Keely’s
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(group member since Aug 30, 2013)
Keely’s
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from the Nothing But Reading Challenges group.
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Well done team! We won't be number 1 in terms of points, but in my eyes we are winners with what we accomplished. I think we all had real life get in the way of our reading at some point during this challenge. I am proud of all of you and I am glad I was on a team with you. I definitely would not have read
if it hadn't been for this challenge. And despite being a children's book, I really enjoyed The Mystwick School of Musicraft and the sequel (although the first one more). I highly recommend the audio versions as they use an orchestra whenever music is played in the book. I also really enjoyed the BOM
which I probably would have ignored otherwise.
I'll be online in a few minutes to move the last books over. I'll stay online until the spreadsheet is locked for any last minute additions.
I should finish both my books left on the SS. I booked the night off of work as I am going to a family meal in the day to celebrate all the birthdays my family has in december (most mine as I am turning 30 on Tuesday).I should finish my last book on the travel to/from the meal. We're driving somewhere closer to where majority of the family live which is just over an hour away from us. But my stepdad is driving so it will be more like an hour and a half. I'll be sitting in the back like a grumpy teenager playing on my phone (reading).
Cleaning out the TBR closet 2024 challengeDuration: 1st January 2024 to 31st December 2024
In 2023, I read 51 books from my TBR, deleted 93 and DNF'd 2. Despite all that, my TBR list seemed to grow. At the beginning of 2023 it was at 1,073. I am starting 2024 with it at 1,105. I will challenge myself to read at least 50 again this year along with a mini challenge to read 15 of my kindle books as I currently have 684 unread books on there.
✔ Total Read: 66/50
Kindle Books: 10/15
Leftovers from previous years:
Series:
Millennium
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The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest (2018)
The Girl in the Spider's Web (2018)
The Girl Who Takes an Eye for an Eye (2018)
The Girl Who Lived Twice (2019)
Added in 2012
The Last Anniversary
The First Assistant: A Continuing Tale from Behind the Hollywood Curtain
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Enemies and Playmates
Added in 2013
A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold
Added in 2014
I am the Dark
Added in 2016
Round Ireland with a Fridge
Added in 2018
The Rainmaker
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Added in 2019
Wild Dreams
The Sheik's Intimate Proposition
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Dirty Secrets
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Crazy Beautiful
Wild Hearts
Deep
Wanted
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Mindfulness for everyday people: EVERYDAY MINDFULNESS IN PRACTICE: Simple and practical ways for everyday mindfulness
Added in 2020
Sleepless
Added in 2022
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New for this year
Added in 2012 (19/50)
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FREE TO DIE
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Added in 2013 (12/35)
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My Sister's Keeper
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Added in 2014 (11/15)
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She's Gotta Be Mine
This Time Next Door
Killing Times 6
Added in 2015 (2/15)
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Added in 2016 (1/28)
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Added in 2018 (3/32)
Added in 2019 (14/185)
Watership Down
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Added in 2020 (1/37)
Added in 2021 (12/230)
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The Truth
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Added in 2022 (4/320)
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Added in 2023 (27/158)
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Deleted: 35
Dec 14, 2023 05:45PM
DQs Day 3: Chapters 23 - 3110. Armand pops up again twice in this section, revealing his true colours at the end. What do you think is the purpose of Armand in Opaline's story? especially as he has been a pivot point for her life many times.
I want to believe that his attitude fuels Opaline to prove that she is capable of getting the best price for her finding or doing what it best with it.
11. Henry has a revelation or two in this section. What do you think of his approach to building a relationship with Martha? and his father?
I kinda disliked his attitude in this section. I liked him at first but now I'm not so sure.
12. Martha luckily escapes from abusive Shane with no comeback to her externally, and in a pretty passive fashion (the house / Madam B / drunkenness puts paid to him, and then Madam B finagles a clear up). Why do you think the author chose this route rather than give Martha a more active role in finally freeing herself?
Maybe to give us some insight to the kind of person Madam B is.
13. We've two different treasure hunts going on - for a lost book in 1920s and for a lost bookshop now. Are you more invested in one - which and why?
Not really, but maybe the bookshop more because it's a whole shop.
14. If you were inventing a lost book, who would you pick as the author?
It doesn't look like we are lacking any particular letters at the moment, Vikki.
I'm afraid you are correct. It's a shame we didn't get a spell it out with a more variety of letters in for this last round.
Dec 08, 2023 10:47PM
DQ's Day 2: Chapters 13-225. In this section, we find out how Opaline ends up in Dublin. What do you think of Armand and her relationship/friendship with him? I feel there is something off about him but he does seem to want to honestly help her.
There does seem to be something off about him, but I do hope it's just his feelings for her and not something else.
6. In many ways there are parallels with Opaline and Martha's stories. Both are running from abuse and from a life they do not want and both have ended up living in a basement apartment where the vanishing bookshop was located. Do you think these parallels will continue? Do you think this plays a part in Martha solving the mystery of the Lost Bookshop?
I do think these parallels will continue and that it will help in solving the mystery of the Lost Bookshop.
7. The old library in Italy! What a coincidence that a book that showed up in Martha's apartment, A Place Called Lost, is the same story of how Matthew's father built the building where his shop was! I just love how the author is building the connection from the past to the present. Do you have any guesses yet about what the connection or what happened to the Lost Bookshop? Have you read magical realism before? It's one of my favorite genres to read.
I don't know yet. I've read a few magical realism books and it is a genre I would like to read more of.
8. "Were we all preconditioned to love certain things? A moment in childhood, lost to memory but indelibly marked on our souls?" This quote jumped out at me while I was reading and made me think. I don't know when I started reading or where my love for reading came from. My mom always says I was carrying a book around before I could walk! But I have no specific moment where I fell in love with reading just that I always have loved it. It made me think was there a moment that happened but I can't remember? Something so significant it created something in me? Or was I preconditioned to love reading? What do you think about this quote?
I think we are preconditioned to love certain things. I enjoy a mixture of crafts and while my mum and nan both did some crafts in their younger years, neither have continued them into later life so I had no real influence in crafts from family.
9. I think Madam Bowden is going to prove to be a character with surprises. Could she be Opaline? Or a descendent? I think she knows about this vanishing bookshop and why it shows itself to certain people and not others.
She definitely knows more than she is letting on so far. I don't think she is Opaline, but could certainly be a descendent.
Hello team!We currently have four started spell it outs. We need two P's per spelling and those seem to be the ones we are struggling with. As a reminder, we are only allowed one incomplete spell it out when the round ends.
This isn't something we should be panicking about yet, but just something to be vigilant about.
I must apologise. I don't really know where the time has gone. Most of the week has past and I hardly done any reading. I am now on my days off though so I'm hoping to get at least one or two books done.
Dec 07, 2023 01:42AM
DQ'S DAY 1 - CHAPTERS 1-121. Love the cover, love the blurb! I'm expecting big things from this novel. "The thing about books" she said "is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of."
Is this why you love to read or do you just enjoy good old fashioned escapism? Discuss.
A bit of both. I find it facinating what people can imagine and bring to life with words. And then I get to escape into their worlds.
2. In the Prologue and the first two chapters we are introduced to the main protagonists, Opaline, Martha and Henry. First impressions of these characters and what differences and similarities to you notice about them?
They all seem very similar at the moment. I'm hoping more distinction between them will be made later.
3. In a novel about books (and big bonus points to the author for Wuthering Heights being the first book mentioned) there seems to be a lot of novels names and famous authors mentioned in the early chapters. How many of these have you read and loved.. or hated!
I have read most of the books mentioned so far. Despite my best attempts, I don't seem to really enjoy reading many classic books.
4. The novel is taking place in two time lines with Opaline in one and Martha and Henry in the other. How do you see the two timelines/storylines being linked and being a novel with a magical theme do you think the characters in the two timelines might actually meet?
I'm not sure about a magical element, but the two timelines will definitely connect somehow. A letter or diary or something like that.
1% away from being above that line!
Elisabeth - the captains response to being able to use the word Eagles on the cover was as no. Unless we are able to provide acceptable catalogue evidence that the word should be included in the title then a librarian could update it.
Bernadette wrote: "I just finished a book and can’t remember if I added it to the SS. My daughter gets married today & I will not be near a computer. I listened to:Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders
Pages: ..."
All done, Bernadette. I hope your daughter has a great wedding day!
Elisabeth wrote: "So is there any point reading the one about The Eagles, do you think if it doesn't count for the spell out? The title is a bit ambiguous. It's listed on GR as Dark Desert Highway but the cover has ..."We only get the points if it fits in the spell it out. I will pose the question to the captains because the cover clearly has the word Eagles on it.
Elisabeth wrote: "My bonus books are non fiction so can I use people’s names or do I have to stick with title and author initials? Lady Sings the Blues credits Billie Holliday as co author but the one about TheEagl..."
The rules for non fiction books is that people featured in the book cannot be used for spell it out as they are not technically character. Only the title, author, narrator (if audio) and translator (if translated) can be used for spell it outs.
Of course we understand Fiona. Take care of yourself and I really hope that you get to see your grandma.
That would be nice, wouldn't it?
Round 5 BonusThe instruments have been gathered, genres played, bands formed, and world tours commenced. Now it's time to read the stories, fact and fiction of the musicians.
Read books written by or about musicians. This could be non-fiction about a musician or band; or it could be fiction - in which case the main character(s) should be a professional musician (or aspiring). Someone who plays an instrument for personal pleasure only doesn't count.
Each book read will earn an additional 5 bonus points and a maximum of 10 bonuses.
Our word for the final round will be BAGPIPES and we will be looking for Black covers.
