Uncorked Reader

 This is my second year doing this challenge at Uncorked Librarian  It is a monthly prompt based challenge with bonus prompts each month.  They are very good about providing lists for ideas for the prompt.  

 #UncorkedReading2022

January’s Reading Challenge Theme: Time Travel Books

• My selection:  
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/23/22

January Uncorked Readers Bonus Challenge: Books we love but critics don’t

Reading List: Best Books For Time Travel Lovers

February’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set in or about South Africa

• My Idea:  

February Bonus Challenge: Books from your hometown, state, country, or where your ancestors are from

Home state/near hometown  

1. Murder of a Sweet Old Lady by Denise Swanson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/22

Reading Lists: Best Books About South Africa & Books Around The World

March’s Reading Challenge Theme: Wine books/Books set on a vineyard

• My Idea:  

March Bonus Challenge: Books with your favorite color in the title

Reading Lists: Best Books About Wine & Books Set On Vineyards

1. A Pairing to Die For (Colorado Wine #2) by Kate Lansing
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 11/6/22

April’s Reading Challenge Theme: Baltic books (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia)

• My Idea:  

April Bonus Challenge: Books with your favorite foods

Reading List: Baltic Books To Love

May’s Reading Challenge: Hiking books

• Violeta by Isabel Allende
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/9/22

May Bonus Challenge: Books by an author you think you don’t like but have never actually read

June’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books about or set in Mexico

• My Idea:  

June Bonus Challenge: Books by indigenous authors from a continent other than your own

June’s Reading Lists: Best Books About & Set In Mexico

Extra Fun: Top Mexican Films To Teach You More & Take You There

July’s Reading Challenge: Dark academia books (usually set at a prestigious university or boarding school)

• Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/20/22

July Bonus Challenge: Books where you next want to travel

Reading Lists: Books About The World and Books Set On Islands

Extra Fun: Movies Across The Globe

August’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set in or about Australia

• Death Under The Stars (Murder Mystery Book Club 3) by CA Larmar
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/18/22

August Bonus Challenge: Books that have been sitting in your TBR (to be read) pile for ages

Reading List: Best Australian Books

September’s Reading Challenge Theme – Road Trip Books

• My Idea:  

September Bonus Challenge: Books published in the decade or year you were born

October’s Reading Challenge Theme: Books set somewhere haunted

• My Idea:  

October Bonus Challenge: Books from a nearby Free Little Library, library sale, or you received as a gift

Starter Book List: Seriously Spooky Books

November’s Reading Challenge: Books about or set in Thailand

• My Idea:  

November Bonus Challenge: Book about an inspiring career change that interests you

December’s Reading Challenge: Books set in or about Ecuador

• My Idea:  

December Bonus Challenge: Books set in an environment you’ve never experienced (i.e. jungle, desert, mountain, deserted island, volcanic area)

December’s Reading List: Books About Ecuador To Teach You More

Extra Fun: Ecuador-Set Movies To Watch (coming soon)

Calendar of Crime #CalendarOfCrime2022

 

 I will be doing this challenge again this year.   It is hosted by Bev at MyReadersBlock.   

This is a challenge I will fit books in as I read them rather than pre select the books.  There is a link up to post reviews each month and a summary wrap up is do at the end of the year.

Books I've read

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Clear the Reading Piles

 Once again I am doing several challenges to help clear the ever growing TBR pile.  For a full list of challenges I found for 2022 see this blog entry.

Some of the TBR challenges refer to physical books I own and others have to do with clearing the list of Want to Read and Library borrows that I am always seeming to add to as well.  

First up are 2 hosted by Bev on her MyReadersBlock blog.  

Mount TBR-   #MountTBR2022  books you already own before 1/1/21

 Challenge Levels:

Pike's Peak: Read 12 books from your TBR pile/s-  <== Trying this
Mount Blanc: Read 24 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Ararat: Read 48 books from your TBR pile/s
Mt. Kilimanjaro: Read 60 books from your TBR pile/s
El Toro*: Read 75 books from your TBR pile/s (*aka Cerro El Toro in South America)
Mt. Everest: Read 100 books from your TBR pile/s
Mount Olympus (Mars): Read 150+ books from your TBR pile/s

The Rules:
*Once you choose your challenge level, you are locked in for at least that many books. You are welcome to voyage further and conquer taller mountains after your commitment is met. 

*Books must be owned by you prior to January 1, 2022

*Audiobooks and E-books may count provided they are yours prior to January 1. ARCs are also fine.

Virtual Mount TBR-  #VirtualMountTBR2022 Clear your want to read list

 Challenge levels:

Mount Rum Doodle: Read 12 books from your Virtual TBR/Wish List/Library
Mount Crumpit: Read 24 books from your Virtual TBR/Wish List/Library
Mount Munch: Read 36 books from your Virtual TBR/Wish List/Library  
White Plume Mountain: Read 48 books from your Virtual TBR/Wish List/Library<== Trying this
Stormness Head: Read 60 books from you Virtual TBR/Wish List Library
Mount Mindolluin: Read 75 books from your Virtual TBR/Wish List/Library
Mount Seleya: Read 100 books 
Mount Olympus: Read 150+ books 

~Once you choose your challenge level you are locked in for at least that many books. If you find you are on a mountain-climbing roll and want to tackle a taller mountain, then you are welcome to upgrade. All books counted for lower mountains carry over towards the new peak.

This challenge is only for books you do not own. They may be borrowed from the library, a friend, found on a free e-book site (like Project Gutenberg), or anywhere else that allows you to temporarily "checkout" the book. Also--unlike Mount TBR--there is no date limit on your wish list. If you see a book that strikes your fancy after January 1 and want to grab it from the library, etc. then go for it.

  This is a straightforward challenge to just track books that are on your to read list- whether or not you actually own them.  Only requirement is that it must be published before 2021 and be on your list at the beginning of the challenge.   

Color Coded 22

  Another straightforward challenge that involves picking books based on either their title or the cover.  It is hosted by Bev on MyReadersBlock blog.  

For a full list of challenges I found for 2022 see this blog entry.

Challenge Completed 2/18/22

1. Read book with "Blue" (or a shade of blue):   

• Murder of a Sweet Old Lady by Denise Swanson
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/22

2.  Read a book with "Red" (or a shade of red):

• Dachshund Through the Snow (A Very Murder Christmas #1) by Rosie A Point
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/6/22

3. Read a book with "Yellow" (or a shade of yellow): 

Death by the Sea by Kathleen Bridge

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/17/22

4.Read a book with "Green" (or a shade of green):

• Matchmaking Can Be Murder ( Amish Matchmaker #1) by Amanda Flower
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/11/22

5 . Read a book with "Brown" (or a shade of brown):

• Guidebook to Murder (Tourist Trap Mystery #1) by Lynn Cahoon
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/1/22

6.  Read a book with "Black" (or a shade of black):

• One Poison Pie (Kitchen Witch #1)  by Lynn Cahoon
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/11/22

7.  Read a book with "White" (or a shade of white):

• Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/16/22

8   Read a book with any other color:

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review  2/3/22

9.Read a book a word/image that implies color (rainbow, polka dot, etc)

•     Mango, Mambo, and Murder (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery, #1) by Raquel Reyes
• Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/2/22

A to Z reading

 

A to Z Tracking 

Once again I plan to participate in 2 A-Z tracking challenges for Titles and the one for Authors as well.  I will track them both on this combined tracking page.  

The title and author based challenges are hosted by Dolly at EscapewithDollyCas   These are Alphabet Soup and Author Alphabet Soup.  

Read books starting with A to Z.  For the tougher letters (Q, X and Z)  you can count if they fall anywhere in the title. Exclude "the", "a" or "an" from beginning of title when assigning letters

• 
   Books can be from any Genre.  
• Use #AlphabetSoupChallenge or #AlphabetSoupAuthorChallenge on social media
• All formats of books acceptable
• Cross overs with other challenges permissible

• Runs Jan 1- Dec 31

• Authors-  First, Middle or Last name counts  
  

A fun twist I found at the Challenge Factory on Goodreads is an A to Z from main characters.  I am going to add that to this tracking as well.  Sounds like a great way to keep better track of my characters names

Armchair Travel Challenges

 There are several challenges based upon reading books based in different locations.  The primary challenge I participate in is the Literary Escapes Challenge #LiteraryEscapes hosted by DollyCas.   This intends for readers to read a book set in all 50 states plus DC and track other countries as well.   Sign up here

On Goodreads there is the Around the World in 80 books which has both US Roadtrip and Global challenges.   The idea being to diversify where your books are set.   There is a perpetual Global one that goes by Circumnavigation.  My global tracker for 2022 is Tourist Travels which meant I could read any books in any order after starting with a US based book.  There are harder and easier challenges within this global option as well. They also host some prompt based challenges called Magic Squares.  Many of these prompts are different from most of the other challenges.  

My Circumnavigation tracker   At this point I have traveled to all 9 regions and 54 countries

Tourist Travels 2022

Here is my US Roadtrip for 2022  

 For a full list of challenges I found for 2022 see this blog entry.

My book passport in 2022

States Visited so Far: 42/51

Additional Countries: 22

Alabama  

√ Alaska  Murphy's Slaw by Elizabeth Logan Blog Post and Goodreads Review  5/21/22

√Arizona  Strawberried Alive by Jenn McKinlay Blog Post and Goodreads Review 7/28/22

√ Arkansas  Swimming with the Fishes by Marc Jedel Blog Post and Goodreads Review 11/10/22

√ California  Fudging the Books) by Daryl Wood Gerber  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/24/22

√ Colorado Body in the Book Drop by Lynn Cahoon Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/20/22

√  Connecticut  Killer Research by Jenn McKinlay  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/3/22

Delaware IDEA: the unbearable book club for unsinkable girls by Julie Schumacher / Hope Never Dies

√  District of Columbia  Color Me Mine (Pen & Ink #1) by Krista Davis Blog Post / Goodreads 12/29/22

√ Florida  Mango, Mambo, and Murder by Raquel Reyes Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/2/22

√ Georgia  Mirror Girls by Kelly McWilliams  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/11/22

Hawaii   

√ Idaho One Poison Pie (Kitchen Witch #1)  by Lynn Cahoon Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/11/22

√ Illinois Murder of a Sweet Old Lady by Denise Swanson Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/4/22

√ Indiana  Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day   Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/8/22

√ Iowa Nearly Dead in Iowa Wendy Byrne  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 8/6/22

Kansas IDEA:  Gluten for Punishment (A Baker's Treat, #1)

√ Kentucky Christmas, Criminals and Campers by Tonya Kappes Blog Post / Goodreads Review 11/21/22

Louisiana  

√ Maine   A Safe House (Stone Barrington #61) by Stuart Woods  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/8/22

√ Maryland  Cookie Dough or Die by Virginia Lowell Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/13/22

√ Massachusetts  Murder at the Taffy Shop  by Maddie Day  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/9/22

√ Michigan  All I want for Christmas is Fudge by Nancy CoCo Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/24/22

√ Minnesota  Christmas Caramel Murder by Joanne Fluke Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/5/22

√ Mississippi Classified as Murder  by Miranda James Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/8/22

√ Missouri   Handmade Holiday Homicide by Joanna Campbell Slan Blog Post and Goodreads 3/16/22

√ Montana  Butter Off Dead (Food Lover's Village #3) by Leslie Budewitz Blog Post / Goodreads 11/10/22

Nebraska IDEA: Death by Dissertation

√ Nevada A Disguise to Die for (Costume Shop #1) by Diane Vallere Blog Post /Goodreads Review 12/22/22

√ New Hampshire  A Deadly Deletion by Lorna Barrett Blog Post and Goodreads Review 11/10/22

√ New Jersey Beauty Expos are Murder by Libby Klein Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/23/22

√  New Mexico  The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson Blog /Goodreads Review 2/18/22

√ New York Dachshund Through the Snow  by Rosie A Point Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/6/22

√ North Carolina  The Secret, Book & Scone Society by Ellery Adams Blog Post/ Goodreads Review 4/9/22

North Dakota IDEA: The Night Watchman

√ Ohio   People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry Blog Post and Goodreads Review  2/3/22

√  Oklahoma   A Pocketful of Pie (Meera Patel #2) by Leena Clover Blog Post / Goodreads 10/18/22

 √ Oregon  Beagles Love Cupcake Crimes by C.A. Phipps  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/2/22

√ Pennsylvania  Death by Chocolate Lab  by Bethany Blake Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/12/22

√ Rhode Island  Murder at Beechwood by Alyssa Maxwell  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 8/4/22

 √ S Carolina  Killing in a Koi Pond by Jessica Fletcher and Terry Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/10/22

South Dakota  IDEA: Nearly Departed in Deadwood

 √ Tennessee  Songteller by Dolly Parton  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/6/22

√ Texas  A Vacation of Mischief Anthology by Cozy Mystery Tribe Verena DeLuca, Sue Hollowell, Rune Stroud, Kathyrn Mykel, Brittany E Brinegar and Patty Joy Blog Post / Goodreads Review 3/21/22

√ Utah  Comic Sans Murder (Dangerous Type #3) by Paige Shelton Blog Post and Goodreads 11/4/22

√ Vermont  Up to No Gouda (Grilled Cheese #1) by Linda Reilly Blog Post and Goodreads Review 8/23/22

 √ Virginia  A Crafty Christmas by Mollie Cox Bryan  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/13/22

√ Washington  Death by Auction by Alexis Morgan Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/22/22

√ West Virginia  The Cider Shop Rules  by Julie Anne Lindsay Blog Post and Goodreads Review 8/31/22

√  Wisconsin  Goodbye Cruller World by Ginger Bolton Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/18/22

 Wyoming  IDEA: Sign Off

Additional Countries Visited:

Australia:  Death Under The Stars (Murder Mystery Book Club 3) by CA Larmar Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/18/22

Chile:  Violeta by Isabel Allende Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/9/22

Cuba:   Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/2/22

Ecuador:  Diamonds and Donuts by Becca Bloom Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/21/22

Egypt:  Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/13/22

England:  The Kennedy Debutante by Kerri Maher Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/22/22

France:  The Perils of Paris (Julie Cavallo Investigates, #5) by Ana T. Drew  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 1/4/22

Germany The Watchman of Rothenburg Dies (The Homeswappers, #1) by Adriana Licio Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/27/22

Greece:   Jackie and Maria by Gill Paul  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/7/22 

Greenland:  Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/16/22

Hungary:  Death on the Danube  by  

Jennifer S. Alderson 

Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/24/22

Ireland:  Death of an Irish Mummy by Catie Murphy Blog Post and Goodreads Review  5/16/22

Japan:  Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi Blog Post /Goodreads Review 1/23/22

Mexico: Don't Taco 'bout Murder by Mona Marple  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 7/1/22

Monaco:  An Alaska Adventure by Lizzie Josephson Blog Post and Goodreads Review 12/19/22

New Zealand:  Quiet in Her Bones by Nahlini Singh  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 9/4/22

Poland: The Night Portrait by Laura Morelli Blog Post and Goodreads Review 11/28/22

  

Romania:  I Must Betray You by Ruta SepetysBlog Post and Goodreads Review 6/3/22

Saudi:  Criminal Mischief by Stuart Woods  Blog Post and Goodreads Review 2/21/22

Scotland: The Windsor Knot by SJ Bennett Blog Post and Goodreads Review 11/1/22

Singapore:  Aunty Lee's Chilled Revenge by Ovidia Yu Blog Post and Goodreads Review 5/23/22

English Regions: 

Nether Woodsmore  Death in an English Cottage (Murder on Location #2) by Sara Rosett Blog Post and Goodreads Review 3/28/22

Hampshire  A Safe House (Stone Barrington #61) by Stuart Woods Blog Post and Goodreads Review 4/8/22

Brighton  Dead Cert by Dick Francis Blog Post and Goodreads Review 6/29/22

Cumbrian  Holiday Heist (A Recipe For Disaster Cozy Mystery, #2) by Zanna Mackenzie Blog Post and Goodreads Review 10/5/22