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

M – A Man in a Kilt by Sandy Blair
A – Aiden’s Charity by Lora Leigh
T – Tanner’s Scheme by Lora Leigh
R –
I –
A –
R –
C –
H – The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

May 2021 Spell Challenge- Beloved Mothers in Literature
Duration: May 1- May 31, 2021

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

**Note: Any word inside (parenthesis) may be spelled on its own if you want a shorter name or phrase. So, for example, (Aibileen) (Clark), you could choose to spell Aibileen, or Clark, or Aibileen Clark. For “Anne of (Green Gables)” you may spell Green Gables or Anne of Green Gables – you may NOT choose to just spell Anne.

(Aibileen) (Clark)
(Caroline) (Ingalls)
(Clara) (del Valle) (Trueba)
(Marilla) (Cuthbert)
(Marmee) (March)
(Molly) (Weasley)
(Vianne) (Rocher)

The Help
(Little House) on the Prairie
House of Spirits
Anne of (Green Gables)
Little Women
Harry Potter
Chocolat

(Kathryn) (Stockett)
(Laura) (Ingalls) (Wilder)
(Isabel) (Allende)
Lucy Maud (Montgomery)
(Louisa) May (Alcott)
J.K. (Rowling)
(Joanne) (Harris)

Adoptive
Brave
Calming
Couragous
Education
Family
Grace
Gentle
Matriarch
Mother
Service
Spirit
Strong

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 a challenge template. 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.) 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.

♦ 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).
-In the case of a hyphenated first or last name (i.e. Sarah-Kate Lynch, Kate 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.

♦ 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, you won’t get credit for completing that task.
* If you don’t know how to post a link to the book title or author, see the instructions here: Add a link to book title or author

♦ If you want the challenge moderator to verify your books as you post updates, please copy/paste your update into a new message . If you do this while you still have the Edit window open, it will copy all of your formatting, etc. too. 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.

♦ If you use books that are in a language other than English, please translate those titles into English for the purposes of this challenge, unless you plan to use that language for the entire challenge. If you do use another language for the whole challenge, please remember that the translations of exempt words/phrases — for example, A, An and The in this challenge — would be exempt as well.

♦ When you complete the challenge, please post your entire list as a new message. 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, your name will not be added to the list of those who have completed the challenge.

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

May 2021 Scavenger Challenge : Beloved Mothers in Literature
Duration: May 1 – 31, 2021

In honor of Mother’s Day, we take a look at mothers who we remember fondly from our books past and present.

1. Margaret “Marmee” March, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The March family’s tenderhearted matriarch teaches her four daughters the value of thoughtful speech, a tireless work ethic, and compassionate service to others through her own actions. She corrects her daughters’ mistakes gently and without judgment, mans the home front while her husband is away at war without complaint, and generously shares her family’s own limited resources with those more in need. She’s the picture of strength in trial and grace under pressure.
🥰 Read a book originally published in March of any year; tell us when OR read a book in which mother is in charge of the family during father’s absence (i.e. war, death, desertion, severe illness); tell us why OR (re-)read Little Women. – A Night Like This by Julia Quinn (father deceased)

2. Molly Weasley, Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling
While her seven children bemoan the personalized sweaters she knits for them each Christmas, the gesture only grows our fondness for the magical matron. Her warmth extends beyond her own charges to Harry himself, including him in holiday celebrations and Diagon Alley shopping trips. Her fiery spirit shines brightest when she joins the Order of the Phoenix and defends her daughter Ginny at the Battle of Hogwarts.
🥰 (Re-)read any book in the Harry Potter series OR read a book with a mother who has magical or paranormal powers; tell us who and what her powers are OR read a book that features a large family (at least 6 children); tell us the family composition.

3. Ma (Caroline) Ingalls, Little House on the Prairie Series by Laura Ingalls Wilder
When it comes to a literary mother who embodies strength, it’s hard to outperform Caroline Ingalls. Along with her husband, she moves her family from a little log cabin in Wisconsin across the plains to Kansas, then to Minnesota, and then again to the Dakota Territory. She navigates the struggles of pioneer life, from harsh winters to limited resources, with grace, working hard to make their home a safe haven.
🥰 Read a book whose title contains the word “LITTLE” or “PRAIRIE” (reasonable variations acceptable – i.e. Littlest, Prairies) OR read a book set during pioneer times (~1760 – 1850); tell us when OR read a book with a covered wagon on its cover; remember to post the cover.

4. Marilla Cuthbert, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Marilla is one of the most devoted adoptive mothers we know. She and her brother Matthew had been expecting a young boy to help around the farm, but instead they find themselves saddled with an incorrigibly optimistic orphan named Anne. While Marilla at first seems practical to the point of being hard-hearted, she proves herself a nurturing (and beloved) mother to Anne, even if she wasn’t a huge fan of red-headed Anne Shirley from the get-go.
🥰 Read a book that takes place anywhere in Canada (bonus for PEI); tell us where OR read a book whose MC is an orphan OR read a book whose author’s first name is Anne (Ann or other reasonable spellings are acceptable; however, Anna is not). – Edge of the Moon by Rebecca York

5. Clara del Valle Trueba, The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
Clara the Clairvoyant is the magical matriarch of the Trueba family. The mother of Blanca, Jaime, and Nícolas, she is as mysterious as she is constant. Clara can predict the future, communicate with spirits, and read dreams, and she has telekinetic power accompanied by a strong disregard for material things. She brings joy to the Trueba family, and grounds it (which is ironic since she levitates) with her love and predictions, and her powers reflect a woman’s determination to exist and to affect the world around her.
🥰 Read any of the books in the Del Valle Family trilogy (Daughter of Fortune, Portrait in Sepia, or The House of the Spirits) OR read a book that is a family saga (covers at least 50 years and three generations) OR read a book by any Latin American author; make sure to post an author link. – The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

6. Aibileen Clark, The Help by Kathryn Stockett
In The Help, the maids talk about how much they love the children that they raise. Aibileen knows that eventually she will have to leave the babies that she raises but that doesn’t stop her from loving them as any mother would. In some cases, she loves them even more than their own parents. She always tells her charges, “You is smart, you is kind, you is important.”
🥰 Read any book featuring a nanny or governess; tell us who OR (re-)read The Help OR read a book that takes place in Deep South (South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana); tell us where.

7. Vianne Rocher, Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Vianne spends her time traveling, making chocolate, and attempting to help people. The keyword is “attempt;” while Vianne manages in her first book, in The Girl With No Shadow reality catches up to her. She starts to deny magic for her children’s sake, but her daughter Anouk won’t have any of that. Vianne as a mother is constantly in motion, trying to do what’s best but not always succeeding. It makes her relatable and sympathetic.
🥰 Read a book that involves chocolate as a major theme; tell us how OR read a book that takes place anywhere in France OR (re-)read any of the books in the Chocolat series (Chocolat, The Girl with No Shadow, or Peaches for Father Francis).

To read about more beloved mothers:
Southern Living
Cityline
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble

Duration: 1st May – 31st May 2021
Number of books: 3
Hosted by: Bookworm Bitches

May 2021: Happiness is between the pages of a book
Duration: 5/1/2021-5/31/2021

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.

1. Read an author or genre that makes you happy – A Night Like This by Julia Quinn
2. Read a light-hearted book – Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn
3. Read a book with a bright cover – Death by Diamonds by Annette Blair

Rules
~Books must be read during the selected time period.
~Post the date you finished the book.
~All books read for challenges can be used for more than one challenge.
~Books can be either Fiction or Non Fiction. Your choice.
~At the end of the challenge, it will be closed for commenting and moved to the archives folder
~Use the add book/author tool to tag your book within your challenge.

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

Duration
May 1st – 31st 2021

Rules
Complete at least 2 tasks to get the heart
No minimum page count
All genres welcome
Rereads welcome
A different book must be used for each task

1. Read a book with flowers or trees on the cover
2. Read a book released in May of any year – Primal Heat by Sherri L. King, Lorie O’Clare, Jaci Burton & Lora Leigh
3. Read a book with a male main character – Tanner’s Scheme by Lora Leigh
4. Read a book with a witch or other magic user main character – Death by Diamonds by Annette Blair
5. Read a book that begins with a letter in “Lily of the Valley” – Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker
6. Read a book by an author whose first initial can be found in “Gardenias” – The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende