You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Monthly
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May 2021 Reporting - Arrived on the Island!
WoF Name - LanelleThe six islands I got are:
Fanø
Ouessant Island
Ellesmere Island
Minorca
Jarvis Island
Maéwo
I chose Ellesmere Island, which was named in 1852 after Francis Egerton, 1st Earl of Ellesmere. I decided to read a book with an Earl as a main character.
I read Beauty and the Clockwork Beast. The 'beast' in the story is the Earl of Blackwell.
I read the ebook; the first paper edition has 318 pages.
ETA: This book crosses so many genres that I'm not quite sure how to classify it. But I enjoyed reading it. Good clean fun. I gave it 4 stars.
WoF Name: GrainneMy 6 islands are:
✨Laksadeep
✨New Britain
✨Batan Islands
✨Komandor Islands
✨Malaita
✨Kizhi Island
I travelled to the Komandor Islands. They are islands off the coast of Russia which which are named after a Russian Commander.
I read The Cassandra Compact One of its themes is espionage as it is about Russian vials of deadly bacteria that are being manufactured by a biochemical unit of Russian Secret Service. Which could possibly be used as a bioweapon that will unleash a deadly plague!
I like the fast pace of this book and the theme was very interesting and it kept me guessing right up until the end. The characters were well-developed. I might even read the next book in the series.
Lanelle wrote: "WoF Name - LanelleThe six islands I got are:
Fanø
Ouessant Island
Ellesmere Island
Minorca
Jarvis Island
Maéwo
I chose Ellesmere Island, which was named in 1852 after Francis Egerton, 1st E..."
What did you think of it, Lanelle? Please let us know how the read was for your badge!
Grainne wrote: "I read The Cassandra Compact One of its themes is espionage as it is about Russian vials of deadly bacteria that are being manufactured by a biochemical unit of Russian Secret Service. Which could possibly be used as a bioweapon that will unleash a deadly plague!"Topical! Glad you enjoyed it!
Confirming your link was Russia/Russian things?
Rusalka wrote: "What did you think of it, Lanelle? Please let us know how the read was for your badge!"I've edited my post. Thank you, Rusalka.
Tell us where you are travelling to, how your book fits the location, and whether you enjoyed it or not (not just "it was good" give us a sentence or two).WoF - Lynn
Island: Vancouver Island
(I totally forgot to make note of the other 5 options I got, I hope that's ok .... I remember one of them being Isle of Skye, and one of the Greek Islands but that's all my memory can dredge up)
Book: Dirty Rowdy Thing
Connection: One of the MC's is from Vancouver Island, and part of the book is set in Vancouver Island.
Thoughts: It was a fun smutty book, with a likeable cast of characters with very little brain work needed to read. Just what I needed :)
Wof Anna MKorčula
Paros
Sagar Island
Wales
Kolguyev Island
Dirk Hartog Island
Wales. Author is Welsh, books set in Wales
I read 2nd and 3rd book in The Clockwork Crow series The Velvet Fox and The Midnight Swan by Catherine Fisher
Well written fantasy with sensible & likeable heroine and the Fair Folk were creepy as they should. I'm definitely going to check Fisher's other books.
WoF JaymeMy 6 Islands:
Montebello Island
Fuerteventura Island
Bass Rock
Calamian Group
Norfolk Island
Cayman Island
I chose Bass Rock which is an uninhabited island off the coast of Scotland. It has an abandoned castle which later became a prison and is now home to a large colony of Gannets (sea birds).
I read The Cafe by the Sea which takes place on fictitious Mure Island which is off the coast of Scotland. On the island there is also a place called "The Rock" which is very similar to Bass Rock.
This was a quick, easy, no-brainer romance which did a good job creating the imagery and feel of the islands of northern Scotland. However, the MC Flora was a bit of a whiner and if I had to read one more time about how pale and translucent her skin was or how her green eyes blended with with the sea I might throw a book.
WoF MarnieI chose the island of Moruroa which is an uninhabited atoll in the French Polynesia. From 1966-1996 it was used as a nuclear testing sight which has permanently left the island unsuitable for life.
I read The Dictionary of Lost Words ( 384 pages) which is about a girl who works on the Oxford Dictionary. In order for a word to be included it needed to have a written source. This left words used by those that didn’t have a written history and lots of women exclusive words unrepresented. This story is about a girl that tried to give power to these “unsuitable” words.
This book was not what I expected at all. The old phrase “ history is written by the victors” comes to mind. This book would add “men” to that phrase. It was about access and representation and dang it I feel like picking up a suffragette sign.
Rusalka wrote: "Grainne wrote: "I read The Cassandra Compact One of its themes is espionage as it is about Russian vials of deadly bacteria that are being manufactured by a biochemical unit of Russian Secret Servi..."I am just seeing this now. It must be because I didn't have the notification pressed for this thread. Sorry about that Rusalka.
It sure was! Yes, the link is Russia/Russian military/a virus or bacteria made in Russia.
No worries! My goodreads notifications are twitchy too, even when I have the right boxes ticked. Thanks for the info!
WofF TrudyAnIslands:
Annobon
Saint-Barthelemy
Laut Island
Ternate Island
Nukunonu
Virgin Gorda
I chose Annobon, a small island located off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. As per Wikipedia, "... there is evidence of large-scale dumping of toxic waste on the remote island of Annobón, at least during the 1980s and 1990s. The German edition of Der Spiegel on 28 August 2006 reported that the government of Equatorial Guinea sold permits to UK and US companies to bury 10 million metric tons of toxic waste and 7 million metric tons of radioactive waste on the island of Annobón. Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of Equatorial Guinea, supposedly receives 200 million US dollars per year for renewed permits, while the population of Annobón lives in extreme poverty. The report also showed evidence that the whole island's ecosystem is about to collapse due to the massive waste dumping."
I read Marrow Island by Alexis M. Smith (244 pages). This novel is about a small Pacific Northwest island. An earthquake resulted in an oil refinery explosion, collapsing the island's ecosystem and making the island uninhabitable. The plot centres on events 20 years after the explosion. Interesting remediation efforts are underway by a small dedicated group who have returned to the abandoned island.
I'm familiar with this area, so enjoyed the familiarity of the setting. The writing is atmospheric, and descriptions of the natural world are particularly good. The book is slow paced, and the main character is somewhat unlikeable. Although the characters could have been more fully developed, I enjoyed the story, the ecological theme, and the natural setting.
WoF Sharon BiskitThe island I chose was Green Island. (I forgot to write down the other islands.) Green Island is off the Eastern Coast of Taiwan. It was originally inhabited b the aboriginal Amis people. It is a small volcanic island in the Pacific Ocean. Green Island served as a place of exile for political prisoners and the most dangerous criminals and gangsters.
I chose to read Fatal Deception. (310 pp.)
This is part of the Emerald City Thrillers playing off a synonym of GREEN. It also takes place on an island off the coast of Washington in the Pacific Ocean. This plays off island and Pacific Ocean. In addition, many young women are being held prisoner on the island and some who are “troublesome” are assigned to a prison cell thereby making another connection to prison.
The book was quite exciting, easy to read and I had a hard time putting it down. I quite enjoyed it.
Anna wrote: "Wales. Author is Welsh, books set in Wales."I would contest this is an island (problem with these randomisers are they are never foolproof) but I missed it while I was travelling, so great work in getting that in ;)
So not an island. But absolutely nothing to do with you Anna. And I am checking out the series!
Jayme wrote: "I had to read one more time about how pale and translucent her skin was or how her green eyes blended with with the sea I might throw a book."Urgh!
Marnie wrote: "dang it I feel like picking up a suffragette sign."Hah. Get that feeling!
TrudyAn wrote: "I chose Annobon, a small island located off the coast of Equatorial Guinea. As per Wikipedia, "...."Oh wow. On the reality and the setting of your story. They are both full on.
Sharon wrote: "WoF Sharon BiskitThe island I chose was Green Island. (I forgot to write down the other islands.) Green Island is off the Eastern Coast of Taiwan. It was originally inhabited b the aboriginal Ami..."
I'm reading a book at the moment called Green Island based on this island randomly. Just read about the background of the island yesterday.
WOF Marie (MAZZA 57) My six islands were
1. Governador Island - Rio de Janeiro Brazil
2.Roti Island - Southeast asia; 500 km northwest of the Australian coast
3.Spitsbergen Norway
4. Kolguyev Island
5. Isle of Anglessey
6. Margarita island
Using Kolguyev Island
This island is said to be approximately circular-shaped
I read a book set in an approximately circular shaped fantasy world
The Colour of Magic
I have really tried to like Terry Pratchett but he just makes my head ache. This is the first in the series and I did get a better understanding of the world setting but I will not be reading any more
WoF - OdetteAnguilla was my choice out of the six. It is one of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Anguilla was first settled by Indigenous peoples who migrated from South America
I read Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse, which is an epic fantasy and first book in the "Between Earth and Sky" trilogy. It is inspired by the civilisations of the pre Columbian Americas, who migrated to and settled on the island of Anguilla.
I really enjoyed this book, written from the perspective of 4 POV's heading towards the date of a significant celestial event. What I liked about it was the world building (not too much telling), the style of writing and the very interesting characters. I found it easy to get into and not too complicated to follow. Though, one little thing I found bleak was the pessimistic sentiment expressed about grudges being passed on through generations. I will be looking out for the second book in this series, which is due to be published later this year.
WoF ShirleyMy island is the Wellesley Islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria, Queensland Australia.
I chose to read Carpentaria which is set in the Gulf of Carpentaria.
This book won the Miles Franklin Award in 2007, a major Australian literary award. The judges said: "Carpentaria is a big novel in every sense. Richly imagined and stylistically ambitious, it takes all kinds of risks and pulls them off with the confidence and assurance of a novelist who has now discovered her true power." Personally, I found it a hard slog, but the parts that depicted the real lives of the characters were at times entertaining and heart-rending. Maybe I'm just not intellectual enough. My review.
Wof- Christina My islands-
Byam Martin Island
Lantao Island
Baltra Island
Cephallenia
Ponza Island
Rikers Island
I traveled to Byam Martin Island (BEI-uhm) , one of the Canadian arctic islands.
Task- Artic setting- book - Ritual Chill (Altered States, #1)
I really enjoy this audio. It was quite different with the wind background and sound effects. I was left with a cliffhanger and am still wanting to find out what happened to a certain character.
WoF - SilverThe island I choose to venture to was Cuba
For my book I choose Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton
The book is set predominately in Cuba and deals with the political upheaval Cubans both living in Cuba and those forced to leave had to deal with and the impact it has on their lives.
Overall I found the story to be compelling to read and beautifully written. Most the characters were quite interesting. I loved the insight into Cuba and all of its struggles the author imparts to the reader. She transports the reader into a world that is as romantic and seductive as it is tragic and dangerous. The only drawbacks were I did feel that the romance in the book was very contrived and the ending a bit too convenient.
WoF PeggyThe island I picked from my 6 is Española island
The island has been recognised as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. It has many species of (unique) birds.
Because of the unique birds here as well as it being an Important Bird Area, I read a book with a bird on the cover: Fool's Quest
It was the 15th book in the Realm of the Elderlings series and the second in the final sub-trilogy, so I knew I would enjoy it, and I did. As with all the books there were a few bits that were a bit long-winded but others that I raced through. What I liked most in this one is that all the subseries are really starting to come together.
WoF CherieThe islands I got were
Cocos Islands
Sado
Cozumel
Atiu
Isles of Scilly
Swains Island
I read Boy Swallows Universe
Another name for Cozumel is swallows and Atiu is famed for the birds there. Cocos Islands are part of Australia the story is set in Brisbane, Australia.
The book was amazing! It was well written and easy to read. There was plenty of things happening and the characters were human and totally believable, almost more than I could take. I am still trying to relax from reading the last 60 pages. The genre is Historical Fiction, but at times all too real for today's world. It was really set more in the 70's or 80's. Two brothers are the main characters, and what characters they are! The oldest one, Gus, does not talk and the youngest one talks too much, feels too much, cries too much and loves too much. Their father is on disability - he gets panic attacks and almost killed the boys when they were young. Their mother and her boyfriend are drug dealers and their babysitter is a prison con, who may or may not have killed a taxi driver. He is famous for breaking out of prison several times. There were some great lines and some really, bad characters, enought to make you pause and have to put the book down. I enjoyed the journey to Queensland and all of the Queensland bits mentioned in the story.
Hey, Rusalka, do you eat Weet-Bix for breakfast? hahaha
I would like to thank Jayme and Rusalka for getting me to read this book. I may never have picked it up, if not for this challenge and Jayme's review.
Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed the book, Cherie. I wondered how you’d feel about so many local references, so I was glad it didn’t deter from the story. Yes I eat 2 Weetbix for breakfast most mornings with a handful of blueberries or strawberries or whatever I’ve got and sprinkled with cinnamon. When we were kids, sometimes we’d have Weetbix instead of porridge in Winter, and Mum used to pour hot water over them and sprinkle with sugar. But that was in the old days when sugar wasn’t a bad thing. My own kids used to sometimes have a Weetbix sandwich - a Weetbix split in half, lathered with butter and Vegemite. Aah the good old days. I also recommend All Our Shimmering Skies but I didn’t enjoy it as much.
Shirley wrote: "Oh I’m so glad you enjoyed the book, Cherie. I wondered how you’d feel about so many local references, so I was glad it didn’t deter from the story. Yes I eat 2 Weetbix for breakfast most mornings ..."I added the book, Shirley, but it might be a while before I get to it.
Weet-Bix sounds like our Shreaded Wheat. My mother used to put hot water on hers to soften them. As kids, we used to smash them all up and eat them with plenty of sugar. They had to soak in the milk for a long time to soften up and not taste like sticks. I like the Sugar Frosted Shreaded Mini-Wheats the best.
WoF AnneFindsJoyMy chosen island of the six I got was Outer Hebredes - very old islands west coast of Scotland. Earliest habitation traces back thousands of years. In 500BC ancient Celtic society was here.
My task was to read a book with a theme of Celtic mythology. I read Hounded (The Iron Druid Chronicles #1)
I gave the book 5 stars, it was such a fun read. Lots of mythic creatures of all kinds, an engaging storyline, and humorous writing. There was a dog character named Oberon, who could thought-speak with his owner, the MC Atticus, and the dogs thoughts were hilarious! I zipped through the book, and now I can't wait to read book two in the series now!
Cherie wrote: "Hey, Rusalka, do you eat Weet-Bix for breakfast? hahaha"Lol I have. We don't in our house (we don't really do breakfast but if we do have a granolay muselish mix), but like Shirley, Weetbix, milk, and a couple of spoons of sugar was a decent breakfast as a kid. Although reading Shirley's response I want them now... The house we stayed in in Adelaide a week ago, a box of Weetbix (sans sugar) was consumed entirely by the 14 year old boy while we were there (the 48 box).
Weetbix sandwich, Shirley?!? How on earth did they swallow it? The things dry suck all the moisture out of your mouth!!
Oh, and Cherie, here they are in all their glory
Oi! You lot! Take it to the discussion thread please! Jeez... can't take these mods anywhere.
I guess you don't want me posting that not only did we have Weetabix, but we have Muffets which is the same thing only round. We'd pour boiling water over them, drain them, add brown sugar and milk. Oh, and my brother won a pool table from a contest they had. In between the rows of squares, they had stiff paper separators. There was a picture of half of an item, like a pool table. You collected them from subsequent boxes and if you could find the other half, you won it.
Bad mod. Can I blame brain injury?
A pool table is a significant prize! That's very impressiveI don't know why Weetbix seems very reasonable but Muffets sounds hilarious...
It was the main prize of the contest. We turned our basement into a games room. We had the pool table, ping pong table, and my dad built a shuffleboard into the floor using tiles.
Janice wrote: "Bad mod. Can I blame brain injury?"*snort*
Janice wrote: "It was the main prize of the contest. We turned our basement into a games room. We had the pool table, ping pong table, and my dad built a shuffleboard into the floor using tiles."That's so fancy! I am very jealous. You were rich in my circle of friends if you had a ping pong table. A pool table AS WELL would have blown my mind.
Anne ✨ wrote: "WoF AnneFindsJoyMy chosen island of the six I got was Outer Hebredes - very old islands west coast of Scotland. Earliest habitation traces back thousands of years. In 500BC ancient Celtic society..."
I love that series!
Rusalka wrote: "Cherie wrote: "Hey, Rusalka, do you eat Weet-Bix for breakfast? hahaha"Lol I have. We don't in our house (we don't really do breakfast but if we do have a granolay muselish mix), but like Shirley..."I think lashings of butter did the trick, Rusalka. (Risking being yelled at by mods here🤭)
That makes sense. And the only way I think you could swallow it.*bangs pans with wooden spoons* Chatter to other thread please!!
That includes you, Rusalka. I'm watching you.
Lol! You all are hilarious!WoF - Katrisa
One of my islands was the isle of Lesbos (from which is derived the word lesbian) home of the poet Sappho who expounded on woman-love in her poems. My task was to read a book tagged LGTBQ (featuring a lady relationship). I chose
which is tagged LGTBQ and features a relationship between young women.
WoF name - Amanda(Lily)The islands I got were:
Newfoundland and Labrador
Rab
Banaba
Tokelau
Leyte
Virgin Gorda
I chose Tokelau. It declared the waters in between the islands that make it a shark sanctuary. Task - read a book with a shark on the cover. I read
, which has a shark on the cover. I really enjoyed the book. The writing is beautiful and I liked reading about a culture (Hawaiian) that I'm not very familiar with.
WOF: EstherOn of my Island was Arguin.
Wikipedia says: "In 1445, Prince Henry the Navigator set up a trading post on the island, which acquired gum arabic and slaves for Portugal. By 1455, 800 slaves were shipped from Arguin to Portugal every year." So my theme was Slavery.
I read The Water Dancer. I found it a bit slow in the middle but I enjoyed it. I was expecting déjà vu (or déjà lu), but it was just different enough to surprise me when the story did not take the path I was expecting.
WoF: KayAngel Island (San Francisco Bay): Originally a military base now a tourist attraction as part of Angel Island state park. Offers views of the San Francisco skyline, the Marin County Headlands and Mount Tamalpais.
I read
which has angels as main characters. I would say this is a historical fantasy which utilises the history of the Knights Templars very loosely and other mythical characters. I believe the audience is YA. I didn't mind it, an easy read for a little escapism. I would give it 2/5.
WoF: EmmaMy islands were:
North and South Stradbroke Islands
Montebello Islands
Hainan
French Guiana
Robben Island
Mariana Islands
The North and South Stradbroke Islands are found around Australia. For this challenge, I read a book by an Australian author. Unlit by Keri Arthur
I'm glad I chose this book for the monthly read. It is a book I've been meaning to read for a few years but never got around to it. It is a great book! Unlit is a sci-fi romance with more focus on sci-fi than romance. The world-building was great and I am planning on reading more of Keri Arthur's work in the future.
WoF - JanicePhew, I arrived on the island in the nick of time!
One of my islands was the Virgin Islands, so I chose a book with "Virgin" in the title: The Virgin in the Ice.
I wasn't expecting much from the book. Brother Cadfael's adventures aren't always that interesting. But this adventure kept me intrigued, wondering how it was all going to end. And there was a pleasant surprise at the end that I hope we hear more about in future stories in the series.
WoF AyaMy islands:
- Belitung
- Siberut Island
- Shikoku
- Leyte
- Fuerteventura Island
- Oahu
The moment I saw Belitung, I remember a movie adaptation which set in Belitung island and was booming back then, even the book itself. I hadn't read it since I wasn't into reading, so I decided to read Laskar Pelangi or The Rainbow Troops that set in Belitung. It's a good book but I didn't enjoy it. Long boring passages, too much latin and physic terms, my brain couldn't take it. The narrator's perspective is too 'old' for a kid, though I guess he was just recalling his childhood. Some stories are great, but I don't think I'll read the rest of this tetralogy.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Staked (other topics)The Big Necessity: The Unmentionable World of Human Waste and Why It Matters (other topics)
Ask Me No Questions (other topics)
True Grit (other topics)
Racing the Rain (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Chanel Cleeton (other topics)Rebecca Roanhorse (other topics)
Alexis M. Smith (other topics)
Catherine Fisher (other topics)
Head to: https://www.generatormix.com/random-i...
This will generate six random islands for you from around the world. Your job is to read a book tied into one of these islands. It might be simple like the book is set on Guernsey or the author is from Malta. Or it could be more abstract like Cozumel comes from the Mayan for "island of swallows" so you read a book with swallow in the title or has one on the cover. Or the Isle of Man's equal top industry is insurance so you read a book with a character who works at an insurance agency.
Tell us where you are travelling to, how your book fits the location, and whether you enjoyed it or not (not just "it was good" give us a sentence or two).
That's it. Complete by the end of May, get a badge. Simples!
General Rules:
1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Challenge.
3. The book must be read between May 1 – May 31, 2021 (based on your local time zone).
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
5. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.
In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover or paperback edition to determine page length. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide. If reading an ebook and there is no paper edition, ask for a ruling. If reading an audiobook and there is no paper edition, your book must be a minimum of 6 hours long.