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Group Challenges & Discussions > Orlok's 2016 SFE Challenge

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message 51: by Orlok (last edited Apr 28, 2016 03:42PM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments #16 and 17:

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

I was going to use the Morrissey book as the celebrity choice, but I decided this morning to start from the beginning again (I had only read a few pages) and see if I could read it in a day. I had a long train journey ahead of me, so it was doable. And I did it :)


message 52: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Nicely done! :)


message 53: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Nice one Orlok.


message 54: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments Good job!


message 55: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Thanks all.

Just started The World of Don Camillo which is my book that's "guaranteed to bring you joy". I remember this very fondly from my youth. It's not quite living up to the memory so far, but I'm only a few pages in, so I'll persevere...


message 56: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments Orlok wrote: "Thanks all.

Just started The World of Don Camillo which is my book that's "guaranteed to bring you joy". I remember this very fondly from my youth. It's not quite living up to the memory so far, ..."


:-(

I went with a book that I've read lately. I hate the Suck Fairy.


message 57: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Haha! I like the idea of the Suck Fairy (or not, as the case may be). Got to be careful using that expression in context, though... :)


message 58: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I have to agree. That the idea of the Suck Fairy is great, but context is important.


message 59: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)


message 60: by Orlok (last edited May 03, 2016 07:51AM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Aha! So that's who she is :)


message 61: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments It's an awesome concept.


message 62: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments Isn't it???


message 63: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments #18 - Don Camillo and the Prodigal Son by Giovannino Guareschi. I read this as a teenager, and had very fond memories of its humour and warmth. I have to admit to not finding it as good this time round, but it still resonated to an extent, and so I'll still claim it for the "A book that's guaranteed to bring you joy" category.


message 64: by HomeInMyShoes (last edited May 13, 2016 06:50AM) (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments You're still three books ahead of schedule on the SFE challenge.


message 65: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Thanks :)

Been looking at the categories again, and these are the ones I'm going to struggle with/don't want to do. I'm giving serious consideration to modifying them like you did:

A book that's becoming a movie this year - difficult to identify
A book recommended by someone you just met - short of going up to a stranger in the street, not sure how to get this one
A self-improvement book - just bleugh
A political memoir - ditto
A book at least 100 years older than you - did they even write books that long ago?
A book from Oprah's Book Club - don't like the choices much


message 66: by HomeInMyShoes (last edited May 13, 2016 09:06AM) (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments ^MrsJoseph read The Little Prince. I might read that one this year just for good measure. I thought that category was way too narrow and given the hollywood penchant for superheroes and more superheroes it seemed useless as a category to me. I removed the year constraint.

I was lucky for the stranger one. The regular book readers on the bus was going to be my fallback.

I'm not much for self-improvement either. We'll see what people think of my selection for this because it might be the last one I cross off.

I killed political memoir for a book on history. My history book ended up having some politics in it, but not a political memoir. I suffered through Obama's book a few years back. Just so boring.

I killed the 100 year one too, allthough I could find one, something pre-1870 is painful. I am reading Crime and Punishment which was 1866 right now, but that's for 600+ pages. I changed that to a book published the year I was born.

I just changed Oprah to any bookclub and did one of the MobileRead ones: Eucalyptus. I've read a few of the selections previously. I'd be interested to read the Joyce Carol Oates selection and I'd recommend A Fine Balance and The Road from the ones I've read.


message 67: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments If you remove the year requirement and just make it "recent" you can read The Martian. The Little Prince is supposed to come out this year. Also Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children is being released.

Edge of Tomorrow was adapted from All You Need Is Kill which would then also count as a translation.

I decided to change "just met" into either "someone who I don't normally take recs from" OR "via GR sent rec from relative stranger that I didn't ask for"

I still might make self-improvement because I have another book on Mindfulness I want to get to.

Political book? No. Not unless it was a comedian.

I have been meaning to read Dante's Inferno, so... Probably won't happen.

Oprah's bookclub? No.


message 68: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I've got it... Don't Start the Revolution Without Me! by Jesse Ventura as political memoir. O_o


message 69: by Orlok (last edited May 13, 2016 09:35AM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments HomeInMyShoes wrote: "^MrsJoseph read The Little Prince. I might read that one this year just for good measure. I thought that category was way too narrow and given the hollywood penchant for superheroes a..."

Which category was that for? (Ah, just seen MrsJoseph's reply - movie this year).

I've read The Road, but Eucalyptus has peaked my interest :)


message 70: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments MrsJoseph wrote: "If you remove the year requirement and just make it "recent" you can read The Martian. The Little Prince is supposed to come out this year. Also [book:Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children|94..."

I've read the Martian (last year), and The Little Prince and Miss Peregrine seem a bit too much like kids books to me (my wife read Peregrine to our youngest daughter last year). All You Need is Kill, however...much more like it :)


message 71: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Miss Peregrine's was a decent enough read for me. It's not really adult as you say.

A Fine Balance is a great read. It's an award winner (Giller) too.


message 72: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments So many choices, so little time...


message 73: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Pick, read, cross off the list. That's my plan.

Outside of the challenge, I would still recommend A Fine Balance. It still has a place on my favourites shelf.


message 74: by Orlok (last edited May 13, 2016 10:57AM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Outside of the challenge, I would still recommend A Fine Balance. It still has a place on my favourites shelf."

Okay, your persistence has paid off :) Added to my do-not-forget (want to read) list.


message 75: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments Orlok wrote: "I've read the Martian (last year), and The Little Prince and Miss Peregrine seem a bit too much like kids books to me (my wife read Peregrine to our youngest daughter last year). All You Need is Kill, however...much more like it :)

The Little Prince is a lot more adult than I remember as a child. It really had me feeling sad. There are a lot of adult topics handled in very interesting way. But mainly it seems to be about love and death, so...

All You Need is Kill was...very different from the movie. But good. And there are some shocking parts that you don't get in the movie.


message 76: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments #19 - A book set in your home state, The Lost Diaries of Adrian Mole, 1999-2001 by Sue Townsend. Actually set 18 miles from where I live.


message 77: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I wish my home state were more interesting. The number of books I've got to choose from is incredibly slim.


message 78: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Half way there with "The Nation's Favourite Poems by Griff Rhys Jones (Foreword)". Not sure how to rate this one - I was moved by a handful of the 100 poems, liked a few more, and could take or leave the rest. Still glad I read it, anyway.


message 79: by Orlok (last edited May 23, 2016 10:43AM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments I took legal advice (well, Christa and MrsJoseph), and am now claiming 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 as my "book and its prequel" challenge.

#21 nailed!


message 80: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Excellent! :)


message 81: by MrsJoseph *grouchy*, Resident Book Pusher (new)

MrsJoseph *grouchy* (mrsjoseph) | 3289 comments HomeInMyShoes wrote: "I wish my home state were more interesting. The number of books I've got to choose from is incredibly slim."

^This

I could read Kiss the Girls which is set in my hometown but blegh.


message 82: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments MrsJoseph wrote: "I could read Kiss the Girls which is set in m..."

I agree. I just can't face another James (quantity not quality) Patterson.


message 83: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Five books ahead of the pace. You're really starting to move through the list.


message 84: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments #22

A book recommended by a family member - The Girl in the Spider's Web by David Lagercrantz.

Recommended by me Mum :)


message 85: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Youll be dond in no time. So was the recommendation any good?


message 86: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments I gave it 3 stars. Was quite enjoyable but not as good as Larsson himself, sadly deceased. She thought I would enjoy it because of all the Hacking stuff and computer talk, which at times was a bit beyond her. I suppose at 80 that's not really surprising :)


message 87: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I give her a thumbs up for reading hacking and computer stuff at 80.


message 88: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments #23: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy - A National Book Award winner

#24: Dispatches from the Sofa: The Collected Wisdom of Frank Skinner - A book written by a comedian


message 89: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments Shazam!


message 90: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Shazam!"

Shazam - a tv show that started in 1974 featuring Jackson Bostwick, who I was in a movie with many years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazam!...

Random fact delivered.


message 91: by Orlok (last edited Jun 16, 2016 10:10AM) (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Christa wrote: "HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Shazam!"

Shazam - a tv show that started in 1974 featuring Jackson Bostwick, who I was in a movie with many years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazam!...

Random fact delivered. "


Come on, you can't leave it there! What movie - I had no idea you had acted?


message 92: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I am reminded of The Kids in the Hall where they would occassionally have an "It's a Fact" snippet.


message 93: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Orlok wrote: "Come on, you can't leave it there! What movie - I had no idea you had acted? "

LOL It was just one movie. I've also been in a couple of competition shorts. I loved acting but I strongly dislike being in any sort of entertainment / show business so I didn't pursue it further.

The movie still has yet to be released, it remains caught in distribution hell. If that ever changes, you'll be the first to know. :)

I just found it an interesting coincidence that Homey posted "Shazam!" not even half an hour after I was texting with the film's director because his birthday was yesterday.


message 94: by Christa, The Renewed (last edited Jun 16, 2016 11:24AM) (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Oh, and here. Links to competition shorts:

Abraham Lincoln: Guilty Conscience
I did the musical score, and starred as the nurse at the end. I also designed the labels and chose the name for the bottles in one part. :D
"Concept" piece for 48 hr Film Festival. Requirements we drew are in the video description.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-6EL...

Z CORPS
I was a zombie. Also for a 48Hr Film Fest. Genre drawn was Mockumentary, the team chose to use that for satire about racism.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4Y0h...

Edited to add: I also designed the Z-Corps logo and the... iconic poster.


message 95: by DoodlePanda (new)

DoodlePanda | 1226 comments Christa wrote: "HomeInMyShoes wrote: "Shazam!"

Shazam - a tv show that started in 1974 featuring Jackson Bostwick, who I was in a movie with many years ago.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazam!...

Rand..."


Wait what?? You are in a movie?? :D


message 96: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Yes, a movie that will probably never be seen outside of one festival viewing that it played not long after it was made. :) Don't think Hollywood, here. It was an indie production with all the hard work, sweat and tears that comes with it. I'm glad I was able to do it but I have ZERO desire to do it again.


message 97: by DoodlePanda (new)

DoodlePanda | 1226 comments Christa wrote: "Yes, a movie that will probably never be seen outside of one festival viewing that it played not long after it was made. :) Don't think Hollywood, here. It was an indie production with all the hard..."

That is sooo cool! :D


message 98: by HomeInMyShoes (new)

HomeInMyShoes | 2759 comments I agree. Very cool.


message 99: by Orlok (new)

Orlok | 555 comments Christa wrote: "Oh, and here. Links to competition shorts:

Abraham Lincoln: Guilty Conscience
I did the musical score, and starred as the nurse at the end. I also designed the labels and chose the name for the bo..."


Hilarious! Who wouldn't want to be a zombie at least once in their life? Do let us know if the movie gets out of production, please.


message 100: by Christa, The Renewed (new)

Christa (christaw) | 1457 comments Of course I will! Though I've mostly given up hope of that happening at this point. :/ But it could! :)

Being a zombie was loads of fun. :D Another fun fact: "Hippie Zombie" in Z Corps is Lincoln Parish, formerly of Cage the Elephant. (He was still with the band at that time.)


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