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Play Harder Second Quarter Prompt Swap
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I had fruit or vegetable on my original list and didn't find anything for it until my local library book group chose The Berry Pickers.
Amy wrote: "I am in A LOT of Long Books these days. And I really most prefer the 3-400's. But there are all these Long Books on my TBR that seem to be getting knocked off this year. I am in Onyx Storm right no..."I was originally going to read Sexing the Cherry because I like the author, but the audio narration was grating (and I really hated the title). I had other options (with peach, Lemon, Orange) but it was my only remaining prompt and I wanted to join in the swap.
I really liked The Berry Pickers.
Anita wrote: "LibraryCin wrote: "Amy wrote: "You guys are too funny!!!! I got a text from Joanne at 7:15 and one from Theresa at ten of nine. "I have a very unrelated question here.
What is "ten of nine"? Is..."
It has really slipped from usage since digital clocks came along and you see the exact numerical time.. It came from telling time by looking at a clock face - you would say ten of 9 or ten to 9 for 8:50, or even 'it's about ten of 9'. You would say ten after 9 for 9:10. No other phrase for 9:10 that I can recall so there would have been no ambiguity about ten of 9.
It is phrased, as is 'half past', 'quarter of', 'quarter after' etc. On the position of the big hand in relation to the little hand on a clock face.
A side bit: my father refered to digital clocks as digitalis clocks.
Where are we in the prompt swap? Are we finished?
Never mind, I see it's MelanieJoy's turn since her prompt got stolen.
I stole Amy's so she will have to pick another one at some point.
Robin P wrote: "I stole Amy's so she will have to pick another one at some point."Robin - Amy stole MelanieJoy's, so Melanie is up next. Only #2 remains unopened.
Sorry for the delay!I'll steal fairytale retelling again. (#6 I think)
Weirdly, I am going to take #2. It must be mine. I put it in because I had nothing for it. But literally one hour ago I realized a book I was about to read for another purpose will fit!I might have taken #2 if I went first because I have always had a strong preference for even numbers.
Robin P wrote: "Weirdly, I am going to take #2. It must be mine. I put it in because I had nothing for it. But literally one hour ago I realized a book I was about to read for another purpose will fit!I might ha..."
And with Robin's selection of #2, the swap is over!
2. Read a book where the main character is an artist
Is everyone clear on what they have??
Robin P wrote: "Weirdly, I am going to take #2. It must be mine. I put it in because I had nothing for it. But literally one hour ago I realized a book I was about to read for another purpose will fit!I might ha..."
Robin, out of curiosity, what is the book?
It sounds like all of us have a prompt we can use.
Thanks everyone!
The book is Surfacing by Margaret Atwood. The main character is a commercial artist but I chose it because I needed a book set in Canada for another challenge and I wanted one that wasn't too long. I had thought of The Covenant of Water but it's such a big undertaking.
Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator
Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"Well, there's always Murderbot, or the dog Chet from the Chet & Bernie mysteries.
Robin, another book on my list that has an artist main character is The Paradise Problem if you need a lighter read. I just discovered that I have that on audiobook and I have that prompt as well so I'll be using it myself.
Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"if you're into fantasy, you could also do Fae or Vampire...
Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a ghost - The Lovely Bones!
A fun mystery narrated by a cat - sort of - is Nine Lives to Murder.
Then there are sheep - a whole flock - in the quirky Three Bags Full
Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a ghost - The Lovely Bones!
A fun myste..."
I just saw a new book by the author of Three bags full, i do have murderbot on my tbr
Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a ghost - [book:The Lovely Bones|1223293..."
Oh! That must mean her other books are being translated into English, finally! She is a German author.
For a long time I watched for translations then just stopped.
Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"I’d suggest a murderbot book. He has some human parts, but he’s mostly AI. It fits the computer/tech prompt, so I might read it for my new prompt. I thought of Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism about Facebook, but the wait is long.
Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"Olivetti. Has an unusual narrator.
Fabulous book with an artist is the color of ice by Barbara Lynn Probst. I believe I mailed that one to Joanne.
Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a ghost -..."
I may have to read it. I just looked it up it is Big Bad Wool. It just came out this month.
I saw that you were planning to read The Lovely Bones. Have you read it yet? I do love a book narrated by a ghost. I read that long ago and it still sends chills.
Another one which is told by a ghost and made my top 10 of the year was Briefly, A Delicious Life.
Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a gho..."
Just a warning, the reason the narrator is a ghost in The Lovely Bones is traumatic.
Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a ghost - The Lovely Bones!
A fun myste..."
I give a second on Three Bags Full, I loved this book
Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read is narrated by a gho..."
I added Three Bags Full to my tbr. It sounds as funny as Feral Creatures but cozier. Briefly hit me just right. Nell Steven’s new book about an artist/art forger is coming out in July.
Lovely Bones was too sad for me back then.
Robin P wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Theresa wrote: "Booknblues wrote: "Hurray and now to find an animal, ghost or alien narrator"LOL. The Bram Stoker Award book I plan to read i..."
I am very aware of what The Lovely Bones is as the year it came out it was up for lots of awards including crime fiction ones.
Many I know read and prized it. My reading tHe was exclusively light. I always meant to read it.
BnB - won't get to it for a bit as I have had very little time to read and right now need to make progress in my The Compass book.
Robin P wrote: "Ten of nine means 9 minutes before 10:00, that is 9:50. It's maybe a bit old fashioned, I would probably say "ten to nine"...."Wow, I was completely off! I always would say "ten to nine" - makes much more sense. It's obvious it's before 9:00, right?
(It just leaves out the word "minutes": "ten minutes to nine".)
"Ten of nine" being 9:50 just doesn't compute at all with me! Thank you.
Robin P wrote: "I get confused by "half ten" meaning 10:30 in Britain. I think in German it's the same "halb sechs" means 6:30...."This would confuse me, too.
Anita wrote: "It's 8:50, Cindy. 10 minutes before 9:00. Sometimes also phrased as "ten to nine" lol. Maybe it's an American language quirk!?..."Oh, this makes more sense than 9:50, at least! LOL! But apparently it is still confusing to other Americans? :-)
Theresa wrote: "It has really slipped from usage since digital clocks came along and you see the exact numerical time....."Oh, see I have always (and still) use(d) "ten to nine" or "ten after nine". "ten to nine" meaning ten minutes before nine.
But what I found confusing is the word "of" doesn't indicate to me either before or after, whereas "to" kind of does (and "after" is obvious).
Theresa wrote: "'quarter of'...""Quarter of" doesn't makes sense to me either because "of" doesn't necessarily mean before to me. "Quarter to" however does make more sense to me. I use "quarter to" and "quarter after".
I guess at the half hour mark, I tend to use the digital clock version. :-) "Half past" at least does make sense to me, though
Thank you all for explaining to "of" time tangent! :-)
LibraryCin wrote: "Theresa wrote: "'quarter of'...""Quarter of" doesn't makes sense to me either because "of" doesn't necessarily mean before to me. "Quarter to" however does make more sense to me. I use "quarter t..."
According to Merriam Webster Dictionary 'of' is a preposition used as a function word and in a large variety of ways, including relative to time - and 'before' specifically:
11
a—used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence
died of a Monday
b: before
quarter of ten.
There are 12 function uses altogether.
Theresa wrote: "According to Merriam Webster Dictionary 'of' is a preposition used as a function word and in a large variety of ways, including relative to time - and 'before' specifically:..."Oh, that's interesting. Thanks, Theresa. I never associated "of" with "before" before.
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I have a very unrelated question here.
What is "ten of nine"? Is that ten minutes b..."
It's 8:50, Cindy. 10 minutes before 9:00. Sometimes also phrased as "ten to nine" lol. Maybe it's an American language quirk!?