Duration: 1st April – 30th April 2020
Number of books: 7
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection

POPULAR HOUSEPLANTS
DURATION : April 1 – 30, 2020

Houseplants have made a big comeback lately, fueled in part by increased popularity among millennials. In addition to adding style and color to our décor, they detoxify our air and some have medicinal properties as well. In honor of International Plant Appreciation Day (April 13), this challenge is based on some of today’s most popular houseplants, according to greenfreshflorals.com (where we found all the photos).

THE TASKS

1. Part of the succulent family, the aloe vera plant is good to have around the house. It helps clean the air, and the gel inside the leaves can be helpful for a myriad of things, most notably to ease the pain of burns. The leaves of the plant can grow relatively tall and taper at the end. Each blade has small spikes along the edges and is about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick.
📌 Read enough half step books to equal or exceed 150 pages; tell us how many pages for each book OR a book set in a location beginning with a letter in ALOEVERA; tell us where – Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman (London Below)

2. The dragon tree (Cracaena Marginata) has narrow green leaves with cream and yellow colored stripes running through each. The plant can be as tall as fifteen feet and grows rather fast for the first few years. Although easy to maintain and care for, it is toxic to cats and dogs
📌 Read a book with a main character whose first name begins with a letter in DRAGON; tell us the name OR a book with an intact “15” in its page total; tell us how many pages – The Help by Kathryn Stockett (Aibee)

3. The tall fiddle leaf ficus (Ficus lyrate) is known for its broad lyre-shaped leaves and height. In its native African habitat, the plant can grow as tall as 100 feet, but indoors the fiddle leaf grows in the range of two to ten feet tall.
📌 Read a book with a musical instrument or notation (notes, staff, rests, etc.) on the cover; post the cover OR a book with a character who is described as tall; tell us who – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (Laurie)

4. The giant bird of paradise (strelitzia nicolai) is another tall plant that is a stunner in its natural landscape. The Bird of Paradise looks like a fountain, with its blue-green leaves sprouting from the center. The flowers on this plant have white leaves and blue centers, or tongues.
📌 Read a “giant” book (500 pages or more); tell us how many pages OR a book with a bird name in the title or author name; post a link to the author’s GR page if using that option – Eldest by Christopher Paolini (704 pp.)

5. The low-maintenance Pothos is suggested by experts for the beginning houseplant ‘parent.’ The broad, variegated, heart-shaped leaves run the length of the plant that can extend for many feet if left to grow in the right conditions. It is poisonous to cats, dogs, and even children if ingested but only if done so in large quantities. The sap of the plant can cause allergic reactions in some people.
📌 Read the first book in a series; tell us the series name OR a book by an author who has caused an “adverse reaction” from you in the past; post a link to the author’s GR page – Stormwalker by Allyson James (Stormwalker series)

6. The snake plant (Sansevieria) got its name from the tall and narrow shaped leaves, spotted with white and yellow stripes or shapes, that grow from the center of each plant. This plant is toxic to pets, but on the plus side, it helps detoxify the air.
📌 Read a book in which a named cat or dog plays an important role (not just a pet); tell us the animal’s name and briefly explain the role OR a book in which poison is involved; briefly tell us how – Surrender to the Highlander by Lynsay Sands (Laddie and his relationship to Edith; Edith is poisoned)

7. The ZZ plant (Zamioculcas Zamiifolia), named for its scientific name Zamioculcas Zamiifolia, is often mistaken for an artificial plant due to its waxy coating, oval-shaped leaves, and the way the stem starts off thick at the bottom and tapers to a point at the top.
📌 Read a book by an author whose first or last name begins with Z; post a link to the author’s GR page OR a book with a character who earns his/her living as a scientist; tell us the character and the field – Bones to Ashes by Kathy Reichs (Temperance Brennan, forensic anthropologist)

Duration: 1st April – 30th April 2020
Number of books: 3
Hosted by: Bookworm Bitches

There are 3 tasks, you only need to read three books to finish this challenge. Or pick one task and read 3 books for that one task.

April – Adversity
1. Read a book about a marginalized character (LGBTQ, POC, disability, etc.) – The Help by Kathryn Stockett (POC)
2. Read a book where the character surmounts impossible odds (chosen one, quest, etc.) – Stormwalker by Allyson James (crazy, bitch, demon mother)
3. Read a book that puts you at ease since out whole life is full of adversity at this point – Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Rules
~Books must be read during the selected time period.
~Post the date you finished the book.
~All books read for challenges can be used for more than one challenge.
~Books can be either Fiction or Non Fiction. Your choice.
~At the end of the challenge, it will be closed for commenting and moved to the archives folder
~Use the add book/author tool to tag your book within your challenge.