Here is our Reading Challenge for 2016. Challenge starts Jan 1, 2016. Levels shameless copied for paranormal challenge.

• Read one in a category bronze medal for that category
• Read two in a category silver medal for that category
• Read three in a category gold medal for that category
• Read four in a category for diamond status for that category
• Read five in a category for platinum status for that category

1. First Book in a Series- It can be a brand new series, or a series that has been around but you have never started
2. Last book in Series- Last book in series (does not count if only one book in series), this mean last book written to date in that series.
3. Fashion - Cozy centers around a fashion (clothing, shoes, jewelry)
4. Historical Cozy- A cozy that set in the past. (at least 50 years ago)
5. Weapon on Cover- The cozy has a murder weapon on cover, knife, gun, baseball bat etc
6. Animal Cozy- The cozy has an animal, bird or fish in the story
7. Weather Cozy- Weather is a main elelment in the (hurricane, snow storm, torneado, heat wave etc)
8. New to You Author - Welcome a new cozy author into your life
9. Architecure Cozy - Each cozy in this category must be in a different type of architecure (School, church, castle, marina, house etc)
10. Paranormal Cozy- Cozy must have some paranormal component, ghost, witch, vampire, psychic etc
11. Skinny Cozies- Cozies must be less than 300 pages
12. Love and Romance -- Cozy contains a romance

Bonus Category For the Over Achievers

1. Read a cozy from as many different states that you can

2. Read a cozy from as many countries other than the USA that you can

3. All American cozy read as many cozies as you can that have red, white and blue on the cover (must have all there but it can just be a speck, letter, flower etc)

Let me know what questions you have around the cozies for the challenge

Our bonus should keep Mary MC and Geri busy for a while:)

Okay, don't think I will hit platinum status for all the categories this time!  Some of those categories are going to be a bit more difficult.  

Oh Alice this is a good one!

Latest book in Series- Last book in series (does not count if only one book in series)  --- Alice, I am confused with this one. Is it the latest book in a continuing series or the last book in a series that ended?

I thought the weapon on the cover might be a hard one, but have found two so far which may be enough for me, lol.

Good catch, it should read Last book in series. So sorry

 Last book in Series means  last book written to date in that series

Looks great Alice!   Now to plan!

Question:  What if, we read the lastest published book in a series in January and before the end of the year another book is published in the series?  Can we count both?  or just change to the most recently published?

yes so long as it is last one when you read it.

Does anyone know how to make banners gthat would could use for our 2016 challenge?

Alice

I asked Jeanne for the mystery challenge last year and, I'll ask her this year too.  lol.

Thanks for thinking of me Alice. I do read a lot of cozies and use them in lots of challenges.

I was trying to find bonuses that would keep you and Geri busy:)

Looking forward to seeing you list for different countries. I love books set in other countries.

Thanks for answering my question, Alice. Looks like a great challenge.

I'm looking forward to seeing the lists for all the categories for Mary and Geri as they have both read so many cozies. It may be a bit of a challenge for them to find books they haven't read, to fit the categories even before the bonuses.Time to check out the new books to be released, lol. Makes me glad I haven't started all that many series, whew.

The 2015 challenge was great and I did find time to read more cozies than before. At least I finished the bronze medal in each category. :) I may try to get the platinum in one or more categories this time.

Alice the whole thing will keep me busy! 

Connie, I have that problem already, finding things I haven't read.  I'm working on finding some for the 2015 challenge in the states, tried SYKM and kept running into books and authors that I've read in the past.

I've found two for the All American bonue category the book cover of one actually has an American flag on it and the second has a lighthouse with red trim, white lighthouse and the cottage has blue door and shutters. 

The other categories, nothing yet.

I have never done a challenge before, but I would like to do this. I have LOTS of cozies available at my library. Can you count a book in more than one category if it fits in both? For example, a skinny cozy probably fits in another category also.

If not, and I put a book in one category and then I have more than enough in that category, can I move it to a different category?

I think I understand enough to put an entry in the list thread.

Generally we only count a book once even if it fits in many categories

Yes, Connie, but probably it will be more a challenge for me in the foreign country bonus as most of the cozies I read are in America or England, so that one will keep me hopping. I have over 600 books on my Kindle, probably 50 -60% cozies, of which I've read about 25%. I have them all in Calibre so it's easy to run through and see what fits where.  My library is outstanding in cozies for Kindle and regular paperback cozies. Although people may not believe it, I do read a few other genres. I'm looking forward to clearing out some more books this coming year with the challenges.

Here is a listing of cozy mysteriers to help with the challenge http://www.cozy-mystery.com/

mysteries set in other countries this is a mix of mystery genres http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/booksf/mystery/location.html#inter

Margaret asked:  If not, and I put a book in one category and then I have more than enough in that category, can I move it to a different category?

I do that all the time.  Sometime you just find a book that fits a category more than the one where you put it in the first place.

I did a personal challenge and found a site that has foreign countries.  I was just trying to find mysteries, not just cozies and found some great new authors that way.  I was going for 196 countries and it took me all year.  Not all were mysteries and certainly not cozies.

Thanks for the two links Alice!

I think the key here is to make sure the book you choose for any category is a cozy mystery book.Other mystery books would go into Geri's mystery challenge.

Alice said above that you can use a book only once in the challenge. I think it is only fair that we all go along with her rules.

Geri, you can always use a Fourth of July book to fit the red, white and blue colors. Though there do seem to be covers with at least some specks of those colors.

Mary, if you haven't tried these books or read them all, look at these: Murder, She Wrote has some books in other countries. the Passport to Peril series, The Ladie's Detective series, The Amelia Peabody series, The Vish Puri series, The Phryne Fisher series, Jocelyn Shore series. Also, The Cracked Spine is the first book in a new series released in March takes place in Scotland

And the series in Ireland... Buried in a Bog / Sheila Connolly is the first.

Ok, I'm going to give this a go this year.  Don't know how far I'll get, but have been trying to find lighter stuff for inbetween the heavier stuff I read.  Maybe this will give me the incentive!

Yay, Marla!

I also have moved books around from category to category; sometimes I'll make notes beside them as to what other cat's they will fit so I can make adjustments later.  

If I get a slow lazy day, I'm going to sit in front of my bookshelf that holds my TBR and strategize........I also like to list books by category in red, then change it to black when I've read the book.......