2015 String Theory Challenge

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

This was originally Lucy's challenge, but I haven't heard from her in a long time so I'm taking the initiative and re-inventing it for 2015.

It will be a Two Book challenge. You can do it more than once. Please post the connection between the books, as well as the titles (with links if possible). The books must be related as described by Lucy below...

"It's called the String Theory Challenge, and it basically means your next book is chosen because it somehow relates to something that interested you in the previous book read. For example:

-I am currently reading The Jungle Book. In my copy, the Foreword was written by Christopher Paolini, an author I have not read before. Therefore, my next choice will Eragon, the first book in Paolini's Inheritance cycle.

OR

- I am currently reading The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes. A character owned a copy of The Parable of the Sower, so I will read that book next.

OR

- I am currently reading Vanished Kingdoms, a non-fiction book about kingdoms in Europe that have dissolved and been forgotten. One of them is heavily tied up in Arthurian legend, a topic of which I am interested in. Therefore, my next book will be The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley."

[Lucy]

Thank you so much for your help with this, Renee! I have been very ill and although I saw your message I didn't really have the oomph to reply, so I'm super grateful to you for setting this up for 2015.

Good luck everyone!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Phew! I'm so glad. Both that you're good with my reinvent and that you're feeling better. So happy to have you back!

[Holly, That Geeky One]

I'm definitely going to attempt this! What a wonderful idea.

Here's to finding that link...

[Gareth]

This may just be me being greedy but hey you never know unless you ask. If say for example I do something like this: "I've just read Dune by Frank Herbert and the only endorsement quote on the back cover was from Arthur C Clarke so I'm going to read 2001: A Space Odyssey next, Arthur C Clarke now has a Science Fiction award named after him so I'm going to read the 2014 winner of that award Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie after that." Would that count as two String Theory challenges because of the links between Dune and 2001: A Space Odyssey and then that linking to Ancillary Justice. Or would I need to add a 4th for it to count as two challenges. I have a 4th lined up just in case haha

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Hmmm. I think two and two should count as two separate, although it's very cool if they all link up as you've described.

[Gareth]

Turns out the books I mentioned above have just moved down my TBR. I phase in and out of genres. I found another Link though, Remote Control by Andy McNab links to The Cobra by Frederick Forsyth. On the back cover of Remote Control a review by the Mail on Sunday says "When it comes to thrills, he's Forsyth class". I had this Forsyth book on my TBR since July (I'm really bad at adding things to GR though) so it hits the bonus in this months point challenge as well. So it's perfect timing!

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Cool! It's good to be flexible.

[Renee, Mistress of the Mini-Challenge]

Wasn't sure I'd be able to do this but I've got a connection after all.
The Namesake mentions War and Peace because one of the main characters loves Russian authors.