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Orlok's 2016 SFE Challenge
It will be interesting to see what you will choose as the Oprah book or the National Book Awards :)
DoodlePanda wrote: "It will be interesting to see what you will choose as the Oprah book or the National Book Awards :)"I know, I was thinking about that. A bit of research required, methinks. I'm going to interpret that as a book in each of those categories from any year.
That was my interpretation too... Just can't find any books on those lists that appeal to me...
That's what I was worried about. Off to have a quick look now.
I've seen this one on Oprah's Book Club list:A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
It's a self-help book, so would fit that category too. Are we allowed to have one book fulfil more than one category? Not that there are hard and fast rules, I don't suppose, but it feels a bit like cheating...
You're not supposed to, unfortunately :(
I believe it is readers choice as to whether or not books can be used for multiple categories.
Well I'm going to try not to do that, though by the end of the year my resolve may waiver... :)I've found my Oprah book - The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen. Recently got this as an Amazon freebie, so that seems serendipitous.
Hmmmm...regarding the National Book Awards, the Franzen book also appears on that list. Would make an easy choice to knock off two categories :). No. NO. Mustn't be tempted.
Hehe! Well I might not be doing either of those... finally got my reading mojo back, and don't want to lose it again by forcing myself to read something I probably won't enjoy...
I'm not going to sweat failing this challenge, but I've decided to join and see how varied my usual reading covers things. Oddly enough I've already covered eight, but those are the easy ones for me. Some of the others are way outside my other challenges. Although my paranormal genre will probably get me another tick off the list.
I'm feeling the same way about it. Do it for the fun and interesting directions it may push me. Don't get my knickers in a twist (pardon the Brit colloquialism) if I don't achieve it all.
One I'm going to struggle with is the protagonist who has my occupation. Nearest to that would be an IT Project Director/Manager (I work in ICT Transition). Not too many protagonists in that exciting profession.
How about Solution Architect? Maybe we can go for past occupations? If I go back to high school I'm sure I can find a YA book where the protagonist works at a fast food restaurant. :P
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "How about Solution Architect? Maybe we can go for past occupations? If I go back to high school I'm sure I can find a YA book where the protagonist works at a fast food restaurant. :P"That's an idea. I've got labourer, tarmacadam layer and record shop assistant to choose from :)
^Definitely High Fidelity for the win then.
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "^Definitely High Fidelity for the win then."Occurred to me too, though I'm not really up for a re-read of that one.
Someone has written a novel about a project manager and several software development projects, but I don't think I could face that. Who the hell wants to read about the boring stuff you spend all week doing?
Agreed. I'm an office manager/ship broker. There are very few people in the US that do this - I'm doubting that there are any books with this job.
I guess I can trim it down to office management - but I do a lot more than that.
jPod or Microserfs?Both were quite entertaining. I'm not into rereading so this one is going to be difficult. Could we count the protagonist from The Atrocity Archives series as just a tech worker? :)
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "jPod or Microserfs?Both were quite entertaining. I'm not into rereading so this one is going to be difficult. Could we count the protagonist from The Atrocity Archives series as just a tech worke..."
THose look funny!
But I don't know about Bob...he's a bit more than just a tech worker, lol.
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "jPod or Microserfs?Both were quite entertaining. I'm not into rereading so this one is going to be difficult. Could we count the protagonist from The Atrocity Archives series as just a tech worke..."
I may well consider these, as at least it's the right industry.
Has anyone any suggestions for the movie due to be released this year, or the novel based on a fairytale? Struggling with these ones.
Nice :). It combines not only that, but sci-fi, future romance and dystopia, so could fit several categories. Thanks!
I'd save it for others. I've got Deathless penciled in for fairy tale and Dystopia is pretty easy. I'll look at Cinder for future romance which I think I'd pretty hard to nab.
I was thinking about the future romance category, as I agree it is going to b a difficult one to fill. Particularly as romance is not generally my thing.
Currently reading the recent Amazon Prime freebie The Last Girl (The Dominion Trilogy #1) by Joe Hart (50% through). Not too bad, not sure if I will go onto the next in the series. Will decide when I have finished it. I was planning it to be my dystopian read, but I think it also fits firmly in YA, so I may claim that one instead, unless another compelling YA book comes along later this year.
I'm willing to rearrange my books depending on how things pan out. Especially for translated, short stories, Classic, YA, culture and others. I've already got 13 books that could technically be my library book. :P
Finished my tenth SFE challenge - The Last Girl by Joe Hart. Amazon freebie about a world in which female babies stop being born. Quite fun, may well move onto the next in the series when time allows.Now starting my first book I saw in a bookstore challenge - Disclaimer by Renee Knight. An interesting premise about a woman reading a novel only to find it's all about her, and her deep dark secret no one else knows about.
YOu are really moving!
Reading John Ringo's Strands of Sorrow (Black Tide Rising #4), which concludes the series, and will be my Dystopian challenge sorted. Have also just decided on a book to meet one of the challenges that has been troubling me, A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy. How can you guarantee that?! But it's a reread from my youth, The Little World of Don Camillo, and I have such fond memories of these heartwarming stories that I'm pretty certain it will do the trick. It's about a small-town priest (in Italy) who has his nemesis in the form of the Communist town Mayor, and consults Jesus directly via a cross in the town centre to ask for guidance. Very funny stuff, as I remember it. It is also 576 pages (it's the Omnibus edition, with several stories incorporated), which tempts me to use it for the 600 page challenge instead :). Have just ordered the pbook from Amazon (1980 edition) as apparently the recent translations of the ebook version lose a lot of the charm.
Just finished my 13th SFE challenge book:A book that takes place on an island - Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek
A bit overblown with a somewhat overused plot device, but not too bad. 2.5 to 3 stars. Still, another one bites the dust :)
Lucky 13.You're two books ahead of the pace to complete the SFE challenge right now.
Do you have a spreadsheet to calculate that? - he asks, knowing full well what the answer is :P
Amateurs.. :PYep, it tells me that. Currently, 15 books ahead of pace for the SFE challenge, 11 books ahead for countries and 11 books ahead for genres.
It tells me a lot of other things too, but the most important one is that my magic number is currently 28. This is the maximum number of books I need to read to complete all my challenges. Looking at my planned reading list, I'll probably be done all the challenges in another 17 books.
Agreed that "joy" was probably the hardest challenge read.
#14 - Shooting Straight by Piers Morgan (autobiography category), about his time at CNN and his championing of gun control laws. Interesting times...
Nice. Isn't he too young for an autobiography. :P
51 too young? What age would you suggest is appropriate? :PAnyway, the way some books are being shoehorned into the SFE categories, I think this one passes with flying colours ;)
Orlok wrote: "Anyway, the way some books are being shoehorned into the SFE categories, I think this one passes with flying colours ;)"Yeah, I think we're at the point of making almost anything work. Which, for some of us, is where the fun lies. :D
Orlok wrote: "51 too young? What age would you suggest is appropriate? :PAnyway, the way some books are being shoehorned into the SFE categories, I think this one passes with flying colours ;)"
Probably hasn't even gotten to the really good bits. :)
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "Probably hasn't even gotten to the really good bits. :) "
You give me hope for the future :)
I'll drink to that.
I'm not very far from 51 so if I don't believe that I'm screwed.
# 15 - The Joker: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder. 2 stars. My first graphic novel in years, and I was really disappointed. I have always liked the Batman canon, dark and dangerous, but rooted in "reality". I hate the way they've brought in the Teen Titans with their super-powers and irritating characterisations. Anyway. Yet another one bites the dust.
^Condolences on the somewhat sucky read. On the good news side you're three books ahead of pace. :)
Homeinmyshoes wrote: "It tells me a lot of other things too, but the most important one is that my magic number is currently 28. This is the maximum number of books I need to read to complete all my challenges."Just been rereading this thread, and have realised the implications of what you have said. There are 40 categories in the SFE challenge, so have you removed a number of them?
No. 28 was the maximum number of books left and not total books. I altered 8 categories, but I still have 40 for the SFE challenge:A National Book Award winner -> An Award-Winning Book
A book you haven't read since high school -> A book often read in high school
A book that's under 150 pages -> A collection of short stories
A book that's becoming a movie this year -> A book that was made into a movie
A book you can finish in a day -> a novella
A political memoir -> A historical book
A book at least 100 years older than you -> A book first published in the year you were born
A book from Oprah's Book Club -> A bookclub book
A book and its prequel -> A series book
I tried to not alter the spirit of the category, just make it a bit more reasonable.
Right now my magic number is 17 as I have 10 SFE categories left, 4 for countries and 3 for genres. While 17 is the maximum, I could actually be done in 10 books, but I actually have 3,396 pages left in 11 books to read before I'm finished everything. My spreadsheet might be on the cusp of sentience.
Thanks for the clarification. I am tempted to alter a coupe of mine too, particularly the Oprah one, and A book and its prequel. I'll hang fire for a while, though, and see if something pops up to fit in without having to make changes.
Christa wrote: "Orlok wrote: "Anyway, the way some books are being shoehorned into the SFE categories, I think this one passes with flying colours ;)"Yeah, I think we're at the point of making almost anything wo..."
Yesssss.
:-D
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A YA bestseller - The Last Girl by Joe Hart
A book you haven't read since high school - The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham
A book set in your home state - The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999-2001 by Sue Townsend
A book translated to English - The Corpse Exhibition: And Other Stories of Iraq by Hassan Blasim
A book set in Europe - Don't Point that Thing at Me by Kyril Bonfiglioli
A book that's under 150 pages - The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
A book you can finish in a day - List of the Lost by Morrissey
A book written by a celebrity - The Insider: The Private Diaries of a Scandalous Decade by Piers Morgan
A graphic novel - The Joker: Death of the Family by Scott Snyder
A book that is published in 2016 - Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman
A book and its prequel - The Very First Damned Thing (The Chronicles of St Mary's 0.5) and When a Child is Born (The Chronicles of St Mary's #2.5) by Jodi Taylor
A murder mystery - Death of a Dustman by MC Beaton
A dystopian novel - Strands of Sorrow by John Ringo
A book with a blue cover - The Damsel by Richard Stark
A book of poetry - The Nation's Favourite Poems by Griff Rhys Jones (Foreword)
The first book you see in a bookstore - Disclaimer by Renée Knight
A book from the library - The Spitting Image by Michael Avallone
An autobiography - Shooting Straight by Piers Morgan
A book about a culture you're unfamiliar with - The House of Hunger by Dambudzo Marechera
A book that takes place on an island - Therapy by Sebastian Fitzek
A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy - Don Camillo and the Prodigal Son by Giovannino Guareschi
A book recommended by a family member - The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz.
A National Book Award winner - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy
A book written by a comedian - Dispatches from the Sofa: The Collected Wisdom of Frank Skinner
A book that's becoming a movie this year - A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
A book that takes place during Summer- The Night Stalker by Robert Bryndza
A classic from the 20th century - My Man Jeeves by P.G. Wodehouse
A romance set in the future - Cinder by Marissa Meyer
A book that's more than 600 pages - The City of Mirrors by Justin Cronin
A science-fiction novel - The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North
A self-improvement book - The 4-Hour Work Week by Timothy Ferriss
A book based on a fairy tale - Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
A New York Times bestseller - Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben
A book at least 100 years older than you - Bartleby the Scrivener by Herman Melville (1853)
A book about a road trip - Down Under: Travels in a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson
A political memoir - The Churchill Factor: How One Man Made History by Boris Johnson
A book with a protagonist who has your occupation - The Deadline: A Novel About Project Management by Tom DeMarco
A satirical book - Going Postal by Terry Pratchett
A book from Oprah's Book Club - The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
A book recommended by someone you just met - The Feather Men by Ranulph Fiennes