The Nightmare Before Christmas?

As you all know, today is Friday the 13th, and it is also 12 days till Christmas. 

Now I don't get superstitious over that date, but do like the "nightmare before Christmas" meme. I had never seen the movie until last weekend, when it was showing free at the local library. Every Saturday afternoon, the library has a different movie aimed at different age groups, though the whole thing is for everyone. It's hard for me to decide whether it should be watched at Christmas or at Halloween🙂

While Googling for images, I came across several promos for different bars and clubs having a "Nightmare Before Christmas" party tonight. Too bad nothing like that is nearby me, I'd so be there! But then again, nothing like that really happens in my hometown, so I wasn't too surprised. Plenty of Christmas and "ugly sweater" parties planned locally, though. My work party and gift exchange is next Friday.

2020 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

Another that I have done for several years now.

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. Daisy Jones & the Six--Taylor Jenkins Reid
2. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency--Alexander McCall Smith
3. And Then There Were None--Agatha Christie
4. California Girl--T. Jefferson Parker
5. Cranford--Elizabeth Gaskell
6. The Girl With the Red Balloon--Katherine Locke
7. White Fang--Jack London
8. Black Dove, White Raven--Elizabeth Wein
9. The Call of the Wild--Jack London
10. Infants of the Spring--Wallace Thurman
11. Elijah of Buxton--Christopher Paul Curtis
12. Lysistrata--Aristophanes
13. An Appetite for Violets--Martine Bailey
14. The House of the Spirits--Isabel Allende
15. The Bluest Eye--Toni Morrison
16. In a German Pension--Katherine Mansfield
17. The Betrothed--Alessandro Manzoni
18. The Swans of Fifth Avenue--Melanie Benjamin
19. You Belong to Me--Johanna Lindsey
20. The Viking's Woman--Heather Graham
21. The Green Carnation--Robert Smythe Hitchens
22. Clan of the Cave Bear--Jean M. Auel
23. See What I Have Done--Sarah Schmidt
24. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas--Marie-Helene Bertino
25. Twelfth Night--William Shakespeare
26. Fences--August Wilson
27. The Planet of Junior Brown--Virginia Hamilton
28. Tigress--Jennifer Blake
29. Kindred--Octavia E. Butler
30. The Lost Vintage--Ann Mah
31. The Prize--Julie Garwood
32. The Twenty-One Balloons--William Pene du Bois
33. Nothing to See Here--Kevin Wilson
34. The Canterbury Tales--Geoffrey Chaucer
35. Empress of the Splendid Season--Oscar Hijuelos
36. The Portrait of a Lady--Henry James
37. The Art of Baking Blind--Sarah Vaughan

Calling this one off on September 30. The blog hosting this challenge has been deleted.

The 2020 Reading Challenge @Modern Mrs. Darcy

For the coming year, click for info on how to join.

1. Published the Decade You Were Born: Go Ask Alice--Anonymous
2. Debut Novel: I'm a Gay Wizard--V.S. Santoni
3. Recommended by a Source You Trust: The Friend Zone--Abby Jimenez
4. By a Local Author: Imaginary Animal--Rachelle Linda Escamilla
5. Outside Your (Genre) Comfort Zone: Girl, Stop Apologizing--Rachel Hollis
6. In Translation: The House of the Spirits--Isabel Allende
7. Nominated for an Award in 2020 (Carnegie): Normal People--Sally Rooney
8. Re-Read: More, Now, Again--Elizabeth Wurtzel 
9. Classic You Didn't Read in School: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings--Maya Angelou
10. Three Books By the Same Author: 1) Sand Castle Bay--Sherryl Woods 2) Wind Chime Point--Sherryl Woods 3) Sea Glass Island--Sherryl Woods

Challenge completed on September 14

2020 DYSTOPIA READING CHALLENGE SIGN-UP

Doing this one once again, trying for the first level.




My books:

1. The Girl With the Red Balloon--Katherine Locke
2. Dorothy Must Die--Danielle Paige 
3. The Stand--Stephen King
4. Reborn--C.C. Hunter
5. I, Robot--Isaac Asimov
6. Life, the Universe and Everything--Douglas Adams
7. Gold Fame Citrus--Claire Vaye Watkins
8. Windhaven--George R.R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle
9. Zombie--J.R. Angellela
10. Clan of the Cave Bear--Jean M. Auel
11. The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires--Grady Hendrix
12. The Passage--Justin Cronin
13. Wilder Girls--Rory Power
14. Kindred--Octavia E. Butler
15. Midnight Sun--Stephenie Meyer 
16. Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined--Stephenie Meyer
17. Glitch--Sarah Graley
18. We Sold Our Souls--Grady Hendrix
19. The Blithedale Romance--Nathaniel Hawthorne
20. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove--Christopher Moore
21. Dark and Deepest Red--Anna-Marie McLemore
22. Zombies vs. Unicorns--Holly Black and others
23. Something Wicked This Way Comes--Ray Bradbury
24. Neferet's Curse--P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
25. Kalona's Fall--P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
26. In the Shadow of Blackbirds--Cat Winters
27. Stitches in Time--Barbara Michaels
28. Come Along With Me--Shirley Jackson
29. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes--Suzanne Collins
30. The Color of Magic--Terry Pratchett
31. Lord of Shadows--Cassandra Clare
32. Sword and Sorceress--Marion Zimmer Bradley
33. The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle--Stuart Turton
34. Red Riding Hood--Sarah Blakely-Cartwright

Challenge completed on December 24

2020 Retellings Reading Challenge

Retellings are always fun to read, so I'll be doing this one again, getting as many as I can.

CHALLENGE LEVELS

• Silent Assassin: 1-5 Retellings
• Warrior Princess: 6-10 Retellings
• Elemental Witch: 11-15 Retellings
• High Fae: 16-20 Retellings
• Fairest of them All: 21-25+ Retellings

My Books:

1. Dorothy Must Die--Danielle Paige 
2. The Gap of Time--Jeanette Winterson
3. Lumberjanes: Beware the Kitten Holy--Noelle Stevenson
4. Blanca & Roja--Anna-Marie McLemore
5. Midnight Sun--Stephenie Meyer 
6. Goldilocks and the Three Bears--James Marshall
7. Life and Death: Twilight Reimagined--Stephenie Meyer
8. Dark and Deepest Red--Anna-Marie McLemore
9. Red Riding Hood--Sarah Blakely-Cartwright

Challenge completed on December 24

Pink and Dizzy's 2020 Reading Challenge

This year, this challenge will have 12 books instead of 24, as last year.

My Books:

1.  Nonfiction Book: Girl, Stop Apologizing--Rachel Hollis
2. About Illness or Loss: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter--Erika L. Sanchez
3. Author's Debut Novel: Down and Across--Arvin Ahmadi
4. First Book in a Series: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency--Alexander McCall Smith
5. Book Known as a Classic: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings--Maya Angelou
6. Color in the Title: The Girl With the Red Balloon--Katherine Locke
7. Set in the 1920s: Infants of the Spring--Wallace Thurman
8. Will Most Likely Enjoy: Reborn--C.C. Hunter
9. Published in 2020: The Jetsetters--Amanda Eyre Ward 
10. Richard and Judy Book Club Pick: My Sister, the Serial Killer--Oyinkan Brathwaite
11. Book Everyone's Talking About: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires--Grady Hendrix
12. Christmas Book: 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas--Marie-Helene Bertino

Challenge completed on June 7

NJM Book Challenge 2020

Doing this one again.

1. Book Published in 2020: The Jetsetters--Amanda Eyre Ward 
2. Non-Fiction Book: Ordinary Girls--Jaquira Diaz
3. Self-Published Book: Good Visions Make Good Cases--Kelly Hashway
4. Book Set During a Historical Event: Black Dove, White Raven--Elizabeth Wein
5. Book Made Into a Film/TV Series: Soul Surfer--Bethany Hamilton
6. Book With a Bad Boy Hero: Pop--Gordon Korman
7. Biography/Autobiography: Rise of the Rocket Girls--Nathalia Holt
8. Book Written Pre-1900: The Betrothed--Alessandro Manzoni
9. Book With a Sassy Heroine: I Was Told It Would Get Easier-Abbi Waxman
10. Book With Over 500 Pages: The Stand--Stephen King
11. Book by Multiple Authors: Bad Boys With Expensive Toys--Nancy Warren/MaryJanice Davidson/Karen Kelley
12. Book You Can Read in a Single Day/Session: White Fang--Jack London
13. Book Based on Folklore/Myth: Dorothy Must Die--Danielle Paige 
14. Book With Images: Silent Spring--Rachel Carson
15. Book by One of Your Favorite Authors: Sunset Beach--Mary Kay Andrews
16. Work Translated From Another Language: Lysistrata--Aristophanes
17. Book With an LGBTQ+ Rep: Wayward Son--Rainbow Rowell
18. Work by a Debut Author: Down and Across--Arvin Ahmadi
19. A Supernatural Tale: Reborn--C.C. Hunter
20. Book by a New-to-You Author: I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter--Erika L. Sanchez
21. Book Nominated for an Award (Carnegie): Normal People--Sally Rooney
22. Spec-Fic book: The House of the Spirits--Isabel Allende
23. Book With an Animal in the Title: Clan of the Cave Bear--Jean M. Auel
24. Book With a Season in the Title: Infants of the Spring--Wallace Thurman
25. Book Set in Another Country: An Appetite for Violets--Martine Bailey

Challenge completed on September 14