You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2021
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♐️ Cherie's Celestial Cycle ♐️
I almost did, Mariab, but I wasn't sure what Janice was going to do for the challenge. Yes - SF is my all time favorite, but I felt the need to get some non-fiction for Memoir/Autobiography worked in. I was happy when TJ chose the same. The book we are reading is interesting. How amazing. I have a list of all of RAH's books and this is not listed. Oh - it is a short story. Too funny because I had it marked as to read.
Okay, now you made me spend $4.50 so that I could read it. I bought All You Zombies and Other Stories.
Cherie wrote: "I almost did, Mariab, but I wasn't sure what Janice was going to do for the challenge. Yes - SF is my all time favorite, but I felt the need to get some non-fiction...The book we are reading is interesting. ..."I have no doubt of that!
Characteristically, people who enjoy SF also enjoy nonfiction. After all, SF is like a projection/prediction/ ahead-flux of reality...
The Heinlein's short story is very easy to get, by the way. And is short (no asset for Challenges, although)
I started reading Appaloosa for book 12. Can't say that I love the writing, but I like the character interaction.I just looked to see how many books are in the series. There are nine listed, but Parker only wrote the first two. Someone else, picked by his estate, are writing the rest. I loved Parker's Jessie Stone series and was devastated when I found out he had died.
At least, I can provide some proof as backup: https://www.quora.com/What-are-some-o...
http://www.popcrunch.com/the-15-best-...
Wow - thanks for the links. I think I have read at least two of the stories in the first link. As for the books in the 2nd link, I read #4, 5, and 8. #6 was on my ZZ list until I bumped it off. I will still read it. The Terry Pratchett, Discworld book is on my series list for this year too.
Badge 1, Book 12 of 12 Zodiac Sign: Libra
Category: Actors-Viggo Mortenson
Task: Read the book the movie was adapted from or Read a book with the same title as the movie.
Book Link: Appaloosa
★★★★ read Feb 9
How It Fits: The movie Appoloosa, was based on the book by Robert. B. Parker. movie
Janice - I will be back to post for my badge, after I get lunch and finish some work waiting to be done. O_o
Congrats on completing the tasks for your first badge!!!
Whoo hoo!! Congratulations getting the first badge knocked off so quickly, Cherie!!! Great job!!!🎆🎆🎆
Provided Janice gives you the badge, lol ; )
YAY. Another acomplished fellow reader!! Congrats!!!!
Cherie wrote: "Badge 1, Book 11 of 12 Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Category: Symbol-Maiden
Task: Read a book where the protagonist is a girl or young woman under the age of 20 and is unmarried.
Book Link: [book:Timeboun..."
I've had this on my kindle for a couple of years. If you liked it, I have to read it!
And it's only February, and you already have your first badge. Good job, Cherie!
Thank you all! Roz - yes, you should read Timebound. I had it hanging around for some time too. I have so many others that need to be read that I bought at the same time. I need to make room to read the next book too.
Congrats, Cherie! A badge, just in time for the toppler. :)
@Janice-I know, I couldn't stand it! 😄
So what book was it you wanted me to check out for mythology?
Hahaha, you are too quick for me, Janice. Let me read it and see and then I'll ask, if needed. I didn't notice until I signed up to read it for the toppler that Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson, indicates "mythology" in the story summary. I just started it. Very YA!
Badge 2, Book 5 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Aries
Category: Superheros-Ares
Task: Read a book shelved as mythology, or has the word “God” in the title. Plurals are accepted.
Book Link: Valkyrie Rising
★★★★ read Feb 11th
How It Fits: The book is shelved as Mythology in the first page and definitely applies. Norse Gods are discussed and a few appear.
It was an interesting story and I enjoyed reading it. Another author's debut. It was a little too YA - with the teen love story, but a fun confrontation with Loki and the Valkyries of Norse mythology. It was summertime in Norway, but I am happy to be moving on to a warm beach scene.
This book would also fit for Virgo, Symbol-Maiden. Ellie, the MC is 16 yo.
Now - when/where am I going to read A God in Ruins? I might have to bump Mudbound for the bird on the cover.
This was a toppler book.
Badge 2, Book 6 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Category: Month-August
Task: Read a book that is set at least 50% during the specified month, OR the specified month is in the title.
Book Link: The Girls of August
★★ read Feb 12th
How It Fits: August is in the title.
This was a toppler book.
Badge 2, Book 7 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Libra
Category: Month-September
Task: Read a book that is set at least 50% during the specified month, OR the specified month is in the title.
Book Link: The Water's Edge
★★★★ read Feb 13th
How It Fits: 50% of the book is set in September (from page 1- page 139 of 221 pages.)
This was a toppler book and a series book for Inspector Sejer.
Badge 2, Book 8 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Category: Element-Water
Task: Read a book where 70% of the cover is blue.
Book Link:
Hero★★★★ read Feb 16th
How It Fits: Pretty blue cover!
Another Author Debut book. YA, Science Fiction, set in the future. I will be waiting for Rebellion #2.
This was a toppler book and my 2nd read for the 2018 Australian Authors challenge.
Badge 2, Book 9 of 24Zodiac Sign: Gemini
Category: Element - Air
Task: Read a book where 70% of the cover is white.
Book Link:
Tuesday's Gone★★★★ read Feb 25th
How It Fits: It passed the Tineye test.
I love it when series books fit into challenges like this. This is the 2nd Frieda Klein mystery. Hard to put down!
Badge 2, Book 10 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Category: Symbol - Water-bearer
Task: Read a book that has an urn, jug, or other vessel used for holding water on the cover.
Book Link: Cocaine Blues
★★★★ read Feb 25th
How It Fits: There is a tea pot on the cover.
Another 1st-in-series-book off my shelf and be added to my serial killing list.
Badge 2, Book 11 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Category: Stone-Copper
Task: Read a book with a metal weapon or tool on the cover.
Book Link: Waiting for Wednesday: A Frieda Klein Mystery
★★★★★ read March 2nd
How It Fits: There is a metal fork on the cover.
Frieda Kline #3.
Badge 2, Book 12 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Category: Superheroes-Rogue
Task: Read a book with bird(s) on the cover OR the word “Raven” is in the title. Plurals are accepted.
Book Link:
Thursday's Children★★★★★ read Mar 3rd
How It Fits: There are multiple birds wheeling in the clouds.
Frieda Kline #4
Badge 2, Book 13 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Category: Symbol-Fish
Task: Read a book set near or on a lake or river, OR the words Lake or River are in the title, or is the author’s name.
Book Link: Friday on My Mind
★★★★★ read Mar 4th
How It Fits: The action all takes place on or near the River Thames in London.
Frieda Kline #5
You're flying through that series Cherie - and the badge!!
I'm totally fascinated with Frieda Klein! I can't believe my library has had them all available in ebook to borrow. It hardly EVER happens. I'm reading #6 and will probably have to get in line for #7. Then it will be waiting to finally read #8. I also couldn't believe I could apply so many of them to my challenge. They just kept bumping off other books. The Saturday book will not fit anything though.
Nope, nope, nope! I just can't do it! I was lead to believe that Murder with Peacocks was a May read, but only 59 pages take place in May.June is 80 pages and July is 157 pages. It would qualify for 50% in July but after reading 20 pages, I can't take it any more. It might be humorous to some, but so far, it is just stupid, to me. Now I have to find another book for the month of May. Grrrrr
You've been spared starting another new series, Cherie.
The 50% taking place in a certain month can be quite a challenge. i just finished reading Wave of Destruction: The Stories of Four Families and History's Deadliest Tsunami about the 2004 tsunami in Thailand. The tsunami took place on December 26, but I figured there was a good chance at least 50% of the book took place in January because of the aftermath - finding lost family members, clean up, rebuilding, etc. No such luck. It wouldn't even qualify for December (a task I had already filled). Oh well, it was terrific book. And if anyone needs a book with water on the cover, it would work for that task.
Suzanne wrote: "The 50% taking place in a certain month can be quite a challenge. i just finished reading Wave of Destruction: The Stories of Four Families and History's Deadliest Tsunami about the 2..."I'm not having much luck slotting books into the month tasks. It's hard to gopher for the months as settings because you often don't know until after you've read a book whether it fits the task or not. As for finding books with the month in the title, not much is appealing.
It sounded good when I was writing the challenge, but I doubt future challenges will include such tasks. Writing tasks can be like the tasks themselves. Sometimes you don't know until you start gophering for them.
So true. Trudy An did a great job of gophering. She found books featuring an historic event, often a tragedy, that occurred on a certain date. I revised my reading plans based on that. It helped get out of the "month in the title" rut and I found some very interesting books.
Roz wrote: "Hmm, just the cover would put me off."LOL! I couldn't find anything else at the time.
Janice wrote: "I'm not having much luck slotting books into the month tasks. It's hard to gopher for the months as settings because you often don't know until after you've read a book whether it fits the task or not. As for finding books with the month in the title, not much is appealing. It sounded good when I was writing the challenge, but I doubt future challenges will include such tasks. Writing tasks can be like the tasks themselves. Sometimes you don't know until you start gophering for them..."
I think the month name in the title is not so bad as the time frame setting. It may have been another option to include "or the author's name - first or last" or even the letter of the month of in the title (I was thinking of the A-Y books by the lady that died recently). Or even with the name of the sign in the title. I found lots of books when I was gophering, but I had already read lots of them. That is my problem, really. I do not like to include books I have already read. I think most of us are like this. It is not always the badges for me, but reaching to find books that I have not discovered yet.
It is still early yet, we may still find books that drop into a time frame that is still open. That's how I found the book that I read for September. It was a toppler book that I picked because it was just a little over 200 pages.
Badge 2, Book 14 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Category: Month-June
Task: For each zodiac sign, read a book that is set at least 50% during the specified month, OR the specified month is in the title.
Book Link: Goodnight June
★★★★ read Mar 10th
How It Fits: June is in the title.
Great story. I really liked the writing and am looking forward to reading more of this author's books. Seemed a little too much chick/lit at first, but as the story developed, I grew to appreciate the author's imagination and the way the dual timeline progressed.
This book was set in Seattle, Washington - and will fit into the Pacific Northwest task too.
Badge 2, Book 15 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Libra
Category: Element-Air
Task: Read a book with a significant amount of clouds on the cover.
Book Link: The Obsidian Chamber
★★★★ read Mar 14th
How It Fits: Clouds on the cover!
This is Pendergast #16 of 17. Now, I need to go back to the beginning and meet the characters properly.
You finally found one with lots of clouds. Seems like you kept finding and discarding for this task.
LOL! Yes, I did. I had several books already lined up but this one fit too and now I don't have to waffle back and forth over which one to read. It is always the found books that end up replacing the planned books that makes it fun. Even after the hours and hours of planning.I just finished The Chalk Man, so he will be added tomorrow.
Badge 2, Book 16 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Sagittarius
Category:Superheros-Hawkeye
Task: Read a new release in 2018, never previously published.
Book Link: The Chalk Man
★★★★ read Mar 14th
How It Fits: Published Jan 2018
A debut novel. A murder mystery, set in dual time lines, 1986 and 2016.
I'm trying to figure out which one is more "significant" for the water on the cover task. Do I check another series title off my Barbara Holloway list or start another series?
I'd say they're about equal. There, I'll help you decide. Or not.
Badge 2, Book 17 of 24 Zodiac Sign: Scorpio
Category: Element-Water
Task: Read a book with a significant amount of water on the cover.
Book Link: Cold Case
★★★★ read Mar 16th
How It Fits: Significant amount of water on the cover.
This book is from the Barbara Holloway series. It is #11 of 13 and out of order, but was available. The cover had nothing to do with either crime presented in the book - both twenty years appart. However, during the story, I finally realized why I like the Frieda Klein character. Both women take off walking to help themselves think and both women have problems sleeping because of dreams caused by their mental wrangling. Both women live in a city with a significant river running through it and parks and walking paths.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Grass Harp, Including A Tree of Night and Other Stories (other topics)Midnight Express (other topics)
The Oxford Murders (other topics)
Up At the Villa (other topics)
Midnight Express (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Anita Shreve (other topics)Michael Crichton (other topics)
Michael Crichton (other topics)
Truman Capote (other topics)
Bernard Malamud (other topics)
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(Actually, I was a little surprised you didn't choose SF as your favorite genre for the Monthly Challenge)