2020 TBR Cleanup Challenge

[Mareike]

I've so far managed

1. Inspired by a meme - A Stitch in Time (Inspired by this Garashir meme)
6. Steal from someone else - Monstress, Vol. 1: Awakening
9. #ownvoices - Not So Stories (Writers of color writing back against Rudyard Kipling's Just So Stories)
13. #relatable - Bitch Planet, Vol. 2: President Bitch


I read Monstress #1 instead of The Gate to Women's Country when I realized the former, which I "stole" (i.e. borrowed") from a colleague a while ago, also fit the prompt.

[CBRetriever]

Up to 8 now

14. Seven or Twenty
__Sword-Bound: A Novel of Tiger and Del by Jennifer Roberson
__7th book in the series which means I'll have to read the whole series for the first time in Kindle format = Done
18. LOLed IRL
__Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible by David Plotz
__I read a bunch of the blogs that turned into this book and I LOL'd and I've had this on my TBR pile for quite a while

[CBRetriever]

and nine

8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme
__Artemis by Andy Weir
__February 2018 Sci Fi poll

I enjoyed this one quite a bit

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Nice!! Almost halfway done and it's only 3 months into the year!

[CBRetriever]

retirement plus a husband with a bum knee (he's getting surgery at the end of the month) makes for a lot of reading time

edit to change mont to month

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Ah, I hope he feels better once it heals. But definitely a good reason to stay close and explore other literary worlds :)

[Dj]

I finished my 10th TBR book. Why Did the Chicken Cross the World?: The Epic Saga of the Bird that Powers Civilization

Here is the review
So I started reading this book thinking I knew why the Chicken crossed the world. I figured it was the same reason the Pig did, food. Turns out for the most part that is wrong. Religious reasons, reasons of state and just because they looked so cool and could fight. The book goes over a great many things involving Chickens and their change in human society. All in all it is a very interesting and well presented book. I am glad I read it even though I might have skipped over it because I thought I already knew the answer.

[CBRetriever]

and 10

12. Published in a memorable year
__The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells
__published in 2011 and we know why that year's important

now I'm off to read the rest of the Raksura series that are in my TBR pile courtesy of a Humble Bundle (1-3) and a purchase (7). I'll stop at 3 and wait until the others go down in price.

This series is interesting, but for some reason it's not really enthralling me. Maybe it needs more character depth? The main character was well drawn, but the others weren't so much. I kept wanting to get immersed in it and it wasn't happening.

[Petar]

I think some of you lot are going to have to select a second lot of twenty. You're flying through them.

I'm up to seven, and given that I've (once again) gone off on a couple of tangents already this year, I'm pretty pleased with that.

Completed so far are;
3. Small publisher - A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy.
4. Relationship between humans/animals - Dogs of War.
5. Recommended by a public figure - The World As It Is: Inside the Obama White House.
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme - Exilium - From the 2019 TBR Challenge number 20, a graphic or illustrated novel.
9. #ownvoices - Dark Emu - Indigenous Australian.
17. The next True Blood (ie, the next series that I will not bother to continue on with unless it improves with this book) - Devil Said Bang.
19. Seen in an ad or on social media - We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy.

Still to go;
1. Inspired by a meme - The Prosperity Gospel: How Scott Morrison won and Bill Shorten lost.
2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win) - SPQR: A History of Ancient Rome.
6. Steal from someone else - All the Birds in the Sky.
7. Makes you wonder - Ghost Fleet: A Novel of the Next World War.
10. Won a smaller or regional award - The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King—the Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea.
11. What a title?! - What It is Like to Go to War.
12. Published in a memorable year - 2312.
13. #relatable - Man's Search for Meaning.
14. Seven or Twenty - A Canticle for Leibowitz - The 7th Hugo Award winner.
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages - Persepolis Rising.
16. Pushing the boundaries - Genghis Khan.
18. LOLed IRL - Witches Abroad.
20. Hindsight is 20/20 - Time and Time Again.

[Pandora]

𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵.

◆ Inspired by a meme: The Raven and the Reindeer
◇ Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win): Gideon the Ninth
◆ Small publisher: Zero Hour
◆ Relationship between humans/animals: Coraline
◆ Recommended by a public figure: Circe
◇ Steal from someone else: Stealing Life
◆ Makes you wonder: Starlight
◇ Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme: Witchmark
◆ #ownvoices: Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time
◇ Won a smaller or regional award: Otherbound
◇ What a title?!: Ruby Red Booty Shorts & A Louisville Slugger
◆ Published in a memorable year: The Errant Prince
◇ #relatable: 5 to 1
◇ Seven or Twenty: The First Twenty
◇ Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages: Prosperity
◇ Pushing the boundaries: The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
◇ The next [insert popular series here]: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
◆ LOLed IRL:
  ✘ The Ghost on My Couch
  ✘ The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant
  ✔ Spirit
◆ Seen in an ad or on social media: Time for Destiny
◆ Hindsight is 20/20: Tin Man

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Nice!! Any standouts so far?

[Dj]

Petar wrote: "I think some of you lot are going to have to select a second lot of twenty. You're flying through them.

I'm up to seven, and given that I've (once again) gone off on a couple of tangents already t..."

So how was the Kursk book? I still find it hard to imagine much that was untold about that story.

[Pandora]

Allison wrote: "Nice!! Any standouts so far?"

Well, I'm very satisfied with this challenge so far. My average rating right now is 4.0 stars.
My faves were: The Raven and the Reindeer, which you guys already read, Coraline, the first book by Neil Gaiman that I like, and I didn't like it, I loved it (maybe I should stick to children's books with him?), Starlight and Tin Man, because Lisa Henry is pretty much a sure bet for me, and Spirit, I both laughed and cried irl, it was so great. Also, some of the stories in Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time (specially 'The Boys Who Became the Hummingbirds', 'Né łe!' and 'Valediction at the Star View Motel') were awesome, even if the book as a whole didn't make it to the top, as it tends to happen with anthologies.

[Petar]

Dj wrote: "So how was the Kursk book?"

A great read though heartbreaking. I was worried that Moore would extrapolate and dramatise events of which we know very little about but he stuck to the facts and, really, there was enough drama happening on the surface, with events surrounding rescue attempts, without speculating about what was happening in the submarine. The combination of paranoia and a bloody-minded focus on political expediency (which I think exists even more today than it did 20 years ago) had a tragic result.

[Petar]

Pandora wrote: "Allison wrote: "Nice!! Any standouts so far?"

Well, I'm very satisfied with this challenge so far. My average rating right now is 4.0 stars.

I am a big Neil Gaiman fan Pandora and if you think you should stick with his children's books then give Odd and the Frost Giants a try. I have to point out though that I've not read Coraline so I can't make a direct comparison, but I loved Odd and the Frost Giants.

[Petar]

Allison wrote: "Nice!! Any standouts so far?"

As I've mentioned before, many of my selections for the challenge this year fall outside of the definition of SFF, but I really enjoyed Dogs of War. It poses some interesting questions about the possible path of the militarisation of genetic research.

I also really enjoyed A Time to Die: The Untold Story of the Kursk Tragedy and We Were Eight Years in Power: An American Tragedy.

The best book I've started reading this year though is one that I've not included in the challenge; Battle Cry of Freedom. It's history, not SFF, and I'm only halfway through it, but it's tracking to be 5 stars.

[Dj]

Petar wrote: "Dj wrote: "So how was the Kursk book?"

A great read though heartbreaking. I was worried that Moore would extrapolate and dramatise events of which we know very little about but he stuck to the fac..."

Thanks, I might have to give it a look. Glad he was sticking to the facts.

[Dj]

So I finally got past the halfway point. The 11th book of the challenge to be finished is:
The Bear and the Nightingale


I am not sure what it was but I had a really hard time getting into this book. The writing was good, the character development was really good. I think that the main thing that slowed me down was being out of my depth with the myth and legend cycles that the book is based on. I am glad the book is doing so well in the eyes of others since it deserves to be enjoyed. I just might have to start looking at Russian legends for a while and come back to it later.

[CBRetriever]

Dj wrote: "So I finally got past the halfway point. The 11th book of the challenge to be finished is:
The Bear and the Nightingale
I am not sure what it was but I had a really hard time getting into this book.

oh, no, I have that one on my list too.

[Petar]

Dj wrote: "So I finally got past the halfway point. The 11th book of the challenge to be finished is:
The Bear and the Nightingale


I am not ..."

This does look very interesting. I might have to give it a shot.

[Dj]

CBRetriever wrote: "Dj wrote: "So I finally got past the halfway point. The 11th book of the challenge to be finished is:
The Bear and the Nightingale
I am not sure what it was but I had a really har..."

Don't back away on my account. It might be that you like it better than I did. After even with not being able to fully get into it, I still gave it three stars.

[Edwin]

Just finished #10 - halfway.

[Meredith]

I have now read 5/20.

I recently finished:
1. Inspired by a meme: The Consuming Fire, by John Scalzi
20. Hindsight is 20/20: Geisha, a Life, by Mineko Ieasaki, which is an autobiography.

[Kristin]

Well, i'm suuuper late to this. 1 month into covid-19/ stay-at-home orders, and i'm a little embarrassed not to have read any books. So i thought a reading challenge would be good! Also gave myself another guideline of 'I already own it' then bonus points if it's large and annoying to carry on the train, and if i've started it but STILL haven't finished it. I took some inspiration from other posts to put together my list, so thank you fellow readers!

1. Inspired by a meme - The Lady and Her Monsters: A Tale of Dissections, Real-Life Dr. Frankensteins, and the Creation of Mary Shelley's Masterpiece; Roseanne Montillo (kid burning house meme)

2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win) - Amberlough; Lara Elena Donnelly (Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel (2017), Lambda Literary Award Nominee for LGBTQ SF/F/Horror (2018))
3. Small publisher - Witches, Sluts, Feminists: Conjuring the Sex Positive; Kristen J Sollée (Three L Media)
4. Relationship between humans/animals - A Natural History of Dragons; Marie Brennan
5. Recommended by a public figure - Black Hole Blues and Other Songs from Outer Space; Janna Levin (rec'd by Maria Popova)
6. Steal from someone else - Truthwitch; Susan Dennard (in the first 2 sentences, we learn the characters are planning a holdup)
7. Makes you wonder - Physics for Rock Stars: Making the Laws of the Universe Work for You; Christine McKinley (...Can I make the universe work for me?!)
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme - Babel-17/Empire Star; Samuel R. Delany (Babel-17, voted for Oct. 2018, Languages Sci-Fi)
9. #ownvoices - The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives; Lola Shoneyin (Nigerian author)
10. Won a smaller or regional award - The Windup Girl; Paolo Bacigalupi (it won a lot, one of those has to be regional...)
11. What a title?! - The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove; Christopher Moore (alliteration and sub-alliteration for the win)
12. Published in a memorable year - North and South; Elizabeth Gaskell (1854, where old publishing date meets book shelf priority)
13. #relatable - Wallflower at the Orgy; Nora Ephron
14. Seven or Twenty - A Sicilian Romance; Ann Radcliffe (let's say it's been on my list for 7 or 20 years)
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages - Embassytown; China Miéville ("includes an English-derived dialect called Anglo-Ubiq")
16. Pushing the boundaries - A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe; Alex White (it's in the title)
17. The next [Library] - The Masked City; Genevieve Cogman (#2)
18. LOLed IRL - Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal; Mary Roach (Roach's writing always brings a smile)
19. Seen in an ad or on social media - Who Fears Death; Nnedi Okorafor (been on my list and just learned it's been optioned by HBO!)
20. Hindsight is 20/20 - The Obelisk Gate; N. K. Jemisin (i should have finished this series ages ago.)

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Haha great list! I like your explanations ^^

[CBRetriever]

up to 11 now:

10. Won a smaller or regional award
__The Little Country by Charles De Lint
__The Aurora Awards for Canadian Science Fiction & Fantasy

I loved this book with two separate stories in it. I like de Lint anyway, but this one was a joy to read and probably one of his better books

[Raucous]

Kristin wrote: "... 13. #relatable - Wallflower at the Orgy; Nora Ephron ..."

Wow. There are some really fascinating choices there. This is the one that I'd be stealing though if I hadn't already filled that category. I loved her work as a director/screenwriter/producer.

[Natalie]

I'm also fairly late to the game, but really want to get my owned books TBR down. I'm also new to commenting in the group, but have been following for a while - working on that vocal participation. These are my tentative plans - I love making lists of books to read, but I'm actually a mood reader, so we'll see how it goes!

complete: 12/20
in progress: 2/20
1. Inspired by a meme: Harnessed: How Language and Music Mimicked Nature and Transformed Ape to Man by Mark Changizi
2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win): Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon finished
3. Small publisher: Experimental Film by Gemma Files
4. Relationship between humans/animals: The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History by Elizabeth Kolbert
5. Recommended by a public figure: Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie finished
6. Steal from someone else: Before Mars by Emma Newman finished
7. Makes you wonder: The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett finished
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin finished
9. #ownvoices: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse in progress
10. Won a smaller or regional award: Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko finished
11. What a title?!: The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord finished
12. Published in a memorable year: The Fear Institute by Jonathan L. Howard finished
13. #relatable: Dune by Frank Herbert
14. Seven or Twenty: The Lord of the Sands of Time by Issui Ogawa finished
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages: Beloved by Toni Morrison
16. Pushing the boundaries: The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin finished
17. The next [Harry Potter]: Hollowpox: The Hunt for Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend finished
18. LOLed IRL: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams finished
19. Seen in an ad or on social media: Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey in progress
20. Hindsight is 20/20: Doomsday Book by Connie Willis


Reasons:(view spoiler)[
1. Inspired by a meme: traditional definition of a meme as element of culture or behavior passed between individuals by non-genetic means, especially by imitation
2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win): nominated for the Hugo (1997) and Tiptree/Otherwise (1996)
3. Small publisher: published by ChiZine Publications
4. Relationship between humans/animals: discusses human's responsibility for current species extinctions
5. Recommended by a public figure: Anita Sarkeesian/Feminist Frequency Radio, Felicia Day
6. Steal from someone else: (view spoiler)[stolen memory (hide spoiler)]
7. Makes you wonder: title evokes synesthesia, and as a neuroscientist this makes me wonder/think. Also magic is wondrous.
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme: Hugo/Nebula winning, April 2015
9. #ownvoices: Native-American
10. Won a smaller or regional award: Estonian Sci-Fi Stalker Award for best translated novel, 2009
11. What a title?!: bold and final
12. Published in a memorable year: published the year I graduated college
13. #relatable: grew up in the scorching hot dessert of southern AZ
14. Seven or Twenty: published in 2007, when I turned 20
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages: early Black dialect/slang? (found online, since I haven't read it yet)
16. Pushing the boundaries: breaks boundary of planetary isolation (and explores utopian ideas)
17. The next [Harry Potter]: often compared to HP
18. LOLed IRL - classic humorous sci-fi
19. Seen in an ad or on social media: advertisements for the show
20. Hindsight is 20/20: time traveling to study history
(hide spoiler)]

[Jemppu]

In turn, I'm earlier on this than I expected. I have several options for some of these, nothing yet planned for others. All subject to change; mood reader here as well.

1. Inspired by a meme -
2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win) - Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand (in process)
3. Small publisher - The Way of Thorn and Thunder (in painfully slow process, due to format)
4. Relationship between humans/animals - Theory of Bastards / Tomorrow
5. Recommended by a public figure - Naïve. Super / The Underground Railroad
6. Steal from someone else -
7. Makes you wonder - The Man I Think I Know
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme - The Martians (We Are Sci-Fi Family)
9. #ownvoices - I Am Not Myself These Days / Americanah / ...I feel there might be several for this: full list to come.
10. Won a smaller or regional award - Autonomous
11. What a title?! - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous / Record of a Spaceborn Few / This Is the Way the World Ends / The Complete Roderick / Nine Hundred Grandmothers
12. Published in a memorable year -
13. #relatable - Hyperbole and a Half: Unfortunate Situations, Flawed Coping Mechanisms, Mayhem, and Other Things That Happened
14. Seven or Twenty - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo / Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea / Seveneves
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages - Cloud Atlas
16. Pushing the boundaries - Seven Surrenders
17. The next [insert popular series here] -
18. LOLed IRL - The Humans / Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
19. Seen in an ad or on social media - Red, White & Royal Blue
20. Hindsight is 20/20 -

[Lost Planet Airman]

2020 TBR Cleanup Challenge stands at 14 of 20 books (18 Apr update):
================================================================
1. Inspired by a meme: David Crockett: The Lion of the West (Written to refute the Disneyfication of "♪ ♫♪ Da-a-avy, Davy Crockett...♪ ♫"
2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win): The Blade Itself was Locus Award Nominee for Best First Novel (2007), Compton Crook Award Nominee (2008), Tähtifantasia Award Nominee (2010)
3. Small publisher: William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope by Quark Press
4. Relationship between humans/animals: Flowers for Algernon
5. Recommended by a public figure: Andrew Luck, Leviathan Wakes
6. Steal from someone else: Black Science, Vol. 9 (view spoiler)[Remember, this is a spoiler! (view spoiler)[ Last chance to TURN BACK! (view spoiler)[ At various points, we have stolen multiverses, theft of destiny, stolen fate, and I suspect, the ultimate in identity theft. (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]
7. Makes you wonder -- haha, any Seven Wonders RATB (The Native Star)
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme: The Goblin Emperor (November 2015 Debut)
9. #ownvoices Brown Girl in the Ring
10. Won a smaller or regional award -- The Guns of the South
11. What a title?! John Dies at the End
12. Published in a memorable year -- Changewar, 1983
13. #relatable -- Old Man's War
14. Seven or Twenty -- the seventh Tarzan book, Tarzan the Untamed
15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages Leviathan Wakes' sequel
16. Pushing the boundaries The Calculating Stars
17. The next [insert popular series here]...Thomas Covenant: The Summer Tree
18. LOLed IRL Midnight Riot -- the funny parts were a riot.
19. Seen in an ad or on social media -- The Collapsing Empire
20. Hindsight is 20/20 -- Bellamy, Looking Backward

06 May Update to #6 (Steal From Someone Else): The more I think on it, the more I believe the Volume 9 conclusion of the Black Science graphic novel saga makes a really good case to fulfill this item. Been on my TBR whilest we were waiting for it to be published, and those last three chapters contain one concealed theft after another. Sadly, you will have to read it to understand.

[Dj]

Natalie wrote: "I'm also fairly late to the game, but really want to get my owned books TBR down. I'm also new to commenting in the group, but have been following for a while - working on that vocal participation...."

Some great choices there.

[Dj]

I have finished the 12th book in my challenge: Seveneves

This book was the one that was recommended

So I am really glad that I read this book. I read Snowcrash and wasn't in on the joke so I thought it was a serious work and was underwhelmed. Now that I have read another book by Stephenson my impression has been changed completely.

This book is amazing. The characters are well developed and stay consistent within the framework of the story. It doesn't try to answer all the questions on what caused the catastrophic event that sets everything else into motion and it doesn't overwhelm with the science of things.

A little long in places and some events seem contrived, but that doesn't really harm the readability of the book in the least. A great read.

[Natalie]

Dj wrote: "Natalie wrote: "I'm also fairly late to the game, but really want to get my owned books TBR down. I'm also new to commenting in the group, but have been following for a while - working on that voca..."

Thanks!

[CBRetriever]

and now 12

1. Inspired by a meme
__Wild Cards I by George R.R. Martin et al
__http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3v8bu8

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would

[Anna]

Haha, that is an excellent meme/book pairing!

[Petar]

CBRetriever wrote: "and now 12

1. Inspired by a meme
__Wild Cards I by George R.R. Martin et al
__http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3v8bu8

I enjoyed this one more than I thought I would"

LOL. That's gold :-)

[CBRetriever]

yeah, I was really resistant to the book (it was free or part of a Humble Bundle) because it took him away from finishing the Games of Thrones books, so the meme was perfect

[Raucous]

Didn't that collection originally come out over 30 years ago? I remembering getting up to book 15 or so before I stopped reading them and even that was a long time ago. While this one was expanded a bit I'm hoping that he didn't have to spend much time on it.

I'd be more concerned by "Now in development for TV!"

The Game of Thrones series is on my "not going to start it until it's finished" TBR list so I'm just being concerned for... "a friend." Yeah - that's it.

[Dj]

So I finished lucky number 13 the winner of a small award. The Aeronaut's Windlass


here is my review:

So I may be an exception, but in general, I am not a Jim Butcher fan. The Dresden series really doesn't get me excited. This book changed my view quite a bit. A number of different characters with complete and unique personalities. Admittedly some of them are stereotype steampunk characters but the fact that they are unique in their own right and stay true to themselves throughout the book is impressive. You can't forget the Cat.

The Worldbuilding shows a very nice complexity that is more hinted at than tossed up in your face and spelled out in pages of background. It is a nice touch since the characters in the world wouldn't need to have their world spelled out to them.

If this book has any downside it is that the second one is five years in the making and still hasn't been released.

[Anthony]

I’ve been making really good progress on this, and have been very much enjoying using these prompts to guide me in the chiseling away of my massive TBR queue. Of the books on this list that I’ve read, the best have been Americanah and Among Others, and the worst — by FAR — has been The Silent Patient.

1. Inspired by a meme A Little Life (book cover is like the crying meme)
✔ 2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win) On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (National Book Award, Kirkus Prize)
3. Small publisher The Way of Thorn and Thunder
✔ 4. Relationship between humans/animals His Majesty's Dragon
✔ 5. Recommended by a public figure The Underground Railroad (Oprah’s Book Club)
✔ 6. Steal from someone else The Black God's Drums (MC is a street ruffian/thief)
✔ 7. Makes you wonder Among Others
8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme Shards of Honour (Space Pirates)
✔ 9. #ownvoices Americanah (Nigerian-American author)
10. Won a smaller or regional award The Great Believers (LA Times Book Prize)
11. What a title?! Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
✔ 12. Published in a memorable year Luck in the Shadows (1996)
13. #relatable Catch and Kill: Lies, Spies, and a Conspiracy to Protect Predators (#MeToo)
14. Seven or Twenty Seven Surrenders
✔ 15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages Brown Girl in the Ring
16. Pushing the boundaries Cloud Atlas
17. The next [insert popular series here] Black Leopard, Red Wolf [GoT]
18. LOLed IRL This Is the Way the World Ends
✔ 19. Seen in an ad or on social media The Silent Patient
20. Hindsight is 20/20 Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom

[Mareike]

Nice!
I'm still trying to figure out how to best integrate challenges like this into my reading life. But I'm determined to do better than last year at least.

[Kari]

Late to the party! I thought I wouldn't have time for many challenges this year, but the COVID lockdown has got me reading more, so I'm hoping to do a bit of TBR clean-up. Here's hoping I'm doing this right, lol.

1. Inspired by a meme
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Been meaning to re-read this since the series. Inspired basically every meme in the summer of 2019.

2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win) 12/19
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
Nominated/didn't win Hugo and Arthur C. Clarke

3. Small publisher 4/26
Uncanny Magazine Issue 15: March/April 2017
I just became a Patreon subscriber and am making my way through the backlog. Love this magazine!

4. Relationship between humans/animals 11/2
Into the Drowning Deep by Mira Grant
Mermaids: half-person, half-fish.

5. Recommended by a public figure 4/28
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Rec'd by Obama

6. Steal from someone else 8/12
Widow's Point by Richard Chizmar
Bought this for my partner, and he loved it, so now I'm going to have to steal it from his bookshelf. :)

7. Makes you wonder 10/26
The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
I read The Thief so long ago, and immediately picked this up, and now I'm wondering why I let so much time lapse without reading it. And if I'll even know what's going on anymore. And why book series don't have a "Last time, on ______" section like TV shows.

8. Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme 8/15
The Girl in the Tower by Katherine Arden
July 2018 theme: sequel fantasy

9. #ownvoices 10/23
The Things She's Seen by Ambelin Kwaymullina
The author of this aboriginal ghost story is from the Palyku people of the Pilbara region of Western Australia

10. Won a smaller or regional award 10/20
In the Woods by Tana French
Barry Award Winner

11. What a title?! 4/29
Her Silhouette, Drawn in Water by Vylar Kaftan
Because, really, what a title!

12. Published in a memorable year
About the Night by Anat Talshir
Published in 2016. That year where everyone was like, surely things can't get worse, and then it did.

13. #relatable 7/15
At Home: A Short History of Private Life by Bill Bryson
Depressingly relatable because I'm not allowed to leave

14. Seven or Twenty 7/19
The Year of Eating Dangerously: A Global Adventure in Search of Culinary Extremes by Tom Parker Bowles
Published in 2007.

15. Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages
Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear
Written in first-person, seems to have a strong regional dialect.

16. Pushing the boundaries
A History of the Wife by Marilyn Yalom
Pushing the boundaries of what we typically think of as "history"

17. The next [insert popular series here] 4/27
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells
The next in the popular Murderbot series, and so I can read the full-length novel when it comes out!

18. LOLed IRL 5/7
Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton
I lol'd IRL just reading the description. Looking forward to the group read next month!

19. Seen in an ad or on social media 10/21
Bird Box by Josh Malerman
That movie everyone was talking about that I have refused to see because I wanted to read the book first.

20. Hindsight is 20/20 6/1
Lavinia by Ursula K. Le Guin
A re-telling of a history from another POV.

Progress: 16/20

[Pandora]

The confinment begins to relax in my country for the general population today. I'm only allowed a short walk, but I'll be setting foot on the street for the first time in 52 days. I'd say I've had a fair amount of time to read! So this is how far I've gotten.

◆ Inspired by a meme: The Raven and the Reindeer
◆ Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win): Gideon the Ninth
◆ Small publisher: Zero Hour
◆ Relationship between humans/animals: Coraline
◆ Recommended by a public figure: Circe
◆ Steal from someone else: Stealing Life
◆ Makes you wonder: Starlight
◆ Fits a past SFFBC nomination theme: Witchmark
◆ #ownvoices: Love Beyond Body, Space, and Time
◇ Won a smaller or regional award: Otherbound
◆ What a title?!: Ruby Red Booty Shorts & A Louisville Slugger
◆ Published in a memorable year: The Errant Prince
◆ #relatable: 5 to 1
◇ Seven or Twenty: The First Twenty
◆ Dialect, slang, or pidgin languages: Prosperity
◇ Pushing the boundaries: The Complete Stories and Poems by Edgar Allan Poe
◇ The next [insert popular series here]: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
◆ LOLed IRL:
  ✘ The Ghost on My Couch
  ✘ The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth Merchant
  ✔ Spirit
◆ Seen in an ad or on social media: Time for Destiny
◆ Hindsight is 20/20: Tin Man

Once I finish those two I'm currently reading (Poe is gonna take a while, let me tell you), only two more to go. 💃

I'm gonna be honest, I don't think my tbr list is getting any smaller, but without these challenges there are books that would stay there for the rest of my life. I don't know if I ever would have gotten around to read Prosperity or 5 to 1, because the heavy use of slang in the former, the chapters in verse in the latter, and the total lack of romance in both were putting me off. Anyways, they're two of my favorite books of the year for sure, possibly ever, and those things in the end weren't obstacles for my enjoyment at all (on the contrary!).

Prosperity is a crazy imaginative steampunk fantasy with floating cities, bewitched flying ships, sky krakens, clockwork reanimated corpses and queerness all around. It has adventure! And fun! And a pinch of tragedy! It has sexy times! It has magic! It has pirates and outcasts and whores and crime lords! The sweetest characters you'll ever encounter! Plus a sociopath or two as well! Just. It's awesome, guys. For real.

5 to 1 is a matriarchal dystopia set in a future India where, to make marriage "fair", every girl is forced to choose among five male contestants that are in turn forced to compete for her. It does make use of a certain misconcepcion of feminism, but the message against extremism, totalitarism, corruption, hatred, sexism, inequality and lack of freedom (with a focus on young women in indian culture) is clear. It seemed to me like a very original take on the genre. And all of it beautifully written like you can't even imagine.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

That's awesome that this challenged you to look outside your usual and that doing so you found things you loved!! Congrats!

Yeah...I'm not convinced it's possible to lower the TBR, really, but there are some books that linger, and it feels good to finally knock them off the shelf :)

[Petar]

Pandora wrote: "The confinment begins to relax in my country for the general population today. I'm only allowed a short walk, but I'll be setting foot on the street for the first time in 52 days. I'd say I've had ..."

Aaaaand I've added two more books to my TBR list.

Very interesting list Pandora, and Prosperity and 5 to 1 sound very intriguing.

[Anna]

I didn't know 5 to 1 is in verse! I have it on my TBR, but I'm not sure I've looked at it since adding it. I don't think I feel like reading a dystopia just now, but I'll try to give it more attention the next time I'm looking for something from my TBR.

[Pandora]

Anna wrote: "I didn't know 5 to 1 is in verse! I have it on my TBR, but I'm not sure I've looked at it since adding it. I don't think I feel like reading a dystopia just now, but I'll try to give it more attent..."

Yess mission accomplished!

Petar wrote: "Pandora wrote: "The confinment begins to relax in my country for the general population today. I'm only allowed a short walk, but I'll be setting foot on the street for the first time in 52 days. I..."

Yup, the chapters told from Sudasa's POV are all in verse, but they're very easy to read and it gives her voice more character somehow.

[CBRetriever]

And now 13 finished

2. Nominated for 2+ awards (didn't win)
__Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson
__Nominated for Locus Award and World Fantasy Award and didn't win any major award

and off to the other 9 books in the series. I might have to intersperse with some other book as these are pretty heavy and long. I am eternally grateful to Amazon's Xray on these books as it helps to look up character names and who they are.

[Meredith]

I’m up to 7, recently finished:

11. What a title?!: A Monstrous Regiment of Women, I didn’t think it was as good as the first in the series.

18. LOLed IRL: Mort, light and fun.

[Dj]

I finished: Helmet for My Pillow

As my #their own voices.
This is my 14th book finished in the challenge and so far the only one I gave five stars too. Here is the review:

I am not now, have never been previously, and most likely never will be a big fan of the first-person accounts of any war. At higher ranks, there is always the question of what it is that the individual is trying to gloss over to maintain or improve their reputations. At the lower ranks, there is, sometimes, a great deal of immediacy but at the loss of understanding of what is going on in the overall sense. I have never been one to desire to live my life vicariously through another's actual experiences. That is what Fantasy is for.

So why fives stars? Simple. First off Robert Leckie is unusually honest, not just about others but about himself. Second, he writes at levels far beyond that of other first-person accounts. In fact, sometimes he writes so well that it makes it hard to believe that the author is the one that lived through these experiences. The details though make it clear that he was there, but he has the eye of a poet more than most other soldiers who write about their experiences and that makes this book all the more worth reading.

The epilogue is especially moving. He names friends and others that he knew and then asks...'of all these and the others, dear Father, forgive us for that awful cloud.'