You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Monthly
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June 2015 Challenge - Trains, Planes & Automobiles
I just finished a book that takes place on a touring bus for a rock group, it is a series with that count?
Has anyone read Ancillary Sword? I know the main character is captain of a ship (and in a sense is a ship), but I don't know whether 70% of the story takes place on the ship.
I reckon you'd be safe Casceil given he is technically a spaceship AI who captains another spaceship. I forgot about this one. Now I have a potential second option.
Almeta wrote: "4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie..."I'll just point out that this one definitely doesn't work. Very little of the story is actually on a train.
Dawn wrote: "Almeta wrote: "4.50 from Paddington by Agatha Christie..."I'll just point out that this one definitely doesn't work. Very little of the story is actually on a train."
Thanks for the input Dawn!☻
I LOVE all this exchange! :)
This should be a fun one. I'm off to go through my list for the year...
Lanelle wrote: "Some of my options are:Ghost Ship
The Ship Who Sang
Cold April (Titanic)
The Driving Lesson"
Oh, I absolutely loved The Ship Who Sang
Lynn wrote: "Lanelle wrote: "Some of my options are:Ghost Ship
The Ship Who Sang
Cold April (Titanic)
The Driving Lesson"
Oh, I absolutely loved [b..."
It's a great book by a great author.
Lori wrote: "Would The Dog Who Could Fly: The Incredible True Story of a WWII Airman and the Four-Legged Hero Who Flew At His Side count for this challenge?"I think it qualifies.
Berit wrote: "I just finished a book that takes place on a touring bus for a rock group, it is a series with that count?"That will count for someone else to read. It won't count for you because you've read it... or did you mean for it as a recommendation.
If it's a series book, it can be counted as a book read in the series, but won't score book points in the yearlong series challenge.
Janice wrote: "Have I stumped you? Have I... have I... huh?"Yes. Jerk.
It's really long but would We, the Drowned work? Who's read it? Lisa, Tasha?One that would work if I hadn't read it:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edit: or these ones if I owned them:
Railsea
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
Or if I had any desire to read this:
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
See, you're not stumped. We, The Drowned sounds like it might work, but I'm not sure. We need some help.
Thanks to a suggestion by Lanelle I'm thinking about reading The Driving Lesson for this challenge. It's about a young teen who goes on a cross country road trip with his terminally ill grandfather. So I think there will be lots of time spent in the car. Verdict, Janice?
Rusalka wrote: "It's really long but would We, the Drowned work? Who's read it? Lisa, Tasha?..."I'd say that more than half the book takes place on land actually.
Sarah wrote: "Ok, now I'm concerned about my choice. The main character is a light crew member on a ship, he scavengers the ship for parts and resumes someone from another ship. Is that ok? Camilla - I see you r..."Ah Sarah, I hadn't noticed you had chosen that one. I'm not sure it would qualify, as the ships are mostly just shells, abandoned on the beach, to be scavenged, or in the case of the girl he rescues there is a recent shipwreck. The people are actually living on the beach and although they call themselves a crew, they are not sailing anywhere.
Janice wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Great challenge. If The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics qualifies, I'll go for it. I've had it for a while ..."Yay - thanks Janice!
Sandra wrote: "Found Three Men in a Boat in my TBR shelf. So far is a good option for me.Other options:
Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel
A Train in Winter: An Extraordinary Stor..."</i>
Sandra - I've read [book:Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel and it won't qualify based on Janice's criteria - it's sort of similar to Orphan Train - a very tiny bit of the book has to do with the train - I don't want to say too much more or else I'll reveal the story.
Lanelle wrote: "Anne McCaffrey has written some marvelous books, but The Ship Who Sang is one of her best..."I could not agree more! It is one of my all time favorite books.
Susan wrote: "Thanks to a suggestion by Lanelle I'm thinking about reading The Driving Lesson for this challenge. It's about a young teen who goes on a cross country road trip with his terminally..."I thought about this one too. The ebook indicates 176 pages.
Camilla wrote: "Ah Sarah, I hadn't noticed you had chosen that one. I'm not sure it would qualify, as the ships are mostly just shells, abandoned on the beach, to be scavenged, or in the case of the girl he rescues there is a recent shipwreck. The people are actually living on the beach and although they call themselves a crew, they are not sailing anywhere. "Thanks Camilla. That's good to know. In a way I'm pleased it doesn't fit as it means I can hold off reading it for a while - this series is the only thing I have left to read by this author.
Back to the drawing board...
Rusalka wrote: "It's really long but would We, the Drowned work? Who's read it? Lisa, Tasha?One that would work if I hadn't read it:
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Edit: or these on..."
Sadly, I don't think We, the Drowned will count. There are some chapters that take place on boats but it's definitely less than 70%. As Dawn said, at least half the book takes place on land. It's a great book though.
I think I read The Hunt for Red October a long time ago. I loved it, just as much as the movie!Any of the 20 Patrick O'Brian books would fit. Mostly all are at sea in one ship or another. I have already made my choice or I would read The Reverse of the Medal, which is Aburey/Maturin #11.
I ended up buying both The Motion of the Ocean: 1 Small Boat, 2 Average Lovers, and a Woman's Search for the Meaning of Wife and Confessions of a New York Taxi Driver, so I guess I'll just choose the one that seems more interesting when I start.
So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea.Railsea - train
Leviathan - airship
Ack-Ack Macaque - spitfire pilot
Does anyone know anything about these and whether they'd fit?
Sarah wrote: "I reckon you'd be safe Casceil given he is technically a spaceship AI who captains another spaceship. I forgot about this one. Now I have a potential second option."However most of Ancillary Sword takes part on the planet and/or station so I don't think that fits the criteria.
I figure I will go for one of the Jules Verne novels, possibly 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, provided I have enough time in June. I've just finished All the Light We Cannot See and one of the protagonists was reading and constantly citing passages from 20000 Leagues Under the Sea which made me want to read it soon and see how I like Verne's stories now.
Sarah wrote: "So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea.Railsea - train
Leviathan - airship
Leviathan Wakes - spaceship"
Leviathan definitely will
Thanks Lynn. Confirmation is what i needed on these as i don't own the majority of them and so i will be buying it and want to make sure it qualifies first. they are all on my priority wishlist though.
Sarah wrote: "So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea."I'm not familiar with any of the books you suggested, so can't comment. But before I decided to read non-fiction for this, I looked at my TBR and came up with the following that might work. But as said they are from my TBR, so can't be 100%.
Goliath
Midshipman's Hope
Crossing on the Paris
Sarah wrote: "So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea."
Leviathan Wakes takes part on spaceships but not exclusively, there is also a lot going on on planets and there are 2 main characters, so while one of them is most of the time on a ship, the other one is not always there. But I think it qualifies, as there is a journey on a spaceship through the Solar System. I might consider reading the sequel, Caliban's War as I already own it. I don't know if it qualifies for this challenge though.
Sarah wrote: "So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea.Railsea - train
Leviathan - airship
Leviathan Wakes - spaceship
Ancillary Sword - spa..."
If I remember correctly Leviathon Wakes is mostly spent of Seri space station not on the ship
Teanka wrote: "Sarah wrote: "So choices after deciding to ditch the boat idea."
Leviathan Wakes takes part on spaceships but not exclusively, there is also a lot going on on planets and there are ..."
I've racked my brain and I'm not sure on Caliban's War. I've read the whole series and most of the series isn't on the spaceship but Calibans War might spend enough time on spaceship to count. I just dob't remember
OK thanks. I think I'll leave Leviathan Wakes just in case then. Narrowing it down.
For George RR Martin fans, Fevre Dream is set on a Steamboat for the majority of the book. I read it a few years back. Also Red Seas Under Red Skies and The Scar are both set on boats for most of the book. Shame I've already read these.Is Ender's Game mainly on a spaceship?
Sarah wrote: "Is Ender's Game mainly on a spaceship?"Well, it's set in space, but it's a space station that is sort of orbiting, not exactly moving anywhere.
Thanks Camilla. Janice do Space stations count? I'm guessing not.Thanks Travis. Not read the book but saw the movie which was crazy.
Just bought a back up non fiction Maidens' Trip: A Wartime Adventure on the Grand Union Canal if i can't get one to fit. Thinking i might try Enders and/or ack ack and if they don't end up working for this challenge, they'll count for group theme read as they've won awards.
I was discussing The Girl on the Train with a friend yesterday, and she doesn't think 70% of the book is set in the train, and she made me doubt. She agrees the train is a fundamental "character" in the story (I don't want to spoil anything to anybody). So not sure is the 70% applies, but the train thing is still central. I personally think the book would work for the challenge.
I'd say Ender's Game counts on a space station. But Lexx is telling me no, it's not going anywhere, it doesn't count (pedant).But maybe we should have a ruling, Janice. Does your spaceship have to be going/travelling somewhere? Or can space stations count?
Sarah wrote: " The Scar"I think the third book said it was on a train?? Just another option. I haven't read number 1, so I had to discount 2 and 3.
Really? Red seas is all about boats. If they're not on them they are talking about them or procuring them. There is a lot of boat terminology to get your head around too and some seafaring customs too. Janice has read it so I'll be interested to hear what she thinks on that one.
I'm reading the third Mieville one at the moment and it does have some time spent on a train but nowhere near 70% and I'm struggling with it. Railsea looks more fitting but I can't have two Mieville's in the go at once - too confusing.
I have a few books that I think meet this challenge.Last Train to Istanbul
The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics
Life of Pi
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Miniaturist (other topics)Three Men in a Boat (other topics)
Head Over Heel: Seduced by Southern Italy (other topics)
Around India in 80 Trains (other topics)
Slow Train to Switzerland: One Tour, Two Trips, 150 Years - and a World of Change Apart (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Agatha Christie (other topics)Miriam Toews (other topics)
Jules Verne (other topics)
Ian Fleming (other topics)
Gary Paulsen (other topics)
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That's one I want to read, too! Oh, dear, so many choices! :)