SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2018 TBR Cleanup Challenge!
Mod
What you said about home being often connected with childhood gave me a lot to think about, Allison. Completely true, y..."
No! Don't be ashamed! It is not shameful to have a strong connection to the first time we experienced "home!" It is just interesting to me that it is so strong that overrides the home of our own making.
Bobby, that's wonderful! I hope you do get that sensation. And yes, perhaps there's a nostalgia element to the idea of "home."
to me it was this book:5. A book that reminds you of home
Chesapeake which is written about where my family is from and set about 20 miles from where I was born plus it has a chapter dealing with Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
Allison wrote: "It is not shameful to have a strong connection to the first time we experienced "home!" It is just interesting to me that it is so strong that overrides the home of our own making.."It is interesting. I hadn't quite thought about it in this way before you pointed it out. I find it especially puzzling in my own case, since I refer to both my original hometown and the town I've been living in for the past several years as "home." But I immediately started thinking about the place I grew up in when I read that prompt on the list. This might also be because, culturally, "home" is often so connected to family/the place you grew up in. So in addition to emotional connections, that's what many of us default to.
Maybe it’s b/c adult homes are sources of work,chores,responsibilities whereas childhood homes are more associated with ease, carefree, pre-adult freedoms.I don’t want to read a book about what my life is like right now 😒
Mod
Mareike, true, there seem to be connotations. And I know adults who moved around a lot as children, who have lived in the same place as adults for years and years, who have their own family and a good life will still say they feel like they never had a home. So I think there must be some significance in that first (or, at least earlier!) feeling of having come home.
Mod
I don’t want to read a book about what m..."
XD Aw, poor Rachel. Good point, though. Childhood homes may benefit from a little distance in our memories. I thought about you today when I saw the hurricane warning. I hope you have a dryer year this year!
Allison wrote: "And I know adults who moved around a lot as children, who have lived in the same place as adults for years and years, who have their own family and a good life will still say they feel like they never had a home."This is exactly what I've been struggling with. I didn't want to bring it up earlier, because it sounds like I'm complaining about a horrible childhood. That's not it though, it's just that when I think about all the different places I've lived, none of them feel like Home. Like that one place you always go back to for holidays, or where your (grand)parents still live, where all your childhood friends are, etc. I do associate certain places with certain people, or with a time period in my life, but if someone asks me where Home is, I don't get a strong feeling of one special place. We did move around a lot, and not just from one apartment to another, but between countries. And I've continued this as an adult, I've lived in my current apartment for five years, and it's the longest I've stayed in one place.
My interpretation of "home" was pretty ordinary: where I spent my childhood. For that I chose Life on the Mississippi. It's kind of funny because Missouri was Clemens' childhood home but he didn't live there much past his young adulthood. There are portions of the book about a flood in Louisiana and Arkansas that remind me of the flood that affected St. Louis in 1993. A local author is another option--there I could have chosen a book by a St. Louis SFF author like Ann Leckie or Laurell Hamilton.
I could have used Parable of the Sower for my current home, but even though I've been living in California for almost 20 years my Midwestern heart is still having an uneasy time with the culture out here.
I moved around a lot as a child. My father was in the Air Force and by the time I was 18, I'd lived in 18 different houses. However, i always knew my family roots were from Tidewater Virginia and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. They'd been there since before the American Revolution and during the period leading up to and through the Civil War I had family on both sides (abolitionists and slave owners) that fought in that area. I really felt like I was reading about my "roots"
As mentioned a post or two ago, I decided on Life on the Mississippi for category 5. I finished it last night, bringing my challenge total to 7. Next is category 6 which I plan to fill with The Shadowed Sun.Goal: 10 books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16.
17.
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
Total completed: 7
Re: Book that reminds you of homeWithout thinking about it, I had automatically defaulted to my childhood home as well. Sometimes I still say that I'm going to "call home", and what I mean is my parents.
That said, I went for a book that was more about a mood or tone of how I associate my childhood instead of a place. I mean, I lived in Philly my entire childhood, and moved back there a few years after college... so I could've just picked a book set in Philly, I guess... but I've never been one to really be overly attached to where I lived.
So I settled on a book called The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender - because I equate home and childhood with all three of those things - strange, beautiful and sorrowful...
After reading the book I realized it didn't actually fit my life at all, but I left it based on my initial impression of the title, anyway. LOL
1. The 13th book -
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) I'm too young for this challenge LOL
3.
4.
5.
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover -
7. Chosen for the cover -
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for -
9.
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship -
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one -
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16.
17.
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender -
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover -
When I accepted the 2018 TBR Challenge, I decided to merge it with my Read All the Books goal to, well, to ead all the books on the Club shelf. There's not much on the shelf that reminds me of "home", and my home house and town changed with some regularity in my youth and early adulthood. So I just picked my favorite house and town, and looked for a book that I discovered in that time frame.And when it turned out that The Shadow of the Torturer fit the bill, I joked around about how it "reminded me of home"; it really reminds me of discovering new styles in my late youth, and the small-town library where I discovered them.
It's been awhile, but one more down... Completed:
Down the Mysterly River (changed)
1. The 13th book - The Black Prism - Finally done!
13. An author's debut novel - Daughter of the Pirate King
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one - Magic Below Stairs
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill -
The Obsidian Dagger: Being the Further Extraordinary Adventures of Horatio Lyle
19. Read a genre-bender - The Severed Streets
3. A book with humor or horror - The Tough Guide to Fantasyland
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - The Cruel Prince
5. A book that reminds you of home - The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone -
One of Us Is Lying
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - Rebel of the Sands
Ordered from Library:
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship - The Long-Lost Home
Planned:
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name -
Strands of Bronze and Gold
Completed a few more and made a couple changes to my picks. I now have 8/20 finished: 3. A book with humor or horror: Viscera
4. 300-350 pages: Santa Olivia
5. A book that reminds you of home: Always Coming Home
7. Chosen for the cover: Beasts Made of Night
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting: The House of Binding Thorns
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name: Crucible of Gold
13. An author's debut novel: An Unkindness of Ghosts
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one: A Conspiracy of Stars
16. A book with a mystery or romance: Mother of Souls
17. Standalone novel: Baker Thief
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: The Ruin of Angels - Kai is back!
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion
Leticia wrote: "1. The 13th book - 2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) I'm too young for this challenge LOL
3. A book ..."
Ha! Love your choice of Mortal Engines for "vehicle on the cover", although I would swear I had a cover that showed Traction City London...
I've read two more this month so I am up to 18/20.14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one: The Wild Road.
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: Empire of Ivory.
Full list:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
@Meredith: Wait, but which character and what would you do with them? (I just finished Empire of Ivory as well, so I am very curious!)
Kaa wrote: "@Meredith: Wait, but which character and what would you do with them? (I just finished Empire of Ivory as well, so I am very curious!)"Doesn't everyone want to shag Laurence?
Mod
Doesn't everyone want to shag Laurence?"
I imagine you saying this with perfect surprise, like it hadn't occurred to you this wasn't common knowledge, and I laughed and laughed.
Meredith wrote: "Kaa wrote: "@Meredith: Wait, but which character and what would you do with them? (I just finished Empire of Ivory as well, so I am very curious!)"Doesn't everyone want to shag Laurence?"
Honestly he's still a bit too proper for me - maybe by the end of the series! I wouldn't say no to Jane, though, if she happened to be attracted to women.
Kaa wrote: "Meredith wrote: "Kaa wrote: "Doesn't everyone want to shag Laurence?"Honestly he's still a bit too proper for me - maybe by the end of the series! I wouldn't say no to Jane, though, if she happened to be attracted to women.
"
I can definitely see the appeal of Jane, but I'm a sucker for a 'nice guy' especially one with a British accent.
changing1. The 13th book
The Forgotten Girls = (first book in series not released until December 24th and this is book 4 in the series and even I don't read that fast
to
1. The 13th book
Bedlam's Bard = Bedlam's Bard is a one volume edition of two previously published novels: Knight of Ghosts and Shadows and Summoned to Tourney
I'm hoping to make it to that one by the end of the year as it's the last one on my list
ETA: I just realized I had Knight of Ghosts and Shadows on my TBR list and it's part of Bedlam's Bard, so that takes one more off my TBR list
Category 12, "A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship" complete: 
With October coming up, and horror not being a comfort genre for me at all, category 15 looks promising for the next pick.
Goal: 10 books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12.
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16.
17.
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
Total completed: 8
Finished:3. A book with humor or horror: Viscera
4. 300-350 pages: Santa Olivia
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion
And I'm switching:
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: The Ruin of Angels for Saints Astray because Loup is such a badass.
I suffered through my choice for number 2 - and now there are only three more books to read to complete this challenge. Yeah!
Mod
Another one of my challenge books came in. It's very tempting to ignore the group read and do it, first. But I'm trying to behave.
Update:I'm only making progress slowly, but I am making progress.
1. The 13th book - The Mere Wife
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) - Home
3. A book with humor or horror - Monstrous Regiment
4. 300-350 pages - Tooth and Claw
5. A book that reminds you of home - Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover - The Stars Are Legion
7. Chosen for the cover - The House of Impossible Beauties
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for - Doomsday Book
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - Les Rois Maudits
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - Tigana
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship - Full Circle
13. An author's debut novel - The Invisible Library
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - Say Her Name
16. A book with a mystery or romance - Trail of Lightning
17. Standalone novel - The Word for World is Forest
19. Read a genre-bender - Life on Mars
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover - Wolf Season
Crossed another couple off my list, so thought I'd post an update. I'm up to 8 read, with 12 left. I've got several on hold at the library. I think I must have chosen popular books, because just about every one seems to have multiple people ahead of me on the hold list.1.
2.
3.
4. 300-350 pages - Autonomous
5. A book that reminds you of home - Midnight Crossroad
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover - Old Man's War
7.
8.
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - Snow Crash
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - Binti
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - Iron Gold
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship - I Am the Messenger
13. An author's debut novel - The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one - Sea of Rust
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - The Haunting of Hill House
16.
17. Standalone novel - The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
18.
19. Read a genre-bender - Perdido Street Station
20.
Mod
October update:1. The 13th book: Kushiel's Dart
2. Over-the-hill author: Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles
3. Humor or horror: To Say Nothing of the Dog
4. 300-350 pages: Alphabet of Thorn
5. reminds you of home: The Shadow of the Torturer
6. planets on the cover: The Dispossessed
7. Chosen for the cover: Charmed Life
8. "Missed it by that much": Ancillary Mercy
9. Based on the blurb or blerg: Swords and Deviltry
10. non-U.S. or UK setting: The Master and Margarita
11. Gold on the cover…: The Anubis Gates
12. Vehicle on the cover: The Algebraist (27 Oct 18)
13. Debut: The Crown Conspiracy (08 Dec 18)
=== === = = = = = = === === === = === = === === = === === === = = = = = = === ===
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe": (planned, Nov: Gardens of the Moon, after a second "re-Eeny")
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone (planned:
completed!!!1. The 13th book
Bedlam's Bard
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age and gender definitions because I ain't goin' there)
The Jewels of Aptor written/published when Samuel Delany was 20
3. A book with humor or horror
The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 3: The Mating Season / Ring for Jeeves / Very Good, Jeeves
4. 300-350 pages
Spiderlight
5. A book that reminds you of home
Chesapeake which is written about where my family is from and set about 20 miles from where I was born plus it has a chapter dealing with Chesapeake Bay Retrievers.
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
Playing God
7. Chosen for the cover
Memory & Dream - I love de Lint, but I paid more for this one because of the cover (didn't wait for a sale)
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for
Yes, Chef and no, it's not about Gordon Ramsey's show
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
Dun Lady's Jess - love the premise and hopefully it will spur me to get the rest of the series (bought because of the first blurb)
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
Skin Folk: Stories lots of the stories are set in the Caribbean/Canada
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
The Last Dark - I bought this a long time ago to complete the series and have not been able to make myself start it
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
Spiritride = motorcycle
13. An author's debut novel
Wizard's First Rule which will hopefully get me started on completing the series. I have read this in PB, but not in Ebook format
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
The City on the Edge of Forever
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich - someone said I would like this but it's not a genre I usually read
16. A book with a mystery or romance
The Shark - this was a book I was able to get for free using an Amazon promotion. This will make me read it
17. Standalone novel
The Winthrop Woman
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
Never Call It Loving: The Immortal Love Story of Kitty O'Shea and Charles Parnell. The main character is a politician, so I slotted this book here. I do not like politicians and this book adds adultery into the mix.
19. Read a genre-bender
The Shore of Women: The Classic Work of Feminist Science Fiction = feminist and SciFi
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
Dhampir = wolf
Not doing as well on the TBR contest though
Mod
thank you - the contest served its purpose in making me read some books on my TBR list though
Mod
Read another and made more changes - I was too creeped out by the behavior of the dudes in Saints Astray to keep it in the "marry shag or kill" category, so I made some swaps.5. A book that reminds you of home: Always Coming Home
7. Chosen for the cover: Beasts Made of Night
13. An author's debut novel: An Unkindness of Ghosts
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one: A Conspiracy of Stars
17. Standalone novel: Baker Thief
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: Revenant Gun
Mod
Sorry about the other book though, Kaa. That's unfortunate.
Haha, they're just all such fantastic characters!Thanks. A lot of the book was totally fine, and the character I liked was still wonderful, it just made me feel creepy to be like all the guys who were making me uncomfortable.
Anna wrote: "Congrats! Is your TBR empty now? :P"No :( Too many to be put into the challenge and most do not fit the criteria. Still have ... 52 to go including some short stories. Slowly but sure!
Mod
*turns to townsfolk*
SHE'S A WITCH!!
Allison wrote: "...you only have 52 books in your tbr??*turns to townsfolk*
SHE'S A WITCH!!"
Does she way as much as a Duck?
Mod
*turns to townsfolk*
SHE'S A WITCH!!"
Does she way as much as a Duck?"
You're right, we should have a formal inquiry before we do anything drastic.
LOL you guysGlad to know that number is still considered okay. I have some friends who could not believe I have that many books unread. These challenges help alot.
237 still left from prior to 2018. 52 is low to me, but then I bought a lot of public domain books prior to leaving France and moving back to the US where they are not public domain books (means they are still expensive in the US, but cheap in Europe)
Probably time for an update.1. The 13th book - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill. - The Princess Bride
3.
4. 300-350 pages - The Fever Code
5. A book that reminds you of home - Flashback (because my daughters and I are reading the series together) - This one comes out in a couple of days! Yay!
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover - Let the Sky Fall
7.
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for - The Darkest Minds
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - Angelfall
10.
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - A Clash of Kings
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship - The Ship of the Dead
13. An author's debut novel - Children of Blood and Bone
14.
15.
16.
17. Standalone novel - Armada
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill - Kingdom of Ash - Just got my copy - yay!
19. Read a genre-bender - Gunslinger Girl
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover - To Kill a Kingdom (is an octopus an animal?)
I should finish a few more this month, but I bet I will leave most until December. I'm not sure if it is procrastination or the "Oh look! Something shiny..." mentality that gets me. Probably the later - ha!
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Alphabet of Thorn (other topics)Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles (other topics)
The Shadow of the Torturer (other topics)
Elysium (other topics)
Kushiel's Dart (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Abigail Roux (other topics)Horace Walpole (other topics)
Tove Jansson (other topics)
Emma Newman (other topics)
Connie Willis (other topics)
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I chose mine because it's set in a small town in Texas. I'm from a big city in Texas, but I went to college in a smaller city, where I met lots of people from small towns, and visited a few small towns driving back and forth.
I haven't read the book yet, but I'm hoping it will remind me of the home I made for myself after leaving my parents for the first time. Of course now I'm back in San Antonio, where I was born, and live less than 10 minutes away from my parents.
I would say I've had multiple places/times in my life that were "home." I just chose a book that was from a specific home that isn't home anymore if that makes sense.