Wrap-Up of the 2021 Monthly Key Word Reading Challenge

12 books were required for the challenge, one for each month of the year.  I read 15 books however and 11 of the authors were new to me.  They are as follows:

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

The Glass Ocean by Beatriz Williams

The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul

The Lost Ancestor by Nathan Dylan Goodwin

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper

The Girl From Silent Lake by Leslie Wolfe

The Night Away by Jess Ryder

Beneath an Indian Sky by Renita D'Silva

Gone by Sharon A. Mitchell

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

Top Producer by Laura Wolfe

Sweet Tooth Compendium by Jeff Lemire

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

One Night in Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves

Favorite Book:  The Midnight Library

2nd Favorite Book:  Sweet Tooth Compendium

Least Favorite Book:  Thin Air

2022 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge

The Historical Fiction Reading Challenge is my favorite reading challenge.  This year I read 40 books.  There are 3 or 4  more novels that I plan on reading and reviewing before the end of the year.  I am planning a change in my level of participation though.  In 2021 I challenged myself to read 50 books.  I will not be able to meet that challenge.  With over 150 books read during 2021, I want to reduce my reading next year to accommodate work on art projects.  If my hands hold up, I will be able to do more art.  If not, I will be reading much more.

Reading Challenge details

Each month, a new post dedicated to the HF Challenge will be created where you can add the links for the books you have read. To participate, you only have to follow the rules:

Everyone can participate! If you don't have a blog you can post a link to your review if it's posted on Goodreads, Facebook, or Amazon, or you can add your book title and thoughts in the comment section if you wish.  Any sub-genre of historical fiction is accepted (Historical Romance, Historical Mystery, Historical Fantasy, Young Adult, History/Non-Fiction, etc.)

During the following 12 months you can choose one of the different reading levels:

20th Century Reader - 2 books
Victorian Reader - 5 books
Renaissance Reader - 10 books
Medieval - 15 books
Ancient History - 25 books  - this is my challenge level
Prehistoric - 50+ books

To join the challenge you only need to make a post about it, add your link in Mr. Linky in the challenge post.  You can also

 use the challenge hashtag #histficreadingchallenge and join in on the Facebook page.

2022 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

 

The Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge is one of my favorite challenges.  However, I am reducing my challenge level to the Inspector Level where I will read 26-35 books.  In 2021 I signed up at the Special Agent Level where 36-55 books are required to be read.  I read over 150 books this year and want to reduce my reading in 2022.  I am hoping to be able to work on more art projects in my leisure time.

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)

The challenge facebook group is still up and running.  Here’s the group’s link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/350512171977943/. It’s a closed group.  There will be a monthly link-up so we can see what everyone’s reading – and probably add some to our own tbr lists. At the halfway mark and at the end there will be a giveaway for those participating.

Please continue to use the hashtag #CloakDaggerChal.

Levels:

5-15 books – Amateur sleuth

16-25 books – Detective

26-35 books – Inspector - This is my challenge level

36 – 55 – Special agent

56+ books – Sherlock Holmes 

Wrap-Up of the 2021 New Release Reading Challenge

I signed up to read 30 books for this challenge and I more then met the challenge by reading 55 books.  23 of them were mysteries, 13 were historical fiction, 10 were graphic novels and the rest were about politics, science, and Amish fiction.  28 of the authors were new (to me.) Here is what I read:

Now and Then Stab by Anna Castle

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

Deliberate Duplicity by David Rohlfing

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

The Wedding by Ruth Heald

The Grand Odalisque by Ruppert and Mullet

Women Discoverers by Marie Monard

One Perfect Grave by Stacy Green

Freiheit by Andrea Grosso Ciponte

The Girl in the Painting by Tea Cooper

The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson

The Cartiers by Francesca Cartier Brickell

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba by Chanel Cleeton

Portrait of Peril by Laura Joh Rowland

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

Play Dead by Ted Dekker

The Night Gate by Peter May

The Perfect Daughter by Daniel Palmer

China by Edward Rutherford

The Bombay Prince by Sujata Massey

The Fourth of July by Cami Checkouts

Gone by Sharon Mitchell

Return to the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter

The Secret Keeper of Jaipur by Alka Joshi

The Cellist by Daniel Silva

Dominus by Steven Saylor

Factory Summers by Guy DeLisle

Rebecca & Lucie by Pascal Girard

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan Erskine

The Dying Day by Vaseem Khan

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett

Peril by Bob Woodward

The Good Death by S. D. Sykes

The Tenant by Keith Ververka

Berlin and Betrayal by Susan Finley

COVID Chronicles by Ethan Sacks

Home by Julio Anta

The Beginning by Beverly Lewis

A Tapestry of Light by Kimberly Duffy

The French House by Helen Fripp

Menorca Sketchbook by Graham Byfield

The Widow Queen by Elzbieta Cherezinska

Defending Britta Stein by  Ronald Balson

The Rabbi's Wife the Bishop's Wife by David Jacobson

The Waiting by Keum Suk Gentry-Kim

The Flower Boat Girl by Larry Feign

Prayers of the Dead by Priscilla Royal

Master Wycliffe's Summons by Mel Starr

Tunnels by Rutu Modan

The All Nighter by Chip Zdarsky and Jason Loo

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

Anticipation by Melodie Winawer

Favorite Book:  China

2nd Favorite Book:  Defending Britta Stein

Least Favorite Book:  The Flower Boat Girl (a vulgar historical fiction novel. Yuck!)

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge

I signed up to read between 36 and 55 books in 2021 and I met the challenge by reading 50 mysteries.  18 of the authors were new to me. Here is what I read:

Death and the Maiden by Ariana Franklin

Plaid & Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

The Girls in the Snow by Stacy Green

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

Piece of my Heart by Mary Higgins Clark

With No One as Witness by Elizabeth George

Followed by Helen Macie Osterman

One by One by Ruth Ware

Now and Then Stab by Anna Castle

In a Dark, Dark Wood by Ruth Ware

Deliberate Duplicity by David Rohlfing

In the Blood by Steve Robinson

The Wedding by Ruth Heald

One Perfect Grave by Stacy Green

Raven Black by Ann Sleeves

The Lost Ancestor by Gill Paul

The Easter Sepulchre by Mel Starr

My Sister's Grave by Robert Durian

The Girl From Silent Lake by Leslie Wolfe

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Moonlight Child by Karen McQuestion

Play Dead by Ted Dekker

The Night Gate by Peter May

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Perfect Daughter by D. J. Palmer

Loch Down Abbey by Beth Cowan

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

One Night in Tehran by Luana Ehrlich

The Fire Thief by Debra Bokur

The Fourth of July by Cami Checketts

Gone by Sharon Mitchell

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The Cellist by Daniel Silva

The September Society by Charles Finch

Viral by Robin Cook

Top Producer by Leslie Wolfe

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs

An Untidy Death by Simon Brett

Murder on the Metro by Margaret Truman

The Last Odyssey by James Rollins

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

The Good Death by S. D. Sykes

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

Thin Air by Ann Cleeves

The Tenant by Keith Veverka

Master Wycliffe's Summons by Mel Starr

Prayers of the Dead by Priscilla Royal

Roses Are Red by Miranda Rijks

Favorite Book:  The September Society

2nd Favorite Book:  Hemlock

Least Favorite Book:  Thin Air

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Calendar of Crime Reading Challenge

12 books were required for the challenge, one for each month of the year.  I read 14 and 5 of the authors were new to me.

The Girls in the Snow by Stacy Green

Piece of My Heart by Mary Higgins Clark

Murder at Malabar House by Vaseem Khan

The Easter Sepulchre by Mel Starr

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

Murder in Venice by Maria Luisa Minarelli

The Marriage Clock by Zara Raheem

The Fourth of July by Cami Checketts

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The September Society by Charles Finch

The End of October by Lawrence Wright

Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

My Sister's Grave by Robert Deign

Favorite Book:  The September Society

Second Favorite Book:  Murder in Venice

Least Favorite Book:  The Fourth of July

The Walk

The Walk is TKO Short Limited Edition #9.  It was written by Michael Moreci and was published in September 2021. The story opens with Alice and her team of aquatic explorers setting out to determine what lies beneath the Atlantic Ocean. Their mission is to cool the planet. While the team is stationed at the Midnight Zone, 2000 meters below the surface, their supplies begin to run out. In order to survive they begin a dangerous 300 meter walk to the abandoned Aqua One Station where they hope to scavenge supplies. However, they encounter strange features under the ocean. The water becomes darker as they journey across the sea floor and they come across a few before unknown creatures.  

While this is a compelling story, the artwork encouraged me to read on. The aquanauts were dressed in astronaut ensembles which I thought was pretty cool. I guess both space and ocean are dark and cold necessitating the same type of apparel. The linework was shaded to make everything feel claustrophobic, showing the desperation that the characters felt. There are a few red and purple pages but the scheme mainly reflects being underwater with the use of green and blue. I learned a few things too about ocean exploration so the comic was also educational for me.

5 out of 5 stars.

Anticipation

 

I have been looking forward to reading Melodie Winawer's 2nd novel for awhile. Her 2017 The Scribe of Siena was my book of the year in 2017. However, Anticipation was a difficult read. It is not only historical fiction but also romance and supernatural. There are 3 alternating plots going back and forth from 1259 Mystras, 1259 France and July 2015. I found the 2015 plot line to be the most interesting, not a good thing for a historical novel. 

The publisher's summary:

After the death of her beloved husband and becoming a single parent to her nine year old son Alexander, overworked scientist Helen desperately needs an escape.  So when Alexander proposes a trip to Greece - somewhere he's always dreamed of visiting - Helen quickly agrees.  After spending several days exploring the tourist filled streets, they stumble upon the ancient city of Mystras and are instantly drawn to it.  Its only resident is Elias, a mysterious tour guide living on the city's edges...both physically and temporally.  

In 1237, Elias's mother promised his eternal service to the Profitis Ilias in Mystras in exchange for surviving a terrible illness.  But during his 800 years of labor, he's had one common enemy:  the noble Lusignan family.  The Lusignan line is cursed by a deadly disease that worsens with each generation, and a prophecy hints that Elias's blood is their only hope for a cure.  He has managed to survive throughout the centuries, but the line has dwindled down to the last Lusignan and he is desperate to avert his family's destiny.

When Elias runs into Helen, he meets his match for the first time - but he unwittingly puts both her and her young son in danger as a result.  With time running out and an enemy after them, Elias and Helen are forced to choose between the city they love, and each other. 

I did not enjoy this novel. I had high expectations because of Scribe but I couldn't get interested in the story. While it was impeccably researched, there were too many details to keep track of and all of those lengthy Greek names were hard to read. However, there is a ton of Greek history here for the reader who likes this. In at least one of the alternating plots the author wrote in the thoughts of a character who belonged in a secondary plot. I was seriously confused. 

Although Anticipation has received top reviews it just didn't do anything for me. 2 out of 5 stars.

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Cruisin' Through the Cozies Challenge

I signed up to read 10 books for this challenge.  I met the challenge with 18 books! Here they are:

The Hawaiian Discovery by Wanda Brunstetter

Plaid and Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

Haunted Hibiscus by Laura Childs

The French Paradox by Ellen Crosby

Followed by Helen Macie Oysterman

Killer Deadline by Lauren Carr

The Blended Quilt by Wanda Brunstetter

Persian Perpetrator by Katherine Hay-don

Peaches and Schemes by Anna Gerard

The Amish Quilter's Unexpected Baby by Jennifer Beckstrand

Return to the Big Valley by Wanda Brunstetter

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

Loch Down Abbey by  Beth Cowan-Erskine

Hemlock by Susan Wittig Albert

Twisted Tea Christmas by Laura Childs

The Beginning by Beverly Lewis

Turkey Trot Murder by Leslie Meier

A Lancaster Family Christmas by Kate Lloyd

Favorite Book:  Hemlock

Second Favorite Book:  Twisted Tea Christmas 

Least Favorite Book:  Plaid and Plagiarism

7 of the authors were new to me. It's interesting that 5 of the books are Amish fiction and that 3 of them were written by Wanda Brustetter. I didn't start out expecting to read Amish fiction but it worked out that way.  I have lost some of my enthusiasm for cozies but still read favorite authors Susan Wittig Albert, Laura Childs, Cleo Coyle and Ellen Crosby.  I began reading some new authors but couldn't become interested in them and gave up. I have always enjoyed Amish fiction and, frankly, could not complete the challenge without them.

Wrap-Up of the 2021 Color Coded Reading Challenge

The Color Coded Reading Challenge requires a participant to read 9 books with either the book title or book cover being blue, red, yellow, green, brown, black, white, any other color, or an image that implies color, such as polka dot.  I had the challenge completed early in the year but waited until December to read my last entry.  Here is what I read:

Plaid & Plagiarism by Molly MacRae

A Yellow House by Karien Van Ditzhuizen

Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara

Raven Black by Ann Cleeves

White Ivy by Susie Yang

Ice Blue by Emma Jameson

The Murder of Emma Brown by Rod Kackley

The Woman in the Green Dress by Tea Cooper

Roses are Red by Miranda Rijks

Favorite Book:  White Ivy

2nd Favorite Book:  Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line

Least Favorite Book:  Plaid and Plagiarism

All of these authors were new to me, which is rather cool. It's not every reading challenge that forces you to look for something new.  I believe that is the brilliance of the color coded challenge.  

Roses are Red

Roses Are Red is a gripping psychological thriller that will keep you up all night. I was a little scared after finishing the book because our protagonist was a trusting person who almost got killed by 2 of the closest people to her. Lydia's close calls with her husband and a girlfriend just shows that you shouldn't take everything people tell you at face value. Sometimes it's good to do a little research for your own peace of mind.

The publisher's summary:  

"Lydia Palmer seems to have it all - a thriving business, a beautiful house, a picture perfect husband and two wonderful kids.  But things are different behind closed doors - Lydia is desperately unhappy and wants a divorce. Then, shockingly, her husband Adam dies. When her grief eases, Lydia starts online dating and almost immediately meets Patrick. Handsome, successful, loving, he'll make the perfect second husband. But is Patrick too good to be true?  Can you really find prince charming online? These are questions Lydia is forced to ask when her world begins to collapse. First, the police say Adam may have been murdered.  Then her daughter turns against her, her business disintegrates... Lydia is convinced that someone is trying to destroy her happiness.  She's wrong.  They want so much more than that..."

To say that this was a gripping story is quite an understatement. The author had me guessing all along on how the novel would end. I was surprised by the ending but shouldn't have been.  It would have been easy to figure this one out but the author ended each chapter with a cliff hanger. It could have been story action, a twist and turn, or just a character's inner dialogue but it kept me reading. I just did not know how each twist was going to turn out. 

There is a moral to this story for women who are desperately seeking love. It is always best to discuss with friends and family your forays into online dating. There are always warnings but to get a nudge from someone who loves you is the best way to avoid disaster. 

A great read!  5 out of 5 stars.

A Lancaster Family Christmas

A Lancaster Family Christmas is a feel good holiday story about a Mennonite family and a city girl. Diana Manzella agrees to take an out of town trip with co-worker Betsy Yoder to visit the Yoder family in Lancaster County. Diana is an only child who comes from a family with distant parents.  She muses that her parents do not even know what subject she majored in during college. When Diana arrives in Amish Country she discovers that their world is completely different from her own on the Upper East Side of New York City. She isn't sure that she can make it through the weekend. However, Diana is fascinated by the huge homes and buggies but takes note that these families get along and have huge home cooked meals every day. This, too, is vastly different from her parent's household.  Diana also notices Betsy's brother Brett and his Amish friend Jesse.  She is attracted to both of them even though she knows nothing can come of a relationship with either of them because of their religious faith.

The food alone that Betsy's mother cooks will get you in the holiday spirit. It is hard to believe that there are women in the world who spend that much time in the kitchen. They seem to have limitless energy.  A Lancaster Family Christmas is a good book to start the holiday season with.  I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

2022 Nonfiction Reader Challenge

I am rejoining the Nonfiction Reader Challenge next year. I am rather anxious about finding nonfiction books to read as I gave up reading them a few years ago. My interest has waned over the years but I was really happy with the books I read in 2021.  Thus, I am joining as a Nonfiction Grazer and plan on reading 6 books.

The Rules:

1)    You can select, read and review a book from the categories listed below during the year for a total of up to 12 books; OR select, read and review any nonfiction book. A book may be in print, electronic or audio format.

                        Choose a goal:

Nonfiction Nipper: Read & review 3 books, from any 3 listed categories

Nonfiction Nibbler: Read & review 6 books, from any 6 listed categories

Nonfiction Nosher: Read & review 12 books, one for each category

OR

Nonfiction Grazer: Read & review any nonfiction book. Set your own goal

2)    You can choose your books as you go or create a list in advance. You may combine this challenge with others if you wish. Use your best good faith judgement as to whether a book fits the category or not.

3)    Where a book is identified by more than one category, it may only count for one, not both.

4)    You can read your chosen titles in any order, at any pace, just aim to complete the challenge by December 31st 2022

5)    Create a blog post committing to your participation in this challenge.  If you don’t have a blog you are still welcome to sign up. You can create a shelf for the challenge at Goodreads or LibraryThing, post via Instagram, or Twitter. Just add your name and a link to your shelf/account in the sign-up.

6)    The challenge will run from January 1st to December 31st 2022. Participants may join at any time up until December 1st 2022

CATEGORIES

1. Social History

2. Popular Science

3. Language

4. Medical Memoir

5. Climate/Weather

6. Celebrity

7. Reference

8. Geography

9. Linked to a podcast

10. Wild Animals

11. Economics

12. Published in 2022