You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2024
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Marcus meanders to Mordor
Nice to see you posting Marcus! Enjoy the 2024 challenge.
Hi Marcus! Good to see you back for 2024 :)
Thanks! It feels great to be back and newbie to the group and the challenge is my lady friend Katie :) We're both excited for the challenge as always....may set aside a block for a second level in case I'm extra productive this year
Category 4: Inspired by Literature Chasing Dracula:
Start: London- (group on cover):
*Connect 1: (same author): Crucible of Chaos*
Connect 2: (fantasy genre): The Rage of Dragons*
Checkpoint 1: Paris- (Halloween theme)- This is Halloween*
Connect 1: (story collection)- Collected Stories of Wallace Stegner*
Connect 2: (same author)- Crossing to Safety*
Checkpoint 2: Munich-(main character susan)- Magpie Murders*
Connect 1: published after 2010- The Fires of Vengeance*
Connect 2: dragon on cover- Victory of Eagles*
Checkpoint 3: Budapest- (meal on cover)
*Connect 1: author last name "C"-
*Connect 2: boat on cover-
*Checkpoint 4: Bran Castle- (wolf: cover, title or theme):
*Connect 1: same author- Robert McCammon- Cardinal Black*
Connect 2: 7th book in series- The Lost Metal*
Finish: Bucharest- (crime genre)- The Silence of the Lambs*
__________________________________________________________
The Realm of the Elderlings:
Start: Bearns- (yellow flower/s on cover):
*Connect 1- Genre Historical fiction- Tyrant by Christian Cameron*
Connect 2- smoke on cover-
*Checkpoint 1: Buck- (nautical tales list): The Sea-Hawk*
Connect 1- Genre: classics- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas*
Connect 2- author includes middle initial- Blood of the City*
Checkpoint 2: Rippon- (grace: character or author): Alias Grace*
Connect 1- Author last name starts with A: Brother*
Connect 2- GR rating between 3.5-4.0- The Little Stranger*
Checkpoint 3: Shoaks-(green: title or author)- The Last Green Valley*
Connection 1- genre: historical fiction- Between Two Fires*
Connect 2- length 400-450 pages- New Spring*
Checkpoint 4: Tilth- (wine or grapes on cover):
*Connect 1- (roman historical fiction)- The Gods of War*
Connect 2- next in series- The Blood of Gods*
Finish: Farrow-(farseer characteristic in title): "Bounty"
Savage Bounty*
___________________________________________________________
Nala's World:
Start: Bosnia- (orphan in book)- Lost Love's Return*
Connect 1- author first name "A": The Pariah*
Connect 2- theme/plot based around outlaws/pirates: Honor Among Enemies*
Checkpoint 1: Budva- (mythology): Norse Mythology*
Connect 1- genre fantasy: Kafka on the Shore*
Connect 2- author last name Murakami: In the Miso Soup*
Checkpoint 2: Shkoder- (430-438 pages):
*Connect 1- steep cliff/hillside on cover:
*Connect 2- predominantly blue cover: The Three-Body Problem*
Checkpoint 3: Athens- (ancient greece/rome): The Lion*
Connect 1- first in a series Summer of Night: A Novel*
Connection 2- genre of horror: The Ghost Sequences*
Checkpoint 4: Santorini- (female friendship list):
*Connect 1- body of water on cover:
*Connect 2- author name with W: The Fires of Vengeance*
Finish: Bucharest- (character with serious illness): Thinner*
_________________________________________________________
Completed Sam and Frodo Journey 1, Book 1
Book: Homecoming
Format: e-book, 298 pages
Task: read a book with "home" or "sanctuary" in title
Exp: "home" is in the title
Awesome, Marcus!Good to see you and you have already finished your first book.
I just started mine. I like your format for reporting your book. I am stealing it. ;o)
Sorry to have to throw a wet blanket on your fire, but the task is: "Task: Read a book with home, homeward, or homebound in the title."Homecoming (nor sanctuary) is not included as a choice, and imbedded words are not allowed unless specified.
Cherie wrote: "Awesome, Marcus!Good to see you and you have already finished your first book.
I just started mine. I like your format for reporting your book. I am stealing it. ;o)" Great to see you too! Happy new year and looks like im back to the drawing board with book one.
Awesome. I may not be tracking, but I can still throw a wrench in things.
Hey that’s ok. I’ve never complained about reading more 😁. And my town is finally getting a Barnes and noble next month yay
That will be a great place to hang out - and spend money.
Ha yes!!! It may be a be careful what you wish for sort of thing.
Let's try this again:Sam and Frodo
Journey 1, Book 1
Book: Home Before Dark
Format: softcover, 389 pages
Task: Read a book with "Home" in the title
Exp: Home is in the title this time :)
Journey 1, Book 2Book: Night Shift
Format: special cemetary dance hardcover collectors edition, 440 pages
Task: Connection to Home Before Dark due to main page genre of: Horror
Exp: on main page of each book, genre of Horror is listed
I've got plans to read some horror with this badge as well.
Yeah it was really hard to steer away from horror this round. I love horror but don’t typically read a lot of it so I’m embracing the darkness 😁
Journey 1, Book 3Book: Christmas and Other Horrors: An Anthology of Solstice Horror
Format: Hardcover, 410 pages
Task: Connection to Night Shift due to both books being collections of short fiction AND in the horror genre
Journey 1, Book 4Book: The Emperor's Blades
Format: softcover, 480 pages
Task: read a book that is a first in a series of four
Exp: This book is book one in "The Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne" series by Brian Staveley
Journey 1, Book 5Book:
Format: paperback, 223 pages
Connection: read a book with a dude on the cover holding a sword
Exp: Both the preceding book
and this have a dude on the cover holding swords :)
Katie wrote: "Top tier connection hahaha :D" Thanks :) that connection applies to about half the books on my TBR list lol
Journey 1, Book 6Book: Oathsword
Format: paperback, 204 pages
Connection: Next book in series
Exp: "Oathsword" is book 2 in the Danelaw series following The Dragon Sword
I got it - swords is the theme. :)
😂. Yeah and there are many more sword books to come this year
Journey 1, Book 7Book: How Green Was My Valley
Format: paperback, 448 pages
Task: "valley" or "sanctuary" in title
Exp: Valley is in the title, excellent book
Journey 1, Book 8Book: The Whistling Season
Format: paperback, 345 pages
Connection: genre- historical fiction
Exp: both How Green Was My Valley and this book have historical fiction genre listed on main page
Journey 1, Book 9Book: Below Zero
Format: paperback, 342 pages
Connection: setting- the american west
Exp: The Whistling Season is set in Eastern Montana near the Marias Coulee while Below Zero takes place in Wyoming
Journey 1, Book 10Book:
Format: paperback, 175 pages
Task: Read a book with a predominantly black cover
exp: see above
Journey 1, Book 11Book:
Format: hardcover, 385 pages
connection: "horror classic", OR alternatively a predominantly black cover
Exp: Both Psycho and The Exorcist are horror novels of the mid-20th century which have spawned classic movie adaptations that haunt the dreams of several generations now with more to come
Journey 1, Book 12Book: The Picture of Dorian Grey
Format: hardcover, 254 pages
Connection: genre: "classics"
Exp: the classic genre is listed first for dorian and third for the exorcist on each book's respective main page...glad i finally got these two under my belt
Journey 1, Book 13Book: Age of Iron
Format: softcover, 520 pages
Task: The Black Gate- "iron" in title
Exp: "Iron" is in title
Journey 1, Book 14Book: The Field of Swords
Format: softcover, 496 pages
Connection: Genre- historical fiction
Exp: Both books are HF but to take the connection even further both deal specifically with the time and region of Ceasar's invasion of Briton around 55 and 54 BC with The Field of Swords being from the Roman perspective and Age of Iron taking the perspective of the soon to be invaded Britons
Journey 1, Book 15Book: Blood Sword
Format: e-book, 290 pages
Connection: "sword/s" in title
Exp: in yet another but different sword connection the swords are in titles here rather than pictured on the covers...although they are probably also on the covers of both :)
Journey 1, Book 16Book: Last Bus to Wisdom
Format: softcover, 450 pages
Location/Task: Mount Doom- read a book 400-450 pages in length
Exp: While the main page has this wrong...the last page of the book is page #450 on the nose :)
Yayyyyyyy time to start journey #2: Literature inspired
Congrats on finishing the hike through Mordor - sword in hand.
Janice wrote: "Congrats on finishing the hike through Mordor - sword in hand."Yesssss :) Thanks
Journey 2, Book 1
Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
Task: Chasing Dracula- Start: London (book with group on cover)
Exp: see group of the seven pictured on cover....excellent book
Journey 2, Book 2Book: Crucible of Chaos
Format: Audiobook, 12hr,32min
Connection: same author
Exp: Crucible of Chaos and The Malevolent Seven are both written by exceptional fantasy author Sebastien de Castell. Can't wait for more of his writing to come
Both of those books sound interesting. Looks like he's got a new book coming out end of March Play of Shadows
Janice wrote: "Both of those books sound interesting. Looks like he's got a new book coming out end of March Play of Shadows" Ooooh yes....Crucible of Chaos was a prelude to that new series. Just preordered on amazon. Thanks! :)
Journey 2, Book 3Book: The Rage of Dragons
Format: e-book, 578 pages
Connection: fantasy
Exp: this book is squarely in the fantasy genre as well and exceeded all expectations. High recommendation for fantasy fans looking for something new
I should stop looking at your thread. I add way to many titles to my "want to read. :)
Esther wrote: "I should stop looking at your thread. I add way to many titles to my "want to read. :)" lol!! Yay! That's what it's all about
I've added a few books to my wishlist.
Journey 2, Book 4Book: This is Halloween
Format: e-book, 201 pages
Checkpoint 1: Paris- task: read a book with a Halloween theme
Exp: As the title implies, this book is alllll about Halloween with 10 short stories all set during the holiday
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
Thinner (other topics)The Fires of Vengeance (other topics)
Beaches (other topics)
The Spectator Bird (other topics)
Beaches (other topics)
More...
Start: Bag End (Home)
Home Before Dark*
Connection 1: horror genre- Night Shift*
Connection 2: short story collection- Christmas and Other Horrors: An Anthology of Solstice Horror*
Stop 1: Bree- first in series of 4
The Emperor's Blades*
Connection 1- someone on cover holding a sword- The Dragon Sword*
Connection 2- next in series- Oathsword*
Stop 2: Rivendell- valley or sanctuary in title
How Green Was My Valley*
Connection 1- Genre (historical fiction): The Whistling Season*
Connection 2- Setting: american west (western) Below Zero*
Stop 3: Moria- 75% black cover
Psycho*
Connection 1- horror classics- The Exorcist*
Connection 2- classics- The Picture of Dorian Grey*
Stop 4: The Black Gate- Iron in title
Age of Iron*
Connection 1- historical fiction: The Field of Swords*
Connection 2- "sword" in title: Blood Sword*
Finish: Mount Doom- 400-450 pages
Last Bus to Wisdom*