Introduction to the Genre Challenge

[Liz, Moderator]

Just spun the wheel (or whatever the digital equivalent is) and it's Graphic Novels for September.

[Leni]

Yes! I've been waiting for that one. :D

[Tania]

Being thick here, What does graphic novels mean?

[Leni]

Heh. They're like comics, just bigger and with an extensive story line. A novel told mainly through images. We're not talking novels with "graphic" content. (Though of course some graphic novels do have "graphic" adult themes.)

[Sue]

Noooooooooo!

[Tania]

Thanks Leni, now I just have to find it lol

[Leni]

Your local library might have some. Mine keeps a few on a separate shelf, and the YA section has graphic novel renditions of classics.

[Tania]

Am going to follow your lead and have just got Saga, Volume 1. not sure how well this is going to be on a kindle

[Leni]

Hm. I'm definitely going paper format here.

[Tania]

Have just figured that out

[Leni]

Have we done all of them now, or is there something coming up for October?

[Tania]

I think there are 7 or 8 more to go, but I could be wrong.

[Liz, Moderator]

Sorry, I've been distracted by work and my MA - it's all full-on at the moment....

Just been back to the random generator and the genre for October is: Historical fiction.

I will set up the thread later....

[Tania]

Your good the month hasn't ended yet.

[Leni]

Oh, good! That fits nicely with the time traveller challenge. As long as I can find the right century.
And can I just say well done on getting all this other reading done whilst working on your MA! That's actually all sorts of impressive.

[Liz, Moderator]

Oh my goodness me! Hasn't October just flown by? Time to run the random generator....

[Liz, Moderator]

OK, it's Biography/Memoir for November. I'll go ahead and set up the thread :)

[Liz, Moderator]

Wow! December has crept up so quickly. How did that happen?

Question: Would you like to read a Christmas/Winter themed for the genre challenge this month?

We could then return to the list in January.

[Liz, Moderator]

Sorry, the all-important missing word in that post was 'book'....

[Kate, Moderator]

I'd be up for a Christmas read. Good idea!

[Chris]

Yes, that would be nice.

[Laura]

I'll probably give it a miss for the month if we do the Christmas/winter thing. Didn't really enjoy it last time.

[Sue]

yes that would be good. nothing with Christmas cheer but some good cold scandi crime prob set in Iceland!!!!!

[Julien]

Hmm... Christmas/Winter is probably not the genre I would choose to do twice in this challenge... I'd rather give this a miss.

[Leni]

I didn't do this last year, so I'm in. At least if we can count anything that takes place in winter or includes snow. Christmas, not so much.

[Bill]

I've kind of run out of Xmas/ winter themed books that I haven't read, but I'll go with the majority.

[Liz, Moderator]

Majority in favour, so I'll set up the thread. It doesn't have to be Christmas, there's loads of books set in the cold, it'd shouldn't be too difficult.... (Famous last words).

[Sue]

Anyone who is not keen on the genre and is willing to stretch it a bit I can thoroughly recommend A Place called Winter by Patrick Gale. it was one of my best reads last year!

[Liz, Moderator]

Sue wrote: "Anyone who is not keen on the genre and is willing to stretch it a bit I can thoroughly recommend A Place called Winter by Patrick Gale. it was one of my best reads last year!"

How strange, I just spotted that one. I read one of his a couple of years ago, (Notes from an Exhibition) and really enjoyed it too.

[Liz, Moderator]

New thread all set :)

[Alberta]

Sue wrote: "Anyone who is not keen on the genre and is willing to stretch it a bit I can thoroughly recommend A Place called Winter by Patrick Gale. it was one of my best reads last year!"

good read that one - read it last Christmas - I'd recommend it also:)

[Liz, Moderator]

Another month has flown by, so what's next? I've just run the random selector and it's comedy/humour for January. Hmm, I often struggle with this one. I'd better go ahead and set up the thread....

[Liz, Moderator]

End of the month already. We're celebrating Chinese New Year here in Singapore, so happy year of the rooster everyone!

I've just run the random generator and the genre for Feb will be lesbian/gay writing/fiction. I will go ahead and post the new thread....

[Liz, Moderator]

So what's the genre for March? Well, according to the random generator, it's fantasy and/or folklore.....

I'll set up the new thread :)

[Liz, Moderator]

Nearly the end of another month and time for the next genre...

I just ran the random generator and the result is: April's genre is Cult and/or Chemical Fiction.

I will set up the new thread later...

[Leni]

Liz wrote: "Nearly the end of another month and time for the next genre...

I just ran the random generator and the result is: April's genre is Cult and/or Chemical Fiction.

I will set up the new thread later..."

Looking forward to the thread. I have no idea what Chemical Fiction is. I'm assuming it's not fiction about chemistry. And I only have the vaguest notion of what might qualify as Cult fiction. Badly written books with a cult following? Like Cult movies?

[Tania]

I'm with Leni here I have no idea what either group means.

[Tania]

Just looked the last time you did this and that link you put to the Telegraph paper still works. Would put it here if I had any idea how to do that.

[Laura]

From my understanding:
Cult fiction: Something which is not mainstream but has a dedicated group of fans/admirers who really like it.
Chemical fiction: As above but with drugs being involved at some point ie. Naked Lunch, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.

[Liz, Moderator]

Yup Laura, that's about it. Sorry I haven't posted the new thread yet, I got distracted by work....

This is one pair of genres that tend to push many of us out of our comfort zone....

....Time to visit the library.

[Liz, Moderator]

It's May tomorrow. How did that happen? Time for a new genre. Let me run the random generator. Not many options remain......

[Tania]

Thought I was doing well on the keeping up with this challenge only to find that I have missed 3 months completely. Bummer, don't you just hate lists.

[Liz, Moderator]

Ha ha! Yes, juggling all the challenges is tricky. Something's got to give. My week spot is the US challenge, I haven't read a new state in months!

[Tania]

Mine is the UK challenge, haven't touched that since January.

[Liz, Moderator]

*weak spot even (damn you, predictive text!)

[Tania]

When this finishes do we have to list the books we did for each month here?

[Liz, Moderator]

That's a good idea Tania. Let's do that.

Our final month is just around the corner...
In August, we will be reading: Books that have been adapted for the screen. I'll set up the new thread over the next couple of days...

[Julien]

Liz wrote: "Our final month is just around the corner...
In August, we will be reading: Books that have been adapted for the screen. I'll set up the new thread over th..."

Did we not do this genre in May 2016? Having said that, I don't really mind doing it again -- the next book on my list is Dune, so this genre works with me.

[Leni]

Yeah, how is this different from the Movie Tie-ins?

[Liz, Moderator]

Hilarious! I must have written it down twice. You are absolutely right. We've already done it! I'm so glad someone is paying attention... ;)

That means - we've actually finished! So let's do what Tania suggested and post our genre reads from the challenge...