Read Your Shelf 2024

 

 

READ YOUR SHELF CHALLENGE

A new TBR reading challenge that I'm hoping to fit in with my own Mount TBR Challenge--hopefully, I'll be able to move a whole mountain off my mountain range.

📚HOW IT WORKS:
* Starts: November 1, 2023
* Ends: December 31, 2024
* There are 60 prompts (some repeated) to help you pick and read books you already have on your shelves.
* Books must be at least 100 pages
* Books must be middle grade or higher

📚BOOKS THAT QUALIFY
🔹 books on your shelf now (physical, digital, or audio)
🔹 books you put on hold at your library before Nov. 1, 2023
🔹 arcs currently on your NetGalley shelf (new or backlist)
🔹 arcs you have requested before Nov. 1, 2023
🔹 pre-ordered books you ordered before Nov. 1, 2023
🔹 gifts you receive during the challenge at any time
🔹 audiobooks you have already downloaded or saved before Nov. 1, 2023, on apps like Audible, Scribd, etc.

📚BOOKS THAT DO NOT QUALIFY:
🔸 any books you buy AFTER Nov. 1, 2023 (physical, digital, or audio)
🔸 arcs you request AFTER Nov. 1, 2023
🔸 library hold you place AFTER Nov. 1, 2023

 

1. Last Book You Bought: Death of a Dietitian by E. X. Giroux

2. Shortest Book on Your Shelf: The Harrison Road Mystery by John Bechtel

3. Most Intimidating Book:

4. By Indie/Self-Published Author: The Red Death Murders by Jim Noy (11/6/23)

5. Published in Winter (Dec-Feb): Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor (4/20/24)

6. Bought Because of Social Media: Bodies from the Library 3 by Tony Medawar, ed (1/7/24)

7. Pick 10 Books, Spin Wheel to Pick Next Read

8. Book Over 500 Pages: Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz (2/16/24)

9. Recommended by a Friend: The Third Policeman by Flann O'Brien [rec by Jeff Wallace] (11/12/23)

10. Flowers on cover: Murder & Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood (1/27/24)

11. Blue Cover: The Emperor's Snuff Box by John Dickson Carr (1/3/24)

12. Favorite Genre: Death of a Doll by Hilda Lawrence (11/17/23)

13. Continuation of a Series: The Mystery at Orchard House by Joan Coggin [Lady Lupin #2] (1/13/24)

14. By a Favorite Author: Death Has a Small Voice by Frances & Richard Lockridge (1/31/24)

15. Bought Because of Cover

16. First in a Series: The Four Just Men by Edgar Wallace (11/10/23)

17. Published in Spring (Mar-May): There is a Tide by Agatha Christie [March 1948] (11/14/24)

18. Less Than 200 Pages: The Blue Geranium by Dolan Birkley (188 pages] 

19. By Male Author: The Passenger from Scotland Yard by H. F. Heard (1/11/24)

20. Published in Fall (Sep-Nov): The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout [Oct 1946] (3/5/24)

21. By a BIPOC Author

22. Close Eyes & Pick Book at Random

23. At Least 4 Colors on Cover: Murder for Two by George Harmon Coxe (11/9/23)

24. Oldest Book on TBR: The Song of Roland (1115 AD) translated by Dorothy L. Sayers (2/2/24)

25. One You've Been Meaning to Get To: Death, My Darling Daughters by Jonathan Stagge [meant to read it last year] (1/1/24)

26. Stand Alone Book: Only the Good by Mary Collins (11/12/23)

27. By "New to You" Author: Black Friday by David Goodis (11/3/23)

28.Close Eyes & Pick Book at Random

29. Recommended by a Friend: The Murder Wheel by Tom Mead [rec by Paul Gutjahr]

30. By a Favorite Author

31. By Female Author: Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb (1/21/24)

32. People on the Cover: Death Takes a Bow by Frances & Richard Lockridge (2/24/24)

33. Number in the Title: Man of Two Tribes by Arthur W. Upfield (2/22/24)

34. Your Initials in the Title or Author's Name: Seance for a Vampire by Fred SaBerHagen (4/9/24)

35. Water on the Cover: Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb (3/27/24)

36. White Cover

37. Chapters Have Title: Uncoffin'd Clay by Gladys Mitchell (11/2/23)

38. 300+ Pages

39. Trees on Cover: A Fete Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith (2/20/24)

40. By "New to You" Author: Vultures in the Sky by Todd Downing (11/22/23)

41. Favorite Genre: The Cambridge Murders by Glyn Daniel (1/24/24)

42. Published in Summer (Jun-Aug)

43. Two-Word Title: The Hollow (aka Murder After Hours) by Agatha Christie (2/26/24)

44. By Female Author: Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines (2/12/24)

45. Pick 10 Books, Spin Wheel to Pick Next Read

46. By a BIPOC Author

47. Bought Because of Cover

48. Bought Because of Social Media

49. Use a Poll to Pick Next Read: Dorothy & Jack: The Transforming Friendship of Dorothy L. Sayers & C. S. Lewis by Gina Dalfonzo (3/11/24)

50. 300+ Pages: Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell (2/7/24)

51. Stand Alone Book

52. Black Cover: Making It So by Patrick Stewart (4/10/24)

53. No People on Cover: Murder in C Major by Sara Hoskinson Frommer (1/15/24)

54. Animated Cover: The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame [using Disney animated Toad character] (3/22/24)

55. Animal on Cover: The Unicorn Murders by Carter Dickson (2/28/24)

56. Male Author: The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth (2/16/24)

57. Made into a TV Show/Movie

58. Published During Birth Month

59. Over 500 Pages

60. Use a Poll to Pick Next Book

2024 Mystery Marathon

 

 

 

Rick over at the Mystillery has decided that we need to stretch our mystery-reading muscles and start training for the first-every Mystery Marathon in 2024. [Full disclosure: I've been in training for this since my mom introduced me to Nancy Drew.] Details will be posted at the beginning of the new year (at the link). But my understanding is we'll just need to read at least 26 mystery books plus one short story. That's what I've got my sights set on....who knows, maybe I'll run two marathons next year.

Marathon #1

1. Death, My Darling Daughters by Jonathan Stagge [219 steps] (1/1/24)

2. The Emperor's Snuff Box by John Dickson Carr [160 pages] (1/3/24)

3. Bodies from the Library by Tony Medawar (ed) [374 pages] (1/7/24)

4. The Passenger from Scotland Yard by H. F. Wood [295 pages] (1/11/24)

5. The Mystery at Orchard House by Joan Coggin [188 pages] (1/13/24)

6. There Is a Tide by Agatha Christie [175 page] (1/14/24)

7. Murder in C Major by Sara Hoskinson Frommer [214 pages] (1/15/24)

8. Murder by the Book by Martin Edwards [288] (1/21/24)

9. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb [212 pages] (1/21/24)

10. The Cambridge Murders by Glyn Daniel [250 pages] (1/24/24)

11. Murder & Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood [327 pages] (1/27/24)

12. A Guilty Thing Surprised by Ruth Rendell [193 pages] (1/28/24)

13. Death Has a Small Voice by Frances & Richard Lockridge [186 pages] (1/31/24)

14. The Final Days of Abbot Montrose by Sven Elvestad [196 pages] (2/3/24)

15. Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell [342 pages] (2/7/24)

16. Miraculous Mysteries by Martin Edwards, ed [351 pages] (2/9/24)

17. Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines [320 pages] (2/12/24)

18. Gently Down the Stream by Alan Hunter [248 pages] (2/13/24)

19. The Blood Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth [341 pages] (2/16/24)

20. When Blood Lies by C. S. Harris [355 pages] (2/18/24)

21. Ellery Queen's Anthology 1966 Mid-Year Edition [320 pages] (2/18/24)

22. A Fete Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith [284 pages] (2/20/24)

23. Man of Two Tribes by Arthur W. Upfield [215 pages] (2/22/24)

24. Death Takes a Bow by Frances & Richard Lockridge [253 pages] (2/24/24)

25. Murder After Hours (The Hollow) by Agatha Christie [256 pages] (2/26/24)

26. The Unicorn Murders by Carter Dickson [240 pages] (2/28/24)

Short Story: "Jericho & the Silent Witnesses" by Hugh Pentecost [58 pages] (2/4/24)

Finish Line! (Commitment met)

Marathon #2

1. The Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook [272 pages] (2/29/24)

2. One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton [196 pages] (3/2/24)

3. The Blue Geranium by Dolan Birkley [188 pages] (3/3/24)

4. Death of a Fool by Ngaio Marsh [253 pages (3/4/24)

5. The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout [180 pages] (3/5/24)

6.  Mad About the Boy? by Dolores Gordon-Smith [302 pages] (3/13/24)

7. Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz [608 pages] (3/6/24)

8. The Philadelphia Murder Story by Leslie Ford [157 pages] (3/21/24)

9. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers [192 pages] (3/21/24)

10. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves [392 pages] (3/24/24)

11. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney [335 pages] (3/26/24)

12. Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb [310 pages] (3/27/24)

13. Grand Cru Heist by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen [149 pages] (3/28/24)

14. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [376 pages] (3/29/24)

15. Seance for a Vampire by Fred Saberhagen [286 pages] (4/9/24)

16. Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang [389 pages] (4/14/24)

17. The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla by Stuart Palmer [155 pages] (4/18/24)

18. Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor [222 pages] (4/20/24)

19. Mystery at Greenfingers by J. B. Priestley [111 pages] (4/23/24)

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

Short Story: "The Curtain" by Raymond Chandler [31 pages] (3/7/24)

2024 Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge

 

I'm heading out to the shooting range again with Rick and his Six Shooter Mystery Reading Challenge in 2024. The goal is pretty straight-forward--read six books on the same target (by the same author) to complete your round. Any targets started in 2023 but not yet complete will carry over to the new year, so Rick's page won't be fully updated for a while. Once it's updated, you can check out the full details at the link above.

As with his other challenges, Rick doesn't ask for a commitment. But I will set a personal goal in order to claim the challenge complete for 2024. I've been setting it at four targets--and I will be aiming for the same in the new year.  Most likely targets will include Agatha Christie, the Lockridges, and Carolyn Keene. Other authors TBD.

 

Target #1: Carolyn Keene (carried over from 2023)

1. The Clue in the Jewel Box (12/7/23)

2. The Quest of the Missing Map (12/22/23)

3. The Secret in the Old Attic (12/30/23)

4.

5.

6.

 

Target #2: John Dickson Carr/Carter Dickson

1. The Emperor's Snuff Box (1/3/24)

2. "Grand Guignol" (1/7/24)

3. "The Silver Curtain" (2/18/24)

4. The Unicorn Murders (2/28/24)

5.

6.

 

Agatha Christie (Complete)

1. "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" (1/7/24)

2. There Is a Tide by Agatha Christie (1/14/24)

3. "Poirot Indulges a Whim" (aka "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat") (2/4/24)

4. "Miss Marple Tells a Story" [listened to a Youtube reading] (2/4/24) 

5. Murder After Hours [The Hollow] (2/26/24)

6. "The Supernatural Murder" (3/7/24)

 

Frances &/or Richard Lockridge

1. Death Has a Small Voice  1/31/24)

2. "Dead Boys Don't Remember" (2/18/24)

3. Death Takes a Bow (2/24/24)

4.

5.

6.

 

 

2024 Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge

 

Once again Rick at the Rick Mills Project will be offering up the Medical Examiner Mystery Reading Challenge as well as the Six Shooter Challenge. I, having no self-control when it comes to challenges--especially mystery-related challenges, will--of course--sign up for both. He's also got a brand-new Mystery Marathon for 2024, so here I go again....For full details, check out the link above after the new year starts. Basically, just read mysteries and log the number of named corpses on his handy form.

Rick doesn't require a sign-up post, but in order to claim this one as complete on my own personal challenge tally sheet, I must submit at least 20 death certificate reports. With the number of mysteries I read per year, this doesn't prove too difficult--so, there should be plenty of toe tags signed by "Quincy" Hankins at the Mystillery Morgue.

 

1. Death, My Darling Daughters by Jonathan Stagge [4 deaths] (1/1/24)

2. The Emperor's Snuff Box by John Dickson Carr [2 deaths] (1/3/24)

*********The following are all from Bodies from the Library 3 edited by Tony Medawar 1/7/24

3. "The Murder at Warbeck Hall" by Cyril Hare (Alfred Alexander Gordon Clark) [2 deaths]

4. "The House of the Poplars" by Dorothy L. Sayers [3 deaths]

5. "The Hampstead Murder" by Christopher Bus (Charles Christmas Bush) [one death]

6. "The Scarecrow Murders" by Joseph Commings [2 deaths]

7. "The Incident of the Dog's Ball" by Agatha Christie [2 deaths]

8. "The Case of the Unlucky Airman" by Christopher St. John Sprigg [one death]

9. "The Riddle of the Black Spade" by Stuart Palmer [3 deaths]

10. "A Torch at the Window" by Josephine Bell (Doris Bell Collier) [one death]

11. "Grand Guignol" by John Dickson Carr [3 deaths]

12. "A Knotty Problem" by Ngaio Marsh [one death]

13. "The Orange Kid" by Peter Cheyney [4 deaths]

14. "He Stooped to Live" by David Hume (John Victor Turner) [one death]

15. "Mr. Prendergast & the Orange" by Nicholas Blake (Cecil Day-Lewis) [one death]

16. "The 'Eat More Fruit' Murder" by William A. R. Collins [one death]

***********

17. The Passenger from Scotland Yard by H. F. Wood [2 deaths] (1/11/24)

18. There Is a Tide by Agatha Christie [9 deaths] (1/14/24)

19. Murder in C Major by Sara Hoskinson Frommer [2 deaths] (1/15/24)

**************The following are all from Murder by the Book edited by Martin Edwards 1/20/24

20. "A Lesson in Crime by G.D.H. & M. Cole [one death]

Commitment met!

21. "Trent & the Ministering Angel" by E. C. Bentley [one death]

22. "A Slice of Bad Luck" by Nicholas Blake (Cecil Day-Lewis) [one death]

23. "Malice Domestic" by Philip MacDonald [one death]

24. "A Savage Game" by A. A. Milne [one death]

25. "The Clue in the Book by Julian Symons [one death]

26. "The Manuscript" by Gladys Mitchell [one death]

27. "A Man & His Mother-in-law" by Roy Vickers [4 deaths]

28. "Dear Mr. Editor..." by Christianna Brand [2 deaths]

28. "Murder in Advance" by Marjorie Bremner [4 deaths]

29. "A Question of Character" by Victor Canning [2 deaths]

30. "We Know You're Busy Writing..." by Edmund Crispin [2 deaths]

31. "Chapter & Verse" by Ngaio Marsh [4 deaths]

****************

32. Bimbos of the Death Sun by Sharyn McCrumb [2 deaths] (1/21/24)

33. The Cambridge Murders by Glyn Daniel [3 deaths] (1/24/24)

34. Murder & Mendelssohn by Kerry Greenwood [5 deaths] (1/27/24)

35. A Guilty Thing Surprised by Ruth Rendell [4 deaths] (1/28/24)

36. Death Has a Small Voice by Frances & Richard Lockridge [3 deaths] (1/31/24)

37. The Final Days of Abbot Montrose by Sven Elvestad [2 deaths] (2/3/24)

*****************The following are from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine Nov 1965 (2/4/24)

38. "Jericho & the Silent Witnesses" by Hugh Pentecost [Judson Philips] (one death]

39. "The Scientist & the Bagful of Water" by Arthur Porges (one death)

40. "The Tecommshire Fen Mystery" by Cathie Haig Star [Norma Schier] (one death)

41. "The Halloween Mystery" by Ellery Queen (one death)

42 "They's Things in the Deep Woods" by M. L. Dunn (4 deaths)

43. "A as in Accident" by Lawrence Treat (one death)

******************

44. "Miss Marple Tells a Story by Agatha Christie (listened to a Youtube reading [2 deaths] (2/4/24)

45. Inspector of the Dead by David Morrell [15 deaths] (2/7/24)

*******************The following are from Miraculous Mysteries edited by Martin Edwards (2/9/24)

46. "The Lost Special" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [3 deaths]

47. "The Case of the Tragedies in the Greek Room" by Sax Rohmer [2 deaths]

48. "The Aluminum Dagger" by R. Austin Freeman [2 deaths]

49. "The Miracle of Moon Crescent" by G. K. Chesterton [one death]

50. "The Invisible Weapon" by Nicholas Olde [one death]

51. "The Diary of Death" by Marten Cumberland [4 deaths]

52. "The Broadcast Murder" by Grenville Robbins [3 deaths]

53. "The Music-Room" by Sapper (Herman Cyril McNeile) [3 deaths]

54. "Death at 8.30" by Christopher St. John Sprigg [2 deaths]

55. "Too Clever by Half" by G.D.H. & Margaret Cole [2 deaths]

56. "Locked In" by Charles Vivian [one death]

57. "The Sands of Thyme" by Michael Innes (J.I.M. Stewart) [one death]

58. "Beware of the Trains" by Edmund Crispin (Robert Bruce Montgomery) [one death]

***********************

59. Winter in June by Kathryn Miller Haines [4 deaths] (2/12/24)

60. Gently Down the Stream by Alan Hunter [3 deaths] (2/13/24)

61. The Blood-Dimmed Tide by Rennie Airth [10 deaths] (2/16/24)

62. When Blood Lies by C. S. Harris [13 deaths] (2/18/24)

**********************The following are from Ellery Queen's Anthology 1966 Mid-Year Edition (2/18/24)

63. "You Can't Love Two Women" by L.A.G. Strong [one death]

64. "The Clue of the Scattered Rubies" by Erle Stanley Gardner [2 deaths]

65. "I Killed John Harrigan" by Thomas Walsh [2 deaths]

66. "The Grave Grass Question" by MacKinlay Kantor [2 deaths]

67. "Blind Man's Bluff" by Roy Vickers [2 deaths]

68. "The Crime by the River" by Edmund Crispin (Robert Bruce Montgomery) [2 deaths]

69. "This Was Willi's Day" by Aaron Marc Stein [one death]

70. "Blackmail" by Stephen McKenna [one death]

71. "Murder on St. Valentine's Day" by Mignon G. Eberhart [one death]

72. "A Piece of String" by Clarence Budington Kelland [one death]

73. "Taboo" by Geoffrey Household [2 deaths]

74. "The Silver Curtain" by John Dickson Carr [one death]

75. "The Girl Who Lived Dangerously [3 deaths]

***********************

76. A Fete Worse Than Death by Dolores Gordon-Smith [6 deaths] (2/20/24)

77. Man of Two Tribes by Arthur W. Upfield [5 deaths] (2/22/24)

78. Death Takes a Bow by Frances & Richard Lockridge [2 deaths]  (2/24/24)

79. Murder After Hours (The Hollow) by Agatha Christie [2 deaths] (2/26/24)

80. The Unicorn Murders by Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr [2 deaths] (2/28/24)

81. The Moneypenny Diaries by Kate Westbrook [9 deaths] (2/29/24)

82. One by One They Disappeared by Moray Dalton (Katherine Dalton Renoir) [9 deaths] (3/2/24)

83. The Blue Geranium by Dolan Birkley (Dolores Hitchens) [4 deaths] (3/3/24)

84. Death of a Fool by Ngaio Marsh [one death] (3/4/24)

85. The Silent Speaker by Rex Stout [2 deaths] (3/5/24)

**************************The following are from Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine September 1965 (3/7/24)

86. "Blood Brothers" by Christianna Brand [2 deaths]

87. "Bloehm's Wall" by George Emmett [one death]

88. "A Fine Winter Thirst" by George Emmett [2 deaths]

89. "All the Way Home" by Jaime Sandaval [3 deaths]

90. "The Supernatural Murder" by Agatha Christie [one death]

91. "The Needle's Eye" by Ellery Queen [two deaths]

92. "To Reach the Sea" by Monica Dickens [one death]

93. "The Curtain" by Raymond Chandler [4 deaths]

94. "The Peppermint Striped Goodbye" by Ron Goulart [2 deaths]

95. "The Restorer of Balance" by Avram Davidson [one death]

***************************

96. Mad About the Boy? by Dolores Gordon-Smith [8 deaths] (3/13/24)

97. Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz [11 deaths] (3/16/24)

98. The Philadelphia Murder Story by Leslie Ford (Zenith Jones Brown) [5 deaths] (3/21/24)

99. Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers [2 deaths] (3/21/24)

100. Red Bones by Ann Cleeves [4 deaths] (3/24/24)

101. Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney [9 deaths] (3/26/24)

102. Zombies of the Gene Pool by Sharyn McCrumb [6 deaths] (3/27/24)

103. Grand Cru Heist by Jean-Pierre Alaux & Noel Balen [3 deaths] (3/28/24)

104. The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes [3 deaths] (3/29/24)

105. "The Speckled Band" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle [4 deaths] (4/8/24)

106. Seance for a Vampire by Fred Saberhagen [4 deaths] (4/9/24)

107. Unnatural Ends by Christopher Huang [8 deaths] (4/14/24)

108. The Puzzle of the Blue Banderilla by Stuart Palmer [2 deaths] (4/18/24)

109. Figure Away by Phoebe Atwood Taylor [2 deaths] (4/20/24)

110. Mystery at Greenfingers by J. B. Priestley [one death] (4/23/24)

111.