MobileRead Book Challenges discussion
2014 Individual Challenges
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Rumpelteazer's 2014 Challenge Thread
I finished Shadow Unit 1 by Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear and Will Shatterly.It's supposed to be a paranormal version of Criminal Minds, the Shadow Unit (or WTF) is a part of the BAU that finds "gamma" UNSUBS. A gamma is a person infected by something unknown and causes them to be aggressive/murderous. Each book is a season, consisting of several short stories, or episodes, and it also contains shorter stories (ranging from a couple of lines to a couple of pages) giving background about the main characters.
It was an okay read, but nothing more than that, the stories didn't feel connected in some way, there was no flow. Probably because each episode is written by a different writer. I won't continue with this series.
Finished in the past week:Dark Witch by Nora Roberts
Asylum by Madeleine Roux
A Noble Radiance by Donna Leon
Bianca wrote: "I finished Shadow Unit 1 by Emma Bull, Elizabeth Bear and Will Shatterly.It's supposed to be a paranormal version of Criminal Minds, the Shadow Unit (or WTF) is a part of the BAU t..."
Will Shitterly! I wondered what kind of books he wrote. IDK him but he's a big douche in a handful of the review blogs I follow.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Will Shitterly! I wondered what kind of books he wrote. IDK him but he's a big douche in a handful of the review blogs I follow. "What kind of douche?
MrsJoseph wrote: "Will Shitterly! I wondered what kind of books he wrote. IDK him but he's a big douche in a handful of the review blogs I follow."
LOL.
I don't know about his douche-y-ness but I wasn't impressed with his writing. Neither with the writing of the other two authors.
Two of the characters are gay and they just kept bringing it up. Now I don't mind gay characters but bringing it up for no real reason is just annoying.
Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Will Shitterly! I wondered what kind of books he wrote. IDK him but he's a big douche in a handful of the review blogs I follow. "What kind of douche?"
TBH? A total shit-bag misogynist.
ETA: He also seems to like to dabble in racist statements, too. You know, the "I can say this because my best friend is black" kinda stuff.
And ableist, too IIRC. And don't forget doxxing!
I guess that's why they were calling him "shitterly." LOL
I've never read him but I've seen him insult in person. He really liked to get down at the DA blog. Hang around there long enough and he might pop back up. Can't be too sure because he gets his ass handed to him there.
MrsJoseph wrote: "And don't forget doxxing!"??
So he hates women, nonwhites, the disabled and...
In the past week I've finished:The Vanishing by Wendy Webb
The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
A while back I mentioned I got into colouring. Last week I bought a marker set (Letraset Promarker), quickly followed by a second set, special paper and the ordering of a third set (should arrive tomorrow). Today I discovered scrapbooking, which looks like lots of fun, though I first have to get the essentials. So it looks like I might be spending less time reading for a while.
I finished Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn earlier this week. This must be my least favourite book of this year so far. The blurb mentions it like Stephen King. No it isn't, not even close.
Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "And don't forget doxxing!"??
So he hates women, nonwhites, the disabled and..."
And he likes to reveal people's real identity online.
Bianca wrote: "LOL.I don't know about his douche-y-ness but I wasn't impressed with his writing. Neither with the writing of the other two authors.
Two of the characters are gay and they just kept bringing it up. Now I don't mind gay characters but bringing it up for no real reason is just annoying. "
That sounds like him.
Bianca wrote: "In the past week I've finished:The Vanishing by Wendy Webb
The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths
A while back I mentioned I got into colouring. Last week I bough..."
Yall and yall coloring.
Now I want to color but I gave the kid across the street my color pencil set. :( It was a very good set to - archival quality (I was an art student long ago).
MrsJoseph wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "And don't forget doxxing!"??
So he hates women, nonwhites, the disabled and..."
And he likes to reveal people's real identity online."
Oh! What a nasty piece of work!
Bianca wrote: "I finished Another Little Piece by Kate Karyus Quinn earlier this week. This must be my least favourite book of this year so far. The blurb mentions it like Stephen King. No it isn't, not even close."Have you read House of Corruption? Someone I follow read it and says its super scary.
Just as a heads up...I'm a wussy and I ran from the quotes. I'll never read the book to tell you if it stands up to her rec, lol!
Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "Nyssa wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "And don't forget doxxing!"??
So he hates women, nonwhites, the disabled and..."
And he likes to reveal people's real identity online."
Oh! Wh..."
Pretty much.
I've seen him banned from a blog before, too.
The ONE TIME I went to this particular blog, Shitterly showed up and made a very benign comment. The only response he got from the blog owner was "Do not post here. You aren't welcome here."
MrsJoseph wrote: "Yall and yall coloring.Now I want to color but I gave the kid across the street my color pencil set. :( It was a very good set to - archival quality (I was an art student long ago). "
I studied art and art history in high school. I love drawing but at the moment it takes too much effort and time for me so colouring is a great alternative. I've got a mandala book, I cut out the drawings I like, scan them and print them on marker paper.
I've been looking into scrapbooking this week and I would really like to combine that with my colouring, photography and drawing. But it looks like I need to save some money to get the basics before I can start that. Scrapbooking isn't well known in the Netherlands but luckily there's a big scrapbooking store only about a 30 minute bicycle ride away.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Have you read House of Corruption? Someone I follow read it and says its super scary.Just as a heads up...I'm a wussy and I ran from the quotes. I'll never read the book to tell you if it stands up to her rec, lol! "
I haven't read it, but will look into it.
I don't scare easily. The last time a book scared me was The Haunting of Hill House, which was years ago. Movies don't scare me much (as in so-scared-I-can't-sleep). The play of The Woman in Black did scare me, all three times I saw it!
MrsJoseph wrote: "I've seen him banned from a blog before, too.The ONE TIME I went to this particular blog, Shitterly showed up and made a very benign comment. The only response he got from the blog owner was "Do not post here. You aren't welcome here." "
Ouch!
But good that he was banned on first sight from what I've read.
MrsJoseph wrote: "Bianca wrote: "LOL.I don't know about his douche-y-ness but I wasn't impressed with his writing. Neither with the writing of the other two authors.
Two of the characters are gay and they just kept bringing it up. Now I don't mind gay characters but bringing it up for no real reason is just annoying. "
That sounds like him. "
It was like "Look how good we are, we have not one but two!!!! gay characters. They're gay, gay, gay, gay, gay! Don't you forget that!".
Overall it was also a bit too much like Criminal Minds; a paranormal Garcia character, a paranormal Reid, the two leader characters, etc. It could have been good if they had made up their own characters instead of gay-ing, paranormal-ing and renaming the character of CM.
Back to reading:I've decided to take a break from my ongoing series. I've got a load of stand alone books on my Kobo that weren't read because I've been obsessed with series this year so I want to read at least 4 stand alone books before continuing with any series.
Bianca wrote: "I studied art and art history in high school. I love drawing but at the moment it takes too much effort and time for me so colouring is a great alternative. I've got a mandala book, I cut out the drawings I like, scan them and print them on marker paper.I've been looking into scrapbooking this week and I would really like to combine that with my colouring, photography and drawing. But it looks like I need to save some money to get the basics before I can start that. Scrapbooking isn't well known in the Netherlands but luckily there's a big scrapbooking store only about a 30 minute bicycle ride away. "
That sounds cool! I see a project coming up!
I was working on a project that went haywire: I wanted to make a fabric tree with fabric leaves that was in 3D. I got completely overwhelmed by the whole thing...
Speaking of projects, this is what I want to build. I need to decide what I'm doing with the rooms upstairs and then my son would be getting one of these.
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Speaking of projects, this is what I want to build. I need to decide what I'm doing with the rooms upstairs and then my son would be getting one of these."LOVE IT!!!!!!
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Speaking of projects, this is what I want to build. I need to decide what I'm doing with the rooms upstairs and then my son would be getting one of these."Cool!
It's such a shame being creative is so expensive. I just looked at my scrapbook wishlist and just for the basic tools and the very basic materials (mostly paper) I will have to set aside around €200!
Do you have a nearby store that sells wallpaper? Ask them for outdated sample books. Since scrapbooking isn't as popular there as it is here, you might net yourself a decent supply of really awesome papers that way. (Here, scrapbooking is so popular that the people who work in the stores are more likely to sell them on ebay.)
Christa wrote: "Do you have a nearby store that sells wallpaper? Ask them for outdated sample books. Since scrapbooking isn't as popular there as it is here, you might net yourself a decent supply of really awesom..."That's a good idea! We know a decorating store (paints & wallpaper), they send a lot of customer to us and vice versa so next time I'll talk to them I'll ask if they keep me in mind.
Meanwhile, my father's going to the business park the scrapbookstore is also at, he's willing to drop me off whilst he visits a supplier. Because I have to pay some bills next week I'll allow myself €50 spending money. Shall I spend it on necessary tools or fun things as paper and embellishments?
Bianca wrote: "Because I have to pay some bills next week I'll allow myself €50 spending money. Shall I spend it on necessary tools or fun things as paper and embellishments? "I'd spend about half on each. Look at what they have and see what inspires you. You'll obviously need the minimum basic tools to get started, but save the fancier stuff (fancy paper punches, crazy scissors) till you have more of an idea of your "style".
I've decided to visit the nearby hobby store tomorrow. They have some scrapbooking stuff, that way I can focus on more specialized items on Monday. I also found the paper trimmer from our store. I suspect my great-grandfather bought it way back when and it weighs about a ton. But it's sharp and functional, so good enough for now.Even window-shopping for a new hobby takes loads of time. I hardly read at all this week.
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Speaking of projects, this is what I want to build. I need to decide what I'm doing with the rooms upstairs and then my son would be getting one of these."There are some really cute projects for kids rooms now. Mine are a little old (uh, 30) for the tree, but it's perfect for a small child. Good luck. That is so great. It will encourage reading fer shure.
I can't wait to see what you make!
Spacechik wrote: "Mine are a little old (uh, 30) for the tree, but it's perfect for a small child."I'm 38 and I want that tree in my room. :)
Christa wrote: "Spacechik wrote: "Mine are a little old (uh, 30) for the tree, but it's perfect for a small child."I'm 38 and I want that tree in my room. :)"
^This
MrsJoseph wrote: "Christa wrote: "Spacechik wrote: "Mine are a little old (uh, 30) for the tree, but it's perfect for a small child."I'm 38 and I want that tree in my room. :)"
^This"
Wait, you and Christa are the same age?
Aww I have two younger sisters. :)
MrsJoseph wrote: "I can't wait to see what you make!"Well, I still need to decide which pictures to use and get them printed. I think I'll wait and see which paper/cardstock catches my eye tomorrow and choose my pictures from those (probably the wrong way around).
I've just made a list of things I need/want, then made a new list with only the things I need. That leaves me with about €20 to spend on non-essentials. I still haven't decided on what album to get, they are quite expensive so I've decided that if nothing catches my eye I'm going to wait until I find one I really love.
MrsJoseph wrote: "I can't wait to see what you make!"You haven't seen my pile of unfinished projects.
*glances over to make sure the pile is still stable*
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "I can't wait to see what you make!"You haven't seen my pile of unfinished projects.
*glances over to make sure the pile is still stable*"
I know myself and only take on smaller project, like restoring old lamps/light fixtures I find in the attic (which used to be storage for our store) or making a cd/dvd holder for on my desk.
I love to draw, but at the moment I just don't have the concentration to do so. I still occasionally do quick sketches. I'm hoping scrapbooking will not take a lot of concentration and effort, although it might take up a lot of time.
I got a load of stuff today. A bunch of basic tools, a small tote to store them and a pack of travel themed cardstock, which also includes some stickers and labels. I also treated myself to a set of alphabet stamps (http://store.scrapbook.com/bo-1042907...), an ink pad and stamp cleaner. I figure the stamps will end up saving me money because I don't have to buy alphabet stickers. I've decided to get my Dublin pictures printer and start with those.
Now I do have another project before I can start scrapbooking: cleaning my desk. It's a dumping ground for stuff, most of it can either be thrown away or should be put away, somewhere in there should be a pack of postcards I bought in Dublin (I always buy extra postcards if I'm vacationing somewhere nice) which I can also use.
For those interested in my first attempt at scrapbooking I uploaded a picture of it to my blog.IMHO neither good nor bad.
I still have a bunch of Dublin pictures left over, plus I found a stack of postcards I bought there and a bunch of leaflets. So more than enough to keep me busy.
Now, back to reading.
For those interested in my first attempt at scrapbooking I uploaded a picture of it to my blog.IMHO neither good nor bad.
I still have a bunch of Dublin pictures left over, plus I found a stack of postcards I bought there and a bunch of leaflets. So more than enough to keep me busy.
Now, back to reading.
Nice. I really like the blue edging you did and the statement is awesome. Of course, the statement is a great summary for my challenge this year. I'll be in Ireland in, oh, another forty-two countries. Good grief my list is long. O_O
I like it! Thanks for sharing! :)
Bianca wrote: "For those interested in my first attempt at scrapbooking I uploaded a picture of it to my blog.IMHO neither good nor bad.
I still have a bunch of Dublin pictures left over, plus I found a stack ..."
I like it!!
Thanks!I kinda cheated, since I don't have much in terms of embelishments, inks, stamps and stickers I used a patterned cardstock, the border and text printed on it. When I get more stuff I can get more creative myself, for now I either use patterned/printed cardstock either as a base or cut up the bits and pieces I like.
My next two purchases will probably be a corner rounder and a paper edge distresser so I can soften up my designs.
When I cleaned my desk I found a colour guide book for interior design, which features "200 inspiring colour palettes for your interior". Very handy when choosing the colours for a page!
Bianca wrote: "For those interested in my first attempt at scrapbooking I uploaded a picture of it to my blog.IMHO neither good nor bad.
I still have a bunch of Dublin pictures left over, plus I found a stack ..."
That is a lovely book. Thanks for sharing.
Bianca wrote: "Thanks!I kinda cheated, since I don't have much in terms of embelishments, inks, stamps and stickers I used a patterned cardstock, the border and text printed on it. When I get more stuff I can g..."
It's not cheating, its creative re purposing.
Slightly freaking out now.One of the scrapbooking cardstock I bought was a sheet with all different smaller thingies to be cut out; a ruler, two alphabets, ticket stubs, etc. All with an old-fashioned theme. One of them was a logo of a photographer, which was situated in my city, Utrecht, in the second half of the 19th century. I thought this was a funny coincidence since the manufacturer of the cardstock is American. When I showed my father he told me that that photographer was actually somehow related to us! Our family tree is somewhat complicated so it's hard to find out how related, it could just be that a family member worked for him (we have had photographers in the family).
Cool find today: from my grandmother's sewingkit about 200 mother of pearl buttons (25 cents for ten dozen buttons). In various sizes, but because they aren't factory produced all different.
I finished a book!December by Phil Rickman. A great book, characters from previous book return and some new ones are introduced. The main characters all come back in various books in the Merrily Watkins series.
Congrats!!!
Ha! Want to know how crappy that Shetterly guy is?From Jim C. Hines latest blog:
Will Shetterly wrote a blog post asking if I had addressed “RAINN’s refutation of ‘rape culture’” yet. I’m writing this less to respond to Shetterly and more because I think there’s some good conversation to be had around RAINN’s recommendations. But I should warn folks that by invoking his name and linking to his blog post, I’m basically guaranteeing that Mr. Shetterly will show up in the comments. To Will and anyone else, please remember that trolling, refusing to respect boundaries, and general dickishness will get you booted.
MobileRead Book Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Abominable (other topics)The Line (other topics)
In Cold Blood (other topics)
The After House (other topics)
The House of Susan Lulham (other topics)
More...
The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart
Why Kings Confess by C.S. Harris
The Risk of Darkness by Susan Hill
and
The Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths