Fruitcake Reporting Thread - Feb2013

[Lucy]

Just finished This is Not a Flophouse.

Review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Although it's not so much a review as an admission that this book kick my butt!

[Janice, Moderator]

That was a humourous review Lucy. I'm glad you enjoyed your book. :)

[Lucy]

Thanks, it was quite an experience. It is a dreadfully dark and ugly book, but one I highly recommend if you can stomach that sort of thing!

Could you spin the wheel again for me? I'd like to get a second book in sometime this month, if I have the time. (Do you need me to re-post my original selections?)

[Janice, Moderator]

Lucy wrote: "Thanks, it was quite an experience. It is a dreadfully dark and ugly book, but one I highly recommend if you can stomach that sort of thing!

Could you spin the wheel again for me? I'd like to ge..."

Your second pick is John and Dave and the Temple of X'al'naa'thuthuthu. Enjoy!

[April]

Lucy wrote: "Just finished This is Not a Flophouse.

Review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Although it's not so much a review as an admission that this book kick my butt!"
Well, Lucy, you sparked my interest and I am very curious! I had to add it to my wish list!

[Ann]

Janice wrote: "Ann wrote: "I just realized I finished my book late last week and forgot to mention it on here! Whoops! I don't know how to link this to my review but I'll try to figure it out! Can you make ano..."
Yes please.

[Janice, Moderator]

Ann, the fruit machine spit out Burning Bright. Enjoy!

[Ann]

Thanks, Janice!

[Lucy]

I hope you enjoy it April (though I'm not sure enjoy is the right word for that book)!

And thank you Madame Tutti Frutti for the second book, that one should be pretty funny.

[Lori]

Review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[April]

Lori wrote: "
Review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

It sounds like a great read!

[Lucy]

Lori wrote: "
Review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..."

Just added it to my to read list!

[Ann]

I read it a few years ago and really enjoyed it! Still stands out as one the best books I've read in a while!

[Cherie]

Oh, my list is NEVER going to get shorter! I just added The Shadow of the Wind.

[April]

Cherie wrote: "Oh, my list is NEVER going to get shorter! I just added The Shadow of the Wind."

Ha! I had to add it too, Cherie! LOL

[Jkmays]

Ok, I have finished my book The Pilot's Wife
and I will now try to copy the link here...another new thing for this techno klutz haha...

http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

The link just goes to my book shelf...what did I do wrong?

[[deleted user]]

JKmays, if you go to the shelf, to the right of the book you'll see a column with "review" under which it will say "edit" and "view".
click "view".
Once there, that's the hyperlink you want to paste to take people straight to your review.

Make sense?

[[deleted user]]

I have The Shadow of the Wind for my Z alphabet book - which it's going to take me a little while to get to! But it sounds excellent, that's some incentive to keep going...

[Jkmays]

Helen, am I looking at my review? When I do that I see edit but not view. I don't think I am in the right place.

[Anna]

Jkmays wrote: "Helen, am I looking at my review? When I do that I see edit but not view. I don't think I am in the right place."

here is link to your review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Jkmays]

thanks, Anna...I Don't know what I was doing...maybe if I cannot figure out linking, I don't have to do reviews!! haha

[Roz]

I finished State of Wonder. Dragged in parts.
Here's my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Shirley]

Life Itself



review
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...

[Janice, Moderator]

It's good to see so many books completed already!

[Helen]

Finished my fruitcake selection and it was a good one. I asked for a good series to start. Looks great. Thanks so much fruity one.

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

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

[Michelle]

Finished . I wanted to like it. I really did. But sadly, I think I'm more Lemony Snicket than Fannie Flagg...just couldn't surpress my cynical side enough to believe in this book. Here's my review:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Janice, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Finished my fruitcake selection and it was a good one. I asked for a good series to start. Looks great. Thanks so much fruity one.

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

http://www.goodreads.com/revi..."

Oh dear! I wish I had picked up on this sooner. We have a double dipping rule in place. You may not read the same book for the monthly challenges and the yearly challenges (double dipping). You may read your challenge books for the topplers and group reads, but not for the challenges.

So, you may count this book for this challenge, or for the alphabet challenge. Let me know if you need a new spin of the fruit machine.

[Janice, Moderator]

Michelle wrote: "Finished . I wanted to like it. I really did. But sadly, I think I'm more Lemony Snicket than Fannie Flagg...just couldn't surpress my cynical sid..."

I'm sorry that you didn't like your book more.

[Helen]

Janice wrote: "Helen wrote: "Finished my fruitcake selection and it was a good one. I asked for a good series to start. Looks great. Thanks so much fruity one.

A Modern Witch by Debora Geary

http://www.good..."

Janice - I am not sure that I understand the rationale for this rule. I read the rules for the toppler and they implied that using the same book for multiple challenges was okay. However, obviously there are layers of rules embedded in each type.

As a new member of this group, I was looking for a fun and easy place to enjoy discussing books etc. I need to rethink my level of participation.

For the immediate issue, since I committed to the fruitcake challenge, leave the book on this challenge. I will remove it from the alphabet challenge.

[Lucy]

Finished my second book!

John and Dave and the Temple of X'al'naa'thuthuthu

Review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Janice, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "Janice - I am not sure that I understand the rationale for this rule. I read the rules for the toppler and they implied that using the same book for multiple challenges was okay. However, obviously there are layers of rules embedded in each type."

The moderators have discussed this issue several times and that was the consensus. The idea is to challenge members to read books specific to individual challenges. If you read the same book for all the challenges, we've failed in challenging you. While this challenge may not have specifically specified any double dipping rules, the alphabet challenge does.

Group Reads and Topplers are not challenges and therefore the same sets of rules do not apply.

Group Reads are designed to encourage specific discussion. We wouldn't want to discourage participation because you happened to have read the book two months earlier for a challenge.

Topplers are intended to help you "topple" your to-read books, some of which could be challenge books.

As a new member of this group, I was looking for a fun and easy place to enjoy discussing books etc. I need to rethink my level of participation.

I'm sorry you feel that way. This is a fun place designed to encourage people to read more books and to meet new people with differing tastes in genres.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Sorry to hear you've bumped up against the challenge rule Helen. Most of us have bumped up against that one once or twice.

Please don't take it as disheartening or as too restrictive. We have a lot going on as Janice has pointed out and sometimes it's hard to keep straight in the first couple of months what goes where. I had a flow chart and rules to the challenges I was participating in printed out and highlighted at one stage. But I'm a bit weird.

We had a good convo about this as Janice said, and felt that this was a good compromise, keeping challenges a little "tougher".

I do hope you stay with us, and work out what works for you. I don't do all the monthly challenges all the time, nor all the Group Themed Reads. It's incredibly rare I do both in the month for example. Some people pop in for the Topplers and the year long challenge.

So while there are a few rules for some of the things we do, I do hope you stay and find something that suits you, read some books with us, and I can pinch some books off you and you off all of us ;)

[[deleted user]]

I've finished my fruitcake book:
Mistress by Amanda Quick
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
*swoon*

[Katrina]

I just finished my book and wrote a short review (which mostly contains of really unconnected thoughts so I might have to edit it at some later point)
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Also I just noticed that you linked to the wrong book! I've read by Gail Carriger not the book with the same title by Alexandra Monir :)

[Janice, Moderator]

Good job, Helen & Katrina.

[Ann]

Finished my 2nd book. I would like to request 3rd spin of the fruit wheel, please! Since I don't know how to link it, here is my review: Interesting look at life in the late 1700's in London. Gave me new information about William Blake, the poet. Characters were well-developed and realistic as were all the descriptions. I enjoyed it very much as I have previous reads of this author. I would recommend it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Ann, only the first book that you read is counted for the challenge. I can certainly spin the fruit machine for you again, but please tell me what the 3 remaining books on your list are.

[Thing Two]

I've finished Coping with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder: A Guide for Families by Cheryl A. Roberts, my fruit machine selection for February.

Here's my review: ttp://www.goodreads.com/review/show/532974764

[Janice, Moderator]

For some reason that link isn't working, Thing Two. I did find it through your profile page. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Alexandra]

I´ve finished A Wrinkle in Time. Here is my review : http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I finished my second attempt Wolves of the Crescent Moon before the Toppler, but just hadn't written about it yet. Now I have! And it's here http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2013/... or here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Katrina wrote: "I just finished my book and wrote a short review (which mostly contains of really unconnected thoughts so I might have to edit it at some later point)
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/sho..."

Not reading the review as I'm very twitchy about spoilers, but very glad to see you liked it for 4 stars.

I was hoping to get to Changeless for the Toppler, but alas it was not to be.

[Katrina]

Rusalka wrote: "Katrina wrote: "I just finished my book and wrote a short review (which mostly contains of really unconnected thoughts so I might have to edit it at some later point)
My review: http://www.goodread..."

Yes spoilers are always so evil!

I hope you get the chance to read Changeless soon! It's set in Scotland and oh so wonderful :D It also introduces a new character who is simply awesome! (and very French ;))

[Ann]

Janice wrote: "Ann, only the first book that you read is counted for the challenge. I can certainly spin the fruit machine for you again, but please tell me what the 3 remaining books on your list are."
Sorry, Janice, nevermind! I've moved books around now so many times I can't remember which they are! I'll save them for another challenge or something! Thanks!

[Ava Catherine]

I am reading Lightning Bug for the fruitcake challenge, but it is a very slow start. The book is dragging for me. It comes so highly recommended...I want to know when I am going to hit that really good part. I am having to flog myself to make pull this book out and read it! ) ;


I have a couple of others that are good ones going, too, thank goodness.

[Shirley]

Connie

You are still in romance jet lag!

Did you know that they have added the discussions to the bottom of the page for the book. Now the reviews and the discussions are readily available.

I was checking on The Power Trip

[Beth]

Philly Beth checking in to report that I finished The Kingdom of This World, which was great!

Review is here: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...

[Ava Catherine]

Shirley wrote: "Connie

You are still in romance jet lag!

Did you know that they have added the discussions to the bottom of the page for the book. Now the reviews and the discussions are readily available.

I w..."

Well, that may be my problem (being stuck in the romance dept); however, I don't really think I need a romance for many moons! lol

Additional book club questions/reviews added to the bottom of the page for easy access ...how about that! Publishers have to keep up with the evolving times.

[Janice, Moderator]

Gaeta1 wrote: "Oh, man. I didn't check the thread until today, and I had no idea we *had* to write a review. My book was mediocre. Now, normally, I love to write 3 star reviews--they're my favorites--but this boo..."

Hehehe! I snuck a fast one on you with the review thing. Can't make a challenge too easy.

[Ava Catherine]

I have finished Lightning Bug Donald Harington

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