2018 TBR Cleanup Challenge!

[Lost Planet Airman]

I know... so close...
Standalone novel will be Babel-17

But I remain stuck on "marry, shag, or kill", "genre-bender", and "animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover", staying within the SFFBC bookshelf.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

You have other rules, too, like aren't you going by page or something? Do you want suggestions or do you want to plot?

[Hank]

Mike wrote: "I know... so close...
Standalone novel will be Babel-17

But I remain stuck on "marry, shag, or kill", "genre-bender", and "animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover", staying within the SFFBC boo..."

If I could be so bold/nosey I took a brief look at your to read list (truly frightening btw), I would suggest Wild Seed, on the club bookshelf, short and I think you could make the case for any of the three (marry, shag, kill) with Anyanwu.

[CBRetriever]

isn't this the tread for the 2018 TBR Challenge?

[Raucous]

Yup. I'd be tempted if I could sign up this late and if I didn't still have half of the 2019 TBR challenge left. I really like this format and hope that it's back next year too.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Chessie, Mike is very diligent about challenges!

Raucous! Sign up! We love a good necropost! All open threads are still up for use ^^

[Lost Planet Airman]

You know, Allison, hearing "necropost" still makes me laugh until my eyes leak.

More of a Completist, but yes, folks, I decided not to give up until my challenges are complete! (Well, Read All The Books does come back every year, so I do set that one down on New Years Eve and pick up a new one on the first of January.) Strangely, so far since 2017, I have succeeded in finishing RATB: A New Hope and RATB: The Fifth Season on time, and the Inclusive Book Bingo Challenge belatedly.

Hank, good advice and a welcome suggestion. I give myself bonus points if I can meet both sides of an either/or task! (I have to clean up my TBR lists, yes!)

And back to Allison, for 2018 my advanced rules were to use only the club bookshelf, and to complete the 20 items in the order given. Suggestions always welcome!

[Lost Planet Airman]

Here's my choices to complete the last three on this 2018 Challenge:

18. ...character you'd marry, shag, or kill: Wild Seed
19. Read a genre-bender: The Girl with All the Gifts OR The Passage OR All the Birds in the Sky
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: The Blade Itself

Any arguments or counter-recommendations? Discuss.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I think you'll definitely find characters that elicit strong feelings in Wild Seed.

I think it's more likely than not that you'll enjoy Girl with all the Gifts, unless you have trope issues that I haven't noticed before. On the other hand, I'm planning to listen to All the Birds soon, if you wanted a buddy...

[Lost Planet Airman]

All the Birds in the Sky, audio, is now on reserve! Can you hold off about 10 days?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Mike wrote: "All the Birds in the Sky, audio, is now on reserve! Can you hold off about 10 days?"

You got it, friend-o!

[Hank]

Thumbs up from me for all three choices. I did a DNF on The Passage so clearly that wasn't going to get my vote. Looking forward to your thoughts on all of them.

[Lost Planet Airman]

December 10th, 2019 update: COMPLETE!
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
20. (10 December 2019) ...animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: Elysium

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[Raucous]

Congratulations! Impressive persistence. Hmm... I never did start my own adventures in necroposting here. Maybe after the 2020 TBR challenge?