Geek
Secretary
Cop   Perfect--Judith McNaught (Audio)
Neighbor(s)
Dragon
Alien
Superhero
Firefighter
Doctor/Nurse  Memoirs of a Geisha--Arthur Golden (audio)
Military Personnel
Big Cat
Mer Person

Clothing:
Corset  Suddenly You--Lisa Kleypas (pg. 35)
Thong
Jeans  Bridget Jones's Diary--Helen Fielding (pg. 49)
Uniform  The Elite--Kiera Cass (pg. 69)
Lady's Hat/Bonnet
Suit of Armor
Beard
High Heels (high heel shoes) The Color Purple--Alice Walker (pg.8)
Body Piercing
Fan
Lingerie  Little Bitty Lies--Mary Kay Andrews (pg.47)
Ball Cap  (Baseball cap) Shopaholic to the Stars--Sophie Kinsella, pg. 69
Tattoo  The Queen Geek Social Club--Laura Preble (pg. 19)
Cowboy Boots
Fangs  Whispers at Moonrise--C.C. Hunter (pg. 94)
Mittens or Gloves  Don't Look Down--Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer (pg. 57)
Garters
Crown or Tiara  The One--Kiera Cass (pg. 35)
Claws
Cane/Walking Stick
Gown  Art Geeks and Prom Queens--Alyson Noel (pg. 43)
Tuxedo  Pink Ice--Susanna Carr (pg.16)
Kilt

Food:
Chocolate  The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul--Deborah Rodriguez (pg. 36)
Omelet or Quiche  Sea Glass Winter--Joann Ross (pg. 21)
Popcorn
Hotdog  Bet Me--Jennifer Cruise (pg. 82)
Sushi  Big Girl Panties--Stephanie Evanovich (pg. 111)

Challenge completed on October 31