Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 7
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection

GIMME S’MORE!
DURATION : August 1 – August 31, 2021

Our family camped a lot when I was a kid, and one of my favorite things during each trip was making s’mores over the campfire. National S’Mores Day occurs in August, so this month, we’re celebrating this perennial favorite.

CHALLENGE RULES :
See this thread for more detailed rules for all CCC challenges.
PLEASE NOTE : When we ask for an item shown prominently on the cover, we should be able to see the item in the thumbnail, without having to click through to the book’s page.

♦ 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.

♦ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. (See the link above for rules regarding graphic novels. Please remember that ONLY graphic novels can be combined.) 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 CCC challenges. If you listen to an audiobook, please be sure that the link you post indicates a page count for the book, even if that means linking to an edition different from the one you listened to.

♦ For each book you read, please post a link to the title, and indicate 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 or specific author initials or name/s, you must include a link to the book cover and/or author’s name, respectively. To avoid spoiling a book for other readers, please use spoiler tags when explaining your book choices.*
    * For help with posting spoiler tags, see this post: Spoiler tags
    * If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions here: Add a link to the book title, book cover and/or author

♦ When you complete the challenge, please copy and paste your entire list as a new message at the end of the challenge thread. If you do this while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your links and formatting. If you don’t repost your list, with appropriate links, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge. Please do NOT simply post a link back to your original post.

THE TASKS

1. Nobody is quite sure who first created S’more, but it is believed the recipe was created by the Campfire Girls or the Girl Scouts in or around 1927. The gooey treat didn’t gain mainstream popularity, though, until the late 1960s and early 1970s.
🔶 Read a book set in the 1960s or 1970s; tell us when OR a book by an author whose first and last initials can be found in CAMPFIRE (a letter can only be used as many times as it appears in the phrase); post a link to the author’s GR page – Sky of Ash by Rachel Madbury

2. For the uninitiated, a s’more is made by layering a Graham cracker square, a hunk of chocolate, a toasted marshmallow, and another Graham cracker square. Some folks like to add a dollop of peanut butter or hazelnut spread to the tasty treat, but be sure to smoosh it all down to help the chocolate melt and to get a taste of marshmallow in every bite.
🔶 Read a book whose cover shows some kind of chocolate; post the cover OR a book to which you would like to add “a little something” to make it better; using spoiler tags, tell us what – The Edge of Heaven by E.M. Lindsey (poetic justice / revenge)

3. S’more folklore suggests that s’mores got their name right by the campfire. After eating one, young kids chanted “gimme some more!” “Some more” quickly became s’more, and before long, s’mores became a campfire staple for everyone.
🔶 Read a book with a contraction in its title OR a book with fire shown prominently on the cover; post the cover – Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher

4. The largest s’more, made at the Deer Run Camping Resort in Gardners, Pennsylvania (USA), in May 2014, weighed 267 pounds (121.11kg). Although traditionalists insist on toasting the marshmallow over a campfire, s’mores can be baked in an oven or even made in a microwave.
🔶 Read a book in which someone goes camping; tell us who OR a book set in Pennsylvania; tell us where – A Wild Life by Martin Hughes-Games

5. Graham crackers were created in 1829 by evangelical minister Sylvester Graham (that’s why “Graham” should always be capitalized), who believed in healthy eating. He also believed carnal desires were inspired by the rich, fatty goods Americans were consuming, so he thought his crackers would help curb physical arousal.
🔶 Read a book that features a religious leader; tell us who and their position OR a book with ROMANCE on its main GR page – Witching Moon by Rebecca York

6. Chocolate is made from cacao beans, grown mostly in West Africa on small, family-owned farms. A cacao tree takes 4-5 years to produce its first beans, and each tree produces about 2500 beans. It takes 400 beans to make one pound of chocolate, and 2-4 days to make a single-serving chocolate bar.
🔶 Read a book set in Africa; tell us which country OR a series book #2, 4 or 5; tell us the series name and the series position – Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews (Catalina Baylor Trilogy #2; Hidden Legacy #5)

7. Marshmallows owe their name to the marsh-mallow plant, a perennial flowering herb that grows in marshes, whose roots were used to make the sticky treat. Today’s marshmallows are made from sugar, water and gelatin whipped to a squishy consistency, molded in cylindrical pieces of varying sizes (mini, regular and jumbo), then coated with cornstarch to prevent sticking. Today, Americans buy 90 million pounds of marshmallows every year, and it is estimated that more than 50% of them sold during the summer are toasted over a fire.
🔶 Read one of the 20 longest books on your to-read list; tell us how many pages OR a book set in the summer – The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 9
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Welcome to Night Spawn BINGO. Each month a new BINGO game will be posted with new tasks to complete. Get three in a row (Horizontal, Vertical, or Diagonal) to receive your Vampire Heart.

Rules:
Complete three tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
One book per task

Read 3 books that have one of the following (Must be in a Horizontal, Vertical, or Diagonal pattern).

Top Row:
Heroine who is a Fiery Redhead ~ The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Heroine who is a Bold Brunette ~ The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
Heroine who is a Sassy Blonde ~ Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

Middle Row:
Heroine who wields a blade ~ Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Heroine who conjures magic ~ Witching Moon by Rebecca York
Heroine who is a quick draw (Gun) ~ Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Bottom Row:
Heroine who looks for love in all the wrong places ~ On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
Heroine who plays hard to get ~ Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Heroine who is a true romantic ~ Sky of Ash by Rachel Madbury

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 6
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Duration
August 1st – 31st

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

Pick Your Pirate Name
Read a book with an object in the title or series that you want to be part of your pirate name – The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Yo Ho Me Hearties Gather Your Crew
Read a book where the MC works with a group of people or a team – Sky of Ash by Rachel Madbury
Map Out Your Adventure and Batten Down the Hatches
Read a book tagged adventure or where a character uses a map or plans a trip – Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr
Set Sail on the High Seas
Read a book with a body of water on the cover or where the MC travels on a boat/ship – Witching Moon by Rebecca York
Seize Your Booty and Evade the authorities
Read a book where a character steals something valuable or is running from law enforcement – Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre
Relax on a beach and Drink Up Maties
Read a book where the MC goes to the beach or has too much to drink – A Wild Life by Martin Hughes-Games

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 6
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Duration: August 1 – 31

Rules
Complete at least two tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count

1. August is the 8th month of the year
Listen to a book with an 8 any where in the length of the audio book (hours or minutes) – The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones (338 pp.)
2. Aug 5th is Work Like a Dog Day
Listen to a book where the MC has a dog or where the MC does some type of physical labor – Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr
3. Aug 7th is Purple Heart Day
Listen to a book with a mostly purple cover, with a heart on the cover or with the word heart in the title or series
4. Aug 11th is National Son & Daughter Day
Listen to a book where the MC has children or with a child on the cover – The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris
5. Aug 18th is National Couples Day
Listen to a book with a couple on the cover – The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin
6. Aug 20th is National Radio Day
Listen to a book where the MC listens to the radio or where a type of social communication (radio, tv, social media) plays a role in the book – Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 6
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

Collect a Funko Vamp each month by completing at least 2 tasks from a set of 6.
A new set of tasks with a new Funko Vamp 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
Complete at least two tasks to get the vampire heart
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
No minimum page count
One book per task

August
Read a book with a character wearing a suit on the cover – Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
Read a book with a vampire on the cover
Read a book rated at least 4 stars by one of your friends – The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones
Read a book on your TBR longer than 6 months – The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 edited by Trisha Telep
Read a book with three words in the title – Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher
Read a book with a human main character – Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 11
Hosted by: My Vampire Book Obsession

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

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

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

1. Iced Tea Time
Considering that it’s way too hot to drink regular tea, let’s go ahead and slurp down some of the cool stuff and read some light enjoyable fluff, or if you prefer, a book with a beverage on the front. – Take Me Home by Inez Kelley

2. S-T-R-A-W-B-E-R-R-Y
In celebration of perhaps one of the most tasty and scrumptious berries out there, read a book that begins with one of the letters in ‘strawberry’ or that has a red cover. – Witching Moon by Rebecca York

3. Wildflowers
Beautiful, simple, and humble are the wildflowers, gently swaying in the summer breeze. What a lovely and wonderful sight to behold! As long as you don’t have allergies, that is. To complete this challenge, read a book that is a breath of fresh air! Something new. Or, read a book that has a flower on the cover. – The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones

4. Indubitably, my dear Watson
Sometimes in literature we hear about fabulous duos that always get into trouble and all sorts of mischief, but then we never get around to reading those books. Well now is the time to do so! Read any book that has a well known duo. – The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu

5. Gadgetry
Steampunk is perhaps one of the funnest genres out there! Such adventure and excitement await in alternate retelling of history, full of gizmos, gadgets, and all sorts of inventions. Read any kind of steampunk book that titillates the mind. – The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason

6. Gimme Some Sugar
Whether it’s hot or cold, cakes, cookies, ice cream, croissants, custards and the like will always hit the spot and appease the sweet tooth. Depending on what you like, read a book tailored to you that has your favorite sweet treat on it! Or, you could always revisit a book boyfriend for a different kind of sugar. – On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle (coffee)

7. Lady’s Best Friend
Some people might say that a diamond is a woman’s best friend, but I beg to differ! Dogs are indeed a woman’s best bud. They are always there when you need them and they also act as a living hoover. It’s fantastic! Read any book that has a pup on the cover or that appears in the pages. – Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

8. Oddball
Side characters, rarely do they ever get enough credit. And sometimes they’re even better written than the main. As an ode to the unsung hero, read a book where a side character outshines the main, or read a spin off from the main series that finally gives the side character the development and adventure they deserve. – Bring Me Home for Christmas by Robyn Carr

9. Deep in the Mountainside
Rumors of large beasts in the woods have persisted for years. Savage creatures who guzzle up unsuspecting wanderers, or at least that’s what the myths say. Perhaps they’re wrong? Are dragons friend, foe, or charming gentlemen who wish to be left alone? You decide! Read any book with a dragon in it that suits your fancy. – The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin

10. Chivalry might be Dead
Sometimes in the beginning of a series the main fella might seem like a gentleman. Then as time goes on, you realize he is far from one. In fact, it turns out he’s a big jerk! Yet for some reason you just can’t stay away. He’s the guy ya love to hate and hate to love. To complete this challenge, read a book that has a dude in it that you can’t stand, but yet secretly adore. – The Edge of Heaven by E.M. Lindsey (hurt my heart WAY too much)

11. 🍯 – BONUS BOOK: Game Day!
There is nothing that makes our Grande Dame Dee more happy than to see people playing games. It’s one of her FAVORITE things! To complete this challenge, just participate in one of the Vlad’s Billiard Room: Games and label it as the August Bonus challenge. Then read any book you want. It’s a freebie! – The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance 2 edited by Trisha Telep

Duration: 1st August – 31st August 2021
Number of books: 9
Hosted by: Crazy Challenge Connection

T – Take Me Home by Inez Kelley
R –
A – Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine & Ann Aguirre
D –
I –
T – The Truths We Hold by Kamala Harris
I –
O – On What Grounds by Cleo Coyle
N –

August 2021 SPELL Challenge-GIMME S’MORE!
Timeframe: 8/1/21 to 8/31/21

To go along with Barb’s scavenger challenge this month, choose one or more of these words to spell out in August. 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)

s’mores
tradition
popular
mainstream
Campfire Girls
Girl Scouts
campfire
gooey
Graham crackers
marshmallow
chocolate bar
peanut butter
hazelnut spread
Deer Run
toasted
oven
microwave
Sylvester
minister
cacao (beans)
West Africa
mini
regular
jumbo

CHALLENGE RULES:
♦ 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.

♦ Unless otherwise noted, books must be at least 150 pages long. (See the link here 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 and not simply skim through it.

♦ For each book you read, please post a link to the title, and indicate the author and the date you finished reading it.
* If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title, cover or author, see the instructions here:
Add a link to the book title, book cover and/or author

♦ 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, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.