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100 Book Prompt Challenge -2023
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100 Book Challenge ~ 2022
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message 51:
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Alias Reader
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May 18, 2022 03:10PM
Deb, I do like the way you approached the Pres. challenge reading them in order. I know if I did that it would have created a wonderful timeline of history.
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True, Alias. This is the surprising aspect of reading them the way i do, it's like a slow reconsideration of what i know & thought i knew about history. All that plus Presidential History!
#6 and #57 appear to be duplicates of each other? I hadn't noticed until now.
John wrote: "#6 and #57 appear to be duplicates of each other? I hadn't noticed until now."You are right. My bad. Now the challenge is easier ! :)
And don't you know it's a category I still haven't checked off.
It's odd as I thought historical fiction would have been an easy one for me.
There is another one I noticed that probably is the same.
I noticed this when I went to put in Of Mice and Men.
# 37- Literature - fiction
#4 A classic
The challenges are making me aware of the genre I read. Surprisingly they are not what I always think they are.
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "#6 and #57 appear to be duplicates of each other? I hadn't noticed until now."You are right. My bad. Now the challenge is easier ! :)
And don't you know it's a category I still have..."
I don't see those two the same - classics is a subset. I'm sure I'll be reading another historical fiction besides the one I just finished.
John wrote: "I don't see those two the same - classics is a subset..."True.
Regarding the duplicate, historical fiction, If you can think of another category we could add, that would be okay with me.
Alias Reader wrote: "John wrote: "I don't see those two the same - classics is a subset..."True.
Regarding the duplicate, historical fiction, If you can think of another category we could add, that would be okay wit..."
I was planning on putting a different historical fiction there, or perhaps a Wild Card category for a book that you really like, but doesn't seem to fit another category?
I like the Wild Card suggestion. A top rated book that you were surprised by that doesn't fit another category. Perfect !
***** please note task #57 was changed. It is now:
57- A top rated book that you were surprised by that doesn't fit another category.
Alias Reader wrote: "***** please note task #57 was changed. It is now:
57- A top rated book that you were surprised by that doesn't fit another category."
Fun! What does it say about me that i find i listed two different books for #6 and #57 and didn't realize they were duplicates.
I like this new #57 and am sure i already have one or two which fit. I probably won't get around to adding to my list until tomorrow but will do so.
Deb, glad you saw this. I totally missed this error.
The link I provided for #90 doesn't seem to work. Here it is again90- A book from the 100 books everyone should read before they die
https://www.businessinsider.com/100-b...
I meant to tell you that & completely failed. This is what makes you a Great Group Leader!
😊That's very kind of you. If we do this next year, I think it would be fun if we all contributed items to the list.
This year wasn't perfect as their were errors in the list. However, it's fun. I'm surprised at the categories I haven't read yet.
I like the idea of this challenge and find i am reading books i wouldn't otherwise have read. However, there have been months when i haven't really been reading what i want to read in my efforts to meet this challenge. Next year i may do a 50 challenge, maybe even individualized. Isn't it Julie who does that? I know we have our own DL we create but i kinda like a mix of those...somehow.
It would be fun to work together on a list, too.
What I like about our 100 challenge is that the individual determines if a book fits a category. I also like that one book can fit multiple categories. So it not like one needs to read 100 books. Which I've never done in one year. For me the big plus is it makes me read outside of my comfort zone and expands my reading horizons.
I'm also enjoying seeing which books you and John are reading in each category.
I agree with you on each point, Alias. Seeing how a book can fit many categories has been a blast, although sometimes i wonder if my reading cohorts are smirking, "That's cheating!" Or is the my conscience? LOL
madrano wrote: "I agree with you on each point, Alias. Seeing how a book can fit many categories has been a blast, although sometimes i wonder if my reading cohorts are smirking, "That's cheating!" Or is the my co..."LOL.... Nope.. I can't point a finger at anyone since I just slotted
Lessons in Chemistry into #28. It's a novel and there is some chemistry talk as the main character is a chemist. However, when I wrote #28 I was thinking non fiction.
✔28- About Science or math
Ah, i see what you mean. I, too, thought NF but that doesn't mean it must be. Very good.
madrano wrote: "Ah, i see what you mean. I, too, thought NF but that doesn't mean it must be. Very good."Sneaky me. ;)
I may still read a nonfiction for that task but for now this is a good place holder.
Yes, i've taken to looking at the categories in that way. I may put a book under that heading for now, then read another, better (more apt?) book later to install. Fun plus of self-editing!
I may end up shuffling entries around as well. Some categories, such as cop/detective, are guilty of *too* many choices!
John wrote: "I may end up shuffling entries around as well. Some categories, such as cop/detective, are guilty of *too* many choices!"For awhile I was listing all the books that fit under a category. I wanted to see how many of each genre I read.
I apologize ! I see I made another mistake when I created the 100 challenge list. :(I was putting in In Pursuit of Jefferson and noticed a duplicate.
#3 is travel memoir
#34 is Travel
Apparently it didn’t stop me at all! Travel is my joy, so reading about it fine.
I adjusted mine to (time) travel. I’ve only ever read 2 books about time travel in my whole life, so it’ll be a challenge 😅
Clever, Lindsey. Do you have one in mind yet? This year i read two, which were different. The Perishing—Natashia Deón and Long Division—Kiese Laymon. Both were of a different sort but i appreciated both by the end. Older favorites include Time and Again—Jack Finney and Kindred—Octavia E. Butler. Have fun, whatever you select!
I'm looking at the Modern Library fiction and nonfiction lists for tasks #91 and #92 . I noticed if you click on the title you get a small paragraph summary.
I appreciated that feature, as it helped my decision making go quicker than many others. Yes, i’m looking at you, Graphic Novel.
madrano wrote: "Clever, Lindsey. Do you have one in mind yet? This year i read two, which were different. The Perishing—Natashia Deón and Long Division—[author:Kie..."I read Long Division earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I didn't even realize that would fit the prompt! I just finished Kindred as well (it's been on my TBR, but finally got a copy through the library :)
Mysteries
----- From the Shadows
by James R. Benn
October 1944: Billy Boyle, a former Boston cop turned U.S. Army captain, embarks on a secret mission in Crete before heading to the south of France, amid tensions between Resistance fighters and members of the British Special Operations Executive.
Series alert: Like other entries, this 17th Billy Boyle novel incorporates lesser known aspects of World War II; here, that includes details about the 442nd Regiment, made up of Japanese American soldiers.
Read this next: For more WWII action, try James Kestrel's Five Decembers. For a look at U.S. military police in 1970s South Korea, read Martin Limon's George Sueno and Ernie Bascom mysteries.
----- Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder
by Valerie Burns
Introducing: fashionable Navy brat, Stanford grad, and newly jilted bride Maddy Montgomery, who learns she's inherited her great-aunt Octavia's house, bakery, and Baby (a 250-pound English mastiff).
Strings attached: But in order to keep them, she must move from Los Angeles to a small town on the shores of Lake Michigan for one year and take care of them all. Even though she can't bake, she agrees, and with her employees' help, it all goes pretty well...until a murder occurs.
For fans of: culinary mysteries featuring clever young women, such as Mia P. Manansala's Tita Rosie's Kitchen cozies or Abby Collette's Ice Cream Parlor mysteries.
------ The Rising Tide
by Ann Cleeves
Reunited: As part of a 50-year tradition, old friends gather for their twice-a-decade meetup on a holy island off the northern coast of England.
What happens: When one of them is found hanged, prickly Northumberland police detective Vera Stanhope and her team investigate, and wonder what the friends are hiding and whether the drowning of one of their group years ago is linked to the current murder.
Read this next: For other intricately plotted mysteries starring complex female detectives, try Anne Holt's Hanne Wilhelmsen's novels or Elly Griffiths Ruth Galloway mysteries.
------ Death Doesn't Forget
by Ed Lin
What happens: Jing-nan, who runs a popular Taipei night market food stand, has become famous for helping people, so he agrees to recover stolen lottery winnings for his girlfriend's mom. But when the thief is murdered, Jing-nan is blamed, and there's a surprising second murder.
Series alert: This entertaining 4th outing for Jing-nan vividly depicts modern-day Taiwan and thoughtfully addresses issues facing Indigenous people.
For fans of: Asia-set mysteries with strong senses of place, like Colin Cotterill's quirky, darkly funny novels or Qiu Xiaolong's more serious Inspector Chen Cao books.
------ Murder in Westminster
by Vanessa Riley
Introducing: Lady Abigail Worthing, a multiracial 22-year-old in 1806 London whose older husband is always away exploring; and her fastidious Naval hero neighbor, Stapleton Henderson, whose wife has many lovers.
Alibis for all: One evening, while Abbie and Stapleton are arguing in her garden, they find the body of Stapleton's wife. Since each has concerns about the police blaming them, they cover for each other and team up to find the truth...but Abbie's not so sure she can trust Stapleton.
For fans of: Netflix's Bridgerton; Regency-era mysteries such as Katharine Schellman's Lily Adler mysteries.
------ To Kill a Troubadour
by Martin Walker
An international incident: In the southwest of France, a local band that Police Chief Bruno knows well has a hit song -- but because it supports Catalonia's independence, the Spanish government bans it.
Cover (the) band: Social media roils with hate and fake news, and when it seems like extremist assassins have arrived in St. Denis to kill the lead singer at a live performance, Bruno must keep everyone safe.
Who it's for: Fans and newcomers alike will appreciate this 15th in the Bruno, Chief of Police series with its well-executed plot, appealing characters, and culinary tidbits (some recipes are included).
*********** Focus on: War Veterans ***********
------ Murder in Old Bombay
by Nev March
Introducing: Jim Agnihotri, an Anglo Indian man raised in a Poona orphanage who joined the British Indian army, was injured in a terrible battle, and spent his recovery reading newspapers and Sherlock Holmes.
What happens: In 1892, fresh out of both the hospital and the military, Jim is so intrigued by news reports of two murdered women that he visits the victims' well-to-do Parsee family in Bombay. Hired to investigate, he uses observations and disguises, and seeks out information on a college campus, in a princely state, and in a war zone.
For fans of: award-winning debuts; atmospheric mixes of adventure, mystery, and romance; Abir Mukherjee's Wyndham and Banerjee books.
------- Blood Grove
by Walter Mosley
What happens: In the summer of 1969, Black Los Angeles PI Easy Rawlins, a WWII veteran, agrees to help a traumatized white Vietnam vet who says that while trying to save a white woman, he thinks he killed a Black man. But the scene of the supposed crime is clean.
Why you might like it: Featuring unforgettable characters, this atmospheric 15th (and most recent) Easy Rawlins mystery takes place against the backdrop of the social and political changes of the 1960s.
Awards buzz: The National Book Foundation presented Walter Mosley with the 2020 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters.
------ The Right Side
by Spencer Quinn
Starring: Sgt. LeAnne Hogan, who has one eye, a scarred face, PTSD, and short- and long-term memory issues (no matter how hard she tries, she simply cannot remember what happened in Afghanistan).
On the road: When Marci, her roommate at Walter Reed Hospital, suddenly dies, LeAnne heads for Marci's Washington state hometown. There, LeAnne bonds with a stray dog and, upon learning that Marci's eight-year-old daughter is missing, sets out to find the girl.
Is it for you? Readers who adore Spencer Quinn's humorous Chet and Bernie novels will find this nuanced mystery grittier and more serious but just as well-plotted.
----- A Game of Fear
by Charles Todd
A murder but no body: In 1921, Scotland Yard Inspector and WWI vet Ian Rutledge is sent to Essex after Lady Benton claims she saw a violent murder and recognized the killer...but there's no evidence and the supposed culprit died in the war.
Want a taste? "He had fought on, haunted by the memory of what he'd been forced to do, haunted too by the voice in his head that had become his only way of denying that Hamish was dead."
Series alert: Following A Fatal Lie, A Game of Fear is the 24th and most recent installment in the acclaimed, atmospheric Ian Rutledge novels.
Alias Reader wrote: "Mysteries
----- From the Shadows
by James R. Benn
October 1944: Billy Boyle, a former Boston cop turned U.S. Army captain, embarks on a secret mission in Crete before heading to the south of F..."
I've been trying to get into Mystery books more lately. Some of these sound great!! Especially the Ed Lin series.
Thanks for sharing!
I have been reading more and more mysteries as i age. So many deaths! RIPAnd yet, i thank you for the list of mystery novels, Alias.
You're welcome ! Hope you find a good one from the list.
Recent Releases
------ California Soul: An American Epic of Cooking and Survival
by Keith Corbin with Kevin Alexander
What it is: an engaging memoir from former Crips member and revered Alta Adams chef Keith Corbin, who perfected his culinary skills while serving a ten-year stretch in prison.
Read it for: a no-holds-barred account of perseverance and redemption.
Don't miss: Corbin's tributes to the Watts neighborhood where he grew up and the grandmother who inspired him to become a chef.
------ A Visible Man
by Edward Enninful
What it's about: Edward Enninful's life as a gay Ghanaian refugee in England and the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue.
Topics include: navigating racism and imposter syndrome in an exclusionary industry; redefining beauty standards; how he champions his fellow Black creatives; working with Anna Wintour.
Try this next: Elaine Welteroth's inspiring memoir More Than Enough, which chronicles her tenure as Teen Vogue's first Black editor-in-chief.
------ Dinners With Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships
by Nina Totenberg
What it's about: the five-decade friendship between NPR correspondent Nina Totenberg and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who bonded over shared hardships in their male-dominated fields.
Why you might like it: Totenberg's compelling account offers revealing insights on Ginsburg's life beyond her work (she officiated Totenberg's wedding; the pair once skipped a work function to go shopping).
------ Solito
by Javier Zamora
What it's about: In 1999, nine-year-old Javier Zamora migrated unaccompanied from El Salvador to the United States, a journey that spanned over two months and three thousand miles.
Book buzz: This Read with Jenna Book Club pick offers a heart-wrenching account of found family, second chances, and survival.
For fans of: Children of the Land, written by Zamora's fellow Undocupoets Campaign founder Marcelo Castillo Hernandez.
********** 📚 Books You Might Have Missed 📚 ********
------ My Life: Growing Up Asian in America
by Coalition of Asian Pacifics in Entertainment (editor); with an introduction by SuChin Pak
What it is: a thought-provoking and intimate anthology offering 30 diverse firsthand accounts of the Asian American experience.
Featuring: poetry, comics, essays, monologues, and more.
Further reading: Asian American Histories of the United States by Catherine Ceniza Choy; Rise: A Pop History of Asian America from the Nineties to Now by Jeff Yang, Phil Yu, and Philip Wang.
------ Dinner for One: How Cooking in Paris Saved Me
by Sutanya Dacres
Love in a Manhattan bar: New Yorker Sutanya Dacres hit it off with a handsome Frenchman and eventually moved to Paris and married him.
Alone in Paris: The marriage ended after three years, leaving Dacres adrift. At a breaking point, she started cooking simple dishes, such as pasta salad and leek risotto (recipes included), as she rebuilt her life.
For fans of: the author's podcast, Dinner for One; David Lebovitz's Paris books, which mix memoir and recipes; Julie Powell's Julie & Julia.
------- Muddy People: A Muslim Coming-of-Age
by Sara El Sayed
What it's about: the flight of author Sara El Sayed's family from Egypt to Australia, where she grew up caught between anti-Muslim attitudes in her new country and rules enforced by her parents.
Read it for: the author's moving, nuanced perspective on her family and faith; occasional moments of dark humor.
Reviewers say: "El Sayed's coming-of-age memoir about resiliency, family, and identity will delight readers as a study of making sense of a world where rules can often help along the way" (Library Journal).
-------This Body I Wore
by Diana Goetsch
What it is: poet Diana Goetsch's lyrical memoir chronicling her late-in-life coming out and transition: "How can you spend your life face-to-face with an essential fact about yourself and still not see it?"
What's inside: candid reflections on the evolution of the trans community from the 1980s to the present.
Try this next: For another moving memoir written by an author who transitioned in their 50s, read P. Carl's Becoming a Man.
Good variety of folks sharing their stories. Thank you for posting this list, Alias.
Recent Releases
-------- Silver Under Nightfall
by Rin Chupeco
Introducing: Remy Pendergast, a vampire hunter with a murky past and an uncertain future.
What happens: As mutant vampires stalk the inhabitants of Aluria, outcast Remy joins forces with noble vampires Xiaodan Song and Zidan Malekh to discover the source of the threat.
Who it's for: Castlevania fans will revel in this steamy Gothic fantasy adventure as they root for its lead throuple.
-------- The Witch and the Tsar
by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore
What it is: a "feminist origin story" (Booklist) of Baba Yaga, which pits the legendary witch against Ivan the Terrible -- and the shadowy forces that control him.
Why you might like it: Set in 16th-century Russia, this atmospheric novel follows Yaga, the daughter of an earth goddess and a human, as she's drawn into an epic conflict between mortals and immortals.
For fans of: Katherine Arden's Winternight trilogy or Mary McMyne's The Book of Gothel.
------- The Spear Cuts Through Water
by Simon Jimenez
The end of empire? A corrupt emperor and his triplet sons (known as the Terrors) do whatever they must to maintain their grip on power, WHILE the Moon Goddess, aided by one-armed mercenary Keema and guardsman Jun, start a revolution.
Why you might like it: Encompassing numerous viewpoints as it shifts between first, second, and third-person narration, this stylistically complex saga is as much about storytelling as it is the story being told.
Reviewers say: this fantasy novel by the author of The Vanished Birds is "an elusive, layered epic that thoroughly rewards its demands" (Kirkus Reviews).
------- Ledge
by Stacey McEwan
In a world... where the remnants of human civilization eke out a living on the Ledge, a rocky outcropping overlooking the great Chasm, 24-year-old Dawsyn Sabor becomes the latest sacrifice to the winged Glacians.
Fighting her fate: Given the choice between slavery and being hunted for sport, Dawsyn decides to escape, and finds an unlikely ally in winged half-Glacian Ryon.
Series alert: Ledge is the 1st book in a planned trilogy by writer and TikToker Stacey McEwan, although impatient readers should be aware that this debut ends on a cliffhanger.
------- A Strange and Stubborn Endurance
by Foz Meadows
What it's about: When Velasin vin Aaro of Ralia refuses to marry the girl his family has chosen for him (or any girl at all, for that matter), his parents instead arrange his betrothal to the girl's brother, Caethari Aeduria of Tithena, despite Ralia's deep-rooted cultural opposition to such unions.
Is it for you? Although the leads' tender relationship drives the story, this character-driven novel contains a depiction of on-page sexual assault and proceeds to explore the aftermath of this traumatic event.
You might also like: Alexandra Rowland's A Taste of Gold and Iron, Everina Maxwell's Winter's Orbit.
------- Bindle Punk Bruja
by Desideria Mesa
1920s Kansas City: Luna Rose Alvarado Lane, a white-passing Mexican American witch who runs a speakeasy with her half-brother Javier, must deal with the mafia, the Ku Klux Klan, and others who do not wish to see her succeed in a white man's world.
For fans of: atmospheric historical fantasies about magic-wielding women of color who must navigate hostile environments, such as Leslye Penelope's The Monsters We Defy, Nicole Glover's Murder and Magic series, or Justina Ireland's Rust in the Root.
------- Nona the Ninth
by Tamsyn Muir
What it is: The 3rd book in the acclaimed Locked Tomb series, after Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth.
The (mostly spoiler-free) situation: As Nona busily plans a birthday celebration on the beach, to which she will invite many good dogs, the apocalypse looms.
Series alert: Keep an eye out for Alecto the Ninth, which will close out the quartet.
------- The Oleander Sword
by Tasha Suri
What happens: Rightful empress Malini of Parijatdvipa gathers an army to depose her treacherous brother, while thrice-born priestess Priya battles the rot that threatens the realm.
Read it for: lush world-building, a slowly intensifying story of political maneuvering and military strategy, and an angsty romance between two powerful women.
Series alert: The Oleander Sword is the 2nd installment of the Burning Kingdoms series, after The Jasmine Throne.
Nona the Ninth—Tamsyn Muir sounds intriguing but i would feel compelled to read the first two, as well as the prequel first. Still, i’m adding it to my list! Addict!Thanks for the list & descriptions, Alias.
madrano wrote: "Nona the Ninth—Tamsyn Muir sounds intriguing but i would feel compelled to read the first two, as well as the prequel first. Still, i’m adding it to my list! Addict...":) Would be a good book for our 100 challenge as it has a number in the title.
#10 A book with a number or color in the title.
Very Good. I have both covered, thankfully.
A QuestionI'm currently reading a dystopian novel.
Do you think it's fair to check off this prompt?
71- A book set in the future
Alias Reader wrote: "A QuestionI'm currently reading a dystopian novel.
Do you think it's fair to check off this prompt?
71- A book set in the future"
Ok so that's a great question... that didn't even occur to me when I read a dystopian novel earlier this year. I sometimes think of "Dystopian" as parallel universe, but they can definitely lean more futuristic. Now that I'm thinking about it, the one I read had technology that we definitely don't have currently.
I'd say yes :)
Thanks, Lindsay !This novel, which I am loving by the way, Our Missing Hearts is set in the future where the U.S. is more of an extreme totalitarian state. Sadly, it's not so far fetched.
I just started today, so I've only read about 50 pages so far.
I guess because it's fiction, I was questioning it. I'm not sure what I was thinking when I wrote the prompt. However, I think it does fit.
Alias Reader wrote: "Thanks, Lindsay !This novel, which I am loving by the way, Our Missing Hearts is set in the future where the U.S. is more of an extreme totalitarian state. Sadly, it's not so far ..."
Definitely sounds like it fits! It also sounds really interesting. I enjoyed Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere by the same author.
Lindsey wrote: Definitely sounds like it fits! It also sounds really interesting. I enjoyed Everything I Never Told You and Little Fires Everywhere by the same author...."
I read those and also enjoyed them a lot. I'm amazed at how different this book is from those two. She really is an amazing writing.
Alias Reader wrote: "A QuestionI'm currently reading a dystopian novel.
Do you think it's fair to check off this prompt?
71- A book set in the future"
I'm with Lindsey on this one, i say yes. The quandary didn't even occur to me but i can see what you are saying. Reading that it is by Ng is surprising. I think of her written as very reflective of now. Thanks for the tip on this one, too.
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Books mentioned in this topic
Our Missing Hearts (other topics)Everything I Never Told You (other topics)
Little Fires Everywhere (other topics)
Our Missing Hearts (other topics)
Nona the Ninth (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Tamsyn Muir (other topics)Tamsyn Muir (other topics)
Natashia Deón (other topics)
Natashia Deón (other topics)
Jack Finney (other topics)
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