13 Penny Phrases

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. 🙂  

With the last penny having been minted more than a week ago, I got to thinking of phrases that contain the word "penny" and what might become of them. Some of those phrases include (from this link and this one):

1. A bad penny always turns up
2. A penny for your thoughts
3. A penny saved is a penny earned
4. A pretty penny
5. Cut off without a penny
6. Pennies from heaven
7. Penny-pinching
8. Worth every penny
9. Find a penny pick up and all day long you'll have good luck
10. Penny wise and pound foolish
11. Penny dreadful
12. Spend a penny
13. The penny drops

Another thing that came to mind was the traditional Christmas rhyme that goes:

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat

Please [do] put a penny in the old man's hat

If you haven't got a penny, [then] a ha'penny will do

If you haven't got a ha'penny, [then] God bless you!

How many people have had to explain what a half-penny was? Yes, it was half a penny, and it was British. The US had a similar coin called the half-cent. Half-cents were the last coins discontinued by the US mint, in 1857. There also used to be large cents, which were replaced by the familiar cent that has now been discontinued.

The other day at work we played Pictionary, and on one of my turns, I picked a card that included the phrase "penny candy" as one of the options. I chose this one and drew an image of a coin with the 1¢ sign, followed by a drawing of a candy, but somehow no one guessed "penny" at first. "Cent" and "one cent" somehow did come to some people's minds, however.  The phrase "penny candy" went out years ago, because of the penny's loss of value.

This also brought to mind the dated lyrics of The Turtles' hit, "Happy Together," and the line "If I should call you up, invest a dime." How many people today have had to explain this to younger people who have no idea about pay phones and how they cost a dime? (Not mention what a pay phone even was, but that's a whole other topic) Even the pay phone cost went up with inflation. Are we going to now say "a nickel for your thoughts" or "put a nickel in the old man's hat" (from the aforementioned Christmas rhyme? This could easily be a topic for another time, songs with dated lyrics about technology or costs.

Decades Reading Challenge: 2026 Edition

 Once again, doing this one, at Book Girls' Guide.

January--1880s--1890s*: Devil in Winter--Lisa Kleypas

February--1900s--1910s*: A Fall of Marigolds--Susan Meissner

March--1920s: Carter Beats the Devil--Glen David Gold

April--1930s: The Lady Has a Past--Amanda Quick

May--1940s: The Last Telegram--Liz Trenow

June--1950s: Master Harold...and the boys--Athol Fugard

July--1960s: Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunnit--Lilliam Rivera

August--1970s: On the Hippie Trail--Rick Steves

September--1980s: The Saturday Night Ghost Club--Craig Davidson

October--1990s: The Talented Miss Farwell--Emily Gray Tedrowe

November--2000s--2010s*:

December--Spanning Decades:

* For the months that cover two decades, you only need to read one book from that time period.

Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2026

Another I have been doing for years. Even though I didn't make a lot of progress on this one this year, I plan to going again, getting as many books as possible.

Welcome to the 16th annual Cruisin' thru the Cozies Reading Challenge! We're off to another year of cozy mystery reading! Once again, I'm giving challengers two options - one is to read only sub-genres and the other is to read cozy mysteries of your choice.

To find out exactly what a cozy mystery is, check out Cozy-Mystery.com. This site is dedicated to cozy mysteries and does a great job of defining them as well as giving a list of cozy mysteries. This challenge is NOT restricted to what is on their list, it's just to be used as a guideline in case you need some hints on what to read.

This cozy mystery reading challenge has two ways to participate and you can choose whichever suits you the best:
A) Read only cozy mysteries of your choice.

My Books:

1. The Zig Zag Girl--Elly Griffiths
2. The Lady Has a Past--Amanda Quick
3. Killer Reunion--G.A. McKevett
4. Eye of the Beholder--Jayne Ann Krentz
5. Moss Hysteria--Kate Collins
6. The Endless Beach--Jenny Colgan
7. Star Spangled Murder--Leslie Meier
8. A Cat Was Involved--Spencer Quinn
9. Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunnit--Lilliam Rivera
10. The Last Kashmiri Rose--Barbara Cleverly
11. The Silver Needle Murder--Laura Childs
12. The Viognier Vendetta--Ellen Crosby
13. Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady--Nancy Springer
14. Plum Tea Crazy--Laura Childs
15. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd--Agatha Christie
16. One of the Girls--Lucy Clarke

Creativity Reading Challenge 2026

My last one for 2026. I wasn't too sure about bringing this one back. I've made less progress on it this year than on the others I host.  I now will see how I do next year, and see if I want to keep this one going after next year.

This challenge is about reading books on creativity, art, crafts, writing, film making, photography, cosmetology, DIY, cooking, music and any other topic that helps you live a more creative life. 

Challenge Guidelines

• Runs January 1 to December 31, 2026. 
• I won't be creating different levels. Read as many books as you want.
• Books may be nonfiction, memoir, how-to, self help, coffee table books, instructional, picture books, and even fictional books if they are about people who are creative.
• You may include books of any format including traditional books, ebooks or audiobooks
• You may reread books. 
• Books may count towards other reading challenges in which you are participating.
• Sign up below in the comments. 

Need ideas for reading? Here are some links to get started:

40 of the Best Books to Unlock Your Creativity

Fiction Books Involving Art

11 Essential Art History Books

 

My books:

1. The Indigo Girl--Natasha Boyd
2. The Accidental Bestseller--Wendy Wax
3. The Bodyguard--Katherine Center
4. The Librarian of Auschwitz--Antonio Iturbe
5. The Not-So-Secret Emails of Coco Pinchard--Robert Bryndza
6. Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston
7. Camino Island--John Grisham
8. The Quilt--T. Davis Bunn
9. Carter Beats the Devil--Glen David Gold
10. Great Big Beautiful Life--Emily Henry
11. The Art Thief--Michael Finkel
12. Maybe an Artist--Liz Montague
13. The Year of Pleasures--Elizabeth Berg
14. John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs--Ian Leslie
15. The Goodbye Quilt--Susan Wiggs
16. Eye of the Beholder--Jayne Ann Krentz
17. The Honey-Don't List--Christina Lauren
18. Moss Hysteria--Kate Collins
19. Sunshine Nails--Mai Nguyen
20. Distant Shores--Kristin Hannah
21. Little Pieces of Hope--Todd Doughty & Josie Portillo
22. The Silver Needle Murder--Laura Childs
23. Happily Ever Afters--Elise Bryant
24. Dinner For Vampires--Bethany Joy Lenz
25. The Reading Group--Elizabeth Noble
26. A Gift For a Ghost--Borja Gonzalez
27. The Italian Teacher--Tom Rachman
28. The Talented Miss Farwell--Emily Gray Tedrowe
29. The Paris Library--Janet Skeslien Charles

2026 Key Word Reading Challenge

 Another favorite, from the same hosts as the Motif Challenge.

Read a book each month with one (or more) of the key words in the title. Variations of key words are allowed. For example: Drown, Drowning, Drowned are all okay for the key word ‘drown’.

JANUARY Weekend, Keep, Ground, Door, Among, Midnight, Glitter, Highway:  Two Can Keep a Secret--Karen M. McManus

FEBRUARY Lying, Ruin, Alchemy, Hoax, Blind, Chance, Flower, Sound: Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston

MARCH Favorite, Orange, Picture, Broken, Sister, Look, Forget, Fortune: The Orange Blossom Special--Betsy Carter

APRIL  Mirror, Mist, Party, Stray, Light, People, Everlasting, Spell: Sang Spell-Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

MAY Bright, Creek, Letter, Empire, Forever, Emerald, Wreck, Eye: Eye of the Beholder--Jayne Ann Krentz

JUNE Box, Apple, Castle, Fool, Middle, Cold, Flight, Become: Apple Crush--Lucy Knisely

JULY Fall, Sun, Boyfriend, Thousand, Shores, Country, Confession, Society: Distant Shores--Kristin Hannah

AUGUST Matter, Spy, Roof, Missed, Zero, Enchant, Water, Point: Zero Stars, Do Not Recommend--MJ Wassmer

SEPTEMBER Orbit, Hot, Daydream, Endure, Curse, Ice, Decay, Smile: The Girl Who Smiled Beads--Clemantine Wamariya

OCTOBER Prey, Crypt, Hollow, Dreadful, Killer, Hex, Wolf, Lore: Hollow Fields--Madeleine Rosca

NOVEMBER Whistle, Quiet, Bitter, Rising, Strings, Lands, Seven, Song:   

DECEMBER Lemon, Welcome, Bake, Crush, Cafe, Taste, Cat, Kind:

2026 Motif Reading Challenge

 One of my favorites is now up for 2026.

JANUARY- Read Around the Clock  Read a book with a clock on the cover: Just in Time--Marie Bostwick

FEBRUARY- Secrets, Lies, & Schemes Read a book in which the characters are telling lies, keeping secrets, or involved in schemes: Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston

MARCH- Books on the Brain Read a fiction or non-fiction book with a brain-function related theme. This could be memory, processing, mental health, dementia, dreaming, subconsciousness, thinking patterns, intelligence, brain injuries, etc.: This Close to Happy--Daphne Merkin

APRIL- Alliteration Appreciation Read a book with repeating sounds or letters in the title: Sang Spell-Phyllis Reynolds Naylor

MAY- Debut Novels Read an author’s first career published novel: The Last Telegram--Liz Trenow

JUNE- Under the Neon Lights Read a book with neon, electric, and fluorescent colors or typography on the cover: Brown Neon--Raquel Gutierrez 

JULY- Literary Road Trip Read a book that takes place somewhere that is at least 5000 miles from where you currently live: The Last Kashmiri Rose--Barbara Cleverly

AUGUST-  Celestial Covers Read a book with celestial beings on the cover, or as part of the title (stars, comets, planets, galaxies, etc): CatStronauts: Mission Moon--Drew Brockington

SEPTEMBER- Based in Truth Read a book that is based on real-life events: Agent Josephine--Damien Lewis

OCTOBER- Otherworldly Read a book with otherworldly elements or entities in it. This can range from angels and demons to aliens, mythical creatures like elves and dragons, ghosts, magical characters, or any unexplained phenomena: Dragon Night--J.R. Krause

NOVEMBER- Indie Imprints Read a book published by an independent publisher:

DECEMBER- Eats, Treats, & Sweets Read a book with food, candy, or pastries on the cover, or as an integral part of the story: 

Read With Allison’s 2026 Reading Challenge

 Another favorite is now up.

1. Book Released in January (Any Year): The Odious Duke--Barbara Cartland
2. Five Star Prediction: John & Paul: A Love Story in Songs--Ian Leslie
3. Received as a Gift: Enola Holmes: The Case of the Left-Handed Lady--Nancy Springer
4. 2025 Bestseller: Atmosphere--Taylor Jenkins Reid
5. Book Released in February (Any Year): Devil in Winter--Lisa Kleypas
6. Bought Over a Year Ago: Maybe in Another Life--Taylor Jenkins Reid
7. Genre: Romance: Match Me If You Can--Susan Elizabeth Phillips
8. Sweet Treat on the Cover: The year of Pleasures--Elizabeth Berg
9. Released in March (Any Year): Killer Reunion--G.A. McKevett
10. From a Subscription Box:
11. Genre: Fantasy: Tress of the Emerald Sea--Brandon Sanderson
12. Recommended by a Friend or Family Member: Little Pieces of Hope--Todd Doughty & Josie Portillo
13. Features Fresh Beginnings: The Year of Pleasures--Elizabeth Berg
14. Released in April (Any Year): Great Big Beautiful Life--Emily Henry
15. Has a Cover You Love: Palazzo--Danielle Steel
16. Set in a Country You’ve Never Visited: The Librarian of Auschwitz--Antonio Iturbe
17. Genre: Contemporary Fiction: The Reading Group--Elizabeth Noble
18. Released in May (Any Year): The Accidental Bestseller--Wendy Wax
19. Book You’ve Seen Someone With in Public: Sense and Sensibility--Jane Austen
20. Number in the Title: Two Can Keep a Secret--Karen M. McManus
21. Book You Own Multiple Copies of:
22. Released in June (Any Year): Sounds Like Love--Ashley Poston
23. Genre: Thriller: All Your Twisted Secrets--Diana Urban
24. Book With Travel in the Plot: One Italian Summer--Rebecca Serle
25. Cover With No People On It: Just in Time--Marie Bostwick
26. Author Shares Your Initials:
27. Released in July (Any Year): After I Do--Taylor Jenkins Reid
28. Book With Multiple POVs: The Honey-Don't List--Christina Lauren
29. Genre: Sci-Fi: The Fates Divide--Veronica Roth
30. Reread a Favorite Book: The Acorn People--Ron Jones 
31. Released in August (Any Year): Me (Moth)--Amber McBride
32. Six Words in Title: The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy--Mary Lydon Simonsen
33. Next Book in a Series You Need to Continue: The Dream Thieves--Maggie Stiefvater
34. By a 2026 Debut Author:
35. Released in September (Any Year): Red at the Bone--Jacqueline Woodson
36. Genre: Young Adult: The Raven Boys--Maggie Stiefvater
37. Set on an Island: Camino Island--John Grisham
38. Book That Feels Cinematic: The Last Telegram--Liz Trenow
39. Book With a Blue Spine: The Indigo Girl--Natasha Boyd
40. Released in October (Any Year): Dinner For Vampires--Bethany Joy Lenz
41. Genre: Horror: The Brides of High Hill--Nghi Vo
42. Book You Bought on Vacation:
43. Book That Makes You Feel Cozy: Blue Lily, Lily Blue--Maggie Stiefvater
44. Released in November (Any Year):
45. Title Starts With The Letter ‘F’: A Fall of Marigolds--Susan Meissner
46. Book You’ve Been Saving For “The Right Time”: The Cracker Factory--Joyce Rebeta-Burditt
47. Book From Your Most Anticipated List:
48. Released in December (Any Year):
49. 2026 New Release: The Night We Met--Abby Jimenez
50. Genre: Dystopian Fiction: Carve the Mark--Veronica Roth
51. Book With a Positive Message: 50/50--Dean Karnazes
52. Book That Doesn’t Fit The Other 51 Prompts: Breakout--Kate Messner