2023 TBR Cleanup Challenge

[SFFBC, Ancillary Mod]

It's the 10th anniversary of Read All the Books, the 15th year of the club and the 7th year of the TBR Cleanup Challenge! So, this year, we're all about the numbers, baby.

1. Only one
2. Binary
3. Three's company
4. Four corners of the earth
5. Five Finger Discount (view spoiler)[(Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.) (hide spoiler)]
6. At sixes and sevens (view spoiler)[(in a confused, badly organized, or difficult situation) (hide spoiler)]
7. Showstopper
8. Book page total ends in an 8
9. Nine-to-five
10. Top 10
11. From the library
12. Let's try this again
13. Sweet Revenge
14. Technical Challenge
15. My old friend
16. Scrumptious
17. Cover with text only, no images
18. Around the Shelf
19. Bingeworthy
20. Zero to hero

Sign up for the challenge here on January 1st.
Personal challenge threads here.
Other challenges in Current Events.

Challenge on TSG: https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading...

[Stephen]

Looks like some ingenuity will be required.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

you got this!

[CBRetriever]

for 17, the only books in my Library that don't have some sort of coloring/imagery/squiggles are the Marion Zimmer Bradley books, so I'll probably have to go there.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

it could be someone else's library! or even your own!

[CBRetriever]

Allison wrote: "it could be someone else's library! or even your own!"

but I'm trying to reduce my TBR pile.... Hmm, would this qualify?



that's what I meant by imagery/squiggles.

[Sarah]

Ha- I love this one! Will take some thought to put together the list but definitely leaves lots of room to get creative.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

if it's on the tbr, and there's a way you can interact with it to get it OFF the tbr, yes it counts!

[CBRetriever]

I found one:

The Book of Words =

it's a compilation, so it'll be some reading to do, but it's been lurking out there for a while. I did read it years ago (1990s) in paper format, but I've never read the digital version or possibly finished the series (it's three books)

whew

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Dang! We're one book in and you've got a project! I believe in you ^^

[Meredith]

Yay, this looks like it will be a fun challenge to match the prompts, as it always is!

[Raucous]

Will this be a challenge on The Story Graph too? I'm not using Goodreads to manage my books (including my TBR) much anymore.

[Anna]

I will add it! (Tomorrow.)

[Raucous]

Anna wrote: "I will add it! (Tomorrow.)"

Thank you! (In advance)

[Alexandra]

This sounds like fun... challenging fun! I have two tbr's - one here on GR and one on my phone (don't ask). Can I use both? :)))

[Banshee]

It's so much fun trying to match books with prompts in this challenge. Even if I always end up swapping half of the planned books throughout the year anyway :P

I'm trying to squeeze in as many sequels as possible, because too many started series continues to be a big problem (for any SFF reader probably). Some of these prompts make it easy.

[Edwin]

My favorite challenge! I'm in, as always. Thanks mods!

1 Oct, 2023: Finished!! 24/24

✔1. Only one The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough
–The only one on my TBR shelf set in Australia.

✔2. Binary Secondhand Souls by Christopher Moore
–Sequel to #9. Binary: “something made of two things or parts”.

✔3. Three's company The Fire and the Ore by Olivia Hawker
–Three Woman. One Husband.

✔Four corners of the earth We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
–”From the barren rocks of Newfoundland to the lush plantations of Samoa, from the roughest bars in Tasmania, to the frozen coasts of northern Russia, We, The Drowned spans four generations, two world wars and a hundred years.” Sounds like it pretty much spans all the four corners of the earth, yes?

✔5. Five Finger Discount The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
–Well, I have to confess that I lifted this book from the lending library at our hospital. I plan to return it. Promise.

✔6. At sixes and sevens Parasite by Mira Grant
–Rated 3.67 on GR as I write this.

✔7. Showstopper Breakfast at Tiffany's by Truman Capote
–The basis for the very famous movie of the same name starring Audrey Hepburn. Can’t get much more of a showstopper than that.

✔8. Book page total ends in an 8 Way Station by Clifford D. Simak
–238. Pages that is.

✔9. Nine-to-five A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore
–Yup, just another one of those 9-to-5 jobs.

✔10. Top 10 Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson
–#9 of the top 10 longest residing books on my TBR shelf.

✔11. From the library Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
–I got this used on Ebay. It turns out it originally came from the Oneida Public Library in New York.

✔12. Let's try this again Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
–I bought this for our club read in 2017, but was never able to start. So yeah, let’s try this again.

✔13. Sweet Revenge Orders of Battle by Marko Kloos
–The 7th in Kloos' Frontline series. Time for the humans to get some sweet revenge.

✔14. Technical Challenge The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson
–The technical challenge of this book was all mine. This was my first TOR freebie. Not being all that computer savvy, I had to get it downloaded and then figure out how to get it into my kindle. I ended up emailing it to the kindle, which to this day still seems weird.

✔15. My old friend(s) The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
–Gonna go audiobook with Scalzi and Wheaton for this one. This will be #11 with this duo for me, so yeah, they are kind of like my old friends.

✔16. Scrumptious The Beet Queen by Louise Erdrich
–Many would say that beets are scrumptious. Well, maybe not "many."

✔17. Cover with text only, no images The Water Knife by Paolo Bacigalupi


–No images that I can see here.

✔18. Around the Shelf The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
–This book has been hanging around my GR TBR shelf the longest. Time indeed to read it.

✔19. Bingeworthy
The Malloreon, Vol. 1: Guardians of the West / King of the Murgos / Demon Lord of Karanda
and
The Malloreon, Vol. 2: Sorceress of Darshiva / The Seeress of Kell
by David Eddings
–I suspect this may be a big mistake, but if this isn’t binge reading, I don’t know what is.

✔20. Zero to hero The Heroes by Joe Abercrombie
–How about skipping the zero and going right to the heroes?

[Anna]

20/20


✔ 1. Only one - A House With Good Bones
✔ 2. Binary - The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On
✔ 3. Three's company - Watersong
✔ 4. Four corners of the earth - The Grimoire of Grave Fates
✔ 5. Five Finger Discount - The Ship of Stolen Words
✔ 6. At sixes and sevens - The Road to Roswell
✔ 7. Showstopper - The Gloaming
✔ 8. Book page total ends in an 8 - The Winter Garden
✔ 9. Nine-to-five - Burning Roses
✔ 10. Top 10 - Thornhedge
✔ 11. From the library - Anaché
✔ 12. Let's try this again - A Haunting on the Hill
✔ 13. Sweet Revenge - The Jumbie God's Revenge
✔ 14. Technical Challenge - System Collapse
✔ 15. My old friend - Hamra and the Jungle of Memories
✔ 16. Scrumptious - If, Then
✔ 17. Cover with text only, no images - Words Are My Matter
✔ 18. Around the Shelf - The Lost Century
✔ 19. Bingeworthy - Before, After, Alone
✔ 20. Zero to hero - Camp Zero

Reasons for choosing the books: (view spoiler)[
1. This is the only T. Kingfisher book I've ever wanted to DNF :(
2. Why not both :P
3. "three women with water in their names" (blurb)
4. The authors are from around the world
5. Title and blurb both seem to fit
6. Character's in her books are often at sixes and sevens
7. Turning to stone will effectively stop the show
8. 518
9. All in a day's work
10. Always in my top 10 :)
11. First physical full length novel I read from the library in 2023
12. I wanted to go back to Hill House after my earlier visit this year
13. Jumbies aren't very sweet but we'll go with it
14. Murderbot isn’t running within normal operational parameters
15. A Malaysian spin on Little Red Riding Hood by a favorite author, that's three old friends!
16.
void inspectBook() {
if (isScrumptious){
markFinished;
} else {
System.err.println("Find another book!");
}
}
17. This edition has no images
18. Larissa Lai has circled the group shelf many times, but never made it on :(
19. Emma is always bingeworthy
20. I'm hoping the book itself will be the hero
(hide spoiler)]

[Kirsi]

Looks tough... and interesting! I'm in.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Alexandra yes! whatever you consider a tbr is fair game!

[Raucous]

I'll try this one again.

Progress: 20/20

✔︎ 1. Only one: Empress of Forever
✔︎ 2. Binary: Zombies Vs. Unicorns
✔️3. Three's company: Finders
✔︎ 4. Four corners of the earth: The Genius of Birds
✔︎ 5.Five Finger Discount: The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power
✔︎ 6. At sixes and sevens: The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter
✔︎ 7. Showstopper: Fenris & Mott
✔ 8. Book page total ends in an 8: Illuminations
✔︎ 9. Nine-to-five: Legends & Lattes
✔︎ 10. Top 10: The Very Best of the Best: 35 Years of the Year's Best Science Fiction
✔️11. From the library: The Mythic Dream
✔ 12. Let's try this again: Roadmarks
✔ 13. Sweet Revenge: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder
✔︎ 14. Technical Challenge: Mysteries of Modern Physics: Time
✔︎ 15. My old friend: Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know
✔ 16. Scrumptious: The Forest of Mayhem: A tale of inherited clutter, modern diets and an assortment of passions
✔ 17. Cover with text only, no images: My Own Kind of Freedom: A Firefly Novel
✔︎ 18. Around the Shelf: The Soul of an Octopus: A Surprising Exploration Into the Wonder of Consciousness
✔︎ 19. Bingeworthy: Digger Unearthed: The Complete Tenth Anniversary Collection
✔︎ 20. Zero to hero: Tress of the Emerald Sea

(view spoiler)[
Alternatives

1. Only one: Single Malt Murder, Reefsong, The Martian
2. Binary: Zombies vs Unicorns
3. Three's company: The Once and Future Witches, Interim Errantry: Three Tales
4. Four corners of the earth: Wilderness, The Overstory
5. Five Finger Discount: Finder (Palmer), Foundryside (thanks Alexandra)
6. At sixes and sevens: -
7. Showstopper: -
8. Book page total ends in an 8: Take Us to a Better Place, The Stone Wētā
9. Nine-to-five: -
10. Top 10: -
11. From the library: -
12. Let's try this again: The Goblin Emperor
13. Sweet Revenge: Red Bush
14. Technical Challenge: Lab Girl, Recovering Apollo 8
15. My old friend: -
16. Scrumptious: Can't Spell Treason Without Tea
17. Cover with text only, no images: Blink, The Great American Bathroom Book
18. Around the Shelf: Reefsong
19. Bingeworthy: Single Malt Murder, Digger Unearthed: The Complete Tenth Anniversary Collection
20. Zero to hero: -

(hide spoiler)]

[Dj]

Raucous wrote: "I'll try this one again. Here are my initial aspirations.

Progress: 0/20

1. Only one: The Goblin Emperor
2. Binary: Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
3. Three's company: ..."

Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder certainly fits the bill and in such an amusing way.

[Tina Reads]

Sounds like fun. I'll have to see what I can find to fit.

[Sarah]

First time trying this - my TBR is getting heavier every day so I can't wait - thanks for the challenge!


*moved to 2024 1. Only one - Witch King
✔DNF2. Binary - Oryx and Crake
3. Three's company - Mary Stewart's Merlin Trilogy
✔DNF4. Four corners of the earth - The Atlas Six
5. Five Finger Discount - Foundryside
✔DNF6. At sixes and sevens - Six of Crows
- literal interpretation B)
7. Showstopper - Tamburlaine
- Marlowe's most noted play - curious after reading the namesake in The Name of the Wind
✔8. Book page total ends in an 8 - The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress
✔️9. Nine-to-five - Fugitive Telemetry
- Murderbot! Need I say more?
*moved to 2024 10. Top 10 - Piranesi
- seems to be on everyone's top 10
✔️DNF11. From the library - Jade City
- I'm number 236 on hold for this one at the library - seemed apt because it's up to the library gods at this point!
12. Let's try this again - The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois
- I want to give this a second try now that my brain is ready to soak in the 30hrs of listening.
✔13. Sweet Revenge - The Lost Apothecary
✔14. Technical Challenge - The Quantum Garden
- Second in this series - for the first time ever, had to slow down the audiobook to wrap my mind around it.
*moved to 2024 15. My old friend - Tales From Earthsea & The Other Wind
- finishing off my fave series - bittersweet
16. Scrumptious - The Windup Girl
- "What Happens when calories become currency?"
✔DNF17. Cover with text only, no images - Stardust
✔18. Around the Shelf - Assassin's Apprentice
- I keep hearing about this one everywhere I turn on GR
✔19. Bingeworthy - The Girl in the Tower
- this series has been so good so far
✔️20. Zero to hero - Magician: Apprentice

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

great selections and i love your reasoning for them! good luck with the library gods

[Raucous]

Dj wrote: "... Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder certainly fits the bill and in such an amusing way..."

It comes with recipes. I'm going to have to try them to get the full effect. Isn't that the way that works?

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

yes. and when you find a cookie worth murder, you have to share them with the club. sorry, it's a goodreads rule, I just have to enforce them

[Raucous]

I understand. I'd be happy to leave a plate of them on the clubhouse dessert table.

[Stephen]

This time I wanted to restrict myself to genre books of which I have actual physical copies sitting on my shelves. Maybe I gave up too easily. Number 5 is a Kindle copy and several of these are nongenre.

✔️1. Only one - Lud-in-the-Mist

My copy has an introduction by Neil Gaiman. The first sentence reads, “Hope Mirrlees only wrote one fantasy novel, but it is one of the finest in the English language.”

✔️2. Binary - The Difference Engine

Collaboration of 2 authors.

✔️3. Three's Company - The Society of Time: The Original Trilogy and Other Stories

✔️4. Four corners of the earth - The Best of World SF: Volume 1

✔️5. Five Finger Discount - The Burglar Who Met Fredric Brown

✔️6. At sixes and sevens - 1177 B.C.: The Year Civilization Collapsed

Subtract the ones from the sevens and you get sixes.

✔️ 7. Showstopper - Twilight of Briareus

"In the nova's mutational glow..." Light from supernova reaches earth and changes everything.

✔️8. Book page total ends in an 8 - Past Master

248 pages.

✔️9. Nine-to-five - 1632

6+3=9
3+2=5

✔️10. Top 10 - The Planet on the Table

10th place in the 1987 Locus Awards "Collections" category

✔️11. From the library - Fire Time

My copy is a battered hardcover with a Frontenac County Public Library sticker.

✔️12. Let's try this again - The Voyage of the Sable Keech

Sequel to The Skinner, which I enjoyed.

✔️13. Sweet Revenge - The Story of Kullervo

The story seems to centre on revenge, though it's not sweet.

✔️14. Technical challenge - The Winds of Time

Plot apparently involves 1950s American trying to help aliens repair their spaceship.

✔️15. My old friend - We Can Build You

I remember a conversation with an old friend many years ago about this book. We both liked it.

✔️16. Scrumptious - The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis

✔️17. Cover with text only, no images -

✔️18. Around the shelf - The Alteration

Sits on a shelf of miscellaneous books adjacent to a TBR shelf.

✔️19. Bingeworthy - The Earthsea Quartet

I know there are additional stories, but I've only read the first three novels, and this is the book I have.

✔️20. Zero to hero - Boyhood: Scenes from Provincial Life

Autobiographical novel/memoir of adolescence

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

amazing choices, i like that you leaned hard into the numberness!

[Rebecca (Adventurer)]

2023 Science Fiction and Fantasy Bookshelf

SFF 12 Month Challenge
Books: (view spoiler)[
1. Only one
Everything is Illuminated Jonathan Safran Foer 276p makes sense to me - journey to find the one person he believes saved his grandfather from Nazis.
2. Binary
I, Robot Isaac Asimov 224p all about humans and robots attempt to survive
4. Four corners of the earth
The Last World 246p Christoph Ransmayr ancient world meets 20th century... I can't wait.
5. Five Finger Discount (view spoiler)
The Stardust Thief Chelsea Abdullah 468p
6. At sixes and sevens (view spoiler)
Gunpowder Moon David Pedreira 289p Mars, Earth, disaster....
7. Showstopper
2010: Odyssey Two 320p and/or 2061: Odyssey Three 302p and/or 3001: The Final Odyssey 272p Arthur C. Clarke
9. Nine-to-five

10. Top 10 - last years 2021 Goodreads winner:
Project Hail Mary Andy Weir
11. From the library
The Library of the Unwritten A.J. Hackwith
12. Let's try this again
Lilith's Brood series: Dawn 248p, Adulthood Rites 277p, and Imago 220p Octavia E. Butler
14. Technical Challenge
The Einstein Intersection Samuel R. Delany, 136p, Einstein brings up technical challenges to me... looking forward to the "luminous and hallucinated language".
15. My old friend
Breakfast of Champions 303p Kurt Vonnegut Jr. One of my favorite writers.
16. Scrumptious
A Master of Djinn P. Djèlí Clark, 396p, best I came up with at the moment.
18. Around the Shelf - these look interesting:
How High We Go in the Dark Sequoia Nagamatsu 304p
(hide spoiler)]

♬ 3. Three's company The Three-Body Problem Liu Cixin, 399p
♬ 19. Bingeworthy Lord of the Rings Series: The Hobbit 366p, The Fellowship of the Ring 432p, The Two Towers 448p, and The Return of the King 432p J. R. R. Tolkien

✔️8. Book page total ends in an 8 The Big Time Fritz Leiber, 128p
✔️13. Sweet Revenge not sure if he gets revenge but this seems fun: The Holmes-Dracula File 249p
✔️17. Cover with text only, no images Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley 260p
✔️20. Zero to hero Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone 223p J.K. Rowling

[Alexandra]

All right! This is the the first time I am doing this, I had so much fun compiling the list :))) Wish me luck...

1. Only one The Once and Future King
2. Binary Middlesex
3. Three's company The Riddle-Master of Hed ("three stars on his forehead", says the blurb!)
4. Four corners of the earth The Man in the Brown Suit (lots of travel in this one!)
5. Five Finger Discount Foundryside
6. At sixes and sevens Lock In
7. Showstopper The Night Circus
8. Book page total ends in an 8 The Death of the Heart (418 pages)
9. Nine-to-five There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job
10. Top 10 The Mill on the Floss (it's a classic, so it’s on a lot of top-10 lists ;) )
11. From the library The Starless Sea
12. Let's try this again The Years of Rice and Salt (let's go through these historical events again and change them, shall we?)
13. Sweet Revenge Shadowline (vendetta in space!)
14. Technical Challenge. The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer (it's Neal Stephenson, so...)
15. My old friend Into the Riverlands (Singing Hills Cycle #3, yes, I am meeting old friends)
16. Scrumptious Consider the Fork: A History of How We Cook and Eat
17. Cover with text only, no images Carol (aka The Price of Salt by Patricia Highsmith)
18. Around the Shelf The Invisible Library
19. Bingeworthy Jerusalem 1-3
20. Zero to hero Flowers for Algernon

[Raucous]

Alexandra wrote: "All right! This is the the first time I am doing this, I had so much fun compiling the list :))) Wish me luck..."

Ooh... I like those choices. The Diamond Age is my favorite Stephenson. I hadn't realized that Foundryside was such a good match to "five finger discount." I may have to rethink my choice on that one. Luck!

[Sarah]

Stephen wrote: "This time I wanted to restrict myself to genre books of which I have actual physical copies sitting on my shelves. Maybe I gave up too easily. Number 5 is a Kindle copy and several of these are non..."

Your #1 sounds epic - written by an obscure 19th C poet/translator endorsed by Neil Gaiman?!

[Stephen]

Sarah wrote: "…written by an obscure 19th C poet/translator endorsed by Neil Gaiman?!"

Hope Mirrlees was born in 1887 but lived til 1978. She was a contemporary and apparently a friend of Virginia Woolf. Gaiman is certainly a great advocate for the book. I believe it was out of print for a while but I remember reading a review of a new edition way back in the 1970s or thereabouts. I’ve seen references to it here and there and picked up my copy a few years ago.

[Alexandra]

Raucous wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "All right! This is the the first time I am doing this, I had so much fun compiling the list :))) Wish me luck..."

Ooh... I like those choices. The Diamond Age is my favorite Step..."

Thank you :) Best of luck to you as well!

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Lud in the mist is definitely a good book for people who love seeing the history of the genre. you can see her influence in several later works!

[Sarah]

Allison wrote: "Lud in the mist is definitely a good book for people who love seeing the history of the genre. you can see her influence in several later works!"

Sounds perfect - hope I can find a copy.

[CBRetriever]

1. Only one
The One-Armed Queen (The Great Alta Saga Book 3) by Jane Yolen
I read the first book in the series and the other two are demanding that I finish them even if I don't want to do so. This will make me do it
2. Binary
Warrior by Marie Brennan
Going with binary opposites like good and evil, black and white, us vs them, etc or, in the case of this book, when a witch is born a doppelganger is born and the witch has to destroy the doppelganger to retain her powers
3. Three's company
Age of Myth by Michael J. Sullivan
Three main characters unite to save humankind. I'll likely finish the other two books in the trilogy
4. Four corners of the earth
Driftwood by Marie Brennan
Driftwood is a strange place of slow apocalypses, where continents eventually crumble into mere neighborhoods, pulled inexorably towards the center in the Crush.
5. Five Finger Discount (Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting.)
The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman
Pickpocket/thief/scoundrel = the main character
6. At sixes and sevens (in a confused, badly organized, or difficult situation)
One Day on Mars by Travis S. Taylor
It's "24" on Mars: a nonstop futuristic thrill-ride, all in one day, through the critical events which were the breaking point for the underclass of Martian citizens and precipitated a revolution to break the Martian colonists free from the formidable Sol System government.
7. Showstopper
Ancient Rockets: Treasures and Train Wrecks of the Silent Screen by Kage Baker
All about the shows (good and bad) - I figure one has to be a showstopper
8. Book page total ends in an 8
Nettle & Bone by T. Kingfisher
248 pages
9. Nine-to-five
The Cabinet by Kim Un-su
About Mr Kong, the harried office worker whose job it is to look after the cabinet
10. Top 10
The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow
Has a Ten in the title
11. From the library
Dordogne Gastronomique by Vicky Jones
Bought at a Library book sale
12. Let's try this again
The Stand by Stephen King
Going to try to read this one again - didn't make it through the first time
13. Sweet Revenge
Lex Talionis by R.S.A. Garcia
Revenge against the people who killed her according to the blurb including the only man she ever loved
14. Technical Challenge
Termination Shock by Neal Stephenson
The challenge is to prevent the earth from being destroyed by the greenhouse effect
15. My old friend
Paper & Blood by Kevin Hearne
Al MacBharrais brings in his old friend the ancient Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, along with his dogs, Oberon and Starbuck
16. Scrumptious
A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher
Bread and baking products are scrumptiously delicious
17. Cover with text only, no images
The Book of Words by J.V. Jones replaced by Golden Witchbreed which has nothing but words on the cover I see in Goodreads linked from my Amazon purchase:
18. Around the Shelf
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
From the forum bookshelf
19. Bingeworthy
Ash: A Secret History by Mary Gentle
As this is 4 books in one volume, I'm hoping it will be bingeworthy
20. Zero to hero
The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
Thrown out on her own, the heroine (not hero) has to survive and it looks like she'll be the expected saver of the world (2 more books here)

[Tina Reads]

SFFBC TBR Cleanup Challenge ( 20/20) Completed 10/27/23

1. Only one -Atalanta She's the only woman among the crew of the Argonauts, searching for the Golden Fleece) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

2. Binary - The Witch and the Tsar by Olesya Salnikova Gilmore (two characters that revolve around the other)⭐⭐⭐⭐

3. Three's company - The Three-Body Problem Three bodies is a problem or very cozy. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

4. Four corners of the earth -Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C.S. Forester (Adventure in the Royal Navy!) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

5. Five Finger Discount –Loki: Where Mischief Lies I suspect Loki is up to no good and has stolen something. ⭐⭐⭐

6. At sixes and sevens - The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells (Science Gone Wrong)⭐⭐⭐⭐

7. Showstopper – A Song for a New Day by Sarah Pinsker (public gatherings are illegal making concerts impossible)⭐⭐⭐⭐

8. Book page total ends in an 8 – Parable of the Talents by Octavia E Butler (448 pages) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

9. Nine-to-five - The Shape of Darkness by Laura Purcell (As the age of the photograph dawns in Victorian Bath, silhouette artist Agnes is struggling to keep her business afloat.) ⭐⭐⭐

10. Top 10 - Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim (The top of my ten oldest books on my TBR)⭐⭐⭐⭐

11. From the library - Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge (checked out from the library)⭐⭐⭐⭐

12. Let's try this again - Activation Degradation DNF'd but I don't think it was time for it. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

13. Sweet Revenge -Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper (a vengeful witch goes after her ex) DNF

14. Technical Challenge- Station Eternity murder on a space station sounds challenging ⭐⭐⭐

15. My old friend – Finder by Emma Bull (one of my favorite novels from years ago)⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

16. Scrumptious - Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda (a vampire wants to eat all the food!) ⭐⭐⭐

17. Cover with text only, no images – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

18. Around the Shelf- Bordertown by Terri Windling (short story collection set in the Bordertown series, pulled off my shelf)⭐⭐⭐⭐


19. Bingeworthy – Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs (I need to binge this series for reasons) ⭐⭐⭐

20. Zero to hero - Homeland by R.A. Salvatore (Drizz't Do'Urden begins his journey from the Underdark tp the surface where he will become a hero of the Forgotten Realms)⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Monica]

20/20

✔︎1. Only one: The Last White Man The title says it all, though there were many before there was only one...
✔︎2. Binary: Neverwhere Gaimen's novel about the haves and the have nots. It's apparently one or the other
✔︎3. Three's company: Euphoria Anthropologist love triangle...really!!...tragic end.
✔︎4. Four corners of the earth: The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move there will be migration worldwide in search of fresh water and protection from climate change
✔︎5. Five Finger Discount (Theft or pilferage, typically of a small item; shoplifting): Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention- and How to Think Deeply Again While stealing the ability to focus is no little thing, it's definitely a thing that has been stolen...
✔︎6. At sixes and sevens (in a confused, badly organized, or difficult situation): How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water undocumented worker raises her family in the US while trying to navigate the system.
✔︎7. Showstopper: Invisible Storm: A Soldier's Memoir of Politics and PTSD PTSD stopped the show big time. It stopped his very ambitious and credible political career in the big leagues (as in senator and President).
✔︎8. Book page total ends in an 8: Exhalation 368 pages
✔︎9. Nine-to-five: The Price of Inequality: How Today's Divided Society Endangers Our Future Most of the book discussed the wealth gap and the inequities associated to compensation of a CEO vs worker.
Who makes the biggest contribution to society and the pay outpaces the value
✔︎10. Top 10: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI It's #2 on Amazon right now. Movie coming out soon...
✔︎11. From the library: This Perfect Day protagonist saves the world (?) by stopping the ruling class(?) Keys to his discovery were maps in the library
✔︎12. Let's try this again: Caucasia have tried to read this multiple times. Finally got through it. I gave it 5 stars...
✔︎13. Sweet Revenge: Lovecraft Country Full of sweet revenge for a number of aggressions within the book plus the ending was apt for revenge overall.
✔︎14. Technical Challenge: Quantum Care: A Deep Dive into AI for Health Delivery and Research The benefits of AI on healthcare. Showcased how Moderna used AI to develop the COVID vaccine in record time. The shape of things to come.
✔︎15. My old friend: The Testaments
Margaret Atwood is my old friend. One of my favorite authors...
✔︎16. Scrumptious: Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists A book about black agriculture and black farmers growing crops. It's as close as I got to food writing this year...sigh
✔︎17. Cover with text only, no images:

✔︎18. Around the Shelf: America's Women: 400 Years of Dolls, Drudges, Helpmates, and Heroines This one has been sitting on my shelf since 2014. It's been in the queue many times. Finally got to it
✔︎19. Bingeworthy: Remarkably Bright Creatures I completed this in 2 days of listening.
For me that is a binge.
✔︎20. Zero to hero: The Space between Worlds By the end the protagonist saves lives on multiple worlds. That's pretty heroic

-----------------------------------------------

[Dj]

Raucous wrote: "Dj wrote: "... Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder certainly fits the bill and in such an amusing way..."

It comes with recipes. I'm going to have to try them to get the full effect. Isn't that the way t..."

All right I am sold. I am going to have to get a copy of that sooner or later.

[Dj]

Allison wrote: "yes. and when you find a cookie worth murder, you have to share them with the club. sorry, it's a goodreads rule, I just have to enforce them"

If it isn't a rule I vote for it to be one. LOL.

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

I cannot express appropriately how happy I am to see how brilliant you all are at finding options. And how good you are at stealing options XD

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Dj wrote: "Allison wrote: "yes. and when you find a cookie worth murder, you have to share them with the club. sorry, it's a goodreads rule, I just have to enforce them"

If it isn't a rule I vote for it to b..."

Well we now have a second to the "what could be rule."

Motion passes, it is now Law.

[CBRetriever]

Allison wrote: "I cannot express appropriately how happy I am to see how brilliant you all are at finding options. And how good you are at stealing options XD"

and how many of them will fulfill both challenges (2023 Read All The Books: A Decade of AtTENding the Shelf).

[Allison, Fairy Mod-mother]

Your efficiency is a thing of beauty

[CBRetriever]

necessary as I've signed up for two challenges on another forum. Thankfully spreadsheets exist, now I just have to create a worksheet with all the books on it...

[Liane]

Here's my first attempt:
1. Only one The Silmarillion
2. Binary The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
3. Three's company The Three-Body Problem
4. Four corners of the earth Journey to the Center of the Earth technically, the center, but...
5. Five Finger Discount The Eyre Affair
6. At sixes and sevens Seveneves
7. Showstopper Cloud Atlas Between the book and the movie, this is a showstopper
8. Book page total ends in an 8 Shadow's Son
9. Nine-to-five Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency
10. Top 10 The Chrysalids
11. From the library The Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra, That Hideous Strength
12. Let's try this again Consider Phlebas Began reading last year, it didn't take.
13. Sweet Revenge Annihilation Not sure, but this seems like maybe it's a earth against humans.
14. Technical Challenge The Accidental Time Machine looks to start being techie from the blurb
15. My old friend Guards! Guards! I've been reading Terry Pratchett for a long time.
16. Scrumptious Legends & Lattes Lattes are yummy!
17. Cover with text only, no images The Mote in God's Eye close to no graphics...
18. Around the Shelf Cold Magic on the SFFBC backlist
19. BingeworthyRogue Protocol Murderbot is fun reading.
20. Zero to hero Gods of Jade and Shadow looks to be rags to riches.

[Gabi]

I guess I won't manage the challenge like in the last years, but setting it up is always fun. Especially the "how did this one end up on my ebook reader?" moments while scrolling through the list.

Here's a rough first list after going through my bought and never read e-books (links come later when I'm back somewhere with a decent internet connection and my desktop version of GR)

1. Mockingbird (lame reason: it's a standalone novel)
2. One Hand to Hold, One Hand to Carve (the weirdest binary situation I've seen so far)
3. The last one of Becky Chamber's wayfarer trilogy to finally get it completed
4. The Steerswoman (sounds like travelling the world is involved)
5. The Book Thief (obvious)
6. David Mogo Godhunter (sounds like a lot of chaotic situation there)
7. Between Two Thornes (arranged marriage is about to stop the chosen life of the protagonist)
8. The Ship Whisperer (258 pages)
9. Lab Girl (about the lab job)
10. Mexican Gothic (was on the nomination list Hugo or Nebula)
11. Pan's Labyrinth (from my audiobook library storytel)
12. Notes From a Burning Age (I started reading it this year, but completely forgot about it, cause I stopped eye-reading. So new year, new start with it)
13. TBD
14. Das achte Leben (a over 800 pages book that I own for eye reading. I only listen to tomes cause if my limited time. So actually reading so many pages will be a technical challenge to my eyesight, my organisational talent and my concentration)
15. The Remains of the Day (the movie was an old favourite of my partner and me. It's time to get reacquainted by reading the book)
16. TBD
17. Lexicon (well ... has only letters on the cover)
18. Alif the Unseen (is on the group bookshelf)
19. Molly Southbourne trilogy (the books are so short they are perfect for binging)
20. Spoils of War (if there is one author that went from not-knowing zero to be my absolute hero it is genius Adrian Tchaikovsky)