Goodreads Ireland discussion
Genre Challenge 2017
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Group Challenge 2017
I agree that if we bundle genres together it means people will more than likely stick to what they know. The point of a challenge is to try new things. If a lot of people are absolutely against a genre then OK we leave in out but if we just pick what we love already, then it's not much of a challenge
I would wonder if the monthly reads are genre specific maybe the challenge should be different so as not to impact the monthly reads. that's if the change goes ahead
Well we could have a genre challenge and then did themed monthly reads like prize winners or female authors or posthumously published etc
ya that would work, once there is a difference should be ok
It'll make things a bit different which is not necessarily a bad thing. We'll see how it goes.
Very true. And hopefully we get a lot of input for both, no point anyone giving out about any decisions who have avoided the discussions
Historical FictionContemporary Fiction
Crime/ thriller
Fantasy
Sci fi
Autobiography/biography
Classic
Horror
Travel book
Thoughts???
Travel is a great add on to what I would have thought anyway. I think that list covers all the bases I had in mind anyway. And as there are nine maybe we can drop the one most want to avoid .
The Martian would be a prime example although maybe making it Scifi / dystopic fiction may work.
I don't think we should do nine, just naming viable possibilities. 7 or 8 would be more manageable.
Also with scifi the classics can work quite well. HG Welles is very good, and Frankenstein is one of the best scifi books ever . Add dystopic fiction in there and it opens up Atwood, Ray Bradbury and a million other non alien books
I'd like to think this can be the sort of challenge that will make people think outside the box for their choices and eliminating " challenging " genres could defeat that .
Yeah 6 weeks a book sounds reasonable I think .
That works for me. So of the nine listed, what goes?
The answer will vary for everyone but i would say get rid of Classic as technically every other section except contemporary can have a classic as the choice.
And I say keep classic because it'll make you read one!!
Well in order to make sure there is something there to challenge everyone while also keeping some safe options for people, why not just eliminate contemporary fiction. Most of us get round to contemporary fiction anyway or will fit it in. All the other genres are more specific and will present a decent opportunity to be creative with our choices
Reading your breakdown which does make sense I'd agree on keeping the top three ( Trelawn has persuaded me on Classics) but I would twist your logic and keep the last 4 as they will challenge people and get rid of one of the two comfort categories as most members pretty much read historical and contemporary all the time.Keeping one will keep the comfort and the first three will be easy enough for most with the last four being the challenge
Absolutely. I'd love other people to weigh in so that everyone is behind the challenge and gets properly involved.
Absolutely. I think . There might even be an interesting genre we havent thought of. I never thought of travel.
how about grouping sci/fi and fantasy together
If you do that I'd say you may as well have left scifi out. I think grouping the harder genres with easier ones will just take out the challenge and fantasy is such a wide genre it should prove easy.I think scifi and fantasy are more than different enough to be kept apart .
ya you've a fair point. I just think the people who don't read science fiction don't read fantasy either so it'll still be a first for them
another genre the majority of people wouldn't have read might be graphic novels
Generally I have found most people who say they havent read fantasy actually have, and with the popularity of Harry Potter , Outlander and Game of Thrones it should prove handy enough . Scifi is more of the challenging one I think. On a bright note an awful lot of scifi is generally short with books in and around 200 pages max. In recent times on the group I can remember three or four reads that would fit, The Martian, Only Ever Yours , Handmaids Tale . So definitely one to push the group.
Graphic Novels would definitely be a challenging one. I don't think I had read any until last year. This year so far I've probably read 5 or 6 .It would certainly push people out of their comfort zone and its definitely becoming more popular.
I know Paul put up something like this recently, just sticking up some other choices. we all read contemporary and historical fiction here regularly enough I think to maybe exclude them as options and stick in 'a book picked by someone else' or even romance or young adult. something we don't generally read
A book picked by someone else is certainly a cheeky option.;-)
A few additional options there that will definitely push people out of there comfort zones.Quite possible romance would kill me though ;-)
My thoughts for scifi and fantasy , for me as I'm comfortable with them would be for someone else to pick my books for those categories to make it interesting.
I'm septic when it comes to keep up with reading challenges so it's likely I'll follow from the background this year. Having said that, I did love the diversity of the continental challenge last year. There's no challenge unless it's a book I'd never normally read or even know about.
I'm not much into travel logs . What would an example be that might read like more like a novel . I think contemporary fiction could be left off. I think the majority of us read a lot of it . I love historical fiction so that would be safety genre. I don't read a lot of science fiction but I should . I'm ok with whatever is chosen but if travel stays in I'll need help finding something lol
I'd probably get rid of Horror/Gothic. You could always find a classic novel with those themes like Dr Jekyl and Mr. Hyde or Rebecca. I'd keep Sci-Fi, I've been meaning to read some of Iain Bank's Culture novels.
Colleen Bill Bryson would work for travel writing. I also read a good one this year called My Love Affair With England by Susan Allen Toth. I have a Thoureaux on my TBR. You could be cheeky and read Round the World in 80 days
Trelawn wrote: "Colleen Bill Bryson would work for travel writing. I also read a good one this year called My Love Affair With England by Susan Allen Toth. I have a Thoureaux on my TBR. You could be cheeky and rea..."Trelawn that's a good idea about reading Around the World in Eighty Days I have never read it . I also have a book called That Summer in Sicily: A Love Story I don't know it is it fits but it looks good
Emma wrote: "Most I would agree with. I do think 9 might be too much. In terms of headings i would suggest making horror -horror/gothic. I'm not sure about sci-fi. When I thinks sci-fi I think aliens. Is there ..."Sci-Fi is much broader than alians. Some examples I can think of are Thursday Next, Time and Again, anything by H.G.Wells etc
I'd love to pick a book for you Paul, how would you feel about the notebook? lol
Lorraine wrote: "I'd probably get rid of Horror/Gothic. You could always find a classic novel with those themes like Dr Jekyl and Mr. Hyde or Rebecca. I'd keep Sci-Fi, I've been meaning to read some of Iain Bank's ..."Then it become classic /Gothic. I think it works better horror/Gothic but that's my thoughts .People that really don't like horror can read Jane Eyre,Wuthering Heights or any gothic novel but if you lump it in with classics you are going to steer people to classic Gothic and away from the scores of classics without Gothic overtones . It is just my thoughts and I will go with what the majority chooses.
I'm a big of reading challanges that push the boundries and as such I enjoy those with areas that I wouldn't normally delve into. That's how I discovered Bill Byrson! I'd enjoy a genre challenge, but if we make the goalposts too wide there's not much challenge!!
Suggestions for the genre challenge, although a bit more specific than the others.Beat generation.
A book about racism.
Religious/Spiritual.
A book from the Junior Cert curriculum.
Coming of Age.
A book from before 1850.
A book set in another world/alternate reality. (or magic realism)
Humour/ Satire.
A book about mental illness.
A poetry collection.
Published post-humorously.
Set during a world war.
Some interesting ones there Kevin. I assume you meant published posthumously?
Trelawn wrote: "Some interesting ones there Kevin. I assume you meant published posthumously?"Autocorrect has some golden moments alright. Thanks Trelawn. :)
Well it made me laugh Kevin so it worked
Something tells me this is not going to be an easy one to sort
I actually read these and thought Kevin posted in the wrong thread .
I actually had another posted typed out regarding the monthly reads but GR android goofed and I lost motivation to retype it for the minute. :(
I think Kevins list would be great monthly themes and could generate some fantastic discussion even in the nominations..As an annual reading challange I vote we go with Paul's original list or else we could have this discussion going on til next November!
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Not 100% on mixing the genres to give an option as its an instant get out clause for anyone to stick to their comfort zone.
I genuinely believe there is a book for everyone in every genre , and part of the fun would be figuring it out. I know horror was specifically mentioned , but there is always the classic that should work.
I'd say if enough are against a genre being included then we just don't have it so horror can ve left out, as realistically its not hard to pick 5 -8 genres aside form horror
In terms of the monthly reads not sure how it will impact and I completely forgot that was kicking in in January.
Maybe themed months rather than genre or we make sure the two genres don't clash .