Bill’s Comments (group member since Nov 30, 2021)

Bill’s comments from the On The Same Page group.

Pam wrote: "I’m currently reading Fifth Business and should finish it this month. I think that will be it for this list. Books #1 and 10-13 will be carried over to next year. I did knock off a few books that I..."

I hope you're enjoying it.

Pam wrote: "Well, it doesn’t look like I will read the rest of these books this year but will have to push them off to next year, except for the one I DNF’d. They are still on a priority list but my library bo..."

Excellent note to self.. LOL

End October Update
Completed 12 books overall, 5 since my mid-month update. Favorite book of October was Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus 5 stars. Since my mid-month updt I've completed -

1. Tales of Gooseflesh and Laughter by John Wyndham a light horror collection of short stories 3.5 stars
2. Old Man's War by John Scalzi 4.5 stars. An excellent outer space adventure that I'm glad I finally read.
3. The House at the End of Lacelean Street by Catherine McCarthy 4.0 stars. Fascinating story told from 3 perspectives.
4. Through the Woods by Emily Carroll my 3rd graphic novel by Carroll. This a collection of gothic horror short stories. Great artwork and creepy stories. I really do like her work. 3.5 stars
5. Steeple Volume 3: That's the Spirit by John Allison a fun, light horror series set in Cornwell England 3.0 stars

Currently Reading
1. Wanderers by Chuck Wendig It's been a long haul but I'm still enjoying. Focus, man, focus!
2. Beyond the Black Enigma by Bart Somers an outer space adventure in many dimensions
3. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice Dystopic? Horror? Scary in its very normality. Set in Northern Canada, an indigenous community is cut off from everything. Why???
4. The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin, a collection of Le Guin's earliest short stories. Enjoying.
5. In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune It's really drawing me in now.
6. Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan #2 in the Tinfoil Dossier. I have no idea what's going on. Who are the albino twins!!!
7. The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown Outer space adventure + horror.
8. If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin Just started but it flows
9. Skyscraper by Faith Baldwin Not sure it's my kind of story but I will finish.
10. Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia #1 in the Harlem Renaissance mystery series. Liking so far.

Next in Line
1. The Other Wind by Ursula K. Le Guin (Earthsea #5)
2. Chocky by John Wyndham (My Sci Fi 12 + 0 challenge)
3. Ghost Roast by Shawnelle Gibbs (November focus is graphic novels)

Enjoy your November reading!

Alondra wrote: ".
.
.

. O

_/\_"

Loved and gently pushed.. :)

Lillie wrote: "October wrap up:
15 books read this month
197 books read this year

Where I'm at in the challenge:
14/16 Group Reading Challenge 1 (2 books)
15/15 Group Reading Challenge 2 - completed
5/5 Contempo..."

You've had an excellent month. The Chronicles of St Mary's is a favorite series of mine. Enjoy November!

On The Same Page Monthly Reading Challenge NOVEMBER 2024
Start Date: 11/01/2024
End Date: 11/30/2024

Total Pages Read: 4071 pages
Bonus Points: 300 pts

Books Read:
1. Ghost Roast by Shawnelle Gibbs 224 pages, finished 3 Nov, 4.0 stars
2. Beyond the Black Enigma by Bart Somers 156 pages, finished 4 Nov, 2.0 stars
3. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice 218 pages, finished 5 Nov, 4.0 stars
4. Skyscraper by Faith Baldwin 100 of 269 pages, NR
5. The Extinction Parade: War by Max Brooks 144 pages, finished 7 Nov, 3.0 stars
6. The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks 257 pages, finished 8 Nov, 4.0 stars
7. Black Helicopters by Caitlín R. Kiernan 202 pages, finished 10 Nov, 3.5 stars
8. Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley 245 pages, finished 10 Nov, 4.0 stars
9. The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown 163 pages, finished 13 Nov, 3.5 stars
10. Boxers & Saints by Gene Luen Yang 512 pages, finished 14 Nov, 4.0 stars
11. Lore Olympus: Volume Six by Rachel Smythe 432 pages, finished 17 Nov, 4.5 stars
12. The Sandman, Vol. 9: The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman 350 pages, finished 20 Nov, 4.0 stars
13. Monstress, Volume 4: The Chosen by Marjorie M. Liu 167 pages, finished 22 Nov, 4.0 stars
14. Tank Girl 3 by Alan C. Martin 94 pages, finished 24 Nov, 2.5 stars
15. Chocky by John Wyndham 154 pages, finished 25 Nov, 4.0 stars
16. Something is Killing the Children, Vol. 1 by James Tynion IV 128 pages, finished 26 Nov, 3.5 stars
17. The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin 277 pages, finished 28 Nov, 4.0 stars
18. The Night Librarian: A Graphic Novel by Christopher Lincoln 248 pages, finished 30 Nov, 3.5 stars

10 pts:
- Yellow, Gold, and Red are November's colours. Read a book with these colours on the cover.
-- The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown (10 pts)
-- (red) (10 pts)
- The 1st Kindle was released on 19th November 2007. Read a book on your Kindle.
- World Kindness Day is on 13th November. Read a book with a MC showing kindness.
- International Mens' Day is on 19th November. Read a book where the MC is a man.
-- Beyond the Black Enigma by Bart Somers (Commander Craig) (10 pts)
-- Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (Evan Whitesky) (10 pts)
-- The Sandman, The Kindly Ones by Neil Gaiman (Sandman) (10 pts)
-November 1st is National Author’s Day in the United States. Read a book by your favorite author.
-- The Wind's Twelve Quarters by Ursula K. Le Guin (10 pts)
-In the Northern Hemisphere, the weather is turning cooler and many move their activities indoors and enjoy warm drinks and fires. Read a book from your favorite genre.
-November 20th is Universal Children’s Day. Read a book where the MC is a child.
-- Ghost Roast by Shawnelle and Shawnee Gibbs (Chelsea is a teen) 10 pts
-- Lost in Taiwan by Mark Crilley (Paul and Peijing) 10 pts
-- Chocky by John Wyndham (Matthew) 10 pts
-- The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (Page and Turner) (10 pts)
-I really look forward to the huge variety of apples in the fall. Read a book with an apple on the cover or in the title.

25 pts:
- Thanksgiving is celebrated towards the end of November. Read a book that celebrates Thanksgiving.
- All Saints' Day is on 1st November. Read a Christian book. Read Non Fiction book about Saints for Double Points.
- World Public Transport Day is on 10th November. Read a book which is mainly set on a bus, train, ship or airplane.
- Veterans; Day is on 11th November. Read a book with a Military setting. Read a Non Fiction Historical book about the Military book for Double Points.
-- The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks (WW1) 25 pts
-In the UK, November 5th is celebrated as Guy Fawkes Night. Read a book that has a bonfire in it or fireworks. Double points if it is actually about Guy Fawkes.
-November 21st is World Television Day. Read a book that became a television series (not a movie) or a cartoon series.
-Read a book by an author that has been dead at least 50 years.
-- Chocky by John Wyndham (died in 1969) 25 pts

50 pts:
- November is Native American Heritage Month. Read a book about Native American Indians. Double Points for Non Fiction.
-- Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (It's about the Anishinaabe community in northern Ontario) (50 pts)
- Author Day is on 15th November. Read a book by an author born in November. Some examples are: Margaret Mitchell, Fyodor Dostoevsky, Robert Louis Stevenson, Voltaire, Arundhati Roy, Louisa May Alcott, LM Montgomery. Or any others that were born in November. PLEASE DO NOT INCLUDE MARGARET ATWOOD AS SHE HAS A SEPARATE PROMPT
- World Diabetes Day is on 14th November & World Vegan Day is on 1st November. Read a book about healthy eating or healthy cooking.
-In the US we will “turn back our clocks” for Daylight Savings time. Read a book that features time travel.
-- Beyond the Black Enigma by Bart Somers (50 pts)
-- The Night Librarian by Christopher Lincoln (you have to wait for it, but there is time travel) (50 pts)
-The Booker Prize is due to be announced in November 2024. Read a book that has been “short-listed” for the Booker Prize in any year.
-November is Margaret Atwood reading month. Read any work by Margaret Atwood.

Bonnie wrote: "I was able to finish my 12 plus 4 2024 challenge but still have several on the Motley challenge. I may not complete that one as the categories left just don't appeal to my right now. It's fall here..."

Perfect fall reading.

4,5,7,9,10,13,15,23,27,30,33,34,35,42,43,51,53,54,56,60,76,77,88,91,96

Denise wrote: "Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and wi..."

Good luck with your challenges for the rest of the year, Denise.

I have to check through this site in more detail but I fear it will just give me more ideas for books. I HAVE NO MORE ROOM!

https://reactormag.com/the-most-iconi...

Alondra wrote: "Plans?? What are those??

Truly, I never plan out once I create the 12+4. I really just fly by the seat of my pants and read whatever calls to me.

I need to finish my 12+4, and will do so; but I ..."

So many excellent graphic novels to read... My shelf is starting to bow under the weight of my graphics...

Pam wrote: "My plans for the rest of the year:

1) I have 1 prompt (author from Canada, NZ, or Australia) left for a 52 book challenge in a different GR group. I’m struggling with what to read even though I ha..."

I have that problem too, the planning vs reading problem that is. I read Fifth Business in university in a Canadian Lit course. It was quite different from my normal reading back then. The whole trilogy was pretty good, with as usual, the 2nd book being the weakest. (As I recall anyway. That was back in the 70's... LOL)

Vikki wrote: "At some point in November I will start trying to make progress in my rather large pile of Christmas books. I just can't start them before Halloween. Most are chick lit so by the time I get to the e..."

I probably shouldn't have started a 2nd 12 + challenge until I'd finished my first. I still hope to finish them both though. I may have a couple next year...

Laurel wrote: "Decisions, decisions, decisions....

1. Book club books:
Nov for Perspectives: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Nov for Daytimers: [book:Remarkably Bright Creatures|587..."

Wow... It left me breathless just reading it.

Amanda wrote: "The Pickwick Papers
This is a wonderful book filled with all sorts of adventures that the Pickwick Club is involved in."

I remember enjoying it in high school. Glad you enjoyed too.

As we get closer to November, I've begun to look at what I'm reading and how I plan to finish off my challenges before the end of 2024. I was wondering what the rest of you are going to do. Or have you even thought about it? Do you usually plan our the final months of the year?

This is what I've been thinking:

1. First, keep working on my 2025 challenges. I do have one planned for sure.

2. I've got 10 books on the go at the moment. Of course, I plan to finish those by the end of the year. Some will be easier than others.

3. I plan to adjust my last two monthly focus challenges from specific authors to more generic challenges - November will be graphic novels (I've got so many) and December will, I think, be young adult / children's books

4. I plan to finish my 12 +4 challenge (Ursula K. Le Guin books) and my 12 +0 challenge - Science Fiction novels.

So that's what I'm thinking for myself. I'd be interested in your plans.

My review of Steeple Volume 3: That's the Spirit by John Allison 3.0 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

For November, my focus will be graphic novels, along with my other challenges, as I've quite a few on my shelves. I'll start with something short and action filled, The Extinction Parade: War by Max Brooks

My review of Through the Woods by Emily Carroll 3.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Next is the 3rd book in the Steeple graphic novel series; Steeple Volume 3: That's the Spirit by John Allison

Jennifer wrote: "Heh, I like your characterization of that book, Bill! "accompanied by uncomfortable chuckles...""

Thanks, Jennifer. 👻

My review of Through the Woods by Emily Carroll3.5 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

My review of The House at the End of Lacelean Street by Catherine McCarthy 4.0 stars

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Next is a graphic novel by Emily Carroll, Through the Woods