You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2021
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Rusalka's Meandering Alphabet (low-octane by Titles)
That's a great way to knock off two challenges.
Hmm What happens if I do titles.C - A Case of Exploding Mangoes (Pakistan)
F - From the Mouth of the Whale (Iceland)
G - The Garden of Evening Mists (Malaysia)
L - Love in the Time of Cholera (Columbia)
N - The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Botswana)
O - Out Stealing Horses (Norway)
Q - The Queen's Confidante
T - Telesa: The Covenant Keeper (Samoa)
U - Unnatural Fire too much "pretend" language. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman
V - Valmiki's Daughter (Trinidad and Tobago)
Italics are non-Around the World books so just for mapping out my thinking
I'm having the same delemna, Rusalka. I started out with a list focusing on the mystery genre... and then I started thinking about doing a list based on titles, or authors.
Some of the above I'm not happy with so I am sure they will change. But at the moment, just need to find Q, U and X.
Rusalka wrote: "Some of the above I'm not happy with so I am sure they will change. But at the moment, just need to find Q, U and X."Dear Past Rusalka,
Please learn the alphabet. You have U reads. You just need to look in the right spot. You're just making us look bad now.
Love Present and Future Rusalkas.
There is more than one Rusalka? God help us! :)
One of my housemates' name is Toby. He frequently said (usually about his thesis at the time): "God I hate that Past Toby! He's such a *choose your own expletive*. But Future Toby, I'm going to get that guy good!!"It rubs off somewhat.
This entire thread cracks me up! *chuckles*
*Plod plod plod* Finally off the mark. It's like I am actually running a race, I'm going that slowly hehA is down! With Anil's Ghost read. Review is here http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2013/...
I just read your review and loved it! I may have to check that book out!
You're doing better than me, Rusalka. I'm not even half way into my first book. I'm glad you had a great read out the gate.
Thanks April. I was very pleasantly surprised. I really liked his way of writing.Oh I think I am getting carried away by all these High Octane people Janice. I can't believe some of them are halfway through the alphabet now. But then I have to stop and think, they are potentially reading up to 182 books. I'm not.
My plan is to have at least B read this month, as well as the GTR as Gone Girl *finally* arrived on Friday.
I keep telling myself that too, Rusalka. Whereas us low-octaners only have to read one every two weeks ;)
Oh I wish you hadn't up that into numbers for me Kat! I'll start panicking when I haven't read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell within two weeks :P
My B book is a doorstop too. It's The Bronze Horseman at around 650 pages. I keep asking myself why I'm attracted to these big books.
I know what you mean about having doorstoppers on the list. I think I have at least 6 that are over 500 pages. Under the Dome is over 1000 pages! I'll probably just close my eyes and read them anyway. That didn't really make sense *chuckle* but you know what I mean. I was also thinking about reading The Once and Future King. That's just over 600 so it may seem short in comparison.
Roz wrote: "I know what you mean about having doorstoppers on the list. I think I have at least 6 that are over 500 pages. Under the Dome is over 1000 pages! I'll probably just close my eyes and read them anyw..."Yes, I do understand, although closing your eyes is counterproductive to reading unless you are listening to an audiobook. LOL!
I have to marvel at Stephen King. He is such a prolific writer, and many of them are doorstops. It's like a flow of consciousness or something.
Janice wrote: "My B book is a doorstop too. It's The Bronze Horseman at around 650 pages. I keep asking myself why I'm attracted to these big books."Having read The Bronze Horseman several times I can say although it has a lot of pages, it's a pretty quick read, especially if you compare it to something like Agaat which took me WEEKS to get through!
Roz wrote: "I know what you mean about having doorstoppers on the list. I think I have at least 6 that are over 500 pages. Under the Dome is over 1000 pages! I'll probably just close my eyes and read them anyw..."I loved Under the Dome - read it in the space of one weekend - another quicky read. Amazing how sometimes those doorstops are addictive and fun reads, and sometimes they are like walking through quicksand!
I guess you can't judge a book by it's page length! The one I'm reading right now is 525 pagesAny Known Blood: A Novel. The print is not tiny and I'm getting through it rather quickly. Middlesex was the same page size, however the print was a bit smaller and I struggled through it until half way. Then I sailed through the second half.I'm glad to hear that The Bronze Horseman is a quick read. :)
I... like... big books and I cannot lie.Oh dear.
For some reason I tend to gravitate to long books too. But worse, I find I like books that come in series, long series.
Rusalka wrote: "I... like... big books and I cannot lie.Oh dear."
Good to know. I think. Hehehehe! Madame Tutti Fruiti might have missed the mark with A State of Symmetry at just 380 pages!
Roz wrote: "For some reason I tend to gravitate to long books too. But worse, I find I like books that come in series, long series."Last year I read several first books in a series. Now I have all these series I want to read.
While turning this thread into a 90s rap song is fun, I must say while I do like big doorstops, not when I have a time limit. So Madame Frutti Tutti was right this time.
Rusalka wrote: "Oh I wish you hadn't up that into numbers for me Kat! I'll start panicking when I haven't read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell within two weeks :P"It's pretty good, tho!
I love Stephen King doorstops. The bigger the better! I'm always so sad when they are over. He's only putting out about 1 book a year now, so I'm really jonesing for more. His next one which is a sequel to The Shining is supposed to come out September 24th. Doctor Sleep. I wish he was publishing books at the fast rate he used to. Sigh...
Debra wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Oh I wish you hadn't up that into numbers for me Kat! I'll start panicking when I haven't read Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell within two weeks :P"It's pretty good, tho!"
I'm hoping it coincides with the week long trip to Thailand. That means I will only have to pack one book!!
Rusalka wrote: "I... like... big books and I cannot lie.Oh dear."
hehe! Me too!
Janice wrote: "Roz wrote: "For some reason I tend to gravitate to long books too. But worse, I find I like books that come in series, long series."Last year I read several first books in a series. Now I have a..."
Series are killing me! I've got so many going right now and I don't like to leave too much time between them or I forget some of the previous books information. My brain doesn't retain what I've read for very long these days!
Rusalka wrote: "I'm hoping it coincides with the week long trip to Thailand. That means I will only have to pack one book!! "That should definitely work!
I have to read a Stephen King this year I have decided. I will be looking to you Debra for suggestions!
Oh dear, I have so many favorites. I think The Stand is a favorite of all his readers. It's an epic tome!
That is rather epic. Although with all the ratings of all of my friends (rather impressive!) I have to add it. Cheers! Although I am not sure if my wrists will be agreeing after holding that up.
That is one of the hazards of reading door-stoppers, the wrists get pretty darned tired!
Debra wrote: "Series are killing me! I've got so many going right now and I don't like to leave too much time between them or I forget some of the previous books information. My brain doesn't retain what I've read for very long these days!.."I think I'm going to have to review the books I read last year and make a list of the "first" books so that I can keep them all straight. I'm itching to get to Ariana Franklin's 3 remaining books after Mistress of the Art of Death.
That's a great series, Janice! Keep in mind Ariana Franklin died, so there are only 4 in the series. Wonder if anyone else will pick up where she left off.
I had heard that and that the series was left in limbo so to speak. It would be nice if there was a ghost writer who would finish it off.
Rusulka: Your second book Bamboo Palace sounds like the perfect book to read in Thailand. (no?)I see you read Anil's Ghost. Did you like it?
Debra wrote: "I love Stephen King doorstops. The bigger the better! I'm always so sad when they are over. He's only putting out about 1 book a year now, so I'm really jonesing for more. His next one which is..."I'm with you there - I love Stephen King!I can't wait for Dr. Sleep. I'm also looking forward to the tv mini-series Under the Dome. That was a great book and I was lucky enough to buy a (pre)signed copy when I went to see him speak in Toronto.
I've got a signed limited edition of 11/22/63. Now if I could only the meet the man in person before I die! Sigh...
I'm sure you'll get to one day. My other big one was to see Oprah and I did last year when she came on tour in Toronto. Was waaaay back but it was still neat to hear her live and watch her on the screens.
@ Debra, you and I share the same life goal. To meet The King! Wouldn't that be amazing!!!!!@Josee and Debra - I'm soooooo jealous! I wish I had a signed copy of one of his books!
@ Josee - How I envy you that you were able to see The King speak. Do you think he will come to Nebraska anytime soon?
It's thanks to Kulbir (also part of this group) that I got to see him. She got a notification from Chapters that he was going to be in town and we got tickets right away. I don't know if his Web site lists his talks.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Bronze Horseman (other topics)The Bronze Horseman (other topics)
Zoo City (other topics)
Zoo City (other topics)
Year of Wonders (other topics)
More...
A - Women of Sand and Myrrh: A Novel
B -
C - Seven Houses: A Novel or A State of Symmetry
D -
E - The Name of the Rose or The Garden of Evening Mists
F -
G -
H - A Case of Exploding Mangoes or Steppenwolf or Midnight Robber or The Kite Runner
I -
J -
K - Bamboo Palace: Discovering the Lost Dynasty of Laos
L - Solaris
M - Love in the Time of Cholera or Valmiki's Daughter or Respected Sir, Wedding Song, The Search
N - Popular Music from Vittula
O - Anil's Ghost or The Famished Road
P - Mahu or Out Stealing Horses
Q -
R -
S - From the Mouth of the Whale or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
T - From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y - Telesa: The Covenant Keeper
Z - The Shadow of the Wind
I do have books for B, J and I on my AtW list, but they are all 170-190 pages long. Curses!