A - Z Challenges so far

[Helen]

I had hoped to start a new letter today but I'm going for the sequel of the one just finished.

[Ian, Former Moderator]

Helen wrote: "I had hoped to start a new letter today but I'm going for the sequel of the one just finished."

Guilty pleasures Helen!! Hard to resist the sequel of something you've given 5 stars to.

[Helen]

I read it about 18 months ago not realising it was a trilogy - I usually read them in one go. Then the other group I'm in had it as this months read with the sequel as May's read. I couldn't resist! I recommend it.

[Ian, Former Moderator]

An update - 9 down......17 to go

A -
B - The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown
C - Heart of Darkness by Jospeh Conrad
D - Room by Emma Donoghue
E -
F - The Blasphemer by Nigel Farndale
G -
H -
I -
J -
K -
L - Sister by Rosamund Lupton
M - The Prince by Niccolo Machiavelli
N - The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbo
O -
P -
Q -
R - 44 Years withe the Same Bird - Brian Reade
S -
T - Trespass by Rose Tremain
U -
V -
W -
X -
Y -
Z -

[Cat]

OK, I'm just starting on my first one: Thrush Green by Miss Read, as it's light reading and her characters remind me of the ones from other favourite childhood books like Wumpus.

[Ian, Former Moderator]

Cat wrote: "OK, I'm just starting on my first one: Thrush Green by Miss Read, as it's light reading and her characters remind me of the ones from other favourite childhood books like Wumpus."

Best of luck Cat with the challenge of the 26

[laut]

I think I'm going to try this. As I'm currently reading Moby-Dick and The Colour, I'll count that as Melville for M and Tremain for T.

[Nick 2E0NAQ]

Rhianne wrote: "I think I'm going to try this. As I'm currently reading Moby-Dick and The Colour, I'll count that as Melville for M and Tremain for T."

It a great way to start reading different authors Rhianne.

[laut]

Nick wrote: "Rhianne wrote: "I think I'm going to try this. As I'm currently reading Moby-Dick and The Colour, I'll count that as Melville for M and Tremain for T."

It a great way to start reading different ..."

I have to say I have no idea what I'll read for Z, or even V.

[Ian, Former Moderator]

by Markus Zusak would be great Rhianne if you haven't read it or some Emile Zola. As for V - try Gore Vidal or Jules Verne or Kurt Vonnegut or even Voltaire

[Bill]

For Z, you could also try Roger Zelazny. The Chronicles of Amber are a fascinating fantasy series.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Hurray!! Completed List!

A - Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austin
B - Agatha Raison and the Love From Hell - MC Beaton
C - Could it be Forever - David Cassidy
D - Fish out of Water - MaryJanice Davidson
E - Wildthorne - Jane Eagland
F - Curious Case of Benjamin Button - Scott Fitzgerald
G - Wizards First Rule - Terry Goodkind
H - Dead Until Dark - Charlene Harris
I - The Gates of Rome -Conn Iggulden
J - Children of Men - PD James
K - In Coldest blood - Jim Kelly
L - Lady Chatterley's Lover - DH Lawernce
M - Girl Goes Ape - Chris Manby
N - The Vampire Maid - Hume Nisbet
O - Maggie's Story - Sheila O'Flannagan
P - All These Lonely People - Gervase Phinn
Q - The Toymaker by Jeremy de Quidt
R - The Circle Series - Nora Roberts
S - Dissolution - C J Sansom
T - The Queen and I - Sue Townsend
U - The Glory of Ippling by Helen M Urban
V - The Bronte Project - Jennifer Vandever
W - The Velveteen Rabbit - Margery Williams
X - Miss Chopsticks - Xinran
Y - It Waits and It Waits Again - Robert M Yelverton
Z - The Book Thief by Markus Zusack

[Em]

Yay! Fantastic Lynne!

[Ian, Former Moderator]

Lynne - you are the school swot - lol........well done

[Helen]

Well done Lynne

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Thanks you guys!

[Helen]

Who will be next?

[Timothy]

Hi Lynne,
I don't know if you got my P.M. reply, I'm about 8 miles s.e. of King's Lynn, From 'Sunny Hunny' you would go past mine to get to Nick's.
check your P.Ms for address and phone number.
All the best Paul Rix [oldgeezer]

[Susan]

Lynne.....Congratulations on completing the Challenge.....brilliant!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Timothy wrote: "Hi Lynne,
I don't know if you got my P.M. reply, I'm about 8 miles s.e. of King's Lynn, From 'Sunny Hunny' you would go past mine to get to Nick's.
check your P.Ms for address and phone number...."

Got your number in my moby now so will give you a bell once I am up at Sarah's.

[Em]

Helen wrote: "Who will be next?"

Not me that's for sure! Making virtually no progress withi this in recent weeks.

[Helen]

Won't be me either Em, I read too many with the same initial!

[Donna]

I have 4 books to go, I finally found an author for "X" today, which was the last one I was looking for. The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices
I won't get my challenge done within 12 months as I had hoped, that deadline has just passed, but hopefully in the next month or so.

[Joseph]

Ok, here is my list:

A: Margaret Atwood - The Handmaids Tale
B: John Boyne - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
C: Bernard Cornwell - (the next saxon novel)
D: Jeffery Deaver - The Bone Collector
E: Bret Easton Ellis - American Psycho
F: Frederick Forsyth - The Afghan
G: Neil Gaiman - The Graveyard Book
H: Khaled Hosseini - The Kite Runner
I: Washington Irving - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
J: James Joyce - Ulysses
K: Ben Kane - The Forgotten Legion
L: Harper Lee - To Kill a Mockingbird
M: Gabriel Garcia Marquez - One Hundred Years of Solitude
N: Audrey Niffenegger - Her Fearful Symmetry
O: Olafur Johann Olafssen - Absolution
P: Chuck Palahniuk - Survivor
Q: Spencer Quinn - To Fetcha Thief
R: Ellen Raskin - The Westing Game
S: J.D.Salinger - The Catcher in the Rye
T: J.R.R.Tolkien - The Hobbit
U: Peter Ustinov - Monsieur Rene
V: Kurt Vonnegut - Slaughterhouse-Five
W: H.G.Wells - The Time Machine
X: Qiu Xiaolong - Death of a Red Heroine
Y: Brenna Yovanoff - The Replacement
Z: Markus Zusak - The Book Thief

I'll be ticking them off as I go.

[Donna]

Joe wrote: "Ok, here is my list:

A: Margaret Atwood - The Handmaids Tale
B: John Boyne - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
C: Bernard Cornwell - (the next saxon novel)
D: Jeffery Deaver - The Bone Collector
E: ..."

That's very organised of you, knowing all the books you are going to read before you even start!! I had a lot on my 'to read' shelf but had to find others as I went along.

[Joseph]

Donna wrote: "Joe wrote: "Ok, here is my list:

A: Margaret Atwood - The Handmaids Tale
B: John Boyne - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
C: Bernard Cornwell - (the next saxon novel)
D: Jeffery Deaver - The Bone C..."

Lol, It may look organised but I don't know when i'll get aroound to reading them. I've found since finding Goodreads I spend less time reading and more time reading about others reading!

[Tory]

A:
B:
C:
D:
E:
F:
G:
H: James Hilton (Good-bye, Mr. Chips, and other stories)
I:
J: D.E. Johnson (The Detroit Electric Scheme: A Mystery)
K:
L:
M:
N:
O:
P:
Q:
R:
S:
T:
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

[laut]

My list so far:
A: Ackroyd, Peter - The Lambs of London-finished
C: Camus, Albert - The Ousider - finished
D: Danielewski, Mark - House of Leaves
G: Greenberg, Michael - Hurry Down Sunshine- finished
I: Ishiguro, Kazuo - The Remains of the Day- finished
M: Melville, Herman - Moby-Dick- finished
O: O'Donoghue, John - Sectioned, A Life Interrupted- finished
P: Pratchett, Terry - Snuff - finished
S: John Scalzi Agent to the Stars- Finished
T: Tremain, Rose - The Colour- Finished
W: Wooding, Chris- The Weavers of Saramyr- Finished

[Stephen]

will be doing the a-z author challenge in 2011

A-Made In Bradford - M.Y.Alam
B-The transformation of bartholomew Fortuno- e. bryson
C-the stonehenge legacy - sam christer
D-the autobiography of a super-tramp - wh davies
E-
F-telling liddy - anne fine
G-two wheels over catalonia - richard guise
H-one man and a narrowboat- steve haywood
I-the happy hoofer - celia Imrie
J-the summer book - Tove Jansson
K-Great house- nicole Krauss
L-start the car - david lloyd
M-the winter ghosts - kate mosse
N-the snowman - jo nesbo
O-
P-Repeat it to day with tears- Anne Peile
Q-the silver linings playbook- matthew quick
R-the invisible mountain - carolina de robertis
S-The immortal life of henrietta lacks - r skloot
T-Premiership Psycho - CM Taylor
U-
V-Easter Island - Jennifer Vanderbes
W-Nourishment- Gerard Woodward
X-
Y-
Z-

[Melki]

Backdating to January 2011, here is my list:

A-tkinson, Kate - Case Histories
B-uckley, Christopher - Boomsday
C-ollins, Suzanne - Hunger Games
D-unn, Mark - Ella Minnow Pea
E-vanovich, Janet - Plum Spooky
F-orster, E.M. - A Passage to India
G-oolrich, Robert - A Reliable Wife
H-illenbrand, Laura - Unbroken
I-
J-anzen, Rhoda - Mennonite in a Little Black Dress
K-rauss, Nicole - Great House
L-amb, Wally - Wishin' and Hopin'
M-oore, Christopher - Lamb
N-icholls, David - One Day
O-bmascik, Mark - The Big Year
P-errotta, Rick - Election
Q-
R-achman, Tom - Imperfectionists
S-ansom, Ian - Sovereign
T-rumbo, Dalton - Johnny Got His Gun
U-dall, Brady - The Lonely Polygamist
V-erghese, Abraham - Cutting For Stone
W-hite, Bailey - Quite a Year for Plums
X-
Y-oshimtoto, Banana - Kitchen
Z-ouroudi, Anne - The Messenger of Athens

[Catherine]

is this an ongoing challenge? can I join in?

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Catherine wrote: "is this an ongoing challenge? can I join in?"

Yes this is an on going challenge and of course join in!

[Catherine]

cool...I will add my list...starting in Dec. I have alot of books to read! now I just have to read them!!!

[[deleted user]]

Hey. I've been watching this challenge and decided to join in. I've decided to backdate to the start of 2011 and my aim will be to finish in 2 years. I don't plan on following the challenge exactly as I will be reading repeat letters in between but I hope I can broaden my horizons by forcing myself to find authors with some of the more obscure letters!

[[deleted user]]

List so far:
A: Atwood, Margaret The Handmaid's Tale
B:
C:
D: Dickens, Charles Great Expectations
E:
F: Fry, Stephen Moab Is My Washpot
G:
H:
I:
J: James, Peter The Perfect Murder
K: Kapuscinski, RyszardThe Shadow of the Sun
L:
M: Miller, AD Snowdrops
N:
O:
P: Pratchett, Terry The Truth
Q:
R: Reynolds, Tom Blood, Sweat & Tea: Real-Life Adventures in an Inner-City Ambulance
S: Stevens, Mark Broadmoor Revealed: Victorian Crime and the Lunatic Asylum
T: Thompson, Hunter S Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas
U:
V:
W:
X:
Y:
Z:

[Liz, Your Friendly Moderator]

Heather wrote: "Hey. I've been watching this challenge and decided to join in. I've decided to backdate to the start of 2011 and my aim will be to finish in 2 years. I don't plan on following the challenge exactly..."

Good luck!

[Catherine]

is this being restarted in Jan? I want to do this too...
are you going to do an A-Z book challenge? and if you are...is it only books that take place in UK? I think thatwould be a good one!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Catherine wrote: "is this being restarted in Jan? I want to do this too...
are you going to do an A-Z book challenge? and if you are...is it only books that take place in UK? I think thatwould be a good one!"

The challenge is on going and you can choose any book/genre etc you like.

[Ian, Former Moderator]

I completed the A to Z in 2011, and will probably do it again in 2012, but you can start/finish whenever. All of the challenges in the group are just personal things and certainly not competitive as such, which I just use to expand my range of authors away from just reading personal favourites, but everyone will have their own motivations.

[Sam]

I decided just before Christmas to have a go at this,

My list so far

P PICTURE PERFECT Jodi Picoult
R JUDAS STRAIN James Rollins

[Helen]

Read 77 books this year and still have about 8 letters to go.

[Stephen]

Ian wrote: "I completed the A to Z in 2011, and will probably do it again in 2012, but you can start/finish whenever. All of the challenges in the group are just personal things and certainly not competitive a..."

I was 3 short for the 2011 a-z challenge so starting again for 2012

[Helen]

I'm not starting again, I have to finish this lot first.

[[deleted user]]

I have just ordered my remaining 6 letters from the library as I want to finish this A-Z challenge as then I can concentrate on other challenges. Though knowing me I will probably start all over again with this one just trying to include new authors

[Sam]

This challenge has encouraged me to read a few of the books that I have had for a long time and always decided to read something else instead. Have read one and am now half way through 2 Torchwood books that I would never have bought but was given and I have actually found them to be better than expected.

[Dave]

Sam wrote: "This challenge has encouraged me to read a few of the books that I have had for a long time and always decided to read something else instead. Have read one and am now half way through 2 Torchwood..."

Sam - most of the Torchwood books are at lease readable but there are some really good ones out there.

[Sam]

Dave wrote: "Sam wrote: "This challenge has encouraged me to read a few of the books that I have had for a long time and always decided to read something else instead. Have read one and am now half way through..."

I've found them better than expected but wouldn't go out and buy them. I have also had The Cellist of Sarajevo on my bookshelf for ages and every time I start a new book I look at it and move past it. I'm so glad I finally got round to reading that so this challenge is definitely worthwhile in my opinion

[Packabook]

Sam wrote: "Dave wrote: "Sam wrote: "This challenge has encouraged me to read a few of the books that I have had for a long time and always decided to read something else instead. Have read one and am now hal..."

Cellist of Sarajevo is a wonderful book. I will always think of those people trying to cross the bridge whenever I hear anything about the Siege...

[Sam]

My up to date list for this challenge

A THE HOUSE THAT JACK BUILT Guy Adams
G THE CELLIST OF SARAJEVO Steven Galloway
M BAY OF THE DEAD Mark Morris
P PICTURE PERFECT Jodi Picoult
R JUDAS STRAIN James Rollins
T THE SLAP Christos Tsiolkas
V BELIEVE IT, BE IT Ali Vincent
W THE FORBIDDEN TEMPLE Patrick Woodhead

So that's 8 or 26.

Just about to start my Z. I've got Touch by Alexi Zentner.

[Catherine]

quick question...do the authors have to be British? and or do the stories have to take place in UK?