SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2018 TBR Cleanup Challenge!
@Bobby: I wish I could recommend Beasts Made of Night, but unfortunately the three stars I gave it were pretty much entirely for the concept. I found the story frustrating and disjointed, and I don't see myself continuing with the series.On the bright side, I'm down to four books left!
Just finished Die unendliche Geschichte for the book-you-always-wanted-to-read-but-never-got-to-it part and now there's only one missing, which has a BR next week! Yeah!
Hank wrote: "Side note, how do you keep your shelf so reasonably sized?!I think your problem with completing this challenge Hank is that your to-be-read shelf is just TOO DANGED SHORT. Any reasonable person on GR has at least 200+ books on their TBR shelf. Geez, get with the program here.
My suggestion to you for your gender-bender category is Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West. It is considered an "anti-Western", which sure sounds like some kind of bender to me.
I keep it that short just to make all you nervous. Blood Meridian is a great suggestion! I think I may try both Lexicon and Blood Meridian. I just need some inter-continental flights to get it done, luckily....
Hank wrote: "I just need some inter-continental flights to get it done, luckily.... "Oh, you tease!! You'd best come forth with the details!! Sounds exciting!!
Ha! Spain to visit family and then a quick turnaround to go to Saudi for work. It is about 50 hours total on a plane and the seats aren't big enough anymore for anyone to use a laptop comfortably so reading it is.
Hank wrote: "Ha! Spain to visit family and then a quick turnaround to go to Saudi for work. It is about 50 hours total on a plane and the seats aren't big enough anymore for anyone to use a laptop comfortably s..."You are leading a charmed life Hank!!
Completed the tbr challenge. Would have finished sooner, but I was following Hank's rule of "must own the book". Here's what I read and why, Huzzah!!20/20
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(because cycling!!!) 
old car✔
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snake
Hank wrote: "Ha! Spain to visit family and then a quick turnaround to go to Saudi for work. It is about 50 hours total on a plane and the seats aren't big enough anymore for anyone to use a laptop comfortably s..."That depends on the airline. In my experience just avoid the airlines based in the USA, they have the least room.
dunno - flying the smaller planes in France was pretty ridiculous. I didn't even have space to have my knees in front of me (I had to go to either side of the seatback in front of me and I'm only 5'6"). Even their buses and concert venues were for smaller people than most Americans
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I can't work on planes, they rock me to sleep so effectively, I can't ever remember what my hours were. I just tell my employers this is what insomnia is for.
Reading though...
Enjoy, Hank! I am envying you your journey to warmth right now.
Yes, nice job Monica. And Hank, enjoy the tapas!
We took one economy flight where DH 1.85m had to sit sideways to fit his knees and a 2.00m friend had to sit with their legs in the aisle. Luckily it was only a couple of hours.On the other hand our 'economy' flight with Hainan to Shanghai had plenty of legroom (and a fantastic entertainment system).
So what I want to know mods, is when we get next years prompts? 😁 I always enjoy getting a new list and playing with my TBR! 🤗
Rachel wrote: "So what I want to know mods, is when we get next years prompts?"We're still putting the finishing touches on 2019 challenges, but they'll be here very soon!
Anna wrote: "Rachel wrote: "So what I want to know mods, is when we get next years prompts?"We're still putting the finishing touches on 2019 challenges, but they'll be here very soon!"
So exciting! This challenge was so much fun, I'm looking forward to the new one. The two of you are doing such a terrific job!
I can't take credit for 2018 challenges, those were all Sarah and Allison! But let's hope 2019 will be just as good!
I just joined, and I like this idea a lot...it's always difficult to pick what to read next so something like this can help focus things considerably. Even though it's obviously too late to partake in this year's challenge, I may still fill out the list anyway, see what I come up with, and maybe do some of them in 2019, in addition to whatever next year's list brings.
Nearly forgot: With my last BR I finished the TBR challenge.YEAH! Been there, done that! On to a new one next year! This was such fun! Thank you, dear mods!
I'm currently at 17/20 and, with only half a month left, if I don't want to completely fail this challenge I'll have to change and move around some titles. Oh and apparently I'm such a mood reader that prompt #14 "Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one" is impossible for me to complete, so I'll change that 5-7 books in 2-3 and retry :P
Giulia, I also have 3 left to go. I just started Baker Thief, but I wanted to re-read the first two books before reading Revenant Gun and I'm only a few chapters into Ninefox Gambit. Maybe I should change that one...
Right, I've decided I really am switching out Revenant Gun... I think this makes approximately the 100th time I've changed the marry/shag/kill category, but fingers crossed this is the last time! This is a category where I really feel like I have to pick something from a series I've started so I already know the characters. Luckily I'm currently in the middle of a series and just wanted an excuse to keep reading! Here's my last three:
5. A book that reminds you of home: Always Coming Home
17. Standalone novel: Baker Thief
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: Tone of Voice (Sorry, Jedao, but Xandri and Diver and Kiri are all super awesome. Would consider marrying any/all three of them.)
Saving this here so I can start editing my personal thread for 2019!✔ 1. The 13th book - The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones
✔ 2. Written by a young buck or geezer - Raising the Stones by Sheri S. Tepper
✔ 3. A book with humor or horror - Time is the Fire: The Best of by Connie Willis
✔ 4. 300-350 pages - China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
✔ 5. Reminds you of home - Planetfall by Emma Newman
✔ 6. Suns, skies, stars, planets - The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
✔ 7. Chosen for the cover - The Impossible Fairy Tale by Han Yujoo
✔ 8. "Missed it by that much" - Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
✔ 9. Based on the blurb or blerg - The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden
✔ 10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - The Vegetarian by Han Kang
✔ 11. Gold on the cover, title, author - Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
✔ 12. Vehicle on the cover - Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
✔ 13. An author's debut novel - An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King
✔ 14. "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" - The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin
✔ 15. Outside your comfort zone - Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
✔ 16. A book with a mystery or romance - After Atlas by Emma Newman
✔ 17. Standalone novel - Slow River by Nicola Griffith
✔ 18. Marry, shag, kill - Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
✔ 19. Genre-bender - Amatka by Karin Tidbeck
✔ 20. Animal, vegetable, mineral - The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Reasons for choosing each book are here
Kaa wrote: "This is a category where I really feel like I have to pick something from a series I've started so I already know the characters."That's how I chose the book for that category too. Of course, me being me, I left aside any thoughts of shagging and marrying, and picked one where I wanted to kill a couple of characters instead.
@Giulia: I get book crushes super easily, so I focused on the shag/marry side, but honestly I might have been better off looking at kill. (It occurs to be now that one of the books I decided not to use for that category would have been perfect because of all the characters I wanted to murder.)
Anna has convinced me to leave Always Coming Home for my UKL reading challenge next year, so I am switching the "Reminds you of home" category to a book I already read this week: Fair Play by Tove Jansson. The semi-autobiographical stories of Tove and her partner reminded me of my great-aunts and of the lake cabin where I spent much of my summers when I was growing up.(And I just finished Tone of Voice today, which means I only need to finish Baker Thief and I'm done with the challenge!)
I've finished my 18th book and am reading the 19th. Now I only need to find a 300-350 pages book (or something with a vehicle). I can do it!!
Stick a fork in me, I am done!1.
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Kristen wrote: "Stick a fork in me, I am done!":D LOL! And ... Congratulations!
Well done Kristen and Edwin!As usual Edwin, I love the commentary.
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Great work all you challenge-finishers! I am still 3 books away. Even at my best, I could not defeat that many.
I'm done! Baker Thief, my last book, was more of a slog than I was hoping, but I finally finished last night. My completed list, with explanations:1. The 13th book: Elephants and Corpses (13th on my TBR in random order)
2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill: The Jewels of Aptor (Delany was very young when he wrote it and now he is getting pretty old)
3. A book with humor or horror: Viscera (dark humor and horror!)
4. 300-350 pages: Santa Olivia (341 pages)
5. A book that reminds you of home: Fair Play (reminds me of my great-aunts and the lake cabin where I spent summers growing up)
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover: Five-Twelfths of Heaven
7. Chosen for the cover: Beasts Made of Night (
)8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for: The Stone Sky (I pre-ordered this book but it took almost a year for me to finally read it)
9. Based on the blurb or blerg: A Woman of the Iron People (sounded like really interesting anthropological sci fi)
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting: The House of Binding Thorns (set in France)
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name: Crucible of Gold
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship: The Black God's Drums
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
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone: Beyond Shame (this brand of dystopia is not something I usually read)
16. A book with a mystery or romance: Snowspelled (mystery and romance)
17. Standalone novel: Baker Thief
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: Tone of Voice (Xan, Diver, and Kiri all sound super attractive)
19. Genre-bender: The Only Harmless Great Thing (alt-history and folk tale)
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion
Mod
[1] 01/06 A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship: [AUDIO] Pushing Ice (3 stars)
[2] 01/07 "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for: [DTB] Artemis (3.5 stars)
[3] 01/16 A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: [AUDIO] The Paladin Caper (4 stars)
[4] 01/18 A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: [AUDIO] Joe Ledger: Unstoppable (3.5 stars)
[5] 01/21 A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting: [EBOOK] Crusader One (3.5 stars)
[6] 01/23 A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there): [AUDIO] Frankenstein (4 stars)
[7] 02/03 Based on the blurb or blerg: [AUDIO] Something More Than Night (4 stars)
[8] 02/04 A book with a mystery or romance: [EBOOK] Wyrd Sisters (4 stars)
[9] 02/08 A book with humor or horror: [AUDIO] Blackout (3.5 stars)
[10] 02/20 Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover: [EBOOK] Points of Impact (3.5 stars)
[11] 03/04 Chosen for the cover: [EBOOK] The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (5 stars)
[12] 03/06 Standalone novel: [AUDIO] Devil's Advocate (3.5 stars)
[13] 05/16 300-350 pages: [EBOOK] The Burning Maze (4 stars)
[14] 07/08 Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one: Watership Down (3 stars)
[15] 08/16 An author's debut novel: [AUDIO] Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (3.5 stars)
[16] 10/22 A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone: The Screaming Staircase (4 stars)
I have officially failed the challenge :( But I finished 19/20 so I can be kind of satisfied? I'll do better next year!✔1. The 13th book -- Way Station (just picked a random shelf and counted -- Why did I wait so long to read this?!)
✔2. A book written by a young buck or geezer. -- The Merlin Conspiracy (71 y.o. author)
✔3. A book with humor or horror -- Dead Beat (the Dresden books usually have a bit of both)
✔4. 300-350 pages -- Old Man's War (bonus points for being one of the group's rereads and an Oops-bought-it-twice book)
✔5. A book that reminds you of home -- Fahrenheit 451 (No no wait let me explain! There were some school things - mostly notes and drawings - that I wanted to burn after graduation to release my pent up feelings towards them. My parents forbade me to do it on our property and I was too scared of being accused of arson to go do it somewhere else. They are still somewhere at home, waiting to become kindling)
✔6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover -- Artemis
✔7. Chosen for the cover -- The Butterfly Garden (I don't choose a book based only on the cover, but the cover is what first caught my eye for this book)
✔8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for -- The Stone Sky (last minute change to the list! -- I liked it a bit less than the previous 2 books, but it was still a good ending to the series and totally worth it.)
✔9. Based on the blurb or blerg -- Library of the Dead (The Italian blurb sounds more captivating than the English one -- even if it turns out that it spoils good part of the mystery >:( I must learn to never read blurbs! )
✔10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting -- Inkspell (German author, second book in a trilogy I started too many years ago and never got around to finish)
✔11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name -- The Thief (golden decorations around the title)
✔13. An author's debut novel -- Sleeping Giants (I loved the movie The Iron Giant)
✔14. Make a list of
✔15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone -- Apollo 8: The Thrilling Story of the First Mission to the Moon (non-fiction)
✔16. A book with a mystery or romance -- Red Glove
✔17. Standalone novel -- Mansfield Park
✔18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill (this one is difficult to choose without having first read the book, so I'll go with a sequel.) -- The Revolution of Ivy (the hero, albeit swoon-worthy and perfectly legal, is decidedly too young for me, so I'll settle for just killing the father and the sister)
✔19. Read a genre-bender -- The City & the City (shelved as fantasy, sci-fi and crime)
✔20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover -- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Nah. You read 19 books! There's no such thing as failing.
I know it's 2019 already but I didn't get to finish my challenge yet.I completed everything except the 13th book. Huge door stopper that one and 4th in a series I've only read the first book from. But I'll try and finish it this year. Hopefully by the end of Feb.
Here's my list:
✔1. The 13th book - Before I Fall
✔2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill. - Dragon Harper
✔3. A book with humor or horror - Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians
✔4. 300-350 pages - Book of a Thousand Days
✔5. A book that reminds you of home - Midnight's Daughter
This one is supposed to have Romanian characters. I'm calling that at home. :)
✔6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover -
The Edge of Worlds✔7. Chosen for the cover -
Santa OliviaI have no idea what it is about but I bought it because the cover is great and it is Carey.
✔8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for - The Stone Sky
I wanted to read this one very very much but the paperback price over here was too high until last month when I could buy it.
✔9. Based on the blurb or blerg - Devil
Now this I wanted to read particularly because of the blurb.
✔10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - The Phantom of the Opera
✔11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name -
The Cloud Roads✔12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship -
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe✔13. An author's debut novel - Sorcerer's Legacy
✔14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one - The Heart's Invisible Furies
✔15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - The Graveyard Book
Gaiman is great, but I don't usually feel comfy in reading his books. They do tend to be a bit too dark for my every day read.
✔16. A book with a mystery or romance - The Song of David
✔17. Standalone novel - Song of the Beast
✔18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill - The Wall of Winnipeg and Me
✔19. Read a genre-bender - Vathek
✔20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover - Beauty and the Beast
Edit: - I replaced the Fiery Cross with a 13th standalone and finished it yesterday!! Yeay Me! A little late but I got there. So Challenge Completed!!
Laura---a little tip I learned about the numbered books--you can reorganize your list easily by switching what it's organized by on the top of the list. Mine for example is usually organized by add date, but if you hit on title, it changes to alphabetical order. If you mess around with this a bit, you will get different results, and wont have to burn your mind with that book (especially if you havent read the others yet)
Yes, or go for the 13th standalone, that's what I do!
Oh! Thank you!! I didn't know I can do that. So I can switch that book with another in another 13th count? That's ok?Cause going for the 13th standalone while reorganising my shelf seems like a fabulous idea!
Yes, you can interpret "the 13th" however you want!
Yeay! I'm changing it tomorrow then. Thank you!! :)
I have also had a list/shelf of owned not read books and picked the 13th of that to reduce the physical piles 😊
I replaced the Fiery Cross with a 13th standalone Before I Fall and finished it yesterday!! Yeay Me! A little late but I got there.
Challenge Completed!!
Laura wrote: "I replaced the Fiery Cross with a 13th standalone Before I Fall and finished it yesterday!! Yeay Me! A little late but I got there.
Challenge Completed!!"
Congratulation!
May 2019 update: getting some closure on this!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. Eeny Meeny Miny Moe: Gardens of the Moon, after a second "re-Eeny")
15. Outside comfort zone: The Terror
16. Mystery or romance: The Rook
17. Standalone novel: Babel-17
18. (27 June 2019) ...marry, shag, or kill...: Doro, actually, in Wild Seed.
19. (06 July 2019) a genre-bender: All the Birds in the Sky
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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 read Lexicon a few years ago and it is definitely a genre bender. Also, I think you would like it.