Duration: 21st June – 20th September
Number of books: 23
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection
I’ve always loved music and enjoy that there’s a genre/style of music for every occasion or mood. This could have turned into a “history of music” lesson, but instead, I’ve included very basic definitions of some of the most popular music styles. Even if you don’t find yourself tapping your toes when you hear a favorite song, we hope you’ll enjoy this challenge 🙂
1. A CAPPELLA : any singing performed without any background music/instruments
♪ Read a book where the first letter of every word in the title can be found in ACAPPELLA (ALL words count; 2-word minimum; to use a letter more than once, it must appear more than once in the phrase) OR a book whose title begins with a vowel (disregard A, An and The) – Armor of Roses by Marjorie Liu
2. BLUEGRASS : American country music mixed with Irish and Scottish influences
♪ Read a book set in either Ireland or Scotland; tell us where OR a book with a compound word in the title (two or more words are joined together to form a new word with an entirely different meaning; see this list for examples, if necessary) – Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook
3. BLUES : African-American music from the Mississippi Delta area
♪ Read a book by an author whose name contains a color word (will accept BLACKwell, GREENberg, etc.); post a link to the author’s GR page OR a book set in a rural area – Magic in the Wind by Christine Feehan
4. BOSSA NOVA : a well-known style of Brazilian music, a lyrical fusion of samba and jazz
♪ Read a book that features a dancer; tell us who OR a book whose title or author’s name (first or last) ENDS with A or Z; if using the author option, post a link to the author’s GR page – Shadows of the Master by Emily Rodda
5. BRASS/MILITARY: music performed with brass instruments, prior to the advent of jazz
♪ Read a book with a character who is or was in the military (any era, any country, any service branch); tell us who OR a book whose title contains a word that rhymes with BRASS – The Twilight Before Christmas by Christine Feehan (Matt in the Rangers, USA)
6. CLASSICAL : umbrella term for Western art music known for its use of large orchestras and staff notation
♪ Read a book with an unusually large cast of characters OR a book that you gave a higher rating to than the GR average rating; tell us both ratings – Green-Eyed Envy by Kasey MacKenzie
7. COUNTRY : American roots music played with acoustic guitars, banjos, fiddles, and harmonicas
♪ Read a book featuring a character who earns his/her living as a musician; tell us who OR a book by an author whose first and last initials can be found in COUNTRY (to use a letter more than once, it must appear more than once in the phrase); post a link to the author’s GR page – Jodie’s Journey by Colin Thiele
8. DIXIELAND : an early form of jazz developed in New Orleans, USA
♪ Read a book set in New Orleans OR a book with an X in the title or author’s name; if using the author option, post a link to the author’s GR page – Hot August Moon by Katherine Sutcliffe
9. FOLK : broad term used to refer to the traditional music of an ethnic group, usually that performed by the working class
♪ Read a book featuring a person who works in a blue-collar career; tell us who and the career OR a book whose title begins with F (ALL words count!) – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
10. HIP HOP : combination of funk, poetry and innovative DJ techniques, particularly sampling of pre-recorded material
♪ Read a book whose title contains at least two significant words that begin with the same letter OR a book that has been released at least once more since its original publication; tell us both years (you may read the original release or a newer release) – Dangerous Tides by Christine Feehan
11. JAZZ : a type of music that originated in the late 19th and early 20th century in the Southern United States
♪ Read a book set between 1850 and 1925; tell us when OR a book set in the southern USA (North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi or Florida); tell us the state – Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865)
12. LATIN : music of Latin American countries, influenced by American popular music, jazz, and rhythm and blues
♪ Read a book with a main character whose FIRST name begins with a letter in LATIN; tell us the character OR a book set in a Latin American country; tell us the country this site might help – Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook (Anthony Ramsdell)
13. METAL : generally a very fast, aggressive, loud and technical sounding music with a strong beat
♪ Read a book that you could not put down OR a book with an “in your face” character; tell us who – Red Hot Fury by Kasey MacKenzie
14. OPERA : an extended dramatic composition, in which all parts are sung to instrumental accompaniment, that usually includes arias, choruses, and recitatives
♪ Read a book with DRAMA on its main GR page OR read a book with a diva-type character who could be labeled a “drama queen;” tell us who – Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan
15. POP : music of general appeal to teenagers; a watered-down version of rock ‘n’ roll with more rhythm and harmony and an emphasis on romantic love
♪ Read a book whose main character is a teenager; tell us how old OR a book with ROMANCE on its main GR page – The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (16 years old)
16. R&B : music characterized by its use of blues chords played over a strong and consistent backbeat and by its emphasis on composition rather than the improvisation common in traditional blues
♪ Read a book from a series that has a consistent character; tell us how OR a book by an author who uses an initial instead of a first name; post a link to the author’s GR page – Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P.N. Elrod
17. REGGAE : combines elements of calypso and rhythm and blues with a strongly accentuated offbeat
♪ Read a book with at least two distinctly different genres on its main GR page; tell us the genres OR a book with consecutive double letters in the author’s FIRST name; post a link to the author’s GR page – Lover Beware by Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand & Eileen Wilks
18. RELIGIOUS/SACRED: music performed or composed for religious use or through religious influence
♪ Read a book in which religion/faith is important OR a book whose title contains an adjective (a word that describes something/someone; this list might help) – Turbulent Sea by Christine Feehan
19. ROCK : music based around amplified instruments, especially the electric guitar and electric bass; characterized by a strong bass line and driving rhythms
♪ Read a book with a rock or stone object show prominently on the cover; post the cover OR a book whose title contains the letters R-O-C-K (not necessarily in order) – Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories by Robert Louis Stevenson
20. ROCKABILLY: a style of popular music combining the features of rock ‘n’ roll and hillbilly music
♪ Read a book by an author whose first or last name is Billy (all forms of William – Will, Willie, Bill, Billy acceptable; also, last name Williams or Williamson will work); post a link to the author’s GR page OR read a book whose title contains consecutive double consonants. – Cress by Marissa Meyer
21. SOUL : combines elements of African-American gospel music, doo-wop, rhythm & blues and jazz
♪ Read a book by an African-American author; post a link to the author’s GR page OR a book whose title contains only words that are no more than four letters long (2-word minimum) – Wild Rain by Christine Feehan
22. SWING / BIG BAND : a style of jazz, popular especially in the 1930s and often arranged for a large dance band, marked by a smoother beat and more flowing phrasing than Dixieland and having less complex harmonies and rhythms than modern jazz
♪ Read a book whose title contains a word that starts with “SW” OR read a book that takes place during the 1930’s; tell us when – Bloodlist by P.N. Elrod
23. TECHNO : characterized by very fast synthesizer rhythms, heavy use of samples, and a lack of melody
♪ Read a book with a character who uses new technology in his/her career; tell us how and the character OR a book whose plot seems to be missing something; without giving away spoilers, explain why you feel that way – Fairest by Marissa Meyer (the plague to take over Earth, and I felt that Levanna still didn’t have an excuse for her actions…)
Earth and Skye 
If you enjoyed Eating Your Way Around USA and are ready for more, join us as we make our way around the world. Be as adventuresome as you like. You may choose…..
Daytripper
3 months: Complete tasks for Africa, Asia, and Australia
The Grand Tour
6 months: Complete all tasks for Europe
The Wanderer
9 months: Choose any 36 cities and complete those tasks
The Globetrotter
12 months: Complete all tasks
Europe
1. Lyon, France is known for its stellar cuisine and has a spud dish named to honor the city. Lyonnaise potatoes are sliced and pan-browned, then sautéed with onions and parsley.
♦Read a book with a character who “lives the high life”
OR read a book that takes place in France OR read a book where one of the main character’s first name starts with a letter in LYONNAISE.– Beastly by Alex Flinn2. Bologna, Italy is home to Pasta Bolognese. Many different versions exist and in 1982 Bologna had an official cook-off to establish the best recipe. The “standard” recipe calls for the use of flat tagliatelle to serve as the base.
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Read a book that takes place in Italy ORread a book in which some kind of competition occursOR read a book whose author’s first AND last initials may be found in TAGLIATELLE.– Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll (the Lion and the Unicorn)3. Edam has remained one of the most popular cheeses for centuries now. This creamy cheese is named after the harbor in the Netherlands from which it was originally sold.
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Read a book that takes place in the Netherlands OR read a book with a yellow or light orange cover ORread a book that takes place along any harbor. – Playing with Fire by Derek Landy4. Sadly, you won’t find any Belgian waffles in Belgium. Why this waffle appellation is applied to the “deep” waffles is unknown. Probably small recompense, but Brussels Sprouts really did originate in Brussels.
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Read a book that takes place in Belgium ORread a book with a green cover OR read a book that disappoints you. – Wicked by Gregory Maguire5. The epicenter of haute cuisine is, of course, Paris. From foie gras to escargot, baguettes to croissants, and macarons to ganache, the French take great pleasure and pride in preparing excellent food.
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Read a book that takes place in Paris ORread a book featuring a chef or bakerOR read a book with a main character who considers themselves a “gourmand” or “foodie.”– Safe Harbor by Christine Feehan6. Swiss chocolate! Need I say more? Actually, it’s a bit surprising that Switzerland is renowned for its chocolate since it is obviously not tropical, nor did they ever have any tropical colonies where cocoa is grown. However, the Swiss invented a mixer that would blend cocoa powder and sugar, and used a tempering process that would allow the mixture to be creamy without hard crystal formations. The Swiss were also the first to create “filled” chocolates.
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Read a book that takes place in Switzerland OR read a book with chocolate candy or a chocolate dessert on the cover ORread a “filled” series book (a book in a series which is neither the first or the last in the series). – The Blood by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda7. Ah Venice, home to so many outstanding dishes – gnocchi, risotto, tiramisu. Carpaccio is a famous treat created at Harry’s Bar in Venice that consists of raw/ultra-rare beef from the filet cut, sliced wafer-thin, coated with peppercorns or capers and served with Parmesan cheese and radicchio. The famous bellini (prosecco and white peach juice) also originated at Harry’s Bar.
♦Read a book that takes place in Venice
OR read a book that features a chef who specializes in cooking Italian OR read a book with a peach-colored cover.– Ocean Light by Nalini Singh8. Oslo, like its other northern neighbors, relies on curing foods. Dine on lutefish, dried and lye-soaked cod, or perhaps some reindeer sausage. Make sure to try the brunost – caramelized cheese chunks.
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Read a book that takes place anywhere in Norway OR read a book whose author’s first AND last initials may be found in LUTEFISH ORread a book with a caramel-colored cover. – The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan9. The dark mahogany walls and roaring fire always set a cozy atmosphere in the many pubs dotting Edinburgh’s cityscape. Along with the fine “real” ales, have some bridie (meat pastry) or tattie scones (potato cakes). Then, of course there’s always fine Scotch whiskey and haggis to imbibe. What’s haggis you ask? You don’t want to know! If you really do, click here. (view spoiler)
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Read a book that takes place in Scotland OR read a book whose title contains at least a three-letter word that may be derived from either HAGGIS, BRIDIE, or TATTIE (i.e. HAGGIS – gag or his) ORread a book whose cover features a cozy scene. – After Midnight by Fiona Brand10. Chocoholics head to Barcelona! Barcelonians are serious about their chocolate. They have chocolate cafés called granjas where the specialty for breakfast is the “churro y chocolate,” a sweet, deep-fried cake served with a cup of very thick hot chocolate dipping sauce.
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Read a book that takes place anywhere in Spain OR read a book with a chocolate-brown cover ORread a book where a main character loves sweets. – Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder11. Residents of Moscow, Russia, are said to eat pickled everything. Though not pickled, blinis are very popular for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. These paper-thin crepe-like pancakes are stuffed with fish, mushrooms, cheese, or chocolate.
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Read a book that takes place anywhere in Russia OR read a book with a “pickle green” cover ORread a thin book (150-200pp.). – Awakening by Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda (192 pp.)12. Berlin’s cuisine has stayed true to its working class roots; dishes are simple and hearty. Have the cheese-topped spaetzle noodles or the revered currywurst – a Berlin sausage smothered in ketchup and curry powder.
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Read a book that takes place in Germany ORread a book with a main character who is a blue-collar worker or solidly middle class OR read a book whose location starts with a letter in SPAETZLE. – Moon Called Volume 1 by Patricia Briggs & David Lawrence (mechanic in the Tri Cities)13. Stuffed grape leaves, spanakoepita (Spinach pie) and baklava remain perennial favorites in Athens. If you’re feeling more adventurous try the grilled octopus or lamb chops.
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Read a book that takes place in Athens OR read a book with a green or purple cover (think grapes) ORread a book with an 8 in its publication year. – Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (1818)14. When in Rome indulge in carciofi, artichokes fried in oil, popular since ancient times. You can’t go wrong with the thin, crispy, oblong-shaped pizza el taglio. And top off your meal with some of the thickest, creamiest gelato on the planet.
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Read a book that takes place in Rome ORread a book whose cover shows an oblong-shaped objectOR read a book with any sweet treat on the cover.– Sekret by Lindsay Smith15. Per capita, the Portuguese eat more fish than any other nationality. In Lisbon, try at least one of the 125 varieties of sardines including sardine-egg caviar. Throughout the city, you’ll find bacalhau, or salted and dried cod, as well as pasteis de bacalhau which are balls of deep fried codfish.
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Read a book that takes place in Portugal ORread book #125 on your TBROR read a book with a fish on its cover or in its title.– The Britlingens Go to Hell by Charlaine Harris16. Comfort food awaits you in Budapest. The famous deep red paprika makes it into all kinds of goulashes and stews. Make sure to stop in the Great Market Hall where you can shop for six varieties of paprika to try at home.
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Read a book that takes place in Budapest or Hungary OR read a book with a deep red-colored cover ORread the sixth book in a series. – Turbulent Sea by Christine Feehan17. The Viennese coffee house is described as a place “where time and space are consumed, but only the coffee is found on the bill.” At the turn of the nineteenth century, Vienna coffeehouses were the gathering spots for writers, artists, philosophers, and politicians. Patrons are encouraged to stay for long hours reading the newspaper or talking with friends. After hanging out at the coffeehouse all day, have the Viennese national dish – wiener schnitzel, which is a veal cutlet pounded thin, covered in breadcrumbs, and fried until crisp.
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Read a book that takes place in Austria OR read a book that revolves around a coffee house ORread a book whose author’s last name starts with a letter in SCHNITZEL. – Dark and Stormy Knights edited by P.N. Elrod18. Florence Italy serves the fabled steak “bistecca alla fiorentino,” which is a two-fingers thick steak always served very rare. Enjoy brunello red wine, made from the surrounding Tuscan vineyards and end dinner with the Negroni aperitif. Named after Count Negroni, this cocktail contains Campari, sweet vermouth, and soda water garnished with orange slices.
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Read a book that takes place in Florence or Tuscany OR read a book with a fabulous dinner scene ORread a book with any type of royal character. – Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook19. Short summers and long winters are cause for curing and pickling of foods in Stockholm, Sweden. Try the gravlax – salmon cured with sugar, salt and dill, or try the skagen – prawns with lemon, dill and mayonnaise served atop toast. If you’re not a fan of fish, try a moose steak or some smoked reindeer.
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Read a book that takes place anywhere in Sweden ORread a book with a snowy/winter scene on its coverOR read a book that mentions a moose or a reindeer (tell us how).– The Twilight Before Christmas by Christine Feehan20. The national dish of Prague (Czech Republic) is vepro-knedlo-zelo. Try to say that three times fast! Or better yet, go ahead and dig into the roasted pork with dumplings and sauerkraut. While the Czechs love their pork, they also like duck, wild boar, and veal.
♦Read a book that takes place in the Czech Republic (or the former Czechoslovakia)
OR read a book whose author’s first or last name end with an “O” OR read a book in which P-O-R-K can be found in the book’s title (letters do NOT have to be in order).– Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor21. Brown cafes still exist in Amersterdam; these drinking hideaways have dark walls from years of nicotine staining. Sit down and relax with a foamy beer and some diced gouda before heading out to the “Red-Light District.”
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Read a book that takes place anywhere in the Netherlands/Holland ORread a book in which a character is engaging in some secret activityOR read a book with a primarily red cover.– Veiled Menace by Deborah Blake22. Kebabs (chunks of meat, veggies, or fruit threaded onto a skewer and grilled) are wildly popular in Istanbul. While there, also try the Turkish Ravioli which are meat dumplings served in a garlic yogurt sauce.
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Read a book that takes place in Turkey OR read a book whose cover shows items strung together (i.e. lights, beads) ORread a book whose cover shows smoke or fire. – Jodie’s Journey by Colin ThieleThe Americas and the Caribbean