7. A book by an author with the same first or last name as you

[Sara]

This is another hard one for some of you. If you really can't find a book that works with your name start branching out to your children, parents, siblings, etc. A little flexibility is perfectly ok!

[Kenya]

This one might actually be tricky for me, because I'm posting my challenge and the progress on it on my DA page but I've always taken care to not post my real name on said page. I guess it comes from growing up in the era where you were cautioned NOT to reveal your real name online...

Do I cheat on this challenge and try to find a book written by someone named "Kenya?" Or do I go "bag it, privacy's a myth anymore, let 'em know your real name?"

[Lindi]

I thought this would be hard for me as my first name is uncommon, and the spelling even more so. To add to it, my last name is Eriksen (which isn't all that uncommon, but is usually spelled as Erickson).

However I did find a Norwegian anthropologist, Thomas Hylland Eriksen, who has published quite a few nonfiction books on anthropology.

[Tytti]

Kenya wrote: "Do I cheat on this challenge and try to find a book written by someone named "Kenya"?"

Maybe you could use your second name if you have one?

This one is "easy" for me... Like Kenya I don't like to reveal too much but there really isn't any well known authors with the same last name as mine. It seems there is one children's author (not interested) and one who wrote his war memoirs in another name. And then there are few with the same first name, only one I have actually heard of before and others seem to write poetry...

[Mike]

Darnit, I suggested A Book with a CHARACTER With the Same Last Name as You. Pop Sugar, please fix.

Sincerely,
Mike Potter

:)

[Tara]

Kenya, I don't know your name obviously but it shouldn't be dangerous or anything to reveal your first name, they're not easily traceable plus you don't have to say which name is the same as yours. Ex if your name is Lisa smith and you use a book by Lisa Genova you don't need to say that you used your first name. I'd try to find someone with that. OR if possible use someone with your first name as their last or vice versa, then you don't have to tell followers that you did that.

[Tytti]

Lindi wrote: "To add to it, my last name is Eriksen"

That spelling is common in Denmark and Norway.

[Nadine in NY]

LOL Mike, I unilaterally declare that you can bend the rules!!! I thought of you when I saw this category!! :-)

Like some others, I do not post under my real real name, which is Nadine Thompson. So I can read Nadine Gordimer, or Jim Thompson, or someone else that I haven't discovered yet ...

[Brandyn]

I may use my nickname or middle name. Although I did just find an author who's last name is my first name so that's probably where I'll start.

[Fannie]

Much easier than the one last year with an author with the same initials. I will finally read Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

[Charlsa]

Since my last name is Hamner, I guess I’ll finally read either Spencer’s Mountain or The Homecoming by Earl J. Hamner, Jr. I have had Spencer’s Mountain sitting on the shelf for years.

[Stefanie]

I really don't like this prompt and will most likely skip it. :/

My last name is quite uncommon and all the Stefanies or Stephanies I've found write pretty trashy stuff, so I won't waste my time reading that. If I come across an author with my initials (SP) I might read them instead.

[Kenya]

Ended up going for the middle-name option, because I can. XD Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige.

[Juanita]

Juanita Vorel
That is all I have to say.

[Theresa]

No one with my last name has published a book. Not even an essay or short story. A couple of us have published articles in professional journals. Not the same. And most with same first name spell it differently.

I could always default to my middle name - Marie - or confirmation name - Catherine.

[poshpenny]

I reserve the right to find an author with either my first or last name as either their first or last name. My surname is also used as a first name and if I need to, I'll go with that.

[Rachel]

For any fellow Rachel's in the group:

Rachel Gibson
Rachel Abbott
Rachel Rhys
Rachel Joyce - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is brilliant!

I'm going with Stranger Child by Rachel Abbott

[Mike]

Nadine wrote: "LOL Mike, I unilaterally declare that you can bend the rules!!! I thought of you when I saw this category!! :-)"

Thanks, but my names are common enough that it shouldn't be too hard. I would feel guilty bending the rules on this one after seeing the challenge that some of my fellow readers are facing.

[Marilyn]

Marilyn Pappano - IF there is another Marilyn in Goodreads land. She writes romance novels.

[Mike]

I will be reading The Tale of Peter Rabbit

[Taylor]

Kenya wrote: "This one might actually be tricky for me, because I'm posting my challenge and the progress on it on my DA page but I've always taken care to not post my real name on said page. I guess it comes fr..."

I suggest doing whatever makes YOU comfortable. If you are uncomfortable revealing any personal information that is your business. Use your screen name or bend the prompt however you please. Yes, the challenge is supposed to expand our horizons but I would never suggest anything that compromises your sense safety or comfort. Good luck!

[Patricia]

I’m going to read a Patricia Cornwall, Ripper. It will take care of two prompts. Is that legal?

[Patricia]

That’s Cornwell

[Nadine in NY]

Patricia wrote: "I’m going to read a Patricia Cornwall, Ripper. It will take care of two prompts. Is that legal?"

Yes! Many people check off multiple categories with one book, and many people stick to one category per book. Your challenge, your rules.

[Anabell]

I am Reading a fairy tale by Hans Christian ANDERSEN. Even though I think I’ve read most of them as a child. But looking forward to reading one again and gets to dust of my collection of his work :-)

[Nicole]

I have two books on my TBR written by people named Nicole, so I'm going to try to read one of them. I don't actually have either of them, so hopefully the library will have one or both, because I'm desperately trying to work on my TBR list and not add a lot of new books. That's not working out very well for me, but we'll see...

Born Bright: A Young Girl's Journey from Nothing to Something in America by C. Nicole Mason - my middle name is Nicole (that's what my parents called me from day 1, so I still consider it my "first" name, so I feel like this is the most accurate match)

Center Ring by Nicole Waggoner (she is a local author and while I don't know her, I know people who know her, so I feel like I should read her book - Oh, WAIT! We have a prompt for that. Woo hoo! I can get both these books off my TBR list with this challenge!)

[Judy]

I found an author that uses my last name as a middle name (may be her maiden name) and I think I'll go with her. Otherwise I'm stuck with law books from New York, children's books, or a book on money banks.

[Cheri]

I have a common name, which is sometimes a curse (I get email for people with my name who live in English speaking countries all over the world -- aargghhh!). But it makes this challenge easy. I have never read Colette's classic, Chéri, and I might do that. My official name, which I dislike, is Cheryl, and there's always Cheryl Strayed's books. And I have a book on my TBR, Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by an author with my last name. Yay!

[Marilyn]

Judy wrote: "I found an author that uses my last name as a middle name (may be her maiden name) and I think I'll go with her. Otherwise I'm stuck with law books from New York, children's books, or a book on mon..."

Judith McNaught writes romance and some of them involve time travel, if you are trying to click off multiple categories per book. Even IF you are actually Judy not Judith, it seems close enough to me! I guarantee IF you do genealogy research you will find our ancestors were a lot less concerned about spelling than we are.

[Diane]

Sara wrote: "This is another hard one for some of you. If you really can't find a book that works with your name start branching out to your children, parents, siblings, etc. A little flexibility is perfectly ok!"

I stumbled upon a new author in the Target book section while waiting for a rx. The author's name stood out because it was my last name, which I have never seen anywhere other than my family. I bought the book based solely on her name and I am now a huge fan. Good thing I haven't read her latest one yet . Rosamund Lupton.

[Chinook]

My first name brought up some decent options: there’s a cosy mystery series and a fantasy series, some vampire romances and a couple of interesting looking non-fictions. My surname wasn’t as useful, but I think it’ll be fine picking from those options. I seldom read cozy mysteries, but they’re so popular and often sound appealing to me, so maybe I’ll go with that.

[Judy]

Marilyn wrote: "Judy wrote: "I found an author that uses my last name as a middle name (may be her maiden name) and I think I'll go with her. Otherwise I'm stuck with law books from New York, children's books, or ..."

It is indeed Judith, but the author I mentioned is a turn of the (20th) century feminist and her book was described by one reviewer I read as almost like What Ho Jeeves, so how can I resist.

[Stina]

None of the Chris or Christina authors that pop up in the search seem all that interesting to me. So Stina Leicht, if you don't mind that "Stina" is a nickname for me. Or Richard Branson, even though I've divorced out of his family and kept the name only for writing. Hey, it worked for Agatha Christie! :-)

[Rachael]

Rachel wrote: "For any fellow Rachel's in the group:

Rachel Gibson
Rachel Abbott
Rachel Rhys
Rachel Joyce - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Har..."</i>

Thanks for that, [book:The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry is on my tbr list.
Does it count if it's a different spelling? If not, I have a common surname (Morris) so I'm sure I can find someone to fit.

[Rachel]

Rachael wrote: "Rachel wrote: "For any fellow Rachel's in the group:

Rachel Gibson
Rachel Abbott
Rachel Rhys
Rachel Joyce - [book:The Unlikely Pi..."
I think it would count even with a different spelling :)

[Megan]

There's an erotic writer out there with my exact name LOL

[Wednesday]

Stina wrote: "None of the Chris or Christina authors that pop up in the search seem all that interesting to me. So Stina Leicht, if you don't mind that "Stina" is a nickname for me. Or [author:R..."

Oh good you're looking at Chrises too. I was also looking at Pauls, since I'm a Paula. That counts yes? My last name is very rare, so no writers with the same one.

[Letizia]

This is going to be complicate. Is it okay if I use the english version of my name?

[Anna]

Letizia wrote: "This is going to be complicate. Is it okay if I use the english version of my name?"

I say so!

[Tonya]

I thought this would be hard, but I actually found a book fairly quickly. There were a lot of authors with the first name Tonya. There were a few with my last name but it looked like most of it was historical fiction and that's just not my thing. For any other Tonyas out there, if you're into paranormal, high school type reads then check out Tonya Hurley. I've never read her stuff but she had a lot of books.

I'll be reading Accused: My Fight for Truth, Justice, and the Strength to Forgive by Tonya Craft

[Simant]

Okay, so this is going to be tough for me. There can't be anyone with my first name :D I have to go with my last name.
So I'll wait for any Indian author with surname "Verma" :D

[Jamie]

This is hard one for me as well. I'm sure no author has my last name, Ghione, but my first name is hard to find sometimes. I rarely ever found my name on pencils, notebooks, mugs and such, and rarely ever met others with the same name. It was hard having my name when every other girl at school was named Jennifer, Karen, Lisa, Michelle, Stephanie, and other much more popular names.

[Lu]

I'm lucky because my cousin wrote a few children books, otherwise I'd end up stuck with some boring italian history novels! Pheew!!

[Reenah]

Seems like women with my name tend to write Erotica. Great. LOL.

[Mike]

Reenah wrote: "Seems like women with my name tend to write Erotica. Great. LOL."

I say go with it. We're supposed to broaden our horizons, after all.

[Lindi]

Megan wrote: "There's an erotic writer out there with my exact name LOL"

I think you need to take one for the team and read one by her! LOL

I might bend a little bit and read Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman by Lindy West. I would have liked to find an exact spelling, but I haven't found much other than the anthropology texts and Shrill is already on my TBR.

[Johanna]

I'm going to read a book by Johanna Lindsey.

[Stina]

Paula wrote: "Stina wrote: "None of the Chris or Christina authors that pop up in the search seem all that interesting to me. So Stina Leicht, if you don't mind that "Stina" is a nickname for me..."

Sure, I'd think a Paul would count as well. I go by Chris sometimes, so it seems silly not to count it.

I looked up my maiden name and found a few authors, even though it's not a very common name. I may end up going with The Little Pumpkin just because. And if I decide to double-dip, there's my Halloween book!

[Reenah]

Mike wrote: "Reenah wrote: "Seems like women with my name tend to write Erotica. Great. LOL."

I say go with it. We're supposed to broaden our horizons, after all."

True hehe.

[Trina]

I have a very unusual first name, but when I Googled "author [first name]," a few things came up. And my first name is a somewhat common last name in some Mediterranean and Latin American countries, so I may go with one of those.

I am lucky, though, in that my last name is relatively common in America. So I have some to choose from there.