Book Nook Cafe discussion
100 Book Prompt Challenge -2023
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100 Book Challenge ~ 2022
I'm going to have to think about this one! There are fun categories to explore, which i really like. We'll see.I want to make sure i get this correct. We copy & paste the above and begin our own thread? Then add to it as the year progresses?
Thanks in advance for the reply.
No way I'd finish it, but even getting more than half would be remarkable! Would The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century count as a "bio" exactly?
John, i have used a couple of those kinda yes/kinda no books as bios for some presidents. In every case thus far, however, i ended up reading a full bio because i wanted to know more about the man, his family & life. However, this one from Scott Miller sounds as though it will cover McKinley well because it's his acts and views which create the tension the assassin felt. It sounds good, i must say.
madrano wrote: "John, i have used a couple of those kinda yes/kinda no books as bios for some presidents. In every case thus far, however, i ended up reading a full bio because i wanted to know more about the man,..."Thanks for the input. Same book counting for multiple categories makes this far less daunting.
madrano wrote: "I'm going to have to think about this one! There are fun categories to explore, which i really like. We'll see.I want to make sure i get this correct. We copy & paste the above and begin our own ..."
Yes. Begin your own thread. Just like we do for our DL. And you don't need to go in order. Also a single book can easily tick off multiple categories.
John wrote: "No way I'd finish it, but even getting more than half would be remarkable! Would The President and the Assassin: McKinley, Terror, and Empire at the Dawn of the American Century coun..."Sure. And it would also count as a President book. So you get to tick off 2 for that one book. And if it fits any other category you can tick that off also.
Thank you, Alias, for the additional info.
madrano wrote: "Thank you, Alias, for the additional info."You're welcome. It's all just for fun. I thought it would be another fun way to track the books we read in the coming year.
I'll select my books to read as I normally do. Then see if they fit any categories. If I get really close to completing the 100, then I may select a book to fit the task.
Jennifer wrote: "In!1 - Book you picked because of the cover
2- Book with an animal as a character
======================================
Great!
Jen, start you own thread for the challenge. Put it in this folder.
Title it: Jennifer's 100 Challenge -2022
You can see I did one for myself.
Then when you read a book that fits the challenge you will be able to hit the EDIT button and put in the title of the book that fits the challenge.
Alias Reader wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "In!1 - Book you picked because of the cover
2- Book with an animal as a character
======================================
Great!
Jen, start you own thread for the challenge. Put..."
OOPS I wasn't paying attention. I'll delete my post in just a sec!
Dropping in to mention a book I think folks here would like quite a lot, that covers the animal and school setting categories: The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell. For my own checklist, I've had Two Owls At Eton by Jonathan Franklin on my TBR for a while.
John wrote: "Dropping in to mention a book I think folks here would like quite a lot, that covers the animal and school setting categories: The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell. F..."Thanks, John. My library has the Penguin Lessons. I'll check it out.
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "Dropping in to mention a book I think folks here would like quite a lot, that covers the animal and school setting categories: The Penguin Lessons by [author:Tom Michel..."I read that and enjoyed it!
I love animals but so many books on animals have sad endings. Years ago I purchased the anniversary issue of Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds. I loved the movie but it always made me cry. I haven't been able to make myself read the book because I know I'll be a mess of tears.
John wrote: "Dropping in to mention a book I think folks here would like quite a lot, that covers the animal and school setting categories: The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell. F..."You mentioning animals, school and owls reminds me that when I was in elementary school, my third grade teacher read Farley Mowat's Owls in the Family aloud to us. I loved it. I should hunt it down and reread it!
I'm sure that would bring back lovely memories, Jennifer.
I've marked 13 categories as "not going to happen" (dystopian, philosophy, poetry, etc). Another half-dozen or so would be in the "we'll see" zone. Eighty left might seem like a lot, but several books will fit multiple slots.
Ya never know what you may come across this year, John. Maybe a bio of a poet. I do love me a dystopian novel. Perhaps a re-read of a classic like Fahrenheit 451. As to philosophy, I do like the Very Short Introduction books. Maybe Jung: A Very Short Introduction The series are all under 200 pages. I'll see as the year progresses. I am not into westerns at all. So I was thinking for western Lonesome Dove since I've heard good things about it. But at 1000 + pages, that is never happening.
Right now, I am stuck on a book I am not totally enjoying. it's not horrible. It's just falling below expectations. It's a genre outside of my comfort zone.
Project Hail Mary
What is turning me off is there is too much mumbo jumbo science thrown in. I have no idea if it is true stuff or not and don't much care. I just wish there was less of it and more story. Also the writing seems a bit YA to me.
I'm around 100 pages in and will soldier on.
I'm listening to the audio of one that I really don't like, but it's short so can run it as background noise while I do other things: Zuleika Dobson. A bio of a poet sounds unlikely, but is an idea. Philosophy and I are just not friends. However, there are several titles that work well for this challenge that I can say I look forward to, humor for one: Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life.
John wrote: However, there are several titles that work well for this challenge that I can say I look forward to, humor for one: Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life..."That sounds like one I would enjoy. Thanks for the title. I see my library also has the eBook ! I look forward to your review when you get around to it.
Another really well written book on animals was Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean.
Julie wrote: "Another really well written book on animals was Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean."Sounds good !
Alias Reader wrote: "Ya never know what you may come across this year, John. Maybe a bio of a poet. I do love me a dystopian novel. Perhaps a re-read of a classic like Fahrenheit 451. As to philosophy, ..."If you like historical novels, here are three that could get you past the western label:
and
. I've read all three: the latter a couple of decades ago: I recall it being short and fascinating. It postulates on what would have happened had Custer survived Little Big Horn (with the rest of the situation unfolding the same as it did in real life).
Thanks for the suggestions, Jennifer !
Alias Reader wrote: "What is turning me off is there is too much mumbo jumbo science thrown in. I have no idea if it is true stuff or not and don't much care. ..."This is a big challenge with science fiction. I read much sci-fi in my 30s and it lit a fire toward reading nonfiction science books by popular writers who can put science in "human" terms. "Human" meaning a woman who fled science as a kid. :-)
Ultimately, when i read the sci-fi i decided to abandon logic, as long as the story still worked. Which doesn't really make the science part work well but the story should be able to carry it, imo.
John wrote: "A bio of a poet sounds unlikely, but is an idea. Philosophy and I are just not friends. However, there are several titles that work well for this challenge that I can say I look forward to, humor for one: Housebroken: Admissions of an Untidy Life...."John, i cannot think of a poet bio i would want to tackle, to be honest. Much as i like Emily Dickinson, i wouldn't want to read another about her. Hers is the sole bio of a poet i've read and it was disappointing.
I have one suggestion & it is a book i read last January. Studying with Miss Bishop: Memoirs from a Young Writer's Life is poet Dana Gioia account of his interaction with five poets &/or writers. He began with a charming account of his personal introduction to poetry via an uncle. Then, he moved to his encounters with poets.
Each writer is given one chapter and i needed time to think about what i had learned. The five were as follows: Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Fitzgerald, John Cheever, James Dickey and Ronald Perry.
Just a thought.
Jennifer, interesting suggestions for reading westerns. I'm going to keep them in mind. Of course the last, The Court-Martial of George Armstrong Custer: A Novel, is a mix of history and science fiction (alternative history), since Custer survives. Thanks.
Since we've expanded the Western category beyond just cowboys and pioneers, I'm going to mention that 600 Hours of Edward, set in Montana, contains enough references to the scenery to qualify, from what I recall.
John, the GR synopsis sounded familiar, so i looked it up. It seems both you & Jaye mentioned it in the past. It sounds interesting. My western is going to be the one i'm reading now, The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu, which Alias mentioned last week was given the Carnegie Award for Excellence in Fiction. Reviews alluded to Cormac McCarthy's westerns, of which Blood Meridian, or the Evening Redness in the West was bloody but brilliant.
I'm 25% or so into the novel and i am impressed by Tom Lin's command of words, particularly in describing the western scenes in Utah. The building of the railroad is a part of the story, with an adopted Chinese man as the lead character.
Jennifer wrote: "Alias Reader wrote: "Ya never know what you may come across this year, John. Maybe a bio of a poet. I do love me a dystopian novel. Perhaps a re-read of a classic like [book:Fahrenheit 451|13079982..."Doc was a great read!
Went through my Goodreads books read list just now looking for a specific title. Ran across this one which folks might like as motivational-inspirational perhaps, if not a "recommended" book.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
John wrote: "Went through my Goodreads books read list just now looking for a specific title. Ran across this one which folks might like as motivational-inspirational perhaps, if not a "recommended" book.."This is going on my TBR list. I also shared it with author Gretchen Rubin on her website. She has asked for book recommendations. She is writing a book on the 5 senses. I thought this would be a good one for her to check out.
Fascinating story. I've added it, too. I couldn't get your link to work, John, so am trying this one. It is her art for sale, apparently.https://lisafittipaldiart.com/
"Tiger Lily" really grabbed my interest. Thanks, John.
Oops ! I see I made and error is the list.I meant to write in that decade, not that particular year, which would be way too limited.
63- A book published in the 1980s
64- A book published in the 1970s
65- A book published in the 1960s
Oddly enough, my mind's eye saw it as "in the...". I guess i just refused to be limited from the get-go. ;-)
Alias Reader wrote: "Oops ! I see I made and error is the list.I meant to write in that decade, not that particular year, which would be way too limited.
63- A book published in the 1980s
64- A book published in t..."
Thanks for the clarification!
:) Sorry for the mix-up. I realized my mistake when I went to see what year
The Bookshop ~ Penelope Fitzgerald was published and if it would fit our challenge.
It does !
1978
Fascinating books were awarded. The first, Kiese Laymon appeals to me most. Thanks for sharing the list with us, Alias.
madrano wrote: "Fascinating books were awarded. The first, Kiese Laymon appeals to me most. Thanks for sharing the list with us, Alias."I headed to my library to put myself on hold for the above and guess what? Somehow it was available. Actually, two different covers were offered but the more recent one had a waiting list. Why? It turns out this book was first published in 2013. It was read but not beloved. And so, it was re-released in 2021. And has now won this award. Wow! Quite the history.
Wow ! I didn't know that. I'm glad the publisher gave it a second chance. There are an avalanche of books published each year. It must be so hard to get traction. I read an article that said getting on the NY Times best seller list for example is difficult as so many books are from already established authors.
I can believe it. It seems to me that Long Division will stand as an example for publishers now. I hope so.
What a load of books with great titles and ideas. The Kaiju Preservation Society--John Scalzi sounds enticing. Same with Clean Air--Sarah Blake.
FYI--- I posted a few book lists in this thread by error.So I've moved them to the Library book suggestion list where they belong. This way if anyone wants to see the lists they know where to look.
Sorry for the mix up.
I've updated my book challenge lists.~ My 2022 Determination list
~ My 100 books challenge list
~ My Presidential list.
It's interesting to see how many books I read in each category.
I'm surprised to see how many Lincoln books I've read for example. (10-- Presidential Challenge)
I'm surprised to see that the year is half over and I've not filled in some categories that I thought I often read. (literature & travel for ex. ) -- my 100 book challenge
I'm doing well on the Determination List for 2022. I have to make sure to slot in the few books I need to complete the list.
It makes me think I am in a genre reading rut and need to expand my reading horizons a bit more.
Alias, that last sentence is a good reason this Book Challenge is a positive for me. I admit to begrudgingly reading some books but if they don't click--i'm looking at you, Self-Help--i stop & decide to read a different one. Hurrah for us!Re. Prez challenge. I've noticed you have read a number of Lincoln books because i write most of them down, and see them attributed to you. If you like a person, why not? I'm just being a tad stubborn on the way i've tackled the challenge. Btw, right after my vacation i'm going to purchase the TR, Lion in the White House: A Life of Theodore Roosevelt--Aida D. Donald you liked. My library has neither eBook nor paper versions, much to my chagrin.
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One book can check multiple categories.
See if you can check off all 100 in 2022 ! Enjoy and Good luck !
You can copy/past the list into your post and edit as the year progresses as you check off the challenges you complete.
The challenge will also give you ideas for books to read as the year goes on. Additionally, it helps one read outside their comfort zone and expand their reading horizons.
**** Note this is different then your Determination List that you create for the year. A DL is a list of books, (you determine how many books) that you wish to read in 2022
1 - Book you picked because of the cover
2- Book with an animal as a character
-3- Travel memoir
4- A classic
5- Short story collection
6- Historical Fiction
7- Biography, memoir or autobiography
8- A non fiction book
9- A book with a city or country in the title
10- A book with a number or color in the title
11- A genre you rarely or never read
12- A book you already own
13- A health, diet, exercise, fitness & wellness book
14- A book over 500 pages
15- A book under 125 pages- novella
16- Music, art, dance, theater, acting theme
17- An audio book
18- A book about nature
19- sports related book
20- Romance
21- Politics
22- Legal or featuring the legal profession
23- About business or economy
24- Self- help
25- religious or spirituality
26- Mystery or thriller
27- Current events
28- About Science or math
29- Humor
30- Celebrity book club pick
31- History
32- YA book
33- DIY, cooking, hobbies, craft book
34- Travel
35- computers / tech involved in the book
36- graphic novel
37- Literature - fiction
38- book about or set in outer space or astronauts
39- A story set during a war
40- bio of a U.S. President or leader of country you live in
41- bio of President or leader of a country you don't live in
42- Book you DNF but want to give another chance
43- Book from the Banned Book list. (any year)
44- post apocalyptic story or dystopian novel
45- a book by a debut author
46- A book published in 2022
47- An award winning book
48- A Pulitzer prize winning book or Nobel prize winning author
49- A beach read
50- Book that has some illustrations, photos or maps
51- book you've been meaning to read but never got around to it
52- book written in letters or diary- epistolary
53- Book about racism
54- True Crime
55- Famous author you never read
56- book by author you disagree with
57- A top rated book that you were surprised by that doesn't fit another category.
58- Booker Prize winner
59- Book about mental health
60- Horror
61- book about philosophy
62- poetry
63- A book published in the 1980s
64- A book published in the 1970s
65- A book published in the 1960s
66- A book published before 1960
67- A book published before 1900
68- A book about medicine or someone involved with medicine
69- A book about education or takes place in a school setting
70- A book set or about a country you would love to visit
71- A book set in the future
72- A book originally published in a foreign language
73- LBGTQ+ book or protagonist
74- A play
75- celebrity memoir
76- Book made into a movie/tv show
77- A book you think would be a challenging read for you
78- A book about a difficult topic
79- Inspirational or motivational book
80- Read a book set on or about one of the continents - Asia, Africa, N America, S America, Antarctica, Europe and Australia. Extra credit if you read one from each continent.
81- A book recommended by someone from Book Nook Cafe
82- A book by an author who has published at least 4 books
83- A book you want to read because of a book review you read.
84- A book that was recommended or mentioned in another book you read
85- adventure or espionage
86- A Western
87- Read at least 22 books in 2022
88- Coming of age novel
89- A book from your TBR list
90- A book from the 100 books everyone should read before they die https://www.businessinsider.com/100-b...
91- A book from Modern Library best 100 Fiction book list https://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100...
92- A book from Modern Library best 100 Non Fiction book list https://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100...
93- A book that takes place during a holiday
94- Read more books then you did in 2021
95- Read a book that was published before you were born
96- A book whose title begins with the letter B, N, or C
97- Read a fiction and nonfiction book on the same topic
98- Book set on a plane, train or cruise ship
99- A book you Buddy Read with someone
100- A book with either a cop, detective or doctor character in it.