2018 What's In A Name Challenge

This is the sign-up post for the eleventh annual What’s In A Name challenge, originally started by Annie, handed to Beth Fish Reads, and now continued here at The Worm Hole.

The basics

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories. (Examples of books you could choose are in brackets – translations and other languages most definitely count!):

• The word ‘the’ used twice: The Cats That Chased the Storm (The Cats That #2) by Karen Ann Golden
• A fruit or vegetable: Key Lime Pie Murder (Hannah Swensen, #9) by Joanne Fluke
• A shape : Circle Of Friends (The Familiars, #3) by Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson
• A title that begins with Z – can be after ‘The’ or ‘A’ (Zen In The Art Of Writing; The Zookeeper’s Wife, Zelda)
• A nationality (Anna And The French Kiss; How To Be A Kosovan Bride; Norwegian Wood)
• A season (White Truffles In Winter; The Spring Of Kasper Meier; The Summer Queen; Before I Fall; The Autumn Throne)

As usual I’ve tried to include some easy categories and some not so. Remember the titles I’ve given here are only examples, you can by all means use them if you want to but it’s not necessary. There are plenty of other books that will fit the categories and you may have some in mind already or even some on your shelves you can read.

Extra information

• Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
• It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
• Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my example of The Square Root Of Summer could be used for ‘a shape’ or ‘a season’ but not both).
• Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
• You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
• You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.

Everything else

On January 1 I’ll publish 7 posts, one for each category and one for your wrap-up post. These posts will be published as WordPress pages and linked to from the What’s In A Name logo on the sidebar. You will be able to post your links to your reviews or leave comments, depending on whether you’re a blogging reader or a non-blogger reader. If you are a blogger, please leave one review per category. You’ll be able to find the gateway post through a link I’ll be adding to the navigation section of my sidebar.

If you have trouble finding a book for a category, have a look at the corresponding page for it here once the challenge has started – readers who’ve already completed the category will have linked to their reviews and added titles that you can look through.

To join the challenge, sign up using the Mr Linky if you’re a blogger, and if you’re not a blogger please email me your details (I’ve had to turn off comments on this post because the spam has become too much). If at any time you have difficulties adding your link, email me at the address on my contact page with your information, and I’ll add it myself.

How to use Mr Linky: put your name and/or your blog’s name in the top box and the URL (web address) of your blog in the second box. If you have a Tumblr or use a Facebook page instead of a blog, use the web address to that instead.

How you link is up to you, but it’s suggested that you include both your name and blog name in the first box.

If you have any suggestions for this year’s challenge, let me know in the comments (again, if you’ve not commented here before the comment will show up after I’ve approved it as part of my site spam moderation).

And remember that you don’t have to sign up today – as the challenge runs until the end of 2018, you can sign up at any time during the year.

Hope you enjoy the challenge and best of luck! The hashtag for Twitter is #whatsinaname2018 (the number included so we don’t get lost amongst various Romeo And Juliet quotes!)

What An Animal 2018

The rules are really simple. I am changing it up a little bit, though...read on...

1. Any book read for this challenge has to have an animal that plays a major role in the book (which could be fiction or non-fiction.)
 It also counts if a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you'd like). In the past, books would qualify if an animal is in the title or on the cover, but that alone no longer qualifies. This challenge is for books related to animals and just because they are in the title or on the cover, doesn't mean it's about an animal. 

These are the levels.

Level 1 - Read 6 books

Level 2 - Read 7-12

Level 3 - Read 13-20 

Level 4 - Read 21 or more

2. The animal can be any type of animal (real or fictitious)--dog, cat, monkey, wolf, snake, insect, hedgehog, aardvark...dragon, mermaid, centaur, vampire, werewolf...you get the idea...


3. Challenge runs from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018.

4. Books can be fiction or nonfiction.

5. You may make a list of books at the beginning of the challenge or you can just list them as you find them.


6. Book titles may be swapped out at anytime (assuming you made a list to begin with).


7. Crossovers with other challenges are permitted and encouraged.


8. You don't have to have a blog or write a review, but you can if you want to.
 If you don't have a blog, just post in the comment section that you'd like to join. You can post your books in there. Or you can sign up by joining my group on Goodreads for this challenge by clicking here.

9. Books can be in any format of your choice (print, audio, ebooks)

10. To sign up, use the Mister Linky below. There will be links for reviews and wrap posts later.

That's it! Enjoy and have fun!

I will sign up for  level 1 and hope I can do 2.

Cruising Thru Cozies 2018

This year's cozy mystery reading challenge has two ways to participate and you can choose whichever suits you the best:

A) Read only cozy mysteries of your choice.

Or

B) Read one book from these sub-genres:

- One from culinary (anything dealing with food:  restaurants, baked goods, etc.)
- One from animal related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.)
- One from craft related (any kind of hobbies - knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.)
- One from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.)
- One from cozy mysteries based outside the US (example:  Belinda Lawrence series (British))
- One career-based cozy mystery (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.)
- One holiday based (set during any holiday - Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.)
- One travel mystery (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.)
- One historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present)
- One is your choice!  (freebie!)

Here are the levels you can join for either A or B…

Level one (Snoop) -
A) Read 10 cozy mysteries of your choice.
B) Read one book in each of the above cozy sub-genres (total of 10 books)


Here are the rules...

1. The challenge runs from January 1, 2018 and ends December 31, 2018.

2. You don't have to choose your books in advance. If you do, you can change your list at any time during the year. Books can overlap with other challenges.

3. Books can be in any format - paper, audio, ebooks...it all counts!

4. You don't have to post a review, but I'm sure others would love to know about the books you are reading and may even want to add it to their reading lists.

NOTE: If you don't have a blog and want to participate, that's fine. You don't have to have a blog, just post in the comments section as you finish books. If you belong to a site like Goodreads and review the books there, that's fine too. Just leave us the link. I also have a group for this challenge on Goodreads and you can sign up here.

5. If you do have a blog, take the button above, put it on your blog and post about the challenge. Then add your name to Mr. Linky below. Please use the link of your challenge post, not the link to your home page.

6. I'm going to have one link for signing up, one link for completed reviews and one link for your wrap up posts. I won't be having a monthly link, just one for all reviews read for this challenge.

I will be doing Snoop, not sure if I am doing A or B,

I will be keeping track via Goodreads.

2018 Alphabet Soup

This challenge will run from January 1st, 2018 until December 31st, 2018.

You can join anytime. You do not have to post a review of the book. Books can come from any genre.

You do not need to link up each spoonful.

Make a page or a post or a GoodReads shelf where you will keep track of your spoonfuls. I keep track of mine on my Challenge Page.

Crossovers to other challenges are allowed and encouraged!

It’s an alphabet challenge!!! The challenge is to read one book that has a title starting with every letter of the alphabet.

You can drop the A’s and The’s from the book titles as shown below.

The First Main Word Needs To Be

The Letter You Are Counting 

Except For those pesky Q, X AND Z titles then the word that starts with the challenge letter can be anywhere in the title.

So there are two different ways you can set up your own A-Z Reading Challenge.

A – How I plan to do it: Make a list on your blog from A-Z. Throughout the year, as you go along, add the books you are reading to the list. Towards the end of the year, you can check and see which letters you are missing and find books to fit.

OR

B – Make a list now of 26 books, picking one for each letter of the alphabet. For example: A – Antiques Wanted by Barbara Allan B – Biscuits and Slashed Browns by Maddie Day C – Class Reunions Are Murder by Libby Klein D- The Diva Cooks Up A Storm by Krista Davis, etc.. 

Books can be read in any order and all formats – print – e-book – audio – are acceptable for this challenge!

2017 Alphabet Challenge

The First Main Word Needs To Be
The Letter You Are Counting 

Except For those pesky Q, X AND Z titles the word that starts with the challenge letter can be anywhere in the title.

A   About a Dog (A Bluff Point Romance #1) by Jenn McKinley

B   By Familiar Means (A Witch's Cat Mystety #2) 

C  (A) Churn for the Worby se (An Amish Mystery #5) by Laura Bradford

D  (The) Doctor's Calling Stella Bagwell

E  Evolution: Jeff Resnick's Backstory (Jeff Resnick Mystery #7) by L.L. Bartlett

F  From Fortune to Family Man by Judy Duarte

G  Gotcha!  by Fern  Michaels

H  (To) Helvetica and Back (A Dangerous Type Mystery, #1) by Paige Shelton

I  Irish Creme Killer (INNcredibly Sweet #1) by Summer Prescott
J  The Junket by Mike Albo

K  Kernel of Truth (Popcorn Shop Mystery #1) by Kristi Abbott

L  Literally Murder (A Black Cat Mystery #4) by Ali Brandon

M Mistletoe Murder (A Lucy Stone Mystery #1)  by Leslie Meier

N  No Cats Allowed ( A Cat in the Stacks Mystery #7) by Miranda James

O  Off Script by L.L. Bartlett

P  (The) Perfect Paragon (Agatha Raisin, #16) by M.C. Beaton

Q  (The) Quirky Quiz Show Caper (Sandy Fairfax Teen Idol Mysteries #4)  by Sally Carpenter

R  Raspberry Ripple Murder (Killer Cupcakes #1) by Abby Byne

S  Strong Silent SEAL by Paige Tyler

T  Twisted Threads (A Mainely Needlepoint Mystery #1) by Lea Wait

U Undercover Princess (Royally Wed, #2) by Suzanne Brockmann
V (A) Very ...Pregnant New Year's (36 Hours #16) Silhouette Intimate Moments Number 1047 by Doreen Roberts
W Wicked Fix (Home Repair is Homicide, #3) by Sarah Graves
X  X  or X: A Novel by Ilyasah Shabazz with Kekla Magoon
Y Yews With Caution (Flower Shop Mystery #19) by Kate Collins
Z  Zero-Degree Murder by M.L. Rowland 

What's in A Name 2017 Final

My Books: 

The last was the hardest to find.

• A compass direction - Buffalo West Wing (A White House Chef Mystery #4) by Julie Hyzy
• A building = The Secret of the Ice Castle by SeriesDude
• A  title with an "x" in it - Wicked Fix (Home Repair is Homicide #3) by Sarah Graves
• A number in numbers- 3 Sleuths, 2 Dogs, 1 Murder (The Sleuth Sisters Mystery #2)  by Maggie Pill
• A title in which at least two words share the same first letter – alliteration! - Strong Silent Seal (Seals of Coronado #2) by Paige /Tyler
• A title which has ‘an item or items of cutlery’:  Forks, Book One by a.e. davis

The Secret of the Ice Castle

The Secret of the Ice Castle by SeriesDude is fan fiction based on the Dana Girls Stories.  It can be found on wattpad.  It has 21 chapters and it a complete book.  Since the requirements say in any format, I will consider this to be the equivalent of an e-book.  I believe SeriesDude is a friend that loves series books and has written other fan fiction.

It is well written, stays true to the Dana Girl Stories and has a realistic ending.  If anyone is interested in reading this they can join wattpad and choose it for their library.

2017 What An Animal Reading Challenge List

2017 What An Animal Reading Challenge List

 1.   The Doctor's Calling by Stella Bagwell.  This is the story of Laurel Stanton and Dr. Russ Hollister. Dr. Hollister decides to be the vet on the Cantrell ranch vs having his own practice. He decides to take Laurel with him. He realizes that he is in love with her and they have intercourse. She is 30 and it is her first time. She really just wants to have an affair. He does all he can to convince her to be his wife. Will he succeed.

      The cover shows a calf. Laurel and Russ mention their pets and tell about the animals they work with which makes this suitable for the Animal challenge.

  2.  Literally Murder (Black Cat Bookshop Mystery #4) by Ali Brandon.  Hamlet becomes the star of a U-Tube video. The bookstore is having a Coffee Bar added to it. So it is a great time for Darla and Jake to agree to come to a cat show and have Hamlet center stage. After the show, they will stay with Jake's mother who lives in Florida.

     At the show, Hamlet is cat-napped and then a man is murdered in another's room. Hamlet helps find out who did the deed.

3.  By Familiar Means (A Witch's Cat Mystery #2)  by Delia James. Annabelle Britton is an artist who has decided to make her home in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  She has been adopted by a feline familiar named Alistair.  Anna is still learning to be a witch and has joined a coven.  Her Grandma B.B. comes to visit Portsmouth and her old coven.

4. 3 Sleuths, 2 Dogs, 1 Murder (The Sleuth Sisters #2) by Maggie Pill;  The 2 dogs are mentioned in many chapters of this book.  They even play a part in saving the lives of the Sleuths.

5.  About a Dog (A Bluff Point Romance #1) by Jenn McKinley.  Mac Harris finds a dog,  She takes it to the Vet, who is her best friend's brother and her "date" for her friend's wedding.  The dog brings them together in unexpected ways.  The book is about their romance and how the dog plays a part in the romance.

6. No Cats Allowed (Cat in the Stacks #7) by Miranda James.  Diesel, the main coon goes almost every where that Charlie Harris goes so he is a large part of this book.  There is a dog named Dante that comes to visit and becomes part of the household.

 7.  Familiar Trouble (Familiar Legacy #1) by Carolyn Haines.  Getting out of trouble is really what Trouble, the black cat, seems to do. He helps his human, Tammy Lynn, when she needs him the most. He loves Sherlock Holmes
     A black cat, a bookstore owner and a cop determined to find a serial killer. These are the main characters in Familiar Trouble.
     Trouble is definately a main character in this book and it qualifies for the animal challenge. It is also the Cat Lovers book for September. I had bought the book before it was mentioned as being free by the group.

7.  Plot Boiler (Black Cat Bookshop Mystery #5)  by Ali Brandon.  Hamlet helps the humans to find two bodies.  He also gets two books off the shelves to help Darla solve the mystery.  He also manages to help save a life.

2017 What An Animal Reading Challenge Sign Up

Any book read for this challenge has to have an animal that plays a major role in the book (which could be fiction or non-fiction).  It also counts if a main character is (or turns into) an animal (define that however you like).  In the past, books would qualify if an animal is in the title or on the cover, but that no longer qualifies.  The challenge is for books related to animals and just because theya re in the title or on the cover doesn't mean it's about an animal.

Level 1 - one to six books
Level 2 - seven to twelve books
Level 3- thirteen to twenty books
Level 4- twenty-one and over

I will be trying level 2.

What's in A Name 2017

The basics

The challenge runs from January to December. During this time you choose a book to read from each of the following categories. (Examples of books you could choose are in brackets – translations and other languages most definitely count!):

• A number in numbers (84, Charing Cross Road; 12 Years A Slave; 31 Dream Street)
• A building (The Old Curiosity Shop; I Capture The Castle; House Of Shadows; The Invisible Library; Jamaica Inn)
• A title which has an ‘X’ somewhere in it (The Girl Next Door; The Running Vixen)
• A compass direction (North and South; Guardians Of The West; The Shadow In The North; NW)
• An item/items of cutlery (The Subtle Knife; Our Spoons Came From Woolworths)
• A title in which at least two words share the same first letter – alliteration! (The Great Gatsby; The Luminous Life Of Lilly Aphrodite; Gone Girl; The Cuckoo’s Calling)

As usual I’ve tried to include some easy categories and some not so. Remember the titles I’ve given here are only examples, you can by all means use them if you want to but it’s not necessary. There are plenty of other books that will fit the categories and you may have some in mind already or even some on your shelves you can read.

Extra information

• Books can be any format (print, audio, ebook).
• It’s preferred that the books don’t overlap with other challenges, but not a requirement at all.
• Books cannot overlap categories (for instance my example of I Capture The Castle could be used for ‘a building’ or ‘a title in which at least two words share a first letter’ but not both).
• Creativity for matching the categories is title winot only allowed, it’s encouraged!
• You don’t have to make your list of books beforehand, you can choose them as you go.
• You don’t have to read your chosen books in any particular order.