2020 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge

When the 2020 Pick Your Poison Reading Challenge first came out, I resisted the temptation because I had this silly idea that I would limit my challenges to only 20 in 2020. Well...that thought has now gone out the window and I've decided to give in....

For some reason, the graphic above appears much bigger on the site than it does here. There are also links to spreadsheets and downloadable lists to make following the categories easier. So, click on the link above for more info.

I'm going to sign up for the Baker's Dozen (13 books). I may do more, but my commitment will be met at 13.

1. Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A. Whitney [Body parts--nose on cover] (1/3/20)
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie [Singles--single figure on cover] (1/9/20)
3. Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers [Quick Decisions--author you always read] (1/13/20)
4. The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Scott Turton [Selfies--written in 1st person] (1/15/20)
5. Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn [TBR Crushers--have to dust off (on TBR since 2013)] (1/20/20)
6. The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer (1940) [How Old?--written before I was born] (1/24/20)
7. The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr) [Hidden: pseudonymous author] (1/26/20)
8. Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer [Seconds--bought from second hand store] (1/27/20)
9. The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers [Inspirations--place I want to visit this year (England)] (1/28/20)
10. Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh [Birds of a feather--feathers/wings on cover] (2/6/20)
11. Silver Wings for Vicki by Helen Wells [Places: book about traveling] (2/15/20)
12. The Beatles--Yellow Submarine story adapted by Bill Morrison [Movie Quotes: I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way: graphic novel] (2/20/20)
13. The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley [Recovery: Missing Person] (2/23/20)
Commitment Complete!

Now I'm going to list all the books by category and see how far I get with the list.

Making Stuff Up
~Book with "maker" in title
~Book featuring fictional language: Blotto, Twinks & the Ex-King's Daughter by Simon Brett [Mitteleuropian] (7/1/20)
~Book about crafts/handiwork
~Book about lies: When Gods Die by C. S. Harris [lots of lies--biggest in the protagonist's family] (8/27/20)

Dark Genres
~A cult classic
~A dark fantasy book: A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny (8/20/20)
~A Gothic horror book: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury (9/8/20)
~A speculative fiction book: Neuromancer by William Gibson (8/22/20)

Seconds
~Found in a second hand store: Regency Buck by Georgette Heyer (1/27/20)
~Second book by an author: Death After Evensong by Douglas Clark (5/4/20)
~Clock/stopwatch on cover
~Book about eating

Quick Decisions
~Based solely on the title/cover
~Bought on impulse: A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas (8/19/20)
~By an author you always read: Have His Carcase by Dorothy L. Sayers (1/13/20)
~About living with consequences

Birds of a Feather
~Feather/Wings on cover: Flame in the Mist by Renee Ahdieh (2/6/20)
~About differences
~About community: The Thursday Club Murder by Richard Osman (11/10/20) [takes place in a retirement community]
~About twins: The Good Friday Murder by Lee Harris (5/13/20)

Where We Live
~About an apartment building
~With a mansion on cover: Murder at Melrose Court by Karen Baugh Menuhin (7/22/20)
~About nomads
~About moving to the country

Careers
~By a current/former journalist: Good Luck to the Corpse by Max Murray (3/30/20)
~About doctors/nurses//health care professionals
~About a teacher: Golden Rain by Douglas Clark (5/21/20)
~About blue collar workers

Body Parts
~Feet on cover: Murder in the Dog Days by P. M. Carlson (7/29/20)

"Hand" in the title
~About heads
~Nose on cover: Mystery of the Haunted Pool by Phyllis A. Whitney (1/3/20)

Reading Cliches
~Book called a "page turner"
~A "beach read": Between the Devil & the Duke by Kelly Bowen (7/24/20)
~By an author "everyone has read": The Big Four by Agatha Christie (2/27/20)
~"Best seller" you've never heard of

Music Genres
~Title could be a country song: The Colorado Kid by Stephen King (6/17/20)
~"Opera" in the title
~Cover makes you think about Heavy Metal
~Book should have a Jazz soundtrack: Ragtime by E. L. Doctorow (3/15/20)

Recovery
~About recovering from accident/illness
~About dealing with death
~About a missing person: The Crying Sisters by Mabel Seeley (2/23/20)
~Re-issued with new cover: The Town Cried Murder by Leslie Ford (8/2/20)

Next Door
~"Neighbor" in the title
~Binoculars on the cover
~By a local author: In Search of the Great Dead by Richard Cecil (11/20/20)
~About the creepy old house in the neighborhood: The Revenge of the Wizard's Ghost by John Bellairs (10/3/20)

Brought to You by the Letter N
~"Novice' in the title
~Takes place in a country that begins with N
~"Name" in the title
~Author whose name starts with N: Letters from an Astrophysicist by Neil deGrasse Tyson (9/11/20)

Inspirations
~Inspires you to go for a walk
~About improving self-image
~About a place you hope to visit this year: The Nine Tailors by Dorothy L Sayers (1/28/20)
  [Thanks to COVID, not happening. :-( ]
~By or about a person you admire: R.F.K.: A Photographer's Journal by Harry Benson (8/27/20)

Diversity
~By an author from a different culture
~About gender identity: Sweet Poison by Ellen Hart [Lesbian amateur detective and gay/lesbian themes throughout] (8/15/20)
~Folk/fairy tale retelling in non-western setting
~Character with a disability: Out of Control by Baynard Kendrick [blind detective] (9/12/20)

Check Out those Lists
~From NPRs Top 100 Books list (from Top 100 SF books): Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (9/3/20)
~From NY Times Best Sellers list
~Inspired by your shopping list: The Dreadful Lemon Sky by John D. MacDonald (5/9/20)
~From recommended list on internet: Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg [Show Us Your Books Faves 2018--Jana's list of favorite nonfiction] (3/9/20)

Singles
~About a widow or widower: Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen [Ivory is a widowed duchess] (8/6/20)
~Single word title: Kept by D. J. Taylor (5/2/20)
~Standalone book
~Single figure on cover: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie (1/9/20)

Animal Kingdom
~Author's name includes an animal (i.e.: CATherine)
~Non-fiction about animals
~Book with talking animal: The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster [Tock, the watch-dog] (5/13/20)
~Animal on cover: Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyre (6/20/20)

Hidden
~Mask on cover
~Pseudonymous author: The Plague Court Murders by Carter Dickson [John Dickson Carr] (1/26/20)
~ "Hidden" in the title
~About a treasure hunt: The Ampersand Papers by Michael Innes (8/8/20)

TBR Crushers
~From bookshelves you have to dust off: Murder on the Waterfront by Michael Jahn [on TBR since 2013] (1/20/20)
~Been meaning to read forever
~Anything you want: The Proud Cat by Frances & Richard Lockridge (8/3/20)
~First book you see on your shelf

Shorts
~Less than 100 pages: The Chinese Nightmare by Hugh Pentecost [64 pages] (4/18/20)
~Author w/fewer than 10 letters in name: Big Bad Bear by Zola Todd (4/5/20)
~Character being "towered over" on cover: Curtain for a Jester by Frances & Richard Lockridge (4/3/20)
~Book of short stories: Deep Waters: Murder on the Waves by Martin Edwards, ed. (2/24/20)

Movie quotes
~I see dead people - a ghost story: The Life & Death of the Wicked Lady Skelton by Magdalen King-Hall (4/25/20)
~I coulda been a contender - about sports
~There's no place like home - about going home: The Christening Day Murder by Lee Harris (4/7/20)
~I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way - graphic novel: The Beatles--Yellow Submarine story adapted by Bill Morrison (2/20/20)

Places
~Place name in title: Mortmain Hall by Martin Edwards (11/28/20)
~Map on cover: A Halo for Nobody by Henry Kane (11/26/20)
~Set in the mountains: Trixie Belden & the Mystery at Bob-White Cave by Kathryn Kenny [Ozark Mountains] (9/2/20)
~About traveling: Silver Wings for Vicki by Helen Wells (2/15/20)

Selfies
~A memoir
~Written in 1st person: The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Scott Turton (1/15/20)
~Narcissistic character: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie [Mirelle] (3/1/20)
~Self-improvement book

How Old?
~Obsolete tech on cover
~Contemporary book written by author older than you
~About your parents' generation
~Written before you were born: The Corinthian by Georgette Heyer [1940] (1/24/20)

Reading Women
~Nonfiction about a famous woman
~By a woman of color: This Is Paradise by Kristiana Kahakauwila [native Hawaiian] (6/16/20)
~Kick-ass woman on cover: The Clue in the Diary by Carolyn Keene [Nancy on cover] (8/22/20)
~Children's book with strong female lead: The Clue in Blue by Betsy Allen (2/28/20)

Wild Cards
~Manga book
~Includes an ocean journey
~About geeks
~About Zodiac signs or astrology
~Centers around a group of friends: Betsy & Tacy Go Downtown by Maud Hart Lovelace (3/10/20)