Card Deck Reading Challenge

Another I couldn't resist, at this Instagram account.

Joker is wild-- like a free square in bingo, pick whatever book you want to fill that spot!: Tweet Cute--Emma Lord

2-10: just the number has to be in the title (e.g., The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo or Fourth Wing [Book 3 of a series does not count unless 3 is in the title like 3rd Degree, etc]).

2: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird--Josie Silver

3: Three Junes--Julia Glass

4: Fourth Wing--Rebecca Yarros

5: Table for Five--Susan Wiggs

6: 16 Lighthouse Road--Debbie Macomber

7: Depression Self-Help: 7 Quick Techniques to Stop Depression Today--Heather Rose

8: Around the World in 80 Days--Jules Verne

9: Ninth House--Leigh Bardugo

10: Ten Creepy Monsters--Carey F. Armstrong Ellis

Heart: in the title (e.g., Inkheart or Once Upon a Broken Heart): Heartbroken--Serena Valentino

Diamond: a gem in the title (e.g., Gods of Jade and Shadow or The Diamond Eye): Gods of Jade and Shadow--Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Spade: "dig," "bury" or "spade" in the title (e.g., Ace of Spades or Dig Two Graves): Dig In!:12 Easy Gardening Projects Using Kitchen Scraps--Keri Cornell

Club: in the title (e.g., The Thursday Murder Club or The Joy Luck Club): The Beach Club--Elin Hilderbrand

Ace: in the title OR a book about cards or tennis (e.g., My Dream Time or Cards on the Table): Ace of Shades--Amanda Foody

Jack: in the title or in the name of the author (e.g., Holly Jackson or Jack Kerouac [not the name of a character - Jack Reacher - unless the character name is in the title]): Attack of the Jack!--R.L. Stine

Queen: in the title (e.g., The Queen's Gambit or Red Queen): Martin McLean, Middle School Queen--Alyssa Zaczek

King: in the title (e.g., The Wicked King or The 10th Kingdom): King of Fools--Amanda Foody

🟥: Red in the title or is the main color on the cover (e.g., Red, White & Royal Blue or Red Rising): Happily Ever Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red--Melanie Cellier

⬛: Black in the title or is the main color on the cover (e.g., Black Water Rising or Black Cake): The Blackbirds--Eric Jerome Dickey 

____

Notice that some of my examples could be used for 2 challenges (Ace of Spades, Red Queen or The 10th Kingdom). They only count for 1. So Red Queen could be for Red or for Queen but not both.

Challenge completed on October 19

Book Bingo Reading Challenge 2025 @ My Reader's Journey

Another I have been doing.  A normal mode and a hard mode are offered. I'm going for the normal. Note: You can substitute 2 bingo squares if you consider them too difficult to find a book for.

Created by Leticia Toraci

First Row:

Green or Purple – Read a Book with a Green OR a Purple cover: Prodigal Summer--Barbara Kingslover
Novella: Read a Novella: Eleven--Tom Rogers
Rainbow: LGBT+ or POC Author: Nightcrawling--Leila Mottley
Number in The Title: Read a book with a number in the title: Table For Five--Susan Wiggs
500+: Read a book with more Than 500 pages: The Mammoth Hunters--Jean M. Auel

Second Row:

Red or Black: Read a Book with these colors on the title or cover: The Blackbirds--Eric Jerome Dickey
Snake: 2025 is the Year of the Snake in the Chinese Horoscope! Read a book with a snake in the title or cover: Ninth House--Leigh Bardugo
Poetry, Nonfiction or Graphic Novel: Read one book in one of these genres: Courage Out Loud--Joseph Coelho
Cat: So many readers love cats! Read a book with a cat on the title, cover or story. But if you are a dog person, substitute the cat for a dog in this prompt: The Travelling Cat Chronicles--Hiro Arikawa
By an author you never read before: Everyone Knows You Go Home--Natalia Sylvester

Third Row:

Lowest Rating: Read the book on your TBR with the lowest rating or read a book on your TBR with a Goodreads rating under 3.50. It’s ok not to finish the book: Sunset Over Chocolate Mountains--Susan Elderkin
A Book in Translation: Read a translated book: Klara and the Sun--Kazuo Ishiguro
Free: Read any book in your TBR!: Tweet Cute--Emma Lord
Favorite Author: Read one book by your  a favorite author: The Beach Club--Elin Hilderbrand
Highest Rating: Read the book on your TBR with the highest rating or read a book on your TBR with a Goodreads rating 4.00 or higher: Hello Beautiful--Ann Napolitano

Fourth Row:

Out of you comfort zone: Read a demanding book out of your comfort zone or a book in a genre you don’t usually read: Rider of Lost Creek--Louis L'Amour
Detective: Read one of these genre-bending books: Historical/Mystery, YA/Mystery, Romance/Mystery, Fantasy/Mystery or a Sci-Fi/Mystery: Pardonable Lies--Jacqueline Winspear
Standalone: Read a standalone book: The Rom-Commers--Katherine Center
UFO: Read a book with aliens or fae beings: Dawn--Octavia E. Butler
The Last One in your TBR: Read a book in your TBR that is not at all a priority. You might be pleasantly surprised!: It Happened One Summer--Tessa Bailey

Fifth Row:

Knot: Book with a plot twist: Mad Honey--Jodi Picoult
Buddy Read: Read a book with a friend: Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby
Three Books: Read one book that is part of a series: Ace of Shades--Amanda Foody
Before 1900: Read a book published before 1900: Around the World in 80 Days--Jules Verne
Anchor: Read a book with the word sea or ocean in the title, or with the sea or the ocean in the cover or with a sea setting: Lalani of the Distant Sea--Erin Entrada Kelly

---

Challenge completed on August 12

2025 Reading Challenge @ Blydyn Square Books

 I wasn't sure how many more I'd be signing up for, but I've been doing this one for several years now.

1. By an author whose name has an initial(s): The Social Biome--Andy J. Merolla and Jeffrey A. Hall
2. Animal name in the title: The Travelling Cat Chronicles--Hiro Arikawa
3. Nonfiction: Big Magic--Elizabeth Gilbert
4. Published before 1980: Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion--Julie Campbell
5. Red cover or spine: Dream When You're Feeling Blue--Elizabeth Berg
6. Set in Europe: Fingersmith--Sarah Waters
7. Biography or memoir: I Feel Bad About My Neck--Nora Ephron
8. Written in first person: It's the End of the World and I'm in My Bathing Suit--Justin A. Reynolds
9. Urban/city setting: Whiteout--Dhonielle Clayton
10. With a love story: My Favorite Half-Night Stand--Christina Lauren
11. Read at least once before: The Best of Enemies--Jen Lancaster
12. Child as a major character: Maya and the Rising Dark--Rena Barron
13. Mentions weather (snow, rain, etc): Whiteout--Dhonielle Clayton
14. One-word title: Nightcrawling--Leila Mottley
15. With a happy ending: Two Peas in a Pod--Sarah Mlynowski
16. Book you've had on your TBR at least one year: Prodigal Summer--Barbara Kingslover
17. Current bestseller: The Love Haters--Katherine Center
18. Won a major award: New Kid--Jerry Craft
19. Blue cover or spine: Eleven--Tom Rogers
20. Written for children's or YA audience: Around the World in 80 Days--Jules Verne
21. Author you've never read: The Blackbirds--Eric Jerome Dickey
22. Book you find a little or a lot scary: Collected Stories & Poems--Edgar Allan Poe
23. A "classic" (whatever that means to you!): East of Eden--John Steinbeck
24. Picture book: An ABC of Equality--Chana Ginelle Ewing
25. Book that inspires you: Where I End--Katherine Elizabeth Clark

Challenge completed on November 5

January Bookish Bingo

 The new card for January.

My books:

1. Happily Ever Afters: A Reimagining of Snow White and Rose Red--Melanie Cellier (4 squares): Audiobook, Bravery, Curse/Spells, Demon
2. Depression Self Help 7--Heather Rose (2 squares): E-Book, Goals/Resolutions
3. The Blackbirds--Eric Jerome Dickey (10 squares): Shelf Love, Physical Book, Not in a Series, Free Space, Different Culture, Diverse Read, Characters Are in a Club, Celebration, Meant to Read in 2024, A Character is Real
4. The Mammoth Hunters--Jean M. Auel (2 squares): Free Book, In a Series
5. Nightcrawling--Leila Mottley (3 squares): Library Book, Book Club Read, Orange on the Cover
6. East of Eden--John Steinbeck (1 square): Twins
7. Lalani of the Distant Sea--Erin Entrada Kelly (2 squares): Body of Water, Sea Creature
8. Everyone Knows You Go Home--Natalia Sylvester (1 square): Set in the South

25 squares completed on January 24

First Thursday 13 of 2025

Colleen at The Thursday 13 holds a weekly blogging prompt where bloggers make a list of 13 things on Thursdays. The topic is for you to choose. The blog host doesn't have any official graphics to display on the Thursday 13 posts, so I decided to whip one up myself. 🙂  

 Just some random things to kick off my first Thursday 13 post of 2025. 

1. Still haven't taken down my Christmas yard lights. I need to pack them away safely and where they won't get exposed to the sun. I really want to use them again next year, especially the candy canes.
2. I wasn't able to keep my gingerbread house on the lawn very much as there was a lot of rain last month. Just the same, some of it did get wet. I don't plan on reusing it next year anyway--no doubt I'll come up with another idea then.
3. I was sad to learn that the Pick Your Poison reading challenge will be ending after this year. It's so much fun, and I love the bizarre categories it includes.
4. I don't seem to have signed up for as many challenges as I did last year. Then again, I can never keep tract of just how many I do.
5. The county library reopens today, but I am not sure when I'll be back, but I will. I'm reading some books from home for now.
6. It's been cold in my area, even if the sun does appear outside.
7. Mostly stayed home on New Year's Day. Gave a friend a ride to the ATM and the liquor store. I shouldn't have to say how empty the town and parking lots were.
8.  It sure did not feel like it was Wednesday this week and last because of Christmas and New Year's Day. It felt like Friday last week was Monday and I expect this Friday to feel the same.
9. We baked cookies at work last Friday, with dough made from scratch. They were chocolate chip, a mix of semi-sweet and milk chocolate ones. The cookies were delicious!
10. I pod
11. I don't yet know about what to do for my birthday next Saturday.
12. I wanted to get some new books when I last went to Target, but did not find any I wanted just yet.
13. And I still don't know when our town's bookstore will be open. It's near where I work.

Board Games Reading Challenge

I found this new one offered through Instagram and Story Graph. I like this idea and it sounds like a fun one to try.

CHALLENGE PROMPTS

1. Apples to Apples Fruit on the cover: The Berry Pickers--Amanda Peters

2. Axis & Allies Set during WWII: The Last Train to London--Meg Waite Clayton

3. Backgammon A classic: East of Eden--John Steinbeck

4. Balderdash Title contains a strange or obscure word: Fingersmith--Sarah Waters

5. Bananagrams Yellow cover: My Favorite Half-Night Stand--Christina Lauren

6. Barrel O' Monkeys Animals are important to the story: The Mammoth Hunters--Jean M. Auel

7. Battleship Takes place on or in water: The Guncle Abroad--Steven Rowley

8. Boggle A book that kept you guessing: This One Summer--Jillian Tamaki

9. Candy Land A sweet read: Sinister Sprinkles--Jessica Beck

10. Cards Against Humanity A book containing irreverent humor: I Feel Bad About My Neck--Nora Ephron

11. Checkers Black and white or black and red cover: The Beautiful Struggle--Ta-Nehisi Coates

12. Chess Features royalty: A Man For All Seasons--Robert Bolt

13. Chinese Checkers A translated book: The Master and Margarita--Mikhail Bulgakov

14. Chutes N' Ladders A book with several plot twists: Mad Honey--Jodi Picoult

15. Clue A locked room mystery: Trixie Belden: The Secret of the Mansion--Julie Campbell

16. Concentration A complex read: An American Marriage--Tayari Jones

17. Connect Four Part of a 4-book series OR 4th in a larger series: Beautiful Creatures--Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

18. Cranium Title contains the word "cat", "head", "star", or "word": The Travelling Cat Chronicles--Hiro Arikawa

19. Dominoes Part of a duology: Openly Straight--Bill Konigsberg

20. Don't Break the Ice Set in a cold climate: Before I Let Go--Marieke Nijkamp

21. Guess Who Mysterious villain: Maya and the Rising Dark--Rena Barron

22. Hi Ho Cherry-O Rhyming title: Martin McLean, Middle School Queen--Alyssa Zaczek

23. Hungry Hungry Hippos Alliterative title: The Last Letter--Rebecca Yarros

24. Jenga Tall tower or tall building on the cover: Eleven--Tom Rogers

25. Mahjong Set in the 19th century: The Signature of All Things--Elizabeth Gilbert

26. Mancala Set in Africa: Home is Not a Country--Safia Elhillo

27. Mastermind Features codes/code breaking: The Great Train Robbery--Michael Crichton

28. Monopoly Features a wealthy character: It Happened One Summer--Tessa Bailey

29. Mouse Trap Features a set up: Two Peas in a Pod--Sarah Mlynowski

30. Operation MC is in the medical field: Before the Coffee Gets Cold--Shikazu Kawaguchi

31. Othello Shakespeare play or retelling: Summer in the City of Roses--Michelle Ruiz Keil

32. Parcheesi Set in India: White Teeth--Zadie Smith

33. Perfection A tense read: Tiny Beautiful Things--Cheryl Strayed

34. Phase 10 Number in the title: Table for Five--Susan Wiggs

35. Pictionary A book with illustrations: Around the World in 80 Days--Jules Verne

36. Risk A book with a map: Lalani of the Distant Sea--Erin Entrada Kelly

37. Rummikub Face on the cover: Hello Beautiful--Ann Napolitano

38. Scattergories Published in the 1980s: The Great Boy Chase--Janet Quin-Harkin

39. Scrabble Buddy read: Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby

40. Sequence Features STEM: The Only Woman in the Room--Eileen Pollack

41. Settlers of Catan Characters are settlers/pioneers: Yellow Wife--Sadeqa Johnson

42. Simon MC's name is in the title: The Two Lives of Lydia Bird--Josie Silver

43. Skip-Bo Next book in a series you've already started: King of Fools--Amanda Foody

44. Sorry A book you wish you hadn't read: Rider of Lost Creek--Louis L'Amour

45. Stratego Character is in the military: Dream When You're Feeling Blue--Elizabeth Berg

46. Taboo A banned book: Tricks--Ellen Hopkins

47. The Farming Game Character is a farmer or set on a farm/ranch: Sunrise Canyon--Janet Dailey

48. The Game of Life Life story (fiction or nonfiction): The Devil's Highway--Luis Alberto Urrea

49. Ticket to Ride Character travels by train: The Blackbird Girls--Anne Blankman

50. Trivial Pursuit A nonfiction read that taught you something new: The Small and the Mighty--Sharon McMahon

51. Trouble Multiple character quest: Don't Read the Comments--Eric Smith

52. Twister Red, yellow, green, & blue on the cover: A Spark of Light--Jodi Picoult

53. Uno One-word title: Nightcrawling--Leila Mottley

54. Yahtzee A retelling: Cold Hearted--Serena Valentino

Challenge completed on November 12

2025 Foodies Read

 Another I like to do, getting as many books as possible.

1. Green is a Chili Pepper--Roseanne Greenfield Thong
2. Before the Coffee Gets Cold--Shikazu Kawaguchi
3. Pieces of Happiness--Anne Ostby
4. Be Ready When the Luck Happens--Ina Garten
5. Mad Honey--Jodi Picoult
6. From the Desk of Zoe Washington--Janae Marks
7. The Berry Pickers--Amanda Peters
8. Sinister Sprinkles--Jessica Beck
9. Two Peas in a Pod--Sarah Mlynowski
10. The Music of What Happens--Bill Konigsberg
11. Magic Candies--Heena Baek (reread)
12. Pumpkins--Jacqueline Farmer
13. Blackmail and Bibingka--Mia P. Manansala
14. Fearless--Fern Michaels
15. For Never & Always--Helena Greer
16. This Time Next Year--Sophie Cousens
17. The Gingerbread Bakery--Laurie Gilmore
18. Kernel of Truth---Kristi Abbott

Calling challenge complete on December 29