Historical Fictionistas discussion
Challenges
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Challenge Task Suggestions - ONGOING
Read a book that follows the pattern:The __________'s __________ (The Memory Keeper's Daughter)
or
The ____________ who ____________ (The Girl who Played with Fire)
Read a book that takes place on an island.
Create a random list of subjects or characters to choose from for a task, such as: twins, a physician, a political subject or idea, a treasure or antiquity, a real hero, the road to success or survival. You get my drift.
the Tour de France is in July - read a book set in FranceComic Con is also in July - read a Graphic Novel
August contains Elvis Week - read a book set in the 1950s
a suggestion for any challenge - read an alternate version of history book (a "what if this had happened" book)
Read a book about a club, league, society, group, cult, etc.
Butterflycager wrote: "Read a book with an occupation mentioned in the title.Read four different books each with a different color mentioned in the title.
Pronoun challenge item: read books that have I, she, he, it, t..."
I like the 4 books with different colors in the title.
Carla wrote: "the Tour de France is in July - read a book set in FranceComic Con is also in July - read a Graphic Novel
August contains Elvis Week - read a book set in the 1950s
a suggestion for any challenge ..."
I like the Elvis task. It made me swivel my hips..not a pretty sight.
Read a book with a main character has a different relgion or belief system than you have.July 24th is Parent's day- Read a HF book that has new parents
Read a HF with a herbal practioner or apothocary.
August is American Indian Heritage month-read a book from the Native American's POV.
I grabbed these ideas from another group:-a book set in a place you have no interest in visiting (i.e. Antarctica or Hell)
-good for the October/November challenge = a scary story, or one with a ghost/haunted house
-biography/autobiography of a current or past celebrity
-book in a series that isn't the 1st or last (the series must have at least 3 books)
-read a humorous book/a book written by a comedian
-"travel" to one of the modern 7 wonders of the world - read a book located near/at one of these wonders (great wall of China; Petra, Jordan; Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janero; Manchu Picchu, Peru; Chichen Itza, Mexico; Colosseum, Rome; Taj Mahal, Agra, India)
Ooo, I love the idea of visiting a place I have no interest in visiting... you wouldn't happen to know of a book that takes place in hell? I would totally read that.I also like the seven wonders of the world idea, especially Manchu Picchu (I wonder if there are any books on that topic?) and the Taj Mahal.
I got one! I got one!Go to a globe, spin it around, and put your finger on a random place. You have to read a book that takes place in the area where your finger lands.
September is Agatha Christie's birthday. Read a Historical Mystery set in England in the 20's or 30's.
Teralyn - I like your idea about spinning the globe.Here are a few books set in Hell:
The Divine Comedy (part 1) - Dante
Hell - Robert Olen Butler
God's Demon - Wayne Douglas Barlow
The Incompleat Nift - Michael Shae
To Reign in Hell: A Novel - Steven Brust
I've only read Dante's Inferno, so I have no idea if any of other these other books are good, but Hell by Butler sounds cool.
Teralyn wrote: "Ooo, I love the idea of visiting a place I have no interest in visiting... you wouldn't happen to know of a book that takes place in hell? I would totally read that.I also like the seven wonder..."
Hi Teralyn:
I read Taj.
It was OK (see my review below) but seemed hard to follow. I hope this helps. "The author kept skipping between the love story and the building of the Taj. All the even chapters were devoted to the love story and the odd chapters were devoted to the building of the Taj. Just as you got refamilarized with the characters it would switch to the other story. It wasn't to my liking."
Keith
Emily wrote: "Read a book with a main character has a different relgion or belief system than you have.July 24th is Parent's day- Read a HF book that has new parents
Read a HF with a herbal practioner or ..."
I like your ideas Emily!
Shadow Princess: A Novel focuses on both the building of the Taj and the love story rather well. I recommend starting with the first one The Twentieth Wife to get a full family background, however, Shadow Princess can stand on it's own. If anyone would like to swap please let me know as I own it and will be putting it up on GR swap soon. HF group members would get first dibs on it.
Read a book suggested by an author you like that they say is one of their influences or favorites.
ToniS wrote: "Read a book suggested by an author you like that they say is one of their influences or favorites."Robert Van Gulik. Any one of the novels about the Chinese Judge Dee is wonderful. My favorite is MURDER IN CANTON.
Read a work of literary criticism.Read a book with the name of a town, city, or state in the title.
Read a book that takes place at a school or college.
Read a book with a jewel in the title: jewel, diamond, jade, opal, ruby, emerald, sapphire, peridot, etc.
Like Bee and Jen, I have permanent UK fever (although I couldn't care less about the royals).If that's the ballpark, then I think Trollope has to be considered!
Shelley
Rain: A Dust Bowl Story
http://dustbowlpoetry.wordpress.com
Read about or set in the Middle East: Israel, Palestine, Iraq, Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Libia. Did I miss any?
Read a book with a ranch or cowboys in the American West, Australia or Argentina.
Luckngrace wrote: "Read a book with a ranch or cowboys in the American West, Australia or Argentina."I love this idea. I would never choose a book like that on my own, which is why I like the challenges so much, it stretches my reading
Carla wrote: "Luckngrace wrote: "Read a book with a ranch or cowboys in the American West, Australia or Argentina."I love this idea. I would never choose a book like that on my own, which is why I like the cha..."
Thanks. I read so much and I really like to switch it up, so I'm always looking for the new and different (although most of my TBR is older HF because I'm a bargain hunter, too).
a generational HF - meaning it covers multiple generations of a family
Luckingrace, You are on a roll! I love all your ideas, especially (1) a jewel in the title, (2) Read a book in the American West, Australia or Argentina (I vote for Australia) (3) Read about Middle East (would like to be able to pick the one I want.
School is starting soon - what about a HF set in a school/college? Read a HF featuring a sport - football, basketball, etc.
A two-book challenge - Read a HF written from a male perspective. Read another HF written from a female perspective.
Read a book by an author who shares your first name.Read a book by an author who shares your last name.
Maude wrote: "Luckingrace, You are on a roll! I love all your ideas, especially (1) a jewel in the title, (2) Read a book in the American West, Australia or Argentina (I vote for Australia) (3) Read about Middl..."Thanks Maude. I just thought of another one. Read a book about a disease, affliction or condition. Examples: plague, homophilia (the royals had problems with this), bipolar disorder, flesheating disease, sci-fi fictional diseases. I could make a whole challenge out of this one. What do you think?
Carla wrote: "a generational HF - meaning it covers multiple generations of a family"I love your idea. These are some of my favorite books, the longer the better.
Luckngrace, I'll go for the plague. There is a lot of information over the centuries re the plague and I have read a lot about it. Keep those ideas coming!
This may or may not have been mentioned previously, but new-to-you authors. I found this link in a challenge group that would be useful. It basically lists a bunch of different authors based on one that you put in yourself, like a favorite.Literature Map
Jessica wrote: "This may or may not have been mentioned previously, but new-to-you authors. I found this link in a challenge group that would be useful. It basically lists a bunch of different authors based on one..."I've used this site many times for challenges! It's really fun to play with.
JenC. wrote: "I've used this site many times for challenges! It's really fun to play with."Me, too. I like to use it even during non-challenges and I've reached a point where I need something new.
Another good one to be used could be Random.org. That can be used for just about anything. Under "Games" in the navigation at the top, there's a coin flipper, dice roller and random card generator. Always good for multi-idea tasks, like the one you mentioned, Luckngrace. : )
Read a fiction or nonfiction book about a shipwreck.Read a book with a word in the title that you probably wouldn't use in everyday speech. Examples: triptych, templar, amulet, bouganvillia, boogaloo, caliphate, caribee, corsair, cotillion. That's just some of my titles. I think it would be fun to see what everyone comes up with.
Read a book with an action word in the title, such as: crush, crash, run, cry, build, climb, go.Sorry if I'm hogging the thread, but I just seem to be full of ideas. Feel free to expand or reject any or all.
Read a book with a word in the title that you probably wouldn't use in everyday speech. Examples: triptych, templar, amulet, bouganvillia, bo..."like it!
Read a book about a someone who lives in a community within a community. Examples: Cubans in Miami, Cajuns in Louisana, Arabs in Michigan, Jews in NYC, American military anywhere overseas, gypsies wherever.
Read a HF 1st published before date (1900 or 1950 were my first thoughts).Read a HF set on a mountain.
JenC. wrote: "Read a book with a word in the title that you probably wouldn't use in everyday speech. Examples: triptych, templar, amulet, bouganvillia, bo..."like it!"
I like it too
Go to the explore menu at the top of the Goodreads page. Pull down menu and choose "random". Click random books until you find one you like and use that for a task. Try it, it's fun!
Luckngrace wrote: "Go to the explore menu at the top of the Goodreads page. Pull down menu and choose "random". Click random books until you find one you like and use that for a task. Try it, it's fun!"Or you could do that with books you own. Pull out one on those shelves that you have not gotten to that has been there a while and keeps getting shoved to the back.
LemonLinda wrote: "Luckngrace wrote: "Go to the explore menu at the top of the Goodreads page. Pull down menu and choose "random". Click random books until you find one you like and use that for a task. Try it, it's ..."Yes, Linda, I'd have to keep clicking random anyway until I found a book I own.
Luckngrace wrote: "Go to the explore menu at the top of the Goodreads page. Pull down menu and choose "random". Click random books until you find one you like and use that for a task. Try it, it's fun!"Ok I did this and it gave me some very weird stuff and even stuff in a foreign language. It suggested a book about birds in Africa.
I had a couple of thoughts on possible reads......don't know if they've been covered or not, but will post anyway.Read a book in which the main words of the title start with the same letter of the alphabet. (ie: "Lady of the Light" or "The Devil's Diadem")
Read a book written by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter. (ie: Michael Moorcock or Dorothy Dunnett)
Read a book featuring a famous artist or with the name of a famous artist in the title. (ie: "Waking Raphael" or one of the books written by Diane A. S, Stuckart in which Leonardo da Vinci is the main character)
jennbunny wrote: "Luckngrace wrote: "Go to the explore menu at the top of the Goodreads page. Pull down menu and choose "random". Click random books until you find one you like and use that for a task. Try it, it's ..."Yeah, you'd just have to keep clicking random until you got one that would work.
Butterflycager wrote: "Read a microhistory of something, a book like Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky."what a great idea!
Historical Fictionistas
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Read four different books each with a different color mentioned in the title.
Pronoun challenge item: read books that have I, she, he, it, they, etc. in the title.