Duration: 1st March – 31st March
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

We all love to read, and most of us like to talk about the books we’ve read too. And sometimes it helps to see what other people are reading, in order to choose your next book or climb out of a reading slump.

Each month, we offer two spots where we can discuss what we’ve read and share what books we are looking forward to. You can find them in the Book Talk section.

Reading Recap 
1. Read a book that you would recommend to someone – or – a book that you gave a 4-star or 5-star rating to (tell us the rating and a brief explanation of why). – The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

2. Read a book that is a re-read for you – or – a book that helped you finish a challenge (tell us which challenge, doesn’t have to be at CCC). – Masques by Patricia Briggs

3. Read a book with two words in the title that start with the same letter (disregard A, An, The, and And) – or – a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter. – Through the Tiger’s Eye by Kerrie O’Connor

Anticipation 
4. Read a book that was recently published (within the last 3 months–tell us when) – or – a book with a lot of buzz about it (tell us where you heard about it).

5. Read a book that you’ve been waiting for (from your library’s waiting list, something that you’ve requested as a gift, something you borrowed, etc.) – or – a book that did not quite live up to your expectations (briefly, tell us how). – The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance edited by Trisha Telep

6. Read a book whose title starts with “A” (disregard A, An, The) – or – a book whose author’s LAST name starts with “A”.

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

What would the world be like today if the strong women of years past hadn’t had the courage or the motivation to explore new horizons? International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8 every year. It commemorates the movement for women’s rights. Here is a small sampling of women who have been instrumental in improving the world in some way.

1. Sappho – One of the first known female writers, she lived around 570 BCE. Plato referred to Sappho as one of the great 10 poets. She is known for her lyric poetry, written to be sung and accompanied by a lyre. Most of her poetry is now lost, and what exists has survived only in fragmentary form, except for one complete poem – the “Ode to Aphrodite.”
* Read a book of poetry (must be at least 150 pages) – or – a book with a one-word title. – Masques by Patricia Briggs

2. Florence Nightingale – As a British nurse serving in the Crimean War in the 1850’s, Florence Nightingale was instrumental in changing the role and perception of the nursing profession. Her dedication won widespread admiration and led to a significant improvement in the treatment of wounded soldiers.
* Read a book with a main character who is a nurse (no other medical professional) – or – a book with WAR on its main GR genre page. – The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

3. Amelia Earhart – An early American aviation pioneer and author, she is most known for being the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. She also set many other records and wrote best-selling books about her flying experiences. During an attempt to make a circumnavigational flight of the globe in 1937, Earhart disappeared over the Pacific Ocean.
* Read a book in which a character disappears (is abducted, gets lost, etc.) – or – a book with a character who is a pilot (male or female). – Through the Tiger’s Eye by Kerrie O’Connor

4. Sacagawea – A member of the Lemhi Shoshone tribe, she and her trader husband Toussaint Charbonneau met Lewis and Clark while the explorers visited among the Mandan and Hidatsa tribes of North Dakota. She served as an interpreter and a guide. With her help, the newly acquired territories of the West were explored and mapped, a crucial step in maintaining the United States’ claim to them.
* Read a book with a Native American character – or – a book set in a state bordering the Missouri River in western U.S. (Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, or Missouri).

5. Eleanor Roosevelt – She was the wife and political aide of American president Franklin D. Roosevelt. In her own right Eleanor made a significant contribution to the field of human rights, a topic she campaigned upon throughout her life. As head of the U.N. human rights commission she helped to draft the 1948 U.N. declaration of human rights.
* Read a book written by or about a first lady of the United States (either fiction or non-fiction) – or – a book with a character who is a politician or government official of some kind.

6. Sophie Scholl – A member of the German anti-Nazi resistance, Scholl was a German student and political activist within the White Rose non-violent resistance group in Nazi Germany. She was convicted of high treason after being found distributing anti-war leaflets at the University of Munich with her brother, Hans. As a result, they were both executed by guillotine.
* Read a book where the author’s first AND last name start with the same letter – or – a book set in Germany.

7. Jane Goodall – Dame Jane Morris Goodall is a British primatologist and anthropologist. Considered to be the world’s foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her over 55-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees since she first went to Gombe Stream National Park, Tanzania in 1960.
* Read a book with the total number of pages containing repeated numbers together (255 would work, 343 and 191 would not – tell us how many pages) – or – a book with a wild animal on the cover (show us the cover). Bonus if it’s a chimpanzee. – The Mammoth Book of Scottish Romance edited by Trisha Telep (577 pp)

Duration: 1st March – 31st August 2019
Number of books: 38
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

Women are an important part of the literary world. They write books. They are main characters in all genres. They are displayed on covers. 

You must complete all three parts of this challenge.

Part A – CATEGORIES: – 15 books
To continue with our celebration of International Women’s Day, let’s read books that focus on women. Read a book to meet each of the tasks below:

Authors
1. Any book written by a woman – Blood Work by Kim Harrison
2. Memoir/biography written by/about a woman – The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
3. Any book by a woman who writes under more than one name. (You may choose to read either name, but also tell us the other.)

Titles
4. Woman’s name in the title – Circe by Madeline Miller

Characters – Tell us the characters’ names.
5. Strong female lead character – Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne (Kyra)
6. Female character younger than 15 years old – The Thieves of Ostia by Caroline Lawrence
7. Female character older than 60 years old – Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Arya)
8. Featuring a female villain – Dragon Bones by Patricia Briggs
9. Main character who is a mother – Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy

Covers
10. One woman on the cover – High Stakes by Erin McCarthy
11. Woman wearing a dress on the cover – Snow White, Blood Red edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling
12. Woman’s face/eyes on the cover – Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Settings
13. Female main character set in contemporary times. – Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moira Fowley-Doyle
14. Female main character set in historical times (tell us when).
15. Female main character based in a small town setting. – Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo

Part B – TASKS: – 12 books
There are so many women who have made an impact on the world in various ways. They can’t all be mentioned here, but these are some of the more memorable. Complete one task for each woman.

1. Jeanne Baret
She was a member of Louis Antoine de Bougainville’s expedition in 1766–1769. An expert botanist, she is recognized as the first woman to have completed a voyage of circumnavigation of the globe. Jeanne Baret joined the expedition disguised as a man, calling herself Jean Baret. 
* Read a book with a large ship (not a boat or canoe) on the cover (post the cover) – or – a book with a character whose name can be considered either male or female, such as Terry, Chris, etc. (tell us the character’s name). – Magnus Chase and the Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan (Alex)

2. Gertrude Ederle
Called the “Queen of the Waves,” she was an American competition swimmer, Olympic champion, and former world record-holder in five events. On August 6, 1926, she became the first woman to swim across the English Channel. When Ederle walked up the beach at Kingsdown, England after 14 hours and 34 minutes, the first person to greet her was a British immigration officer who requested her passport. Ederle was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965.
* Read a book showing some sort of water on the cover where you can swim (post the cover) – or – a book set in the 1960’s. – Burning Up by Angela Knight, Nalini Singh, Virginia Kantra & Meljean Brook

3. Indira Gandhi
She was the first female prime minister of India, in power between 1966–77 and 1980–84. Accused of authoritarian tendencies, she narrowly avoided a military coup by agreeing to hold an election at the end of the “emergency period” of 1977. She was assassinated in 1984 by her Sikh bodyguards in response to her storming of the Golden Temple.
* Read a book by an author whose first OR last name begins AND ends with a vowel – or – a book in which someone trusted turns out to be an enemy. – Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

4. Nellie Bly
Elizabeth Cochrane Seaman, better known by her pen name Nellie Bly, was an American journalist widely known for an exposé in which she worked undercover to report on a mental institution from within. She was a pioneer in her field and launched a new kind of investigative journalism. In 1889 she suggested to her editor at the New York Worldthat she take a trip around the world, attempting to turn the fictional Around the World in Eighty Days into fact for the first time.
* Read a book with an intact “80” or “72” in the total number of pages (tell us how many) – or – a book with a character or author named Elizabeth or Nellie (no other variations). – The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis (172 pp.)

5. Annie Smith Peck
A trailblazing American mountaineer and scholar in the late 1800’s, Peck wrote and lectured about her adventures to encourage travel and exploration. Yet the acclaim she won for setting mountain climbing records was almost overshadowed by the outrage caused by her climbing attire: trousers and tunics instead of skirts. Smith climbed her last mountain, the 5,367ft Mount Madison in New Hampshire, at the age of 82.
* Read a book marked TRAVEL on the main GR genre page – or – a book with a woman dressed in pants/jeans on the cover (show us the cover). – Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

6. Marie Curie
A Polish/French scientist, she was the first woman to receive the Nobel Prize and the first person to win the Nobel Prize for two separate categories (Physics in 1903 and Chemistry in 1911). A few years later she also helped develop the first X-ray machines.
* Read a book with a character who is a scientist (male or female) – or – a book whose title starts with a letter in NOBEL (disregard A, An, The). – The Turn by Kim Harrison

7. Malala Yousefzai
A Pakistani schoolgirl who defied threats of the Taliban to campaign for the right to education, she survived being shot in the head by the Taliban and has become a global advocate for women’s rights, especially the right to education.
* Read a book in which someone is shot – or – a book where the main character is a student. – The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook

8. Krystyna Chojnowska-Liskiewicz
The Polish-born Krystyna was the first woman to sail solo around the world from February 1976 to April 1978. She said of her voyage, “Grown people should be aware that sometimes in life is lonely. But during the trip I was not plagued by loneliness. I was not lonely, but alone. There’s a difference.” 
* Read a book with an author who uses a hyphenated name (post a link to the author’s home page) – or – a book with a sailboat on the cover (post the cover).

9. Sandra Day O’Connor
Born March 26, 1930, O’Connor was the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States, having been appointed in 1981 by Ronald Reagan. Considered a federalist and a moderate Republican, O’Connor tended to approach each case narrowly without arguing for sweeping precedents. She most frequently sided with the Court’s conservative bloc, although in the latter years of her tenure, she was regarded as having the swing opinion in many cases.
* Read a book with a character who behaves in a conservative manner (tell us who) – or – a book with a courtroom scene. – The Radium Girls by Kate Moore

10. Rosa Parks
An American civil rights activist in Alabama in the 1960’s, her refusal to give up her bus seat in Montgomery indirectly led to some of the most significant civil rights legislation of American history. She sought to play down her role in the civil rights struggle but for her peaceful and dignified campaigning she became one of the most well respected figures in the civil rights movement.
* Read a book with a bus on the cover (post the cover) – or – a book set in the American Deep South (Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, or Louisiana).

11. Grace Marguerite, Lady Hay Drummond-Hay
In 1929 this British journalist was the first woman to travel around the world by air (in a zeppelin). Although she was not an aviator herself, she contributed to the glamour of aviation and general knowledge of it by writing articles about her aerial adventures for US newspapers in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s.
* Read a book with the letter “Z” somewhere in the title or the author’s name – or – a book with a character who is a journalist or writer or some kind. – Life in Outer Space by Melissa Keil (Both Sam and Henry are writers)

12. Junko Tabei
A Japanese mountaineer, she was the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1975 and the first woman to ascend all Seven Summits by climbing the highest peak on every continent. Tabei helped to find sponsors for the expedition, although she was frequently told that the women “should be raising children instead.”
* Read a Series Book #7 (tell us the series) – or – a book with a mountain peak shown on the cover (post the cover). – Spellhorn by Berlie Doherty

Part C – SPELL-OUT: – Choose a special woman in your life or someone you admire and spell out her name (can use first name, last name, or both) using the first letter of the title (disregard A, An, The) OR the first letter of the author’s first or last name.

J – Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
A – Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland
N
E – Evolve edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

G
O – Out of the Light, Into the Shadows by Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy
O – One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
D – Dead End Dating by Kimberly Raye
A – An Apple for the Creature edited by Charlaine Harris & Toni L.P. Kelner
L – Laughing All the Way to the Mosque by Zarqa Nawaz
L – Legally Blonde by Amanda Brown

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
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. Thank you Jimena for help with the ideas!

February
1. Read a book with a romance in it. – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra
2. Read a book with a strong relationship (this can be in a love sense or just friendship, family, or a relationship with an animal, place, etc.) – Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine
3. Read a book where a character loses something or someone close to them (a lover, friend, family member, cherished object, home, etc. Can be due to a break up, passing away, other extenuating circumstances. They can retrieve this lost person/object in the end or not.)  – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra (seal skin)

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
Number of books: 10
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

Duration
Starts: February 1
Ends: February 28

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

The first of February is……..

💋 1. My birthday!! 
Go pick something from my TBR mountain! – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

💋 2. Wear red day! 
Read a book with a mostly red cover. – The Beast of Blackmoor Bog by Kate Forsyth

💋 3. Working naked day! 
Read a book where someone gets naked, or with a naked chest on the cover. – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra

💋 4. Candy Making Day!
Read a book where someone goes to a bakery or with chocolate on the cover.

💋 5. Spunky Old Broads Day! I new it….lol. 
Read a book with an MC over 50, or with something grey on the cover. – The Siren by Kiera Cass (Kahlen is about 100 years old)

💋 6. Serpent Day!
Read a book with an animal, or with a green cover.

💋 7. International Face & Body Art Day!
Read a book with a tattoo on the cover.

💋 8. G.I. Joe Day!
Read a book with a solider, or, since I don’t really do military books, read a book with a short haired guy. – The Blind Side by Michael Lewis

💋 9. Bubble Gum Day!
Read a book that is fun!! A bit of fluff. Whatever you want to call it. – The Drowned Kingdom by Kate Forsyth

💋 10. National Get Up Day!
Since we all had to get up today, read a book that you have been wanting to read, if only you had a minute. – Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
Number of books: 6
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

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.

February 
1. Read a book with multiple points of view. – Gene of Isis by Traci Harding
2. Read a book tagged ‘fantasy’. – The Beast of Blackmoor Bog by Kate Forsyth
3. Read a book tagged ‘romance’. – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra
4. Read a book released in the spring of any year. – Battle of the Heroes by Kate Forsyth (October 2015)
5. Read a book with a 2 in the page count. – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra (273 pp.)
6. Read a book with green on the cover.

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
Number of books: 8
Hosted by:My Vampire Book Obsession

Cupid is the god of desire, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus and the war god Mars.

Duration
February 1st – 28th 2019

Rules
Do at least two tasks to complete the challenge

Earlier in his career, Caravaggio had challenged contemporary sensibilities with his “sexually provocative and anti-intellectual” Victorious Love, also known as Love Conquers All, in which a brazenly naked Cupid tramples on emblems of culture and erudition representing music, architecture, warfare, and scholarship.
♥ Read a book with an artistic cover. – The Drowned Kingdom by Kate Forsyth
♥ Read a book where love conquers all. – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

Cupid carries two kinds of arrows, or darts, one with a sharp golden point, and the other with a blunt tip of lead. A person wounded by the golden arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire, but the one struck by the lead feels aversion and desires only to flee.
♥ Read a book with a weapon on the cover. – The Beast of Blackmoor Bog by Kate Forsyth
♥ Read a book tagged ‘romance’. – Black Spring by Alison Croggon

In the tale of Cupid the honey thief, the child-god is stung by bees when he steals honey from their hive. He cries and runs to his mother Venus, complaining that so small a creature shouldn’t cause such painful wounds. Venus laughs, and points out the poetic justice: he too is small, and yet delivers the sting of love.
♥ Read a book with a mother in the story. – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra
♥ Read a book that begins with a letter in VENUS. – The Siren by Kiera Cass

Cupid sleeping was a symbol of absent or languishing love in Renaissance poetry and art.
♥ Read a book with your book boyfriend (or one of your honourable mentions). – Gene of Isis by Traci Harding (Albray)
♥ Read a book written by an author you love. – Prince of Shadows by Rachel Caine

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
Number of books: 7
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

Did you know there are several holidays devoted specifically to the cat? It’s time you found an excuse to break out the catnip and celebrate with your kitty. Some holidays are admittedly kooky, but take a moment to explore some famous cat days celebrated in the United States.

1. National Answer Your Cat’s Questions Day
Although this sounds like an impossibility, this January 22 holiday serves as a reminder to be more aware of your cat’s personality and to pay attention to what he or she may be telling you in a nonverbal way. 
🐈 Read a book with a domestic cat on the cover (show us the cover) – or – a book with a title that is in the form of a question.

2. National Cat Health Month
Celebrated each February, this month is a reminder to schedule your cat’s annual veterinarian appointment. For fun, help your cat be healthy by having daily play sessions to keep both of you physically and mentally fit.
😸 Read a book with a character who is a veterinarian or who works with animals in some other way – or – a non-fiction book with a medical or health theme. – How to Sleep Well by Dr. Neil Stanley

3. What If Cats and Dogs Had Opposable Thumbs Day
Oddly enough, there really is a holiday devoted to this “what if” concept. Celebrated on March 3, this day commemorates all the astonishing abilities your cat has, even without the advantage of opposable thumbs. Just imagine if your cat could open those cans of food on his or her own!
👍 Read a book with a human thumb or fingers on the cover (show us the cover) – or – a book with HUMOR on the main Goodreads page. – Battle of the Heroes by Kate Forsyth

4. Hairball Awareness Day
Nothing can gross you out quite like a hairball. That’s why Hairball Awareness Day, celebrated on April 30, helps bring awareness to safe and effective ways you can prevent them.
😹 Read a book with human hair or animal fur on the cover (show us the cover) – or – a book with an author whose first AND last initials can be found in the word HAIRBALL. – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

5. National Hug Your Cat Day
Wouldn’t you love one more reason to hug your kitty? Celebrated on May 12, this holiday reminds you to give your cat a cuddle.
😻 Read a book with two people embracing on the cover (show us the cover) – or – read a romance book. – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra

6. Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month
Adopt-a-Shelter-Cat Month is celebrated in June. There are so many great reasons to adopt!
😺 Read a book originally published in June (any year, but tell us which one) – or – a book in which a character is adopted or grew up in foster care. – Gene of Isis by Traci Harding

7. National Cat Day
On October 29, National Cat Day encourages you to commemorate the special cat in your life. On this day, take a moment to celebrate the unconditional love and affection you get from your cat.
🐱 Read a book with a cat who is an important part of the plot – or – a book with the words CAT or DAY in the title.

Duration: 1st February – 28th February
Number of books: 4
Hosted by:Crazy Challenge Connection

Here’s another challenge designed to encourage you to poke around and see what else the CCC has to offer 🙂 

1. This game is found in the Playground section of CCC and has been running since January 1, 2016.
* Read a book that was originally published in 2016 – or – a book with a title that starts with the letter “P” (disregard A, An, The).

2. The instructions begin, “To participate, you must first find the previous page/sentence request, then post the requested sentence from the book that’s closest to you at this very moment.”
* Read a book that is the first in a series (tell us the series) – or – a book that you own, printed version only. – Sea Witch by Virginia Kantra

3. The next person would turn to that page in his/her book and post the sentence asked for. Example: If I post “page 32, sentence 4”, the next person would go to page 32 of the book that’s easiest to grab and post sentence 4 on that page. Then that person will post the next page/sentence request, and so on. 
* Read a book with 3 – 2 – OR 4 in the total # of pages (tell us how many pages) – or – a book showing only one person on the cover (post the cover). – Sea Fever by Virginia Kantra (304 pp.)

4. You can get some really short sentences, some really long sentences, and some really silly sentences, but that’s the fun in the game, and it might intrigue someone else enough to check out the book.
* Read a book that’s really short (between 150 and 200 pages) or really long (over 500 pages) (tell us how many pages) – or – a book with HUMOR on the main GR genre page. – Gene of Isis by Traci Harding (621 pp.)

Duration: 1st January to 31st December 2019
Number of books: 200
Hosted by: Goodreads

January – 18 out of 18 books (3 ahead of schedule)
February – 14 out of 32 books (on track)
March – 14 out of 46 books (3 books behind schedule)
April – 20 out of 66 books (1 book ahead of schedule)
May – 14 out of 80 books (2 books behind schedule)
June – 12 out of 92 books (6 books behind schedule)
July – 24 out of 116 books (on track)
August – 7 out of 123 books (10 books behind schedule)
September – 16 out of 139 books (11 books behind schedule)
October – 15 out of 154 books (12 books behind schedule)
November – 34 out of 188 books (4 books ahead of schedule)
December – 34 out of 222 books (22 books more than planned)