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Genre Challenge 2015-17 > Introduction to the Genre Challenge

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message 51: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Answering your questions in a slightly haphazard way:

It's all non fiction, not just self-help (I appreciate it's a massive field!)

There is a certain amount of breadth in most of our genre groupings e.g. romance/erotica are not the same thing, you can choose either that month (or both!).

The rules of the challenge are not strict and genres are open to interpretation, it's meant to be fun after all!

On the magical realism front, I'm sure one of members will have located a handy official definition, but it's books that while they're set in the real world, dreamlike, magical events may occur. Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabella Allende, Angela Carter, Salman Rushdie are authors often associated with the genre.


message 52: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments I do like poetry and often listened to Poetry Please on the radio. I think the trouble is that I find it hard to concentrate and dont see connections easily. Studied the war poets, Sylvia Plath, Ted Hughes and some of the Romantics - most of which I enjoyed. Not sure what to choose.


message 53: by [deleted user] (new)

Michael wrote: "has any come with a good list of reccomendation for each Genre yet.

There's a couple of Genre on the list I hadn't heard of before as well - just what is Magical-realism?

Is Non-Fiction realy red..."


I'm so glad you asked about magical-realism - I wasn't sure either!


message 54: by Danielle (new)

Danielle (daniellecobbaertbe) | 365 comments Just found this and was wondering if anyone here would hate poetry so much to use a shotgun:

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/ne...


message 55: by Em (new)

Em (emmap) | 2707 comments I had an excellent English teacher for GCSE, we weren't the sort of kids that had much (any?) experience of reading poetry but she cherry picked good poems for us - usually modern rather than classic and when we all were mystified about what to make of it, she very patiently steered us to single lines even single words and got us to work out what the poet was doing and what effect it had. I don't think she got any credit from us at the time but she was very good!


message 56: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Danielle wrote: "Just found this and was wondering if anyone here would hate poetry so much to use a shotgun:

http://www.citizen-times.com/story/ne......"

Oh yes!


message 57: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Nicola, I'll leave it up to you and your conscience ;)


message 58: by Helen (new)

Helen | 3465 comments Nice answer Liz, though harsh!


message 59: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Well it's that time of the month where I set the random generator into action to choose the next genre.

So the genre for July is.....
...Psychiatry/madness

I will go ahead and post the thread.


message 60: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Liz wrote: "

So the genre for July is.....
...Psychiatry/madness

I will go ahead and post the thread."


Oh dear!


message 61: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Suddenly I realise it's the last day of the month and we need next month's genre, so I give the random-selector a spin (so to speak) and it chooses SciFi/Dystopian fiction.

This is good news for those of you also doing the time traveller challenge, as you can get 'the future' done this month. However, I've just read two dystopian novels in a row, so I'm now stuck in a rut!

Anyway, I'll go ahead and post the new thread....


message 62: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Looks like I'm getting all my less liked genres over and done with


message 63: by Bill (new)

Bill | 2772 comments Excellent... :)


message 64: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Sue - too true! But I've been surprised how I usually find something I like, even in the most unpromising genre!


message 65: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
The end of the month is approaching. Just going to use the randomiser to select next month's genre.....


message 66: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Cult/chemical fiction if my luck continues!!!


message 67: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Sue, LOL! You are spared this time, although I don't know if the result is much better: Romance and/or erotica!

I will set up the thread. I think I may read 'Lady Chatterley', it's been knocking around my kindle for ages (if you pardon the unfortunate expression....)


message 68: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Liz wrote: "Sue, LOL! You are spared this time, although I don't know if the result is much better: Romance and/or erotica!

I will set up the thread. I think I may read 'Lady Chatterley', it's been knocking..."

Lady C is going to be on tv soon. Love the book! By the cover, I have a romance for another challenge. Not holding out much hope for it :(.


message 69: by Aneta (new)

Aneta Liz wrote: "The end of the month is approaching. Just going to use the randomiser to select next month's genre....."

I'm so curious how your randomiser looks like! Is it a glass jar from which you randomly take out little notes with categories names? ;-)


message 70: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Aneta, I should really have a black silk top hat perhaps?

Actually it's an online program suggested by Danielle, which randomly mixes any list you feed it. Very effective, but not so romantic. ;)


message 71: by Jen (last edited Aug 29, 2015 08:30AM) (new)

Jen (skipp) I don't think I own any romance/erotica....good thing I'm currently in a bookstore!
This month's challenge is definitely going to be...challenging.


message 72: by Bill (last edited Aug 29, 2015 08:37AM) (new)

Bill | 2772 comments Liz wrote: "Sue, LOL! You are spared this time, although I don't know if the result is much better: Romance and/or erotica!

I will set up the thread. I think I may read 'Lady Chatterley', it's been knocking..."


I enjoyed Chatterley, Liz. I was pleasantly surprise by it. I think I'll be reading After Leaving Mr Mackenzie by Jean Rhys. Does that qualify in this challenge?


message 73: by Em (new)

Em (emmap) | 2707 comments Romance eh?! I'll have to search through my Kindle and book shelves for inspiration.


message 74: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
The new thread is up and running....


message 75: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Bill wrote: "I enjoyed Chatterley, Liz. I was pleasantly surprise by it. I think I'll be reading After Leaving Mr Mackenzie by Jean Rhys. Does that qualify in this challenge?.."

Glad to hear you enjoyed Lady Chatterley, it's better than I expected, although why she keeps feeling emotions in her womb, I have no idea! Gut - yes, 'loins' - yes, but womb? Did Lawrence even consult a woman on his depiction of Lady C?... Or maybe my nerves & endocrine system are just not properly coordinated!!!

I don't know the Jean Rhys book, but if it's a love affair gone wrong like Wide Sargasso Sea, then I guess it's it!


message 76: by Liz, Moderator (last edited Aug 29, 2015 08:52PM) (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
New romance/erotica thread all set up...


message 77: by Bill (last edited Aug 29, 2015 09:30PM) (new)

Bill | 2772 comments Liz wrote: "Bill wrote: "I enjoyed Chatterley, Liz. I was pleasantly surprise by it. I think I'll be reading After Leaving Mr Mackenzie by Jean Rhys. Does that qualify in this challenge?.."

Glad to hear you e..."


We shall see, I can always read another as well. I think D.H. Lawrence probably considered himself an expert on love and women.. :)


message 78: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Bill wrote: We shall see, I can always read another as well. I think D.H. Lawrence probably considered himself an expert on love and women..."

Yes, I think he probably did...


message 79: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
As it's coming up to the end of the month again (already?). Shall I check out what the random genre selector has in store for us next month?


message 80: by Kate, Moderator (new)

Kate | 1633 comments Mod
Yes please! I hope its a good one!


message 81: by Ian, Moderator (new)

Ian (pepecan) | 5088 comments Mod
Yeah go on then.


message 82: by Em (new)

Em (emmap) | 2707 comments Dah dah daaaaah! What have we got??!


message 83: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Sorry to keep you in suspense, I got distracted!
October's genre is: YA, Young adult /New adult.

I always struggle with this one...

I'll set up the new thread once I'm back at my computer.


message 84: by Chris (new)

Chris Hi guys!

I'm new to the club but was wondering if I can still do the genre challenge and if so, do I start with the first genre of Travel and work my way through each genre as it is announced?


message 85: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Chris wrote: "Hi guys!

I'm new to the club but was wondering if I can still do the genre challenge and if so, do I start with the first genre of Travel and work my way through each genre as it is announced?"


Hi Chris, you are welcome to join the challenge at any time. You can either catch up on the genres already covered, or jump in as we embark on YA fiction this month. It's entirely up to you. :)


message 86: by Chris (new)

Chris Thank you, Liz.

I think I'll start start at the beginning in that case. I'm quite excited about starting this... Clearly I have no life!


message 87: by Em (new)

Em (emmap) | 2707 comments Arguably, it's the people that don't read that have no life! ;)

If there's one place, I can safely express that opinion, it has to be on GR I think.


message 88: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Confused here. I have searched for 'new adult'. Looks similar to erotica to me. Is that right? Still reading this months. Dont think I could take two in a row!!


message 89: by Bill (new)

Bill | 2772 comments Em wrote: "Arguably, it's the people that don't read that have no life! ;)

If there's one place, I can safely express that opinion, it has to be on GR I think."


Well said. :)


message 90: by Ellie (new)

Ellie M (elliemcc11) | 553 comments Sue - I think new adult is books where the content is designed for people in their early 20s. From what I've seen a lot of fantasy / vampire etc based...


message 91: by Ellie (new)

Ellie M (elliemcc11) | 553 comments ...and may well be erotica as well :)


message 92: by Sue (new)

Sue | 1296 comments Thanks Ellie. Not a lot of new adult books on my shelves then ☺


message 93: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
'New Adult' is a genre that I didn't know anything about until one our members pointed it out.

I personally don't see the point/need (but then I'm not the target audience). Surely once you've got beyond child and YA, you're ready for adult books of any genre?

I went straight from child to adult as YA as a concept wasn't around in the 80's....

I think it's a ploy by the publishing marketeers - an attempt to sell more books - but with us lot, they really don't have to worry about that! ;)


message 94: by Ellie (new)

Ellie M (elliemcc11) | 553 comments Likewise. In my teens I was reading adult books mainly. I guess Judy Blume was an early attempt at YA...

I can't think any NA books are gonna appeal to me...I struggle with YA at the best of times.


message 95: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
True, there was Judy Bloom, but I think she was a lone voice!

Same here, I will probably manage just one YA.


message 96: by Ian, Moderator (new)

Ian (pepecan) | 5088 comments Mod
NA remains non applicable in my case.


message 97: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
Very droll, Ian ;)


message 98: by Ian, Moderator (new)

Ian (pepecan) | 5088 comments Mod
I tank u.


message 99: by Liz, Moderator (new)

Liz | 4131 comments Mod
November is just around the corner, so I've just gone back to the random generator to select the next genre:

Magical Realism.

I will have to set up the new thread once I'm back at my computer this evening....


message 100: by Nils (new)

Nils Visser | 3 comments Liz wrote: Magical Realism.

YAY! I like Magical Realism



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