Saturday, January 13, 2024

Shooting range

 This year I am participating in 3 challenges hosted at Rick Mills' blog.  His focus is on mysteries and fun ways to track them.  I did them last year and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I am also participating in the Medical Examiner challenge and the Marathon  challenge.


Six Shooter 

The other fun tracking task is his Six Shooter Challenge.  This one also involves reading mysteries.  Each distinct author you read opens a new target for you.  Then as you complete an additional book by that author you score an additional shot.   Continue to score until you complete 6 shots for an author.   

Target 1:  Mildred Abbot

Target 2:  Ellery Adams  Target Complete

Target 2a:  Ellery Adams

Target 3:  Isabella Alan/Amanda Flower  Target Complete


Target 4:  Jennifer S Alderson
Target 5:  Meri Allen
Target 6: Winnie Archer
Target 7: Bree Baker/Julie Anne Lindsey/Jacqueline Frost/Julie Chase   
Target 8:Lorna Barrett/ Lorraine Bartlett
Target 9:  Kat Bellemore

Target 10:  Bethany Blake
Target 11: Ginger Bolton/Janet Bolin
Target 12: Rhys Bowen
Target 13: Laura Bradford
Target 14: Kathleen Bridge  

Target 15: Mollie Cox Bryan/Maggie Blackburn  Target Complete
Target 16: Julia Buckley

Target 17:  Leslie Budewitz/Alicia Beckman

Target 18:  Lucy Burdette
Target 19:  Valerie Burns/ VM Burns/ Kallie Benjamin

Target 20:  Lynn Cahoon  

Target 21:  Eve Calder 
Target 22:  Anne Canadeo
Target 23:  Kate Carlisle 
Target 24: Laurie Cass
    Target 25:  Chris Cavender/ Tim Myers/ Elizabeth Bright
    Target 26: Erika Chase
    Target 27: Vivien Chien

    Target 28: Laura Childs  

    Target 29:  Agatha Christie

    Target 30:  Mary Higgins Clark  Target Complete

    Target 30a:  Mary Higgins Clark
    • 1st Shot 
    Target 31:  Leena Clover
    Target 32:  Nancy CoCo  Target Complete

    Target 33:  Sheila Connolly  

    Target 34: Maya Corrigan
    Target 35: Cleo Coyle

    Target 36:  Donna Amis Davis


    Target 37: Krista Davis

    Target 38: Maddie Day/ Edith Maxwell  

    Target 39: Verena Deluca
    Target 
    40:  Ana T. Drew  
    • 1st Shot 
    Target 41: Kaitlyn Dunnett/ Kathy Emerson
    Target 42: Lauren Elliot

    Target 43:  Jessica Fletcher  Target Complete


    Target 44:  Sarah Fox 

    Target 45: Dick Francis

    Target 46: Eva Gates/ Vicki Delany
    Target 47: Daryl Wood Gerber/Avery Aames  
    Target 48:  Victoria Gilbert  Target Complete
    Target 49:  Sally Goldenbaum
    Target 50:  Fiona Grace
    Target 51:  Sarah Graves

    Target 52:  J.M. Griffin

    Target 53:  Sherry Harris

    Target 54:  BB Haywood

    Target 55: Betty Hechtman
    Target 56: Sally Hepworth
    Target 57: Lee Hollis
    Target 58: Cheryl Hollon
    Target 59: Miranda James/ Dean James 
      Target 60:  Marc Jedel
      Target 61: Lizzie Josephson  Target Complete
      Target 62:  Jennifer Joy/Becca Bloom
      Target 63:  Tonya Kappes

        Target 64:  Celia Kinsey

        Target 65:  Libby Klein

        Target 66:  Jill Marie Landis
        Target 67: Kate Lansing
        Target 68: C. A. Larmer
        Target 69: Adriana Liccio
        Target 70: Amy Lillard
          Target 71: Elizabeth Logan
          Target 72: Ruby Loren  

          Target 73: T.C. LoTempio
          Target 74:  Virginia Lowell
          Target 75:  Zanna Mackenzie

          Target 76:  Mary McHugh

          Target 77:  Jenn McKinlay /Lucy Lawrence/Josie Belle 

          Target 78: Karen McManus

          Target 79:  Mona Marple
          Target 80: Alyssa Maxwell

          Target 81: Colleen Mooney

          Target 82:  Judy Moore
          Target 83: Alexis Morgan Target Complete

          Target 84:  Korina Moss
          Target 85:  Catie Murphy

          Target 86:  Wendy Neugent
          Target 87:  Carlene O'Connor
          Target 88:  Nora Page

          Target 89: James Patterson   Target Complete

          Target 89a:  James Patterson

          Target 90:  CA Phipps


          Target 91:  Rosie A. Point
          Target 92: Meredith Potts
            Target 93: Cindy Quayle
            Target 94:  Mindy Quigley
            Target 95: Linda Reilly

            Target 96:  Christine Romeril
            Target 97:  Sara Rosett

            Target 98: Tricia L Sanders

            Target 99:  Debra Sennefelder
                Target 100: Paige Shelton
                Target 101 : Nahlini Singh

                    Target 102:   Joanna Campbell Slan  

                    Target 103:  Kal Smagh

                    Target 104: Denise Swanson
                    Target 105: Anne R Tan
                    Target 106: Cathy Tully

                    Target 107: Lisa Unger

                    Target 108: Diane Vallere
                    Target 109: Ruth Ware

                    Target 110:  Stuart Woods  


                    Target 111:  Ovidia Yu
                    Target 112:  Alex Erickson
                    Target 113: Jesse Q Sutanto
                    Target 114:  Ellie Alexander
                    Target 115:  Kathryn Mykel
                    Target 116:  Jen Pitts
                    Target 117:  Katie Catugno
                    Target 118:  Caro Carver/ CJ Cooke
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                    Mystery Mania

                        

                    Mysteries and Thrillers



                    There are several challenges that track how many mysteries, thrillers and cozies you read in a given year.  


                    Cloak and Dagger  #CloakDaggerChal

                    The first mystery based genre challenge I will do again this year is the Cloak and Dagger challenge

                     It is hosted by  Carol on her CarolsNotebook blog.  This tallying includes cozy mysteries but also traditional mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels.  Basically, anything with a mystery can be tracked at this challenge

                    Levels:

                    •  5-15 books – Amateur sleuth
                    • 16-25 books – Detective- 
                    • 26-35 books – Inspector
                    • 36 – 55 – Special agent 
                    • 56+ books – Sherlock Holmes  My Choice

                    Challenge Completed 5/16/23
                    Read more »
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                    Clearing my Piles of Want to read

                     Once again I am doing several challenges to help clear the ever growing TBR pile.  

                    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-   #MountTBR2024  books you already own before 1/1/24  Goodreads group

                     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, 2023

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


                    Virtual Mount TBR-  #VirtualMountTBR2024 Clear your want to read list   Goodreads group

                     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 2023 and be on your list at the beginning of the challenge.   






                    I found a new TBR challenge this year that is hosted by   at  Rose City Reads.  The goal is to read 24 books off your TBR this year.  This will obviously coordinate with the others 






                    One additional Backlist based challenge is hosted by the Book Girls  They have called it the In Case You Missed It challenge and you will read a book each month from the last 12 years.  So Jan is 2012 and Dec 2023.  They have curated lists of recommendations as well.  I will note the book for the particular year when listing it below.

                    Read more »
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                    Color Fun

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




                    Progress 0/9

                    1. Read book with "Blue" (or a shade of blue):   
                    2. Read a book with "Red" (or a shade of red):
                    3. Read a book with "Yellow" (or a shade of yellow): 
                    4.  Read a book with "Green" (or a shade of green):
                    5. Read a book with "Brown" (or a shade of brown):
                    6. Read a book with "Black" (or a shade of black):
                    7. Read a book with "White" (or a shade of white):
                    8. Read a book with any other color:
                    9. Read a book a word/image that implies color (rainbow, polka dot, etc)
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                    End of 23 reading

                     Death in Irish Accents

                    Death in Irish Accents by Catie Murphy
                    My rating: 3 of 5 stars

                    I enjoyed this book but I didn’t enjoy the strife between Jelena and Megan very much. While I understand Jelena’s concerns about Megan getting involved in investigations I also found her behavior a bit immature at times. The plot had lots of good twists and suspects although I did find some of the info to be a bit spoon fed versus discovery like in pst installments in the series I look forward to reading the next book



                    Killer WordsKiller Words by V.M. Burns
                    My rating: 4 of 5 stars

                    Enjoyed reading about the adventures of Sam and her family both by blood and by relationships. This book found lots of change happening to many of the supporting cast. It is a book with transitions on relationships that help propel the series forward with growing stagnant. It is especially interesting to see how Sam’s relationship with Stinky Pete is evolving in this book. The mystery is layered with rumors and small town politics which makes for an intriguing plot with several twists.




                    Chamomile MourningChamomile Mourning by Laura Childs
                    My rating: 3 of 5 stars

                    While I thoroughly enjoyed this visit to Charleston and it’s antiques and heritage there was something not quite engaging about this installment of the Tea Shop mysteries. I found this one took me longer to get into than others. I think it might have had to do with the turmoil in Theodosia’s personal life. Also I found the character of Parker Sully reminded me of the restauranteur Childs introduces us to in the New Orleans scrapbook series. OverLl the mystery is good but felt like a few of the clues were a bit of a reach in this one

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