Play Book Tag discussion
2025 Activities and Challenges
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Conversations at The Compass
Thanks, BnB! Just want to mention that the colors red and white and even blue plus stars often feature on Christmas covers... just in case you can use a Christmas in July read for The Compass!
Some possibilities 
In fact I was just thinking about Atmosphere because it might likely have five+ tags for Stars... I am planning to read it in July, but I don't know that I am planning yet to read it for Compass. I am however planning to read the Olive Tree for Compass. Its set in Cyprus which is east of Italy for me, and its my 12th and last List Two Play Harder Prompt. I am thinking the book cover might work...
I've completed my first set of 12 travels and have met my original goal of recording cultural aspects of the places where I've gone.For my next set of 12 travels, I'd like to roam without any goals at all and be fancy-free. ;0)
Holly R W wrote: "I've completed my first set of 12 travels and have met my original goal of recording cultural aspects of the places where I've gone.For my next set of 12 travels, I'd like to roam without any goa..."
That sounds relaxing. I haven’t restated my goals yet (meaningful books), but I might lighten up my expectations. Looking back, I like that there are some themes in my reading this year. Some of the connections between two books have made both of them more interesting.
I am headed Southeast from Hawaii. I was planning to read Violeta by Isabel Allende, set in Chile. I’m first in line on the waiting list. I’m looking for backup options in case I don’t get it by Monday,
SE brings me to the southern part of South America, or nearby islands or ocean trips. Chile, Argentina, Buenos Aries, Montevideo, Falkland Islands. I could use a humorous book for another challenge, or of course speculative fiction. Many of my compass books have been in or near the ocean this year. I’m open to more of those, but I could use a little more time on dry land. Any suggestions?
So far, I’m looking at
Furia
Who Is Vera Kelly?
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao too far north
Chilean Poet
My Name Is Emilia del Valle - request purchase
Nancy, I loved Chilean Poet. I recently read My Name Is Emilia del Valle. It was okay, but not as good as the author's Violeta.
My last spin isn't working out, so I'd like a new spin on Wednesday. Thank you
I’m headed back to Australia again, or to New Caledonia with Miss Benson's Beetle.I’m not doing very well with my tag reading this month, and I really like the speculative fiction tag. I have a lot going on, and my challenges (and library holds) lure me away to other kinds of books.
Does anyone have a favorite speculative book set in Australia?
I recall seeing two different books about people on a beach in Australia. At least one was speculative or horror or something edgier than a beach read.
NancyJ wrote: "I’m headed back to Australia again, or to New Caledonia with Miss Benson's Beetle.I’m not doing very well with my tag reading this month, and I really like the speculative fiction..."
I was going to say The Rain Heron, but I checked and you have already read it.
I wonder if On the Beach would be considered speculative fiction.
And there is a listopia:
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/9...
The Natural Way of Things is on my tbr and came well recommended ages ago.
On the Beach is definitely speculative fiction.
Thanks!I loved The Rain Heron, I want to read more by this author.
There is a newer book with a plot that sounds a lot like a The Natural Way of Things, but maybe underground?
I think I was confusing on the island with a book that was made into a movie with Leonardo D.
I liked Nevil Shute before, so this might be a good time for On The Beach. Thanks Joy - the last line in your review will help me decide if now is the time.
Dogs, we love them and guess what? August is National Dog Month.You know what that means, a free ticket if you read a book with a dog in the title, on the cover, has 5 dog tags, is in the author's name or you can prove that it significantly involves a dog.
Booknblues wrote: "Dogs, we love them and guess what? August is National Dog Month.You know what that means, a free ticket if you read a book with a dog in the title, on the cover, has 5 dog tags, is in the author'..."
I love this!
And also hate my spin - I'm in Montreal and my new direction is North. I'm going to pick a fun Hunky Dogs book and use a free spin to match wherever that book takes me.
Sue wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Dogs, we love them and guess what? August is National Dog Month.You know what that means, a free ticket if you read a book with a dog in the title, on the cover, has 5 dog tags..."
Can't wait to see what you read!
I spent some lovely time reviewing my Studly Dogs TBR Tower, determining where in the US (mostly) my next hunky dog will be located. I'll see what direction I get on my next spin - as I have a book for this one already and it has a dog but may not feature sufficiently to qualify for the mini-challenge.
I need a solid studly dog read at the moment.
Booknblues wrote: "Dogs, we love them and guess what? August is National Dog Month.You know what that means, a free ticket if you read a book with a dog in the title, on the cover, has 5 dog tags, is in the author'..."
We adopted a golden doodle named Gracie, so this book jumped out at me: Amazing Gracie: A Dog's Tale. If the dog is big, goofy, bouncy, and affectionate, I’ll love it. Or if she steals food off the stove, same.
——
My other option fits my new direction
Reading with... Martha Batalha
Oct 20, 2017 — The Invisible Life of Euridice ... The style is as dry as the scenario; the warmest character is the family pet, a dog called "Baleia.
Mutant Message Down Under, set in Australia, was published as a memoir, but it's probably at least partly spec fiction.
Many of you already read Middlesex. I’m hoping to use it for The Compass. It seems to start in Michigan. Which setting (s) do you think would be legitimate for the game? The Goodreads listing shows:
Setting
Bursa (Turkey), Izmir (Turkey), Detroit, Michigan (United States), Berlin (Germany), Michigan (United States), San Francisco, California (United States), Grosse Pointe, Michigan (United States)
If I recall correctly the majority of the story takes place in Detroit.
Joy D wrote: "If I recall correctly the majority of the story takes place in Detroit."Thanks Joy, I am really loving this book. It’s fantastic on audio. I just listened to the description of his grandfather’s job on the Ford Assembly in fast speed and it was exhilarating. It was Homeric.
Theresa wrote: "Well, East does not fit the books I have in hand to read at the moment - SE would fit 2 of them. But East may be doable once I look -- I am leaving from the far north of Scotland - Nairn - and that..."Do you have anything near Stockholm or south of Oslo in Norway?
Stockholm Sweden works for East. (Distance.to shows it as 82 degrees (East). Oslo is closer to ENE, but there might be a Jo Nesbo that fits. (Oslo is 72 degrees from Nairn (ENE) on Distance.to. It’s 18 degrees off of 90, but it’s much closer to East than to Northeast, so it could work.)
These work:
The Dogs of Riga by Mankell is East. It’s set in Riga Latvia, and Ystad Sweden. 92 and 102 degress (east)
Faceless Killers - also Ystad
The Ice Princess - Fjallbacka Sweden
Roseanna - Lake Vatter
Keeper of lost causes - Copenhagen
Blood on Snow Jo Nesbo, Oslo. ENE
Best Swedish crime
https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...
Thanks Nancy. I will add them for future consideration. Really am trying to pull from my huge collection in TBR Towers, which heavily lean crime fiction, thus my The Compass theme. I actually pulled out an historical crime fiction, first in a series I have wanted to try, set in Moscow. The back-up is set in Stockholm vicinity. There are also Noirs, but I am not in mood for them.
My real issues are limited reading time vs. reading commitments vs mood.
Theresa wrote: "Thanks Nancy. I will add them for future consideration. Really am trying to pull from my huge collection in TBR Towers, which heavily lean crime fiction, thus my The Compass theme. I actually pul..."
Moscow is a great choice.
I am looking for a book set in Quebec, Canada-Need some help!!
Joanne wrote: "I am looking for a book set in Quebec, Canada-Need some help!!"Province or city?
Joanne wrote: "I am looking for a book set in Quebec, Canada-Need some help!!"I have 14 books tagged "Quebec" and 1 tagged "Quebec City" if you want to take a look:
Quebec: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Quebec City: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
Booknblues wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I am looking for a book set in Quebec, Canada-Need some help!!"Province or city?"
It could be either, depending on where it is at. I need to go west from Licolnshire. England
@JoAnne - check these lists for Quebec City and Quebec:https://www.quebec-cite.com/en/quebec... - the Willa Cather especially
https://fivebooks.com/best-books/queb...
https://www.librarything.com/topic/5043
https://www.reddit.com/r/quebeccity/c... - these seem to be only partially set in Quebec City but look anyway
Also this one fits other history reading you have done: Through a Howling Wilderness: Benedict Arnold's March to Quebec, 1775
Joanne wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Joanne wrote: "I am looking for a book set in Quebec, Canada-Need some help!!"Province or city?"
It could be either, depending on where it is at. I need to go west from Licoln..."
I don't know if you read the Three Pines books by Louise Penny, but Bury Your Dead is primarily set in the city of Quebec and describes it so well, that I wanted to visit.
Also there is a travel book, I loved in which he travels through a large portion of Quebec and he does talk quite a bit about the history, Where the Falcon Flies: A 3,400 Kilometre Odyssey From My Doorstep to the Arctic. I thought it was excellent.
For a little further west in Saskatoon is a mystery series that begins with Amuse Bouche.
Thanks all. Fran, I thought about Penny, as I have never read her-but the 1st book is set in Montreal, which is too far South. I am a purist and cannot read a series out of order.Theresa, I ordered the Willa Cather
I'm just a bit late for this but for a free ticket for September, please review a children's book that fits the Around the World tag.You will earn one free ticket.
Are there many children's books that fit the required page count of 150? Maybe I'm not thinking out of the box enough.
Booknblues wrote: "I'm just a bit late for this but for a free ticket for September, please review a children's book that fits the Around the World tag.You will earn one free ticket."
I have just finished one, for those interested since I am not participating in the challenge: The Magic Moonlight Flower and Other Enchanting Stories.
On second thought, I think it is under 150 pages, depending on the edition.
Italian Folktales by Italo Calvino and Russian Folk Tales by Afanasyev are collections
Joy D wrote: "Are there many children's books that fit the required page count of 150? Maybe I'm not thinking out of the box enough."I think in this case I won't require it.
I love children's books and maybe by reading some, we can pass them on to others who will really appreciate it.
Joy D wrote: "Are there many children's books that fit the required page count of 150? Maybe I'm not thinking out of the box enough."What pops immediately to mind are collections of fables and fairytales.
Fran - can you clarify the rules and definition of children's book? Length especially?
Personally I would look at the prize categories for children's books which include chapter books and what are called middle grade books now.
Joanne wrote: "Thanks all. Fran, I thought about Penny, as I have never read her-but the 1st book is set in Montreal, which is too far South. I am a purist and cannot read a series out of order.Theresa, I order..."
Will be curious how you like it. It has intrigued me!
Booknblues wrote: "I think in this case I won't require it.I love children's books and maybe by reading some, we can pass them on to others who will really appreciate it...."
Sounds good, thanks!
Theresa wrote: "JFran - can you clarify the rules and definition of children's book? Length especially? ..."For children's books, I see them falling into 3 categories-
Young Adult - teens
Chapter Books for elementary and middle grades
Picture books for Preschool and Early Elementary.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is only 96 pages. Will this work?I like the idea of reading children’s books from other countries. They might show different aspects of the culture.
Children’s books from Asian cultures
https://markham.bibliocommons.com/v2/...
NancyJ wrote: "The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is only 96 pages. Will this work?I like the idea of reading children’s books from other countries. They might show dif..."
Nancy, yes that will work.
I didn't quite finish my previous answer, because the dinner bell rang.
I'm waiving the page requirement for this because I would love to see some picture books.
My idea is to look at the books to see if they are culturally accurate and not presenting stereotypes.
With the trend to ban books, and limit diversity while not assuring that representation is true and fair, it would be nice to see some books for children of all age which show a range of diversity and fairness.
Booknblues wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is only 96 pages. Will this work?I like the idea of reading children’s books from other countries. They..."
Oh, no doubt that I can load up on some free spins with this one!
I have some wonderful children's picture books I"ve collected on my travels! I will be hunting out some of them for sure. But I might just see what else I can find around the world!I love that you came up with this, Fran! I think including a children's book option from time to time in these year long challenges is refreshing!
Le Petit Prince is one of my favorite books. I have a cherished but battered copy given to me in college by one of my best friends. Tme for a reread I think. Hopefully the spinner will cooperate!
Booknblues wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry is only 96 pages. Will this work?I like the idea of reading children’s books from other countries. They..."
As of last night I have a new great niece! So I’ll need to pick up something for her older sister. Them have a Spanish surname, so I’ll be looking for authors with the same.
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Books mentioned in this topic
The Little Prince (other topics)Le Petit Prince (other topics)
The Little Prince (other topics)
The Little Prince (other topics)
The Little Prince (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (other topics)Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (other topics)
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (other topics)
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You may only earn one free ticket in July and this is how you can do it. You can find one of the following words in the title of the book or the authors name. You may also ..."
Awesome!
This is the first book I thought of:
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
It doesn’t have any location info or tags, so it’s probably not a good book for compass though. I’m sure I have others that will work.