Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge (#RIPXII)

Thanks to a recent foray on Twitter, I saw a post from Laila about the Readers Imbibing Peril Challenge (RIPXII). WHAT?! I clicked over immediately and got so excited. The idea is for readers to indulge in the fall season and read cozy (or frightful!) books in any of the following genres: mystery, suspense, thriller, dark fantasy, gothic, horror, or supernatural. And as we all know, cozy fall reading is my favorite! I can’t wait to put the teakettle on, pull out my handknit socks and shawls, and curl up under a quilt and read the season away!

The challenge itself looks flexible. It lasts from September 1 through October 31, so there’s plenty of time to read even one book that could fit this challenge. There are a lot of levels that you can try to complete and they all look achievable! I’m planning to participate in Peril the First, which challenges the participant to read four books of any length that fits the RIP challenge characteristics. Here’s my preliminary list:

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Thornyhold by Mary Stewart – one of my favorite fall books to read. A young woman inherits a cozy cottage in the woods from her cousin. There’s mystery, suspense, herb gardens, a witch’s cat, romance… this is the coziest book that I’ve ever read. I actually started earlier this week (but after 9/1, so it still counts!) and should be finishing it soon. It will be my first finish of the challenge!

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Carthage by Joyce Carol Oates – this was filed under the suspense section on Overdrive. It’s been so long since I’ve read a JCO and it’s time to remedy that! A young girl in upstate New York has gone missing. Switching between narrators, we are slowly learning about the fear and suspicion that each person in her life experiences as they cope with their search for her. This has been gripping so far – I’m just shy of halfway finished with this book and cannot wait to see how JCO resolves it.

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Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier – this will be my third du Maurier. It’s classified as gothic and mystery on goodreads, so I think this will be a good addition! Other than what’s on its goodreads page, I don’t know very much about this novel. But I’ve enjoyed the other du Maurier’s that I’ve read so I’m looking forward to finding out if this holds up.

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Slade House by David Mitchell – is the group read for RIP. I don’t know much about it but I’m going to try to participate. It looks like it’s a fun twist on a haunted house book — which I am typically terrified of! I hope I can push through and finish it. I can’t wait to try.

 

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Backup (or additional?) choices that I’m on the library wait list for:

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness – the third book in the All Souls Trilogy. I loved The Discovery of Witches (the first book), but wasn’t a big fan of the second (Shadow of Night). We’ll see how this one turns out! My hopes: there’s lots of tea made, there are roaring fires in the fireplaces, and lots of herb mixing.

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The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware – I wasn’t very impressed with the previous Ware that I read (In a Dark, Dark Wood), but want to try this one. The bonus is that her books all seem to be blockbusters, so I’m sure that I’ll get through it quickly when I’m able to get my hands on it!

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The Witches of New York by Ami McKay – I loved the Birth House and hadn’t realized the author was publishing another. This looks enchanting. Two young woman in Manhattan during the late 1800s open a tea shop and peddle their wares. Mischief and mayhem follows.

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I can’t wait to explore the other links in the sign up and see what everyone is planning to read! If you’re visiting and participating in the challenge, please stop and say hi!