Category Archives: Challenges

Elizabeth Taylor’s Marriages

Duration: 1st October – 31st October 2019
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

Elizabeth Taylor’s Marriages
Duration: October 1- October 31, 2019
Source: Wikipedia

Elizabeth Taylor was a British-American actress, who is known as one of Hollywood’s greatest female screen legends. Other than her beauty (she had dark hair and eyes so blue they appeared violet surrounded by dark double eyelashes), she was most known for her many marriages.

1. Elizabeth Taylor was 18 when she married Conrad “Nicky” Hilton Jr., heir to the Hilton Hotels chain, at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Beverly Hills on May 6, 1950. MGM studios organized the large and expensive wedding, which became a major media event. In the weeks after their wedding, Taylor realized that she had made a mistake; not only did she and Hilton have few interests in common, but he was also abusive and a heavy drinker. She was granted a divorce in January 1951, eight months after their wedding.
-Read a book in which the main character has a nickname; tell us the nickname OR read a book whose author’s first or last name starts with M or G.IT by Stephen King (Big Bill)

2. Taylor married her second husband, British actor Michael Wilding – a man 20 years her senior – in a low-key ceremony at Caxton Hall in London on February 21, 1952. She had first met him in 1948 while filming The Conspirator in England, and their relationship began when she returned to film Ivanhoe in 1951. Taylor found their age gap appealing, as she wanted “the calm and quiet and security of friendship” from their relationship; he hoped that the marriage would aid his career in Hollywood. They had two sons. As Taylor grew older and more confident in herself, she began to drift apart from Wilding, whose failing career was also a source of marital strife. When she was away filming Giant in 1955, a gossip magazine caused a scandal by claiming that he had entertained strippers at their home. Taylor and Wilding announced their separation in the summer of 1956, and were divorced in 1957.
– Read a book in which a couple has a greater than 10 year age gap; tell us the ages OR read a book which was originally published in February, any year; tell us the original publication date.Working for the Devil by Lilith Saintcrow (Dante is approximately late 20s. Jaf is 100s of years old)

3. Taylor married her third husband, theater and film producer Mike Todd, in Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico, on February 2, 1957. They had one daughter. Todd, known for publicity stunts, encouraged the media attention to their marriage; for example, in June 1957, he threw a birthday party at Madison Square Garden, which was attended by 18,000 guests and broadcast on CBS. His death in a plane crash on March 22, 1958, left Taylor devastated.
-Read a book in which a party takes place; tell us the circumstances OR read a book with a page count containing the number “18”; tell us the page numbers.The Falconer by Elizabeth May (the many balls which Alieana is forced to attend)

4. She was comforted by Todd’s and her friend, singer Eddie Fisher, with whom she soon began an affair. As Fisher was still married to actress Debbie Reynolds, the affair resulted in a public scandal, with Taylor being branded a “homewrecker”. Taylor and Fisher were married at the Temple Beth Sholom in Las Vegas on May 12, 1959; she later stated that she married him only due to her grief. While filming Cleopatra in Italy in 1962, Taylor began an affair with her co-star, Welsh actor Richard Burton, although Burton was also married. Rumors about the affair began to circulate in the press, and were confirmed by a paparazzi shot of them on a yacht in Ischia. Taylor was granted a divorce from Fisher on March 6, 1964, in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco, Mexico.
-Read a book in which there is a rebound affair; explain the circumstances OR read a book in which the title starts with a letter in HOMEWRECKER; disregard A, An and The.A Veiled Deception by Annette Blair (Justin’s parents’ marriage)

5. She married Richard Burton nine days after her divorce from Todd in a private ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton Montreal. Taylor and Burton starred together in 11 films, and led a jet-set lifestyle. They divorced for the first time in June 1974, but reconciled, and remarried in Kasane, Botswana, on October 10, 1975. The second marriage lasted less than a year, ending in divorce in July 1976.
Read a book in which the main character lives a jet-set lifestyle (spends a lot of money and travels a lot) OR read a book that takes place in a country other than the US; tell us the country.African Myths & Tales by Flame Tree Studio

6. Soon after her final divorce from Burton, Taylor met her sixth husband, John Warner, a Republican politician from Virginia. They were married on December 4, 1976, after which Taylor concentrated on working for his electoral campaign. Once Warner had been elected to the Senate, she started to find her life as a politician’s wife in Washington, D. C. boring and lonely, becoming depressed, overweight, and increasingly addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol. Taylor and Warner separated in December 1981, and divorced a year later in November 1982.
– Read a book which includes a politician character; tell us who OR read a book with an alcoholic beverage on the cover; show us the cover.

7. After the divorce from Warner, Taylor dated actor Anthony Geary, and was engaged to Mexican lawyer Victor Luna in 1983–1984, and New York businessman Dennis Stein in 1985. She met her seventh – and last – husband, construction worker Larry Fortensky, at the Betty Ford Center in 1988. They were married at the Neverland Ranch of her long-time friend Michael Jackson on October 6, 1991. The wedding was again subject to intense media attention, with one photographer parachuting to the ranch and Taylor selling the wedding pictures to People magazine for $1 million, which she used to start her AIDS foundation. Taylor and Fortensky divorced in October 1996.
-Read a book in which the main character is divorced OR read a book whose publisher’s name starts with a letter in AIDS; tell us the publisher’s name.The Last Black Unicorn by Tiffany Haddish

Lifelong Learning

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
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.

September

1. Read a nonfiction book – The Last Rhinos by Lawrence Anthony
2. Read a book with a number in the title
3. Read an intimidating read (an intimidating read could be a long book, a book you’ve hyped up, an emotional or controversial read, a book you’ve been putting off, a book from a genre you don’t usually read, a classic, or any book you’ve found reasons not to pick up) – The High Lord by Trudi Canavan (642 pp.)

Historic September

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

7/7

A number of historical events, both good and bad, small and large, have occurred in the month of September over the years, with just a few of them listed here. Choose 7 of these events and complete the related tasks. You MUST CHOOSE your tasks when signing up.

1. Mary Had a Little Lamb was first published on September 1, 1830.
Read a book with a primarily white cover (show us the cover).The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

2. Germany invades Poland, starting World War II, on 9/2/39.
Read a book set during World War II.

3. George Eastman received a patent for roll film and trademarked the name Kodak on September 4, 1888.
Read a book whose title starts with a letter in KODAK (disregard A, An, The).

4. Also on 9/4, ten-year old Barney Flaherty became the first newspaper carrier in 1833.
Read a book that is 10th in a series (tell us the series).

5. On September 5, 1698, Russian Czar Peter the Great imposed a tax on beards. 
Read a book with a bearded man on the cover (show us the cover).The Mammoth Book of Celtic Myths and Legends by Peter Berresford Ellis

6. Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s baseball iron man record by playing in his 2,131st game on 9/6/95.
Read a book with “21” or “31” intact in the total page count (tell us how many pages).

7. September 7, 1921: the first Miss America beauty pageant was held in Atlantic City, NJ.
Read a book with a lone woman on the cover (show us the cover). – mhttps://earthandskye.org/2019/10/01/my-favorite-witch-by-annette-blair/

8. Star Trek premiered on television on 9/8/66.
Read a book with PARANORMAL or SCIENCE FICTION on the main genre page.No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

9. 9/11/01: Islamic Al-Qaeda militants flew planes into NYC’s twin World Trade Towers and the Pentagon.
Read a book with a man-made disaster as part of the plot (briefly tell us what, using spoiler tags if necessary).Illuminae by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff

10. September 12, 1953 was the day future President John F. Kennedy married Jacqueline Bouvier. 
Read a book that includes a wedding.Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

11. Francis Scott-Key composed the lyrics to The Star Spangled Banner on September 14, 1814.
Read a book in which music plays an important part.

12. In sports, Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in a battle of the sexes tennis match, 9/20/73.
Read a book with some sort of competition (briefly tell us what).Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta (Josie and Ivy are in constant competition with each other)

Vampire Academy

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description
Vampire Academy

Time to get back to school for another year in Vampire Academy.

Duration 
September 1st to 30th

Rules 
Complete at least 2 tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
You must read a different book for each task

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♱ Class: Advanced Guardian Combat Techniques 
Read a book with a kick-ass chick or with a battle – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

♱ Class: Ancient Poetry 
Read a book tagged historical or with an ancient character – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

♱ Class: Basics of Elemental Control 
Read a book with fae characters or someone with elemental abilities – Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

♱ Class: Culinary Science 
Read a book with food on the cover or a cozy mystery

♱ Class: Senior Language Arts 
Read a book originally written in a language other than English or where a character travels – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

♱ Class: Slavic Art 
Read a book with red or gold on the cover or with a single woman on the cover – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

Monthly Challenge – September 2019

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 11
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

retro-fonts

Duration
Starts: September 1
Ends: September 30

How It Works
Ten books each month is a lot, so there will be 5 different levels. So pick which level you want to do and that’s how many items you will need to check off.

Levels:
Transitional – 2 books
Fledgling – 4 books
Vampire – 6 books
Master – 8 books
Vampire King or Queen – 10 books

Tasks
1. Classical music month/ national piano month- read a book where music is important or has a musician in it

2. 12th National video game day- read a book with something to do with gaming or the IT ( computer) industry Sucker Bet by Erin McCarthy (casino gaming)

3. 25th national comic book day- read a book with a superhero (your interpretation) in it or read a comic book/graphic novel or mangaHaven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda

4. 21st Miniature golf day-read a book where sports is important or has an athlete characterMy Favorite Witch by Annette Blair

5. 21st International Red Panda day- read a book where animals are important or the cover has red on itFantasy by Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger

6. Back to school-read a book with characters who are teachers/students or set in schoolThe High Lord by Trudi Canavan

7. 15th Agatha Christie’s birthday- Read a book set in England or tagged mystery

8. 10th Sewing machine day – read a book that has to do with sewing or the fashion industry (including crochet/knitting)The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair

9. Fight procrastination day- read a book you’ve been putting off for awhile or read a book by a new to you authorSpinning Silver by Naomi Novik

10. 16th National Play doh day- read a book that has an artist MC or that art is importantThe Incredible Adventures of Cinnamon Girl by Melissa Keil

11. Bonus Task 6th read a book day-read any book you wantNo Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren

Cosplay Cuties – September 2019

Duration: 1st September – 30th September 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description

Collect a Cosplay Cutie each month by completing at least 2 tasks out of a set of 6.
A new set of tasks with a new doll will be posted each month.

The dolls you collect will be in your Vampire Heart thread. Don’t have a thread? You can still do the challenge if you want 🙂

Rules 
One book per task.
No minimum page count.
Complete at least two tasks to get the doll.

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September 
1. Read a book with magic users in the story. – No Rest for the Witches by MaryJanice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren
2. Read a book with a dress on the cover. – The Scot, the Witch and the Wardrobe by Annette Blair
3. Read a book with the word ‘broom’ in the text. – My Favorite Witch by Annette Blair
4. Read a book with an immortal character. – Haven by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda
5. Read a book with demons. – First Blood by Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe
6. Read a book with cat shifters.

Cosplay Cuties – August 2019

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

description

Collect a Cosplay Cutie each month by completing at least 2 tasks out of a set of 6.
A new set of tasks with a new doll will be posted each month.

The dolls you collect will be in your Vampire Heart thread. Don’t have a thread? You can still do the challenge if you want 🙂

Rules 
One book per task.
No minimum page count.
Complete at least two tasks to get the doll.

 photo heart 2_zpshqyjfjnf.png
description

August 
1. Read a book that begins with a letter in PIRATE.
2. Read a book you find humorous or far-fetched. – American Gods by Neil Gaiman
3. Read a book with a shapeshifter in the story.
4. Read a book with a sea voyage in the story.
5. Read a book from a series with at least 5 books published. – One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
6. Read a book with blue on the cover. – Eragon by Christopher Paolini

Romance Awareness Month

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2019
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

In honour of Romance Awareness month this August we decided to celebrate the classic romance book cover.

Duration
August 1st – 31st

Rules
Complete at least 2 tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
You must read a different book for each task

description

♥ Read a book with time travel or vikings – Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn
♥ Read a book written by Sandra Hill or that begins with a letter from her name – American Gods by Neil Gaiman

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♥ Read a book tagged historical romance or set in New Orleans
♥ Read a book written by Caroline Bourne or that begins with a letter from her name – Bloody Valentine by James Patterson

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♥ Read a book with a Scottish character or with a blue cover – Eragon by Christopher Paolini
♥ Read a book written by Sara Bennett or that begins with a letter from her name

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♥ Read a book set in New York or with a naked chest on the cover
♥ Read a book written by Johanna Lindsey or that begins with a letter from her name – One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Monthly Challenge – August 2019

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2019
Number of books: 11
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

◈ Duration 
Starts: August 1st
Ends: August 31st

• How It Works 
Ten books each month is a lot, so there will be 5 different levels. So pick which level you want to do and that’s how many items you will need to check off.

• Levels :
Transitional – 2 books
Fledgling – 4 books
Vampire – 6 books
Master – 8 books
Vampire King or Queen – 10 books

1. Lemonade
This month we celebrate national lemonade day. With it’s delicious and refreshing taste, it’s not hard to see why this drink has become such a summertime favorite.
Read a book with a drink on the cover, or with a sweet or tart character.

2. Another Dimension
The weather has gone topsy turvy and nothing is as it should be. People are bewildered and can’t make heads or tails of it. We have officially entered The Twilight Zone.
Read a Science Fiction book or a book that has a different dimension.

3. Beach Bum
It’s that time of year where we all head to the coast to sit back, relax, and enjoy a good book while lounging about on the beach. Yes, nothing quite says summer like getting sand in places where it shouldn’t be.
Read a book while your at the beach, that has water on the cover, or any other book that would be perfect to read while at the beach.Valkyrie by Kate O’Hearn

4. In the Glade
During the night when the moon shines bright, fae of the summer court come out to sing and dance and cause mischief. Have some fun and join them in their revelry. But whatever you do, don’t eat the food! 
Read a book that has fae in it, or a character who is hard to read.

5. Road Trip
Pack up your stuff and toss it in the car, it’s time for a road trip! Let’s see the sights, enjoy the beautiful scenery, and experience new things. Read a book where the characters go on an adventure, or if there is lots of driving in the story.American Gods by Neil Gaiman

6. The Shadows
For us pale folk the sun is our bane. It hurts our eyes, burns our skin and turns us into a vibrant shade of lobster. The only safe place to hide is in the dark. Stick to the shadows! 
Read a book about vampires or other creatures that are sensitive to daylight. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

7. Wipe Out
With the sun blazing high in the sky it’s easy to feel exhausted and out of it. The warmth just leeches all your energy until ya got no oomph. To beat the heat, read a book when it’s really hot outside as a form of escapism, or read a book that takes place during the winter.

8. It’s Alive!
The ever famous author, Merry Shelley, was born on August 30th of 1797. To pay homage to such a legend, read a book with a monster in it, or read a book that begins with any letter in the word Frankenstein.Bloody Valentine by James Patterson

9. Smokin’
While the weather is hot and humid, scaled beasties come out to play for the warm air encourages dragons to journey forth and mingle with mortals. 
Read a book that has dragons in it, or a hot and steamy love affair.Eragon by Christopher Paolini

10. Berry Picking
Fresh sweet berries are aplenty in the warm summer months. Weather eaten fresh or put in a dessert, they are a delightfully scrumptious treat!
Read a book with fruit on the cover, with a berry colored cover, or with an especially fruity character.

11. – BONUS BOOK: SPF
With all the outdoor activities going on in August it’s imperative to wear a good sunscreen. Don’t leave the house without it ladies. You’ll regret it if you do! 
Read a book from a genre that begins with one of the letters in the word SPF.

Lefties

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2019
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

Let’s hear it for the Southpaws!! Read on to learn some interesting facts, theories, and trivia for this minority.

2/7 Complete

1. International Left-Handers Day is held annually every August 13th. It was founded by the Left-Handers Club in 1992, with the club itself having been founded in 1990.
🖐 Read a book that was originally published in the 1990’s; tell us when OR read a book that is 13th in a series; tell us the series name OR read a book whose author’s middle initial may be found in CLUB (the middle initial must be listed in GoodReads).

2. Left-handedness is far less common than right-handedness. Studies suggest that 10-15% of the world population is left-handed. Handedness does not appear to be a directly inherited trait such as eye or hair color but is associated with certain DNA sequences.
🤚 Read a book with “LEFT” or “RIGHT” in its title (does not have to stand alone) OR read a book between #10 – #15 on your TBR, sorted anyway you choose OR read a book in which a character inherits an obvious trait or illness from one of their ancestors (the book should make a point of stating “x” was inherited from “y”). – One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost (Cat inherited her strength and abilities from her father)

3. There have been eight presidents who have been lefties, including James A. Garfield, Herbert Hoover, Harry S Truman, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama.
🖐 Read a book with an “8” in its total page count; tell us how many pages OR read a biography about any US President OR read a book by an author who has the same initials as any of the eight left-handed presidents (you may ignore middle initials, but first / last initials must be an exact match).

4. Ancient Romans are to thank for the placement of wedding bands on the left hand. They believed that a “lover’s vein” connected the fourth finger on the left hand to the heart.
🤚 Read a book in which a wedding occurs OR read a book marked romance OR read a book that takes place during the Roman Empire.

5. The term “southpaw” can be traced back to the 1880s when Chicago Daily Newssportsreporter Finley Peter Dunne used the term while covering the then-named Chicago White Stockings games. Dunne was known for giving colorful play-by-play and when a left-handed pitcher came on the field, he described him as a “southpaw.” Since the ballpark faced east and west, home plate was west and a left-hander would pitch from the south with his “paw.” 
🖐 Read a book featuring a reporter of any kind OR read a book in which characters attend a baseball game OR read a book that takes place in Chicago. 

6. The concept that lefties are more creative has been debunked. But newer studies show some advantages for left-handers. One of which is that left-handers perform tasks that involve the use of their hands better than right-handed people. Lefties also learn to be more ambidextrous than righties, often because they have to in order to function in a predominantly right-handed world.
🤚 Read a book in which the main character’s hands are absolutely essential to make a living (i.e. a pianist, a potter) OR read a book in which the first letter of each title word may be found in AMBIDEXTROUS (a, an, the DO count; 3 word minimum) OR read a book in which a character is specifically described as being left-handed; tell us who.

7. Studies found that left-handed people have a lower prevalence of arthritis and ulcers. Researchers believe it’s related to the underlying DNA that creates left-handedness. Another bonus for lefties in the medical arena is that they would recover faster if they were to suffer from a stroke or other brain-related injury. The cognitive functions are spread out in the brains of lefties, which means that in theory, when they have a stroke (which is typically concentrated to a small area of the brain), less of their cognitive functioning will be affected.
🖐 Read a book in which a character is suffering from any type of medical ailment; tell us what it is OR read a book featuring a medical professional OR read a book that requires quite a bit of cognitive functioning (i.e. heavy subject matter, difficult text). – Eragon by Christopher Paolini (it’s an intense story, and one that has a whole new language in it)