Help! I need a book set in....

[Cherie]

ROFL! No, I was just anxious, I guess. I had already asked about The Bellini Madona and now I was changing my mind. My spread sheet has taken over and I cannot figure out how I want to post the books I've read on my challenge thread vs the books I think I should read. The worst part is that I actually own the Bellini Madona and now I don't have a place for it because I listened to Death of an Artist. Maybe I will find a place for it yet, IF I get to it. I am not reading the books I already own and I think I should.... you know about that part.

[Janice, Moderator]

I have selected the 4 sites for the challenge, and the 2 additional sites to complete the continents on my challenge thread. But for the complete task sweep, I have a spreadsheet. After I finish a book, I figure out where it could go, and then I plug it. I could email you a copy of it if you're interested. Just a warning, it's kind of convoluted. You know me. Hehehehe!

[Kristie, Moderator]

My planning has gotten all messy. I'm just focusing on the 4 places I think I'll be able to complete, and completing 1 off each continent. I haven't been very good about tracking my other books. I got confused somewhere along the way. I never was good with directions. I suppose I should be glad that I didn't get completely lost. ;) I may go back in at some time and try to organize the task sweep again.

[Cherie]

I have a separate spread sheet too. I am sure it is as convoluted as yours is, but thanks! Unfortunately, what I planned, what I read, and what I am tracking between the challenge thread and my spread sheet are all over the place. It is still early. I do not know why I am so crazy about it. I just need a chill pill, I guess.

[Janice, Moderator]

If you find any chill pills, let me know where to get them.

My convoluted spreadsheet consists of 3 pages - one has the full challenge, which I populate with completed books. The second has a listing of the completed books and their possible tasks (in case I need to shift things around). The final page is a task list sorted alphabetically so that I can easily look up themes to find a task the book might fit in. I give my head a shake every now and again and wonder why I'm doing all this tracking and cross-referencing.

Kristie, maybe page 3 might help you.

It sort of looks like:

Aboriginal - 68 b.
Afghanistan - 51 a.
Agriculture - 10 b.
Agriculture - 41 b.
Agriculture - 73 b.

I could upload the whole file to Microsoft OneDrive and then make it shareable.

[Cherie]

LOL!!! Too much work! I have the whole challenge list in a Word doc and simply search the task for the associated words. It is color coded (highlighted) to show book titles in black bold, if I read the book, I change it to bold red. If I have three books for the task listed, it highlighted in green and if there is at least one book for a task, it is highlighted in blue. I think I still have two tasks that I have not found any books for.

I have another book list, which lists all of the books that I own and as I read them, I turn them bold red. I track most of them to series and add settings, and other notes when I add them to the list. It is divided into "print", ebook, audio, and library". Many of them, I have associated to specific tasks on the Geo challenge that they might fit. I track authors and page numbers and revise it at the end of each year and remove all of the books that have been read. I note buddy reads and group reads and challenges on the list. I have been doing it this way for the last 4 years.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Janice! That would be great. :) I currently don't have a spreadsheet, which is I think where my downfall is. I was using a pages document, which I usually use for challenges, but it got a bit unmanageable.

To be honest, I started wrong. I just added places I thought I could complete, then started adding places based off books I found. Then decided to add them all, then decided it was too much to scroll through and added 1 site for each continent and 1 task for each other location. Then realized that I was just getting overwhelmed and gave up. I need to find a chunk of time to sit with it and straighten it all out.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Cherie - Your system sounds similar to mine. I just haven't taken any time with it to straighten it out lately. I have some color coding and Mark buddy reads, etc too.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "LOL!!! Too much work! "

My point exactly! That's why I need a chill pill.

Kristie, I'll upload it later tonight when I have more time to figure it out.

[Cherie]

Kristie wrote: "Cherie - Your system sounds similar to mine. I just haven't taken any time with it to straighten it out lately. I have some color coding and Mark buddy reads, etc too."

Yeah, it gets hard to keep up at times. It is killer if you go on a book buying spree, which I have been trying hard not to do. I keep telling myself to just read the books I have and it will work out, but something (the same thing that all of us seem to have) can't make it that simple. Maybe Travis is lucky. He has no choices now... His wife gave him a chill pill and he had to swallow it down.

The gophering is fun and always a challenge to see if you can match something with what you already have or is already on your TBL. It is the doing that always begins to bring the walls crushing in for me.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "Maybe Travis is lucky. He has no choices now... His wife gave him a chill pill and he had to swallow it down.
..."

ROFL! He did offer us his wife's services.

[Deborah]

Yikes! I have to saythat, after a bit of initial planning (which I often didn't stick to) my mainly no-stress, free-falling, just wing it approach worked better than I might have guessed....... :P

[Kristie, Moderator]

That's where I'm at now, Deborah! Lol. I love the planning, but I got overwhelmed and was planning more than reading so I gave up.

[Delitealex]

I only did some basic planning to see what I could find. No spreadsheets pretty much read and see what fits.

[Mariab]

Janice wrote: "I have selected the 4 sites for the challenge, and the 2 additional sites to complete the continents on my challenge thread. But for the complete task sweep, I have a spreadsheet...."
Sorry. I have to ask (this challenge planning wasn't my finest hour, after all....) For the additional task, do we have to read a book for every site, or just a book per continent?

[Cherie]

darn it all! I just discovered my "Q" book for Botswana is too short. Only 120 pages. sob! Maybe that won't be my site for Africa.

[Cherie]

Mariab - the main challenge is read to 3 books for any 4 different sites. = 12 books and you get the "Yearly Challenge" badge.

The 2nd badge being offered is to complete a task (three books) for each of the 6 YLTO continents. So, if you plan your first tasks to be in 4 of the 6 continents, you only have to add 2 more tasks (6 books).

The 3rd extra is to read at least one book for all of the tasks, but you have to complete and apply for the first badge before you can claim this 3rd accomplishment.

That is the way I read it.

[Mariab]

Cherie wrote: "Mariab - the main challenge is read to 3 books for any 4 different sites. = 12 books and you get the "Yearly Challenge" badge.

The 2nd badge being offered is to complete a task (three books) for e..."

Thanks, Cherie!!!

[Sharon]

For the third badge of reading one book for each site, can a book satisfy the requirement for more than one site? For example, if I read a book set in Australia, does that qualify for all 7 sites in Australia? Trying to figure out how daunting the last badge might be. If duplicates are not allowed, I'm counting a minimum of 68 additional books after task 1 and task 2 (74 total sites minus the 6 completed in the first two tasks). Is that correct?

[Janice, Moderator]

For the "site sweep" recognition, you need to read one book for each site. Each book must be exclusive - it may only count for one task. And yes, you're right - 68 additional books.

[Annerlee]

Deborah wrote: "Yikes! I have to saythat, after a bit of initial planning (which I often didn't stick to) my mainly no-stress, free-falling, just wing it approach worked better than I might have guessed....... :P"
Your approach is just my style Deborah! Like it.

[Jannene]

RAINBOW

I stumbled across this one.

[Cherie]

Jannene wrote: "RAINBOW

I stumbled across this one."

Oh, that sounds great. I love Asgard stories since I fell in love with The Iron Druid. Thanks, Jannene

When this challenge is all over, I am going to go through some of my TBR books and think "why in the world did I add that one". LOL!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "When this challenge is all over, I am going to go through some of my TBR books and think "why in the world did I add that one". LOL!"

Hahaha...I've done that after a few challenges!

[Mariab]

Cherie wrote: "When this challenge is all over, I am going to go through some of my TBR books and think "why in the world did I add that one". LOL!..."

That's why I have a shelf named "Challenges"
Did you see my rec for you about rainbows?, is a SF...

[Cherie]

Yes, Mariab, I saw your book. I have them all in my TBR and on my spreadsheet. I have at least 100 titles (some have two or three titles) applied to the tasks and still have a couple left with no book titles. Sad, sad, sad. I know I can't read them all but it is still a "challenge" for me to plug in titles.

[Mariab]

Cherie wrote: "Yes, Mariab, I saw your book. I know I can't read them all but it is still a "challenge" for me to plug in titles. ..."

Me too! LOL!!!

[Cherie]

Hi Janice - for the task that specifies a "bowl or cup on the cover" - Thailand, do you consider this a cup or a mug? The Black Mountain .

I have a potential book picked out A Cup of Friendship, but I downloaded the Nero Wolfe book to listen to last night and noticed the cover "might" apply. What say you? Is cup/mug synonymous?

[Janice, Moderator]

A mug is a type of cup, so you are good to go with Nero Wolfe.

[Kirila]

I want to read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency for "set in Botswana". However, goodreads says it is set both in Botswana and South Africa, and I was wondering how much of it is set in Botswana. To the ones who have read it, do you remember if it was mostly one or the other?

I am also looking for a book set in New Zealand. I might be traveling there next year, so I would like to read a travel book. Something similar to Bill Bryson's books (I read Down Under and loved it!). Any suggestions about a New Zealand travel book?

[Peggy]

I read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency a while ago and I have a hard time recalling what they did in South Africa. Most of it is set in Botswana.

I hope you get to go to New Zealand! I visited some years ago and loved it. I don't know any travel books like Bryson's, but I have this book on my tbr: A life on Gorge River: New Zealand's remotest family. Fiction set in NZ that comes to mind are In the Land of the Long White Cloud and The Luminaries

[Rusalka, Moderator]

She visits South Africa, but 95% of the book is in Botswana. You're good Kirila :)

[Kirila]

Thanks for confirmation, Peggy and Rusalka!

[Cherie]

Kirila wrote: "I want to read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency for "set in Botswana". However, goodreads says it is set both in Botswana and South Africa, and I was wondering how much of it is set i..."

The book is set in Botswana. Botswana, the country, is in southern Africa. She drives to South Africa but, Rusalka is correct, the majority of her time is in Botswana.

The book I have on my challenge for set in New Zealand is The Bone People.

[Janice, Moderator]

If anyone is needing a book about child labour, Coal River may fit the bill. It's $1.99 on Kindle daily deals today. I can't vouch for how good it is.

[Mariab]

Holes is another

[Lanelle]

I've been wondering if Holes could be used for the Australian task: Tasmanian Wilderness - Read a book where a penal colony or prison is significant.

The blurb for the book says that Stanley gets sent to a detention center for a crime that he didn't commit. That's kind of like a prison.

[Cherie]

I think Holes will fit the prison or penal theme, Lanell, but it is up to the meanie for final confirmation. It is a "boys camp" for juvenile offenders. The boys are forced to dig holes in an old dry lake bead as their punishment. They ARE prisoners. It is a great story and there is a movie too.

[Janice, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "I think Holes will fit the prison or penal theme, Lanell, but it is up to the meanie for final confirmation. It is a "boys camp" for juvenile offenders. The boys are forced to dig holes in an old d..."

I haven't read the book, so you may have a better idea about that than me. I would think a "boys camp" for juvenile offenders would fit.

[Lanelle]

Janice wrote: "I would think a "boys camp" for juvenile offenders would fit. "

Thank you, Janice.

[Kristie, Moderator]

I agree with Cherie. I think it would fit too.

[Vicki]

Can anyone suggest anything with Coral in the title/subtitle, author name or character in the book?

[Camilla]

Vicki wrote: "Can anyone suggest anything with Coral in the title/subtitle, author name or character in the book?"

I just picked up The Coral Thief yesterday. You do know that you can do a search here in GR for the word in the title/subtitle/series name?

[Vicki]

Yes I haven't found anything that interests me yet. A main character with the name Coral can be hidden anywhere. Was hoping someone has read something they could recommend.

[Mariab]

Vicki wrote: "Yes I haven't found anything that interests me yet."

Me neither

[Cherie]

The Coral Theif was all I could find. I have not found anything else.

[Lori Z]

I found A Coral Kiss. Don't know how good it is, but it sounds promising. Now I just have to find an inexpensive copy as my 2 library systems don't have it.

[Cherie]

I think I saw that one too, Lori, but Romance is usually at the bottom of my selection process. I have been surprised though. I probably didn't search any farther when I was still gophering. I have given it up and settled down to reading for now.

[Lanelle]

I read A Coral Kiss. I picked up a copy using paperbackswap.com.

I have read many of Jayne Ann Krentz's books, but some reason had never read this one. I won't say it's her best story, but it's not her worst. I enjoyed reading it and gave it a solid 3 stars.

[Lori Z]

Cherie wrote: "I think I saw that one too, Lori, but Romance is usually at the bottom of my selection process. I have been surprised though. I probably didn't search any farther when I was still gophering. I have..."

That's where I'm at too, Cherie. Just gonna go with my choices and if I should stumble onto a better one I'll change it up.