Stina’s Comments (group member since Dec 11, 2016)

Stina’s comments from the Challenges from Exploding Steamboats group.

I have a ton of books on the early 19th century, but not so much on 18th-century history. Any suggestions?

I just spied a copy of Bridget Jones's Diary on my shelf the other day. That works, right?

Seriously? Me, not read a book? I even read Death of a bloody Salesman and Billy fricking Budd, so lmtfa. Perhaps I should read one of those books that everybody but me seems to have read in school but my teachers never assigned. But I've probably already read them.

The wording implies that this should be a book that I didn't like, or at least didn't *think* I'd like. I guess I could give Death of a Salesman a re-read. I wonder if it will be more or less depressing to read as an adult.

I have a feeling that a lot of my reading this year will fit this prompt. Maybe I'll read Countdown City. The first book in the trilogy, The Last Policeman, is depressing af but excellent.

The Road, on the other hand, is an annoying, pointless slog.

Of course, it doesn't need to be one of the old classic CYOA books. There are many modern takes on the form, some decidedly not for the kiddies. I got a kick out of My Lady's Choosing: An Interactive Romance Novel, and Neil Patrick Harris's autobiography is delightful.

A copy of the original CYOA #1, The Cave of Time, did recently come into my possession, though, so I have to read that one.

Oh, well, hmm, I guess I should have read this one before posting #11. I'll be more lenient on this one. My criterion will be that I added it to my Goodreads shelves (any of them) at any point before the beginning of 2017. There's an obvious opportunity for double-dipping here if you choose to take it.

I love the intent of this kind of prompt, but this phrasing always frustrates me. WHICH pile? Or do you just mean my list, not a physical pile? And my BookCrossing list or my Goodreads list? And do I need to already possess this book, or are you expecting me to look at my wish list as well?

Anyway, for the purposes of this challenge, I will count any book that I've had listed on Goodreads for at least 5 years and is marked "obtained" as of January 1st of 2019. I will also count any book that I am certain has been in my possession for at least 5 years. The rest of y'all can use whatever criteria you like. I will not judge.

I'd think any of the Longmire books would count, don't you?

Maybe Spinning Silver?

Maybe I'll find a local hiking guidebook.

I think I have a murder mystery somewhere that fits this.

I will probably go with Pirate Freedom for this one.

Nothing comes to mind, but I'm sure I can always find a cookbook at the library.

I might count Teach Yourself to Play the Folk Harp for this.

I want to finish A Man Called Ove, but for another challenge I need to read a translated book with a female author and/or translator. Any recommendations?

I've been meaning to read Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence for a long time.

I'll let you decide what you think is scary. For me, it's spiders. Especially uplifted spiders. So I'll be finishing Children of Time.

I will be posting threads for the individual prompts over the next few days.

This is an informal challenge, so signing up with a goal and a shelf is completely optional. If you want to shelve your reads for this challenge on the same shelf as I'm using, it's stina-challenge-2019.

Have fun!

As usual, I will permit myself to double-dip (or triple-dip and beyond), but I hope that won't be necessary.

{X} * A book that scares you - Children of Time
{X} * A book set in a hotel - Hotel Pastis: A Novel of Provence
{X} A book translated from its original language - Oishinbo a la carte, Volume 1 - Japanese Cuisine
{X} A book that unleashes your creativity - Caturday
{X} A book that features summer recipes or outdoor summer activities - The Bookshop of Yesterdays
{X} A book that takes place on the water - Seafire
{X} A book that features fishing or fishermen - Daughters of the Lake
{X} A book that features a popular summer sport - Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
{X} A book that puts a spin on a well-known fairy tale - Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood
{X} A classic or contemporary Western - Mystery at Ding-Dong Gulch
A book from the bottom of your TBR pile
{X} A book that's been sitting on your Goodreads shelves for a while - Every Heart a Doorway
{X} A Choose-Your-Own Adventure novel - The Cave of Time
{X} A book about the end of the world as we know it - Station Eleven
A book you were forced to read in school - The Odyssey
{X} A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't - The Tragedy of Pudd'nhead Wilson/Those Extraordinary Twins
{X} A book that features letters or journal entries - Illuminae
{X} A book about your country's independence - Lafayette in the Somewhat United States
{X} A book that has the words red, white, or blue in the title - The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer From the People Who've Lived the Longest
{X} A book that takes place in outer space - We Are Legion
{X} A book that takes place at a nudist colony or features nudists - Granny Bares It All
{X} A book that takes place on an island or in which the characters find themselves stranded - Confessions of a Mask
{X} A book that you picked up at a library sale or thrift store - Hide This French Book 101
A book that you bought while on vacation - Persimmon Creek
{X} A book by an author of color - Year of Yes
{X} A book that is becoming a movie this year - Where'd You Go, Bernadette
{X} A book published posthumously - De Profundis
{X} A book of colonial or postcolonial literature - The Traitor Baru Cormorant
A book of social science - Fake Geek Girls: Fandom, Gender, and the Convergence Culture Industry
An assigned book you hated (or never finished) - The Canterbury Tales Steering the Craft: Exercises and Discussions on Story Writing for the Lone Navigator or the Mutinous Crew
{X} An anthology of poetry - 2015 Battle of the Bards Poetry Contest: Winning Entries
A sequel - Vengeful Taste of Marrow
A book first published the year you were born - Ringworld
Nordic noir - Snowblind
{X} A book set in the decade you were born - The Stepford Wives
A book by an indigenous author - The Marrow Thieves Future Home of the Living God
{X} Finish a series - Burning Ridge

{X} A book set in a small town - Stalking Ground
{X} A book with "tea" in the title - The Tea Shop
{X} A book featuring a professional investigator - Killing Trail
{X} A book about or featuring an animal you love - The Only Harmless Great Thing