Group Challenge 2017

[Margo]

It is a fantastic book, but then i am a King fan.

[Lorraine]

I have read none of those books Maria but The Gallows Curse would be my pick.
I'm reading my first King this year. I have 200 pages to go on The Stand. It isn't horror, it's dystopian.
What about The Silence of the Lambs, that was creepy.

[Margo]

Lorraine wrote: "I have read none of those books Maria but The Gallows Curse would be my pick.
I'm reading my first King this year. I have 200 pages to go on The Stand. It isn't horror, it's dystopia..."

IMO The Stand is both dystonian and horror. It's also brilliant ;-)

[Lorraine]

What do you think of Insomnia? I have that book in the house maybe for later in the year.
I suppose when I think of a horror book I imagine something like the Saw movies.

[Maria Hill]

A lot of people HATE insomnia. It's considered one of the problem books. SK had a drug abuse problem and some of the books written just before and just after he got clean get classified as problem books. I think this one was written on the just clean side?

I read it twice and actually remember quite liking it (or I wouldn't have reread) - I don't remember it being much of a horror story though. I was just fascinated with the description of insomnia in the book - SK was suffering from it at the time so it was something he knew about. Ever since when I have insomnia - my mind goes back to the descriptions in the book. So it did leave an impact - just not storywise.

[Margo]

Maria wrote: "A lot of people HATE insomnia. It's considered one of the problem books. SK had a drug abuse problem and some of the books written just before and just after he got clean get classified as problem ..."

I've never read that one but now I want to!

[Margo]

Finished my first historic read as it is due back to library tomorrow. It was The Ruby in Her Navel by Barry Unsworth. I was trying to really challenge myself as this is a favorite category for me. I chose this book because the author was new to me and he was a former booker prize winner. Well, this book was everything I would expect fron a prize winning novelist - well reserched, technically well written and really, really tedious. It was certinly challenging - I had difficulty staying awake for Andrew Sachs rather flat narration.

Hope the second book I chose, The Diary of Adam and Eve will be better.

[Maria Hill]

You had me until "really, really tedious" - Oh well maybe the next category will be better.

[Trelawn]

If you want a decent narration by Andrew Sachs, listen to him read the Harry and The Dinosaurs books ;-)

[Margo]

Trelawn wrote: "If you want a decent narration by Andrew Sachs, listen to him read the Harry and The Dinosaurs books ;-)"

I'll add them Trelawn lol In fairness to Sachs, I don't think even Steven Fry could make this one interesting.

[Susan]

That review really made me laugh. It sounds excellent until you get to the really tedious part.

[Margo]

Susan wrote: "That review really made me laugh. It sounds excellent until you get to the really tedious part."

I wanted to be sure people understood how good his research was - to be fair it was a solid chunk of history - it just didn't interest me ;-)

[Maria Hill]

Okay, I think the Historian won, with a History of Loneliness a close second, the Gallows Curse third and an Almond for a Parrot last with no votes. I'll probably start the Historian today as I am having a I feel unwell and want to curl up with a good book day.

[Margo]

Yay - the Historian sounds really good Maria.

[Paul]

New genre starts tomorrow officially :-).
I'll open a thread in the morning.

[Trelawn]

I hope you enjoy The Historian Maria. I loved it.

[Susan]

I guess so, Cphe. I've done my historical novel already and now realize the challenge hasn't even started. We're real go getters.

[Paul]

Yep Historicalpstarts today. But proactiveness is never a bad thing :-)

[Andy]

:) thats ok, makes up for me not having finished "travel" yet

[SherryRose]

I'll start The Baker's Daughter this weekend

[Myra]

I'm still plowing my way through Finding Rebecca. Most of the story takes place around 1934-1938 (at least 1938 is about where I am in the book). The story goes back and forth through time, a feature that I enjoy in books. Keeps me on my toes. The book takes place in England and Germany. Ugh. Sad.

I'm liking this book, but not loving it. A few characters, the German ex-pats in England, are putting me on edge, because they are kind of unbelievable. Maybe it's the cultural difference, so I'm just "not getting" these people.

I will finish the book because I want to know what happens to Rebecca.

[Paul]

Sorry Cphe I didnt see your post. But it is about time to announce the next genre.
Drumroll ............
The next genre is Fantasy and will start the 27th March for 6 weeks.
Looking forward to seeing peoples choices .

[Maria Hill]

The Golem and the Jinni is sitting on my shelf begging to be read. It's under quite a few books so its cries are muffled :)

[Paul]

Good choice. It went down well as a monthly read in my other grouo

[Margo]

Great - one of my favourite genres ;-D

I'm going to read The Probable Future , Hoffman is a new-to-me author, and magical realism is not usually my thing. My second will be Tales from the Perilous Realm. This is a collection of short stories set in middle-earth -I usually don't enjoy short stories - keen to see if the genious of Tolkien can change my mind!

[Trelawn]

I think I'll read with A Darker Shade of Magic or Drakenfeld. Both by new authors for me.

[Margo]

Drakenfeld sounds good- I've added it. I read A Darker Shade of Magic.

[Paul]

I really enjoyed Drakenfeld and its sequel. An odd locked room mystery and nice to see a fantasy setting so different to the usual .

[Margo]

hmm - a fantasy/mystery. Now I really want to read it.

[Maria Hill]

I am very confused about genre. I always blame this on bookshops who put say Sci Fi and Fantasy together, thus I thought time travel was fantasy rather than Sci Fi.

So mostly I check a book in goodreads to see what genre people seem to classify it as most.

[Margo]

The line between the 2 is very blurred but time travel is definitely sci-fi. Paul tells me Star Wars is sci-fi fantasy as it takes place on made up worlds. It's all very confusing.

[Colleen]

Time travel can also be travel :)

[Maria Hill]

:) See it's really confusing!

Plus I think I remember Paul saying that the Fireman was Dystopian rather than horror. Joe Hill says it's Horror. Though in this case I think Paul is right.

[Margo]

I think the fireman fits both catagories. Horror to many people means supernatural; the horror in that story was distinctly human! I wonder if it be classed as sci-fi as well as its about an imaginary virus? Have i made it any clearer? LOL

[Paul]

Some books just blur the boundaries. Not always a bad thing.
Definitely don't think Fireman was horror though. :-)

[Maria Hill]

Paul wrote: "Some books just blur the boundaries. Not always a bad thing.
Definitely don't think Fireman was horror though. :-)"

I agree.

[Margo]

You're right - the best defy classification ;-)

[Colleen]

I like how a lot of books I want to read fit in more than one genre , I feel if I don't get to it I might fit in later in the challenge .
I know a lot of people including Paul that doesn't consider The Fireman horror but because won best horror on GR I will read it then but I will also read The Call :)

[Colleen]

I think for Fantasy I will read The Name of the Wind and then The Stolen Child also I'm ashamed to admit this but I have never read Harry Potter hopefully I will change this :)

[Paul]

Name of the Wind is a masterpiece .
I really hope you like it .

[Maria Hill]

For Sci Fi , I am thinking and - as they are spoken about so much.

For horror I have loads on shelves but I still think I shoud read as I have never read it and as it was spoken about a lot but I never got to it.

[Maria Hill]

Mmh I may add to my Fantasy section in April after the - as I see Goodreads classifies it as Fantasy as well as Horror.

[Andy]

Im looking at Eirelan which IS set in a future Ireland but the blurg reads more like a h/f novel so I may swap out for another yet......

[Maria Hill]

Andy wrote: "Im looking at Eirelan which IS set in a future Ireland but the blurg reads more like a h/f novel so I may swap out for another yet......"

Eirelan looks good and would be interested in hearing about it if you do read it.

[Andy]

Maria wrote: "Andy wrote: "Im looking at Eirelan which IS set in a future Ireland but the blurg reads more like a h/f novel so I may swap out for another yet......"

Eirelan looks good and would ..."

I'll read for sure as I bought it recently, jus not sure about for the challenge as its 800 pages....... i normally have to be in the right frame to take on a brick :D

[Maria Hill]

Thanks Andy, it's quite hard to get a copy of - so I would love to hear what it's like before I go to the effort.

[Andy]

:) Yes I bought it & Fin Gall with some Xmas tokens..... a perfect excuse to purchase a coupla hard to get hold of books I thought, both being on my radar for some time..... plus the challenge helped sway my mind.

[Maria Hill]

Meanwhile, I have come across my copy of Arcadia - which I may read instead of Slade House after Golem and the Jinni.

But only if I have lots of time as its about 600 pages.

I physically own - Way too many books!

[Andy]

Those looking for a diffo read I would recomm Mythago Wood which I quite enjoyed as a one off story - a short review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Paul]

No such thing as too many books Maria :-)