A challenge of relative ease and merriment 2017 discussion
Progress
For my biography/autobiography/memoir, I read "Radioactive: Marie & Pierre Curie: A Tale of Love and Fallout" by Lauren Redniss. It is like a cross between a graphic novel and a biography. I thoroughly enjoyed it! For a book about food, I'm reading Julia Child's "My Life in France." I'm in love. It's a beautiful book!
I can't wait to hear about what other people are reading!
completed to date: 19/20√1 book released in 2017
2 book written before 1900
√3 non-fiction book
√4 kids book
√5 YA novel
√6 book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
√7 cozy mystery
√8 debut novel
√9 book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
√10 biography/autobiography/memoir
√11 book written by someone under the age of 30
√12 media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
√13 LGBTQIA* book
√14 book about food
√15 scary/creepy book
√16 book that is part of a series but not the first book
√17 Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
√18 book with an animal on the cover
√19 book mostly set in the desert
√20 book that was adapted into a movie
√BONUS: watch a movie that was based on a book.
I've not made much progress (I don't wanna count the first book I read fully during this year as my tie-in even tho it technically is published as one...IDK, I wanna do something less vague in its canon-ness and less brief), but I'm rereading Banewreaker, which will count for fantastical, b/c I didn't remember it well enough when when I finished it like six years ago to go onto the second book (finally!) and I wanted to see what I thought of it now. Loving it so far (and remembering enough that it feels familiar but not so much that I'm bored).I have some ideas of what to read for a lot of categories, which is progress in planning, but we'll see how it goes.
I feel like for scary/creepy book if I go with the "whatever you find scary" guideline I'd need to get some current events political nonfiction...but I'm gonna be kinder to myself and just go straight up horror, gore, and death. I have lots to choose from already in my library.
Only category I don't feel like I probably have something good for now is cozy mystery...but maybe I've got some Sherlock Holmes stuff floating around that'll do.
a book released in 2017 - The Walking Dead, Vol. 28: All is Lost - not really released yet, read in issuesa book written before 1900 - En dåres anteckningar
a non-fiction book - Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History
a kids book - I Want My Hat Back
a YA novel - Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy
a book of fantastical fiction Dungeon Crawlin' Fools
a cozy mystery - The Secret of the Unicorn
a debut novel - Ready Player One
a book of poetry or drama - Mort: The Play
a biography/autobiography/memoir - Barefoot Gen, Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima
a book written by someone under the age of 30 Tank Girl
a media tie-in - Rick and Morty, Vol. 1
an LGBTQIA book - Sunstone Vol. 1
a book about food - Space Battle Lunchtime, Volume 1: Lights, Camera, Snacktion!
a scary/creepy book - 30 Days of Night, Vol. 1
a book that is part of a series but not the first book Harley Quinn: Vengeance Unlimited
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner - Leaves on the Wind
a book with an animal on the cover My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Volume 1
a book mostly set in the desert - Dune
a book that was adapted into a movie - Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann
Finished the last book on december 26th. Watched the movie on the 27th.
Finnished two books so far:Part of a series - Children of Their City The second book in a series about a family struggling to make ends meet in Stockholm during the 1800 hundreds. Amazing!
Media tie-in: The Bricks that Built the Houses (Hope this one counts) Kate Tempest wrote an astonishing book with the caracters from her album Everybody Down. Reread.
Right now I'm reading poetry - Vara vit mans slav: och helt andra dikter i urval av Jenny Tunedal
I thought I would keep track here & update as I go along.a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900 - "Daisy Miller" by Henry James
a non-fiction book - "Dataclysm" by Christian Rudder
a kids book - "Shy" Deborah Freedman
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal) - "The Wild Robot" by Peter Brown
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy book - "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
(Re-read because I love it and it is scary and creepily relevant. I think it fits this category pretty well.)a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category) - "It Ends with Us" by Colleen Hoover
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie - "The Dressmaker" by Rosalie Ham
BONUS: watch a movie that was based on a book! (maybe make it the same as #20)
Jill wrote: "I thought I would keep track here & update as I go along.a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900 - "Remarkable Creatures" by Tracy Chevalier"
Hey Jill, I think you may be a bit confused about the 1900 category. It's for books written before 1900, not set before 1900. Even though it's set in the 1800s, "Remarkable Creatures" actually came out in 2009.
I don't know how to link to the little pictures of the covers, alas, but I'm making decent progress on my challenge!a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
✔️ a debut novel - Sofia Khan is Not Obligated
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
✔️ a biography/autobiography/memoir - The Princess Diarist
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
✔️ a scary/creepy book - Harrow County, Vol. 1: Countless Haints
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
✔️ a book that was adapted into a movie - Hidden Figures
I think the one that's going to be the biggest challenge for me is the winner of the Goodreads awards. :/ I've already read all the ones I'm interested in. Maybe the Martian? I've heard reasonably good things.....
me so far:a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal) -
Banewreaker by Jacqueline Carey. (4 stars. very much the first half of the story, so hard for me to be sure of my feelings. a lot I rly liked, tho, and some flaws. I'm hoping to read the other book soon.)a kids book -
Song of the Golden Hare by Jackie Morris. (five stars. I don't usually read children's, but I discovered Morris late last year; I love her art and writing. her East of the Sun, West of the Moon is amazing, and since I'm quite partial to a book that treats rabbits/hares well, I asked for this one for Christmas. rly sweet story (I loved that it cast the children in the role of protectors and observers of the hares, never keepers or hunters) and even tho the story is fantastical the art treats the hares seriously. and every image has so much going on, you have to spend some time on each page. so beautiful in every way. it's so hard for me not to just, like, buy all Morris' stuff.) (btw, if you wanna do the covers, just do "add book/author" and then select "cover" instead of the default, "link". At least that's how it works for me on desktop view. I put the titles in there too b/c yay covers but I like to be able to read what the book's called w/o clicking or squinting.)
And now I have no idea what I'm in the mood to read next. agh!
This is what I've achieved so far :)a book released in 2017 - De kommer att drunkna i sina mödrars tårar
a book written before 1900 - Heart of Darkness
a non-fiction book
a kids book - Nicky the Nature Detective
a YA novel - Big Mouth and Ugly Girl
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal) - Tales from Moominvalley
a cozy mystery - The Tale of Aypi
a debut novel Intemperie
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~) - Vara vit mans slav: och helt andra dikter i urval av Jenny Tunedal
a biography/autobiography/memoir - The Autobiography of Malcolm X
a book written by someone under the age of 30 - All This Belongs to Me
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread) - The Bricks that Built the Houses
an LGBTQIA* book - Middlesex
a book about food -Grönsaker - Tillbehör & garnityr
a scary/creepy book
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though) - Children of Their City
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category) - Go Set a Watchman
a book with an animal on the cover - In the Sea There are Crocodiles: Based on the True Story of Enaiatollah Akbari
a book mostly set in the desert - Cities of Salt
a book that was adapted into a movie - The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Yay progress! I'm also super delighted by how well I'm maintaining my ratio of new reads/new authors with rereads. :Da book released in 2017
a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)a cozy mystery
a debut novela book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoira book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy booka book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie
1 book released in 20172 book written before 1900
3 non-fiction book
4 kids book
5 YA novel
6 book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
7 cozy mystery
8 debut novel
(I really enjoyed this one!)
9 book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
10 biography/autobiography/memoir
11 book written by someone under the age of 30
(Thank you so much to Bunny for the tip on this one! I would never have thought to check Watterson's age at the time this was published.)
12 media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
13 LGBTQIA* book
14 book about food
15 scary/creepy book
16 book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
17 Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
18 book with an animal on the cover
19 book mostly set in the desert
20 book that was adapted into a movie
I've also read
, which I might count as memoir or might count as an animal on the cover; it depends what I read later in the year. ^_^I'm working on
, a sequel with paranormal elements and an animal on the cover! I'm also finally reading a book that has nothing to do with the challenge and doesn't fit anywhere; I figured I was making enough progress to "allow" that. ^_^Great job, everyone!! I'm so envious of Cee Cee for getting to read The Particular Sadness Of Lemon Cake for the first time; I really enjoyed that one. ^_^
Hey there.So since I only joined this group yesterday, my progress is relatively slow. But I do think I have two of the boxes ticked. Was laid up with a cold so had loads of time for reading over the last week or so:
a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book: The Book of Joy
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread): Two Gentlemen on the Beach
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy book
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie
Jill wrote: "Oh, cheers Liz! Thanks!"No problem. ;o)
My progress so far:
a book written before 1900 [in progress]
a non-fiction book [just started]
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal) [finished]
a biography/autobiography/memoir [finished]
Mod
Martha: may I ask what other media Two Gentlemen on the Beach ties in to?
I've been reading very little compared to how I usually start my year, but I've managed to cover three categories at least:
Rogue One is the novelisation of the movie (and therefor not a media tie-in, or adaption) and I loved it so so much that I am counting it for my fantastical fiction category.
The Princess Diarist is one of several of Carrie Fisher's autobiographies so that is the category I'm putting it in. I might change it out later but it works for now!
Un dulce olor a muerte by Guillermo Arriaga was made into a movie in 1999, and I really want to watch it (it stars one of my faves, looking mighty darn young). So yeah, I'm counting that for my adapted into a movie.
I've read a few pages of my media tie-in (yes, it's Star Wars. We are not surprised). Actually I have read more of another tie-in but I want something bigger. Son instead of a book half filled with pictures I am aiming for a full novel instead.
I have also technically read a non-fiction book but I don't want to count it for this challenge. I know there will be many more.
Hi Pocki,Sure, thanks for the question. Well I figure it's a media tie-in as Charlie Chaplin is one of the main characters and as such there are loads of descriptions of his journey from silent film, to writing film and scores and even directing film, to pushing out the boat further and using images and poetry as film. The book explores his collaborations with other film actors: Buster Keaton, Paulette Goddard and Jack Lemmon. It talks about his process as an actor/artist and his work with Keystone Studio and self-founded United Artists. As readers, we see how films such as 'The Gold Rush', 'City Lights' and 'The Circus' were created, released and received.
While the story is a fictional re-imagining of the friendship between Winston Churchill and Charlie Chaplin, much of the book is based on fact and the real-life acting career of Chaplin and the figure he is best known at playing, "the Tramp". I hadn't read the book with the intention of fitting it into the media tie-in category; I just read it as I thought it looked interesting. But as I read, it very much seemed to tick that box for me.
Your choice of books is great. I am not a sci-fi fan at all, but the great thing about this challenge is reading around your interests, and going beyond! Thanks for sharing Pocki, and best of luck with the novel!
Mod
Actually, same question goes for you Hanna (I was scrolling back to see who might've covered that particular category already): from the description of The Bricks that Built the Houses I don't get media-tie in either?
There is actually a quite popular tag on Goodreads for it: https://www.goodreads.com/genres/medi...
Sure, at first glance it looks overwhelmed with Star Wars, but don't be discouraged. That's just cause there has been a great resurgence for that particular universe. But for anyone who's still wondering a bit about that particular category, or simply want ideas: just poke around in it! And know that pretty much all books that are media tie ins will have the tag. I personally don't count novelisations of movies (which a lot of people evidently do based on what is currently showing on the tag page) but I guess that's a grey area.
That's fair enough Pocki, I accept that! I might shuffle that book around to another category or else just leave it out. I had a look at the Goodreads media tie-in page and came across 'The Little Prince' which I was hoping to read anyway. That is now also a movie? Can I just double-check before hand does that qualify? Or would that simply be a movie adaptation? I have to say I'm still not very clear on that one!
Martha: The Little Prince would rather qualify as a novel that has been adapted into a movie.
It's also a wonderful little book that looks deceptively like a children's book but speaks equally to grown-ups. It tears me up every time. Read it regardless of its category!
Pocki wrote: "I personally don't count novelisations of movies (which a lot of people evidently do based on what is currently showing on the tag page) but I guess that's a grey area. "I recall back in the day at least that most of the kinds of books we're talking about--tho I'm not sure about novelizations--were released as mass market paperbacks that actually had "media tie-in" written (tagged old school, lol) on the binding edge and back cover. Looking at my more current books while that's left off the edge of the mass-markets, the back covers say "tv tie-in" (for instance, on my Spartacus books--which are novels set between episodes of the show, and are not novelizations) and "movie tie-in" (on the novelizations of Pacific Rim and Crimson Peak.)
(This of course differentiating them from movie-cover releases of adapted books, which said/say "now a major motion picture" or the like on the covers. Tho I have read from a novelization writer that almost no-one he meets understands what he writes; they pretty much all think he does books that THEN get turned into films. It's certainly a distinct genre, but not a well understood one.)
However, some of the newest HC tie-ins like Bloodline (as you know, a canon Star Wars book that takes place between films and is included on a canon timeline with the movies, tv shows, and other current books, but NOT novelizations or other "in universe" guides (to ships, characters, etc. even when those are written as tho someone in the Star Wars universe wrote them.) They're clearly tie-ins, but I feel like maybe the publishers want to put them out without strong ties to that tag. Like, they're SF novels that are also Star Wars canon. (Star Wars is perhaps becoming a genre unto itself!) But I should think they still count for challenges like this, yeah? I'm not meaning to say the cover tags should decide things for stuff like this, necessarily.
But as far as I can tell, according to a lot of the publishing industry, novels set in the fictional worlds of visual media (movies and tv) and novelizations of same, as well as "in universe" type books (say, "ships of the line" type books from Star Wars or Star Trek) all fall in under "media tie-in". I don't think "how it was made"/"the art of..." type books do, but I'm not sure. My MCU art books at least are not tagged "tie-in" on the backs. (I think those are just nonfiction that are shelved together with books on music and bands, etc..)
But the main thing is...media tie-ins are written specifically FOR a fictional world originating in tv or movie(s) and take place in that universe (as in, are fiction.) (IDK about for comics--but Marvel does put out prose books, often adaptations of comic arcs, but I'm not sure if that's always the case.)
I want to say media tie-ins come after the original work, but in the case of novelizations, the book is often published before the film premieres (but not before it's written). And personally I'm hoping the first book for Star Trek Discovery comes out on time no matter when the show does, b/c I'm planning on using it for my tie-in category for this challenge, lol!
And of course novelizations don't always agree with the final canon, owing to time and spoiler issues. (It's messy, clearly!) But then many of the other kind of tie-in ends up not fitting, either; AFAIK pretty much only the Lucasfilm/Star Wars Story Group is working crazy hard to allow writers (of novels and comics) put out strictly canon material that's checked for errors and won't be directly contradicted in later films and tv shows. (I'm not totally sure how well they're doing; rly good with what I've read so far, but I've skipped stuff do to personal tastes.) So I'm not sure how much canon-ness can be used to judge...
Anyway. Just my thoughts. (And if novelizations are allowed to count, I do hear the Crimson Peak one is really good, and I personally quite liked the Pacific Rim one. For ppl out there who aren't looking for Star Wars or Star Trek, I suppose.)
(And of course there's also comics and graphic novels that tie-in: for Firefly, Star Trek, Star Wars (canon stuff published by Marvel, and adaptations of the films as well), the Marvel Cinematic Universe (direct prequels for some of the films, set in that universe and going for the actors' likenesses in the art)--and smaller properties, too, like Orphan Black, Xena, etc.. Not all of them are SF/F, either.)
Mod
I think a concise way to put it is: a media tie-in (book) is a book that adds something new to an already established fictional story/world.
And this is why I made a thread for this particular category in the first place! But hey, as long as we work it out somewhere it's great xD
Oh and Olive, I think that maybe Star Wars and the books are at the point where there is no need to say that they are media tie-ins on the books. It already says Star Wars, so it's pretty obvious where it belongs! But it could also be that it's gotten so big that publishers just let it be its own thing and only slap "media tie-in" on the books that are directly related to the movies. Any Star Wars or Star Trek book would totally work for this particular category though (if you're going with novelisations as well). No matter how far removed from the source it is. To me it's all based on those specific movies (or tv series in the case of Trek), even if it deals with someone you might have seen only as a cameo that one time.
Oh and remember, it doesn't have to just be movies or tv! There's a lot of tie-ins to games nowadays. And there's always that Welcome to Night Vale book. The "main" property is a podcast, but there is a novel that adds another story to the world.
And yes, it's important to note that while sci fi tends to be the most prolific (mainly due to Star Wars) there are a lot of other stuff out there. For example: there's a great Parks and Recreation book!
Thanks for all the comments. Yeah, I think I get it now. I will have to think about it as looking at the list of books widely shelved as media tie-ins and that fit the criteria of existing in a fictional world created through movie / tv series / video game don't largely appeal to me at first glance. However, I'm sure if I give it a little more thought and then just choose something, maybe I will be surprised. Ok, I will continue on my challenge with other categories and will shuffle my original "Two Gentlemen on the Beach" into a different category as I see fit. And yes, I will be reading "The Little Prince" in any case. It has been my intention for a long time...
Pocki wrote: "Martha: ah I see. I wouldn't consider that a media tie-in at all. Have you looked at the description of that particular category? It's more regarding a fictional book that ties into another fiction..."The Bricks that built the houses is tied to a music album (everybody down) by Kate Tempest. The lyrics on the album centers around three fictional caracters, and the book (releasd some years after the album) centers around the same caracters giving the background story to why they ended up where they are . It's true it doesn't say that in the description, but if you look in the reviews of the book a lot of people mention the connection (and it's also obvious when listening to the lyrics). (example: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...)
I can honestly say that I'm not hundred percent sure about what counts as "right" in this cathegory, so please tell me if I've misunderstood :)
Mod
Pocki: Yeeeeah, I know I'm an outlier, preferring to go by my bunny's name rather than my own. But it's comfy rn. :)And after I posted all that I talked to my bro (Rending) and he mentioned video game and tabletop game tie-ins (like Warhammer)--I definitely would have mentioned those as (IMO) counting if I'd thought of it. (Even if tabletop games aren't...exactly what I think publishers mean by "media"? IDEK.)
And if it's in vogue to tag things as movie OR tv tie-ins then SW books count as both! (They mention tv related events/characters pretty often, and the one I'm reading now for my YA category is about a character from the shows, but mentions many movie events.) So yeah it's probably much easier to just put "Star Wars" all over them.
Alright, so I have a question about media tie-ins and since it seems like this is a discussion that's happening here and now I figure why not throw it into the mix?What would you suggest as a media tie-in read for someone who has no interest whatsoever in reading science fiction tie in novels? Or tie-in novels at all, I suppose. (That's why I read fanfic. Which is free and from my experience frequently considerably better quality than official tie-ins.) Would a collection of essays about the show qualify? An art book? A cookbook inspired by the show?
Basically, halp please?
Bunny: There is always the Castle (TV show) tie-in novels. But personally I would count things like Nanny Ogg's Cookbook (Discworld) or a Harry Potter-verse knitting book or whatever.
Mod
And like Pernilla said, there are always the Castle novels (first one being Heat Wave). Those can be read like straight up crime novels. Same goes for the How I met Your Mother books "written" by Barney Stinson (like The Bro Code). Both of these are examples of books "written by" characters from a tv show.
I'm not really sure where books about books fall. In general a media tie in seems to be for another form of media (so like a Simpsons knitting book or a Forrest Gump cookbook... which I have no idea if they exist btw... would be more suitable) But if that's the only thing you feel you could possibly read for it, do it. This is to challenge you, not beat you down!
Bunny: Ignore me if you're all set with that answer, but if I may, what are your fandoms? Not that I'm super well-versed in tie-ins, esp. non-SF/F, but I'd love to suggest stuff, if I can (but IMO if you're not already into the source material most tie-ins are just gonna be meh.) (And it's funny you say that about fanfic: maybe it's my fandoms, but one of the reasons I now read more tie-ins is fanfic failing me so much, and some rly fun tie-ins (that are canon to boot, at least with Star Wars). But for me what I read--one, the other, or both--depends on the fandom.)
Darth Olive wrote: "Bunny: Ignore me if you're all set with that answer, but if I may, what are your fandoms? Not that I'm super well-versed in tie-ins, esp. non-SF/F, but I'd love to suggest stuff, if I can (but IMO ..."Hallo from one Bunny to another! Right at the moment I'm between fandoms, but I still read fic for Smallville, Harry Potter, Leverage, Generation Kill, One Direction, and a bunch of misc smaller fandoms. Yuletide is my favorite time of the year because there's suddenly fanfic for things like Georgette Heyer's novels and the Chrestomanci series. :D
As far as I can see most of the tie-in novel series are for things like Star Wars and Star Trek, and that's just not my jam. I mean, don't get me wrong! I enjoyed ST:TNG growing up and I've seen a bunch of the Star Wars movies, but ultimately I'm always going to be more interested in knowing about the costume design and world building for those movies than more about those stories.
I asked a bunch of friends to keep an eye out for me and their suggestions range from a book of essays on the Wire to trying the media tie-in novels for Psych. I might do that latter since I did enjoy that show whenever I happened to catch an episode, but I wasn't a serious enough viewer to be annoyed by characterization discrepancies the way I was with the Leverage ones.
(I think one of the ways that fanfic works better for me than those novels did is that fic assumes that you know the characters and doesn't rehash things like "this is who X is and what they do and how they relate to character Y." I find that sort of thing tiresome at the best of times. :/)
Bunny: Hiii :)Yeah, HP and GK are rly the only ones of those I know, and of course they don't have tie-in novels...
So probably not super helpful, but since Pocki said nonfiction (art books and the like) was okay and you mention costumes: I quite enjoyed The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Dressing a Galaxy: The Costumes of Star Wars--I also have Star Wars Costumes: The Original Trilogy tho I've not read it IMO it looks quite good.
(Oh, man. Tiresome indeed! I had forgotten they used to do that, actually. I'm sure a lot of fandoms they still do, but I haven't seen it in ages... I have other fandom's books around, but I've mostly just been reading SW (new stuff: novels, comics, novelizations) and other novelizations and none of those have had that; novelizations have tended to just jump right in and the novels and comics just let you know where the story falls in the timeline. I'll be quite miffed if I run into that infodump again, that's for sure!)
Mod
Cathrin: yeah if the game is based on the books it's the wrong way around.
adding to my progress:poetry or drama -
The Wild in You: Voices from the Forest and the Sea by Lorna Crozier, photography by Ian McAllister.I don't really read a lot of poetry or drama (no reason, I just haven't gotten much into it yet)--I got this b/c I love McAllister's photography, but I ended up loving most of the poetry just as much. Really beautiful little book; totally worth it.
YA novel -
Ahsoka by E.K. JohnstonI'm not a big fan of YA (with the exception of Uprooted, which wasn't even written as YA, none of them no matter how well-recommended has held my affections) but I was going to read this anyway as it stars one of my favorite Star Wars characters. Since I'm already invested in the character and world, I didn't mind the lighter writing (and happily there's no YA-typical romance, just a hint and not the usual sort. I do love a good romance, but I hate a compulsory one.)
And it was quite good as a tie-in as well: since it's canon and fills a gap in Ahsoka's story that falls between the two shows (which the reader is expected to be familiar with) it has a proper, satisfying arc. I quite liked the characterizations, too. And the cover. Ahsoka just rocks. :D
(I'm currently 4/20.)
Good to know! I really want to read Ahsoka. She DOES rock!
Here is my progress my progress so far:I have read 3/20.
a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy book
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though):Ha'penny
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie: Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Mod
Norse Mythology by Neil Gaiman, for the released in 2017 category. If you like Norse mythology, and you like Gaiman's style, this is a slam dunk. I listened to the audiobook which is read by the author himself and since I love his voice and the way he reads that made it even better. It is simply him retelling some of the classic stories about the Norse gods, from the creation of the world to Ragnarök and what will come after.
Instructions by Neil Gaiman (cause why not right?), and illustrated by Charles Vess, for the kids category. It's a darling book!
Memories by Lang Leav for the poetry or drama category. It's a collection of poems about love. I dunno, as an eternally single (and decently fine with it) person they don't really resonate with me. I've read one of her books before, and this apparently is a collection of some of the poems from that + another + some new, and I didn't remember any of the ones I've apparently already read. But if you like love poems, by all means, read some of Leav's work!
So that's 6/20 done for me. I might swap some out towards the end but at least I have something now!
I'm also currently working on my YA book, Starfall by Melissa Landers. That one can also work for fantastical (it's scifi), released in 2017, and sequel/prequel. But I have already covered the first two, and I know which one I want to use for sequel (it's release din a couple of months and I can't wait!) so I thought YA will do nicely. I tend to read it during breakfast and lunch breaks at work, on my phone, so it'll take all of next week probably.
a book released in 2017a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book: The Book of Joy
The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir: When Breath Becomes Air
When Breath Becomes Air
a book written by someone under the age of 30: The Visitor
The Visitor
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread):
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food: The Vegetarian
The Vegetarian
a scary/creepy book: Currently reading Eileen
Eileen
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie
So I'm on my fifth of twenty books. The challenge is a great way to keep reading and I find when I go into bookshops etc now, I find myself looking specifically for books to fit into particular categories.
Well done to all the other readers. I really enjoy looking at what people select for the different categories, and how different peoples' tastes are!
Progress! I have made some! Ha! I am also on target with my personal goal of 25 books. Woot. a book released in 2017
a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book
a kids book Star Wars: Rogue One: Secret Mission
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy book
a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)Francis Ford Coppola Presents Zoetrope: All-Story The Latin American Issue
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie
After re-reading the categories more carefully, I realized I needed to put one of my Rogue One books in the appropriate place. I can't count it as a media tie in or book that was adapted into a movie. At least I don't think so, since the movie came first. Anyway. There isn't a theme here. It's your imagination.
a book released in 2017a book written before 1900
✔️ a non-fiction book - The Year of Living Danishly: My Twelve Months Unearthing the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country
✔️ a kids book - A Little Princess
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
a debut novel
a book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoir -
a book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy book
✔️ a book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though) - Behold a Pale Horse
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)
a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movie
I have finished another four categories since my last update. 
A book with an animal on the cover: I recommend Lily and the Octopus for those of you who don't know which book to choose for this category. It is a beautiful book.
A YA novel: Ash by Malinda Lo
A book written before 1900: I have had The Awakening by Kate Chopin on my "to read" list for a while, and I am so happy I finally got around to reading it. Wow! I can't believe I wasn't made to read this in school.
A book of poetry or drama: Falling Awake by Alice OswaldRead 7/20
Ooof, it's been a slow couple of months for me. I've been ill twice and a bit off since early February with nothing really tempting me to read it. Still! I've made a bit of progress.Yay progress! I'm also super delighted by how well I'm maintaining my ratio of new reads/new authors with rereads. :D
a book released in 2017a book written before 1900
a non-fiction book
a kids book
a YA novel
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
a cozy mystery
a debut novela book of poetry or drama (that is to say a play, not just ~dramatic~)
a biography/autobiography/memoira book written by someone under the age of 30
a media tie-in (clarification in a thread)
an LGBTQIA* book
a book about food
a scary/creepy booka book that is part of a series but not the first book (could be a later released prequel though)
a Goodreads Choice Awards winner (any year, any category)a book with an animal on the cover
a book mostly set in the desert
a book that was adapted into a movieI could technically cross off a couple more, but I feel weird using three books from the same series to fill in categories. I want variety, dang it! Hopefully I've kicked off my slump for now - I've got a backlog of books downloaded to read or listen to, just waiting for me to feel int he right mood.
(I know what you mean, Bunny, about wanting variety; my little added personal challenge is to have different authors for each category.)I've been down a few dead ends (books I'd planned for a category that I've found to be DNFs or probably going to take too long, probably forcing me to switch to another) but I've managed to add two more to my list for a current total of 6/20:
series -
League of Dragons by Naomi Novik.Since this is "part of a series but not the first book" (and b/c I just really wanted to finally read it) I thought it'd be fun to do the LAST book in the series proper. (There's going to be a book of short stories and fanart for the universe, but this is the last proper novel.) I found it a lovely end to a wonderful series.
desert -
Walking the Gobi by Helen Thayer.Can't get more desert than the entire length of the Gobi! This was just the relaxing book I needed at the time (not that it wasn't exciting in many spots, but it's a non-fiction travel/adventure book: no dramatic conventions requiring high level death and misadventure) and I really liked it. (Small mention of history I'd argue wasn't factual, but...it is a travel book, not a history, and it was written a while ago.) I recommend it for those struggling for a desert book and find this genre appealing.
non-fiction -
Sex in the Sea by Marah J. Hardt.Ultimately really good, but not perfect for me. Esp early on I often found the "funny/punny" tone and assumption of reader ignorance on some subjects to be downright obnoxious. ...But later that same tone led to some genuinely funny lines, while also serving to keep the book from being depressing when the text (as it should) turned to how human activity causes problems for undersea procreation and life.
However I also found almost every mention of human culture or biology annoying at best, or downright wrong (it's expressed as a given that women "sync periods" when in reality there doesn't seem to be any good data supporting this myth; it's certainly not proven) but the fishy stuff (which is of course the focus here) seems well-researched, was nicely presented, and was definitely always interesting to me.
So while some of the book was really off-putting for me, I ultimately liked more than I didn't. Especially the last chapter was very engrossing; I just hope that its optimistic tone doesn't turn out to be misplaced.
animal on the cover -
Chernobyl's Wild Kingdom by Rebecca L. Johnson.I didn't think I could do better than some radioactive wild boar for a cover animal and while this book wasn't exactly what I was hoping for when I got it, it was nevertheless highly interesting (and readable despite being written for the young people.)
So, 8/20 and I'm probably gonna take a break and read some stuff that won't be useful for this challenge.
So on my last update I had read 5 out of 20 books that fitted into the different categories.I have since completed 3 more.
Firstly I read 'A Line Made by Walking' by Sara BaumeA Line Made by Walking, to fit into the category Book published in 2017. I loved this book, and strongly recommend it to people interested in art, the art of living, and simply beautiful writing. I wrote a more complete review on my profile page.
The next category was 'The Guest Cat' by Takashi Hiraide The Guest Cat to fit into the category of books with an animal on the cover. This was a short book, but I wouldn't say it was a quick read. Very little happened in it, yet it did reflect the pace at which the main couple, whose lives become inhabited by a guest cat live. It was a slow, reflective book, with great attention to detail, and it does leave an impression, though I would be slow to recommend it to others.
Finally, I just finished 'Kavalier and Clay' by Michael Chabon,The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay, which I think fits pretty well into the category of magical realism. While the book itself could also be categorized as general fiction, much of it is taken up with comic book characters, and the lives of the main characters are often blended with those of their own imaginings (the escapist), that the lines are often blurred between reality, fantasy and the surreal world. While I began this book with great reluctance, I was very pleasantly surprised to find I really enjoyed it, and was very impressed with the writing style, character development and strong plot.
Looking forward to seeing other peoples' posts regarding their progress and choices for the different categories.
I enjoy reading about the books you have selected for this book challenge, and as always I find myself adding some of them to my to read-list, which always seems to be getting longer and longer no matter how many books I read ;) So many books, so little time!Since my last update I have finished these categories:
a book of fantastical fiction (fantasy/scifi/paranormal)
Blackout by Connie Willis is set in 2060, when historians time travel to research. The book focuses on a few historians who go back to different times in WW2. I am picking up the second book at the library tomorrow-yay!a biography/autobiography/memoir
Rosalie Lightning is a graphic biography about the author's experience of his little daugther's death. A beautiful and sad book.a Goodreads Choice Awards winner:
I had never read anything by Neil Gaiman before, and now after having read The Ocean at the End of the Lane, I will definitely have a look at his other books.Read 10/20
A challenge of relative ease and merriment 2017
Books mentioned in this topic
Mort: The Play (other topics)Star Wars: Darth Vader and Son (other topics)
End of Watch (other topics)
Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvann (other topics)
Grejen med substantiv och pronomen (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Susan Day (other topics)Lena Dowling (other topics)
Cindy Muir (other topics)
Peter Bartram (other topics)
Joel Crofoot (other topics)
More...
And remember that if you want you can add books to the group bookshelf. Make a new shelf for the category you wish to put a book in if there isn't one already (at the time of posting this there is nothing at all)
But yeah, here's a good place to show off how far you've come and what you've chosen for categories. And tell us if you like the books or not!