You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2025
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Marcus Alphabetizes
yay new year ahead!!So a little out of order but since I've been so productive, I'm considering list 7 after list 3 which goes as follows:
List 7: word in title
πA- Away: Not Fade Away
πB- Black: Black Hills
πC- Crow: The Blood Crows
πD- Dark: Dark Gods
πE- Evening: A God Strolling in the Cool of the Evening: A Novel
πF- Fortune: City of Fortune: How Venice Won and Lost a Naval Empire
πG- Girl: The Nightmare Girl
πH- Hand: By Bizarre Hands
πI- Island: Island 731
πJ- June: The Unmaking of June Farrow OR
πK- Kind: Child of Another Kind OR
πL- Lord: The Lord of Demons
πM- Murder: Moonflower Murders
πN- Name: Code Name Camelot
πO- Opal: Opal Country
πP- People: Independent People
πQ- Quiet: A Quiet Life
πR- Rain: The Art of Racing in the Rain
πS- Silver: Lord of the Silver Bow
πT- Tree: The Summer Tree
πU- Under: Under Enemy Colours
πV- Valley: In the Valley of the Sun
πW- West: South of the Border, West of the Sun
πY- Young: The Young Dictator
πZ- Zero: Patient Zero
List 2: TitlesA- American Gothic Tales*
B- Black Ops*
C- Cinema Speculation*
D- Drood*
E- Excession*
F- Falling in Love with Hominids*
G- Greatest Hits*
H- Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams*
I- I Was a Teenage Slasher*
J- Jingo*
K- The King of Shadows*
L- Lord of the Feast*
M- Memorials*
N-Night of Knives*
O- Outer Dark*
P- Paradise-1*
Q-Q*
R- The Rain Heron*
S- The Suicide Motor Club*
T- This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances*
U- Under a Graveyard Sky*
V- Viking Slave*
W- The Wild Inside*
Y-Young Bloods*
Z- Zero Hour*
List 3: Male AuthorsA- The Devils
B- Sharpe's Rifles*
C- Mavericks*
D- The Abominable
E- The Tao of Bill Murray: Real-Life Stories of Joy, Enlightenment, and Party Crashing*
F- 1632*
G-Neverwhere
H- Viking Jarl*
I- The Dangerous Book for Boys*
J- The Others*
K- Never Flinch*
L- In the Mad Mountains: Stories Inspired by H. P. Lovecraft*
M- The City and Its Uncertain Walls*
N- The Black Hunger*
O-A Mark of Kings*
P- Growing Things and Other Stories*
Q- Sexbot*
R- Mine*
S- Play of Shadows*
T- Hannibal Rising*
U- Rabbit, Run*
V- A Fire Upon the Deep*
W- Echoes of Honor
Y- Westlake Soul*
Z- The Primal Hunter*
Badge 1, Book 1Book: A History of Tea: The Life and Times of the World's Favorite Beverage
Format: softcover, 232 pages
Task: Read a book with theme- "Nature"
Exp: this book goes into the history of the discovery and cultivation methods of tea around the world and how that has changed over time and influenced many different societies who found the stimulating and soothing effects of tea so desirable. I learned a lot about different types of tea and different harvesting and packaging methods....nature and man in harmony :)
Badge 1, Book 2Book: Hannibal
Format: softcover, 564 pages
Task: Read a book with theme "Villainy"
Exp: this is the third book in the Hannibal Lecter series focusing on the hunt for the now escaped main villain of the series, the cannibal himself as he again thwarts the powers that be killing his victims in the most gruesome of ways
Good to see you post your first 2 books!I often wonder how people discovered that something was edible, or used to make a beverage. Does your first book discuss that?
Janice wrote: "Good to see you post your first 2 books!I often wonder how people discovered that something was edible, or used to make a beverage. Does your first book discuss that?"
It does but its a lot of speculation because it was long ago. they say that in China one of the nobles had a tea leaf drift down into his cup and it released its flavor into the water and he found it pleasing but this seems likely apocryphal but the true origin may have not been too far off...perhaps a boiling pot of water or something was similarly adulterated....untended tea plants apparently can grow to the size of trees
One can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how ancient people's discovered foods that were edible or drinkable. I'd hate to be the one that tried something poisonous. :)
Janice wrote: "One can spend a lot of time trying to figure out how ancient people's discovered foods that were edible or drinkable. I'd hate to be the one that tried something poisonous. :)"Right! Im sure those old societies had designated food tasters for that lol....like hey....Herbert you're a little crazy...eat this mushroom and let me know how you feel :)
Badge 1, Book 3Book: A Pirate Looks at Fifty
Format: softcover, 420 pages
Task: read a book with Theme: Pirates
Exp: an autobiographical collection of stories from the journal of Jimmy Buffett and a play on his Song "A Pirate Looks at 40". Growing up under the influence of his grandfather he was enchanted by tales of the real pirates of the Caribbean and sought to become a form of one himself with his stories recounting his nautical and air voyages through the region looking for plunder (usually rare fish) and adventure. He makes several references to the piratical lifestyle and its influences on him and his family over the years.
Badge 1, Book 4Book: Collected Ghost Stories
Format: softcover, 352 pages
Task: Read a book with theme- ghosts
Exp: This was a collection of ghost stories....i was not impressed...in general, I would much prefer rereading 20th Century Ghosts and am so excited that Joe Hill has a new book pending this year
Badge 1, Book 5Book: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires
Format: softcover, 410 pages
Task: Read a book about- Books
Exp: This book is about a group of suburban housewives who start a book club which varies in scope but has a fair amount of time devoted to true crime and horror stories particularly when a new arrival in the neighborhood raises some flags relating to the material they've been reading. Ultimately, the book club must join together using the knowledge they've gained to take down this threat to their homes and families and each section of the book is titled after a book relating to the story and/or that they ladies are currently reading.
What did you think of this book? I didn't like it as much as I thought I might
Janice wrote: "What did you think of this book? I didn't like it as much as I thought I might" I actually liked it a lot better than I thought I would which seems at odds with a segment of readers for sure. Maybe I was just in the right receptive sort of mindset or something, but I really was in it start to finish.
Badge 1, Book 6Book: Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors
Format: e-book, 327 pages
Task: Read a book about- History
Exp: This book is an autobiography by drummer for "The Doors" John Densmore and was a great retrospective on the career of the band and Jim's sad self-destruction which clearly was heavily sampled for the Oliver Stone movie. Such great music that has stood the test of time and has made a welcome comeback to my current music rotation.
With Southern Book Club, I assumed it was more a campy cozy which I was in the mood for. It was a bit more "serious" if you will and I just wanted something silly.
Badge 1, Book 7Book: The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession
Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
Task: Read a book about- True Crime
Exp: This is the true story of one of the most accomplished art thieves in history stealing an estimated 2 billion in art due to a compulsive disorder of personality seemingly.
Janice wrote: "With Southern Book Club, I assumed it was more a campy cozy which I was in the mood for. It was a bit more "serious" if you will and I just wanted something silly." That's fair. Yeah I went in expecting lighter horror as well based on his other works and was impressed with the seriousness of the threat and the nature of the vampire. I'm really excited for his new book about witches. the cover alone has me drooling
Badge 1, Book 8Book: The Troop
Format: softcover, 407 pages
Task: Read a book about- Survival
Exp: A small boyscout troop and their doctor/troop leader are on an isolated island which is beset by a unique infection and the boys soon find themselves drawing on their scout training to survive.
Badge 1, Book 9Book: Cujo
Format: Hardcover, 319 pages
Task: Read a book about- Dogs
Exp: As almost everyone is aware, Cujo is a St Bernard who unfortunately contracts rabies from a bat and then kills four people one of whom is a young boy Tad who dies of heat and dehydration while stuck in a car with his mother avoiding the beast
Badge 1, Book 10Book: Revelator
Format: softcover, 337 pages
Task: Read a book about- Religion
Exp: this book is about a unique cult/religion centering around a town where some women are born with the ability to commune and receive revelations from the "god in the mountain" which is a being that the current revelator sees differently than its worshipers
Badge 1, Book 11Book: The Daughters' War
Format: Hardcover, 388 pages
Task: Read a book about- Fantasy
Exp: fantasy genre book set in a world in which the characters are at war with a horde of goblins. Prequel to the book The Blacktongue Thief
I have the Blacktongue Thief which is sitting in my Audible library. Do you think a person should read the prequel first?
Janice wrote: "I have the Blacktongue Thief which is sitting in my Audible library. Do you think a person should read the prequel first?" No def ok to read Blacktongue first...there are references in Daughter's War that make more sense in that order rather than the other way around
Badge 1, Book 12Book: The Republic of Thieves
Format: Audiobook, 26 hours
Task: Read a book about - Love
Exp: In this third installment of the series, protagonist Locke Lamora and his love interest Sabetha are set against each other on a quest of political machinations in which their feelings for one another are complicated by their opposing tasks....who will win out?
I wonder if Scott Lynch will ever finish this series. I read The Republic of Thieves so long ago that I've lost the train of the series, so I doubt I'll red anything new. Unless I reread the first 3 books.
Janice wrote: "I wonder if Scott Lynch will ever finish this series. I read The Republic of Thieves so long ago that I've lost the train of the series, so I doubt I'll red anything new. Unless I reread the first ..." Yeah this was my return to the series after quite a few years away. Fantasy these days is leaving me wanting something more. I wish Abercrombie would get his edge back. I love everything John Gwynne does but one guy is not enough to fully feed my appetite.
Badge 1, Book 13Book: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls
Format: Hardcover, 482 pages
Task: Read a book with theme- women
Exp: this book is set in the 1970's when young unmarried women who found themselves "in the family way" were sent to homes for "wayward" girls and in this case those girls find some help for their predicament from a local coven living in the nearby woods
I forgot that I had subscribed to Scott Lynch's newsletter and it arrived in my mailbox yesterday. He's written a novel (or novella) about Locke when he was 13, full of teenaged angst. And he has written several new books, but not a word about The Thorn of Emberlain. I suspect he's given up on it.
Badge 1, Book 14Book: Suffer the Children
Format: softcover, 343 pages
Task: read a book theme- childhood
Exp: In this book, all of the prepubertal children of the world pass away only to return shortly after, changed. The book explores how parents initially react to the loss of children and what that means for the world and then confronted with their return, how far would the parents go to help their children survive. Sections of the book show things from the perspective of the parents and the children as events unfold.
Janice wrote: "I forgot that I had subscribed to Scott Lynch's newsletter and it arrived in my mailbox yesterday. He's written a novel (or novella) about Locke when he was 13, full of teenaged angst. And he has w..." Ahhh sadness. And what a coincidence :)
Badge 1, Book 15Book: Wrath of the Triple Goddess
Format: Hardcover, 322 pages
Task: read a book theme- mythology
Exp: This as all other Percy Jackson books do, draws on greek mythology where the demigods must do some pet sitting for the goddess Hecate
Badge 2, Book 2Book: Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street with the Man of Your Dreams
Format: softcover, 298 pages
Task: Title H
Exp: title starts with H
Looks like you finished badge 1. Congrats. :)
Janice wrote: "Looks like you finished badge 1. Congrats. :)" Thanks! Solid start to the literary year :)
Badge 2, Book 4Book: Cinema Speculation
Format: audiobook, 10hr, 9min
Task: Book with Title- C
Exp: title starts with C
Badge 2, Book 5Book: Greatest Hits
Format: softcover, 468 pages
Task: read a book with Title: G
Exp: title starts with G
Badge 2, Book 6Book: The Rain Heron
Format: softcover, 288 pages
Task: read a book with Title: R
Exp: title starts with R
Badge 2, Book 7Book: Zero Hour
Format: audiobook, 17hr, 20min
Task: read book Title starting with: Z
Exp: Title starts with Z
Badge 2, Book 8Book: American Gothic Tales
Format: softcover, 550 pages
Task: Read book with title starting with A
Exp: Title starts with A
Badge 2, Book 9Book: Falling in Love with Hominids
Format: softcover, 222 pages
Task: read a book starting with F
Exp: Title starts with F
Badge 2, Book 10Book: Excession
Format: softcover, 500 pages
Task: Read a book starting with letter E
Exp: Title starts with E. Culture series is very interesting scifi with each book taking place within the same world but otherwise loosely interconnected. This one was not my favorite but I could see it being great for the right reader
Badge 2, Book 11Book: This Skin Was Once Mine and Other Disturbances
Format: hardcover, 240 pages
Task: read a book with title T
Exp: Title begins with T, really interesting short collection of horror
Badge 2, Book 12Book: Q
Format: softcover, 196 pages
Task: Read book with Title Q
Exp: The whole title is Q! what a great find. super fun book
I always think of the character Q from Star Trek in situations like this.
Badge 2, Book 13Book: I Was a Teenage Slasher
Format: Hardcover, 373 pages
Task: read a book with Title: I
Exp: Title starts with I. Not bad but not great. This is my general summation of the works I've read from this author so far. I have his latest in the TBR stack so we'll see if it's a pleasant surprise or not.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Summer Tree (other topics)The Black Hunger (other topics)
Independent People (other topics)
South of the Border, West of the Sun (other topics)
The Black Hunger (other topics)
More...
πC - Childhood: Suffer the Children*
πD - Dogs: Cujo*
πF - Fantasy: The Daughters' War*
πG - Ghosts: Collected Ghost Stories*
πH - History: Riders on the Storm: My Life with Jim Morrison and the Doors*
πL - Love: The Republic of Thieves*
πM - Mythology: Wrath of the Triple Goddess*
πN - Nature: A History of Tea: The Life and Times of the World's Favorite Beverage*
πP - Pirates: A Pirate Looks at Fifty*
πR - Religion: Revelator*
πS - Survival: The Troop*
πT - True Crime: The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime, and a Dangerous Obsession*
πV - Villainy: Hannibal*
πW - Women: Witchcraft for Wayward Girls*