Continental Challenge

[Emma]

This is a general discussion thread for our Continental Challenge which shall run during 2016. Reading lists and other general discussion matters may be posted here. Individual threads shall be set up for each continent.

[Paul]

Good plan.
I have all my book choices sourced now so ready to go come January

[Barbara]

I'm ready to get started as I had lots of books on my shelves. I've put them all together and there may be a couple - such as a book on Antarctica - that I still have to get.

[Serf]

I thought this was quite apt considering our own challenge for next year....it's a bit ambitious for me but I know some people here who fly through 100+ books is the year
http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/the...

[Thomas]

Seraphina wrote: "I thought this was quite apt considering our own challenge for next year....it's a bit ambitious for me but I know some people here who fly through 100+ books is the year
http://ayearofreadingthewo..."

Seraphina, this is an interesting list. I have read some of these books. I am working on reading 1 mystery book from every US state and as many countries as possible in a separate group(Mystery).
A few of the books on my list are also on this list.

See https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Marcia]

I'm looking forward to this challenge.

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 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 Adam JohnsonI would like to have another go at this one. It was interesting.

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

[Paul]

A very interesting list Marcia.

[Paul]

I really enjoyed The Girl who Saved the King of Sweden. Very funny book

[Marcia]

Cool, I'm looking forward to reading it.

[Serf]

Picked up The House of the Spirits this morning in o mahony's. All set for our first continent

[Emma]

Reposting my full list here, as much so I remember it as anything else :-D

Africa- Half of a Yellow Sun
Antarctica- An Unsung Hero: Tom Crean - Antarctic Survivor
Asia-Norweigan Wood
Australasia- The Thorn Birds
Europe- All Quiet on the Western Front
North America- Stoner
South America- In the Time of the Butterflies

[Sara]

Reposting my full list here minus Australia/Oceania which I haven't made up my mind on yet

Africa: GraceLand

Antartica: (I'm going to swap out Antartica for the Middle
East which is part of Asia and do two selections from that continent)
Tablet & Pen: Literary Landscapes from the Modern Middle East

Asia: The Man with the Compound Eyes: A Novel

Europe: The Secret History of MoscowThe Secret History of Moscow

North America: Oryx and Crake
South America: Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was

[Paul]

My full set has arrived except South America which us annoying but the book has the furthest to travel

[Barbara]

I am still looking for an Antarctic book. But Cold Skin by Albert Sánchez Piñol is set there. I started reading it last year but it's horror and not my thing so I didn't finish it and passed it on to Sara.

[Serf]

The main antarctic books I found Barbara were mainly true life explorations gone wrong kind of things. I enjoy those but there not everyone's cup of tea.

[Serf]

HP lovecraft also has set some books in the antarctic but they are also horrors

[Barbara]

Seraphina wrote: "The main antarctic books I found Barbara were mainly true life explorations gone wrong kind of things. I enjoy those but there not everyone's cup of tea."

That may be what I end up reading. Sara Wheeler wrote a book Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica which I read and liked. I am intrigued by the various explorers but always confuse the Arctic and Antarctic explorations.

[Colleen]

There is The Birthday Boys

[Barbara]

a definite possibility!

[Serf]

It's working out about 7 weeks or so for each of the reads btw Barbara. I saw your other post about keeping a journal. Its a great idea

[Serf]

Anyone stuck for their African read, I highly recommend Alexandra fuller's books. A really interesting tale of growing up in Rhodesia in the 70's

[Barbara]

Seraphina wrote: "It's working out about 7 weeks or so for each of the reads btw Barbara. I saw your other post about keeping a journal. Its a great idea"

Thanks Seraphina. I knew it was more than a month but because 12 months doesn't divide evenly, plus I couldn't remember how many continents we decided there were:)
I read Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight and it was excellent.

[Colleen]

I was in the Paper Store today and a saw a book and picked it up.Everland.it's a lot thicker than The Birthday Boys but the first two pages I read was very interesting so I bought . I still plan on reading The Birthday Boys first. I thought I'd mention it .

[Emma]

I've just become aware of a tool for groups which may be of interest to the group. Goodreads offers a tool to create group challenges which enables people to track their progress in terms of a particular group challenge. It works similar to the personal challenge we all set each year. Would people be interested in having one set up for this challenge.

[Paul]

We used it in the my SFF group to track a group challenge and it is very handy. Pretty much just needs memebers to set up a shelf for themselves for the challenge.

[Serf]

Already have the shelf set up as continental challenge.

[Emma]

Ok

A Challenge has been set up.

You'll find it here: https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...

From here you'll be able to monitor your progress and see other peoples. All you need to do is set the number of books you intend to read as part of the challenge and link to the bookshelf you will be using for the challenge.

[Serf]

Cool, thanks Emma

[Barbara]

I love it!

[Cathleen]

Thanks, Emma!

[Emma]

Do we have an agreed order we are going to read these in?

[Paul]

Good question. I have all of the books except the first so interesting to see the line up

[Emma]

I only have the first book. Need to plan where I'm getting the rest. Likely be a combination of library, kindle and buy physical.

[Paul]

I went on awesome books and get 4 of the 7 for tenner so happy with that

[Barbara]

Paul wrote: "I went on awesome books and get 4 of the 7 for tenner so happy with that"

Cruz credo! (Brazilian expression for "good grief") - quite a haul!
As I said before, everything on my list are unread books on my shelves. I am pleased to satisfy my 'dusty book ' challenge to myself and have a structure for doing it. As I keep saying - Antarctica remains to be identified but there've been some interesting suggestions here.

[Emma]

We might leave Antarctica to the end as it's the hardest to find something for.

[Serf]

I am going to put up the next read mid January to give people time to pick up there next reads. That's giving people @4 weeks to pick up their books. Plus 7 weeks reading time. I'll just announce the next read as we go. I wouldn't leave the antarctic read til last as I think people may just ignore it then.

[Emma]

Fair enough.

[Barbara]

This blog post about a novel set in Greenland is interesting. I think Greenland is considered North America.
https://winstonsdad.wordpress.com/201...

[Cathleen]

Seraphina wrote: "I am going to put up the next read mid January to give people time to pick up there next reads. That's giving people @4 weeks to pick up their books. Plus 7 weeks reading time. I'll just announce t..."

Sounds good, Seraphina.

[Cathleen]

Barbara wrote: "This blog post about a novel set in Greenland is interesting. I think Greenland is considered North America.
https://winstonsdad.wordpress.com/201..."

That looks really good, Barbara. It made me think of that monthly read Burial Rites from a year or so ago.

[Stephen]

If considering Australian books, here are books to read before you die, mostly based in Australia, from our national broadcaster and the Book Club.
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/aussiebooks/

[Serf]

I've read 3/10 of those Stephen, thanks for that. Cloudstreet is a funny one, I didn't think it was an amazing book but it appears on every list of must read Australian fiction

[Stephen]

Yes. I agree about Cloud Street. It is set in Western Australia; it is very good, but not great.
I am reading Batavia by ex rugby player, Peter Fitzsimmons.
It is a great (true) story; an adult Lord of the Flies, well known here in Western Australia but a revelation to those on the east

[Trelawn]

Of that list I have only read The Book Thief but Picnic at Hanging Rock is my choice for Australia in the continental challenge

[Marcia]

I'm not that keen on Tim Winton and Bryce Cortney. For me they are what I would consider popular writers, as in they are high profile and write quite a few books.

Craig Silvey's book Jasper Jones, I can highly recommend. It really reflects Australian communites at that time.

Jasper Jones has just recently been made into a play which I think would be really cool to see.

[Margo]

Stephen wrote: "If considering Australian books, here are books to read before you die, mostly based in Australia, from our national broadcaster and the Book Club.
http://www.abc.net.au/arts/aussiebooks/"

The Slap went down really well with my bookclub, Provoked a great discussion!

[Barbara]

Stephen wrote: "Yes. I agree about Cloud Street. It is set in Western Australia; it is very good, but not great.
I am reading Batavia by ex rugby player, Peter Fitzsimmons.
It is a great (true) story; an adult Lo..."

I have Cloudstreet on my list for the Continental Challenge for Australia. It's a book on my shelves so I am making progress on my dusty book challenge as well.

[Serf]

https://www.goodreads.com/challenges/...
Just a link to the challenge that Emma set up in case any newcomers or anyone else wants to join in.

[Sara]

For when we do Australia

I really enjoyed The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding when I read it a few years back.