Friday, December 31, 2021
I've been anxiously awaiting the new Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge for 2022. I first found Gregory's challenge in 2020 and have enjoyed the prompts that he devises. As I have in the past, I'm going to commit to a Baker's Dozen (13 books). I'll probably do more, but my commitment will be met at 13.
Commitment met: 2/4/22! Still reading.
1. A-Z
Book with the letter Z in the title:
Author whose name starts with A or Z:
Book about letters:
A "comprehensive" book:
2. The Same, But Not
Book with color red or word "read" on cover: The Corpse with the Grimy Glove by R. A. J. Walling (3/5/22)
Author whose last name could be a first name: Easy to Kill by Agatha Christie [I have a cousin named Christie] (1/7/21)
Retelling of a classic:
a "He said, she said" book
3. What's the Dish?
Book with mug or cup on cover:
Book that includes recipes:
Book about food from another culture:
Book about gossip:
4. Memories
Book about memory loss: Death Treads Softly by George Bellairs (3/7/22)
Author whose name you remember easily: Witness for the Prosecution by Agatha Christie (1/21/22)
Book with word "remember" in title:
A diary:
5. Back to Basics
Classic novel:
Biography:
By a well-known author: Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie (1/1/22)
A paperback: A Broken Vessel by Kate Ross (2/27/22)
6. Time Is Ticking
Book with a clock on the cover: Best "Thinking Machine" Detective Stories by Jacques Futrelle (1/16/22)
Book about time travel: Star Trek: Voyage to Adventure by Michael J. Dodge (1/22/22)
Suspense novel:
Book to pass the time while your favorite author finishes their next novel:
7. 'Til the Fat Lady Sings
Book about body image:
Space Opera:
Book with word "over" in title:
Book about a singer/musician: The Devil in Music by Kate Ross (3/13/22)
8. It's All Relative
Book about animal families:
Book that relates to an interest you have:
Book about finding family: Fadeaway Girl by Martha Grimes (1/2/22) [one of the characters comes back to town looking for his father]
Book with "aunt" or "uncle" in title:
9. Geekery
Book by author who sounds like a geek:
Cover that reminds you of a video game:
Book about an obsessive hobby: Clue: Candlestick by Dash Shaw (3/7/22) [Mr. Boddy collects objects with murderous ties]
Book about fandom or fanfic:
10. Workin' for a Living
Book by author whose name is a trade or profession: Deathblow Hill by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (1/21/22)
Memoir focused on author's profession:
Protagonist works in field similar to yours:
Nonfiction book about worker's rights:
11. Cover Up
Cover with someone who could use some clothes:
Book with blue cover:
Book with multiple fonts on cover: The Pocket Book of Popular Verse by Ted Malone, ed. (1/27/22)
Book with author's name above the title: The Five Red Herrings by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/24/22)
12. Taking the Plunge
Book with cliff or ocean on cover: The Case of the Famished Parson by George Bellairs (1/2/22)
Book by author you've always wanted to read:
Book over 600 pages:
Book someone dares you to read
13. Shorts
Book set somewhere you might wear shorts: The Green Island Mystery by Betsy Allen [Bermuda] (1/24/22)
Book under 150 pages: The Murderer Who Wanted More by Baynard Kendrick (2/11/22)
Book of short stories: Bodies from the Library 2 by Tony Medawar, ed (1/13/22)
Book wider than it is tall
14. Locations
Book with "attic" or "kitchen" in title
Book by author who lives in another country: Death Stops the Frolic by George Bellairs (2/18/22)
Book about a movie being filmed on location:
Book about your homeland:
15. TBR Guilt
Book dusty from waiting to be read:
Book someone gave you that you haven't read yet: The Man in the Moonlight by Helen McCloy [Secret Santa gift from Noah Stewart 2017] (3/16/22)
Book you've been meaning to read:
New release you feel guilty reading because TBR list is so long: Calamity at Harwood by George Bellairs (3/3/22)
16. Crafty
Book with devious villain: Clutch of Constables by Ngaio Marsh (2/20/22)
Book about a craft you do or would like to learn about:
Book with craft-related pun in title:
Book known for unexpected twist at end: And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (1/9/22)
17. People We Should Know
Book about women's issues:
Book about women's issues:
Book by BIPOC author:
Book with LBGTQIA+ protagonist:
Book written by immigrant:
18. Heroes
Book about heroic event:
Nonfiction book about someone you admire: Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner (2/4/22)
Book with "feet" or "clay" in title:
Book with cape or cloak on cover:
19. Crossing Over
Book with "bridge" in title:
Book about a ghost:
Book that crosses two genres:
Book with X or cross on cover:
20. Childhood Days
Reread childhood favorite:
Reread childhood favorite:
Book about the circus:
Book set within 10 years of your birth: The Mystery of the Talking Skull by Robert Arthur [set in actual birth year] (3/15/22)
Coming of age story:
21. Legends
Book about mythical creature: The Price of the Phoenix by Sondra Marshak & Myrna Culbreath (1/4/22)
Book about legendary hero:
Book about lost treasure:
By an author you consider amazing:
22. Alternating
Book with alternating timelines or narrators: The Ghost Finders by Adam McOmber (3/2/22)
Book that features a classic car: Murder at the Spring Ball by Benedict Brown [several, actually--including an Aston Martin] (2/5/22)
Book that takes place on both land and sea: Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse (1/8/22)
Alternate history:
23. Musical Inspirations
West Side Story--a tragic love story:
Sweeney Todd--book about revenge: An Old Betrayal by Charles Finch (1/29/22)
Phantom of the Opera--book about a hidden world:
Chicago--set in jail or prison:
24. Other Lands
Book translated from another language:
Book by author from country you'd like to visit:
Book set in area geographically different from your home:
Book with "land" in title:
25. Timely Topics
Book about a pandemic:
Book about a pandemic:
Book about climate change:
Book about a social movement:
Book about space travel:
26. Stories with Grit:
A Western:
Book with a desert on cover: Murder Begins at Home by Delano Ames (2/26/28) [on the Rue Morgue edition of this book]
Beach read:
Gritty detective story:
Wild Cards
Book with orange cover:
An epistolary book: The Egyptologist by Arthur Phillips (2/6/22)
Book at least 20 years older than you: Midnight Sailing by Lawrence G. Blochman (2/8/22)
Book about your favorite animal: