2016 challenge

[Paul]

A loose structure like that might keep interest going and it means we can compare choices as we read them

[Barbara]

Cathleen wrote: "Margo and Barbara--I didn't think anyone other than scientists lived there, so thanks for that info :) Wasn't it a few years ago some scientist had to operate on herself because the research statio..."

Sounds familiar.

[Barbara]

Margo wrote: "Barbara wrote: "I couldn't choose just one for most categories:
My list:
North America - I'll read Canadian authors
The Cure For Death By Lightning by Gail Anderson-Dargatz (winner of..."

I've read a few others by her and also love her.

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "A loose structure like that might keep interest going and it means we can compare choices as we read them"

I think that's a good approach. We may inspire others with out choices. If we are reading the same category at the same time we won't have that flexibility.

[Trelawn]

Well with 52 weeks and 7 continents we could give roughly 7 weeks each. It would give us a framework and then we could all have a discussion about the genres we read and how the continent is portrayed etc. That might work better than us all randomly reading at different times

[Paul]

I have or had that somewhere on my shelves. Very interesting

[Paul]

Definitely a good choice.

[Marcia]

Sorry I haven't been on GR for a bit but we are getting ready to move just after Christmas so it's been pretty busy for me.

Craig Silvey Jasper Jones

based in the out back I really liked this book.

A classic called A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

A more recent book called The Dressmaker
by Rosalie Ham. it has the most amazing descriptions of dress fabrics and is a bit quirky as well. It's about a woman coming back to a small town for revenge. And how small town gossip can influence people.

The Daughters of Mars by Tom Keneally about two sisters who are nurses in the first world war. I really liked this one as well.

Ride On Stranger by Kylie Tennant

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman this was an easy read and an interesting book about a family on an island that find a child.



Elizabeth Harrower book calledThe Watch Tower book about obsession and cruelty in a relationship. Not my cup of tea but I've heard it's really well written.

And some lighter ones are the Phryne Fisher series. I thought they were quite well written and give some insight into Melbourne in the 1920's between the two wars.

The Cartographer by Peter Twohig. I also really like this one about a young boy who witnesses a murder and how he tries to keep away from the police. He makes a map and explores the area around his home. Interesting book about how a young boy copes in a dysfunctional family after the death of his twin brother in the late 1950,s.

Peter Temple - this author writes gritty detective thrillers. They have lots of Australian slang in them which is what for me makes them enjoyable. My favourite so far is An Iron Rose.

[Marcia]

Seraphina wrote:I've read a couple of Australian novels, my favourite was jasper jones. Also enjoyed cloudstreet but not as much. I know what you mean though Emma, it's not as easy to find out here about Australian writing as it would be American or even other European authors

If you liked jasper jones I think you might like The Cartographer. Similar sort of style but different setting.

Craig Silver also wrote a very short book called the The Amber Amulet. Very short and enjoyable. I liked the art work in this one.

[Seraphina]

Have had a mixed reply about the set up but going to go with south America for our first read in January. Everyone will have until 20th feb to complete. This just gives people a push yet plenty of time to have read the first leg of the challenge. Also people can chat about how they are getting on with their various reads.

[Margo]

Seraphina wrote: "Have had a mixed reply about the set up but going to go with south America for our first read in January. Everyone will have until 20th feb to complete. This just gives people a push yet plenty of ..."

Good idea to put some structure to this one Seraphena, though I bought my european choice today The Shadow of the Wind. I'll be able to wait til 2016 to listen to it, but that's all I can promise!! Will hold out til the proper time to talk about it though ;)

[Paul]

That could be a very interesting Audiobook as it has a lot of atmosphere to it

[Margo]

Paul wrote: "That could be a very interesting Audiobook as it has a lot of atmosphere to it"

LOL Paul - I'm already on the verge of cracking! Was lecturing my son yesterday on the virtues of delayed gratification i.e. why he has to wait til xmas to get the new video games he has asked for :) :)

[Paul]

ITs one of the little lies we tell ourselves ;-)

[Margo]

Just rechecked my south america choice which was The Amnesia Clinic and discovered that the author is not actually a south american, he just lived there for a while! In keeping with the spirit of this challange I'm switching to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. The author was born in the Dominican republic and the book sounds good - plus I can the audio download from my library!

[Paul]

To be slightly mean and because I make maps I have to point out Dominican Republic is in the Carribean rather than South America. ;-)
But as most count Latin America all together its grand :-)

[Margo]

Paul wrote: "To be slightly mean and because I make maps I have to point out Dominican Republic is in the Carribean rather than South America. ;-)
But as most count Latin America all together its grand :-)"

Ooh! I am so bad at geography

[Margo]

Margo wrote: "Paul wrote: "To be slightly mean and because I make maps I have to point out Dominican Republic is in the Carribean rather than South America. ;-)
But as most count Latin America all together its g..."

On the other hand i am also cheap, so unless i come anything more suitable that also free....Carribean here i come ;)

[Paul]

Its generally grouped with central and North America in a geographic sense but polutically and culturally, its definitely closer to South America, I was just messing a little Margo , its a good choice so go with it :-)

[Paul]

I can be too cheeky sometimes , as Trelawn is always happy to point out ;-p

[Trelawn]

So true. please don't get him started on geopolitics etc. I badly need sleep :-)

[Paul]

I have a bold streak I have to keep in check. Poor Margo.
Maybe the little fella is right about me being on the Naughty list.
South America will , for me anyway be the most interesting set of choices as I know next to nothing about the books there.

[Margo]

Emma wrote: "You like to stir is your problem Paul."

Yeah, there's always one ;)

[Paul]

Surely a talk on geopolitics is exactly what you need for sleep :-p

[Trelawn]

No problem Emma, consider it done :-)

[Paul]

OW!!!!!!!!

[Margo]

Emma wrote: "Trelawn would you ever take the stick off him and hit him over the head."

Quite a few people in this group seem to have violent impulses towards Paul. I'm starting to understand why...

[Barbara]

Margo wrote: "Seraphina wrote: "Have had a mixed reply about the set up but going to go with south America for our first read in January. Everyone will have until 20th feb to complete. This just gives people a p..."

As Paul said this is a very atmospheric read and one I really liked! I spent several months in Barcelona in 2006 and it's one of my favorite cities. Plus it's about a bookstore!

[Paul]

Its along queue Margo ;-)

[Margo]

Barbara wrote: "Margo wrote: "Seraphina wrote: "Have had a mixed reply about the set up but going to go with south America for our first read in January. Everyone will have until 20th feb to complete. This just gi..."

Barara everyone seems to have the shadow of the wind. I'm really looking forward to reading it.

Paul it sounds to me like Trelawny is willing and able to do the honours when nessecary ;)

[Marcia]

I Think I have my list for this challenge.


Africa - We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo

Antartica - An Antarctic Mystery by Jules Verne

Europe - The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson

North America - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen I've been meaning to read this one for a while.

South America - In Patagonia by Bruce Chatwin

Asia - The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson I would like to have another go at this one. It was interesting.

Australia/Oceania - Girt: The Unauthorised History of Australia By David Hunt or A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "Its generally grouped with central and North America in a geographic sense but polutically and culturally, its definitely closer to South America, I was just messing a little Margo , its a good cho..."

To totally confuse everyone, I will add that countries on the Caribbean such as Venezuela are considered part of the Caribbean for some purposes.
As Paul can certainly affirm, geography is a moving target. I teach Social Studies Methods for Elementary Teachers in the spring. Students tend to love geography as social studies includes topics they learned to "hate" in primary and high school such as history, economics, and government. I try to convince them that it was the deadly way they were taught and they can do it differently.

[Paul]

Nothing ruins a subject more than poor teaching Barbara, so always worth a try :-).
I'm writing a course layout for geography at the monent for graduate engineers and trying to make it fun :-)

[Margo]

Paul wrote: "Nothing ruins a subject more than poor teaching Barbara, so always worth a try :-).
I'm writing a course layout for geography at the monent for graduate engineers and trying to make it fun :-)"

I'm sorry guys, but nothing will convince me geography is fun ;) Mind you I always had boring teachers for that subject. Maybe one of you could have inspired me in my student days but I fear that ship has sailed (and gotten lost if I'm navigating LOL)

[Paul]

I think when I was lecturing I was rubbish and boring but I think I've been a lot better doing one to one and corporate training in the last while.
I've been teaching a few people on Web Map setups recently and its gone down quite well.
Some of the interesting geographic stuff I've done recently which might or might not inspire you - Epidemic modelling (mapping the potential spread of various diseases including Ebola and HIV in a region of Sierra Leonne)
Cultural Buffer Mapping (Setting up surveys based on different tribal and cultural sectors in a region of Nigeria)
And of course a recent fun one for Chad , mapping gun attacks to justify security costs for a drainage project.
See Geography can be fun.

[Trelawn]

It's the way you sell it Paul :-)

[Margo]

Paul wrote: "I think when I was lecturing I was rubbish and boring but I think I've been a lot better doing one to one and corporate training in the last while.
I've been teaching a few people on Web Map setup..."

OK, I don't understand the last one on your list, but the first 2 do sound interesting. Not what I would have assosiated with geography at all, though of course you need maps to carry then out! I might have enjoyed studying those kind of things :) I did quite enjoy the little geology we touched on in school. And the weather systems. So I admit it's not all boring - but a lot of it is ;) :)
You're the second cartographer I've come across in my life!

[Paul]

I loved climate studies. I did climate and climate change as part of my degree and the lecturer was a noble laureate. Great course on links between climate changes and the rise and falls of great empires and cultures.
I did some geology but nothing to hardcore.

[Margo]

So I'm starting to realise that Emma. I'm very blinkered in some areas. This challange will do wonders for me

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "I think when I was lecturing I was rubbish and boring but I think I've been a lot better doing one to one and corporate training in the last while.
I've been teaching a few people on Web Map setup..."

Jeezzz Paul that sounds really involved and fascinating! I have always loved maps which I said before, and stories of maps, mapping, geography. That should be a category of it's own. A couple of examples of geography in film and drama - The Englishman Who Walked Up a Hill and Came Down a Mountain and of course the brilliant play by Brian Friel Translations.

[Paul]

My Dad is a map nut as well. Best present for him is a decent atlas. Something we'd both spend hours reading

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "My Dad is a map nut as well. Best present for him is a decent atlas. Something we'd both spend hours reading"

This reminded me I have a book on my shelves Atlas of Remote Islands.

[Paul]

I have that too

[Trelawn]

In Patagonia, The Glass Palace and The Birthday Boys all arrived today so I'm pretty much set for the 2016 challenge. Just need a copy of my Australian choice.

[Barbara]

This review of The Complete Stories by Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector by Colm Toibín may get some of us to put this on our South America list.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2015/...

[Margo]

Barbara wrote: "This review of The Complete Stories by Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector by Colm Toibín may get some of us to put this on our South America list.
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2..."

That does sound good Barbara, I'll have to wait til it comes out in audio though. With my dyslexia it would take a year to raead 64pages

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "I have that too"

:)