Books

1. A teacup and saucer In the Time of Five Pumpkins (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency #26) by Alexander McCall Smith (they are always drinking tea)
2. A set of weighing scales From Cradle to Grave (Royal Spyness #19) by Rhys Bowen (murderer bent on revenge, trying to get his own justice)
3. A moth A Ghastly Catastrophe (Veronica Speedwell, #10) by Deanna Raybourn (she studies butterflies & moths)
4. A hand holding some fanned out playing cards The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife by Anna Johnston (life dealt him a bad hand, but he played a chance & won)
5. A hot air balloon The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement by Sharon McMahon (each person rises above adversity)
6. An acorn The Laws of Murder (Charles Lenox Mysteries, #8) by Charles Finch (the little agency is an acorn set to grow into a tree by the end of the novel)
7. A human eye 44 Scotland Street (44 Scotland Street, #1) by Alexander McCall Smith (looking in on people’s lives)
8. A cooking pot hanging over a campfire The Story Teller (Wind River Reservation, #4) by Margaret Coel (Sand Creek Massacre)
9. A griffin The Grimoire Grammar School Parent Teacher Association by Caitlin Rozakis (there’s a griffin in the story)
10. A large, old key The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter (takes place at old country house)
11. A hand holding a threaded needle The World’s Fair Quilt (Elm Creek Quilts #23) by Jennifer Chiaverini
12. An octopus Fundraising the Dead (Museum #1) by Sheila Connolly (Charles Worthington’s thefts reach out to lots of museums)
13. A plant being repotted The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 1 by Beth Brower (Emma’s life is totally uprooted when she moves to London)
14. A skull and crossbones The Lost Bird (Wind River Reservation, #5) by Margaret Coel (babies kidnapped but supposedly died & buried)
15. A decorative water fountain Theo of Golden by Allen Levi (he gives portraits at the Fedder)
16. A pinch-clip purse Everything Is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green  (so much of the causes have to do with money)

-The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026. You can sign up any time, but only count books that you read between those dates.
-Read a book in any format (hard copy, ebook, audio) with a title that fits into each category.
-Don’t use the same book for more than one category.
-Creativity for matching the categories is not only allowed, it’s encouraged!
-You can choose your books as you go or make a list ahead of time.
-In 2026, choose 6 books that have titles that contain:
Six/6: Titles for this category need to include the word “six” or number “6” somewhere in the title, even if they are part of another word or number.
Cold weather: Your title for this category should include a word that describes cold weather such as “snow,” “ice,” blizzard,” “frozen,” etc.
Peace: Titles for this category need to include a word that describes peace: “peace,” “serenity,” “still,” “calm,” etc, even if it doesn’t directly mean “peace.”
Pathways: Titles for this category need to include words that are types of paths: “trail,” “road,” “avenue,” “sidewalk,” etc.
Terrain: Titles for this category need to include a word for a type of topographic terrain or the name of a particular part of terrain. Types of terrain: Mountains, Hills, Plains, Plateaus, Valleys, Deserts, Forests/Jungles, Wetlands, Coastal, Glacial/Polar
Flower: Titles for this category need to include a type of flower or the word “flower.”

The Mystillery hosts reading challenges for mystery readers and I have played along for several years.

The Medical Examiner Mystery got me 100 books for a total of 347 toe tags, earning me the Brass Bone Saw.

I racked up 12 notches in The Six Shooter Mystery, which has the goal to shoot (read) six mysteries by the same target (author).

I did finished the new Mystery Marathon in 104 days, using 8827 steps (or pages). The Mystillery also hosts 2 seasonal games that add some fun to the year, & I completed the Ten Pins bowling game & AbraCadavers baseball game.

Thank you to Rick for making mystery reading so fun!

34 non-fiction
33 new-to-me authors
93 series books
44 re-reads
79 audio-books
10 of 11 challenges completed
92 of 103 Newbery winners

You can see all my books read here.

2024: 160 books; 52,798 pages; 16 non-fiction; 35 new-to-me authors; 103 series books; 14 re-reads; 66 audio-books; 10 of 11 challenges completed; 92 of 102 Newbery winners
2023: 168 books; 50,922 pages; 11 non-fiction; 27 new-to-me authors; 109 series books; 21 re-reads; 61 audio-books; 7 of 7 challenges completed; 91 of 101 Newbery winners
2022: 171 books; 55,585 pages; 15 non-fiction; 34 new-to-me authors; 115 series books; 28 re-reads; 76 audio-books; 9 of 10 challenges completed; 86 of 100 Newbery winners
2021: 194 books; 64,530 pages; 8 non-fiction; 36 new-to-me authors; 126 series books; 40 re-reads; 110 audio-books; 9 of 9 challenges completed; 83 of 99 Newbery winners
2020: 218 books; 76,990 pages; 31 non-fiction; 51 new-to-me authors; 115 series; 27 re-reads; 104 audio-books; 10 of 10 challenges completed; 82 of 98 Newbery winners
2019: 161 books; 55,269 pages; 15 non-fiction; 44 new-to-me authors; 105 series; 26 re-reads; 78 audio-books; 8 of 8 challenges completed; 81 of 97 Newbery winners
2018: 122 books: 41,700 pages; 10 non-fiction; 25 new-to-me authors; 56 series; 23 re-reads; 52 audio-books; 9 of 9 challenges completed; 77 of 96 Newbery winners
2017: 162 books; 49,126 pages; 14 non-fiction; 32 new-to-me authors; 94 series; 22 re-reads; 78 audio-books; 14 of 14 challenges completed; 75 of 95 Newbery winners
2016: 162 books; 50,718 pages; 14 non-fiction; 33 new-to-me authors; 49 series; 30 re-reads; 68 audio-books; 16 of 17 challenges completed; 73 of 94 Newbery winners
2015: 141 books; 50,971 pages; 11 non-fiction; 29 new-to-me authors; 45 series; 37 re-reads; 56 audio-books; 10 of 10 challenges completed; 71 of 93 Newbery winners
2014: 139 books; 43,972 pages; 7 non-fiction; 36 new-to-me authors; 26 series; 20 re-reads; 37 audio-books; 10 of 10 challenges completed; 70 of 92 Newbery; books set in 25 of 50 states
2013: 150 books; 47,936 pages; 7 non-fiction; 29 new-to-me authors; 25 series; 32 re-reads; 49 audio-books; 6 of 6 challenges completed; 64 of 91 Newbery; books set in 25 of 50 states
2012: 196 books; 56,851 pages; 11 non-fiction; 55 new-to-me novelists; 95 series; 25 re-reads; 25 audio-books; 6 of 6 challenges completed; 64 of 90 Newbery
2011: 132 books; 39,641 pages; 15 non-fiction; 42 new-to-me novelists; 54 series; 12 re-reads; 33 audio-books; 0 of 0 challenges completed; 59 of 89 Newbery
2010: 152 books; 46,899 pages; 3 non-fiction; 37 new-to-me novelists; 25 series; 19 re-reads; 28 audio-books; 5 of 5 challenges completed; 50 of 88 Newbery
2009: 73 books; 23,576 pages; 3 non-fiction; 31 new-to-me novelists; 36 series; 5 re-reads; 48 of 87 Newbery
2008: 79 books; 32,031 pages; 8 non-fiction; 15 new-to-me novelists; 31 series; 19 re-reads; 42 of 86 Newbery
2007: 44 books; 17,069 pages; 3 non-fiction; 8 new-to-me novelists; 15 series; 13 re-reads; 38 of 85 Newbery