Team First for Knowledge

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Yay Team! This is going to be great :) Let the planning begin!

Team Members
Brittany
Camilla
Debra
Joe
KimeyDiann
Lisa US
Marie
Rusalka
Susan
Teanka
Theresa~OctoberLace
Pragya
Cherie

Reporting Thread

Homework Thread for 10 bonus points per book.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

First orders of business:
- Team Name
- Scorekeeper
- Boss person

Heads up - I can't really commit to being overly active on Goodreads during the working week during work hours (usually when you guys are active due to time zones), as it is going to be a very full on week for me at work. After work hours and weekends will be fine, but if you don't hear from me for 16 hours at a time, that will be why

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I'm probably good for two reads, possibly three. Thinking so far:

Song of Solomon - race
Never Let Me Go - cloning
The Fictional Woman - gender
A Thousand Splendid Suns - religion
Persian Fire: The First World Empire and the Battle for the West - religion, culture, politics.

[Marie (UK)]

Hi everyone I think I am going to start with
Middlesex
All the Bright Places
Thin Wire: A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Heroin Addiction

and maybe
Love by Deception: A harrowing true story of love and betrayal.

if it fits theme
as i have these either from library or at home

[Debra]

I'm also going to be unavailable a lot of the time. My sister, Almeta, and I are going to the Academy Award best picture nominees movie marathon both Saturdays of this Toppler. So, I will not be reading much, if at all, the beginning and end of the Toppler. Then I have work and my pain management therapies on my 2 days off. Whew! What a week!

Anyway, I've got two books ready for the Toppler, but will probably only read one. They are:

Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion - religion
The Kite Runner - religion, culture, politics

[Marie (UK)]

I have time to help and can manage simple spreadsheets but not good at creating them

[Rusalka, Moderator]

I saw in Jmom's team she said that there won't be much spreadsheeting this time. It's just keeping track of how many books, so we can probably do that in one message in our reporting thread.

[Lisa]

Hi all. It seems I have challenges and buddy reads coming form all over, lol.

This is my first time doing a Toppler. What is the goal? To read as many books as we can or to read about as many topics as we can?


Marie-Middlesex has been on my bookshelf for awhile. I am reading A Little Life right now so I need easier books:)

Debra-Ooh Kite Runner…also on my list.

Ruslaka-A Thousand Splendid sons is a great book.

I also have Never Let Me Go to read.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Hi Lisa, welcome to your first Toppler!

So Topplers are essentially read-a-thons. Team ones in particular are about getting the most points, team with the most usually wins.

Jmom will explain points a bit later for this Toppler (changes depending on what she has us doing). Sometimes it will just be reading as much as you can, sometimes it can be more strategic with some tasks worth more points than others. Will be interesting to see what this Toppler will require us to do.

Most important thing is to read things that interest you or you enjoy. Make sure you have fun, as that is entirely what it is all about :D

[Lisa]

Got it. Thanks. I have lots of interests so it will be good no matter what:)

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Lisa wrote: "Got it. Thanks. I have lots of interests so it will be good no matter what:)"

And that's the benefit to Team ones. There will always be someone who has a book they want to read to fit something you don't like.

[Marie (UK)]

Lisa wrote: "Hi all. It seems I have challenges and buddy reads coming form all over, lol.

This is my first time doing a Toppler. What is the goal? To read as many books as we can or to read about as many top..."


a little life - i read a while ago 0 very hard going and not a little book

[Marie (UK)]

i am quite happy to keep tabs on what we have read - i can manage simple spreadsheets just can't get one to fill another etc. I will set up a reporting thread,

[jaxnsmom]

Marie wrote: "Hi everyone I think I am going to start with
Middlesex
All the Bright Places
Thin Wire: A Mother's Journey Through Her Daughter's Heroin Addiction

and ..."

All of your books qualify.

[Susan]

Pleased to be on Team Numero Uno with ya'll.

I've picked up a few books that I think will fit the theme:
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Never Let Me Go
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

and I have requested:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Me Before You

I should be able to get through at least one or two of these.

[Marie (UK)]

Susan wrote: "Pleased to be on Team Numero Uno with ya'll.

I've picked up a few books that I think will fit the theme:
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Never Let Me Go
[book:..."

thmmortal life of henreitta lacks is an amazing book

[Lisa]

Marie wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Hi all. It seems I have challenges and buddy reads coming form all over, lol.

This is my first time doing a Toppler. What is the goal? To read as many books as we can or to read abou..."

True…I am taking my time and reading some easier things on between.


Agreed…loved The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

[Lisa]

I have some books picked out although I have no idea how many I will finish….

Race- Small Moments: A Child's Memories of the Civil Rights Movement

Culture- Moscow Dreams or
Chasing China; A Daughter's Quest for Truth

Genocide- Outcry - Holocaust memoirs

Health/Mental- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time or
Please Don't Label My Child: Break the Doctor-Diagnosis-Drug Cycle and Discover Safe, Effective, Choices for Your Child's Emotional Health

Treatment of Children- Boys For Sale

I have to go to my library for Never Let Me Go and maybe
Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia


I may be able to clean up my kindle…yay.

[jaxnsmom]

Lisa wrote: "I may be able to clean up my kindle…yay."

Only to make room for more, right?

[Marie (UK)]

jaxnsmom wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I may be able to clean up my kindle…yay."

Only to make room for more, right?"

I seem to remember you telling me that it was unusual to reduce your TBR in a toppler Jaxnsmon - this has increased my TBR by 10% already and we have not started

[Debra]

Susan wrote: "Pleased to be on Team Numero Uno with ya'll.

I've picked up a few books that I think will fit the theme:
Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers
Never Let Me Go
Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain

and I have requested:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Me Before You"

I read Stiff and Henrietta Lacks. They are both excellent books!

[Debra]

Lisa wrote: "Health/Mental- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

This was a very different book. I thought it was very good.

[Debra]

The cool thing about topplers is you only have to read one book to get a badge. The winning team members get a special badge.

[KimeyDiann]

Hi all! Just checking in with my wonderful team!

I have no idea what I'm going to read yet so I'm only committing to one book. I'm going with some friends to a winery on Saturday so I probably won't be reading until that night or Sunday. I'm quite looking forward to this challenge though, it should definitely spark some interesting conversations!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Thanks Marie for opening a reporting thread.

Anyone had any ideas on:
- our name
- our fearless leader

[Lisa]

jaxnsmom wrote: "Lisa wrote: "I may be able to clean up my kindle…yay."

Only to make room for more, right?"

Always:)

[Lisa]

Debra wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Health/Mental- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

This was a very different book. I thought it was very good."

I might give it a try since I own it.

[Lisa]

KimeyDiann wrote: "Hi all! Just checking in with my wonderful team!

I have no idea what I'm going to read yet so I'm only committing to one book. I'm going with some friends to a winery on Saturday so I probably wo..."

Have fun.

[Lisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Thanks Marie for opening a reporting thread.

Anyone had any ideas on:
- our name
- our fearless leader"

I am terrible with names but I will think on it.

Who would like to be our leader? I am too new to even attempt it.

[Sarah]

Isn't Team Numero Uno your name? It seems all teams are struggling with names this time around.

[Susan]

Sarah wrote: "Isn't Team Numero Uno your name? It seems all teams are struggling with names this time around."

I think Team Numero Uno works. Just my 2 cents.

[KimeyDiann]

Numero Uno works for me, too.

I just received a copy of The Best Bad Luck I Ever Had in the mail today. I had forgotten that I requested it and it just so happens to fit this toppler challenge as it deals with race relations in 1917 Alabama. Even though the book is a work of fiction, it was inspired by true events of the author's family.

[Marie (UK)]

i am no good with names but very happy with Team numero uno.

What about a bit of fun and finding out a little more about each other

1. What is your favourite book Ever? - I always would say Sophie's World but a recent read The Alienist is a close second

2. What person from fact or fiction would you invite to dinner? - I would love to know what makes Will Self (author) tick his books are so unusual

3. Other than reading what is your favourite pastime? - I love walking we have done half of the South west Coast path (325 odd miles of the 650 odd) the most stunning scenery which makes me love my country

4. Of what are you most proud? - I had a couple of articles published in nursing journals which was exciting but my family mean the world to me

5. How far have you travelled - favourite or furthest holiday destination. - we spent 7 weeks in New Zealand - what a fabulous country, friendly people, fantastic scenery and so many things to do

[Camilla]

I'm happy with Numero Uno as well, I thought it was our name.
I'm not volunteering for a leader, I will be unavailable both at the start and at the end of the Toppler due to family reasons.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Reporting in for Team Numero Uno! Going through my TBR list, I find I already own quite a few that will fit the theme. Here are a few:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini Culture & Religion - Afghanistan, Islam

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara GLBT, addiction

Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King Race, politics

[Marie (UK)]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Reporting in for Team Numero Uno! Going through my TBR list, I find I already own quite a few that will fit the theme. Here are a few:

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hos..."</i>

I read [book:A Little Life but it is far from a little book - some editions have 900 pages and i remember it being a difficult read, overall it is an excellent book but certainly not a quick read

[Debra]

Lisa wrote: "Debra wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Health/Mental- The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time."

This was a very different book. I thought it was very good."

I might give it a try since I own it."

It's a fast read, too, so perfect for a toppler!

[Debra]

I like Numero Uno, too!

[Debra]

Yay, we have another team member: Theresa~OctoberLace.

Rus, please add to our list.

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Will do!
Sorry, timezones :D

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Okay, awesome. I just was trying to make it a bit different from the other Teams. If you're all happy with it, it shall stay!

[Rusalka, Moderator]

Answers to your questions Marie:

1. What is your favourite book Ever? - I love the Neil Gaiman quote which says “Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not to lose.”
If I had to choose, argh... maybe American Gods...

2. What person from fact or fiction would you invite to dinner? - Oscar Wilde or Tim Minchin

3. Other than reading what is your favourite pastime? - Good food, good wine, playing with my birds, attempting to grow things, singing, travel.

4. Of what are you most proud? - Nothing hugely. I appeared on an episode of Pizza while in Japan for about 10 seconds. I "cut" a track with an English DJ who's name I can't remember (brother in law of a friend) that I don't know if it got released in the UK. But not overly proud of these things.
I'm still here, I'm carrying on, I am trying to be true to myself, and standing up for what I believe in. There we go.

5. How far have you travelled - I've so far made it to the UK which is 20 hours away. Come March, I'll hit the Caribbean which is pretty much the other side of the globe from Australia.

[Theresa~OctoberLace]

Marie wrote: "I read [book:A Little Life but it is far from a little book - some editions have 900 pages and i remember it being a difficult read, overall it is an excellent book but certainly not a quick read."

Marie, I'd set up a shelf for the Toppler, and of the 12 books, I added, that's the longest, and the audiobook is 33 hours, so I probably won't read that one.

I hope we get the guidelines for the Toppler soon so I can get a real plan for my reading during Toppler week. It starts on Saturday!

[Lisa]

Numero Uno is good with me. This is cool. We have a group with members from all over.

Marie-
I haven't read your books but I have The Alienist on my TR list.

I love to walk sadly my husband does not…so no far treks for us. Did you do your walk at one time? Was it like hiking with camping?

Congratulations on your journals. Do you have a big family?


Wow…7 weeks in New Zealand sounds amazing. I would like to do that plus Australia.



Ruslaka-
Great quote from Neil Gaiman. That really sums it up. I still need to read his books. I have had American God on my list for some time now.
Oscar Wilde would be very interesting. I thunk sad but interesting.
Do you have birds? What kind? What would you like to grow? I started off doing a Square Foot garden for vegetables and love gardening.
Where are you going in the Caribbean?




1. What is your favourite book Ever? - Sadly I cannot name one. I have been reading since I was a teen and all I can say is my tastes have changed and grown immensely. There are so many good books out there. In my youth I liked horror/sci fi like John Saul, moved to V.C. Andrews and then into historical romance. I know…right, lol? Then into romance for happy endings. Onto Romantic Suspense and then Thrillers/Mysteries. Then I joined Goodreads and oh my now I read everything….well almost.:)

2. What person from fact or fiction would you invite to dinner? - Someone funny. Maybe Betty White or Bill Maher. I wish George Carlin was still around. He would be a trip.

3. Other than reading what is your favourite pastime? - I like to do so many things. Hmm…cooking and baking although my body does not do well from that, lol. Anything outdoors….walking, biking, playing with the grandkids, gardening and canning the foods I grow. Building things and demolishing things, lol. My husband and I renovate and build homes/buildings together. Playing pool(billiards).

4. Of what are you most proud? - Hmm…nothing of great importance to anyone else but I try to be a good and emphatic person and always look at what it is like to be in that person's shoes. I am friendly to everyone. I have no regrets and live my life the way I want to. I'm not a complainer. If I have a problem I want to fix it. I don't hold grudges or live in the past. I am very good at moving on so I don't carry any baggage. I'm happy:) I would say that is my biggest accomplishment and my husband is my best friend.

5. How far have you travelled?- When I was younger I was lucky enough to be able to do two really memorable trips. I biked through Greece for one month and another year I biked from San Francisco California to San Diego which is over 700 miles. Later on my husband and I lived and traveled for 3 1/2 years around the U.S in our motorhome. My dream is to visit Australia, New Zealand, Alaska, and Maine.



That should cover it. Can you tell I am a talker, lol?

[Lisa]

Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Marie wrote: "I read [book:A Little Life but it is far from a little book - some editions have 900 pages and i remember it being a difficult read, overall it is an excellent book but certainly not ..."

Guidelines? Uh oh….I need to know before I go to my library:)

[Marie (UK)]

Lisa wrote: "Numero Uno is good with me. This is cool. We have a group with members from all over.

Marie-
I haven't read your books but I have The Alienist on my TR list.

I love to walk sadly my husband does ..."

the walk we have done over several years sometimes a week and sometimes 2 at a time. The first year we got sunstroke it was so hot since then we have been in more danger of rust from all the rain. We have not been for a few years but are trying to organise a 10 day walk this year. We have so much fun, the views are amazing, we chat like you never do at home, we have searched raging rivers in vain for stepping stones and had to do 2 or 3 mile detours and we have met the most amazing guest house owners on our trek. Phones only work on emergency lines nobody can get hold of you whilst you walk it is just Fabulous

[Marie (UK)]

Lisa wrote: "Theresa~OctoberLace wrote: "Marie wrote: "I read [book:A Little Life but it is far from a little book - some editions have 900 pages and i remember it being a difficult read, overall it is an excel..."

i don't think there are going to be much more in the way of guidelines - over 175 pages - fits the theme - read anything

[Marie (UK)]

Rusalka wrote: "Answers to your questions Marie:

1. What is your favourite book Ever? - I love the Neil Gaiman quote which says “Picking five favorite books is like picking the five body parts you'd most like not..."

what did you think to the UK? I feel so lucky to live here if we only had the weather it would be perfect

[Debra]

Rusalka wrote: "Will do!
Sorry, timezones :D"

Yeah... just wake up, why don't you!? lol

[Sarah]

Marie wrote: "what did you think to the UK? I feel so lucky to live here if we only had the weather it would be perfect."

I'm nosing about in this thread and stumbled on your post Marie. For some reason I thought you were from the US. But no... Where in the UK are you?