Saturday, January 6, 2018

Ani's 2018 Personal Series Challenge Goals


And here we are again, with another Personal Series Challenge for 2018.  Because what I do best, apparently, is start a whole bunch of series and leave them hanging... or sometimes just make miniscule progress by reading one or two books, then moving onto the next series.

I'm changing my rules a little bit this year, and combining last year's 'Goal #1' with 'Goal #2'.  It's hard to tell what series will be completely completed sometimes, so I'm just going to make three different categories this year.

Once again, I'll be listing some tentative series below that I hope to finish/catch up with/read.


See Also:  Ani's 2018 Personal Series Challenge Page


Goal #1:
Finish/Catch Up With 10 Series, already started


  1. Harmony by Jayne Castle | 9 read / 13 total // 4 left
  2. Extrasensory Agents by Leslie A. Kelly | 3 read / 4 total // 1 left
  3. Veronica Speedwell by Deanna Raybourn | 2 read / 5 total // 3 left
  4. The Others by Anne Bishop | 5 read / 6 total // 1 left
  5. Liar's Club by Celeste Bradley | 1 read / 5 total // 4 left
  6. Animal Magnetism by Jill Shalvis | 4 read / 7 total // 3 left
The above are the specific series I will be focusing on, especially the Harmony series.  As I have another ongoing challenge with Jayne Castle books, this shouldn't be a hard task--and also, there are only four books of this series left to catch up with... unless she publishes a new book this year.

Meanwhile, at least three of the series listed may not pose as a challenge, considering there are only one book left, but whatevs.  There are a lot of other series also needing read, so we'll work on those as well.

At the time of this posting, I have already finished the most recent installment of Laura Griffin's Tracers series, at book number twelve.  So that's one series caught up with until further notice.  Considering there will usually be at least one new publication a year, I'm betting that I'll be reading another Tracers novel before long.


Goal #2:
Read/Catch Up With 10 Series, new to me


  1. Tremaine Traditions by Kylie Brant
  2. Turner series by Courtney Milan
  3. Blackthorn & Grim by Juliet Marillier
  4. Predator trilogy by Allison Brennan
  5. Midnight by Melinda Leigh
  6. St. Helens by Jayne Castle
Okay, so I have a LOT more than six new-to-me series that I want to read.  However, if I were to list every single one of them, we would be here forever.  So I just randomly chose six... mainly because if I chose more than that, I'm not sure all the covers would fit above on one line unless I really shrunk the size down.

So believe me, there are a ton more, and there's a big chance I may even get to some others before I get to the ones I've listed above.  Even if the six above are really the ones I'm most interested in at this time.


Goal #3:
Read 10 First-in-a-series books



  1. Irresistible Force by D.D. Ayres | K-9 Force series
  2. Behind Enemy Lines by Cindy Dees | Charlie Squad series
  3. A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas | Lady Sherlock series
  4. Borrower of the Night by Elizabeth Peters | Vicky Bliss series
  5. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier | Sevenwaters series
  6. Once Upon a Marquess by Courtney Milan | Worth Saga series
What I rambled on about in my second goal above... same here.  That's really all.  Lots of series I want to take for a test read... no way of really deciding where I want to start.  Yeesh!



Friday, January 5, 2018

2017 Reading Assignment Challenge -- Fourth (Last) Quarterly Report Card

hosted by
Michelle and Berls @ Because Reading



October ramblings:  October was a wonderful month for reading, what with Halloween Bingo!  I managed to read my assigned books... and then some.  Hurrah for me!

November ramblings:  And then we come into November and I hit that infamous slump I'm usually known for by the end of each year.  Slumps just happen, I guess.  I finished one of my assigned books for November... that is all...

December ramblings:  It's quite obvious what happened.  When my slump hit in November, I didn't get around to reading as many books as I'd intended.  So when December rolled around, I realized that there were more books on my TBR crammed into December than I could handle--because these were all books I'd been hoping to finish before the end of 2017.  With this overwhelming revelation... I just kind of gave up and decided to read whatever I felt like.


Fourth Quarter:
My Grade:  I Made a C...

Fourth Quarterly Report Card link up
  • In October:

  • In November:

  • In December:




A Summary

The year had started out rocky and then made a nice pick up in the second and third quarter... and then came back into that downward slump in the last quarter.  I've got nothing more to say--life happens.

The books I didn't read:

I'm not rolling these two books over for 2018's Reading Assignment--I'm not feeling them at the moment, and I'm not sure I will be feeling in the mood for them any time in the next few months.  I'll probably read The Magicians' Guild at some point, since I own the entire trilogy in paperback, but I don't know when that will be.

As for Bringing Down Sam... maybe on a rainy afternoon.

A Forecast


There are a new set of rules for the next Reading Assignment Challenge in 2018, which actually made me consider joining once more, even though I'd thought about stopping after 2017's disaster.  For more information, I will direct everyone to the main sign-up page at Because Reading, as well as my own announcement of participation post.

Yes, I'm still playing, so hop on over to my announcement post to see which books I've chosen for the first half of the year.  More deets in that post as well!


Monday, January 1, 2018

16 Festive Tasks | Wrap Up!

game play hosted @ Booklikes


I'm being super lazy about this wrap up post and just listing stuff... and pretty much duplicating my summarized tracking page (link above).  For the most part, aside from reading and the occasional review, I sort of fell of the face of the blogging world for a while.  I'm still kind of adjusting to a new lifestyle, which apparently includes more socialization with family now that my work and sleep hours are no long that of the third shift variety.

Anyway, I'm really, really (for the third or fourth time) hoping that I'll start becoming more active on the blogging and socializing front once again.  Holidays were busy, and while I had planned (and drafted!) a lot of potential posts to share... well, some of those fell through.

Still... I managed to get a lot more books read in the last month of 2017 than I had expected, so that's always good.  Of course, I really just fell into a historical romance marathon, with Tessa Dare and Courtney Milan keeping me entertained with their wonderful work!

Now onward to the lazy wrap up... I say lazy, because I had fully intended to include some book covers and maybe a photo or two.  I got lazy--that's all.

Once again, I'd like to thank our lovely 16 Festive Tasks hosts, Murder by Death and Themis-Athena for putting together this wonderful, holiday special!  I know I wasn't very active and I feel like I didn't participate, but I still had a lot of fun trying to come up with ways to earn those points, even though I didn't make it far.


All finished tasks will be listed under each category as they are completed.
(last updated 12/31/2017)


My Progress


Points Earned:  18
Books Read:  15
Tasks Completed:  3


The Tasks


Square 1: November 1st:
All Saints Day is a Christian festival celebrated in honour of all the saints, known and unknown.  Día de Muertos focuses on gatherings of family and friends to pray for and remember friends and family members who have died, and help support their spiritual journey, while Calan Gaeaf is the name of the first day of winter in Wales.


Book themes for Día de Muertos and All Saint’s Day:  A book that has a primarily black and white cover, or one that has all the colours (ROYGBIV) together on the cover.


Book themes for Calan Gaeaf:  Read any of your planned Halloween Bingo books that you didn’t end up reading after all, involving witches, hags, or various types of witchcraft –OR– read a book with ivy or roses on the cover, or a character’s name/title of book is/has Rose or Ivy in it.


Tasks for Día de Muertos and All Saint’s Day:  Create a short poem, or an epitaph for your most hated book ever.

Tasks for Calan Gaeaf:  If you’re superstition-proof, inscribe your name on a rock, toss it in a fire and take a picture to post –OR– Make a cozy wintertime dish involving leeks (the national plant of Wales) and post the recipe and pictures with your thoughts about how it turned out.



Square 2: November 5th:
Guy Fawkes Night (also known as Bonfire Night or Fireworks Night) is an annual holiday, primarily in Great Britain, commemorating the events of November 5th, 1605, when Guy Fawkes, a member of the Gunpowder Plot, was arrested while guarding explosives the plotters had placed beneath the House of Lords.  Bon Om Touk (the Cambodian Water Festival), marks a reversal of the flow of the Tonle Sap River.


Book themes for Guy Fawkes Night:  Any book about the English monarchy (any genre), political treason, political thrillers, or where fire is a major theme, or fire is on the cover.

Book themes for Bon Om Touk:  Read a book that takes place on the sea, near the sea, or on a lake or a river, or read a book that has water on the cover.


Tasks for Guy Fawkes Night:  Post pictures of past or present bonfires, fireworks (IF THEY’RE LEGAL) or sparklers. Or: Host a traditional English tea party, or make yourself a nice cup of tea and settle down with a good book to read. Which kind of tea is your favorite? Tell us why.


Tasks for Bon Om Touk:  Post a picture from your most recent or favorite vacation on the sea (or a lake, river, or any other body of water larger than a puddle), or if you're living on the sea or on a lake or a river, post a picture of your favorite spot on the shore / banks / beach / at the nearest harbour.



Square 3: November 11th:
St. Martin’s Day, also known as the Feast of Saint Martin, Martinstag or Martinmas, as well as Old Halloween and Old Hallowmas Eve, is the feast day of Saint Martin of Tours (Martin le Miséricordieux).  Veterans’ Day, or Armistice Day, marks the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" of 1918.  In the United States, Veteran’s Day is expanded to include all military veterans from any military action.


Book themes for St. Martin’s Day:  Read a book set on a vineyard, or in a rural setting, –OR– a story where the MC searches for/gets a new job. –OR– A book with a lantern on the cover, or books set before the age of electricity. –OR– A story dealing with an act of selfless generosity (like St. Martin sharing his cloak with a beggar).


Book themes for Veteran’s Day/Armistice Day:  Read a book involving veterans of any war, books about WWI or WWII (fiction or non-fiction). –OR– Read a book with poppies on the cover.

Tasks for St. Martin’s Day:  Write a Mother Goose-style rhyme or a limerick; the funnier the better. –OR– Take a picture of the book you’re currently reading, next to a glass of wine, or the drink of your choice, with or without a fire in the background. –OR– Bake a Weckmann; if you’re not a dab hand with yeast baking, make a batch of gingerbread men, or something else that’s typical of this time of the year where you live.  Post pics of the results and the recipe if you’d like to share it.

Tasks for Verteran’s Day/Armistice Day:  Make, or draw a red poppy and show us a pic of your red poppy or other symbol of remembrance –OR– post a quote or a piece of poetry about the ravages of war.



Square 4: November 22nd and 23rd:
Penance Day, or Buß- und Bettag (November 22nd), is a Protestant holiday and a public holiday in the state of Saxony and is an occasion for Protestant Christians to pray or reflect on quiet thoughts, and while Thanksgiving (November 23rd) started out as a purely US holiday (and Canadian! on October 9th), it’s now well-known around the world for its feasts, family togetherness, and a holiday that strikes fear in the hearts of turkeys everywhere.


Book themes for Penance Day:  Read a book that has a monk, nun, pastor / preacher, priest or other representative of the organized church as a protagonist, or where someone is struggling with feelings of guilt or with their conscience (regardless over what).

Book themes for Thanksgiving Day:  Books with a theme of coming together to help a community or family in need. –OR– Books with a turkey or pumpkin on the cover.

Tasks for Penance Day:  Tell us – what has recently made you stop in your tracks and think? –OR– What was a big turning point in your life? –OR– Penance Day is a holiday of the Protestant church, which dates its origins, in large parts, to Martin Luther, who published his “95 Theses” exactly 500 years ago this year. Compile a catalogue of theses (it needn’t be 95) about book blogging!  What suggestions or ideas would you propose to improve the experience of book blogging?

Tasks for Thanksgiving Day:  List of 5 things you’re grateful for –OR– a picture of your thanksgiving feast; post your favourite turkey-day recipe. –OR– Be thankful for yourself and treat yourself to a new book - post a picture of it.


Bonus task:  Share your most hilarious turkey-day memory.



Square 5: December 3rd and following 3 Sundays:
Advent is a season observed in many Christian churches as a time of expectant waiting and preparation for the celebration of the Nativity of Jesus at Christmas.


Book themes for Advent:  Read a book with a wreath or with pines or fir trees on the cover –OR– Read the 4th book from a favorite series, or a book featuring 4 siblings.
  • Read:  Merry Christmas, Baby by Jill Shalvis // pine trees on the cover // +1 point
  • Read:  The Scandalous, Dissolute, No Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare // features four sisters // +1 point

Tasks for Advent:  Post a pic of your advent calendar.  (Festive cat, dog, hamster or other suitable pet background expressly encouraged.) –OR– “Advent” means “he is coming.” Tell us: What in the immediate or near future are you most looking forward to?  (This can be a book release, or a tech gadget, or an event … whatever you next expect to make you really happy.)


Bonus task:  Make your own advent calendar and post it.



Square 6: December 5th-6th and 8th:
Sinterklaas, also known as St. Nicholas Day, celebrates the name day of Saint Nicholas on 6th of December.  The feast is celebrated annually with the giving of gifts on St. Nicholas' Eve (5th of December) or on the morning of 6th of December, Saint Nicholas Day.  Krampusnacht (December 5th) is the day when Krampus, a companion of St. Nicholas, arrives to punish the children who have been naughty during the year, and in Asia, the 8th of December is Bodhi Day, the Buddhist holiday that commemorates the day that the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (Shakyamuni), experienced enlightenment.


Book themes for Sinterklaas / St. Martin’s Day / Krampusnacht:  A story involving children or a young adult book, or a book with oranges on the cover, or whose cover is primarily orange (for the Dutch House of Orange) –OR– with tangerines, walnuts, chocolates, or cookies on the cover.

Book themes for Bodhi Day:  Read a book set in Nepal, India or Tibet, –OR– which involves animal rescue.  (Buddhism calls for a vegetarian lifestyle.)

Tasks for Sinterklaas / St. Martin’s Day / Krampusnacht:  Write a witty or humorous poem to St. Nicholas –OR– If you have kids, leave coins or treats, like tangerines, walnuts, chocolate(s) and cookies [more common in Germany] in their shoes to find the next morning and then post about their reactions/bewilderment. ;)  If you don’t have kids, do the same for another family member / loved one or a friend.

Tasks for Bodhi Day:  Perform a random act of kindness.  Feed the birds, adopt a pet, hold the door open for someone with a smile, or stop to pet a dog (that you know to be friendly); cull your books and donate them to a charity, etc.  (And, in a complete break with the Buddha’s teachings, tell us about it.) –OR– Post a picture of your pet, your garden, or your favourite, most peaceful place in the world.



Square 7: December 10th & 13th:
International Human Rights Day (December 10th) commemorates the day in 1948 the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  St. Lucia’s Day (December 13th) is celebrated most commonly in Scandinavia, with their long dark winters, where it is a major feast day, and in Italy, with each emphasizing a different aspect of Saint Lucia's story.


Book themes for International Human Rights Day:  Read a book originally written in another language (i.e., not in English and not in your mother tongue), –OR– a book written by anyone not anglo-saxon, –OR– any story revolving around the rights of others either being defended or abused. –OR– Read a book set in New York City, or The Netherlands (home of the U.N. and U.N. World Court respectively).

Book themes for Saint Lucia's Day:  Read a book set in Scandinavia (Denmark, Norway, Iceland, Sweden - and Finland for the purposes of this game) or a book where ice and snow are an important feature.

Tasks for International Human Rights Day:  Post a picture of yourself next to a war memorial or other memorial to an event pertaining to Human Rights.  (Pictures of just the memorial are ok too.) –OR– Cook a dish from a foreign culture or something involving apples (NYC = Big Apple) or oranges (The Netherlands); post recipe and pics.

Tasks for Saint Lucia's Day:  Get your Hygge on -- light a few candles if you’ve got them, pour yourself a glass of wine or hot chocolate/toddy, roast a marshmallow or toast a crumpet, and take a picture of your coziest reading place.

Bonus task:  Make the Danish paper hearts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jur29ViLEhk



Square 8: December 12th - 24th:
Hanukkah (begins 12th, ends 20th) is the Jewish Festival of Lights.  It commemorates the re-dedication of the Holy temple in Jerusalem and the miracle that a one-day supply of oil lasted for eight days.  Las Posadas (begins 16th, ends 24th) is a novenario (nine days of religious observance) celebrated chiefly in Mexico and by Mexican-Americans in the United States.  The novena represents the nine-month pregnancy of Mary, the mother of Jesus celebrated by Christian traditions.


Book themes for Hanukkah:  Any book whose main character is Jewish, any story about the Jewish people –OR– where the miracle of light plays a significant part in the stories plot.

Book themes for Las Posadas:  Read a book dealing with visits by family or friends, or set in Mexico, –OR– with a poinsettia on the cover. –OR– a story where the main character is stranded without a place to stay, or find themselves in a 'no room at the Inn’ situation.

Tasks for Hanukkah:  Light nine candles around the room (SAFELY) and post a picture. –OR– Play the Dreidel game to pick the next book you read.

Assign a book from your TBR to each of the four sides of the dreidel:
  • נ (Nun)
  • ג (Gimel)
  • ה (He)
  • ש (Shin)
Spin a virtual dreidel: http://www.torahtots.com/holidays/chanuka/dreidel.htm –- then tell us which book the dreidel picked. –OR– Make your own dreidel: https://www.activityvillage.co.uk/make-a-dreidel, –OR– Play the game at home, or play online: http://www.jewfaq.org/dreidel/play.htm and tell us about the experience.–OR– Give some Gelt: Continue a Hanukkah tradition and purchase some chocolate coins, or gelt. Post a picture of your chocolate coins, and then pass them out amongst friends and family!

Tasks for Las Posadas:  Which was your favorite / worst / most memorable hotel / inn / vacation home stay ever?  Tell us all about it! –OR– If you went caroling as a kid: Which are your best / worst / most unforgettable caroling memories?

Bonus task:  Make a piñata (https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Pi%C3%B1ata), hang it from a tree, post, basketball hoop, clothesline or similarly suitable holder and let your neighborhood kids have a go at breaking it.



Square 9: December 21st:
Winter Solstice is the longest night of the year in the northern hemisphere, also known as Yaldā Night in Iran.  The same day is the summer solstice in the southern hemisphere, giving them the longest day of the year. / Mōdraniht is "Night of the Mothers" or "Mothers' Night” in old English and was an event held at what is now Christmas Eve by the Anglo-Saxon Pagans.  Yuletide is a festival observed by the historical Germanic peoples.  Scholars have connected the celebration to the Wild Hunt, the god Odin, and the pagan Anglo-Saxon Mōdraniht.


Book themes for Winter Solstice and Yaldā Night:  Read a book of poetry, or a book where the events all take place during the course of one night, or where the cover is a night-time scene.
  • Read:  Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare // majority of events take place in the course of one night // +1 point

Book themes for Mōdraniht:  Read any book where the MC is actively raising young children or teens.

Book themes for Yuletide:  Read a book set in the midst of a snowy or icy winter, –OR– set in the Arctic or Antartica.

Tasks for Winter Solstice and Yaldā Night:  Read a book in one night - in the S. Hemisphere, read a book in a day. –OR– Grab one of your thickest books off the shelf.  Ask a question and then turn to page 40 and read the 9th line of text on that page.  Post your results. –OR– Eat a watermelon or pomegranate for good luck and health in the coming year, but post a pic first!.

Bonus task:  Read a book in one night.

Tasks for Mōdraniht:  Tell us your favourite memory about your mom, grandma, or the woman who had the greatest impact on your childhood. –OR– Post a picture of you and your mom, or if comfortable, you and your kids.

Bonus task:  Post 3 things you love about your mother-in-law (if you have one), otherwise your grandma.

Tasks for Yuletide:  Make a Yule log cake - post a pic and the recipe for us to drool over.



Square 10: December 21st:
World Peace Day is the day the United Nations General Assembly has declared as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.  Pancha Ganapati, is a modern five-day Hindu festival in honor of Ganesha that comes to an end on the 25th.  The festival was created in 1985 as a Hindu alternative to December holidays like Christmas by Sivaya Subramuniyaswami (born Robert Hansen), a Westerner who embraced Hinduism.


Book themes for World Peace Day:  Read a book by or about a Nobel Peace Prize winner, or about a protagonist (fictional or nonfictional) who has a reputation as a peacemaker.

Book themes for Pancha Ganapati:  Read anything involving a need for forgiveness in the story line; a story about redemption –OR– Read a book whose cover has one of the 5 colors of the holiday: red, blue, green, orange, or yellow –OR– Read a book involving elephants.


Tasks for World Peace Day:  Cook something involving olives or olive oil.  Share the results and/or recipe with us. –OR– Tell us: If you had wings (like a dove), where would you want to fly?

Tasks for Pancha Ganapati:  Post about your 5 favourite books this year and why you appreciated them so much. –OR– Take a shelfie / stack picture of the above-mentioned 5 favorite books.  (Feel free to combine these tasks into 1!



Square 11: December 21st-22nd:
Soyal (December 21st) is the winter solstice ceremony of the Zuni and the Hopi (Hopitu Shinumu), The Peaceful Ones, also known as the Hopi Indians.  It is held on the shortest day of the year to ceremonially bring the sun back from its long winter slumber.  The Dōngzhì Festival (December 22nd) also celebrates the winter solstice and is one of the most important festivals celebrated by the Chinese and other East Asians.


Book themes for Soyal:  Read a book set in the American Southwest / the Four Corners States (Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah), –OR– a book that has a Native American protagonist.

Book themes for Dōngzhì Festival:  Read a book set in China or written by a Chinese author / an author of Chinese origin; or read a book that has a pink or white cover.

Tasks for Soyal:  Like many Native American festivities, Soyal involves rituals such as dances.  What local / religious / folk traditions or customs exist where you live?  Tell us about one of them.  (If you can, post pictures for illustration.) –OR– Share a picture you’ve taken of a harvest setting or autumnal leaf color.

Tasks for Dōngzhì Festival:  If you like Chinese food, tell us your favorite dish – otherwise, tell us your favorite desert.  (Recipes, as always, welcome.)



Square 12: December 23rd
Festivus is “The Festivus for the rest of us!”; originally a family tradition of scriptwriter Dan O’Keefe, who worked on the US sitcom Seinfeld, Festivus entered popular culture after it was made the theme of a Seinfeld episode.  Saturnalia, the ancient Roman festival in honour of the god Saturn, begins on December 17th and comes to an end on December 23rd.


Book themes for Festivus:  Read anything comedic; a parody, satire, etc.  Books with hilariously dysfunctional families (must be funny dysfunctional, not tragic dysfunctional).  Anything that makes you laugh (or hope it does).

Book themes for Saturnalia:  The god Saturn has a planet named after him; read any work of science fiction that takes place in space. –OR– Read a book celebrating free speech. –OR– A book revolving around a very large party, or ball, or festival, –OR– a book with a mask or masks on the cover. –OR– a story where roles are reversed.
  • Read: The Lost Night by Jayne Castle // sci-fi book that takes place in space // +1 point

Tasks for Festivus:  Post your personal list of 3 Festivus Miracles –OR– post a picture of your Festivus pole (NOTHING pornographic, please!), –OR– Perform the Airing of Grievances: name 5 books you’ve read this year that have disappointed you - tell us in tongue-lashing detail why and how they failed to live up to expectations.

Tasks for Saturnalia:  Wear a mask, take a picture and post it.  Leave a small gift for someone you know anonymously - a small bit of chocolate or apple, a funny poem or joke.  Tell us about it in a post. –OR– Tell us: If you could time-travel back to ancient Rome, where would you want to go and whom (both fictional and / or nonfictional persons) would you like to meet?



Square 13: December 25th
Christmas -- we really don’t think anyone needs an explanation of this one, but Hogswatch Night is the festival celebrating the winter solstice and the New Year across much of the Main continent and some other areas of Discworld.  It falls on the 36th of December, the new year beginning on the 1st of Ick.  If this all sounds like nonsense, you’ve not yet read Terry Pratchett.  What better time to give his books a try?


Book themes for Christmas:  Read a book whose protagonist is called Mary, Joseph (or Jesus, if that’s a commonly used name in your culture) or any variations of those names (e.g., Maria or Pepe).

Book themes for Hogswatch Night:  Of course - read Hogfather!  Or any Discworld book (or anything by Terry Pratchett)

Tasks for Christmas:  So. many. options.  Post a picture of your stockings hung from the chimney with care, –OR– a picture of Santa’s ‘treat’ waiting for him. –OR– Share with us your family Christmas traditions involving gift-giving, or Santa’s visit.  Did you write letters to Santa as a kid (and if so, did he write back, as J.R.R. Tolkien did “as Santa Claus” to his kids)?  If so, what did you wish for?  A teddy bear or a doll?  Other toys – or practical things?  And did Santa always bring what you asked for?

Tasks for Hogswatch Night:  Make your favourite sausage dish (if you’re vegan or vegetarian, use your favorite sausage or meat substitute), post and share recipe.



Square 14: December 25th
Dies Natalis Solis Invicti (‘birthday of the unconquered sun’) - Sol Invictus was the official sun god of the later Roman Empire and a patron of soldiers.  Quaid-e-Azam (‘Great Leader’) Day is the Pakistan holiday celebrating their founder’s - Muhammad Ali Jinnah - birthday.


Book themes for Dies Natalis Solis Invicti:  Celebrate the sun and read a book that has a beach or seaside setting. –OR– a book set during summertime. –OR– set in the Southern Hemisphere.


Book themes for Quaid-e-Azam:  Pakistan became an independent nation when the British Raj ended on August 14, 1947.  Read a book set in Pakistan or in any other country that attained sovereign statehood between August 14, 1947 and today (regardless in what part of the world).

Tasks for Dies Natalis Solis Invicti:  Find the sunniest spot in your home, that’s warm and comfy and read your book. –OR– Take a picture of your garden, or a local garden/green space in the sun (even if the ground is under snow).  If you’re in the Southern Hemisphere, take a picture of your local scenic spot, park, or beach, on a sunny day. –OR– The Romans believed that the sun god rode across the sky in a chariot drawn by fiery steeds.  Have you ever been horseback riding, or did you otherwise have significant encounters with horses?  As a child, which were your favorite books involving horses?

Tasks for Quaid-e-Azam:  Pakistan’s first leader – Muhammad Ali Jinnah – was a man, but both Pakistan and neighboring India were governed by women (Benazir Bhutto and Indira Gandhi respectively) before many of the major Western countries.  Tell us: Who are the present-day or historic women that you most respect, and why?  (These can be any women of great achievement, not just political leaders.)



Square 15: December 25th-26th:
Newtonmas, on the 25th of December is the celebration of Sir Isaac Newton’s birthday.  St. Stephen's Day, or the Feast of Saint Stephen, is a Christian saint's day commemorating Saint Stephen, the first Christian martyr.  Anyone who reads any British historical fiction will be familiar with Boxing Day, but there are competing theories for the origins of the term, none definitive.  When in doubt, fall back on the OED, which defines it as “[…] a holiday on which post-men, errand-boys, and servants of various kinds expect to receive a Christmas-box”.


Book themes for Newtonmas:  Any science book.  Any book about alchemy.  Any book where science, astronomy, or chemistry play a significant part in the plot.  (For members of the Flat Book Society: The “Forensics” November group read counts.)

Book themes for Boxing Day/St. Stephen’s Day:  Read anything where the main character has servants (paid servants count, NOT unpaid) or is working as a servant him-/ herself.

Tasks for Newtonmas:  Take a moment to appreciate gravity and the laws of motion.  If there’s snow outside, have a snowball fight with a friend or a member of your family. –OR– Take some time out to enjoy the alchemical goodness of a hot toddy or chocolate or any drink that relies on basic chemistry/alchemy (coffee with cream or sugar / tea with milk or sugar or lemon, etc.).  Post a picture of your libations and the recipe if it’s unique and you’re ok with sharing it.

Tasks for St. Stephen’s Day/Boxing Day:  Show us your boxes of books! –OR– If you have a cat, post a picture of your cat in a box. (your dog in a box works too, if your dog likes boxes -- we're looking at you WhiskeyintheJar) -- or any pet good-natured enough to pose in a box long enough for you to snap a picture.

BONUS task:  Box up all the Christmas detritus, decorations, or box up that stuff you’ve been meaning to get rid of, or donate, etc. and take a picture and post it.



Square 16: December 26th-31st:
Kwanzaa honors African heritage in African-American culture, and is observed from December 26 to January 1.  Is there any place in the world that doesn’t celebrate New Year’s Eve?  But Hogmanay is the unique Scottish take on New Years Eve and Day and might be new to many of us, as might be St. Sylvester’s Day, the feast day of Pope Sylvester I, and Watchnight, a late-night Christian church service that starts late on New Year's Eve, and ends after midnight.


Book themes for Kwanzaa:  Read a book written by an author of African descent or a book set in Africa, or whose cover is primarily red, green or black.

Book themes for Hogmanay / New Year’s Eve / Watch Night / St. Sylvester’s Day:  Read a book about starting over, rebuilding, new beginnings, etc. –OR– Read anything set in medieval times. –OR– A book about the papacy –OR– where miracles of any sort are performed (the unexplainable - but good - kind).


Tasks for Kwanzaa:  Create a stack of books in the Kwanzaa color scheme using red, black and green and post your creation and post a photo (or post a photo of a shelfie where black, red and green predominate).

BONUS task:  Create something with your stack of books: a christmas tree or other easily identifiable object.

Tasks for Hogmanay / New Year’s Eve / Watch Night / St. Sylvester’s Day:  Make a batch of shortbread for yourself, family or friends.  Post pics and recipe. –OR– Light some sparklers (if legal) and take a picture - or have a friend take a picture of your “writing” in the sky with the sparkler. –OR– Get yourself a steak pie (any veggie/vegan substitutions are fine) and read yourself a story - but take a pic of both before you start, and post it.–OR– make whatever New Year's Eve / Day good luck dish there is in your family or in the area where you live or where you grew up; tell us about it, and if it's not a secret recipe, we hope you'll share it with us.

MASSIVE HUGE BONUS POINTS if you post a picture of yourself walking a pig on a leash. (Done to ensure good fortune of the coming year.)


Surprise Tasks / Bonus Tasks



(I will update this section with a brief summary of the above four cards at a later date.  But the first one is a Surprise, Surprise Bonus Task that our hosts will be revealing as the game progresses.)


Surprise, Surprise Bonus #1 - Melbourne Cup Day, the Race that Stops a Nation!
11/05/2017:  Pick three of the ponies listed for this task to bet on, then wait and see what the outcome is.  Host, Murder by Death will announce the results and award points for any winners!

My Picks:  1) Wall of Flame // 2) Nakeeta // 3) Ventura Storm
Winners:  1) Rekindling // 2) Johannes Vermeer // 3) Max Dynamite
Points Earned:  0

~~~~~~

Surprise, Surprise Bonus Joker #2: The Cuckoo Egg
11/28/2017:  Figure out which of the 32 holidays present doesn't actually occur in December!

Me:  Did not guess.
The Answer:  World Peace Day -- actually takes place on September 21 of each year.
Points Earned:  0


Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Brief Thoughts: Merry Christmas, Baby

Merry Christmas, Baby

by Jill Shalvis
Lucky Harbor #12.5 - a novella

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  4.0 Stars

SEASON'S KISSES

Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed.  She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to thinking about impending fatherhood.  So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.

Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the party will give him a chance to set things right.  But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time.  While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart, an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen.


For me, Chloe and Sawyer will always be the Golden Couple of Lucky Harbor.  They were my favorite since the beginning, and no matter how many other couples got together in the course of this twelve book contemporary romance series, they were always my favorite.  Of course, one or two couples came close to surpassing the love story that belonged to Chloe and Sawyer.  But none actually did.

As I went through the book summaries of each Lucky Harbor installment, finally coming to this last novella, I found myself super excited.  I may not love all of Jill Shalvis's work, but Lucky Harbor is one that gives me a nice feeling of warmth whenever I think about it.  When Chloe and Sawyer's wedding took place as a backdrop to another young couple's novella love story, I was definitely disappointed.  Being my favorite couple, I had hoped they would get their own wedding novella--and also, I didn't really care for the main couple of said novella anyway.

So to find that this last novella in the Lucky Harbor series belonged to Chloe and Sawyer...  I was ecstatic.  And, as silly as it sounds, my main goal was to plow through all the main books just to get to the final novella about Chloe and Sawyer.

Am I disappointed with what I got?  Maybe just a little bit.  It's been so long since Head Over Heels, that I can't really tell if the two were acting a little out of character or not.  But certainly, there seemed to be a lot of unnecessary romantic angst.  There were the obligatory "I can't live without him/her" monologues, as well as a lovely little shower sex scene... so it's not like I'm really complaining too much.

I still enjoyed and loved this novella, of which I listened to the audio book version, narrated by Angela Starling.

A great closing to a cozy, heartwarming contemporary romance series, I'd say.  I'd love to have seen more of Chloe and Sawyer.  I'm glad to have seen more of Tara and Maddie... but it just still felt like it was a bit scarce.


Thoughts: One in a Million

One in a Million

by Jill Shalvis
Book 12 of Lucky Harbor

~ Goodreads ~

Rating:  3.5 Stars


This last Lucky Harbor book has been doing so well, and might have even been my favorite of this last trilogy.  I loved both MCs, and Callie was fantastic.

This isn't to say that the book itself wasn't great.  I still enjoyed the book a lot...

But sometimes, you can only suspend disbelief for as far as it takes the small town's biggest, little old gossip to play exposition fairy for the whole series, within one book.  I feel like there might have been a lot of unnecessary dialogue emphasizing how many couples have gotten together in the course of these twelve books.

Fortunately, it wasn't exactly the awkward "Couples Curtain Call" that it could have ended up being.  But I still wish we could have spent more time on Tanner, Callie, and Troy, than Lucille's matchmaking escapades.


The Story:
Callie Sharpe is the sole owner and brains behind her wedding planner business, dealing with crazy brides and their insane demands and ideals.  Callie had also been left at the altar a few years back, but this is something that would be bad for business.  Now, Callie has been tasked to return to Lucky Harbor, the small town where she was born--and couldn't get away from fast enough--in order to check in on her grandmother.  Apparently, there have been rumors that Lucille might actually be losing it... you know, what with all the naughty pics and jokes and polls on Lucky Harbor's social media sites.  And returning to Lucky Harbor wasn't exactly something Callie wanted to do... especially not after discovering that certain other people from her past have returned to Lucky Harbor as well... a certain first crush whom Callie can see swimming along the beach every morning from her rented apartment in the warehouse.

Ex-Navy SEAL Tanner Riggs had been thought of as an adrenaline junkie his entire life, having been in the military, as well as the bomb diffusing expert on the oil rigs.  Now he runs Lucky Harbor Charters with his two best friends.  And meanwhile, his ex-wife Elisa has decided to drop off their sullen teenage son on his doorstep; not that Tanner minds--he'd been hoping to get a chance to be a proper father to the over-dramatic, fifteen year old Troy since the boy was born.  It was just not easy to do when Elisa had uprooted and fled across the country to Florida when their short-lived marriage fell apart.

And now Tanner will have to deal with the attitude-ridden son who thinks that his father never wanted him.  At the same time, it almost feels like the boy's mother is looking to abandon him as well.  And meanwhile, Callie Sharpe's reappearance is attracting his attention in the strangest way.  Especially when she somehow manages to make herself comfortable in his life, as well as his son's.


My Thoughts:
As I'd already stated, this book really was quite enjoyable.  I absolutely adored the relationship between Callie and Troy--yes, between our female MC, and our male MC's rebellious teenage son.  It was all sorts of cute.  Meanwhile, the relationship between Tanner and Troy wasn't bad either; especially after Troy started being less of a teenage pain in the ass.

I even found Callie and Troy's morning ritual quite sweet as well.  It was amusing that she could get caught in public so many times wearing a fashion consultant's worst nightmare.  Meanwhile, she's a wedding planner who pointedly instructs her clients to do the exact opposite of everything that she seems to do.

One in a Million made for a nice little wrap up of the long-running Lucky Harbor series, and the only thing that would have made it better might have been a more subtle approach at telling the readers that this is the end.  Instead, as I mention in the beginning of this post, we get an exposition fairy who feels the need to remind us about all the lovely couples who got together within the last eleven books, as well as which couple will be getting together in this particular book.  Truthfully, it felt like fan service and might have been a bit overmuch.

Lucille is great and all, but I really don't care for exposition fairies or the darned, dreaded "Couple Curtain Call."  It's jarring and doesn't help you forget that this is, indeed, just a contemporary romance series, starring multiple couples you may or may not fall in love with.  Instead, I might have just settled for a brief appearance by a few random couples or individuals at the right moment, that doesn't interfere with story flow.  That's not too much to ask, right?

And besides, there's still one more novella left in this series, of which I have totally been expecting a "Couple Curtain Call," if only because it's Christmas related, and you can't entirely hate a Christmas-themed novella starring all your favorite couples in one of your favorite contemporary romance series.  Right?

Or maybe that's just me.

Anyway...

There's not much else to say about this book.  Callie and Tanner are good people.  Troy is a good kid.  The situation between Tanner, Elisa, and Troy could have been handled better, but it got handled, so I guess I'm satisfied with that.  Meanwhile, the situation dealing with Callie and her own parents got left on the shelf, probably to never be dusted off and addressed... ever.  Which seems typical of a Jill Shalvis contemporary wherein the main heroine has her own family conflicts and no satisfying resolution... but I'm past caring by this point.

We've made it to the end.

And I still love the first three Lucky Harbor books the most.

How about that?