April's Final Cat Who Challenge 2022 - Crossing the Finish Line

Thanks to all the wonderful visitors to my thread, I now have the need to start a second thread for the rest of the year.
Thank you all and welcome to my new thread.

I had high hopes to finish the Cat Who series last year. This year I will read the last 3 books in the series.
UPDATE: I have finished the series and all the companion books I own.

This is my 4th reading challenge and I am posting 12 categories. Books may be used for more than one category.

EDITED: I read 89 books last year (goal was 85). This year I am aiming for 95. On track, with 64 books done at the end of June.

THE CAT WHO "CROSS"ED THE LINE
I have "cross"ed the finish line and read all the Cat Who books.

Now "crossing the line" to my next series James Patterson's Alex Cross series. I hope to read one a month til I finish the series.
1. Along Came A Spider --- read in APRIL
2. Kiss The Girls --- read in MAY
3. Jack & Jill --- read in AUGUST
4. Cat & Mouse --- read in OCTOBER
5. Pop Goes the Weasel --- read in NOVEMBER
6. Roses Are Red --- read in NOVEMBER
7. Violets Are Blue --- read in DECEMBER

The Cat Who Figured It Out

MysteryKIT

Hosting September

January (Series) --- The Cat Who Went Bananas by Lilian Jackson Braun
February (Cold Cases) --- You'll Never Know Dear by Hallie Ephron
March (Small Town) --- Bait and Witch by Angela M Sanders
April (Noir/Hard-Boiled) --- Budapest Noir by Vilmos Kondor
May (Detectives in Translation) --- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
June (Historical Mysteries) --- A Bitter Truth by Charles Todd
July (Golden Age) --- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
August (Technothrillers) --- The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
September (Animal Mysteries) --- Classified As Murder by Miranda James
October (featuring food) --- Red Beans and Vice by Lou Jane Temple
November (gothic) --- Here I Stay by Barbara Michaels
December (holiday mysteries) --- Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse by Peggy Webb

The Cat Who was "horror"fied

ScaredyKIT

Hosting February

January (Haunted Houses) --- Black Creek Crossing by John Saul
February (Spiders, Snakes, and other Creepy Crawlers) --- The Private Life of Spiders by Paul Hillyard
March (Switched) --- The Dark Half by Stephen King
April (Serial Killers) --- Along Came A Spider by James Patterson
May (Short Stories/Novellas) --- I Shudder At Your Touch by Michele Slung
June (Into The Wild) --- Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani
July (The Living Dead) --- The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith
August (YA/Children's) --- Hawkes Harbor by SE Hinton
September (Is It All In Your Head) --- The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell
October (Witches, Evil Spirits and Black Magic) --- Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
November (Stephen King and family) --- Strange Weather by Joe Hill
December (holiday horror) ---NOS4A2 by Joe Hill

The Cat Who didn't know what was happening

RandomKIT

Hosting July and December

January (Home Sweet Home) --- Christmas in Oklahoma by Linda Kennedy Rosser
February (Cats) --- Dewey's Nine Lives by Vicki Myron
March (Hobby Love) --- Geek Girls Unite by Leslie Simon
April (April Showers) --- There's Snow More Room by Joey Benevento and The Annual Snowville Frozen Fun Festival by Jake Gahr
May (May Flowers) --- Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton
June (Cookin' The Books) --- Just Hand Over The Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt by Karen Scalf Linamen
July (Dog Days of Summer) --- The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre
August (Oh Canada) --- The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
September (A Time To Harvest) --- The Black Cat Sees His Shadow by Kay Finch
October (What's In A Name) --- Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
November (City) --- Private London by James Patterson
December (Christmas Sweets) --- The Candymaker's Gift by Helen Haidle

The Cat Who Wrote A Book

AuthorCAT

January (Indigenous Writers) --- American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa
February (19th Century Authors) --- Tales of Suspense by Edgar Allan Poe
March (Authors first published after 40) --- The Cat Who Had 60 Whiskers by Lilian Jackson Braun
April (Debut Novel) --- Special Topics in Calamity Physics by Marisha Pessl
May (from your own country) --- Short & Tall Tales by Lilian Jackson Braun
June (non-fiction) --- The Book of Ganesha by Royina Grewal
July (Asian authors) --- The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
August (Prize Winners) --- Becoming by Michelle Obama
September (African) --- The Art of Being An Elephant by Christine Denis-Huot
October (in translation) --- In The Eyes of the Cat by Demi, translated by Tze-si Huang
November (set against real events) --- Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
December (favorite author) --- Dog Diaries: Happy Howlidays by James Patterson

The Cat Who Went to The Dogs
BingoDOG


1. There's Snow Time Like Cookie Time- joined in 2015
2. The Fire Rose- Beauty and the Beast retelling
3. Fangs - Christmas gift from Mom
4. Mimi Lee Gets A Clue
5. A Bitter Truth - England and France
6. You'll Never Know, Dear
7. The Desolations of Devil's Acre
8. The Christmas Pig
9. Everything You Wanted To Know About Indians But Were Afraid To Ask
10. Run, Rose, Run - Billy
11. Gus and the Baby Ghost - 1972
12. There's Snow More Room -
13. The Cat Who Went Bananas - January MysteryKIT
14. Maus - LibraryThing group read
15. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
16. Budapest Noir
17. Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales
18. All About April
19. The Annual Snowville Frozen Fun Festival
20. Special Topics in Calamity Physics - Center for Fiction First Novel Prize
21. Christmas In Oklahoma
22. The Last American Vampire
23. Santa Is Coming To Oklahoma
24. The Family Lawyer - James Patterson
25. In the Eyes of the Cat - original Japanese

The Cat Who Was "Gift"ed
This is what I have left to read.

My 2021 SantaThing gifts
Animals: Photographs That Make You Think by Henry Carroll - read in August

Previously unread SantaThing gifts (I have 5 left)
Moon Called by Patricia Briggs (SantaThing 2016)
Heist Society by Ally Carter (SantaThing 2016)
The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (SantaThing 2017)
A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara {SantaThing 2017)
Ghost of a Chance by Simon R Green (SantaThing 2018)

Christmas gifts 2021
Harry Potter: A Magical Year by JK Rowling --- Year-long read --finished in December
The Jailhouse Lawyer by James Patterson
Here I Stay by Barbara Michaels --- read in November
Never Look Back by Lee Child
Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett - read in October
H Is For Hawk by Helen Macdonald
A Deadly Game of Tug Of War by Craig Key
Hawkes Harbor by SE Hinton - read in August
It's Your Weirdness That Makes You Wonderful by Kate Allan -read in November
The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith read in July
The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre read in July
Tailchaser's Song by Tad Williams

Birthday gifts 2022
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
The Silence of the Library by Miranda James
Shattered Silk by Barbara Michaels

The Cat Who Knew A Thing Or Two
This is what I still have left.

My 2021 Thingaversary books
Classified as Murder by Miranda James - read in September
All Around Town by Mary Higgins Clark
Patriot's Dream by Barbara Michaels
The Voice of Knowledge by Miquel Ruiz - read in October
The Secrets of Chinese Astrology by Derek Walters -read in July
The Medicine Wheel by Sun Bear and Wabun

My 2022 Thingaversary books (April 7th)
Disney's Family Story Collection by Sheryl Kahn
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood - read in August
Wolves of the Beyond: Lone Wolf by Kathryn Lasky
The Black Cat Sees His Shadow by Kay Finch - read in September
What the Cat Saw by Carolyn Hart

The Cat Who Had An Opinion
This is for all the Early Reviewer books I win (I always read and review them)

1. American Indian Stories by Zitkala-Sa --- November 2021 ER -- read in January
2. Sugar and Salt by Susan Wiggs --- February 2022 ER -- read in March
3. The Energy Inside Valsin's Choices by Ja-Ne de Abreu --- January 2022 ER --- received and read in April
4. Among Animals 3 by John Yunker --- April 2022 ER --- read in May
5. Love You S'more by Melinda Rathjen --- May 2022 ER --- read in June
6. A Quilt For Christmas by Melody Carlson --- June 2022 ER --- read in July
7. How To Make Friends With A Ghost by Rebecca Green --- August 2022 ER --- read in September
8. My Self, Your Self by Esme Shapiro --- September 2022 ER ---read in October

The Cat Who Kept Christmas With Him All Through The Year
This is to read my vast amount of Christmas books. The goal is to read 12.

1. Christmas in Oklahoma by Linda Kennedy Rosser
2. Santa Mouse by Michael Brown
3. There's Snow Time Like Cookie Time by Suzanne Heins
4. A Very Merry Christmas by Lauren Cecil
5. There's Snow More Room by Joey Benevento
6. The Annual Snowville Frozen Fun Festival by Jake Gahr
7. The Polar Express by Charles Van Allsburg
8. Santa's North Pole Cookbook by Jeff Guinn
9. Red and Lulu by Matt Tavares
10.Dasher by Matt Tavares
11. A Quilt For Christmas by Melody Carlson
12. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Barbara Shook Hazen
13. The 12 Elves: A New Christmas Tradition by Marina Fedotova
14. Ozark Christmas by Caryn Southerland
15. Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus by Cyndy Szekeres
16. How the Grinch Who Stole Christmas by Dr. Suess
17. A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg
18. Santa Is Coming To Oklahoma by Steve Smallman
19. The Candymaker's Gift by Helen Haidle
20. How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Suess
21. A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg
22. Wildlife's Christmas Treasury by National Wildlife Federation
23. Mary Did You Know by Mark Lowry
24. Ho! Ho! Ho! by James Charlton
25. Snow Many Treats to Share by Kat Stano Saura
26. Tinsel the Christmas Spider by Pamela Pfertish

The Cat Who Helped Herself
This is for my non-fiction self-help reads. The goal is 4.

1. Fearless Living by Rhonda Britten
2. Just Hand Over the Chocolate and No One Will Get Hurt by Karen Scalf Linamen
3. The Voice of Knowledge by Miguel Ruiz

The Cat Who Loved A Bedtime Story
This is my Little One. He comes to bed every night so I can read him a cat story.
These are this year's reads. There is no goal we read one story a night, so some books take months to finish.

1. Chicken Soup for the Soul: What I Learned from the Cat by Jack Canfield --- finished in June
2. Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Cat by Amy Newmark --- finished in October
3. Chicken Soup For the Soul: The Cat Did What by Amy Newmark

Round up of the first half of the year.
5 stars - 18
4 1/2 stars - 10
4 stars - 8
3 1/2 stars - 11
3 stars - 6
2 1/2 stars - 7
2 stars - 3
1/2 star - 1

Books read 64
The first half of the year I recommended 9 books
1. Fangs
2. Black Creek Crossing
3. Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children series
4. Maus I and II
5. The Cat Who series
6. The Dark Half
7. The Christmas Pig
8. Beauty and the Beast
9. Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales

The best book I read so far this year is Fangs
That thread is here

JULY READS

1. The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith
The continuing adventures of Henry Sturges.

2. Movie Cats by Susan Herbert
Book of movie scenes reworked as cats.

3. New Yorker Cat Cartoons by New Yorker Magazine
Non funny cat cartoons.

4. Gnomes by Wil Hyugen
Great book about the lifestyle of gnomes.

5. A Quilt for Christmas by Melody Carson
Little Christmas magic in a quilting circle

6. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Barbara Shook Hazen
Reread of a childhood favorite.

7. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie
Classic locked room mystery.

8. The Rise of Wolf 8 by Rick McIntyre
Great start to a trilogy of the Yellowstone wolves.

9. The Graveyard Apartment by Mariko Koike
Advertised as horror. More of the story of a family, it only touches on mysterious happenings until the end.

10. The Secrets of Chinese Astrology by Derek Walters
Interesting book about how to find and read your Chinese horoscope

11. The Beast Within by Serena Valentino
The book assumes you know the story of Beauty and the Beast. Did not enjoy the backstory.

12. Kiss The Girls by James Patterson
Alex Cross chases two killers while looking for a missing niece.

Happy new thread! I notice your Christmas book category is filling up nicely!

Happy second half of the year!

Happy new thread!

Wishing you continued good reading for the 2nd half of the year!

Awww that is so cute that you and your cat read bedtime stories! He is adorable.

>17 MissWatson: Starting with the children's books helped me breeze through the category.
>18 thornton37814:, >19 Tess_W:, >20 DeltaQueen50: Thank you
>21 rabbitprincess: Adorably spoiled but well worth it. He and I are kept in line by the boss of the house.

The boss of the house.

Recommendation number 10 The Last American Vampire by Seth Grahame-Smith.
If you read and enjoyed Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter, then this sequel is a must-read.

Recommendation number 11 is Gnomes by Wil Huygen
This book is everything and anything you wanted to know about gnomes and their lives. The illustrations by Rein Poortvliet alone are worth the recommendation. I fell in love with this book from the moment I picked it up and wish I had read it sooner.

July round-up

Books read 12
Total for the year 76.

The best book was Gnomes
The worst book was New Yorker Cat Cartoons

Stars Allotted
5 stars - 2
4 1/2 stars - 4
4 stars - 2
3 1/2 stars - 1
2 1/2 stars - 1
2 stars - 1
1 star - 1

AUGUST READS

1. The 12 Elves: A New Christmas Tradition by Marina Fedotova
Cute little poems to help children locate hidden elves (included in the book) as a countdown to Christmas

2. Hawke's Harbor by S. E. Hinton
YA book about a boy's life and the horrors of living it.

3. The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
Robert Langdon unearth's Masonic secrets

4. Becoming by Michelle Obama
How she became who she is.

5. Animals: Photographs That Make You Think by Henry Carroll
More like let me the author tell you what I think.

6. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Story of a society where women have no rights.

7. Auto-Scrap-Ography Vol. 1 by Bret Michaels
Snippets of his life. Would have ranked higher if he hadn't kept pushing stories to the next volume.

8. Dirty Dancing: A Celebration by Lions Gate Entertainment
Pictures and script from the movie.

9. Jack and Jill by James Patterson
Alex Cross chases a pair of murderers, and also a child killer.

10. All About April by Lynn Johnston
Comic strips from Better or Worse tell April's story.

August round-up

Books read 10
Total for the year 86.

The best book was Dirty Dancing: A Celebration
The worst book was Animals: Photographs That Make You Think

Stars Allotted
5 stars - 2
4 stars - 3
3 1/2 stars - 2
3 stars - 2
1/2 star - 1

SEPTEMBER READS

1. Classified As Murder by Miranda James
Diesel helps solve the death of a rare book collector.

2. The Wise Friend by Ramsey Campbell
A new friend is not so new. Or friendly.

3. Ozark Christmas by Caryn Southerland
A retelling of The Night Before Christmas, except Santa is a razorback.

4. Yes, Virginia There Is A Santa Claus by Cindy Szekeres
The poem was printed in book form with cat illustrations.

5. How To Make Friends With A Ghost by Rebecca Green
A how-to guide to keeping a friend.

6. The Art of Being An Elephant by Christine Denis-Hout
All about elephants, with amazing photos of African elephants.

7. The Black Cat Sees His Shadow by Kay Finch
Cute little mystery during a pumpkin festival

8. Heart and Brain by Nick Seluk
Comics from the Awkward Yeti

My first biological granddaughter arrived this week. The beautiful Olivia Renee was born on 9/14/22. 15.75 inches and 4 pounds 1 ounce. A little early at 34 weeks, but already breathing on her own.

Congrats!

>29 lowelibrary: Congratulations!

>29 lowelibrary: Yay, congratulations!

Congratulations on the birth of your granddaughter!

>29 lowelibrary: Congratulations!

Thank you for the congratulations. Little miss came home from the hospital today.

A spooky recommendation for #12. How To Make Friends With A Ghost is a cute how-to book on keeping your ghost friend happy. I smiled throughout this book.

Unlucky recommendation #13 is a newly discovered book from the Bad Luck Cat series.
The Black Cat Sees His Shadow is about a cat (Hitchcock) and his owner who meet their doppelgangers at a pumpkin festival and solve a crime while doing it. This is a quick reading little cozy, that I could not put down. I can't wait to find and read the other books in the series.

September round-up

Books read 8
Total for the year 94.

The best book was The Black Cat Sees His Shadow
The worst book was The Wise Friend

Stars Allotted
5 stars - 4
4 1/2 stars - 1
4 stars - 1
3 1/2 stars - 1
2 1/2 stars - 1

OCTOBER READS

1. Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Stephen King's version of a fairy tale.

2. In The Eyes of the Cat by Demi
Japanese animal poems. Excellent illustrations.

3. Sinfully Delicious by Amanda M Lee
Cute little easy read cozy.

4. Yours Cruelly, Elvira by Cassandra Peterson
Very readable, just not a fan of I slept with memoirs

5. Vampire Baby by Kelly Bennett
Cute little book about when a baby sister gets her first teeth and they are fangs.

6. Red Beans and Vice by Lou Jane Temple
Mystery set during a food festival in New Orleans

7. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett
Granny Weatherwax and friends help a king.

8. Cat & Mouse by James Patterson
Alex Cross and the return of Gary Soneji

9. Hob and the Goblins by William Mayne
A cute little story of saving a family from the goblins

10. My Self, Your Self by Esme Shapiro
Cute little book that gets better each time

11. Madame de Villeneuve's Beauty and the Beast by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villenueve
The original version translated from French

12. The Voice of Knowledge by Miquel Ruiz
How to find inner peace by not listening to yourself

13. Ten Timid Ghosts by Jennifer O'Connell
10 timid ghosts lived in a house, a witch bought it and wanted them out.

14. Matilda by Roald Dahl
Watched the movie so much, the book seemed too simple

15. Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
One of my favorite movies so read the book. Very different story.

16. Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Cat by Amy Newmark
Inspirational stories about cats.

Recommendation 14. I recommend this book to all young readers, ready to graduate from Goosebumps and Fear Street and to anyone else who wants a little scary, but no horror. This reminds me of The Eye of the Dragon. It is not a true horror novel, but it is a good Stephen King novel.

October round-up

Books read 16
Total for the year 110.

The best book was Cat & Mouse
The worst book was Yours Cruelly, Elvira

Stars Allotted
5 stars - 3
4 1/2 stars - 3
4 stars - 3
3 1/2 stars - 5
3 stars - 2

NOVEMBER READS

1. Buddy Gator: Glad To See You by Chow Hon Lam
book edition of the popular Instagram Buddy Gator

2. Private London by James Patterson
Investigation of kidnapping, with predictable twists.

3. Nightmares In The Sky by F-Stop Fitzgerald
Photos of gargoyles with an essay by Stephen King

4. Creepshow by Stephen King
Graphic novel of the movie

5. Pop Goes The Weasel by James Patterson
Alex chases a serial killer and it gets personal

6. Here I Stay by Barbara Michaels
A gothic mystery that is really a story about a new homeowner in an old house. Not much mystery.

7. Gus Was A Mexican Ghost by Jane Thayer
Gus goes to Mexico

8. Enchantments by Kathryn Harrison
Telling of the last days of the Romanov dynasty through the eyes of Rasputin's daughter.

9. Heart and Brain: Gut Instincts by Nick Seluk
More comics from The Awkward Yeti

10. Roses Are Red by James Patterson
Alex Cross pursues a mastermind. The last sentence of the book reveals who it is. Will Cross discover who in the next book?

11. Cooking Light: Oops by Cooking Light
I needed this book about 35 years ago. Great tips and hints as to why you are making simple cooking mistakes.

12. Heart and Brain: Body Language by Nick Seluk
Even more comics from the Awkward Yeti.

13. Strange Weather by Joe Hill
Good collection of four short stories.

14. How I Broke Up With My Colon by Nick Seluk
Comic versions of truly odd medical incidents.

15. It's Your Weirdness That Makes You Wonderful by Kate Allen
Not much of a journal girl, but read it for some advice.

November round-up

Books read 15
Total for the year 125.

The best book was Buddy Gator: Glad To See You
The worst book was Here I Stay

Stars Allotted
5 stars - 3
4 1/2 stars - 4
4 stars - 2
3 1/2 stars - 3
3 stars - 2
2 1/2 stars - 1

DECEMBER READS

1. Elvis and the Blue Christmas Corpse by Peggy Webb
Very cute mystery. I love Elvis and his quirky family.

2. The Candymaker's Gift by Helen Haidle
The story of the candy cane.

3. Santa Is Coming To Oklahoma by Steve Smallman
Cute Christmas book about Santa delivering to Oklahoma.

4. Violets Are Blue by James Patterson
Alex Cross chases vampires.

5. Dog Diaries: Happy Howlidays by James Patterson
A dog diary about the holiday season. Howlidays in Doglish. Definitely for a younger audience.

6. How The Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr Suess
Re-read of a classic.

7. A Cup of Christmas Tea by Tom Hegg
A sentimental invitation from an elderly aunt

8. Mary, Did You Know? by Mark Lowry
Thought it was about the song, but it is just speculation on Mary's life.

9. NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
Vampire steals kids to live in Christmasland.

10. Wildlife's Christmas Treasury by National Wildlife Federation
Tales of winter containing animals. The pictures were better than the stories.

11. Ho Ho Ho by S. Gross and Jim Charlton
Dull cartoons from the New Yorker.

12. Best-Loved Folktales of the World by Joanna Cole
Collection of tales from around the world.

13. Tinsel the Christmas Spider by Pamela Pfertsh
A story of a family of spiders at Christmas.

14. Snow Many Treats to Share! by Kat Stano Saura
Another Hallmark Snowville book, this one about family food traditions

15. Harry Potter: A Magical Year by JK Rowling and Jim Kay
A daily Harry Potter quote from the original books.

My Christmas book haul 2022
SantaThing - I might have mentioned cat mysteries are a comfort read.
A Whisker of A Doubt, A Trip with Trouble, Six Feet Deep Dish, Getaway With Murder, and The Crime That Binds
From Mom
I Will Judge You By Your Bookshelf, Who Is Alex Trebek, Who Was Alex Trebek?, The Answer Is..., The Ink Black Heart, The Cat Who Saved Books, Everything Is OK, NOS4A2 and The Ultimate Reading Challenge
From the hubster
The Black Phone: Stories and Everything I Need to Know I Learned From Dolly Parton

My 2022 reading ends tonight with the final chapters of NOS4A2.

The best book of the year was Fangs by Sarah Anderson.
Honorable mentions to The Dark Half and The Christmas Pig.

I managed to read an all-time high of 134 books.
Come see me in 2023 for an all-new setup HERE .

Congrats on your all-time high! I've heard a lot of good things about Fangs.