The Ivy League Scavenger Challenge

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 19
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection

Fall 2021 Scavenger Challenge : The Ivy League

1. Ivy League: The prevailing theory for why the schools below became known as the Ivy League is that some schools covered themselves in ivy in the European style. Students even had ivy-planting days as part of the school year. The old-ivy covered buildings lent to the name and people frequently referenced it when talking about the older universities.
🎓 Read a book with ivy shown on its cover; post the cover OR read a book with the letters I, V, Y in its title (letters do not have to be together, but should be in order). – Cowboy and the Captive by Lora Leigh

2. Seven out of the eight Ivy League schools are Colonial Colleges: institutions of higher education founded prior to the American Revolution. Cornell, the exception to this commonality, was founded immediately after the American Civil War.
🎓 Read a book that is set during the colonial years in America (1607–1776); tell us when the book is set OR read a book with “WAR” on its main GoodReads page.

3. Brown University: Brown University is a private research university in Providence, Rhode Island. Founded in 1764 as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Brown is the seventh-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. At its foundation, Brown was the first college in North America to accept students regardless of their religious affiliation. Motto: In Deo Speramus (In God We Hope.)
🎓 Read a book that takes place in Rhode Island; tell us where OR read a book with a “7” in its original publication year; tell us the year. – When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi (2017)

4. Columbia University: Columbia University (officially known as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King’s College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhattan, Columbia is the oldest institution of higher education in New York and the fifth-oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Motto: In lumine Tuo videbimus lumen (In Thy light shall we see light)
🎓 Read the 5th book in a series; tell us the series name OR read a book that has a manmade or a natural light source on its cover; post the cover. – My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

5. Cornell University: Cornell University is a private and statutory land-grant research university in Ithaca, New York. Founded in 1865 by Ezra Cornell and Andrew Dickson White, it has consistently been ranked among the top universities in the world by major educational publications. Cornell was founded with the intention to teach and make contributions in all fields of knowledge—from the classics to the sciences, and from the theoretical to the applied. School Colors are red and white.
🎓 Read a book whose total page count contains two of the numbers in 1865; tell us how many pages OR read a book that could be classified by at least two genre tags; let us know the tags. – Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke (560 pp.)

6. Dartmouth College: Dartmouth College is a private research university in Hanover, New Hampshire. Established in 1769 by Eleazar Wheelock, it is the ninth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. Motto: Vox clamantis in deserto (A voice crying out in the wilderness)
🎓 Listen to “a voice crying out in the wilderness,” aka an audiobook OR read a book where the first letter of each title word (a/an/the count) is in “ELEAZAR WHEELOCK;” 3 word minimum.

7. Harvard University: Harvard University is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and among the most prestigious in the world. Motto: Veritas (Truth)
🎓 Read a book whose title contains the word “TRUTH,” reasonable variations acceptable – i.e. TRUE, TRULY – OR read a book whose author’s first and last initial may be found in “JOHN HARVARD.” – Queene of Light by Jennifer L. Armintrout

8. Princeton University: Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, NJ, as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The institution moved to Newark in 1747, and then to the current site nine years later. It officially became a university in 1896 and was subsequently renamed Princeton University. School Colors are orange and black. Motto: Dei Sub Numine Viget (Under God’s Power She Flourishes)
🎓 Read a book that takes place in New Jersey; tell us where OR read a book with a primarily black or primarily orange cover; remember to post the cover. – Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid

9. University of Pennsylvania: The University of Pennsylvania is a private research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The university, established as the College of Philadelphia, claims a founding date of 1740. Benjamin Franklin, Penn’s founder and first president, advocated an educational program that trained leaders in commerce, government, and public service, similar to a modern liberal arts curriculum with a practical perspective. Motto: Leges sine moribus vanae (Laws without morals are useless)
🎓 Read a book that has a significant character who is a lawyer; tell us who OR read a book that features a famous historical character (may be fiction or non-fiction, but the character must have actually existed); tell us who.

10. Yale University: Yale University is a private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Founded in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States. The Collegiate School was renamed Yale College in 1718 to honor the school’s largest private benefactor for the first century of its existence, Elihu Yale. School Color is Yale Blue Motto: Lux et veritas (Light and truth)
🎓 Read a book whose title starts with a “Y;” ignore a/an/the OR read a book whose title contains only words that are four or fewer letters. – How to Grow a Baby by Clemmie Hooper

11. The Seven Sisters is a term that refers to seven highly selective liberal arts colleges in the Northeastern United States that are historically women’s colleges. They were created to provide women with the educational equivalent to the (traditionally male) Ivy League colleges. The name Seven Sisters is a reference to the Greek myth of The Pleiades, the seven daughters of the Titan Atlas and the sea-nymph Pleione.
🎓 Read a book with the word (or number) “SEVEN” or “SISTER(S)” in its title OR read a book that contains a mythological creature; tell us what. – Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas (fae)

12. Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, Wellesley College, Bryn Mawr College, and Barnard College are still women’s colleges. Vassar College is currently a coeducational college, and Radcliffe College is now the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study for graduate students.
🎓 Read a book labeled “Women’s Fiction” on its main GR page OR read a book whose main characters are all women (men can be in the book, just not as main characters); tell us the names.

13. Barnard College: Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women’s liberal arts college in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by Annie Nathan Meyer as a response to Columbia University’s refusal to admit women and is named after Columbia’s 10th president, Frederick Barnard. Barnard is officially one of four undergraduate colleges of Columbia University, but has legal and financial autonomy. School Colors are blue and white. Motto: Hepomene toi logismoi(Greek) (Following the Way of Reason)
🎓 Read a book that is a sub-genre of a common genre; tell us both the genre and sub-genre (i.e. Mystery / Cozy Mystery; Romance / Historical Romance) OR read a book by an author who uses three (whole) names (no initials); post the author link.Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie (historical romance / regency romance)

14. Bryn Maur College: Bryn Mawr College is a women’s liberal arts college in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania. Founded as a Quaker institution in 1885, Bryn Mawr is one the Tri-College Consortium along with Haverford College and Swarthmore College. School Colors are yellow and black. Motto: Veritatem Dilexi (I Delight in the Truth)
🎓 Read a book that is part of a trilogy; tell us the book’s position in the trilogy OR read a book that has several significant scenes that occur in a religious institution; tell us where.

15. Mount Holyoke College: Mount Holyoke College is a private liberal arts women’s college in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It is the oldest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges. The college was founded in 1837 as the Mount Holyoke Female Seminary by Mary Lyon, a pioneer in education for women. Mt. Holyoke served as a model upon which many other women’s colleges were later patterned. In 2014, it became the first member of the Seven Sisters to introduce an admissions policy that was inclusive to transgender students. School Colors are blue and white. Motto: That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace — Psalms 144:12
🎓 Read the oldest book on your TBR sorted by “date added” OR read a book with a cover that is blue and white only; post the cover.

16. Radcliffe College: Radcliffe College was a women’s liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and functioned as the female coordinate institution for the all-male Harvard College. Founded in 1879, it held the popular reputation of having a particularly intellectual, literary, and independent-minded female student body. Beginning in 1963, it awarded joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas to undergraduates. In 1977 Radcliffe signed a formal agreement with Harvard and completed full integration with Harvard in 1999.
🎓 Read a book that was originally published between 1963 and 1999 (inclusive); tell us the date OR read a book that takes place in Boston, MA.

17. Smith College: Smith College is a private liberal arts women’s college in Northampton, Massachusetts. It was chartered in 1871 by Sophia Smith and opened in 1875. It is the largest member of the historic Seven Sisters colleges. On campus are Smith’s Museum of Art and Botanic Garden, the latter designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. School Colors are blue and gold. Motto: In Virtue (One Gains) Knowledge
🎓 Read a book by an author whose first or last name is “SMITH;” remember to post the author link OR read a book with a piece of artwork (i.e. painting, sculpture) or a garden on its cover; post the cover. – The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

18. Vassar College: Vassar College is a private liberal arts college in Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar, it was the second degree-granting institution of higher education for women in the United States. It became coeducational in 1969 and now has a gender ratio at the national average. The college has an historic relationship with Yale University. School Colors are burgundy and grey.
🎓 Read a book whose title (ignore a/an/the) or author’s first or last name start with a “V” OR read a book that is the second in a series (tell us the series name) or an author’s second published book.

19. Wellesley College: Wellesley College is a private women’s liberal arts college in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Founded in 1870 by Henry and Pauline Durant as a female seminary, Wellesley’s endowment of $2.2 billion is the largest out of all women’s colleges and the 49th largest among all colleges and universities in the United States (as of 2019). School Color is Wellesley Blue. Motto: Non Ministrari sed Ministrare (Not to be ministered unto, but to minister)
🎓 Read a book co-authored by two people; list the author links for each writer OR read a book whose setting starts with a letter in “WELLESLEY;” tell us where. – What We Find by Robyn Carr (Sullivan’s Crossing)

CHALLENGE RULES

See this thread for more detailed rules for all CCC challenges.

♣ If you want to participate in this challenge, please sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.

♣ For each book you read, please indicate the title, the author and the date you finished reading it. If a challenge task gives several options, please make it clear which option you’ve chosen. If the task calls for an item on the cover, include a link to the book cover.* If it’s not obvious from the book title or cover, be sure to explain how your book fits the task. If you don’t, you won’t get credit for completing that task.

♣ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. (See the link above for rules regarding graphic novels.) Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged 🙂 Re-reads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book. You must read at least half of the book AFTER the challenge begins in order to count it for this challenge.

♣ Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged!

♣ If you want the challenge moderator to check your progress as you make updates, please copy/paste your update into a new message . We don’t have time to scroll back through the entire thread looking for “message #15,” or to follow links back to an original post.

♣ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read. If you don’t repost your list, you won’t be included in the list of those who have completed the challenge.

*If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title or cover, see the instructions here: Link Instructions

Fun Facts About Popcorn Spell Challenge

Duration: 1st October – 31st October 2021
Number of books: 11
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection

OCTOBER 2021 SPELL CHALLENGE – Fun Facts About…POPCORN!
Timeframe: 10/1/21 to 10/31/21

To complement Connie’s Popcorn Fun Facts challenge, choose one or more of the words below to spell out in October. You may use the first letter of the first word in the book’s title (excluding A, An and The) OR the author’s first or last initial (middle names or initials can NOT be used). See below for Standard CCC Spelling Rules.

C – My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr
UUp the Duff by Kaz Cooke
LLive and Let Grow by Penny Reid
TTower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
I
V
AQueene of Light by Jennifer L. Armintrout
T
I
OOnly Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales
N

butterfly flake
calories
Corn Belt
cultivation
decoration

endosperm
field
fiber
flint
germ

hull
Indian corn
kernel
maize
mushroom flake

no additives
no preservatives
pericarp
popcorn

seed
sugar-free
sweet
vitamins

CHALLENGE RULES

See this thread for more detailed rules for all CCC challenges.

♣ If you want to participate in this challenge, please sign up by posting at least a partial list of the challenge requirements. This gives us a post to link you to, which you can use to update your books as the challenge progresses.

♣ For each book you read, please indicate the title, the author and the date you finished reading it. task.

♣ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. (See the link above for rules regarding graphic novels.) Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged 🙂 Re-reads are allowed, as long as you read the entire book. You must read at least half of the book AFTER the challenge begins in order to count it for this challenge.

♣ Books may only be used for one task in this challenge, but cross-challenge posting is encouraged!

♣ If you want the challenge moderator to check your progress as you make updates, please copy/paste your update into a new message . We don’t have time to scroll back through the entire thread looking for “message #15,” or to follow links back to an original post.

♣ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message to make it easier for everyone to see what you’ve read. If you don’t repost your list, you won’t be included in the list of those who have completed the challenge.

*If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title or cover, see the instructions here: Link Instructions

Standard CCC Spelling Rules:

Book Titles – “A,” “an,” and “the” should be disregarded if they start the book’s title. If reading a book written in another language (besides English), the corresponding articles equivalent to “a,” “an,” and “the” should be disregarded.
Author Names – The author’s first or last initial may be used; middle initials may not.
In the case of a hyphenated first or last name (i.e. Sarah-Kate LynchKate E. Dyer-Seeley), the first letter of the hyphenated name may be used (not the second initial directly following the hyphen).
If an author uses what appears to be “two last names” (usually a female author using her maiden name and then her married last name; i.e. Kathy Hogan Trocheck), the last initial of the two names counts since the maiden name is now serving in the place of a “middle” name.

Halloween Howlers and Christmas Creatures

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 22
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Halloween Howlers and Christmas Creatures
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It’s easy to find things to fear around Halloween and we have some of the most common Halloween Creatures but did you know that in some countries there are also plenty of creepy creatures for Christmas? So take a look at these creatures that can be found sometime between October and December.

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Goblins
Task: Read a book with a goblin in it OR Read a book with a title that starts with the letter G.

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Frankenstein
Task: Read a book with a “human monster” in it OR read a book with an MPG Classic.Beard with Me by Penny Reid

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Mummies
Task: Read a book with an MPG of History/Historical OR read a book with an archeologist in it.Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie

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Witch
Task: Read a book where the MC is a Magic User OR read a book published in October – My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

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Dracula
Task: Read a book where the MC is a vampire OR read a book with a bat on the cover – Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

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Zombies
Task: Read a book with a character that is brought back from the dead during the book (can be a vampire but it must take place during the book) OR read a book with a necromancer in it.Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

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Grim Reaper
Task: Read a book with a two word title OR read a book with a staff or hood on the coverBeard Necessities by Penny Reid

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Werewolves
Task: Read a book where he MC is a werewolf or Read a book with a one word title that starts with the letter W.

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Ghosts
Task: Read a book with a ghost in it OR read a book tagged horror or thriller

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The Slender Man
Task: Read a book with a black suit on the cover OR read a book where the MC is described as slender/thin. – Your Coffin or Mine? by Kimberly Raye

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Jack O Lantern
Task: Read a book with something orange on the cover OR read a book set at Halloween – The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O’Neill

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Demon
Task: Read a book with a demon character OR read a book with a mostly black cover

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Krampus
Task: Read a book where a character has horns OR read a book where a character misbehaves

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Frau Perchta
Task: Read a book with an old woman in it OR Read a book set in Germany or Austria

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Gryla
Task: Read a book tagged dark OR read a book where a character “Disappears or is taken” – Cowboy and the Captive by Lora Leigh

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The Yule Lads
Task: Read a book with a shoe on the cover OR read a book with an intact “13” in the page number

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Pere Fouettard
Task: Read a book where a character gets whipped or spanked OR read a book set in France, Belgium or Switzerland – Dawn’s Awakening by Lora Leigh

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Knecht Ruprecht
Task: Read a book where the MC has a beard OR read a book set on a farm or ranch or where the MC runs an Inn/HotelA Beardy Bonus by Penny Reid

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Mari Lwyd
Task: Read a book with a skull or a horse on the cover OR read a book with a poem or tagged poetry

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Hans Trapp
Task: Read a book with a scarecrow in it OR read a book where a character is stabbed

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Belsnickel
Task: Read a book with something furry on the cover OR read a book published in December

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Jólakötturinn
Task: Read a book with a domestic cat on the cover OR read a book set during Christmas

Build Your Own Werewolf

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 24
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Last month we had you build your own vampire but we know not everyone likes someone who always seems to be cold or the sight of blood so this month we invite you to build your own werewolf. Your werewolf will be nice and warm although we can’t guarantee their will be no blood especially at the full moon!

You have decisions to make about the final product and for each section you choose which characteristic you want and then complete the task that goes with it. You MUST choose one for the first 7 categories – after that you can choose to do all or only the ones you want.

1. What sex is your Werewolf?
A: Male – Read a book with only a male on the cover
B: Female – Read a book with only a female on the cover
C: Non-Binary (Gender Neutral) – Read a book with no people on the cover
Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke

2. How old is your Werewolf?
A: Under 25 years old – Read a novella under 25 pages
B: Over 25 years but under 100 years old – Read a book between 26 and 99 pages

C: Over 100 years old – Read a book with 100 or more pages
How to Grow a Baby by Clemmie Hooper

3. What color wolf is your werewolf?
A: Black – Read a book with a mostly black cover
B: Grey – Read a book with a mostly grey cover
C: White – Read a book with a mostly white cover
D: Brown – Read a book with a mostly brown cover

4. Can Your Werewolf change at will or only during a full moon
A: At will – read a book with a day scene on the cover
B: Only on the night of a full moon – Read a book with a moon on the cover
C: Only a couple of days before, during and after the full moon – Read a book with a night scene on the cover

Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie

5. Is your werewolf in control during the change?
A: Yes – read a book with a wolf on the cover
B: No – read a book with a monster on the cover

6. How was your werewolf made?
A: Bitten – Read a book where a character is bitten by a wolf
B: Cursed – Read a book with a curse in it
C: Born – Read a book where someone gives birth

7. Can your werewolf partially transform
A: No can only be man or wolf: Read a book with the word wolf in the title
B: Yes can become a wolf, a man or a beast: Read a book with the word beast, monster or something similar in the title
C: Yes they can become a wolf, a man or a dire wolf: Read a book with the word werewolf in the title

8. What kind of relationship does your werewolf have with other wolves?
A: Can join a pack of regular wolves and they won’t notice a difference or reacting – Read a book with a pack of wolves in it
B: Real wolves are subservient to the werewolves – Read a book with a power structure between characters
C: Real wolves are afraid of werewolves – Read a book tagged horror or thriller
The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods

9. Upon death does your werewolf resort to human form?
A: Yes – read a book with a human on the cover (no animals)
B: No – read a book with an animal but no humans on the cover
Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

10: Does your werewolf heal faster than a human?
Yes: Read a book with a medical character in it
No : Read a book where a character is hospitalized
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

11: Does your werewolf have super strength?
Yes: Read a book whose author’s first and last letter are the same
No: Read a book whose author’s first and last letters are in super strength
Cowboy and the Captive by Lora Leigh

12: Does your werewolf feel the need to mark their territory?
Yes: Read a book with an outdoor scene on the cover
No: Read a book with no nature on the cover
My Kind of Christmas by Robyn Carr

13: Does your werewolf have golden eyes like a wolf?
Yes: Read a book with eyes on the cover
No: Read a book that has no eyes on the cover
Beard with Me by Penny Reid

14: Is it easy or hard for your wolf to transform?
Easy: Read a book whose title starts with the letter E
Hard: Read a book whose title starts with the letter H
Hot Summer Nights by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare

15: Is your werewolf enemies with vampires or do they get along?
A: They get along: Read a book with a vampire in it
B: No they hate each other: Read a book with several types of supernaturals

C: They don’t care either way: Read a book with no supernaturals in it
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

16: Is your werewolf an Alpha, Beta, Omega or Lone wolf?
A: Alpha – Read a book with an alpha MC
B: Beta – Read a book where the MC follows or is subservient to another character
C: Omega – Read a book where the MC is empathic
D: Lone – Read a book where the MC is a loner

17: Can your werewolf communicate mind to mind with other werewolves?
A: Yes – Read a book where a character has a psychic ability
B: No – Read a book with an MPG of contemporary
A Beardy Bonus by Penny Reid

18: Does your werewolf destroy it’s clothes if it shifts?
Yes: Read a book with a mostly naked person on the cover
No: Read a book where a person on the cover is fully clothed
Dawn’s Awakening by Lora Leigh

19: Can your werewolf be killed with a silver weapon?
Yes: Read a book with a weapon on the cover
No: Read a book with all the letters of silver on the cover

20: Does wolfsbane affect your werewolf?
Yes: Read a book with a plant or tree on the cover
No: Read a book with water on the cover
Live and Let Grow by Penny Reid

21: Is Your Werewolf Romantic?
Yes: Read a book with a red cover
No: Read a book with a black cover
Queene of Light by Jennifer L. Armintrout

22: Does your werewolf live in the forest/wood area?
Yes: Read a book with trees on the cover
No: Read a book with a cityscape on the cover
The Tea Dragon Tapestry by Kay O’Neill

23: Does your werewolf like to cuddle?
Yes: Read a book with an embrace on the cover
No: Read a book with more than one person on the cover but they aren’t touching each other
Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

24: Does anyone know you have a werewolf?
Yes: Read a book with an an MPG of Paranormal
No: Read a book without Fantasy or Paranormal as an MPG
Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh

The Graveyard Queen

Duration: 1st October – 31st December 2021
Number of books: 30
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

The Graveyard Queen

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The Graveyard Queen is bound to her duties to restore the beauty and grandeur of the resting places of the dead, and aid the restless spirits to find peace in their next life… You must travel around the world to the most historic and haunted cemeteries and complete these reading challenges to earn your Vampire Heart.

Rules:
~ Read a minimum of 10 books to receive the Vampire Heart.
~ Rereads are allowed
~ No minimum page count
~ One book per task
~ All genres are welcome

Duration:
3 Months

 Highgate Cemetery

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London, England…Founded in 1839… Said to be haunted by a man in a Victorian suit with red mesmerizing eyes… Vampire?

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book that takes place in England. – Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie
2. Read a book tagged historical or steampunk.
3. Read a book with a MC who is a vampire. – Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh
4. Read a book with red eyes on the cover.
5. Read a book with a character you would describe as mysterious (Perhaps someone the reader is not given a great deal of information about early on). – Beard Necessities by Penny Reid

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Bachelor's Grove Cemetery

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Midlothian, Illinois… First recorded burial was in 1844… The woman in the above picture known as the “Madonna of Bachelor’s Grove” was taken by the Ghost Research Society of America… The apparition, not visible to the naked eye, appeared only when photographed.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a character who can see and talk to ghosts.
2. Read a book with only a woman on the cover. – Up the Duff by Kaz Cooke
3.Read a book with a character whose profession centers around photography (journalist, photographer, ghost hunter, etc.). – The Summer Garden by Sherryl Woods (Moira)
4. Read a book tagged mystery.
5. Read a book with a cemetery on the cover. – Your Coffin or Mine? by Kimberly Raye

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Greyfriars Kirkyard Cemetery

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Edinburgh, Scotland… Interring bodies since the 16th century… Said to be home to a malevolent poltergeist known as the “Mackenzie Poltergeist”… Over 400 reported cases of supernatural phenomenon have been reported including cold spots,scratches, bruises, and faintings.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a poltergeist in it.
2. Read a book with a Scottish character.
3. Read a book where someone is possessed. – Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas
4. Read a book with blood on the cover.
5. Read a book tagged horror.

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 Catacombs of Paris

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Paris France… Dates back thousands of years to the Merovingian Kings; fully used in 1785… Estimated to hold over 6 million bodies… In 2010, a video camera was discovered depicting a man lost in the catacombs … His body was never found.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a skull on the cover.
2. Read a book in which the characters must travel through tunnels OR underground.
3. Read a book with royalty in the story.
4. Read a book with a character who is a necromancer.
5. Read a book with a character who gets lost OR with a missing persons case as part of the storyline. – The Answer to the Riddle is Me by David Stuart MacLean

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 Saint Louis Cemetery

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New Orleans, Louisiana… Interred first body in 1789… Home to the voodoo priestess Marie Leveau who is said to haunt the grounds along with a 19th century pirate, Henry Vignes, as well as a spirit known only as Alphonse who warns visitors against going near the Pinead family plot.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a character who is a voodoo priestess.
2. Read a book with a title that begins with a letter found in MARIE LEVEAU. – Engagement and Espionage by Penny Reid
3. Read a book set in New Orleans.
4. Read a book with a pirate OR with a body of water on the cover. – Hot Summer Nights by Jaci Burton, Carly Phillips, Erin McCarthy & Jessica Clare
5. Read a book where a character is cursed.

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Howard Street Cemetery

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Salem, Massachusetts… One of three cemeteries significant to the 1692 witch trials… The most famous ghost is said to be Giles Corey who was put to death on the grounds after not pleading guilty to witchcraft… He is said to appear before a terrible event as an omen of the horrors to come.

Read the following tasks…
1. Read a book with a MC who is a witch/wizard or a sorcerer/sorceress.
2. Read a book with a wand, broomstick, witch’s hat, black cat, or potion on the cover.
3. Read a book with a MPG of magic.
4. Read a cozy mystery. – Marriage and Murder by Penny Reid
5. Read a book set in a small town or village. – Beard with Me by Penny Reid

August 2021 Reading

August list of weekends in Ukraine - August list of weekends in Ukraine -  112.international

August is cold and miserable. But, it’s also the month that my sister is born in, so I kind of like it. And, it also means more hours inside, curled up under a blanket with a good book and my dogs…

Non-fiction

Series

Short story collections

Standalones – Novels

Standalones – Short stories

Image source: 112.international

In the Future When All’s Well by Catherynne M. Valente

Overview
Image result for teeth ellen datlow terri windling book cover

Title: In the Future When All’s Well
Author: Catherynne M. Valente
In: Teeth: Vampire Tales (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 31st August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Harper
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: It’s all random.

Synopsis

Vampirism has become a daily occurrence – there are those in the high risk, those who just break the rules… but eventually a whole lot of people get turned. The future is showing us a whole new reality.

Thoughts

I liked the idea of this future world in which vampires are running free. And that they’re just kind of the next, logical evolutionary step to the pyramid. The fact that it’s also written all around the perspective of a teenager just works all that much better. After all, all of the stories at the moment surrounding vampires seem to be very young adult centred.

One of the aspects I liked most about this story was the idea that those in the “high risk” category were considered different and amoral. It’s the same fear mongering that you see again and again throughout society. Which made me smile. A great reflection on society as we know it.

All in all, I really enjoyed this short story. It was a unique idea, but one that I felt kind of had merit. After all, there is definitely scientific support for the idea that we are all evolving into a new version of “humanity”, who’s to say it isn’t going to be as blood suckers?

<- BabyTransition ->

Image source: HarperCollins

Pack of Thieves? 52 Port Arthur Lives by Hamish Maxwell-Stewart & Susan Hood

Overview
Pack of thieves? : 52 Port Arthur lives

Title: Pack of Thieves? 52 Port Arthur Lives
Author: Hamish Maxwell-Stewart & Susan Hood
Rating Out of 5: 3 (On the fence about this one)
My Bookshelves: Australian history, Crime, Non-fiction
Dates read: 15th – 30th August 2021
Pace: Slow
Format: Non-fictional text
Publisher: Port Arthur Historic Sites
Year: 2001
5th sentence, 74th page: On the same day he was punished with a beating of one hundred strokes for breaking gaol while awaiting trial – he had been recaptured by the guard at Eaglehawk Neck.

Synopsis

George Arthur, Lieutenant-Governor of Van Diemen’s Land from 1824-36 is credited with constructing an intricate system of convict management. The idea behind Arthur’s grand plan was that convicts would sink or rise through the tiers of his multi-layered system according to their conduct. Thus, the intention was that the wicked would be punished for their sins and the good rewarded for unerring servile toil. In 1830 Arthur ordered the construction of a new penal station on the Tasman Peninsula named Port Arthur in his honour. This was to be the foundation stone of Arthur’s scheme for regulating the lives of his colonial charges – a place to which prisoners incurred the wrath of the convict administration could be sent as a lesson to all.

Arthur likened his convict system to a prison without walls. This was because the lives of ordinary prisoners were regulated by paper work rather than guard towers and iron bars. Every detail that could be gleaned about a convict was entered into a set of enormous registers which ere used to separate those considered worthy of indulgence from those whose conduct was thorught to merit further punishment. At times Arthur appeared to sit astride his system like a colonial puppet master pronouncing judgement on his charges.

This book charts the lives of 52 prisoners who served time at Port Arthur in the 1830’s. It looks at the impact of transportation upon their lives and charts the ways in which they negotiated a passage through Arthur’s labyrinthine penal colony.

Thoughts

After visiting Port Arthur, this was a fun and easy read. It was also seriously fascinating. If you read it in parts. I mean, most of the stories were someone stole something, they got sent to Port Arthur. And repeat. But then some of the daring just had me smiling… you can’t predict human nature after all.

All in all, this was an interesting journey into the world of Australian history. But, like most Australian history, it was a bit white-washed and turned softer. I remember visiting Port Arthur fifteen years ago, and the stories that you were told were a lot more honest and gritty. Not like the ones that are told now…

<- More non-fictionMore Australian history ->

Image source: Abebooks

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

Overview
Emerald Blaze (Hidden Legacy, #5) by Ilona Andrews

Title: Emerald Blaze
Author: Ilona Andrews
Series: Catalina Baylor Trilogy #2, Hidden Legacy #5
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense, Strong women
Dates read: 23rd – 29th August 2021
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Avon
Year: 2020
5th sentence, 74th page: Sink some magic into it.

Synopsis

Ilona Andrews, #1 New York Times bestselling author, continues her spellbinding series set in the Hidden Legacy world where magic controls everything… except the hearts of those who wield it.

As Prime magic users, Catalina Baylor and her sisters have extraordinary powers – powers their ruthless grandmother would love to control. Catalina can earn her family some protection working as deputy to the Warden of Texas, overseeing breaches of magic law in the state, but that has risks as well. When House Baylor is under attack and monsters haunt her every step, Catalina is forced to rely on handsome, dangerous Alessandro Sagredo, the Prime who crushed her heart.

The nightmare that Alessandro has fought since childhood has come roaring back to life, but now Catalina is under threat. Not even his lifelong quest for revenge will stop him from keeping her safe, even if every battle could be his last. Because Catalina won’t rest until she stops to use of the illicit, power-granting serum that’s tearing their world apart.

Thoughts

Ilona Andrews is one of those authors that I pick up strategically… because I can never seem to put her books down. And I generally get a really bad book hangover once I’ve finished it. Emerald Blaze was no different. It was wonderful and impossible to put down. It was amazing and now I’m honestly a little bit pissed off that I have to wait until the next Catalina Baylor book to come out…

The more I find out about Catalina’s power and her own personal battles, the more I fall in love with her. Like all of Andrews’ heroines, she is intrinsically flawed. But, for Catalina, the biggest challenge she often faces is that she’s an introvert thrust into an extroverted position. The fact that she also has to battle her big, bad, evil grandmother… yeah, I can’t wait to see how that unfolds in the final book in this trilogy. She goes from strength to strength, but at what cost? It’s a beautiful question that you’re constantly wondering, even as you hope that the battle that Catalina and Alessandro face turns out… good in the end.

The ending of Sapphire Flames leaves a perfect cliff hanger in the feeling of who and what Alessandro actually is. Alessandro’s backstory, a bit like Catalina’s, is bought to life even more throughout the pages of this book. I actually wanted to reach through the pages of the book and hug him. It helped to strip back the arrogance that is so prominent in the other books, and, although you were always gunning for a happily ever after… this book makes you want it all that much more. I can’t wait until they get their sail off into the sunset ending (like Nevada and Rogan did), but as previously mentioned… now I have to wait (can you tell that I’m finding that quite disappointing?).

This is the most amazing of stories. I think I sat there staring at the wall for about 2 hours before I was capable of conversing too much or reading anything else. You know that the book is damn good when you are just… paralysed with the enjoyment of what you’ve read. When you can’t quite seem to get the adventures of the pages out of your head.

<- Sapphire FlamesRuby Fever ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Gap by Benjamin Gilmour

Overview
The Gap by Benjamin Gilmour - Penguin Books Australia

Title: The Gap
Author: Benjamin Gilmour
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Medical, Memoirs, Mental health
Dates read: 22nd – 25th August 2021
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Viking
Year: 2019
5th sentence, 74th page: I lean down beside our patient and speak in a whisper so no one will hear.

Synopsis

Benjamin Gilmour has been a paramedic for more than twenty years. He has seen his fair share of drama. But the summer of 2008 remains etched in his memory for the very worst reasons.

In this riveting memoir, Gilmour recounts the call-outs that summer: some dangerous, some gruesome, some downright ridiculous. And we meet fellow paramedic John who, they say, can get a laugh out of everyone except the dead. As they city heats up, however, even John begins to lose his sense of humour. People are unravelling – and Benjamin and John are no exception.

The Gap is a vivid portrait of the lead-up to Christmas; an unflinching, no-holds-barred look at what happens after the triple-zero call is made – the drugs, nightclubs, brothels, drunk rich kids, billionaires, domestic disputes, the elderly, emergency births, even a kidnapping. Patients share their innermost feelings, and we witness their loneliness, their despair and their hopes. 88 BB Beautifully written and sharply observed, The Gap exposes the fragility of our lives and the lengths that paramedics will go to try to save us.

Thoughts

I honestly just bought this because I needed a book with an ambulance on the cover. I really didn’t expect this to be such an amazing emotional rollercoaster ride. It was just… words can’t describe. I just don’t have the words to describe what it felt like to read this book. There’s such a potent emotional ride that had me reading this story until late in the night. Bated breath and eyes burning.

I knew that being a paramedic is an incredibly mentally taxing career. I know a few people who work in the field and the mental toll that it can take on a person. But, Gilmour’s words add a whole other layer of context to this reality. It provides faces and personalities to an issue that we all know is there. Provides a face to the trials, tribulations and tragedies of paramedics and those working within the health sector. It also kind of broke my heart throughout as I read about the daily life and experiences of Benjamin and his partners.

The title didn’t really mean much to me at the beginning of this novel. I mean, cool, it’s called The Gap, but that meant literally nothing to my brain. Then I read the opening paragraphs – and the title began to make much more sense. Which wasn’t necessarily a good thing. I mean, you knew some of this was going to be a tough read because it’s about a day in the life of a paramedic. When there is a spot that he is frequently called to that is known for suicides…it’s going to be a whole new kettle of fish and difficulties.

I’ve been on a good run of books lately. Read a few that, once I close the final page, I just lie there, staring at the ceiling. This was most definitely one of them. Although Gilmour deals with the very serious issues of mental health and wellbeing, there is humour and light throughout his words. Some incredibly difficult real world realities are faced up to, but they are paired off with some of the more ridiculous adventures of the paramedics. It shows you that whenever there is dark, you can also find some light.

<- CommittedBits and Pieces ->

Image source: Penguin Books Australia