52 Book Club in 25

 

 52 book club has been on my list since I started and I am happy to do their prompts again this year.  

The idea is to read 52 books in the year.  They provide a challenge guide to explain their thinking on the prompts but overall their mantra is "your challenge your rules"  It is a lot lower key than some of the other prompt based challenges.  

Post reviews on Goodreads site-  weekly and by prompt  Also on FB

#the52bookclub2025  #the52bookclub

Progress  37/52 

1)     A pun in the title  

• Scone Cold Killer (All Day Breakfast Cafe #1) by Lena Gregory
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/27/25

2)     A character with red hair

• In the Dog House ( Dog Club #1) by V M Burns
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/1/25

3)     Title starts with letter “M”

•     Murder, She Wrote: Death on the Emerald Isle (Murder, She Wrote #56) by Jessica Fletcher
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/4/25

4)     Title starts with letter “N”

•     The Next Deadly Chapter by V.M. Burns
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/4/25

5)     Plot includes a heist

On Thin Icing (Bakeshop #3) by Ellie Alexander

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/3/25

6)     Genre One: Set in Spring  Cozy Mystery

•  Crepe Expectations (Pancake House #5) by Sarah Fox
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/28/25

7)     Genre Two: Set in Summer  Romance

• The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/31/25

8)     Genre Three: Set in Autumn  Horror

• The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/10/25

9)     Genre Four: Set in Winter  Christian Literature

• Manchester Christmas by John Gray
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/16/25

10)  Author’s last name is also a first name

• Bound for Murder (Blue Ridge Library #4) by Victoria Gilbert
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/5/25 

11)  A prequel
12)  Has a moon on the cover

• Disney After Dark (Kingdom Keepers #1) by Ridley Pearson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/29/25

13)  Title is ten letters or less

• Death on Tap (Sloan Krause #1) by Ellie Alexander
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/10/25

14)  Climate fiction
15)  Includes Latin American history

• When We Left Cuba (The Perez Family, #2) by Chanel Cleeton
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/15/25

16)  Author has won an Edgar award

 You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/21/25

17)  Told in verse

• And Then, Boom! by Lisa Fipps
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/22/25

18)  A character who can fly

• Evil by the Sea ( By the Sea #4) by Kathleen Bridge
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/14/25

19)  Has short chapters

•  You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/21/25

20)  A fairy tale retelling
21)  Character’s name in the title

• Love from Paddington (Paddington #14) by Michael Bond
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/11/25

22)  Found family trope 

• Yeast of Eden (Pancake House #4) by Sarah Fox
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/20/25

23)  A sprayed edge
24)  Title is a spoiler

• Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/1/25 

25)  Breaks the fourth wall
26)  More than a million copies sold
27)  Features a magician
28)  A crossover (Set in a shared universe)

•  Stuart Woods' Golden Hour  (Teddy Fay #7) by Brett Battles
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/1/25 

29)  Shares universe with prompt 28

Smolder (Stone Barrington # 65) by Stuart Woods and Brett Battles

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/23/25

30)  In the public domain
31)  Audiobook has multiple narrators

• Run Rose Run by Dolly Parton and James Patterson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/5/25

32)  Includes a diary entry

• Silent Nights are Murder (Poppy McAllister #9 ) by Libby Klein
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/18/25

33)  A standalone novel

 You Belong to Me by Mary Higgins Clark

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/21/25

34)  Direction in the title

• Spaced Out (Moon Base Alpha #2) by Stuart Gibbs
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/14/25

35)  Written in third person

• Stiffs and Swine (Supper Club #4) by Ellery Adams
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/31/25

36)  Final sentence is less than 6 words long
37)  Genre chosen for you by someone else
38)  An adventure story

• The Double Helix (Explorer Academy #3) by Trudi Trueit
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/25

39)  Has an epigraph

• The Solace of Bay Leaves (Spice Shop #5) by Leslie Budewitz
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/21/25

40)  Stream of consciousness narrative

• The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/21/25

41)  Cover font is in a primary color

 One Potato, Two Potato, Dead ( (Farm to Fork Mystery #3) by Lynn Cahoon

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/18/25

42)  Non-human antagonist

• Dog Man (Dog Man #1) by Dav Pilkey
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/24/25

43)  Explores social class

A Girl Like Us by Anna Sophia McLoughlin

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/23/25

44)  A celebrity on the cover
45)  Author releases more than one book a year

• The Spook in the Stacks (Lighthouse Library #4) by Eva Gates
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/31/25

46)  Read in a “-ber” month
47)  “I think it was blue”

• Town in a Wild Moose Chase by BB Haywood
•  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/6/25

48)  Related to the word “puzzle”

• The Tell Tale Tarte (5 Ingredient #4) by Maya Corrigan
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/10/25

49)  Set in a country with an active volcano
50)  Set in the 1940s
51)  300-400 pages long

• The Cheerleaders by Kara Thomas 
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/20/25

52)  Published in 2025

Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) (Vera Wong, #2) by Jesse Q Sutanto

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/28/25

Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

 Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is the 2nd book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I have read.  I have enjoyed both of the books.   The prior read was an audiobook of Daisy Jones and the Six.  I plan to read another one of Reid's books later this year- Carrie Soto is back.  

Evelyn Hugo is a fun book that is based on the life of a Hollywood starlet.   The story is reputed to be loosely based on Elizabeth Taylor, Ava Gardner and  Rita Hayworth's lives.  I enjoyed how on the surface it is a fun and engaging book with snippets of the life of the famous.  There are deeper topics covered within the story.  

Additionally, the format of the book is a somewhat different approach.  Monique is called by Evelyn Hugo to hear her life's story and publish the biography upon Evelyn's death.   The book delves into both of their characters and what drives their personalities.  The reader is not really sure whether they should like Evelyn or dislike her.  Evelyn believes she lived her life as true as possible given the circumstances of her fame.   She doesn't regret her decisions and says she would do it all again.   It is hard to be sure if that would really be the case but it certainly makes for a polarizing character in the story.  

If you are looking for a relatively light read that does address deeper issues and gets you to think this is a great choice for you.  

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

very engaging read. hard to put down

Jenkins Reid certainly addresses some questions about people and how they define their truths to themselves. Evelyn Hugo was viewed by the public as an icon and celebrity this book shows the cost and benefits of this fame. If you ever wish you were famous this book will make you think twice about having the world wanting to know your business. And this was before social media

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  92
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book # 75  
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #84
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #65
5. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #6
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #  25 A Fashionable Character
7. 52 books in 52 weeks  #22 book to movie
8. Around the Year in 52 Books #49. A book posted in one of the ATY Best Book of the Month threads in 2022 or 2023  
9. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #14. Recommended by a Librarian
10. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #14  a character is lost royalty
11. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #11 A book about or set in Hollywood
12. Pick your Poison  # 67 A book you want to dive into
13. Diversify your reading #DYRC23   August: Contemporary Fiction
14. Read Around the US   Aug California
15. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge  July 19 - Opposites Attract

Hook, Line and Sinker

 Hook, Line and Sinker is the 3rd Lake of the Ozarks book by Marc Jedel.   I enjoy the aspect of this book that there are 2 narrators who are husband and wife.   It makes for an interesting perspective on the storyline.   This book has an interesting mystery related to the background of 

Hook, Line and Sinker by Marc Jedel
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

enjoyable cozy from 2 pov

I like how Marc Jewel writes the series from both the husband and wife’s perspective. It’s also nice to not have the simmering sexual tension hanging over the main character like it is in so many books The mystery is interesting if not a bit loose on its solution. I do enjoy the series

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  90
2. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  AR 
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge   H
4. Finishing the Series   #FinishingTheSeries2023  Series: 12  Book #1
5. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
6. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 3
7. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #82
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #40
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #68
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #57
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #53  Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #4 Title starting with letter "H"
14. Read Around the US   Jul Arkansas

Moon Spinners

 

This is the 3rd Seaside Knitters mystery by Sally Goldenbaum.  I am glad it wasn't the first because I might have given up on the series.  Moon Spinners started out a bit slowly and I found many of the characters were easy to confuse.  Both names and relationships were a bit indistinguishable at times.  For those who are interested in knitting, there are plenty of references to the craft.  I also appreciate how there is a relationship formed over the craft and it is utilized as means for healing.   The characters are relatable and it is easy to root for them as the story progressed.  The mystery was well thought out and developed.   The clues and structure are well done.  

Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the book but for some reason had trouble getting engaged. i also felt a bit lost at times because the character names kept getting muddled in my attempts to follow the story. I enjoyed the motive and twists of the mystery it was just a bit less fluid of a read for me than the others I have read so far

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book # 84 
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  68 
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 3
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 1
5. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #76
6. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book # 61
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #37
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #62
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #54
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target # 46 Shot #3
11. Medical Examiner Challenge  1 Toe Tags
12. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #46 Script Font on the Spine
13. Around the Year in 52 Books #38. A book with the sun, moon, or stars on the cover
14. Cozy Mysteries   #6 Sun, Moon, or Stars on the cover

The Unhoneymooners

 This is the 3rd book by Christina Lauren that I have read.  The Unhoneymooners like the others is an entertaining book that has some deeper character development/reflection than many rom-com books.  Olive and Ethan find themselves in a comical situation due to circumstances beyond their control.  It leads to many funny and somewhat predictable moments which are enjoyable to read about.  

 I felt many emotions about the different characters and I could relate to how different situations are perceived based upon our own notions.  It is easy for 2 people to have 2 very different perspectives of what occurred in the same moment.  I think of it like the saying, every story has 2 sides and then there's the truth.   Humans tend to look at things from our own perspectives and our own experiences affect how we see/interpret something.   Thus, preconceived notions or other people's opinions can affect how we feel about a given situation.  This book is full of those between Olive and Ethan.  It makes for a very good enemies-to-lovers and back-to-enemies storyline.   Family allegiance also plays a very strong role in the plot as well.   Overall I enjoyed the book and would like to read the follow-up story to it.

 

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

An enjoyable enemies to lovers rom com with a twist. The expected outcome is not what happens making for a great plot. The characters and their sibling relationships are well thought out and plausible. Anyone with a big extended family will laugh and find many relatable moments. I definitely found myself wanting to travel to Hawaii after reading this book.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  83
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   67
3. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #75
4. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #60
5. Humor  Book #3
6. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #38 An Enemies to Lovers Plot
7. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #52. Holiday Romance
8. Pick your Poison  # 34 A book with a word in the title that rhymes with moon or "moony"

Death on Cozumel Island

I will admit I was drawn to Death on Cozumel Island because I have many happy memories of visits to the area during cruise vacations.  I am intrigued to go for a land trip now after reading about the fabulous scuba diving available there.   The scuba diving was the other aspect of Cindy Quayle's book that captured my interest.  I was able to certify and dive a few years before Covid hit.  It is now an item to get back to once I have successfully lost weight.  Quayle did an amazing job at capturing the feeling of the open water diving experience.  She not only included the positive aspects such as enjoying the beauty of the flora and fauna under the surface, but she discussed the struggles of the time on the surface quite accurately as well.  Besides the great descriptions of the setting for the book, the actual mystery was well constructed.  I would say the only negative I have to mention is the extreme degree to which she created an unlikeable victim.  It worked with the story though and I'm sure people have encountered such boors on their vacations.  I look forward to reading more in this series.  

Death on Cozumel Island by Cindy Quayle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A fun mystery even if it seems a bit of a stretch that Claire would go out on a linb for people she just met. The mystery and motivation are well structured. The paradise of Cozumel is well represented in this story. Claire clearly relishes experiencing the world and embracing the experiences. Any scuba fans will love reading about her diving adventures. Makes me want to decertify and go dive there myself. Looking forward to more in the series

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  79
2. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  Q
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #29
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #71
7. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #34
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #59
9. Craving for Cozies  Book #51
10. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #106  Shot #1
11. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
12. 23 in 2023 # 1 A book published in 2023
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #52 Published in 2023
14. Around the Year in 52 Books #51. A book published in 2023
15. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #24. 2023 New Release
16. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #1. 2023 New Release
17. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #12 A book published in spring 2023
18. Pick your Poison  # 12 A book about a hobby you do or would like to do
19. Read with Allison #31 2023 New Release 
20. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 13 2023 New Release
21. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  JUNE- Take the Plunge set around water

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake

 

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake was an interesting cozy set in northern Maine.  Sarah Graves captured the feel of that area and the New England demeanor is captured well.  The willingness of the residents to help one another fits with the geographic setting.   The mystery itself was a bit all over the place with some aspects seeming to be a bit outlandish but overall I enjoyed reading about Jake and Ellie.  Their dedication to each other was very apparent.  I also enjoyed the relationships Jake had with her family and her willingness to open her home to help others.  I definitely want to read more in this series.

Death by Chocolate Cherry Cheesecake by Sarah Graves
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Very enjoyable book set in a small northern MSI e town. Jane and her friend Ellie are friends in business and crime solving. They don’t have much choice when a dead body is found in their kitchen. Some of the action is a bit far fetched but overall the mystery was interesting and all the loose ends cleared up by the end

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  68
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   56
3. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
4. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
5. What an Animal Book #22
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #61
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #51
8. Cruisin thru Cozies  Free choice #29
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #52
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #45 
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #103  Shot #1
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 2 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #23 An Alliterative Title
14. Cozy Mysteries   #12 A past Book Chat selection you haven't read
15. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #50 A book with alliteration in the title
16. Beyond the Bookends  May- Read a detective books

7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle

7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle has been on my TBR list for a while.  I intended to read it last year and never got to it.  I started out reading it and then when I needed to drive to Chicago every day in April I decided to try this one as an audio.  I thoroughly enjoyed the proper British accent of the narrator.  It definitely added to the mood and setting the environment.  

This book was one of the most creative I have ever read.  It is hard to explain but it is a sort of a time loop with different hosts to the narrator in each section.  From the get-go as a reader you figure there is a twist to the story but I had no idea it was going to be what it was.   I definitely felt as though Turton was paying homage to Dante and the rings of Hell.  I really ended up enjoying this book once I got involved in it.  For those struggling to read the book and stay engaged, stick it out, it is worth it in the end!

The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a very creative thriller/mystery. For those who love a puzzle when they are reading this will be a real treat. The only reason I did not give this a 5 star is the difficulty getting engaged at the beginning of the book. I promise it is worth sticking it out. If you really get stuck, try it in audio format- the British accent will win you over and keep you listening. At times it can be confusing to keep all the characters straight but eventually it all makes sense.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   54
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 14
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #59
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #49
6. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #51
7. Medical Examiner Challenge 12 Toe Tags
8. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #5
9. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #37 Written in Present Tense
10. Around the Year in 52 Books #40. A book with a full name in the title
11. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #16 here there be monsters
12. HP Quidditch 23 #7 Bludger: A book you think will knock your socks off (or off your broom!)
13. Nerdy Bookworm  #NerdyBookwormChallengeXO #26. Read a book that has time travel in it
14. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #50. HISTORICAL OR FANTASY
15. PopSugar #popsugarreadingchallenge #43 A book that takes place entirely in one day
16. Pick your Poison  # 134 A book with a chess piece on the cover
17. Sci and Nature # 12 That Plays With Time:
18. Uncorked Reader #UncorkedReading2023 #24 Takes Place In A Day
19. Beyond the Bookends  January- Read a book coming to the screen in 2023
20. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO   May In  it to Win It

Invitation to Murder

Invitation to Murder written by Elizabeth Bright combines 2 of my favorite things.   Cozy mystery stories with cardmaking.  I selected this book to meet a challenge prompt of a book written using a pseudonym of the opposite gender as this is by the author Tim Myers.   I have previously read his books written as Cris Cavender which are a pizza parlor theme series.  So far he's 2 for 2 of the underlying setting of the series.  I enjoyed how the cardmaking techniques were blended into the story without too much distraction from the plot but still let me learn something about a craft I already do.  If you are interested in paper crafting at all I would highly recommend this series.

Invitation to Murder by Elizabeth Bright
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was a nice mix of character development and relationships along with a good mystery. The clues were present and made sense. I also felt there was a nice balance incorporating the craft of card making into the story. The descriptions of the techniques made sense in the plot and didn’t overwhelm the story

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  62
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   50
3. AtoZ   #2023AtoZReadingChallenge  #AlphabetSoupChallenge  I
4. Stacking the Series  #stackingseries2023 1
5. Series Catchup #seriescatchup2023 -1
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #55
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #46
8. Cruisin thru Cozies Craft #1
9. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #48
10. Craving for Cozies  Book #42
11. Six Shooter Challenge  Target #21  Shot #3
12. Medical Examiner Challenge 1 Toe Tags
13. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #5 Title starting with letter "I"
14. Bookworm #9 Read a book about a hobby you enjoy or want to pick up (fiction or nonfiction)
15. Pick your Poison  # 64 A book written by an author using a psuedonym of the opposite gender
16. Beyond the Bookends  May  Detective

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone

 This is definitely a unique murder mystery.  Full of twists and turns and lots of clues that will have you flipping back pages to see what you missed the first time you read it.  It is also a bit of a how to book as the tone of the narrator will reveal.   I enjoyed this book and am glad I gave it a try.

Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a clever mystery book. It definitely had its moments of dark humor and plenty of plot twists. It definitely jumped around in time and perspective. If you are looking for a linear murder mystery plot this probably isn’t the book for you. If you are Interested in a clever and unique format that has lots of clues you realize after the fact then you will enjoy this book

View all my reviews

 

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  59
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   47
3. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  Australia
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #52libra
5. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #45
6. Medical Examiner Challenge 13 Toe Tags
7. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #15 Set in Australia
8. Pick your Poison  # 116 A book that employs dark humor
9. Read with Allison #21 Locked Room Mystery
10. Sci and Nature # 16 Set in the Wilderness
11. Beyond the Bookends  May  Detective Story
12. Book Voyage  #bookvoyagechallenge June: Books Set in Australia & New Zealand
13. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge May Freebie

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry

 National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! is a great book to read on your own or to share with children.  It is a perfect book to read in small bites.  The photos that accompany the poems are amazing as well.  Not that you would expect anything less from a National Geographic publication.  The poetry is a great mix of famous poets and those you may not be familiar with.  Some of the poems are deep and require reflection, while others are just fun.  Overall this is a great book that I picked to satisfy prompts about poetry.

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetry: 200 Poems with Photographs That Squeak, Soar, and Roar! by J. Patrick Lewis
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

great book with amazing photography. it's a perfect book to share with young children or just to enjoy snippets of poetry and great photos.

View all my reviews

Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  52
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #   40
3. What an Animal Book #15
4. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #45
5. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #40
6. 23 in 2023 # 16 A book written in verse or containing poetry
7. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #1 Book with a Subtitle
8. BooklistQueen  #booklistqueenreadingchallenge2023  #46. Award Winning Nonfiction
9. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #34 novel in verse, poetry, or anthology
10. HP Quidditch 23 #40 Ginny Weasley: A poetry book
11. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #16. AWARD-WINNING BOOK
12. Pick your Poison  # 88 Sonnets: A book of poetry
13. Read with Allison #23 Award-Winning Book
14. Sci and Nature # 30 Nature Poetry
15. Unruly Reader Bingo  #11 Chronicles
16. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  March Animals

Death of a Red Heroine

My experience reading  Death of a Red Heroine is a testament to the powers of participating in reading challenges.  If it were not for the alphabet challenge where I am always trying to find authors that meet the Q/X/Y/Z categories I might not have ever tried this detective story set in Shanghai.  The book is written by Qiu Xiaolong  I ended up really enjoying the storyline and the historical perspective of China as it was transitioning into a more capitalist approach to its economy.  The plot highlights the importance of the Party and the High Ranking Cadres' ability to get things done to their advantage;  something those without the connections cannot readily achieve.   In many ways, it reminded me of the old money influence in the US.  The wealth/power that exists acts as a barrier to newcomers entering the markets.  I did enjoy the book and may give the next in the series a go in the future.

Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I selected this audiobook from my library mainly because it sounded interesting and the author's name allowed me to fulfill some harder letters in the alphabet challenge. I ended up with a pleasant surprise and learned a lot about the history of China from an author who was born there. The intricacies of the Party establishment and the country's situation post-Tiananmen Square protests were a very interesting backdrop to a detective mystery. This is definitely not a cozy and has some very edgy and graphic details about the murder as well as the sexual exploits of the characters. The mystery is well constructed and details the police work involved in solving crimes, particularly with politically connected suspects and victims. I enjoyed the book and will definitely potentially try another in the series.

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Challenge Prompts

The Challenge Prompts I will use this for are:  

1. Goodreads and Reading by the Numbers #ReadingByNumbers2023 Book #  51
2. Library Love  #LibraryLoveChallenge  Book #  39 
3. Audiobook  #2023AudiobookChallenge 6
4. Literary Escapes  #LiteraryEscapes  China
5. Alphabet Soup Author Edition #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge  X
6. Virtual Mount TBR #VirtualMountTBR2023   Book #44
7. Back List Reader  #Backlistreader  Book #39
8. Cloak & Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal  Book #40
9. Medical Examiner Challenge 3 Toe Tags
10. Historic Fiction  #histficreadingchallenge   Book #3
11. 52 Book Club  #the52bookclub2023  #41 A Character Who is a Refugee
12. Beat the Backlist #BTB2023  #45 more than 450 pages
13. Nerd Daily #thenerddaily #nerdreading2023 #24. OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE WORLD
14. Pick your Poison  # 54 A book you expect will expand your initial knowledge of a subject
15. Read with Allison #49 Set in the 1990s:
16. Monthly Motif #MonthlyMotifGXO  Longer than 400 pages
17. TBRChallenge  #TBRChallenge April- Unusual Historical