You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Monthly
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July 2016 REPORTING - Randomiser, Random, Randomiser, You're a Randomiser
I have 1432 books on my to-read list and I generated the number 1429. So pretty much near the end of my list. I read Gena/Finn
I added it to my tbr because I saw a recommendation and review from a booktuber and fit with a challenge category I had for this month.
I was looking forward to this, a book about the fandom / fanfic world and friendships made online which I felt would be relatable, plus told in an unconventional way via blog posts, emails, texts etc.
What I got was badly told story with major plot / character developments that we were told happened rather than experienced, way too much drama that wasn't necessary, unhealthy relationships, an unsatisfactory ending and a lot of really bad poetry.
I'm dissapointed.
Oh no! Sorry to hear, Lynn. Hope your next read is much better! I mean, the only way is up, right?
I have (well, had at the time) 5361 books on my TBR list. The Randomizer gave me number 4683, which was Murder in Christmas River. Since I must have been on a kick of identifying holiday books at the time, 75% of the books above and below this one were Christmas related as well.So, I read the book selected: Murder in Christmas River. It is a cozy mystery that is really about the protagonist. She's a baker who moved back to her hometown after her grandfather (who raised her) fell ill. She opened a pie shop and a couple of years later her marriage broke up. She's still hurting from that as she approaches the 2 year anniversary of finding out.
The town has an annual gingerbread house competition and she competes regularly. That is an ongoing theme through the book. The murder occurs in the prologue, but we don't know who was involved or why. The body isn't discovered right away, so the first half of the book or more is really about Cinnamon, her personal life, and her quest to win the competition this year. When she does discover the body, she doesn't try to investigate it. She has other things going on and leaves that to the police. I liked that last part as too many cozy mysteries include really improbable and stupid decisions by the protagonists.
I mostly have books on my want to read shelf if I already own them. That means it is short(ish). I had 243, I think, and randomizer gave me 125. I chose (will make this a link when I am not on my phone) Just One Look by Harlan Coben. I think I originally added it because I picked it up at a bookcrossing meeting in Philly. I chose it this time since it looked like a quick read that wouldn't work for any missing categories in the year long challenge. I was right on both counts. It is almost 400 pages, but it flew by. And at no point in the book did I suddenly discover a way to put it in the yearlong challenge. Yea!
Beth wrote: "I chose (will make this a link when I am not on my phone) Just One Look by Harlan Coben."There you go, Beth: Just One Look
Sandra wrote: "Beth wrote: "I chose (will make this a link when I am not on my phone) Just One Look by Harlan Coben."There you go, Beth: Just One Look"
Thanks!!!
I have 233 books on my TBR list. The Randomizer chose the number 12, which turned out to be The Midwife's Confession. I am not sure, but believe I added based on a friend's recommendation. My library had an e-copy that I reserved and it became available this weekend. Since I can only check it out for 7 days and this was a long holiday weekend (Independence day in US) I decided to give it a shot.It turned out to be a pretty good story. The main characters are best friends who are dealing with the ramifications of their friend's suicide. They can't understand why she did it. As they are going through her things that discovered that she had a very dark secret. As they continue to research this they discover that she kept many other things from them. They soon realize that they really didn't know their friend at all.
I had 1104 books on my tbr shelf when this challenge was announced. (I now have 1123, lol) Anyway, I rolled #1066, which was a 3rd book in a series and I hadn't read the 2nd one yet. So I went with #1053 which was A Fatal Grace. I added this to my tbr shelf after reading Still Life for the Geo-Cache challenge and enjoyed it so I added the rest of the series to my list.I actually enjoyed this book more than the 1st one in the series. I think with the 1st one it took me awhile to get to know the characters and the rhythm of the writing (if that makes sense). With Fatal Grace, it was like coming back to visit friends in the quaint village where its set. I really like Chief Inspector Gamache and have to say that he kind of reminds me of Miss Marple. I'm not sure exactly why, except he sees things a lot of people don't but keeps his thoughts to himself, not even revealing them to the reader, until the time is right.
Anyway, it was a 4 star read for me and can't wait to read more in the series.
Rolled 389/771 and picked: Altered Carbon which by happenstance I recently picked up in ebook format due to a sale. It was not something I'd typically jump into but I really enjoyed it. The story was crime/scifi and packed with action from start to finish. The main character was really interesting and I gave it a solid 4 stars. Will def read more in this series.
I rolled 417/440 and chose #431 The Improbability of Love. I added it to my TBR list because it was short-listed for the Bailey's/Orange Prize and a personal goal is to read all the short-listed books for this award.I liked the book, but it didn't rock my world. The story centers on a girl who finds a lost work of art, the people who want the painting, and the art world in general. There were a lot of references to different works of art and artists which I found interesting and kept googling, so I felt I received a mini course in art history, but the story kept repeating its self and I ended up skimming sections.
Overall, it ended up being a nice beach read for my vacation.
I rolled 77 which was The Knife of Never Letting Go. I decided to go a bit higher (and thus longer on my list), and picked 57 which was Still Life With Murder. I don't exactly remember why I added it to my list, except that I was aware of the book because I had similar titles on my shelves. It came up as a freebie on Kindle daily deal and I snagged it. It had been waiting for me to read ever since.I really enjoyed it. I liked that the main characters were flawed, but still likeable. The mystery was good. I followed the red herring, sure I was on the right track right up to the reveal. I will be reading more in the series. *sigh* Another series started.
I read Grave Sight. I added it to my tbr some years ago in a time when I added lots of cozy mysteries but never really thought of it again. Didn't expect too much of it but I felt like reading something short and light, and from the 6 or so books I owned from the 41, this seemed to fit my mood. I was pleasantly surprised, and I will go on with the series.
I had 132 books on my TBR list. My random number was 20. I decided to read #35 The Season by Sarah MacLean. My favorite two genres are regency romances and romantic suspense. If I can combine those two genres into one books, I'm ecstatic! Which is probably why The Season was on my TBR list.I enjoyed reading the story and it kept my attention through to the end, but it wasn't anything special. High society young ladies back then had such strict rules, and I don't like it when the author's writing has those rules flouted and the girl's reputation survives. Some of the things that the heroine does could never have happened. Oh well, I guess that's why it's called 'fiction' :)
I had 87 books on my list, and got #43 as my number. I had a $4 B&N credit and the ebook was only $2.99, so I went ahead and picked up the book that fell in that spot, I See Me.I couldn't remember anything about the book or why I had added it in the first place, which was kind of fun. It wasn't until half-way through the story, when the main character meets the main character of another series, that I realized I was reading a crossover by an author I like.
The story was okay, but it lacked that something special which makes the other series so great. Without the wry, self-depreciating humor of the main series, this one veered into "angsty teen drama" rather than "self-indulgent, adult romance." The book also relied heavily on the world building of the main series, precluding readers who hadn't read previous stories despite being marketed as a stand alone series.
It wasn't bad, and I'll probably read the others just to make sure I don't miss anything that crops back up in the main series. But on its own, I don't think I'd recommend this one.
I had 236 books on my TBR pile and the random number generator gave me #117. As a result I read Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. I had been given this book a long time ago and it is literally falling apart from age and use. I think it once belonged in a school library - it was well worn/thumbed.Given that it is such a classic and I have loved Vonnegut's other works, I was keen to read this one. While it is a great satirical work, I didn't enjoy the format of the writing as much as his other works. It was choppy and disjointed - intentionally - but I found that made it difficult for me to get into the story and connect with the characters. His wry voice, irony and wit are still very much alive in the story which made it worth finishing.
Sam F wrote: "I had 236 books on my TBR pile and the random number generator gave me #117. As a result I read Cat's Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut. I had been given this book a long time ..."That is a good one!!!
Loving reading about your reads!
The random number generator gave me 102, from my TBR list of 107. Book #102 is The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt. I decided to go with this book as it was as good a choice as any. I recently picked this book up at a garage sale because I recognized the author. The blurb on the back of the book indicated that this is a suspenseful nonfiction story about a 1996 fire at one of old opera houses in Venice. In actuality, the book was more about the city of Venice itself and its culture. Much of the story focussed on some of city's more famous or eccentric inhabitants, including Ezra Pound and his mistress. This was an easy read. I found the most interesting sections to be those about the city itself.
I have 128 books on my TBR, the randomiser turned up #46 so I read From Baghdad, With Love: A Marine, the War, and a Dog Named Lava which was #60 on my list.I heard about
through YLTO - I think Cherie mentioned it. It sounded like a sweet story from an interesting perspective.I really liked it (4 stars) it is a great story about a US marine in Baghdad, the puppy he adopted while serving in Fallujah Iraq and all the people who helped him bring the puppy home, including Anne Garrels a reporter on NPR.
The story manages to be heartwarming and optimistic even as it literally lays out some of the horrors of war. There is tension and surprise even though the author tells, right at the start, how their story ends.
I am, also, working on Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas which is #50 on my list. It is messing with my head so I am not sure I will finish it.
I had 48 books on my TBR, and the randomizer gave me 47. I decided to read Secrets of a Charmed Life, but I don't actually remember which number it was. I promise it was one of the ones nearby! Anyway, I rated this book 5 stars. I really enjoyed it, I downloaded an audiobook copy from my library and found myself looking for excuses to listen to it, I even spent extra time cleaning my house just to listen to it longer. It is about a young girl in London during WWII, and her separation from her younger sister. She spends years searching for her and blaming herself for their separation. It is an excellent story about WWII, sisterly love, and forging yourself.
I enjoy historical fiction, and have read many books about events during WWII, but this is the first one I have read that takes place in the U.K. If you enjoy historical fiction and WWII era books, I strongly recommend this book.
Spending additional time cleaning just to have an excuse to listen longer to your book is quite the endorsement!
I agree!Sounds like most people have had a successful month so far. So very pleased!
Lara wrote: "Spending additional time cleaning just to have an excuse to listen longer to your book is quite the endorsement!"Miracle!
I've just finished a (very) random book called The House on Cold Hill. A book I won't forget in a hurry - mainly for the wrong reasons.. I gave it 2 stars. If you want to read my review, it's here:
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm happy to get this book off my TBR list. I'm glad it was an audiobook, otherwise I would not have stuck with it. And I'm pleased it was a free audiobook from my local library.
; )
Apologies if this is your favourite book of all time - but I think I deserve a badge just for finishing it (lol) !!
I liked your review and the warning at the end, Annerlee. I am definitely not a fan of haunted house stories. The title alone would probably never have made it onto my TBR list. After reading the summary, NO WAY!I always like to see what people are reading though, and see what they have to say.
Cherie wrote: "I liked your review and the warning at the end, Annerlee. I am definitely not a fan of haunted house stories. The title alone would probably never have made it onto my TBR list..."Thanks Cherie. Reading this book definitely stretched me.
I like keeping my reading varied, but will stay clear of haunted houses for a while and will give the author a wide berth in future. I think you've made a wise decision.
Annerlee wrote: "Apologies if this is your favourite book of all time - but I think I deserve a badge just for finishing it (lol) !! "Lol. Noted ;)
Sorry it wasn't the best read for you Annerlee, but at least it's off the list!
I had 207 books on my TBR and the random number generator gave me 145. I decided to read book #139 which was Plague Land.I added it to my TBR after it came up as a recommendation on Goodreads. I love me a medieval murder mystery and this one sounded promising so it's not surprising that it ended up on my TBR.
Unfortunately, it turned out to not be as good as I hoped. On the positive side, it was a quick read and I felt that the author did a good job of bringing the post-Black Death England to life, as well as the superstitions and fears that were at the forefront of life in the 14th century. It's a shame that this solid grasp of the time period did not also extend to the characters, particularly the hero, who I personally felt came across as far too modern. A couple of the female characters were also really irritating which grated on me a bit. I also felt that it was too easy to guess the culprit. I actually wrote down on a piece of paper who I thought it was when I was around the 25% mark and I then spent the rest of the book really hoping I was wrong but sadly, I wasn't. I didn't guess their motive though so that was something. This is the first book in a series but I'm not sure if I will continue with it. I gave it a low 3 stars.
My random number was 560, and I read The Dinner from somewhere among the twenty books above it. I added it in April 2015 since it was picked by my RL book club, but never read it since I knew before hand I couldn't attend that month meeting. I knew everyone in the club liked it, so I really wanted to read it a some point.
I rated it 3 - 3.5 stars. It was disturbing. Very disturbing. It's hard to talk about the book without spoiling it. But I'll try. I liked the way the author slowly builds the atmosphere. I liked the way it made me think so many times what I would have done in the same situation. And I liked how different I see the characters at the end of the book, comparing with the beginning of it. I think the ending and a couple of details in the plot prevented me to rate it 4 stars.
I've been recommended to read Summer House with Swimming Pool by the same author, but I'm not sure I want to read it. Maybe in a year or so. Let's see.
Great challenge, Rus!
Sandra - Everything I see about The Dinner indicates that they hated all of the characters. I have had it on my TBR list for a long, long time. I think I have it on CD somewhere in my den/office/extra room. For me, it will be a "someday" read. At least it is off your list and behind you now. :)
I liked it, Cherie, but it was also disturbing. And I can see why many people gives it 5 stars. I'm not in a rush to read more by this author, though.
Annerlee wrote: "I've just finished a (very) random book called The House on Cold Hill. A book I won't forget in a hurry - mainly for the wrong reasons.. I gave it 2 stars. If you want to read my ..."
Apologies if this is your favourite book of all time - but I think I deserve a badge just for finishing it (lol) !!
:-))))))))
i have 150 books on my tbr and the random num is 116i chose St. Peter's Fair.
my second book of the Brother Cadfael series.i found the book entertaining and enjoyable.i think i will read another random book from the series someday soon.glad to discover a new series..
the characters , the period, the setting ...were all good.
the mystery was fine like Agatha Christie..of the cozy variety not thrilling kind...
the ending was dramatic...on the whole though i liked the book and gave it 3 stars
I read My Beloved Brontosaurus: On the Road with Old Bones, New Science, and Our Favorite Dinosaurs. I seem to have misplaced my notes on my cluttered desk, so I'm not sure about exact numbers, but I started with around 300 books on my TBR, and my random number was 110. My Beloved Brontosaurus was in the right range. I picked up a used copy of the book several years ago, because I could relate to the title. As a kid, my friends and my brother and I played with toy dinosaurs, and I knew all their names, and brontosaurus was popular. The author also loved dinosaurs as a boy, and all his life, and has compiled an impressive amount of information about them, and about how recent discoveries have changed what is believed about them. The brontosaurus skeleton he was so impressed by in his youth has been "fixed." Someone had put the wrong skull on the skeleton and the naming was iffy. Now it's an apatosaurus, and we know it didn't really live in swamps and wasn't slow and stupid and probably did not drag its tail. The book explains at some length how paleontologists have figured out that so much of what they used to think was wrong, and explains why they think what they think now. Some of it is not that hard to accept--like dinosaurs with feathers--but I am skeptical of the guys who claim they can tell what color some of the feathers were. (There is an explanation for how they reached their conclusions, but I didn't understand it.)
I give the book four stars. I'm glad I finally read it. I've been meaning to for a while, but this challenge gave me the impetus to actually do it. Thanks, Rusalka.
I had 984 books on my TBR and my number for the challenge was 863. I chose to read The Fireman (#860) by Joe Hill. This was my first book by Joe Hill and quite a chunkster (752 pages or 22 hrs and 20 mins on audio). I am so glad I decided to read it. Even though it was long, it kept me engaged the entire time. I had a couple of minor issues with the story, but it didn't take away from my enjoyment at all. I considered giving it four stars due to those issues, but didn't feel that was really fair since I didn't want to put the book down and lost sleep just thinking about it even when I wasn't reading. So, I ended up giving it the full five.
I look forward to reading more by Joe Hill in the future. NOS4A2 has been recommended to me and I already own it, so I'll probably start there.
Kristie wrote: "I had 984 books on my TBR and my number for the challenge was 863. I chose to read The Fireman (#860) by Joe Hill. This was my first book by Joe Hill and quite a chunkster..."I have The Fireman on my to read list too, but don't own it yet. I'd really like to read it sooner rather than later, especially after reading the glowing reviews, but I'm already reading 2 chunksters ('The Stand' and 'Moby Dick') at the moment and am falling behind on the yearly challenge.
I know it's a bit far off, but I'm thinking of having a deep read / chunkster year in 2017. There are so many thick tomes I'd like to read and do justice to.
I need a chunkster read too, Annerlee. I have so many that I keep putting off reading. I own The Fireman in audio, but I also have his NOSFA2 to listen to first.
@Annerlee @Cherie I must agree... me too
Sounds like a fun challenge! I do not dare be tempted with all the books I have committed to this and next month. I hope you do this again soon!Ok, I'm a sucker for punishment and had to check it out. #370 - The Well of Being: A Children's Book for Adults
. It has a high rating, I'll see if I can check it out from the library...And it's not in the local library system. Maybe I can do an inter-library loan, maybe it has to wait. :)
My choices were:615 True Grit
624 The Savage Garden
643 The Drowning Pool
I read The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald and gave it four stars.
Mine was 717, but that book wasn't available from my library. So, I chose 713 The Academy by Bentley Little.Bentley is one twisted guy. This book was as twisted as they come. A great horror story with a satisfying ending. I'm never disappointed when I read Bentley. Horror fans will love him.
My number for the challenge was 114, I chose 134 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex This was a horrifying and heartbreaking story....so hard to believe it was true.
Kulbir wrote: "My number for the challenge was 114, I chose 134 In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex This was a horrifying and heartbreaking story....so hard to believe it was ..."it sounds very intesting ..
:( another one to my tbr...
I had 296 books on my TBR and my random number was 54, which is a book in the middle of a series that I haven't read yet.I saw there a sign that I had to finish my series; one in this list was the next in a series that I am reading.
I read L'Enfant allemand by Camilla Lackberg.
I liked it, but this was clearly not my favourite in the series; it was much slower than the others and told in two different stories; one in 1944 and one now. I felt a bit lost in it and when I finally was in the story, I found the end quite predictive, which is not good in a crime story.
I gave it three stars; up to the next one now.
I read Monsieur Ibrahim and The Flowers of the Qur'an. I've had it on my TBR and in my book shelf for years now and I'm glad I finally got to read it. It was ok. Not too good, not too bad.
It looks interesting.. the title and the blurb
Casceil wrote: "I read My Beloved Brontosaurus: On the Road with Old Bones, New Science, and Our Favorite Dinosaurs. I seem to have misplaced my notes on my cluttered desk, so I'm not sure about ex..."I'm really glad you enjoyed this one!
Almeta wrote: "I read The Drowning Pool by Ross Macdonald and gave it four stars. "Can you tell us a little about it, or why you put it on your list? Did it live up to expectations? Seriously only after a sentence :)
My TBR was 3098. My random number came up as 2930. I chose to read the book at #2914, Orhan's Inheritance
I bought this book at a library book sale. I thought it sounded interesting and I liked the cover. It called to me.
This book is a debut novel. I liked the story very much and it was easy to read. It had a nice flow. It is a dual story line, with the main part of the book, set in 1915 Turkey and relates some of the horrors of the Armenian Christians' relocation and subsequent genocide, at the hands of the Turk government of the time. (It is not overly graphic, but there are some uncomfortable, brutal moments.) The present day timeline is 1990. The main character, Orhan, who is a Turk, is forced to go see a woman in Los Angeles, California, to get her to sign over the papers for his families' house and property that his grandfather left to her. No one in his family knows who she is, nor why Grandfather Dede, had included her in his will.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Goldeneye (other topics)Goldeneye (other topics)
The Namesake (other topics)
Private (other topics)
Goldeneye (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Jhumpa Lahiri (other topics)Aldous Huxley (other topics)
Jenny Lawson (other topics)
Bentley Little (other topics)
Nora Roberts (other topics)
More...
Right. So. RANDOMISER TIME! Do NOT touch your numbering on your TBR List from this point on, until you settle on your books.
Head to your "My Books" page. Look at how many books are on your To Read list. If you're not sure, you can see here on your sidebar:
Okay, now head to https://www.random.org/ I want you to enter in 1 as your miniumum number, and your number of books on your To Read list as your maximum. So for me it looks like:
Then hit generate. So my example generates 1051.
I'm going to head back to my To Read list. I am going to sort my To Read list by the # (number) on the left hand of your list. Click on it to sort by number, by clicking here:
Edit -
If this number column doesn't appear go up to the right hand side and click the "Enabling Sorting" option here (thanks Sandra!)
- Here endeth the edit
Now navigate to your number you have generated. For me, that's 1051. As it's a 4 digit number, and it only shows 4 you can see here what I get.
So that is your number. You can look at the 20 books below AND above your number. The challenge for this month is to read one of those 41 books.
Read it. Tell us why you added it. Tell us what you think. Stop singing Britney Spears.
Questions? Comments?
Edit: Of course the normal rules apply, but they are:
General Rules:
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be in any genre.
3. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Geocaching Challenge.
4. The book must be read between July 1 - 31 2016 (based on your own time zone).
5. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose.
Sorry for not stating earlier - end edit.