Badge One Help

[♞ Pat]

Laura wrote: "On that topic I was wondering if this would work for true crime:

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

It focuses on the women he killed. I’m guessing..."


That book is really fantastic.

[Peggy]

Kristie, when I read your question about addie larue I had just started the book and wasn't sure. But I just finished and it is a good fit for the villainy task (in my opinion)

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Peggy. :)

[Roz]

Janice wrote: "I don't know what is happening to my reply to you Peggy, it keeps deleting my response and only showing your quoted bit.

Yes, I think your choice will work. I plan on reading The Wager: A Ta..."</i>

I was planning on reading [book:The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder for the History task.

[Janice, Moderator]

That would work too Roz. We could maybe do it as a buddy read.

[Laura]

♞ Pat wrote: "Laura wrote: "On that topic I was wondering if this would work for true crime:

The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

It focuses on the women he killed..."

Thanks so much for your note, Pat! I’ve been going back and forth a bit bc some reviews said it was a bit dry but looking at the blurb and other reviews…..it feels like it would be awesome.

Thank you.

[Laura]

Janice would a witchy HF encompassing any of the witch trials work for religion? Or are you looking specifically for something where religion is on the main book page?

I’m also thinking about a book about witchcraft for religion as an alternate. White witches practice Wicca. I’m hoping this would work?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca

[Janice, Moderator]

I would consider Wicca as a religion. What I'm looking for is that religion or religious beliefs is a theme included in the book. The witch trials in Salem and other parts of the world were often fraught with religious zeal by the accusers.

[Laura]

Exactly, so I was hoping a book about a woman suspected of being a witch during those time periods would work. Thanks.

But let’s say there are no witch trials, but a main character practices white witchcraft. Would Wicca or something similar actually need to be mentioned, or would the practice be enough?

[Janice, Moderator]

I think it would need to be clear that the witch is practicing Wicca. I find that some of these witchy books are fanciful, and don't have much substance. I just finished reading one that would be a good case in point, Dark, Witch & Creamy. I wouldn't say that book had any religious themes at all.

[Laura]

Ok makes sense. Thanks Janice.

[Emma R.]

This may be a stretch, but thoughts on using We Carry Their Bones: The Search for Justice at the Dozier School for Boys for Villainy?

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, I would consider it appropriate. It sounds like the institution is the villain.

[♞ Pat]

Laura wrote: "Thanks so much for your note, Pat! I’ve been going back and forth a bit bc some reviews said it was a bit dry but looking at the blurb and other reviews…..it feels like it would be awesome.

Thank you...."

You're welcome! I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[♞ Pat]

Laura wrote: "Exactly, so I was hoping a book about a woman suspected of being a witch during those time periods would work. Thanks.

But let’s say there are no witch trials, but a main character practices whit..."

I think Hour of the Witch might fit what you're looking for. It's both religious from the perspective of the woman as well as from the perspective of her community.

It would fit the villian task as well as her husband is a right b@$+@*d.

[Laura]

Thanks so much, Pat.

HotW has been on my radar too, as I really like the author. I've stayed away bc it seems like it may be *too* dark for me.

[Katrisa]

Hey Janice are space pirates ok or do they have to be sea pirates? I am wondering about the firefly books. This is the one I am thinking of
Generations

[Janice, Moderator]

I'm not adverse to someone reading a book with a theme of space pirates. I'm not sure Generations could be classified as pirates though. They are a salvage ship, but that doesn't make them pirates. How would this book fit the theme?

[Katrisa]

The crew are basically outlaw smugglers which I associate with pirates. This particular book focuses on the generation ship and salvaging but that isn't all they do. Would a different plot be better? I own all the firefly books.
Also would you consider scientology for the religion task?

[Katrisa]

this is a quote from a review of the show that the books are based on
"Captain Malcolm Reynolds, who was a sergeant on the losing side in the war six years ago, is now something of a space pirate who makes money any way he can ..."

[Janice, Moderator]

I'll accept your reasoning for the pirate theme.

Yes, scientology will work for the religious theme. A memoir by Leah Remini would be perfect. What did you have in mind?

[Katrisa]

Remini's book is exactly what I had in mind!

[Janice, Moderator]

I'll bet it will be interesting.

[Jayme, Moderator]

Janice wrote: "That would work too Roz. We could maybe do it as a buddy read."

I was planning on reading The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder for the Survival task. we should do a buddy read :)

[Beth]

Janice wrote: "Just be prepared Peggy, the series isn't complete for Locke Lamorrow. Scott Lynch seems to have quit after book 3."

I have several series like that--really don't want to commit to another, so thanks for the heads up on that!

[Beth]

Just gophering until I can go home. No one else in office and if I leave, someone is sure to have a crisis and make a fuss that we weren't here...

Janice, I am trying to decide if Ben Hur would work for either history or religion? It's historical fiction from New Testament times. It's 1001 books book that I've been dreading, so it just sits on my shelf. Trying to knock it away in first days of year so I can get it off shelves and out into a little free library...

[Janice, Moderator]

I think it would be either, Beth.

[Janice, Moderator]

Jayme & Roz, I'll set up a buddy read thread for it and we can work it out as to when we'll read it.

[Beth]

Janice wrote: "I think it would be either, Beth."

Great. Back to obsessively planning!

[Beth]

Ok, so would this count for books about books: On Writers and Writing? About the craft of writing...

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, it definitely has the theme of books.

[Beth]

Janice wrote: "Yes, it definitely has the theme of books."

Thank you!!! Exactly one book definitely placed...

[Jayme, Moderator]

Last peak at Goodreads before the morning Christmas rush begins.

Janice - for the history task historical fiction will work? For some reason I was thinking it had to be nonfiction with the MPG history.

[Laura]

Happy Holidays to all, in whatever form you celebrate!

I actually just assumed HF would work for that task, glad you asked, Jayme 😬

[Janice, Moderator]

Jayme wrote: "Last peak at Goodreads before the morning Christmas rush begins.

Janice - for the history task historical fiction will work? For some reason I was thinking it had to be nonfiction with the MPG his..."

Yes, historical fiction will work if it's focused on a historical event or person. Simply having it set in the past isn't really sufficient.

It doesn't have to be non fiction.

[Laura]

I’ve been assuming too much about some of these themes 😬😵‍💫

Could a whodunit where someone was killed or a major type of crime was committed work for villainy?

Also checking that books typically read in childhood would work for that theme, since I’m seeing childhood on the main book page for many of those? (Or does the protagonist also have to be a child under a certain age, etc?)

[Janice, Moderator]

I wouldn't say every whodunit would classify for villainy, nor would any book shelved as children.

Here's what I found on the web: A literary theme is the main idea or underlying meaning a writer explores in a novel, short story, or other literary work. The theme of a story can be conveyed using characters, setting, dialogue, plot, or a combination of all of these elements.

Is the author exploring the villainy of a murderer in a whodunit? Or is he/she just solving a crime? What point is the author making about a villain? I'm going to read The Silence of the Lambs. The FBI turn to a villain to help profile what makes another villain tick.

Same thing about children. The Secret Garden would be a good book because it deals with an orphan transplanted into a wealthy home where she discovers another child hidden away because of illness. It's about overcoming and being joyful from a child's point of view.

[Laura]

Ah, ok, makes sense. So we want to be exploring childhood itself, vs reading a book that ppl typically read in childhood.

I see where not just any murder mystery would count bc the focus is more on solving the crime. But perhaps some could, if the focus was on the villain or perhaps a serial killer being profiled.

I think I get it now. Thanks, Janice. I really like this challenge but it’s a little more challenging than I first thought lol.

Hmm……So I guess the theme of women becomes a bit more complex too. I was thinking perhaps witches bc I’ve been into them a lot in recent months and women were often persecuted bc being thought of as witches, etc., and that would be a major theme of a book like that.

But I’ve got a bit burned out on the darker side of witches lately. And I’m betting a light witchy book would not work bc the theme would be more magical than based on women. My guess you’re looking for something like women astronauts, women such as the Wrens in WWI or II, or perhaps a book that explores a women’s issue such as abusive relationships or infertility, etc., is more what you’re thinking?

So my book on the women Jack the Ripper killed would work for women, true crime and also villainy. The Five: The Untold Lives of the Women Killed by Jack the Ripper

[Jayme, Moderator]

Thanks, Janice. That changes what I might read : )

[Janice, Moderator]

I think you're on the right track now, Lara. The Five would fit all three, though villainy is a sub-theme. It's heavy on the theme of women because it examines the women's lives. AI says it goes into dehumanization/erasure, poverty/class inequality, gender inequality, victim blaming, etc. Boy, doesn't AI make me sound smart?

Just remember not to confuse theme with genre. I think the exception to that would be fantasy. In retrospect, I should have used friendship or something else that starts with an f, but I'll allow that one to fall under the genre category.

[Marie Claude]

Good morning,
I was wondering about the "nature" theme and how far it can reach. Can we add reflections about the environment and our place in the universe? Or am I stretching the word nature too far to include not only the nature - as pointing to wilderness - but also include our own nature as human?

I was thinking about the book Orbital. I received it as a gift from my son and it will decide if I wait until January 1st to start it ;)

[Janice, Moderator]

Yes, I think it would work Marie Claude.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Janice - Do you think The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell fit for childhood and/or religion? I haven't read it yet, so I can only tell you what I've gathered from the blurb, reviews, & tags. I think it fits both, but want to confirm with you.

I think most of the story is about a boy trying to deal with bullying around an eye condition. It is marked as a coming of age story. It is also set in a Catholic school with a very religious mother and a nun who is the school principal and one of the bullies of Sam. His name is Sam Hill and they call him Sam Hell. I think a lot of the story involves faith and forgiveness. Religion is tagged in the first page of tags and coming-of-age on the book's main page.

[Janice, Moderator]

I haven't read it either, Kristie, but I think it would fit either childhood or religion.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Janice. Of course I'll know more once I read it, but wanted to make sure I was at least on track.

[Jayme, Moderator]

Kristie wrote: "Janice - Do you think The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell fit for childhood and/or religion? I haven't read it yet, so I can only tell you what I've gathered from the blurb, reviews,..."

Kristie - I've read it and it would definitely fit better for childhood since a majority of it is his reflection of his childhood and those who saved him.

[Kristie, Moderator]

Thanks, Jayme. I listened to the sample and plugged it into religion, but I can easily move it over to childhood before reporting.

[Viji]

Would The Godfather be acceptable for the theme Villainy? Thanks.

[Janice, Moderator]

I think so Viji.

[Viji]

Janice wrote: "I think so Viji."

Thanks, Janice.