2022 Build Your Library Reading Challenge

Aline Here is on that I have decided to take part in for the first time. It's at Build Your Library.

1. Story with magic that ISN'T Harry Potter: A Heart So Fierce and Broken--Brigid Kemmerer
2. Story set in a fantastical world: This Woven Kingdom--Tahereh Mafi
3. Portal fantasy (where the MC finds themselves in a new and strange world): Silverworld--Diana Abu-Jaber
4. Story about a real-life adventure: The Wonder Trail--Steve Hely
5. Story set in space: Ringworld--Larry Niven
6. Story about a sport or game: Here to Stay--Sara Farizan
7. Story about a road trip: First Trip--Cheryl Taylor
8. Story about spies: Code Name Verity--Elizabeth Wein
9. Story about a heist: Aurora Rising--Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
10. Story set at sea: Martin Eden--Jack London
11. Story set under the sea: A Song Below Water--Bethany C. Morrow
12. Story set in a place where you have always wanted to visit: The Little Paris Bookshop--Nina George
13. Book with a map in it: A Vow So Bold and Deadly--Brigid Kemmerer
14. Story about someone whose life is very different from your own: Sisters in Law--Linda Hirshman
15. Story about someone with superpowers: When You Trap a Tiger--Tae Keller
16. Story with the word adventure, journey or quest in the title: Journey Under the Sea--R.A. Montgomery
17. Story set during a war: Salt to the Sea--Ruta Sepetys
18. Story with an animal as the protagonist: Unicorn on a Roll--Dana Simpson
19. Memoir or biography about a fascinating person: Kamala's Way--Dan Morain
20. Story about a discovery: The Quest for California's Gold--James P. Burger
21. Book with a sword, dagger or shield on the cover: Guenevere Queen of the Summer Country--Rosalind Miles
22. Book where someone travels across the world: We Came, We Saw, We Left--Charles Wheelan
23. Book you would bring with you on a desert island (if you could only bring one book): Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
24. A new release you're excited about: Caramel Pecan Roll Murder--Joanne Fluke
25. Story about a circus or carnival: Smoke and Mirrors--K.D. Halbrook
26. Mystery or thriller: Sleeping With Anemone--Kate Collins
27. New book by a favorite author: The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
28. Book with a suitcase or backpack on the cover: The Fixer Upper--Mary Kay Andrews
29. Book about camping or summer camp: Lumberjanes: Friendship to the Max--Noelle Stevenson & Grace Ellis
30. Been adapted int a movie or TV show: Bridgerton: The Duke and I--Julia Quinn
31. With the word lost in the title: The Lost Apothecary--Sarah Penner
32. Post-apocalyptic story: Station Eleven--Emily St. John Mandel
33. Story about a disaster: Hiroshima--John Hersey
34. Book you have always wanted to read: Out of My Mind--Sharon M. Draper
35. Story about immigrants: The Wind in My Hair--Masih Alinejad
36. Genre you don't normally read: The XX Brain--Lisa Mosconi, PhD
37. Non-fiction about a subject you've never learned about: The Radium Girls--Kate Moore
38. Book by a debut author: Several People Are Typing--Calvin Kasulke
39. Book recommended by someone famous: Felix Ever After--Kacen Callender
40. Book with a beautiful cover: Moloka'i--Alan Brennert

Challenge completed on October 30

SpaceTime Reading Challenge 2022

 Will be joining this again, getting as many books as I can.

SpaceTime Reads details

• You can read any book that is from the science fiction/time-travel genres. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of these genres.  
• Non-fiction is not included in this challenge.
• You don’t need a blog to participate but you do need a place to post your reviews (even one-liners) to link up. (blog, Goodreads, booklikes, shelfari, etc.)
• Make a goal post and link it back here with your goal for this challenge.
• Books need to be novellas or novels, although anthologies count if they meet the page guideline. (At least 100 pages +)
• You may count books that you do not want to finish if you have read at least 25%, or 100 pages, whichever is MORE. If you have read enough to give a fair mini-review that’s fine.
• Crossovers into other challenges are fine.
• The Challenge runs from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st.

The Targets

There are 4 levels to aim for (or achieve):

• 5 books: Planet hopper
• 10 books: Interstellar explorer
• 20 books: Galactic navigator
• 40 books: To Infinity and Beyond

My Books:

1. The Time Traveler's Wife--Audrey Niffenegger
2. Several People Are Typing--Calvin Kasulke
3. When You Trap a Tiger--Tae Keller
4. A Song Below Water--Bethany C. Morrow
5. A Curse So Dark and Lonely--Brigid Kemmerer
6. A Heart So Fierce and Broken--Brigid Kemmerer
7. A Vow So Bold and Deadly--Brigid Kemmerer
8. Afternoon on the Amazon--Mary Pope Osborne
9. This Woven Kingdom--Tahereh Mafi
10. The Midnight Library--Matt Haig
11. Station Eleven--Emily St. John Mandel
12. Parable of the Sower--Octavia E. Butler
13. Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore--Robin Sloan
14. Dragonfly in Amber--Diana Gabaldon
15. Dogs in the Dead of Night--Mary Pope Osborne
16. Hour of the Olympics--Mary Pope Osborne
17. Silverworld--Diana Abu-Jaber
18. Ringworld--Larry Niven
19. The Girl Who Drank the Moon--Kelly Barnhill
20. A Crack in the Sea--H.M. Bouwman
21. Vacation Under the Volcano--Mary Pope Osborne
22. Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
23. Journey Under the Sea--R.A. Montgomery
24. Pet--Akwaeke Emezi
25. The Eyre Affair--Jasper Fforde
26. Aurora Rising--Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
27. The Last Kids on Earth--Max Brallier
28. Firekeeper's Daughter--Angeline Boulley
29. Mexican Gothic--Silvia Moreno-Garcia
30. The Mermaid, the Witch and the Sea--Maggie Tokuda-Hall
31. The Bride of Casa Dracula--Marta Acosta

Calling challenge complete on November 19

Chapter Break Bingo – December 2021

 Here is the card for December.

My Books:

1. A Christmas Carol--Charles Dickens (4 squares): Audiobook, Set in a Foreign Country, Book Club Read, Bad Habit
2. Let It Snow--John Green (6 squares): E-Book, Holiday Romance, Breaking Rules, Travel, Free Book, Set in Winter
3. Mrs. Bennet Has Her Say--Jane Juska (3 squares): Shelf Love, Physical Book, Not in a Series
4. Construction Site on Christmas Night--Sherri Duskey Rinker (1 square): Vehicle on the Cover 
5. A Wish for Elves--Mark Goneya [reread] (1 square) Red Cover
6. Jingle All the Way--Debbie Macomber (3 squares): Library Book, Snow on the Cover, Tree on the Cover
7. Not a Drop to Drink--Mindy McGinnis (2 squares): In a Series, Free Space
8. The Eight Knights of Hanukkah--Leslie Kimmelman (3 squares): Dragon, Demon, Royalty
9. Super Santa: The Science of Christmas--Bruce Hale (1 square): Presents
10. Christmas Cookie Murder--Leslie Meier (1 square): Murder

25 squares completed on December 22

It's (Not) All Greek To Me

Hearing the names of the recent COVID variants has reminded me of how much I already knew about the letters of the Greek alphabet. Just how often do these letters creep up into our vocabulary? They are often used as mathematical and scientific terms and in names of college fraternities and sororities. But those who have been out of school for years now probably haven't heard much use of Greek letters until these letters became the names of variants. 

For those who don't know, or have forgotten, the Greek letter name and symbols are in the table above. And yes, the letters from Epsilon to Mu have been used in variant names. Here's why you haven't heard (much) about  those ones. 

And by now you've heard how the WHO (World Health Organization) skipped Nu and Xi when naming the variants.  

“Nu is too easily confounded with ‘new’ and Xi was not used because it is a common surname,” the organization explained in an emailed statement to CNN.

.....

Though pronounced differently, the Greek letter Xi bears a similarity to the Chinese surname Xi — as in Chinese leader Xi Jinping — fueling speculation that may have played a role in the WHO’s skipping the name.

 I could not help thinking how using the name "Nu" would have led to an Abbott and Costello-like joke:

What is the new variant called?

The Nu Variant.

But what is it called?

The Nu Variant. (This can keep going)

 

This would have been coming from an organization whose name already lends itself to a "Who's on First?" joke. And I won't get started on how the organization shares its name with a band who has likely heard their share of jokes like this (and no doubt the same has been true for rock groups like The Band, The Guess Who and Yes). Nevertheless this turned up, referencing a line from a song by The Who:

On TV and in movies, Greek letters used in fraternity and sorority names sometimes are set up to create humorous, and sometimes unfortunate, acronyms. One that comes to mind is Kappa Epsilon Gamma, the fraternity on Beverly Hills 90210, which the characters on the show often called the "KEG House."

As far as naming the COVID variants goes, I'm hoping that it doesn't last until the end of the Greek alphabet. Or that it doesn't get to the next letters in line after Omicron. But if that is the case, I think the WHO should consider skipping Pi to avoid "Piece of Pie" or Life of Pi jokes. This article says that the use of Greek letters to name the variants was to avoid stigma. Unfortunately, one Greek letter  rhymes with "stigma," so I also think that "Sigma" should be skipped over as well. But I'm praying it doesn't get that far. 

  

Historical Fiction Reading Challenge 2022

 Doing this one again.

20th Century Reader - 2 books
Victorian Reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 books
Ancient History - 25 books
Prehistoric - 50+ books

My Books:

1. Castle Rackrent and The Absentee--Maria Edgeworth
2. Moloka'i--Alan Brennert
3. The Red Queen--Philippa Gregory
4. The Masqueraders--Georgette Heyer
5. The Power of One--Bryce Courtenay
6. Angel of Greenwood--Randi Pink
7. Martin Eden--Jack London
8. Guenevere Queen of the Summer Country--Rosalind Miles
9. The Quiet Little Woman--Louisa May Alcott
10. Z: A Novel of Zelda Fitzgerald--Therese Anne Fowler
11. Salt to the Sea--Ruta Sepetys
12. The Island of Sea Women--Lisa See
13. Dragonfly in Amber--Diana Gabaldon
14. Dogs in the Dead of Night--Mary Pope Osborne
15. Hour of the Olympics--Mary Pope Osborne
16. The Little Paris Bookshop--Nina George
17. The Wyndham Legacy--Catherine Coulter 
18. Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio--Pu Songling
19. Half a Yellow Sun--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
20. A Crack in the Sea--H.M. Bouwman
21. Vacation Under the Volcano--Mary Pope Osborne
22. The Merchant of Venice--William Shakespeare
23. By the Shores of Silver Lake--Laura Ingalls Wilder (reread)
24. Code Name Verity--Elizabeth Wein
25. Voyager--Diana Gabaldon
26. Anne of Avonlea--L.M. Montgomery
27. Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt
28. Breath, Eyes, Memory--Edwidge Danticat
29. The Emperor's Children--Claire Messud 
30. Lessons in Chemistry--Bonnie Garmus
31. The Adventures of Robin Hood--Philip Edwards
32. The Lies That Bind--Emily Giffin
33. Timeless--Gail Carriger
34. Bridgerton: The Duke and I--Julia Quinn
35. Black Cake--Charmaine Wilkerson
36. High Lonesome--Louis L'Amour
37. The Eyre Affair--Jasper Fforde
38. Maigret and the Headless Corpse--Georges Simenon
39. The Book of Salt--Monique Truong
40. Native Son--Richard Wright
41. Three Stations--Martin Cruz Smith
42. Death Comes to Pemberley--P.D. James
43. It Happened One Autumn--Lisa Kleypas
44. City on Fire--Garth Risk Hallberg
45. The Lost Apothecary--Sarah Penner
46. The Burgess Boys--Elizabeth Strout
47. Code Name Helene--Ariel Lawhon
48. Band of Sisters--Lauren Willig
49. The Night Watchman--Louise Erdrich
50. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow--Gabrielle Zevin
51. Last in a Long Line of Rebels--Lisa Lewis Tyre
52. Little Fires Everywhere--Celeste Ng
53. White Noise--Don DeLillo
54. A Wallflower Christmas--Lisa Kleypas
55. The Christmas Coat--Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
56. Dreidels on the Brain--Joel Ben Izzy

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge 2022

 Doing this one again.

Challenge Rules:

• You can read any book that is from the mystery/suspense/thriller/crime genres. Any sub-genres are welcome as long as they incorporate one of these genres.
• You don’t need a blog to participate but you do need a place to post your reviews to link up. (blog, Goodreads, Instagram, etc.)
• Make a goal post and link it back here with your goal for this challenge.
• Books need to at least 100 pages long. Please no short stories.
• Crossovers with other challenges are fine.
• The Challenge will run from Jan. 1st to Dec. 31st. (Sign up ends March 15th)

Levels:

5-15 books – Amateur sleuth

16-25 books – Detective

26-35 books – Inspector

36 – 55 – Special agent

56+ books – Sherlock Holmes 

My Books:

1. Pride and Premeditation--Tirzah Price
2. Game On--Janet Evanovich
3. Sleeping With Anemone--Kate Collins
4. Cat Me If You Can--Miranda James
5. Caramel Pecan Roll Murder--Joanne Fluke
6. The English Breakfast Murder--Laura Childs
7. Dirty Rotten Tendrils--Kate Collins
8. Arsenic and Adobo--Mia P. Manansala
9. Homicide and Halo-Halo--Mia P. Manansala
10. The Coldest Case--Martin Walker 
11. The Homewreckers--Mary Kay Andrews
12. Into the Water--Paula Hawkins
13. How the Light Gets In--Louise Penny
14. The Eyre Affair--Jasper Fforde
15. Postcards From the Dead--Laura Childs
16. Maigret and the Headless Corpse--Georges Simenon
17. Apples Never Fall--Liane Moriarty
18. The Safety Net--Andrea Camilleri
19. Three Stations--Martin Cruz Smith
20. Death Comes to Pemberley--P.D. James
21. Devonshire Scream--Laura Childs
22. Peril in Paperback--Kate Carlisle
23. Death Overdue--Allison Brooke
24. The Lost Apothecary--Sarah Penner
25. Bangkok 8--John Burdett
26. A Rule Against Murder--Louise Penny
27. Little Fires Everywhere--Celeste Ng
28. Silent Bite--David Rosenfelt
29. Candy Slain Murder--Maddie Day
30. Glitter Bomb--Laura Childs
31. Drop Dead Chocolate--Jessica Beck

Challenge completed on December 31

2022 POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

 I always get excited for this one.

1. A book published in 2022: This Woven Kingdom--Tahereh Mafi
2. A book set on a plane, train, or cruise ship: Station Eleven--Emily St. John Mandel
3. A book about or set in a nonpatriarchal society: The Island of Sea Women--Lisa See
4. A book with a tiger on the cover or "tiger" in the title: When You Trap a Tiger--Tae Keller 
5. A sapphic book: Hani and Ishu's Guide to Fake Dating--Adiba Jaigirdar
6. A book by a Latinx author: With the Fire on High--Elizabeth Acevedo 
7. A book with an onomatopoeia in its title: Thump, Quack, Moo--Doreen Cronin
8. A book with a protagonist who uses a mobility aid: Out of My Mind--Sharon M. Draper
9. A book about a "found family": The Summer Deal--Jill Shalvis
10. An Anisfield-Wolf Book Award winner: Half a Yellow Sun--Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
11. A #BookTok recommendation: The Guncle--Steven Rowley
12. A book about the afterlife: The Midnight Library--Matt Haig
13. A book set in the 1980s: Tell the Wolves I'm Home--Carol Rifka Brunt
14. A book with cutlery on the cover or in the title: Arsenic and Adobo--Mia P. Manansala
15. A book by a Pacific Islander author: I'll Be the One--Lyla Lee
16. A book about witches: The Girl Who Drank the Moon--Kelly Barnhill
17. A book becoming a TV series or movie in 2022: Conversations With Friends--Sally Rooney
18. A romance novel by a BIPOC author: Life's Too Short--Abby Jimenez
19. A book that takes place during your favorite season: It Happened One Autumn--Lisa Kleypas  
20. A book whose title begins with the last letter of your previous read: The Wonder Trail--Steve Hely
21. A book about a band or musical group: Girl Online On Tour--Zoe Sugg
22. A book with a character on the ace spectrum: Ace--Angela Chen
23. A book with a recipe in it: Caramel Pecan Roll Murder--Joanne Fluke
24. A book you can read in one sitting: Easy Crafts for the Insane--Kelly Williams Brown
25. A book about a secret: Eight Hundred Grapes--Laura Dave
26. A book with a misleading title: The Emperor's Children--Claire Messud
27. A Hugo Award winner: Ringworld--Larry Niven
28. A book set during a holiday: The Brightest Star--Fern Michaels
29. A different book by an author you read in 2021: The Fixer Upper--Mary Kay Andrews
30. A book with the name of a board game in the title: Apples Never Fall--Liane Moriarty
31. A book featuring a man-made disaster: Hiroshima--John Hersey
32. A book with a quote from your  a favorite author on the cover or Amazon page: Peril in Paperback--Kate Carlisle
33. A social-horror book: Mexican Gothic--Silvia Moreno-Garcia
34. A book set in Victorian times: Timeless--Gail Carriger
35. A book with a constellation on the cover or in the title: Aurora Rising--Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
36. A book you know nothing about: The Power of One--Bryce Courtenay
37. A book about gender identity: How to Be an Antiracist--Ibram X. Kendi
38. A book featuring a party: A Rule Against Murder--Louise Penny
39. An #OwnVoices SFF (science fiction and fantasy) book: Parable of the Sower--Octavia E. Butler
40. A book that fulfills your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge (Same Title as a Song): You Don't Have to Say You Love Me--Sherman Alexie

Advanced

1. A book with a reflected image on the cover or "mirror" in the title: Smoke and Mirrors--K.D. Halbrook
2. A book that features two languages: Strange Tales From a Chinese Studio--Pu Songling
3. A book with a palindromic title: Mom and Me, Me and Mom--Miguel Tanco
4. A duology (1): The Mockingbirds--Daisy Whitney
5. A duology (2): The Rivals--Daisy Whitney
6. A book about someone leading a double life: Code Name Verity--Elizabeth Wein
7. A book featuring a parallel reality: The Eyre Affair--Jasper Fforde
8. A book with two POVs: A Song Below Water--Bethany C. Morrow
9. Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities" (1): Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore--Robin Sloan (San Francisco)
10. Two books set in twin towns, aka "sister cities" (2): The Little Paris Bookshop--Nina George (Paris)

Challenge completed on December 5