Book Suggestions for 2017 Challenge

[Carla]

Cherie wrote: "Joan - for favorite fruit the requirements state: Read a book with that fruit on the cover, in the title, or the color of that fruit is the color of the cover.

Raspberries can be yellow or red.

S..."

Thanks for reminding me of this one Cherie; I had seen it but then forgotten it as a possibility.

[Carla]

Joan wrote: "CARLA, I'm looking forward to hearing about Alice in Zombieland!"

Haha! I am looking forward to it too. I've read a few zombie remakes and they always entertain.

[Camilla]

Cherie wrote: "Suzanne (a member here) thought this one was good. Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. It sounds like it would be a good story and she gave it 4 stars. It is listed as European literature. "

I've read it as well and although the start was a bit slow for my liking, the story was overall very good. I listened to the audio and I was lucky not to cause an accident, I cried so much in the end (I listen while I drive).

[Peggy]

Wasn't there someone looking for a 4th of July book?

I was reading some reviews of Lemon Meringue Pie Murder and one of them starts 'with 4th of july rolling around....' I can give more details once I read it, if anyone wants to know.

[Jannene]

Peggy wrote: "Wasn't there someone looking for a 4th of July book?

I was reading some reviews of Lemon Meringue Pie Murder and one of them starts 'with 4th of july rolling around....' I can give more details on..."
I was looking for the 4th of July!

[Peggy]

Haha, cool! In case you were still looking, this might be something. It's book 4 in a series but you can also read it without the other 3.

[Mariab]

Peggy wrote: ""
Here a par of wildflowers' covers too (I found them by looking for my 9 yards book):




AND, in case you have interest in , you should know it is a cliffhanger trilogy, so you cannot read just one...

[Mariab]

For undersee:
The Deep

[Peggy]

Thanks for the wildflower books and the heads-up for Ruby Red Mariab. In that case I'll have to see if I can fit in the others somewhere as well ;-)

[Sarah]

Is The Deep set undersea? If so, I'll read it for the yearly challenge rather than the monthly one.

[Mariab]

Sarah wrote: "Is The Deep set undersea? If so, I'll read it for the yearly challenge rather than the monthly one."

This is from the description:
"But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, deep in the Marianas Trench, an heretofore unknown substance hailed as “ambrosia” has been discovered—a universal healer, from initial reports. It may just be the key to a universal cure. In order to study this phenomenon, a special research lab, the Trieste, has been built eight miles under the sea’s surface. But now the station is incommunicado, and it’s up to a brave few to descend through the lightless fathoms in hopes of unraveling the mysteries lurking at those crushing depths…and perhaps to encounter an evil blacker than anything one could possibly imagine."

[Cherie]

Carla wrote: "Joan wrote: "CARLA, I'm looking forward to hearing about Alice in Zombieland!"

Haha! I am looking forward to it too. I've read a few zombie remakes and they always entertain."

If you have read Pride and Prejudice and know the story, you might be interested in Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, if you want more zombies. ;0)

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "Is The Deep set undersea? If so, I'll read it for the yearly challenge rather than the monthly one."

It is listed as Horror - so beware, but this looks like something you might like. Definitely not on my TBR!

[Joan]

Cherie, sounds fun!

[Cherie]

Joan wrote: "Cherie, sounds fun!"

LOL! The horror or the zombies?
I had to find a book to give "equal time" to zombies vs vampires and I picked the zombie book. I actually liked it very much, although some might say that it was as "horrible" as the original classic.

As to the horror in The Deep, horror is not really high on my list of "go-to-genre". The hiding-in-the-dark-waiting-to-come-out-and-kill-people suspense factor gets to me. It kept me from wanting to read The Passage trilogy for a long time. I still have to finish the 3rd book. Hopefully, I will get to it this year to kill of the series.

[Joan]

Pride and Prejudice with Zombies sounds fun. I am too lily-livered to enjoy horror. I had nightmares from Moon Called (embarrassing but true)

[Carla]

Cherie wrote: "Carla wrote: "Joan wrote: "CARLA, I'm looking forward to hearing about Alice in Zombieland!"

Haha! I am looking forward to it too. I've read a few zombie remakes and they always entertain."

If yo..."

I've read that one, and enjoyed it quite a bit. The humour was even more evident when combined with zombies. Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters was also very good, although I didn't like it quite as much as Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

[Casceil]

The audio books of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters are very entertaining. You might want to check whether your library has them.

[Tejas Janet]

Joan wrote: "Pride and Prejudice with Zombies sounds fun. I am too lily-livered to enjoy horror. I had nightmares from Moon Called (embarrassing but true)"

No horror for me either. l much prefer books that i find beautiful, humane, uplifting, humorous, heartwarming, and such.

I wish I found zombie stuff funny, but I seem to have been immunized against almost all zombie, shapeshifter, werewolf, vampire stuff. On the other hand, I like fairy tales and retelling of fairy tales.

[Tejas Janet]

Another to consider for undersea might be Shadow Divers. The action is almost all taking place underwater in deep sea dives. Has a mystery/detective element that I really liked.

[Sarah]

Mariab wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Is The Deep set undersea? If so, I'll read it for the yearly challenge rather than the monthly one."

This is from the description:
"But now, far below the surface of the Pacific Ocea..."

I saw that but wasn't sure if it was going to be a brief thing or something more substantial. I'll give it a go.

[Sarah]

Cherie wrote: "Sarah wrote: "Is The Deep set undersea? If so, I'll read it for the yearly challenge rather than the monthly one."

It is listed as Horror - so beware, but this looks like something you might like...."

I already own the book. It's definitely up my street with the whole virus thing going on. And i read the author's first book which was DEFINITELY horror so I know what I'm in store for. Lol.

[Tasha]

In case anyone is looking for a book containing references to ice hockey (like I am for favorite sports) I found this one:

Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts

[Trudy]

Tejas Janet wrote: "Another to consider for undersea might be Shadow Divers. The action is almost all taking place underwater in deep sea dives. Has a mystery/detective element that I really liked."

This non-fiction option sounds intriguing - I need to find this one.

[Peggy]

Not looking for hockey but it sounds like a very intriguing book anyway, especially since it's a true story! I added it to my wishlist :)

[Joan]

Tasha wrote: "In case anyone is looking for a book containing references to ice hockey (like I am for favorite sports) I found this one:

[book:Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hock..."

I can't use it for the challenge but I'm adding it to my TBR, it sounds interesting.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I guess that many of us chose "reading" as hobby. There are many books about books and reading, but I just happened to cross paths with An Unnecessary Woman and added it, since it sounds really good.

[Cherie]

Sandra wrote: "I guess that many of us chose "reading" as hobby. There are many books about books and reading, but I just happened to cross paths with An Unnecessary Woman and added it, since it s..."

I like the contrast in reviews and how people felt about the book vs the character and that it was written by a male.

[Sandra, Moderator]

Cherie wrote: "I like the contrast in reviews and how people felt about the book vs the character and that it was written by a male."

I find intriguing the fact that was written by a man. A GR friend wrote a great review yesterday, that it's how I knew about the boo. Let's see.

[Janice, Moderator]

If anyone had listed violence against women as issue they are interested in, The Shining Girls would fit. A word of warning, it is violent. Lauren Beukes discusses violence against women in the end of the book in an article called "All the Pretty Corpses" and reading it is a must as far as I'm concerned. It puts the story into perspective.

[Sarah]

I was wondering if this book cover will be allowed for the olives question. Is it green enough or is it more yellow?

[siriusedward]

Sandra wrote: "I guess that many of us chose "reading" as hobby. There are many books about books and reading, but I just happened to cross paths with An Unnecessary Woman and added it, since it s..."

Howards End Is on the Landing: A Year of Reading from Home and How Reading Changed My Life are about reading too.And they were enjoyable.
There is When Books Went to War: The Stories that Helped Us Win World War II is about books too.It is about the role of the books ( both its burning by the Nazis and the movement by the USA to get the soldiers books) in WWII.

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "I was wondering if this book cover will be allowed for the olives question. Is it green enough or is it more yellow?
"

On my screen, all I see is bright yellow. IDK.

[Janice, Moderator]

Sarah wrote: "I was wondering if this book cover will be allowed for the olives question. Is it green enough or is it more yellow?
"

It's hard to tell, isn't it? Computers often distort the colours. It looks more yellow to me.

[Sarah]

I thought more yellow myself. No worries I'll find something better suited but at least I read it ans another book off my shelf which I enjoyed =)

[Cherie]

Sarah wrote: "I thought more yellow myself. No worries I'll find something better suited but at least I read it ans another book off my shelf which I enjoyed =)"

If Walflower was your favorite flower or bananas were your favorite fruit, you would have been covered. ^_^
There are shoes on the cover - how about that one for the bare feet vs shoes question?

[Jannene]

Sandra wrote: "I guess that many of us chose "reading" as hobby. There are many books about books and reading, but I just happened to cross paths with An Unnecessary Woman and added it, since it s..."

I picked Booked To Die for that. It has "books" in the title which fits for "reading books".

[Sarah]

Aww thanks Cherie. It won't fit tho as I answered that question with fluffy socks lol. Hehe thanks anyway =)

[Peggy]

Peggy wrote: "Wasn't there someone looking for a 4th of July book?

I was reading some reviews of Lemon Meringue Pie Murder and one of them starts 'with 4th of july rolling around....' I can give more details on..."

In case any one is considering it, I'm currently around 80% into the book and it is July 4. But the previous part is set in the few days before and July 4 and the preparations for the day are mentioned several times. It would work as a book for 4th of July in my opinion :)

It also has a cat in it (if that's the animal you picked) and a plus-size heroine if you want to combine it with this month's read ;-)

[Sarah]

I saw The Armada Legacy on sale at Sainsbury today. It caught my eye because it has an undersea picture on the front cover. Interesting the exact edition is not on goodreads. But it's number 8 in a series. I like to read books in order but i wondered if this one could become read as a stand alone like some series can. Anyone read any of the books from this series? I like the eound of the story.

[Kristie, Moderator]

When guidelines are given for a specific task, is everyone trying to stay close to the task? Or are you modifying the tasks as long as you can relate them?

For example for #11 - What is your birthday month? Read a book with the selected month in the title or set during that month.

Is everyone looking for a book only "with the selected month in the title or set during that month" or you opening it up to other options, such as published in that month or a character with that month for a name (i.e. June)? I know Janice said she's not giving rulings as long as you can explain how they fit, but I want to play along properly, so I was curious what everyone else is doing.

[Janice, Moderator]

I would hope that everyone is sticking as close to the guidelines as possible. I've seen some explanations that are a stretch in my opinion. Theoretically you could slot any book into any slot and that goes against the spirit of the challenge.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Janice.

[Dawn]

I'm sticking really close to guidelines that are written like #11.

If they are something like #48. Who is someone you miss? – Read a book that represents that person in some way., then I have room for interpretation.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Dawn. That's how I was doing it too. If she says something about reading a book that represents your answer in some way, then I feel I can play with it a bit. There are a few questions that are really open-ended like that, so I feel we have plenty of room to be creative.

[Sandra, Moderator]

I agree with Dawn. Some questions allow, and in some way encourage, more open options, but not all of them. I find that sometimes is not that the question is strict, but the answer doesn't allow many options. (For example, I chose "Planner" for something I use everyday... what was I thinking?).
I have fit 2 books in the challenge so far, and I think in a pretty close way. At the same time I think is cool to customize the challenge, without cheating. :)

[Dawn]

I think we've all ended up with those 'What was I thinking?' moments this time around. I have 3 or 4 of them that I'm thinking will be difficult and require some creativity. :)

[Peggy]

I'm also sticking to the guidelines. I interpreted the 'no ruling' as for example when I need to read a green cover, I can decide if the cover is green enough. But not that I can extend the guideline to green in the title or something.

And I also wish I answered some questions differently!

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks for the clarification everyone. I just wanted to make sure I was doing it the same as everyone else. Looks like I am. :)

[Janice, Moderator]

One of the main reasons I chose this style is that it's tough making rulings on books. Often, I have no more information than anyone else, just the book blurb and reviews. On the other hand, people sometimes ask for rulings on the most obvious things. This year, you all get to be the meanies as you evaluate books for yourselves.