2019 TBR Cleanup Challenge

[Kaa]

@Mareike: Your initials book also has all three of my initials. This is the first I've heard of the book, but it sounds fascinating. I may have to steal it for my challenge... although augghh that doesn't help reduce my tbr at all.

[Jemppu]

Oh, yay! Been waiting to take part in this. This year was way too late for me, but with a full year now, perhaps I dare try to get to it.

5. Ugly cover (and please share it!)
*hah* Thank you for this :D

[Mareike]

Kaa wrote: "@Mareike: Your initials book also has all three of my initials, consecutively and in order. This is the first I've heard of the book, but it sounds fascinating. I may have to steal it for my challe..."

Do it! We could make a BR of it!
I'd hear of the incidence before the book came out and I follow the author on Twitter, so couldn't resist buying when I was in the Museum of London shop in September and saw that they had a copy.

@Jemppu: Ever since I read nr. 5, I've been thinking 'Ooh, I wonder what Jemppu will pick for this.' ;-)

[Kaa]

Mareike wrote: "Do it! We could make a BR of it! "

All right, I'm in!

I have a few other changes, too:
10. Reminds you of a song: Come as You Are: The Surprising New Science that Will Transform Your Sex Life - A placeholder until something SFF comes along. I also have a sweatshirt that says "Come As You Are" and whenever I see either the shirt or the book I have Nirvana stuck in my head all day.
14. Last in a series: Revenant Gun - Last in Machineries of Empire
18. Get On the Bandwagon: All Systems Red - Wen has convinced me that I should read this as soon as I'm done with the Raksura, and it seems like everyone's been talking about this series recently.

[Travis]

Filling in gradually:

1. Oldest book -- Homer, The Odyssey (old book; new translation)
2. Work of art
3. Novella or short story collection -- James Baldwin, Sonny's Blues
4. Title is a question
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!)
6. Has inspired other art forms -- Diana Wynne Jones, Howl's Moving Castle
7. Your initials are in the title -- Patricia McKillip, The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
8. A book recommended to you
9. A book that intimidates you
10. Reminds you of a song
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate)
12. Book with a luck symbol
13. The 6th book
14. Last in a series
15. One Hit Wonder
16. Hidden Gem
17. Someplace you want to go
18. Get On the Bandwagon
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order
20. Graphic or illustrated novel

[Jenny]

So excited!

1/20

1. Oldest book
2. Work of art
3. Novella or short story collection
4. Title is a question
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!)
6. Has inspired other art forms
7. Your initials are in the title
8. A book recommended to you
9. A book that intimidates you
10. Reminds you of a song
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate)
12. Book with a luck symbol
13. The 6th book
14. Last in a series
15. One Hit Wonder
16. Hidden Gem
17. Someplace you want to go
18. Get On the Bandwagon Crazy Rich Asians
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order
20. Graphic or illustrated novel

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Plans!!!

1. Oldest book - Fever 1793
2. Work of art - Artful
3. Novella or short story collection - The Wanderer in Unknown Realms
4. Title is a question - Who Killed Sherlock Holmes?
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) - White Trash Zombie Gone Wild

6. Has inspired other art forms - Lethal White
7. Your initials are in the title - A Creature of Moonlight or A College of Magics
8. A book recommended to you - Bite Club!
9. A book that intimidates you - 11/22/63
10. Reminds you of a song - Masquerade
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Dragon Wing
12. Book with a luck symbol - Juniper Berry
13. The 6th book - Carnival of Souls
14. Last in a series - Sword and Pen
15. One Hit Wonder - Jack of Shadows
16. Hidden Gem - The Case of the Missing Moonstone
17. Someplace you want to go - The Malice of Fortune
18. Get On the Bandwagon - A Discovery of Witches
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - The Bullet-Catcher’s Daughter
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - The Absolute Sandman, Volume Two

***

1) Oldest on my TBR
2) Puns FTW
3) Novella
4) The only book title I had that was a question
5) I think it's rather horrid, personally
6) TV series/movie thing
7) First and last name initials
8) I'm pretty sure this was rec'd to me... :-/
9) Longest book on my TBR, and I've been putting it off
10) Paper faces on parade...
11) Death Gate buddy read that I AM participating in, so there
12) "[Juniper berries] are also noted for their ability to bring good luck, since they are associated with Jupiter, the god of good fortune. They work well with love herbs to produce luck in love."
13) The 6th oldest book in my TBR list
14) Last in a series. Duh
15) Stand alone book
16) Moonstone is a type of gem, and if it's missing then someone's gone and hidden it!
17) Not only do I want to go to Italy, but I have plans to go in October!
18) I think there's a bandwagon for this...
19) Ignore the the, because f*ck the the
20) Oh so graphic. (Almost used this for my work of art.)

[Anna]

colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "16) Moonstone is a type of gem, and if it's missing then someone's gone and hidden it!"

Hah! :D

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

"Ignore the the because f*ck the the" is in my top 10 favorite sentences I read this year.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Allison wrote: ""Ignore the the because f*ck the the" is in my top 10 favorite sentences I read this year."


Happy to oblige. But, seriously... over 80% of my books seem to start with "the".

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Anna wrote: "colleen the convivial curmudgeon wrote: "16) Moonstone is a type of gem, and if it's missing then someone's gone and hidden it!"

Hah! :D"


Thanks. I was quite proud of that one. :D

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

As a side note, this exercise has made me realize that I have far, far, FAR too many "first of series" books on my to-read list.

[Anthony]

1. Oldest Book — East of Eden (oldest of the books I’ve wanted to read for a long time)
2. Work of art — The Summer Tree (the first book in a series called The Finoavar Tapestry seems like it should have *something* to do with a work of art. Failing that, having read another book by Guy Gavriel Kay, I feel very confident this book itself will be a work of art.)
3. Novella or short story collection — Skin Folk (I have started it and this will give me more impetus to finish it.)
4. Title is a question — How Long 'til Black Future Month?
5. Ugly cover —
6. Has inspired other art forms — The Once and Future King
7. Your initials are in the title —Suldrun's Garden
8. A book recommended to you — Gardens of the Moon
9. A book that intimidates you — Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
10. Reminds you of a song — The Killing Moon (Echo & the Bunnymen, anyone?)
11. Buddy read — The Rook
12. Book with a luck symbol — Luck in the Shadows (words are, after all, symbols.)
13. The 6th book — The Red Threads of Fortune (the 6th book on a reverse-alphabetical-order list of authors on my TBR shelf)
14. Last in a series — Ship of Destiny (the last in the Liveship Traders trilogy)
15. One Hit Wonder — Bridge of Birds
16. Hidden Gem — Heroes Die (I keep hearing great things about this.)
17. Someplace you want to go — Blue Mars
18. Get on the bandwagon — Ninefox Gambit (the bandwagon known as this book club’s bandwagon)
19. Words in title in alphabetical order — Adulthood Rites
20. Graphic or illustrated novel — Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood

[Jemppu]

Mareike wrote: "...@Jemppu: Ever since I read nr. 5, I've been thinking 'Ooh, I wonder what Jemppu will pick for this.' ;-) ..."
Too many possibilities!

Anthony wrote: "...Last in a series — Ship of Destiny (the last in the Liveship Traders trilogy)"

Ah, of course! Stealing this! I was wondering how I could possibly fill this, without committing to any whole series, but this I'm in already.

[Soo]

Anthony, I revived my desire to finish Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell after watching the show. It reminded me of the aspects that I like about the setting. Plus, I know there's more in the book than the show. You'll be able to do it! I may tackle the audiobook.

[Bobby]

I love this challenge! Here are my books, and explanations will be below.

1. Oldest book - The Hobbit
2. Work of art - Welcome to Lovecraft
3. Novella or short story collection - The Night Masquerade
4. Title is a question - Who Fears Death
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) - Vicious
6. Has inspired other art forms - Altered Carbon
7. Your initials are in the title - The Rage of Dragons
8. A book recommended to you - Sabriel
9. A book that intimidates you - The Way of Kings
10. Reminds you of a song - Dying of the Light
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Kings of the Wyld
12. Book with a luck symbol - Watership Down
13. The 6th book - Iron Gold
14. Last in a series - Skin Game
15. One Hit Wonder - The Library at Mount Char
16. Hidden Gem - Green Rider
17. Someplace you want to go - I Am the Messenger
18. Get On the Bandwagon - The Lord of the Rings
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - Children of Time
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - Watchmen

Explanations for why I chose each book
1. Yes, I bring shame on my family for not having read this yet. It's also the book on my TBR that was the earliest published, so it's the oldest book.
2. It's a graphic novel, so it has art in it.
3. I meant to finish this for the buddy read, but unfortunately it didn't work out. So I figure I just have to read it early next year and I can add it to this challenge (and necro post on the buddy read thread).
4. Jumping on the bandwagon (even though that's another prompt), because I couldn't think of anything else.
5. It's not terrible, but nothing about the cover really draws my attention and makes me want to read it. The blurb, however, sold me immediately.
6. It has a Netflix show, so that works for me.
7. I go by Bobby, but my name is Robert, so this book has R and D as the first letter of the title's words (besides "the" and "of")
8. Allison was kind enough to recommend some books for me, and this is one by an author I already love.
9. It's the first in a series where every book is over 1000 pages, and I'm like 99.99% sure I'm going to love it. The reason I'm intimidated is because the rest of the series isn't out, so I'm pretty sure I'll be re-reading it at some point (possibly multiple times), so that's a pretty big commitment.
10. All I can think of is that song "Blinded by the Light" whenever I see this book, but of course substituting the title into the song. I started it for a buddy read earlier this year, and got distracted, so I'd like to finish it.
11. It's a buddy read I already had planned, and I've been wanting to read it ever since I heard about it.
12. It's a book about rabbits, so there have to be rabbit's feet everywhere, right? I mean, they will be attached to the rabbits (I hope), but I think it counts.
13. It's the 6th book on my TBR when sorted by date added....and I love the series, so I've been wanting to read the new one.
14. Currently the last in the Dresden Files. This one could change, but this is the one book I could read for sure without having to re-read most or all of the series..
15. As far as I can tell, this is his only book (besides computer programming guides).
16. It's not really hidden because it has tons of ratings, but it gets great reviews and I don't ever see it mentioned in recommendations or top fantasy picks. I also bought the used physical copies of the first 3 books a few years ago, so it will be good to finally start the series.
17. Honestly, I'm just forcing this one in here because I want to read it and a challenge is a good way to motivate me. It is set in a big city in Australia, but they never say which city it is. I love Australia though, so we can just assume I want to go there.
18. Okay so I actually have read The Fellowship of the Ring, but I never read the other two. I know that's blasphemy coming from a lifelong fantasy lover. In my defense, I wasn't born when the books came out, so I was always more interested in newer things. I've been reading classics in the last few years and enjoying them, so I think it's finally time for me to read this.
19. It works, and I wanted to read it when it came up as a monthly re-read, but I couldn't get it from the library hold system in time.
20. I've been wanting to read this for a while, and it's supposedly getting a TV show, so that's a good reason to read it now even though I saw the movie.

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Bobby wrote: "18. Okay so I actually have read The Fellowship of the Ring, but I never read the other two. I know that's blasphemy coming from a lifelong fantasy lover. In my defense, I wasn't born when the books came out, so I was always more interested in newer things. I've been reading classics in the last few years and enjoying them, so I think it's finally time for me to read this."

If it's any consolation, I only got round to reading the books when the movies were coming out. (They would've been good for the "intimidated by" challenge for me, though... )

Frankly, I found them kind of boring and think the movies are better. Talk about blasphemy. ;)

[Anna]

I had no idea that getting people to read Who Fears Death was this easy! :D I don’t know exactly how many times it’s (almost) been in polls, but from what I understand it’s a lot! And blam everyone’s reading it now! ^_^

[Kaa]

@Anthony and Soo: I've decided that 2019 is the year that I either actually finish Jonathan Strange or dnf it for good. I didn't want to use it for this challenge because I'm really not sure which way it's going to go.

[Beth]

I already have a challenge set up for myself so don't know how much I'll do with this one, but I am definitely reading this one, which qualifies for #5, next year!

[Soo]

Kaa wrote: "@Anthony and Soo: I've decided that 2019 is the year that I either actually finish Jonathan Strange or dnf it for good. I didn't want to use it for this challenge because I'm really not sure which ..."

I think the author tries too hard to write the period style. I'd like to see if the story develops more than what I saw in the show. The show was great entertainment. We can always set up a Buddy Read for it later in 2019. =)

[Soo]

Bobby, my fav was the Return of the King out of the Fellowship of the Ring. I plan to re-read at some point. Skipping the Hobbit because I don't love the writing/meandering like I did as a kid.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Hmm...Bobby, were you planning to read The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps? If not, I'm about 20% in and it's a great sword and sorcery type book so far but from an extremely different POV than the typical European medieval epic. It's also quite short, which is uncommon for the genre!

[CBRetriever]

Re: 11. Buddy read (do not need to participate)

Is this confined to Buddy Reads in 2019 or prior Buddy reads participating or not)?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Anything that has been, is or will be a BR is in play!

[CBRetriever]

whew

Now if I can only fill the luck and the inspired other art forms bit (may fall back on Harry Potter for this)

[Bobby]

Allison wrote: "Hmm...Bobby, were you planning to read The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps? If not, I'm about 20% in and it's a great sword and sorcery type book so far but from an extremely different POV..."

Thanks, Allison, I did plan to read that one for the inclusive bingo buddy read. I kind of forgot to make sure I could get it on time, so I should start it in a few days when the inter library loan goes through and it gets to my library. So unless my library messes up I will be reading it before January, otherwise that would have been perfect.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Hmmm, okay here are some more I'd definitely recommend to you that I didn't see on your shelf:

Sabriel - a good guy necromancer, one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read and on the group shelf!
Strong Female Protagonist. Book One - ignore the crappy title, if you liked Dreadnought I think you'll like this. Lots of epic battles, lots of trying to figure out what it means to have great power in a world of human limitations.
Digital Divide - light book about a cyborg trying to live like a normal cop.
Alif the Unseen - I think you'd really like this. UAE-based urban fantasy.
I didn't see The Black Cauldron on your list, that's a zippy classic.
And now I forget, had you read Fated? If you love Dresden, this is a fun book.

I think, looking at your shelf, these are the ones I feel most confident in.

[Bobby]

Allison wrote: "Hmmm, okay here are some more I'd definitely recommend to you that I didn't see on your shelf:

Sabriel - a good guy necromancer, one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read and o..."

Those are great recommendations, Allison! I've actually been meaning to read Sabriel, but I never got around to adding it to my TBR. Garth Nix wrote some middle grade books that I absolutely loved when I was in my early teens, so I'd be happy to read anything he writes.

Fated was already on my TBR, and the rest all look like books I would probably like as well. Alif the Unseen and Digital Divide are definitely intriguing for their unique concepts. Of course you know I love superhero stories, so Strong Female Protagonist looks good too.

For the challenge, I think I'm going to go with Sabriel, because it definitely should have been on my TBR, and I've been meaning to read more by Garth Nix.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I honestly think you'll love it, enjoy!

[Mareike]

Anthony wrote: "1. Oldest Book — East of Eden..."

East of Eden is one of those books I feel like I should really go read.....

Kat wrote: @Anthony and Soo: I've decided that 2019 is the year that I either actually finish Jonathan Strange or dnf it for good...

Ah, Jonathan Strange. So many things I liked, but it does drag in some parts... Still kinda bummed there isn't a second one, though.

[Ariana]

Here goes:
1. Oldest book - The Forgotten Beasts of Eld
2. Work of art - The Ascent to Godhood
3. Novella or short story collection - Sooner or Later Everything Falls Into the Sea
4. Title is a question - How Long 'til Black Future Month?
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) - The Fall of Hyperion
6. Has inspired other art forms - Assassin's Apprentice
7. Your initials are in the title - In an Absent Dream
8. A book recommended to you - Soulless
9. A book that intimidates you - China Mountain Zhang
10. Reminds you of a song - Borderline
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Remnant Population
12. Book with a luck symbol - Two Serpents Rise
13. The 6th book - City of Stairs
14. Last in a series - State Tectonics
15. One Hit Wonder - The Flowers of Vashnoi
16. Hidden Gem - A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery
17. Someplace you want to go - Moon Over Soho
18. Get On the Bandwagon - The Way of Kings
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - Kings of the Wyld
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - The Prince and the Dressmaker

Rationale:
1. Oldest book by published date on my TBR
2. Because the cover is so gorgeous.
3. Really liked the few short works by Sarah Pinsker I read this that were nominated for various awards. Looking forward to the collection.
4. Yes, I am too literal.
5. Can't wait for this one, Hyperion was so great.
6. I am referencing to this amazing artwork: https://www.deviantart.com/jemppu/art...
7. Been enjoying the Wayward Children series, some more then others. Hope this one is good too.
8. Heard lots of endorsements of this one (all from this group 🙂)
9. Little intimidated by the reports of a slow pace and little plot. But honestly if I'm actually intimidated, it probably doesn't make it on my TBR.
10. Feast you eyes and ears on pure 80's: https://youtu.be/rSaC-YbSDpo
11. Looking forward to this one!
12. Wikipedia tells me:

In some cultures, snakes were fertility symbols. For example, the Hopi people of North America performed an annual snake dance to celebrate the union of Snake Youth (a Sky spirit) and Snake Girl (an Underworld spirit) and to renew the fertility of Nature. During the dance, live snakes were handled and at the end of the dance the snakes were released into the fields to guarantee good crops. 

That seems lucky!
13. 6th in "date added to TBR"
14. Really enjoyed Infomocracy and Null States but the library doesn't have the audio for the third one yet, so I've been putting it off/saving it.
15. This one seemed sort of mean to me: if it's an authors most popular work, am I dismissing their other works? If it's a new author with only one novel/major work, am I jinxing them by saying I think it'll be their only good one? So I picked one from an author who could not be considered a one hit wonder by any stretch, and that has the letters "O-N-E-H-I-T" in the title.
16. Ok, so the hidden gem is really the first in the series, An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors, which was really great and I never hear anyone talking about. I'm hoping the same will apply to the follow up. Maybe the whole series is the hidden gem!
17. Like Gabi, I love London and visited several times, pre-kids. Enjoyed the first book, hoping the second one is as fun.
18. This group has definitely exacerbated the FOMO I get from not having read this yet. It's time!
19. Sounds fun!
20. This looks cute. Has anybody read it?

[Anna]

Ariana wrote: "the letters "O-N-E-H-I-T" in the title"

Love this!

[Soo]

Ok, finally changed settings so I can see what the books are for pages and stuff on my TBR.

I have a bunch! Hahaha

Oldest Pub:

Date - Title

-1800 - Enuma Elish: The Seven Tablets of the History of Creation
- 800 Theogony
- 450 Sophocles II
- 414 Birds
- 400 The Trial and Death of Socrates
- 400 The Bhagavad Gita
+ 150 mix of unknown dates & old dates

I may skip those and aim for 1800-1900's. LOL

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Ariana wrote: "16. Ok, so the hidden gem is really the first in the series, An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors, which was really great and I never hear anyone talking about. I'm hoping the same will apply to the follow up. Maybe the whole series is the hidden gem! "


The first is on my to=read list. :)

[Wen]

I can't wait to join this and I'll fill in the rest later...

1. Oldest Book — Up the Walls of the World It’s older than me~
2. Work of art — The Door Into Summer It feels like a morning beach walk with this summer light breeze. Well, God’s art work then:)
3. Novella or short story collection — Worlds Seen in Passing
4. Title is a question — How Long 'til Black Future Month?
5. Ugly cover — The Year's Best Science Fiction: Thirty-Fifth Annual Collection I thought this is cute but once I got the book, the cover is so creepy and so big...I don't even want to touch it...
6. Has inspired other art forms — The Art of the Restaurateur Again, the cover looks cute but I am not sure now:)
7. Your initials are in the title —
8. A book recommended to you — I’ll keep this one open!
9. A book that intimidates you —
10. Reminds you of a song — Orlando Furioso The music is so beautiful! The famous Vivaldi. It's an early sixteen century Italian poem and I have no idea. I guess it's good for #1 too.
11. Buddy read — The Year's Best Science Fiction: Second Annual Collection I need tips on how to stop postponing and get it done, aw. I want to finish it in early January.
12. Book with a luck symbol — Rejoice, A Knife to the Heart It’s a new book from the library, that’s all. :)
13. The 6th book —
14. Last in a series — Exit Strategy It's not the last one, but I cannot wait...
15. One Hit Wonder —
16. Hidden Gem — The Pleasures of Counting
17. Someplace you want to go —
18. Get on the bandwagon —
19. Words in title in alphabetical order — Calling Major Tom
20. Graphic or illustrated novel — Logicomix: An Epic Search for Truth

[colleen the convivial curmudgeon]

Allison wrote: "Hmmm, okay here are some more I'd definitely recommend to you that I didn't see on your shelf:

Sabriel - a good guy necromancer, one of the coolest magic systems I've ever read and o..."

I'll second Sabriel.

[CBRetriever]

-
-
1. Oldest book: Les Misérables:
---- 1862 and I've been putting this one off for quite a while - maybe I'll finally read it
2. Work of art: A History of English Food
---- Cooking is an art
3. Novella or short story collection: Falling in Love with Hominids
---- I liked Skin Folk, so I chose this one
4. Title is a question: Where Have All the Young Girls Gone
---- No question mark but the title is a question
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!): Scorpio, Volume 1: Scorpio & Scorpio Rising
---- Very ugly alien
6. Has inspired other art forms: Harry Potter: The Complete Collection
---- Inspired movies, plays and fan art
7. Your initials are in the title: The Lies of Locke Lamora
---- Lamora contains my initials
8. A book recommended to you: Annihilation
---- Recommended by a friend
9. A book that intimidates you: The Female Man
---- Too many recommendations and I'm afraid of being disappointed like I was with The Horse Whisperer
10. Reminds you of a song: Thus Spake Zarathustra
---- Richard Strauss tone poem, part of which was used in 2001: A Space Odyssey
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate): Search for the Star Stones
---- Contains the Zero Stone plus Uncharted Stars
12. Book with a luck symbol: Masks of the Outcasts
---- Contains Catseye and Night of Masks and a Catseye is considered a Lucky Stone
13. The 6th book: The Dresden Files Collection 1-6
---- Contains 6 books
14. Last in a series" Y is for Yesterday
---- Author died and there sill never be a Z is for XXX book
15. One Hit Wonder: Emergence
---- Never really had another hit book and this one just came out last year in Kindle format
16. Hidden Gem: Diadem from the Stars
---- Forgotten gem of a series about a Diadem with gems and keeping it hidden from a spider type alien race
17. Someplace you want to go: Paris Revealed: The Secret Life of a City
---- This is more of I want to go back - 5 years of living there didn't cure me
18. Get On the Bandwagon: The Last Policeman
---- It was on sale and people seem to love it…
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order: City of Truth
---- C - O - T
20. Graphic or illustrated novel: The Last Unicorn
---- Graphic Novel version

[Kaa]

Wen wrote: "19. Words in title in alphabetical order — Calling Major Tom..."

This would also be perfect for #10!

[Sarah]

6/20 completed

1. Oldest book - 11/22/63 by Stephen King- Oldest when sorted by Date Added. It's been on my shelf and I've owned it for going on 2 years now. It's utter nonsense I haven't read it yet.

2. Work of art - The Wolf in the Whale by Jordanna Max Brodsky- I gave it 5 stars so it's art to me!; 5 stars, Feb 25

3. Novella or short story collection - Night Shift by Stephen King - Yet another King book I own but haven't read.

4. Title is a question - How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin - Sorry to copy everyone else! I have ZERO other books on my shelf that are questions. 4 stars; January 20, 2019

5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) - TBD (It'll probably be something from the 60's and 70's that crosses over with the Time Traveler challenge.. )

6. Has inspired other art forms - Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski - This series has inspired video games (and at least the third one is definitely art!) as well as an upcoming TV show and probably fanfic/fanart.

7. Your initials are in the title - The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk SCH

8. A book recommended to you - Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee - No one specifically recommended it to me but I know Allison likes it and we tend to agree on things. Also- we have a whole challenge dedicated to it this year so that seems like an endorsement to me!

9. A book that intimidates you - The Stand by Stephen King - I love Stephen King but I'll be the first to point out he's hit or miss. At 1100+ pages... I really hope this is a hit... 2.5 stars; April 24, 2019

10. Reminds you of a song - Synners by Pat Cadigan - I might change this later.. but I absolutely can't see the word "sinner" even misspelled as it is, and not think of Eric Church's: Sinners Like Me (or better yet just randomly break out into song).

11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James 3 stars, Feb 16, 2019

12. Book with a luck symbol - Tentatively: Sharpe's Tiger by Bernard Cornwell - According to a webpage I found, Tiger's are considered lucky in China (I'm sure they are symbolic but are they lucky? Does anyone know?)

13. The 6th book - Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear - This is the sixth newest book on my shelf (sorted by date pub'd). 2 Stars; March 2

14. Last in a series - War of the Wolf by Bernard Cornwell - I don't know if it's actually the last, I just know poor Uhtred probably doesn't have much life left in his bones. (And if there are any more, they haven't been published yet!) 4 stars, October 14, 2019

15. One Hit Wonder - Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo - Wonder Woman Warbringer is number One in the DC Icons series and with a 4.07 rating I'd say it's a hit!

16. Hidden Gem - The Robots of Gotham by Todd McAulty has less than 500 ratings and a higher than 4 star rating. (Fingers crossed it's actually a hidden gem.)

17. Someplace you want to go - Wounds of Honour by Anthony Riches - So much fun to be had with this prompt! I could make a TBR of 20 books with this prompt alone. I'll likely swap it out for something set on the moon at some point but for now- I own it and I'm going to Brittania in 181 AD under the Roman empire. (Wish me luck....)

18. Get On the Bandwagon - A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin - I'm not a huge fan of the show.. I read Game of Thrones last year and mostly enjoyed it, and I already own book two... so here goes nothing. I'm going to try and hop on the ASoIaF bandwagon.

19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - City of Stairs by Robert Jackson Bennett

20. Graphic or illustrated novel - Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan (which weirdly wasn't on my shelf so I'm already failing) 4 stars; Feb 17, 2019

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Haha good ones CBRetriever and Sarah! Sarah, I especially like your One Hit Wonder response XD

[Wen]

Kaa wrote: "Wen wrote: "19. Words in title in alphabetical order — Calling Major Tom..."

This would also be perfect for #10!"

To be honest, I didn't know "Space Oddity" until later this year. Ok, fine, I don't even know David Bowie, oh, my, I guess I am not even from Earth. I knew this song cuz the YT video from Bwaycon(smile).

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

1. Oldest book - The Republic of Thieves
2. Work of art - For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
3. Novella or short story collection - All Systems Red
4. Title is a question So You Want to Talk About Race
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) A Dirty Job
6. Has inspired other art forms - Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
7. Your initials are in the title - The Sudden Appearance of Hope
8. A book recommended to you - Assassin's Apprentice
9. A book that intimidates you - The Library at Mount Char
10. Reminds you of a song - Troubled Waters
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Gardens of the Moon
12. Book with a luck symbol - The Red Threads of Fortune
13. The 6th book - Midnight's Children
14. Last in a series - hopefully The Crippled God
15. One Hit Wonder - Palimpsest
16. Hidden Gem - Beyond the Starline
17. Someplace you want to go - Wyrd Sisters
18. Get On the Bandwagon - The Raven and the Reindeer
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - Moon Over Soho
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - I have so many for this. Hoping maybe Welcome to Lovecraft

****************

1. First book I added when I started using GR.
2. I think the title is so sad and evocative, like art. Also it's poetry, which always makes things feel a bit elevated to me.
3. I really need to get caught up on Murderbot, y'all talk about it enough.
4. I don't think she meant it so much as a question as a reiterating the reader's intent, but I'm implying some uptalking here.
5. I mean... It looks like someone found it in MS Paint.
6. Because what I really needed this year was another 1000 page book.
7. Has all 3 in order!
8. Yes, I did hear all of you. Working on it!
9. I've heard some polarizing things and also some things about trauma? Iunno...
10. Sail on, Silver Girl
11. No matter what, I will at least get 1 book read on this challenge, and it will be this one.
12. Fortune is another name for Luck.
13. I have the audacity of reordering my books as I read, like I actually intend to read them in order. And I do, when nothing shiny drops in front of me. Anyways, this is 6th in line, if all we do is read books off my TBR.
14. Like the book I've chosen to represent my initials, I am full of Hope.
15. One night of sexy times in the city of Palimpset and you get a veneral disease/addiction to a city of enchantment. I am therefore dubbing this affliction The One Hit Wonder.
16. This is the book that is already officially released with fewest ratings on my TBR.
17. I very much would enjoy a trip to Discworld, if I could get some Luggage to go with me.
18. I've heard this name a lot this year. I need to know why.
19. Time to dive back into Rivers of London!
20. I may change this one because I'm staring at 4 other graphic novels I said I'd read. Woooops.

[~ Giulia ~]

Completed: 20/20


1. Oldest book - The Rook
Oldest (least recently added) unread book on my e-reader
2. Work of art - A Darker Shade of Magic
As everybody knows, magic is the Art
3. Novella or short story collection - Witches of Lychford
4. Title is a question - C'è nessuno?
Oh there's also an English version Hello? Is Anybody There?. Pretty much the only book I own that fits the prompt. Child Giulia was right in refusing to read it. At least Adult Giulia was able to read it fast and not waste too much time.
5. Ugly cover (and please share it!) - Enchanters' End Game
Ugly and completely unrelated to the content of the book
6. Has inspired other art forms - Anne of Green Gables
7. Your initials are in the title - Proven Guilty
Self-explanatory. I can't believe I'm only halfway through the series (or at least the already published part)! On one hand I'm happy because there's more Dresden to read, on the other I want to reduce that TBR mountain and this series isn't helping in my effort, it's too long.
8. A book recommended to you - Uno, nessuno e centomila
From the recommended reading list they gave me way back in high school. More often than not a spot on that list is a warning rather than a recommendation, but every once in a while there are some gems hidden amongst all those extremely boringliterary masterpieces, so I'm still sloooowly reading through it.
9. A book that intimidates you - Children of Time
Long and full of spiders!
10. Reminds you of a song - The Old Man and the Sea
https://youtu.be/--tFFz44zvc
11. Buddy read (do not need to participate) - Broken Monsters
12. Book with a luck symbol - The Book of Three
Three is a lucky number, isn't it?
13. The 6th book - Song of Susannah
6th book in the series
14. Last in a series - Inheritance
15. One Hit Wonder - Embassytown
A standalone
16. Hidden Gem - The Werewolf Principle
A survivor of the sci-fi phase my uncle got through when he was young, I found it hidden - and fortunately forgotten - among my grandparents' books. I say fortunately because since then I already had to save it from the trash can twice. Fine, it may be a bit battered and stained and slightly mouldy but still... Those brutes can't understand the appeal of vintage sci-fi!
17. Someplace you want to go - Broken Homes
London. Someday...
18. Get On the Bandwagon - City of Bones
It seems everyone has read this series, there's a TV adaptation, and the author keeps writing sequels.
19. Words in Title in Alphabetical Order - Death's End
20. Graphic or illustrated novel - Tinder
I like retellings and this seems promising

[Sarah]

Allison wrote: "Haha good ones CBRetriever and Sarah! Sarah, I especially like your One Hit Wonder response XD"

Ha- yours has me in tears.

Also- I'm anxious to see if you actually make it to your number 14 prompt (you can do it!). Alternatively - I'm wondering if there is a way to cram all 10 Malazan books on to this challenge list..

[evofox]

for the innitial thing is it full initials or only some of them? cant think of anything for br does anyone have suggesrions

[Sarah]

@Bryce I see The Wheel of Time, The Way of Kings and Gardens of the moon on your TBR and those are all past or upcoming buddy reads in this group.

I also saw several group books on your shelves- which to me totally count as buddy reads!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I did easy mode for initials. The letters appear in the title, the first letter of each word and my name don't match up

[CBRetriever]

Bryce wrote: "for the innitial thing is it full initials or only some of them? cant think of anything for br does anyone have suggesrions"

I lucked out: The word Lamora has all three of my initials in the word itself. Some people have reversed the order

for Buddy Read, I went to the recruit thread for Buddy Read which has a link to the entire 2018 Buddy Read list and found one on my TBR list

[Wen]

Allison wrote: "1. Oldest book - The Republic of Thieves
2. Work of art - For colored girls who have considered suicide/when the rainbow is enuf
3. Novella or short story collection - [..."

Welcome to the Murderbot family. :) And could I pass my #8 to you?