Janice Junks the Chunks 2014 Challenge

[Janice, Moderator]

Slick's Slugs (check ✔)


✔ 1a. The Absent One 432 pages links to another Scandinavian Mystery
✔ 1b. Cockroaches: The Second Inspector Harry Hole Novel 384 pages
1 - total pages 816 pages links to winged creatures (title)

✔ 2. Swan Song 960 pages links to same author.

✔ 3. Boy's Life 582 pages links to war criminal (character).

✔ 4a. The Redbreast 400 pages links to next in Harry Hole Series
✔ 4b. Nemesis 400 pages
4 - total pages 800 links to alcoholic protagonists

✔ 5. The Shining 512 pages. links to the sequel...

✔ 6. Doctor Sleep 531 pages. links to another title with an occupation in it.

[Janice, Moderator]

Micky Mouse's Marchers


✔ 7. The Alienist 599 pages links to another mystery

✔ 8. The Cabinet of Curiosities 640 pages links to same author

✔ 9. Brimstone 512 pages links to another one word title

✔ 10. Fingersmith 511 pages links to another author born in the 1960's

✔ 11. The Angel's Game 531 pages links to a book with Angel in the sub-title

✔ 12 The Way of Shadows 672 pages links to another fantasy

[Janice, Moderator]

Road Runner's Racers

linked from book 12: Fantasy genre
✔ 13. The Lies of Locke Lamora (501 pages) links by authors' initials (Scott to Simmons)

✔ 14. The Terror (769 pages) links by authors' initials (Simmons to Sullivan)

✔ 15. Theft of Swords (682 pages) links to next in the series

✔ 16. Rise of Empire (756 pages) links to next in the series

✔ 17. Heir of Novron (895 pages) links to fantasy genre

✔ 18. Grave Mercy (549 pages) links to another first of a series

[Janice, Moderator]

Tazmanian Devil's Trouncers


✔ 19. The Wine of Angels (589 pages) Links to a male author

✔ 20. Inferno (522 pages) Goodreads Choice Winner links to Goodreads Choice nominee

✔ 21. Cutting for Stone (541 pages) links to another 3 word title

✔ 22. The Valley of Amazement (608 pages) links to female author

✔ 23. Kushiel's Dart (1015 pages) links to more heavy breathing

✔ 24. Lover Revealed (512 pages)

[Janice, Moderator]

Reserved for BLB

[Janice, Moderator]

I might be on Slick's team for the whole year. I decided my first priority was to finish the Harry Hole series. In order to do that, I had to combine books.

[Esther]

If i decide to start my challenge with the 2nd and 3rd Nesbo, do you want to buddy read it?

[Sarah]

I love your connection between Police and Doctor Sleep!

I was thinking of weaving in some Jo Nesbo to mine too but still need to find connections!

[Janice, Moderator]

Esther wrote: "If i decide to start my challenge with the 2nd and 3rd Nesbo, do you want to buddy read it?"

Sure! How about starting with Cockroaches which is the 2nd book in the series? Have you read The Bat? I read it last summer.

And when would you like to start the buddy read? January 1st?

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I love your connection between Police and Doctor Sleep!

I was thinking of weaving in some Jo Nesbo to mine too but still need to find connections!"

Any obscure thing will work for connections. Have fun with it and see what wild and wonderful thing you can come up with!

[Almeta]

Sarah wrote: "I was thinking of weaving in some Jo Nesbo to mine too but still need to find connections!"

The only word connection I could find reasonable was "hole", from the Harry Hole Series.

Have you read Holes? It would be a good, award-winning, short connection book, and I believe a fun read.

And you could watch the movie later!

[Esther]

Janice wrote: "Esther wrote: "If i decide to start my challenge with the 2nd and 3rd Nesbo, do you want to buddy read it?"

Sure! How about starting with Cockroaches which is the 2nd book in the ..."

I finished the Bat last year, my second attempt. So I am ready for the 2nd one. January 1st is ok unless someone snatches the copy from my library before I do. Same book, different translations, this could be interesting.

[Janice, Moderator]

I can't find who the translator is on the edition I will be reading. It's on pre-order, so when I get it (next week) it should say in the book who translated it.

[Cherie]

Almeta wrote: "Sarah wrote: "I was thinking of weaving in some Jo Nesbo to mine too but still need to find connections!"

The only word connection I could find reasonable was "hole", from the Harry Hole Series. ..."

Holes is GREAT (I think I have read it 2 or 3 times), and I love the movie too!!!!!

[Removed]

I've never done a challenge before, so not sure how to add a thread and/or where. That said, think this is an incredible idea, and would love to give it a go.

[Almeta]

Scott wrote: "I've never done a challenge before, so not sure how to add a thread and/or where. That said, think this is an incredible idea, and would love to give it a go."

Just click on the main Discussion Topic, Challenges: Year Long Reporting. Just above the column named last activity in teeny tiny lettering is new topic.

Click open that link, name your topic....something incredibly clever, and write something in the comment box to reserve it.

Make a new comment for each of the mascot sections, and probably another one just for good measure (which I wish I had done.).

At your leisure, you can "edit" each of the comment sections with what you want to report/speculate/say.

If you need more help just holler.

Welcome to the madness!☻

[Laura]

I'm curious what you'll think of Dr Sleep. Enjoy your series, Janice! :))

[Janice, Moderator]

Laura wrote: "I'm curious what you'll think of Dr Sleep. Enjoy your series, Janice! :))"

I'm looking forward to it. But I'm thinking that perhaps I should re-read The Shining first.

[Almeta]

Janice wrote: "I'm looking forward to it. But I'm thinking that perhaps I should re-read The Shining first."

First? or again? (Definitely seems it should have been read once, at some point before Dr Sleep.)

[Sarah]

I personally felt that anyone could have read Doctor Sleep without having read The Shining first but of course it wouldn't hurt of course to read it first (or refresh). I really enjoyed Doctor Sleep - I found it less creepy but I think I might have actually enjoyed it more (don't shoot me!) than The Shining!

[Janice, Moderator]

I read The Shining many moons ago. So it would be "again". I just can't decide if I should refresh my memory and read it before I read Doctor Sleep.

[Tasha]

Friends of mine have suggested (re)reading The Shining first. I read that one many years ago too but I'll probably reread The Shining before Doctor Sleep.

[Janice, Moderator]

I may have to rework my Slicks Slugs to fit The Shining in.

[Janice, Moderator]

Fixed. I shuffled things around a bit and managed to fit The Shining in. Now, ebook, audiobook, library book? That is the question.

ETA: I decided on audiobook. Most of my books in Slick's Slugs are ebooks, so this will give me a bit of variety. Plus, I tend to have an audiobook and print format going at the same time, so it will help me complete the list faster.

[Tasha]

Nice :)

[Sarah]

Good work fitting The Shining in Janice!

[Janice, Moderator]

Thanks Sarah. And thanks to the flexibility of reading in any order, I can start it the beginning of January. Woohoo!

[Laura]

Nice job. We are all dying for January to come! :)))

[Marnie]

I think the flexibility you built into this challenge is going to be extremely helpful- especially for moody readers like myself. It is a nice touch.

[Janice, Moderator]

First book bit the dust! I finished The Shining in the wee hours of the morning last night. I'm so glad I re-read this book. There's nothing like starting off the year with a 5 star book for your first read.

[Laura]

Amen to that. Congratulations, Janice!

[Peggy]

Yay! Congrats Janice!

[Sarah]

Glad you enjoyed your re-read. Did your star rating increase from last time? I look forward to hearing what you think about Doctor Sleep.

[Laura]

Yeah, I'll be curious about that one too. I never finished The Shining when I read it in high school! My husband raves about it, and I've been wanting to go back and finish.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Glad you enjoyed your re-read. Did your star rating increase from last time? I look forward to hearing what you think about Doctor Sleep."

I think I enjoyed it more this last time. I originally read it back in the early 70's. When I joined Goodreads and added it to my database, I assigned it 4 stars. This time, I gave it 5 stars.

I've started a buddy read for Doctor Sleep to start around January 20th. I suspect people will be joining it at different times, but it will be a place to put comments and thoughts.

[Janice, Moderator]

That's two down. Or should I say 1.5 since Cockroaches has a partner to make the minimum 500 pages. Ah, let's do it this way: 2/10 for Slick's Slugs.

[Sarah]

Woohoo!

[Pragya]

I am going to read The Shining for the first time for this challenge. Hoping to like it.

[Janice, Moderator]

I hope you like it too, Pragya! I'lm looking forward to hearing about your experience with it,

[Janice, Moderator]

I finished another chunkster - Doctor Sleep. That's 2.5 books (3/10). And it's another 5 star read. Yeah!

[Sarah]

Yay Janice! Glad you enjoyed it! We'll have to have a natter now about it now you've finished over in the buddy read thread!

[Janice, Moderator]

Looking forward to discussing it more, Sarah. Sometimes, reading a Stephen King novel can leave you with as many questions as when you started it!

[Janice, Moderator]

Another one has been checked off my list. I finished The Absent One late last night. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first one in the series (The Keeper of Lost Causes).

4/10 for Slick's Slugs

[Janice, Moderator]

5/10 Half way there? Finished Identity.

[Janice, Moderator]

6/10, Finished The Redbreast. I really liked how there were two time periods - present day and 1944. For some reason, I found the end of this one to be more surprising than others in the Harry Hole series. I was also pleased to learn the back story about Rakel.

[Sarah]

Glad you enjoyed The Redbreast Janice. So far it has been my favourite of the series

[Suzanne]

Way to go, Janice! I like the books you've chosen for Mickey's Marchers. I loved Cutting for Stone and would like to read The Valley of Amazement and We, the Drowned:)

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "Glad you enjoyed The Redbreast Janice. So far it has been my favourite of the series"

I was surprised that Rakel (view spoiler)[ was Johanne & Helena's daughter and thought how awkward that must have been for Harry when that came to light. And for Rakel.

It made the whole "execution of his family" thing make more sense, but I found that chilling. So cold blooded and ruthless. I liked him as a result of his being in the hospital and wooing Helena, and I think this dark side of him really affected me. (view spoiler)[

So far, The Snowman and The Leopard are my favourites. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Janice, Moderator]

Suzanne wrote: "Way to go, Janice! I like the books you've chosen for Mickey's Marchers. I loved Cutting for Stone and would like to read The Valley of Amazement and [book:We, the ..."

These books are all for challenges I didn't finish last year, so I have amalgamated them into a new challenge I made for myself called Left over Stew. Some of them are from the Around the World Challenge.

[Janice, Moderator]

7/10 - I finished Nemesis tonight. Once I got to a certain point in the story, I couldn't put it down.

My review:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...