2020 Read All the Books: Seven Wonders

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

[Saar The Book owl]

A bit late, but I'm going to read 15 books for this challenge.
1. The Name of the Wind finished 01/24/2020
2. The Wise Man's Fear 03/09/2020
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[Deedee]

This year I'm trying for 16. So far I've read two:

#1 - The Last Wish by Andrzej Sapkowski
#2 - The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

There are 301 books on the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club Bookshelf.

105 books I've read; my average rating for those 105 books is 3.7619047

14 books I've started and discarded; of the 14 that I started and discarded, I've marked 5 as "try again"

182 books I've marked as "unread"

The Crown Conspiracy is Part One of The Riyria Revelations; I read Theft of Swords which a combined Part One (The Crown Conspiracy) and Part Two (Avempartha) of The Riyria Revelations

The Time Machine: An Invention by H.G. Wells is always a 5 star read, no matter how often I read it! :)

SciFi and Fantasy Book Club Bookshelf Books Read two or more times:
Foundation
The Eyre Affair
Dune
A Game of Thrones
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
The Hobbit
The Fellowship of the Ring
Slaughterhouse-Five
The Time Machine: An Invention

[Robert]

All, sorry for the questions but I’m new to this platform. How do I see the group shelf? Thanks in advance.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

No problem, Robert! If you're on your computer, scroll to the top of the page and you should see a "Bookshelf" link. If you're on the app it's more frustrating (groups> Current Events > bookshelf)

But for now, here's a link :)

https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

[Anna]

Robert, are you on the app? On the desktop site the link is at the top right corner on every page (while you're in group). If you can't see it, or want to look at other options to explore what's on our shelf, check out the links at the bottom of SFFBC Current Events.

[Robert]

Thank you both !

[Ryan, Your favourite moderators favourite moderator]

With The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August winning the poll I'm now 64 reads away from my goal of 150 bookshelf reads. I've read 22 books off the group's bookshelf so far this year and well on track.

Sabriel, Frankenstein, The Many Colored Land and Six Wakes up next.

[DivaDiane]

I have now read 6 out of my pledged 12 books:


✅Embassytown
✅The Farthest Shore
✅Nine Princes in Amber
✅Watchmen
✅This Alien Shore
✅The Way of Kings

These are the books I'd like to read this year that I already own:

Elantris (I'll get started on this as soon as I finish a palate cleansing audiobook after Way of Kings!)
The Fifth Season
The Man in the High Castle
Lock In⭐️
The Outside⭐️
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet⭐️
Station Eleven⭐️
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
The Name of the Wind⭐️
A Scanner Darkly
The Day of the Triffids
Slaughterhouse-Five ⭐️

[Lost Planet Airman]

The 10 Bookshelf books I have read in 2020:

[Mar] 10 The Stars My Destination
09 The Diamond Age: Or, A Young Lady's Illustrated Primer
[Feb] 08 The Native Star 07 Flowers for Algernon 06 The Collapsing Empire
05 The Song of Achilles 04 The Blade Itself 03 Uprooted
[Jan] 02 The Summer Tree 01 The Goblin Emperor

Apparently, that last one pushed me over the edge (and I miscounted last time I checked) and I have now completed 200 of the 303 books on the bookshelf! I'm going to stroll over to that other topic and see what prizes await...

[Ada]

I've finally read the first of twelve books I wanted to read for this challenge! This year I'm trying to read only the physical books I already own...(view spoiler)[something is wrong with that sentence but I can't figure it out. If somebody does, I'm open for corrections! (hide spoiler)]

☑ 1. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien ★★★★☆
☐ 2. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon
☐ 3. Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
☐ 4. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
☐ 5. Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
☐ 6. Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie
☐ 7. A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin
☐ 8. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang
☐ 9. The Obilisk Gate by N.K. Jeminsin
☐ 10. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
☐ 11. Huis met de Geesten (House of the Spirits) by Isabel Allende
☐ 12. ... ?

[Sebastian]

I'm a little late to the game but I've just pledged 15 books for this challenge. Then I realized, I've already read 6 of the shelved books this year. Do those count towards the challenge?

[Gabi]

Sebastian wrote: "I'm a little late to the game but I've just pledged 15 books for this challenge. Then I realized, I've already read 6 of the shelved books this year. Do those count towards the challenge?"

Of course they do! 👍

[Sebastian]

Gabi wrote: "Sebastian wrote: "I'm a little late to the game but I've just pledged 15 books for this challenge. Then I realized, I've already read 6 of the shelved books this year. Do those count towards the ch..."

Great! Looking forward to lots of fun reads.

[Bill]

I hit my goal of 30 for the year so I bumped my challenge goal up to 50. Also passed 200 books read from the group shelf along the way.

I made a list on overdrive with all the books from the group shelf so anytime I don’t know what to read next I just see what’s available on that list and pick something. It’s been a big help this year as I’ve frequently been at a loss on what to pick up next.

[Anna]

Congrats Bill!

I don't remember what our 200 special treat is, but probably some kind of chocolate :D

[Bill]

Anna wrote: "Congrats Bill!

I don't remember what our 200 special treat is, but probably some kind of chocolate :D"

Thanks. Chocolate sounds good.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Congrats, Bill!!

I think it's the bar at 200. More than 50%, time to kill some brain cells for the REAL challenge!

[Lost Planet Airman]

Anna wrote: "Congrats Bill!

I don't remember what our 200 special treat is, but probably some kind of chocolate :D"

You gave away chocolate way back at 100 or 150.
Two hundred appears to be presumably non-toxic homebrew brandy if @Allison has saved any for us. Or, possibly something from the back of the refrigerator.

[Anna]

I forgot about that. Oh no, maybe I should stop reading group books now to avoid the 200 fate!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

brandy is not only only as toxic as alcohol is meant to be, it's ready to drink!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

i also make mocktails!

[Hank]

Great job Bill! Yeah, we should probably think about something more desirable when you cross 200 although the brandy does sound good. How about a free ticket to the virtual book club on May 17th?
nobody tell him they are all free

[YouKneeK]

Allison wrote: "More than 50%, time to kill some brain cells for the REAL challenge!"

The REAL challenge = figuring out your status updates? ;) I don’t drink, but I have to imagine it would help!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Haha!

I don't think the gibberish status updates have been made under the influence, HOWEVER, I do have a New England accent flavored with CA and PA, so just try saying them like you're from New York, Philly, or the Valley and see if that helps ;-)

[YouKneeK]

I’m doomed… I’m horrible at imitating a single accent, much less 3 at once! ;)

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Okay, from 200 up, you get a turn picking the restaurant for Friday night dinner for the club house. How 'bout dat?

(Did I also mention the Baton Rouge dat accent that is peppered in? Ah, childhood!)

For those of you unfamiliar, I do spoiler free updates for group reads. I try to make them games. This month I'm writing gibberish which, when said with the right emphasis, make a real sentence :)

To keep this more relevant, I'm about to be halfway to my goal! So I might get a bit better than my guesstimate this year.

[YouKneeK]

Allison wrote: "Okay, from 200 up, you get a turn picking the restaurant for Friday night dinner for the club house. How 'bout dat?."

As long as I'm only picking it and not responsible for cooking it! I'm staying far away from that scary cooking thread y'all have going on. ;)

[Anna]

YouKneeK wrote: "I'm staying far away from that scary cooking thread y'all have going on"

Me too, but possibly for different reasons. Allison tells me they haven't even mentioned broccolini, and I refuse to enter such a thread!

[YouKneeK]

LOL, a travesty! (Er, yes, definitely different reasons.) ;)

[DivaDiane]

Broccolini are no longer in season here or I’d be eating lots of them! We love them in our household! That’s perhaps the real reason for the dearth of broccoli talk over on that thread, Anna.

[[deleted user]]

Just joined the group and this looks like a great challenge to get plugged into :) I picked a goal of 15 books and I'm going to back-date to January 1st if that's ok?

2020 Bookshelf Challenge Completed Books
1. The Color of Magic (re-read in January)
2. Soulless (re-read in January)
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[Anna]

Yes, it doesn't matter when you start, anything read in 2020 counts! :)

[Lost Planet Airman]

Allison wrote:
"This month I'm writing gibberish which, when said with the right emphasis, make a real sentence :)..."

Ladle Rat Rotten Hut reed ducks!

[YouKneeK]

Mike wrote: "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut reed ducks!"

Some sort of redux? Maybe an atten-Hut! Redux?

Nope, any attempt I make at translation ends up even more gibberishy than the original!

[Lost Planet Airman]

YouKneeK wrote: "Mike wrote: "Ladle Rat Rotten Hut reed ducks!"

Some sort of redux? Maybe an atten-Hut! Redux?"

Close! You nailed "redux".

I saw this in hard copy in college, but the interwebs have saved several copes here and there:

"Wants pawn term dare worsted ladle gull hoe lift wetter murder inner ladle cordage honor itch offer lodge dock florist. Disc ladle gull orphan worry ladle cluck wetter putty ladle rat hut, end fur disc raisin pimple caulder ladle rat rotten hut..."

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Little Red Riding Hood Redux?

[YouKneeK]

Mike wrote: "I saw this in hard copy in college, but the interwebs h..."

Ah… it makes sense now!

[Lost Planet Airman]

Allison wrote: "Little Red Riding Hood Redux?"

The explanation fo your "gibberish" reminded me of Ladle Rat Rotten Hut, hence a "redux". But maybe you are on a phone browser and cannot see the link?: http://www.cfcl.com/vlb/Cuute/f/ladle...

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

ohhhh yes, i didn't see the link. haha

[Ben]

My challenge list for 2020

Read
1. Starship Troopers
2. I Am Legend and Other Stories
3. The Martian Chronicles
4. The Way of Kings
5. Elantris
6. Warbreaker
7. Childhood's End
8. American Gods
9. Anansi Boys

To Read
10. Rivers of London
11. I, Robot
12. The Caves of Steel
13. Fahrenheit 451
14. World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War
15. The Girl With All the Gifts
16. Sphere
17. Stranger in a Strange Land
18. A Wizard of Earthsea
19. The Tombs of Atuan
20. The Farthest Shore
21. Red Mars
22. Slaughterhouse-Five
23. The Time Machine
24. The Island of Doctor Moreau
25. The Once and Future King

[Camilla]

Hi! I'm new here, a little late to the party, but I'm planning to read 16 this year (I've changed the number back and forth a bit but I think I'll stick with that). So far I've only read one from the club shelf this year, and started on another.

Read 29.07.20:
1. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman (re-read in February) *****
2. Hollow Kingdom by Kira Jane Buxton (May 15th) ****
3. An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon (May 16th) ******
4. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (July 3rd) *****
5. American Gods Volume 1: Shadows by Neil Gaiman (July 13th) ***** stars. I have read American Gods before, and this is the graphic novel edition. Still counts, right? I've also read American Gods Volume 2: My Ainsel (July 19th). ***** stars.
6. The Raven and the Reindeer by T. Kingfisher (uhm started in May but then I got sidetracked... July 15th) ***** stars.
7. The Sandman by Neil Gaiman (July 17th). ***** stars. This was the brand new audiobook version, and it was so good. So good! Just saying. :D
8. The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa (July 27nd). ****** stars. Loved it!
9. Servant of the Underworld by Aliette de Bodard. *** strong stars.
10. The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. ****** stars, damn it was good!
11. The Mere Wife by Maria Dahvana Headley. ****** stars. Loved it so, so much!

Reading at the moment (July 31st):
12. The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon. I've actually started to read this earlier, and it's SO GOOD but it's still stranded on my shelf for some reason.

To read next (I've listed more than 16 books in total bc I can't choose):
13. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood.
14. Shadowshaper Daniel José Older.
15. The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden.
16. Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
17. The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
18. The Golem and the Jinni by by Helene Wecker.
19. The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang.
20. The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.
21. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North.
22. This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar

In total, I believe I have read 25 books from the shelf, including the ones I have listed here. So. I have a lot of books to discover!

[Anna]

You're never too late! And even one book counts :)

[Camilla]

Ah, that's true, thanks! :)

[Fayad]

Hi! So I joined quite recently. As a beginner in SciFi as well as Fantasy, I looked at the Bookshelf and immediately found some pretty promising titles. Currently I only own The Lord of the Rings which has been in my shelf for a considerable amount of time. Really hoping to get going on this endeavor and explore some great books. :)

[Anthony]

I’ve read 15 more books from the group shelf so far this year. Three of them were 2-star clunkers (The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Planetfall were particularly disappointing, and The Many-Colored Land, which I had loved as a kid, was a hot mess), and six were 3-star, good-but-not-great reads. (Brown Girl in the Ring, His Majesty's Dragon, Nine Princes in Amber, The Golem and the Jinni, Six Wakes, and Catfishing on CatNet.)

The four 4-star reads were The Killing Moon, The Underground Railroad, Fahrenheit 451, and The Summer Tree.

And last, but far from least, two were 5-star reads: Among Others and The Windup Girl. They both transported fully into their worlds, and took me on an emotionally rich, absorbing journey I won’t forget.

I will say there’s a great variety in subject matter and style (as well as quality) among all of these books, and many of them are titles I might not have otherwise encountered, so as always, I’m very grateful to this group for expanding my literary horizons.

[Beth]

I want to get back to this challenge (I have only read Guards! Guards! and Seven Surrenders.

I need a new audiobook to listen to so I will be starting The Neverending Story soon.

I have The Hobbit, or There and Back Again and The Sheep Look Up planned for June. But not The Ghost Bride because OverDrive’s license expired, drat!

[Gabi]

The first 5 months this year I've read 23 books from the group shelf. Most of them were okay to good (3 and 4 stars), only one bummer with 2 stars (sorry, Scalzi) and 5 wonderful 5-star reads.

Little, Big
The Just City
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Among Others
The Ocean at the End of the Lane

ETA: all of those 5 are authors I probably wouldn't have picked up if it hadn't been for the group. So I'm very glad for the motivation.

[DivaDiane]

So far this year I've read 7 of my pledged 12 (which according to GR is 3 books ahead of schedule). They are:

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson
Embassytown by China Miéville
Watchmen by Alan Moore (And I finally watched the movie with my husband on date night the other night. We were waiting till I finally read the graphic novel, and then we haven't been able to watch a movie that wasn't also suitable for our 10 year old in sooooo many months).
The Farthest Shore by Ursula K. Le Guin (a reread)
This Alien Shore by C.S. Friedman
Nine Princes in Amber by Roger Zelazny
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin

Nine Princes was (merely) a 3-star book, which is still enjoyable, but just not wow in any way.

The 3B Problem was a solid 4 star.

Watchmen was a 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. I recognize what an important book it is and how monumental it is, but I didn't really enjoy reading it. And I have a hard time reading graphic novels. Just not my style.

The rest were 5 stars, so I'm quite happy with my choices so far this year.

Next up are Forty Thousand in Gehenna, C. J. Cherryh;
The City & the City, China Miéville; and maybe The Dispossessed, by Le Guin, but that would be a reread and I just read Lavinia.

[Meredith]

My initial goal was to read 16 books from the group shelf this year. So far, I've read 8 books from the shelf and picked up two retro-reads. I'm up to 114 books read from the shelf.

Read
This Alien Shore
The Ten Thousand Doors of January
Sword of Kaigen
Elantris
Mort
First Fifteen Lives of Harry August
Catfishing on Catnet
Station Eleven

Retro reads
The House of Spirits
Collapsing Empire

Currently reading:
Ghost Bride

Upcoming reads:
The Dispossessed
The City and the City