2023 Reading Challenges

 

REPORTER CHALLENGE 2023

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Who? What? Where? When? Why?

How? – In a cozy chair with a hot cup of cocoa and a box of bonbons!

 Cub reporter: 5 books (1 from each category)

Columnist: 10 books (2 from each category)

News Anchor: 15 books (3 from each category)

Editor: 20 books (4 from each category)

Newspaper Mogul: 25 books (5 from each category)

 

BONUS CATEGORY:

Pulitzer Prize Winner (Newspaper Mogul plus Bonus Category) = 30 books

 

EXTRA BONUS CATEGORY:

Nobel Prize for Literature (Newspaper Mogul plus Pulitzer Prize + Extra Bonus) = 31 books


TOTAL=31/31


5/5

WHO

Protagonist is starting a new business or career A Side of Murder by Amy Pershing

A Side Character is a dead person (ghost, skeleton, vampire, zombie…anybody who is dead) Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook (ghost)

An Animal Character that talks with the protagonist Mrs. Claus and the Trouble with Turkeys by Liz Ireland (Quasar - reindeer)

A Villain who is introduced by Chapter 2 Mind Your Own Beeswax by Hannah Reed

A Character who exercises regularly A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan

 

5/5

WHAT

A color in the title Greenglass House by Kate Milford

A dessert in the title Pie Hard by Kirsten Weiss

Title is at least six words Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

Title starts with any letter in your last name Boston Cream Bakery by Jessica Beck

Title is a play on words (ex: Left Fur Dead) Six Sweets Under by Sarah Fox


5/5

WHERE

Set in a New England state The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan

Set on an island Pleading the Fish by Bree Baker

Set in a state starting with a vowel Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower (Ohio)

Set on a farm Murder at an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan

Set on foreign soil (NOT America or England) Murder in a Scottish Shire by Traci Hall (Scotland)


 5/5

WHEN

Set in the 1800s or earlier Of Manners and Murder by Anastasia Hastings (1885)

Set in the 1900s God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen (1935)

Set during a celebration Gourd to Death by Kirsten Weiss (Halloween festival)

Set during winter Buy a Whisker by Sofie Ryan

Set during a holiday A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril


 5/5

WHY

(Motives)

Money/Greed Plan Bee by Hannah Reed

Jealousy Pies Before Guys by Kirsten Weiss

Revenge Murder at a Scottish Social by Traci Hall

“Love” Cat About Town by Cate Conte

To keep a secret/cover up Pies Before Guys by Kirsten Weiss


5/5 

BONUS CATEGORY – PULITZER PRIZE

WHO – The protagonist has an unusual pet (not dog or cat) or works with an unusual animal/insect (bees, bunny, pig, etc.) Criminally Cocoa by Amanda Flower (pig)

WHAT – The title is exactly one word Detour by Lorena McCourtney

WHERE – Set in a big city Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico (Queens, NY)

WHEN – During a storm (doesn’t have to be whole story) Floured Felonies by Jessica Beck (ice storm)

WHY – Accidental death The Plot and the Pendulum by Jenn McKinlay

 

1/1

EXTRA BONUS CATEGORY – NOBEL PRIZE FOR LITERATURE

Horoscope (from on-line or a newspaper or wherever)

Pick a horoscope from the 24th of any month. Then read a book that relates to that horoscope.

From Sept 24:

A moment in time when things are coming together for you unexpectedly

Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow (protag laid off and finds herself re-immersed in her cooking career)


A - Z Challenge


22/26


And Justice for Mall by E.J. Copperman

Baked Books by Jessica Beck

City of Fortune by Victoria Thompson

Death by Smoothie by Laura Levine

Evil Eclairs by Jessica Beck

Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay

Going Rogue by Janet Evanovich

Hot Pot Murder by Jennifer J. Chow

In Farm's Way by Amanda Flower

Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door by Barbara Ross

Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

Lemon Drop Dead by Amanda Flower

Mixed Malice by Jessica Beck

Never Buried by Edie Claire

On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

Poppy Harmon and the Backstabbing Bachelor by Lee Hollis

Q

Rum and Choke by Sherry Harris

Steeped in Secrets by Lauren Elliott

Toxic Toffee by Amanda Flower

Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones

V

Wine and Punishment by Sarah Fox

X

Y

Zoo Job by Keith R.A. Decandido




Cruising Through the Cozies Challenge


Going for Investigator!


20/20 COMPLETED

2 from culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.)

Devil's Food Defense by Jessica Beck

Pumpkin Pleas by Jessica Beck

from animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)

 A Book Club to Die For by Dorothy St. James
Good Dog, Bad Cop by David Rosenfelt (K9)

2 from craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
Seams Like Murder by Dorothy Howell
15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher (candle maker)

2 from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
 The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase by Greg Cox
Be Careful What You Witch For by Dawn Eastman

2 from cozy mysteries based outside the US
The Librarians and the Lost Lamp by Greg Cox
Murder in a Scottish Garden by Traci Hall

2 career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.) 
Murder on the Poet's Walk by Ellery Adams (resort)
Peachy Scream by Anna Gerard (B&B)

2 holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
Cranberry Crimes by Jessica Beck (birthday)
Scary Sweets by Jessica Beck (Halloween)

2 travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
Peril in Paris by Rhys Bowen
Tasty Trials by Jessica Beck

2 historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
A Fashionable Fatality by Alyssa Maxwell (1921)
Murder on Bedford Street by Victoria Thompson (1901)

2 Freebies
The Con Job by Matt Forbeck
A Deadly Web by Jeanne M. Dams



It’s All in the Title Challenge 2023

 

 24/24 COMPLETED

1)      Animal in title The Whole Cat and Caboodle by Sofie Ryan

2)      Color in title Greenglass House by Kate Milford

3)      Number in title Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico

4)      Job (or career) in title The Librarians and the Lost Lamp by Greg Cox

5)      Food in title Pie Hard by Kirsten Weiss

6)      Flavor in title (chocolate, caramel, etc.) Devil's Food Defense by Jessica Beck

7)      Holiday in title A Christmas Candy Killing by Christina Romeril

8)      Fire in title (flame, candle, light, etc.) 15 Minutes of Flame by Christin Brecher

9)      Name in title (any proper name) Poppy Harmon and the Backstabbing Bachelor by Lee Hollis

10)  Place in title  And Justice for Mall by E.J. Copperman

11)  Relationship in title (aunt, uncle, grandmother, parent, niece, etc.) The Librarians and the Mother Goose Chase by Greg Cox

12)  Supernatural element in title (witch, vampire, skeleton, etc.) Unseen Magic by Emily Lloyd-Jones

13)  Weather in title (snow, cold, sunny, rain, ice, etc.) Dark Drizzles by Jessica Beck

14)  Death in title (dead, death, dying, etc.) On Spine of Death by Tamara Berry

15)  Alliteration in title Pumpkin Pleas by Jessica Beck

16)  Craft word in title (knit, needle, etc.) Knit or Dye Trying by Allie Pleiter

17)  Title is a play on words Mind Your Own Beeswax by Hannah Reed

18)  Seven word title (or more) Aru Shah and the End of Time by Roshani Chokshi

19)  Two word title Plan Bee by Hannah Reed

20)  Weapon in title A Trace of Poison by Colleen Cambridge

21)  Action verb in title Peachy Scream by Anna Gerard

22)  Adjective in title (missing, screaming, etc.) God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen

23)  Piece of clothing in title (buttons, sleeve, dress, etc.) Fatal Fascinator by Jenn McKinlay

24)  Library reference in title (checked out, etc.) Dewey Decimated by Allison Brook