2026 Reading Challenges

2026 READING CHALLENGES

2026 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge
Sponsored by Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book.
A. All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman
B. A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio
C. Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle by Celeste Fenton
D. The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany
E. Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
F. The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia
G. Gimme Shelter by Libby Klein
H. The Housewife Next Door by LynDee Walker
I. In Skein Sight by Rebecca McKinnon
J. Just Add Happiness by Julie Hatcher
K.
L. Lies are Better at the Lake by Cindy Quayle
M. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove 
N.
O.
P. The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth
Q.
R.
S. A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
T. Tell Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow
U.
V. Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
W. The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox
X.
Y. Yours for the Season by Uzma Jalaluzzin
Z. Murder from A to Z by VM Burns
Mini Challenges
January – Weather – The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia
February – One Word – Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare
March – Irish – Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
April – Bedroom – Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter
May – Birds – 
June –
July –
August-
September-
October-
November –
December –

2026 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge – Author Edition
Sponsored by Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book.
A. Ellie Alexander – The Whisking Hour
B. Jennifer K. Breedlove – Murder Will Out
C. E.J. Copperman – All Spooked Up
D. Vicki Delany – The Devil in the Details
E. Edith Maxwell – Taken Too Soon
F. Sarah Fox – Definitely Maybe Not a Detective
G. Victoria Gilbert – A Deadly Clue
H. Julie Hatcher – Just Add Happiness
I. Iris March – The Broken Bridge
J. Jessie Garcia – The Fair Weather Friend
K. Ruthie Knox – Trailbreaker
L. Kimberly Lee – Have You Seen Him
M. Jenny Moke-Elder – Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies
N. Nellie H. Steele – Her Last Best Friend
O.
P. P.J. Nelson – All My Bones
Q. Cindy Quayle – Lies Are Better at the Lake
R. Rebecca McKinnon – In Skein Sight
S. Suzanne Stauffer – Fried Chicken Castañeda
T. Tonya Kappes – Hitches, Hideouts, and Homicide
U. Uzma Jalaluddin – Yours for the Season
V. VM Burns – Murder from A to Z 
W. LynDee Walker – The Housewife Next Door
X.
Y. Ellen Yardley – Eleanor and the South Beach Murders 
Z.

2026 LITERARY ESCAPES CHALLENGE
Sponsored by Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
Alabama
Alaska – Yours for the Season by Uzma Jalaluzzin
Arizona
Arkansas – Lies are Better at the Lake by Cindy Quayle
California – Tell Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow
Colorado – In Skein Sight by Rebecca McKinnon
Connecticut – A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida – Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
Georgia – All My Bones by P.J. Nelson
Hawaii – Murder Local Style by Leslie Karst
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas – The Housewife Next Door by LynDee Walker
Kentucky – Hitches, Hideouts, and Homicide by Tonya Kappes
Louisiana
Maine – Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove 
Maryland – Murder in the Mix by Carolyn Eichhorn
Massachusetts – The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany
Michigan – The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana – Her Last Best Friend by Nellie H. Steele
Nebraska
Nevada – Call In For Murder by Tammy Barker
New Hampshire
New Jersey – All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman
New Mexico – Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer
New York – Definitely Maybe Not A Detective by Sarah Fox
North Carolina – A Deadly Clue by Victoria Gilbert
North Dakota
Ohio – A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen
Oklahoma – This Little Piggy Wound Up Dead by Lilly York
Oregon – The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander
Pennsylvania
Rhode Island
South Carolina – Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia – Just Add Happiness by Julie Hatcher
Washington – Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Moke-Elder
West Virginia
Wisconsin – Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare
Wyoming

Escapes Abroad
1. Scotland – Captive Heart at Brantmar Castle by Celeste Fenton
2. England – I’m Not The Only Murderer In My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig
3. Wales – The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly
4. Ireland – Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
5. Bath, England – A Staged Death by Samantha Larsen
6. Italy – Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
7. Tonbridge, England – The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth
8. Sri Lanka – A Honeymoon of Havoc by Victoria Tait
9. St. Thomas – Virgin Islands – The Bush Tea Murder by Ashlet Ruth Bernier
10. Indonesia – Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block by Jesse Q. Sutanto

2026 Craving For Cozies Reading Challenge with Library Card Mini- Challenge
Sponsored by Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book
Ravenous – 101 – 125 Cozy Mysteries
1. The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany
2. All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman
3. A Deadly Clue by Victoria Gilbert
4. In Skein Sight by Rebecca McKinnon
5. A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
6. Murder from A to Z by VM Burns
7. Tell Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow
8. A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen
9. The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox
10. Diners, Dives, and Drivebys by David Korson
11. The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander
12. Hook, Line, and Murder by G.G. Calpo
13. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
14. All My Bones by P.J. Nelson
15. A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell
16. Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
17. The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly
18. Hitches, Hideouts, and Homicide by Tonya Kappes
19. A Scoop of Deceit by Lena Gregory
20. Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer
21. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
22. Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs
23. Lies are Better at the Lake by Cindy Quayle
24. Call In For Murder by Tammy Barker
25. Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
26. A Staged Death by Samantha Larsen
27. Driftless Spirits by Karen Ringel
28. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
29. Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter
30. Murder Local Style by Leslie Karst
31. Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
32. A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio
33. Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower
34. Murder in a Lavender Daze by Daryl Wood Gerber
35. Die to Your Own Tune by Rebecca McKinnon
36. The Broken Bridge by Iris March
37. Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth by Lynn Cahoon
38. A Honeymoon of Havoc by Victoria Tait
39. Murder in the Mix by Carolyn Eichhorn
40. Some Like It Fudgy by Nancy Coco
41. This Little Piggy Wound Up Dead by Lilly York
42. Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early
43. A Maypole of Deceit by Victoria Tait
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.

Please List the Title and the Author
A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR WHO HAS PASSED AWAY
A BOOK BY AN AUTHOR WITH AN ALLITERATIVE NAME (Cleo Coyle, Cate Conte, etc.) – Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer
A BOOK SET OUTSIDE OF THE UNITED STATES – A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
A BOOK SET IN ALASKA OR ARKANSAS – Lies are Better at the Lake by Cindy Quayle
A BOOK BY A NEW AUTHOR TO YOU – A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen 
A BOOK SHORTER THAN 200 PAGES – Diners, Dives, and Drivebys by David Korson
A BOOK THAT IS MORE THAN THE 7TH BOOK IN A SERIES – The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany
A BOOK THAT TAKES PLACE OVER A HOLIDAY – A Maypole of Deceit by Victoria Tait 
A BOOK CLASSIFIED AS A HISTORICAL COZY MYSTERY – The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox
A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN ON YOUR TO-BE-READ STACK FOR MORE THAN 3 YEARS – Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
A BOOK WITH PARANORMAL ELEMENTS – All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman
A BOOK WHERE A PET PLAYS A PROMINENT ROLE

Cruisin’ thru the Cozies Reading Challenge 2026
Sponsored by Socrates Book Reviews
Level four (Sleuth Extraordinaire) –
A)Read 40 cozy mysteries of your choice.
B)Read two books from each sub-genre in level one plus an additional 20 cozy books of your choice (total of 40 books)
– Two from culinary (anything dealing with food: restaurants, baked goods, etc.) Tell Tale Treats by Jennifer J. Chow – The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander
– Two from animal-related (cats, dogs, birds, etc.) A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio – Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower – 
– Two from craft-related (any kind of hobbies – knitting, crocheting, scrapbooking, etc.) Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter –
– Two from paranormal (witches, vampires, etc.) – All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman – A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
– Two from cozy mysteries based outside the US (example: Belinda Lawrence series (British)) – The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly – A Staged Death by Samantha Larsen
– Two career-based cozy mysteries (housekeeping, wedding planner, etc.) – Call In For Murder by Tammy Barker –The Broken Bridge by Iris March
– Two holiday-based (set during any holiday – Christmas, Thanksgiving, Valentines, etc.) – A Maypole of Deceit by Victoria Tait –
– Two travel mysteries (character could be on a cruise, touring another area, etc.) – Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early –
– Two historical mystery (any mystery not set in the present) – The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox – Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
– Two is your choice! (freebie!)
1. The Devil in the Details by Vicki Delany
2. All Spooked Up by E.J. Copperman
3. A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
4. Murder from A to Z by VM Burns
5. A Field Guide to Murder by Michelle L. Cullen
6. The Widow Hamilton by Mollie Ann Cox
7. The Whisking Hour by Ellie Alexander
8. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
9. All My Bones by P.J. Nelson
10. A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell
11. Eleanor and the South Beach Murders by Ellen Yardley
12. The Curious Case of the Poisoned Professor by Lucy Connelly
13. A Scoop of Deceit by Lena Gregory
14. Fried Chicken Castañeda by Suzanne Stauffer
15. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
16. Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs
17. Lies are Better at the Lake by Cindy Quayle
18. Call In For Murder by Tammy Barker
19. Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
20. A Staged Death by Samantha Larsen
21. Driftless Spirits by Karen Ringel
22. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
23. Two Purloined Pillows by Allie Pleiter
24. Murder Local Style by Leslie Karst
25. Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer
26. A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio
27. Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower
28. Murder in a Lavender Daze by Daryl Wood Gerber
29. Die to Your Own Tune by Rebecca McKinnon
30. The Broken Bridge by Iris March
31. Confessions of an Amateur Sleuth by Lynn Cahoon
32. A Honeymoon of Havoc by Victoria Tait
33. Murder in the Mix by Carolyn Eichhorn
34. Some Like It Fudgy by Nancy Coco
35. This Little Piggy Wound Up Dead by Lilly York
36. Murder, She Wrote: Murder Most Trivial by Jessica Fletcher and Barbara Early
37. A Maypole of Deceit by Victoria Tait
28.
39.
40.

What An Animal Reading Challenge 2026
Sponsored by Socrates Book Reviews
I am signing up at Level 4 – Read 21 or more
1. A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle by Darci Hannah
2. Murder from A to Z by VM Burns
3. Death at a Firefly Tea by Laura Childs
4. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
5. A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio
6. Truffle Trouble by Amanda Flower
7. The Broken Bridge by Iris March
8. Some Like It Fudgy by Nancy Coco
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.

2025 Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge
Sponsored by Socrates Book Reviews
I will be participating at the Silver – 25 Books Level.
1. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
2. A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell
3. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
4. Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
5. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge
Sponsored by Carol’s Notebook
I am signing up at the Inspector Level – 26-35 books
1. The Housewife Next Door by LynDee Walker
2. Definitely Maybe Not A Detective by Sarah Fox
3. The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia
4. Her Last Best Friend by Nellie H. Steele
5. Cross Your Heart and Hope He Dies by Jenny Moke-Elder
6. Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare
7. Murder Will Out by Jennifer K. Breedlove 
8. Have You Seen Him by Kimberly Lee
9. I’m Not The Only Murderer In My Retirement Home by Fergus Craig
10. The Wolves are Watching by Victoria Houston 
11. Two Bodies are Better than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer
12. The Pie & Mash Detective Agency by J.D. Brinkworth
13. The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum by Valerie Wilson Wesley
14. Gimme Shelter by Libby Klein
15. The Bush Tea Murder by Ashlet Ruth Bernier
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.

THE TBR 26 IN ’26 CHALLENGE
Sponsored by Rose City Reader
1. Diners, Dives, and Drivebys by David Korson
2. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
3. A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell
4. Hitches, Hideouts, and Homicide by Tonya Kappes
5. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
6. Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
7. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
8. The Broken Bridge by Iris March
9. This Little Piggy Wound Up Dead by Lilly York
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.

2025 Mount TBR Reading Challenge
Sponsored by My Reader’s Block
I will be participating at the Mt. Vancouver: Read 36 books level.
1. Diners, Dives, and Drivebys by David Korson
2. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell
3. A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell
4. Hitches, Hideouts, and Homicide by Tonya Kappes
5. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert
6. Murder in an Irish Castle by Ellie Brannigan
7. An Amateur Sleuth’s Guide to Murder by Lynn Cahoon
8. The Broken Bridge by Iris March
9. This Little Piggy Wound Up Dead by Lilly York
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.

2026 Finishing the Series Challenge
Sponsored by Jonetta (Blue Mood Cafe) and Carla (Carla Loves To Read)
Level – Mini Series: 5 – 8
1. Taken Too Soon by Edith Maxwell – A Changing Light by Edith Maxwell – Complete
2. A Fatal Booking by Victoria Gilbert -Complete
3. A Blue Ribbon Murder by T.C. LoTempio -Complete
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

PERSONAL CHALLENGES

Read Books By Authors from your Home State or Books Set in your Home State. My Goal is 10 Books.

1. The Fair Weather Friend by Jessie Garcia (Wisconsin Author)
2. Trailbreaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare (Wisconsin Authors & Setting)
3. The Wolves are Watching by Victoria Houston (Wisconsin Author & Setting)
4. Two Bodies are Better than One by Erica Ruth Neubauer (Wisconsin Author & Setting)
5. Driftless Spirits by Karen Ringel (Wisconsin Author & Setting)
6. Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer – (Wisconsin Author)
7.
8.
9.
10.

Pages Read
My goal is 41,000 Pages for 2026.

January –  4338 Pages
February – 3955 Pages 
March – 4319 Pages 
April – 4075 Pages 
May – 
June –  
July – 
August- 
September- 
October – 
November – 
December –

Total – 16687 Pages

And finally

Sponsored by Reading Challenge Addict
You can find details and SIGN UP HERE.

Challenges and goals can make reading fun and get us to reach out beyond our usual reads.
I hope you will give 1 or more a try.

Your Escape Into A Good Book Travel Agent