Sock Poppet at Play

Complete one or more prompts. Jump in at any time. No need to have participated in previous month(s). 

February's Reading Challenge ~ It's All About the Love

This month you will read:

1 ~ a book with the word love (or variation) in the title.

2 ~ a book by an author you love.

3 ~ a book which you read because you loved the cover or title.

4 ~ a book with a character who sacrifices for love (of person, country, ideal, etc.)

Link to your blog post about the book you read (or simply list the book) here: February's Reading Challenge ~ It's All About the Love

Sock Poppet's 2015 Read-By-the-Month Reading Challenge

I got just what I wanted for Christmas ~ a wonderful book from Santa! I'm so happy Rudolph stayed to listen to me read the story. We've got hot cocoa and snacks (but don't touch my banana!) And Rudolph's nose helps us read when it gets dark. What a cozy way to do my favorite thing.

Nice books. Naughty books. A very hard choice, but I'll go with Nice Books.

I've completed my book for January. I used the second prompt ~ a book by an author who is new to you.

This book was published under two names. The one I read was Dark Garden. But Death in the Fog is a much more appropriate title, as Fog is truly one of the main characters of the book.

I found this book while searching my library for Dark Garden by a different author. When I saw this book, I checked it out just to see what it was like. Turns out I liked it a lot!

The book was originally published in 1933. It's a very atmospheric mystery. Not only is Fog a main character, but so are mirrors, mirrors in which one can see something, but when one turns around, nothing is there. 

The last 20 nail-biting pages will encourage me to try another book by this author.

To see what other books readers are choosing for their January prompts, visit the discussion: January's Reading Challenge ~ First Things First

January's Reading Challenge ~ First Things First

This month you will read:

1 ~ a book with the word "One" or "First" in the title.

2 ~ a book by an author who is new to you.

3 ~ a book that is the first in a series.

4 ~ your first book of the year.

Link to your blog post about the book you read (or simply list the book) here: January's Reading Challenge ~ First Things First.

I've chosen a book with the word "One" in the title and I even have a backup book just in case.

Let's get this party started and have fun!

Links

Sock Poppet's 2015 Read-By-the-Month Reading Challenge

Discussion: Sock Poppet's 2015 Read-By-the-Month Reading Challenge

Discussion: January's Reading Challenge ~ First Things First

On my blog.

http://sockpoppet.booklikes.com/blog

Is that not cool? 

In case you want snow on your blog, use this little code:

<script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.tumblr.com/qsifglb/mZjl87ts1/f8.js"></script>

<script type="text/javascript">
snowStorm.snowColor = '#bbbbbb'; //
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The lovely blogger who gave me the power to create snow is http://ranearia.booklikes.com/blog.

Thanks, Rane. You're awesome!

I've seen quite a few people saying they have a hard time with yearly challenges and they feel like failures because they are unable to complete them. I know it can be very difficult to keep going when you see a long challenge list staring at you.

So . . . my challenge this year will be delivered monthly. That's right, you won't know what each month's challenge will be until about a week or so before the month starts.

Since people are already starting to plan their challenges and because December can be super busy for many, I will present the first month's challenge now.

Rules:

1 ~ I will list 4 book prompts each month related to a theme.

2 ~ Choose one prompt and read the book. (For those with more time, choose two or more prompts.)

3 ~ Post a link to your review/post of the book(s) you read in the group. 

http://booklikes.com/groups/show/255/sock-poppet-s-2015-read-by-the-month-reading-challenge

4 ~ Using books for multiple challenges is perfectly acceptable, but a book can only be used once within this challenge.

5 ~ That's it. Choose a book to read each month in 2015 and you will have completed this challenge!

January's Reading Challenge ~ First Things First

This month you will read:

1 ~ a book with the word "One" or "First" in the title.

2 ~ a book by an author who is new to you.

3 ~ a book that is the first in a series.

4 ~ your first book of the year.

Now see how easy that is. All you have to do is read your very first book of the year and you've completed the January part of this year's challenge.

Or you can push yourself a little and choose one of the other prompts. Or two or three. The decision is yours.

October Key Words: Blood, Fate, Ocean, Out, Still, The

Blood for Ink by L. L. Muir - 10-3-14

Master Knot of Human Fate by Ellis Meredith - 10-2-14

Rover Boys on the Ocean by Edward Stratemeyer - 10-3-14

Fed Up and Thawed Out by Ryan Brown - 10-6-14

What's the Least I Can Believe and Still Be a Christian by Martin Thielen - 10-8-14

Masquerading the Marquess by Anne Mallory - 10-2-14

Of all the authors, editors and publishers who have donated to:

If you're looking for a book and you want to support these people, check out the list. You might just find what you're looking for.

http://www.amazon.com/forum/romance/ref=cm_cd_fp_ef_tft_tp?_encoding=UTF8&cdForum=FxM42D5QN2YZ1D&cdThread=Tx39RJK81HY47ZA

September Key Words: After, Ice, Number, Shadow, Take, Who

Ever After by Phyllis A. Whitney - 9/1/14

Black Ice by Andrew Lane - 9/2/14

Number Seventeen by Louis Tracy - 9/4/14

His Shadowed Heart by Hazel Statham - 9/5/14

Take No More by Seb Kirby - 9/6/14

Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton - 9/6/14

Take My Heart by Marie Higgins - 9/7/14

I've completed my 2014 A-Z Reading Challenge!

The final two letters were V and W.

A is for April (the month in which you read the book)

     All These Things I've Done ~ Gabrielle Zevin {4-17-14}

B is for Bathing Suit (this book takes place at least partly in hot weather months)

     Strangers in Skye ~ Mabel Esther Allan {2-7-14}
C is for Children's book

    Shadows: The Books of Elsewhere ~ Jacqueline West {4-10-14}
D is for Doctor (one of the characters)

     Surgeon's Lady ~ Carla Kelly {6-5-14}
E is for Ever (in the title)

     Through the Ever Night ~ Veronica Rossi {3-21-14}
F is for Family (book is about a family or family relationships)

     Fade to Black ~ Francis Knight {1-17-14}
G is for Geography (the story takes place in at least two different countries)

     Secret Life of Lady Julia ~ Lecia Cornwall {2-3-14}

H is for Heart (it's a love story)

     When She Was Wicked ~ Anne Barton {1-11-14}
I is for Ice (the setting is cold - snow, ice, rain)

     No Good Duke Goes Unpunished ~ Sarah Maclean {1-21-14}
J is for Jokes (the book is humorous)

    Hyperbole and a Half ~ Allie Brosh {4-25-14}

K is for Keyboard (at least one character plays a musical instrument)

     Once She Was Tempted ~ Anne Barton {1-18-14}   
L is for Lamp (the book takes place before electricity was discovered)

     Kindness of a Rogue ~ Nancy Butler {4-25-14}
M is for Mom (one of the characters)

     Splintered by A. G. Howard {1-26-14}

N is for New-to-you author

      Rook ~ Daniel O'Malley {1-20-14}

O is for Out of This World (where the story takes place)

     Across the Universe by Beth Revis {1-27-14}

P is for Pilgrims (the story involves moving someplace new)

      Dark Unwinding ~ Sharon Cameron {2-11-14}

Q is for Question Mark in the title

     Who? ~ Algis Budrys ~ {4-26-14}

R is for Run (the main character is running from something)

     When the Rogue Returns ~ Sabrina Jeffries {6-7-14}    

S is for Sequel to a book you've already read

     Under the Light ~ Laura Whitcomb {4-12-14}

T is for Time (the book travels time, moves through time quickly or flashes back)

      Ruby Red ~ Kerstin Gier {1-5-14}

U is for Useful (which you found the book to be)

     Breaking Habits, Making Habits by Jeremy Dean {5-10-14}

V is for Veteran (at least one character is/was a member of a military force)

      Last of the Winter Roses ~ Jeanne Savery {7-9-14}
W is for Wind (the book blew you away)

      Partials ~ Dan Wells {8-11-14}
X is for XXIV (it's the 24th book you read this year)

      Pivot Point ~ Kasie West {1-25-14}
Y is for Yo-Yo (your emotions were up and down as you read the book)

      Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rossi {3-29-14}
Z is for Zoo (there is an animal on the cover)

     Tintin: The Crab with the Golden Claws ~ Hergé {1-26-14}

A-Z 2014 Reading Challenge

The Sock Poppet 2014 Reading Challenge Discussion Group

August Key Words: Danger, Down, Forgotten, Me, Run, True

Dangerous Deceit by Marjorie Eccles - 8/10/14

Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere by Julie T. Lamana - 8/17/14 

Forgotten by Cat Patrick - 8/3/14

Promise Me Tomorrow by Candace Camp - 8/14/14

When you Reach Me by Rebecca Stead - 8/12/14

Five Run Away Together by Enid Blyton - 8/15/14

True Love's Reward by Georgie Sheldon ~ 8/9/14

July Key Words: Crash, Of, Prince, Ship, Sun, Whisper

Crash by Nicole Williams ~ 7/4/14

Last of the Winter Roses by Jeanne Savery ~ 7/9/14

Prince and Betty by P. G. Wodehouse ~ 7/6/14

Girl Aviators and the Phantom Airship by Margaret Burnham ~ 7/4/14

Spinner in the Sun by Myrtle Reed ~ 7/22/14

House of the Whispering Pines by Anna Katherine Green ~ 7/3/14

Monthly Key Words: Beyond, Color, Found, Grave, Place, Road

Beyond Forever by Debra Dier ~ 6-16-14

Little Planet With No Color by Tara Fischer ~ 6-5-14

Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix ~ 6-12-14

Grave Without Flowers by Mary McMullen ~ 6-5-14

No Place for a Lady by Joan Smith ~ 6-7-14

Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn ~ 6-11-14

Monthly Key Words: And, Beautiful, Dawn, Death, End, Lost

No and Me by Delphine de Vigan {5/24/14}

Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf {5/14/14}

Dawn by Eleanor H. Porter {5/21/14}

Dawn O'Hara: The Girl Who Laughed by Edna Ferber {5/24/14}

Come the Dawn by Christina Skye {5/25/14}

Death at Wentwater Court: A Daisy Dalrymple Mystery by Carola Dunn {5/14/14}

Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd {5/10/14}

End of the Beginning: Being the Adventures of a Small Snail (and an Even Smaller Ant) by Avi {5/14/14}

Lost and Found by Andrew Clements {5/15/14}