Stina’s
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(group member since Dec 11, 2016)
Stina’s
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from the Challenges from Exploding Steamboats group.
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Most of these prompts reflect uncompleted prompts from my 2018 Personal Reading and Abandoned Book Rescue challenges and various other challenges I foolishly took on. Some of them are clearly summer-themed (if you tried the Goodreads summer reading challenge, you may recognize many of them), but I'm not making them summer-specific for the challenge. The asterisk indicates that I've failed it at least two years in a row. I must complete those (and three Alphabet Soup letters) before I can count any other books as completed. (You are perfectly welcome to ignore this self-flagellation.) A few of these prompts are ones I created based on books I read that didn't fit any of my 2018 challenges.
* A book that scares you
* A book set in a hotel
A book translated from its original language
A book that unleashes your creativity
A book that features summer recipes or outdoor summer activities
A book that takes place on the water
A book that features fishing or fishermen
A book that features a popular summer sport
A book that puts a spin on a well-known fairy tale
A classic or contemporary Western
A book from the bottom of your TBR pile
A book that's been sitting on your Goodreads shelves for a while
A Choose-Your-Own Adventure novel
A book about the end of the world as we know it
A book you were forced to read in school
A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
A book that features letters or journal entries
A book about your country's independence
A book that has the words red, white, or blue in the title
A book that takes place in outer space
A book that takes place at a nudist colony or features nudists
A book that takes place on an island or in which the characters find themselves stranded
A book that you picked up at a library sale or thrift store
A book that you bought while on vacation
A book by an author of color
A book that is becoming a movie this year
A book published posthumously
A book of colonial or postcolonial literature
A book of social science
An assigned book you hated (or never finished)
An anthology of poetry
A sequel
A book first published the year you were born
Nordic noir
A book set in the decade you were born
A book by an indigenous author
Finish a series
A book set in a small town
A book with "tea" in the title
A book featuring a professional investigator
Well, I guess it was a good thing that I hadn't already added the 2019 MWA Grand Masters to the list as soon as they were announced.... I'll go add the remaining one now.
Here's my list. I'm listing only one title per author, typically either my favorite work or the first thing of theirs I read.Brian Aldiss - Non-Stop
{X} Eric Ambler - A Coffin for Dimitrios
Poul Anderson - Three Hearts and Three Lions
{X} Isaac Asimov - Tales of the Black Widowers
Clive Barker - Abarat
{X} Peter S. Beagle - Tamsin
Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination
Robert Bloch
{X} Lawrence Block - Burglars Can't Be Choosers
{X} Ray Bradbury - The Illustrated Man
James Lee Burke - The Neon Rain
W.R. Burnett - The Asphalt Jungle
{X} James M. Cain - Double Indemnity
Ramsey Campbell - "The Guide" in Meddling with Ghosts: Stories in the Tradition of M.R. James
{X} John Dickson Carr - The Plague Court Murders
{X} C.J. Cherryh - Heavy Time
{X} Agatha Christie - Crooked House
{X} Mary Higgins Clark - The Lottery Winner
{X} Arthur C. Clarke - The Light of Other Days
Hal Clement - Mission of Gravity
Michael R. Collings
Max Allan Collins
George Harmon Coxe
{X} Robert Crais - The Monkey's Raincoat
John Creasey - THEFT OF MAGNA CARTA: A Supt. West Chiller
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
L. Sprague de Camp
Lester del Rey
Samuel R. Delany - Babel-17
{X} Daphne du Maurier - Rebecca
Lois Duncan - Down a Dark Hall
Mignon C. Eberhart -
Stanley Ellin - House of Cards
Harlan Ellison
James Ellroy - Perfidia
Philip José Farmer
{X} Ken Follett - Jackdaws
{X} Dick Francis
{X} Erle Stanley Gardner - The Case of the Terrified Typist
Ray Garton
Michael Gilbert
{X} Dorothy Gilman - The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax
{X} Sue Grafton - A is for Alibi
Charles L. Grant
{X} Graham Greene - The Third Man
{X} Martha Grimes - The Anodyne Necklace
James Gunn
Joe Haldeman
Harry Harrison
{X} Carolyn Hart
Ellen Hart
Robert A. Heinlein - Stranger in a Strange Land
James Herbert -
{X} Tony Hillerman - The Blessing Way
Alfred Hitchcock
{X} Edward D. Hoch
Dorothy B. Hughes
{X} P.D. James
{X} Stuart M. Kaminsky - The Fala Factor
Brian Keene
Baynard Kendrick
Jack Ketchum
{X} Stephen King - Firestarter
T.E.D. Klein - "Petey" in Meddling with Ghosts: Stories in the Tradition of M.R. James
Damon Knight
Dean Koontz
{X} Jane Langton
Joe R. Lansdale
{X} John le Carré - The Russia House
Ursula K. Le Guin
Tanith Lee
Fritz Lieber
{X} Elmore Leonard - Maximum Bob
{X} Ira Levin - The Stepford Wives
William Link
{X} Peter Lovesey - The False Inspector Dew
Brian Lumley
{X} John D. MacDonald - The Deep Blue Good-By
{X} Ross Macdonald - The Name Is Archer
{X} Margaret Maron - Bootlegger's Daughter
{X} Ngaio Marsh - A Man Lay Dead
{X} Richard Matheson - A Stir of Echoes
Ed McBain - The Blackboard Jungle
Anne McCaffrey - Dragonsdawn
Robert McCammon
Helen McCloy
{X} Barbara Mertz - Greygallows
Margaret Millar
Michael Moorcock
{X} Walter Mosley - Devil in a Blue Dress
{X} Marcia Muller - Edwin of the Iron Shoes
Larry Niven - Ringworld
William F. Nolan
{X} Andre Norton - The Elvenbane
{X} Sara Paretskey - Indemnity Only
Robert B. Parker
Judson Philips
Frederik Pohl
Bill Pronzini
{X} Ellery Queen
Ruth Rendell
Anne Rice
Robert Silverberg
Clifford D. Simak - City
{X} Georges Simenon - Maigret and the Madwoman
Dan Simmons - The Terror
Martin Cruz Smith
Mickey Spillane
Vincent Starrett
Aaron Marc Stein
{X} Rex Stout - The League of Frightened Men
Peter Straub
Julian Symons
{X} A.E. van Vogt - Children Of Tomorrow
Jack Vance
Joseph Wambaugh
Hillary Waugh
Donald E. Westlake
{X} Phyllis A. Whitney - The Golden Unicorn
Jack Williamson
{X} Connie Willis - To Say Nothing of the Dog
F. Paul Wilson
Gene Wolfe
{X} Chelsea Quinn Yarbro - Hôtel Transylvania
Jane Yolen
Bonus! These two authors were named Gandalf Grand Masters but do not appear on the list above:
C.L. Moore
{X} J.R.R. Tolkien - The Hobbit
Post your reading list here and come back and update as you make progress.Brian Aldiss
Eric Ambler
Poul Anderson
Isaac Asimov
Clive Barker
Peter S. Beagle
Alfred Bester
Robert Bloch
Lawrence Block
Ray Bradbury
James Lee Burke
W.R. Burnett
James M. Cain
Ramsey Campbell
John Dickson Carr
C.J. Cherryh
Agatha Christie
Mary Higgins Clark
Arthur C. Clarke
Hal Clement
Michael R. Collings
Max Allan Collins
George Harmon Coxe
Robert Crais
John Creasey
Dorothy Salisbury Davis
L. Sprague de Camp
Lester del Rey
Samuel R. Delany
Daphne du Maurier
Lois Duncan
Mignon C. Eberhart
Stanley Ellin
Harlan Ellison
James Ellroy
Philip José Farmer
Ken Follett
Dick Francis
Erle Stanley Gardner
Ray Garton
Michael Gilbert
Dorothy Gilman
Sue Grafton
Charles L. Grant
Graham Greene
Martha Grimes
James Gunn
Joe Haldeman
Harry Harrison
Carolyn Hart
Ellen Hart
Robert A. Heinlein
James Herbert
Tony Hillerman
Alfred Hitchcock
Edward D. Hoch
Dorothy B. Hughes
P.D. James
Stuart M. Kaminsky
Brian Keene
Baynard Kendrick
Jack Ketchum
Stephen King
T.E.D. Klein
Damon Knight
Dean Koontz
Jane Langton
Joe R. Lansdale
John le Carré
Ursula K. Le Guin
Tanith Lee
Fritz Lieber
Elmore Leonard
Ira Levin
William Link
Peter Lovesey
Brian Lumley
John D. MacDonald
Ross Macdonald
Margaret Maron
Ngaio Marsh
Richard Matheson
Ed McBain
Anne McCaffrey
Robert McCammon
Helen McCloy
Barbara Mertz
Margaret Millar
Michael Moorcock
Walter Mosley
Marcia Muller
Larry Niven
William F. Nolan
Andre Norton
Sara Paretskey
Robert B. Parker
Judson Philips
Frederik Pohl
Bill Pronzini
Ellery Queen
Ruth Rendell
Anne Rice
Robert Silverberg
Clifford D. Simak
Georges Simenon
Dan Simmons
Martin Cruz Smith
Mickey Spillane
Vincent Starrett
Aaron Marc Stein
Rex Stout
Peter Straub
Julian Symons
A.E. van Vogt
Jack Vance
Joseph Wambaugh
Hillary Waugh
Donald E. Westlake
Phyllis A. Whitney
Jack Williamson
Connie Willis
F. Paul Wilson
Gene Wolfe
Chelsea Quinn Yarbro
Jane Yolen
Bonus! These two authors were named Gandalf Grand Masters but do not appear on the list above:
C.L. Moore
J.R.R. Tolkien
This is an ongoing challenge, so proceed at whatever pace works best for you. The goal is to read something from each of the Damon Knight Grand Masters (chosen by SFWA), the MWA Grand Masters, and the World Horror Convention Grand Masters. Read in any order (or disorder) you like. No restrictions on format or length. You can even count things you've read before joining the challenge if you want. I'll be posting a thread for each author, but here are the lists:
https://nebulas.sfwa.org/grand-masters/
http://theedgars.com/awards/category-...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_H...
There will also be a thread for sharing your reading plans and progress.
I had my husband Brian roll the deciding d6, and the winner is ...Cheryl!!
I'll contact you directly about your prize choices.
I am claiming a total of 5 points for these unprompted rescues:Lovecraft Country
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks with Wine
My Cousin Rachel
The Fabulous Saga of Alexander Botts and the Earthworm Tractor
The Best of All Possible Worlds
Late last year, I was granted access to a bunch of Oscar contenders as part of a screenwriting workshop I'd participated in. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri was among them, and I started in on it right away. Like most screenplays, it's very short, but I was not in a good emotional place for it, and I set it aside until it was assigned this spring. It packed a wallop, but I'm glad I finished it.
Last year I had started Odes to Common Things for a poetry-related challenge. Well, this was a dual-language edition, and my Spanish is kinda crap, so I didn't finish it on time. I picked it up again this year, though, and muddled through it. I wasn't crazy about the translations, because I pretty much never am, especially when it comes to translations of poetry, but they were helpful in improving my language skills.
I had a few prompts from other challenges that Strength & Compassion: Photographs and Essays fit. One was to read a book that would challenge my opinion, and another one was to read a book by somebody I would probably disagree with spiritually. I didn't really like either of those prompts, but when Greitens resigned in disgrace from the Missouri governorship, I felt an odd compulsion to find and read this book. Short as it was, it was a slog, so I abandoned it for quite some time before finishing it in a rush to get it back to the library.
I started listening to an audiobook version of The Good Earth for a book club, missed the book club meeting, and then set it aside for several months to listen to other things. I'm glad I got back to it and finished it, as it was surprisingly engaging.
It took me about a decade, but the first book I finished this year was Great Expectations. I have decided that I am just not much of a Dickens fan.
I read Wide Awake and Dreaming: A Memoir, which is a young woman's story of her life with narcolepsy with cataplexy. This was especially interesting to me because I have a close friend who suffers from this. This book is self-published, but she did a pretty dang good job with it.
Stina wrote: "How'd it go for you? I rescued only 11 books in 2017, so I'm really hoping to do better this year! I'll give y'all till noon this Friday (January 5th) to make posts declaring your points, and then ..."Sooooo....I was going through my 2018 challenges to see what I had left...and I finally noticed that I never followed up on this post. Um. Sorry 'bout that. But better late than never, right? So, in 2017, I scored 24 points, Cheryl scored 4 points, and Mary scored two points. I will randomly select the winner tomorrow and announce the result here as well as message the winner through the website.
Again, my apologies for flaking out on this.
I just listened to The House with a Clock in Its Walls. I normally don't like George Guidall's narration, but this time it was tolerable, and the story was good.
I read Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore. It's a mystery novel, yes, but more of a tragic drama than anything. It's pretty good, but if you need an unambiguously happy ending, stay far away from this one.
I read Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library. The puzzles were a little rebus-heavy for my tastes, but it was fun and quick.
