2010 December Monthly Challenge: Suggestions Thread

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

This is the thread where we ask questions, discuss, and make suggestions for the challenge.

Special thanks to the members who regularly stop by at the Suggestions Thread and share their input. It definitely helped me a lot when I put together the monthly categories. Thanks, guys.

1. December: Read a book which title starts with “D”.

2. Birthday: Read a book from a December B-day celebrant’s GR bookshelf. (http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...)

3. Geography: Read a book whose author, setting or character is from Pennsylvania.

4. Pearl Harbor Anniversary Read a book set during war time or has a soldier/military man as a main character.

5. End of the Year: Finish It! Read a book that is the last book or latest release of a series.

6. Challenge Freebie Read a book that you are reading for another challenge, preferably one that you are wrapping up for the year.

7. Beethoven's Birthday Read a book set in the music business, or a book about music, or one with a character that is a musician, singer, lyricist, or any career related to the industry.

8. Romance Genre: Read a Christian or Inspirational Romance.

9. Of Lists and Shelves:Christmas Romance Read a book from the Popular Christmas Romance shelf

10. Reader's Choice

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

Need help with Pennsylvania. Not in the mood for something Amish which is all I've found at the moment.

[Joanne]

Pennsylvania ideas:

http://www.bookssetin.com/p1/324/Penn...

http://www.flashlightworthybooks.com/...

http://www.sldirectory.com/libsf/book...

[Joanne]

6. Challenge Freebie Read a book that you are reading for another challenge, preferably one that you are wrapping up for the year.

I don't have any group challenges to finish, what do I do?

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Joanne wrote: "6. Challenge Freebie Read a book that you are reading for another challenge, preferably one that you are wrapping up for the year.

I don't have any group challenges to finish, what do I do?"

You can join a single-book challenge, like our Featured Author Challenge, Random Book List Challenge or the Pick-It-For-Me Challenge.

[Joanne]

Thanks, my brain was thinking existing challenges already signed up for. I think I need a holiday. :)

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Joanne wrote: "Thanks, my brain was thinking existing challenges already signed up for. I think I need a holiday. :)"

You are right.

It is really for existing challenges you have already signed up. But since I assume based on your statement, that you don't have any, I offered options. : )

[Dee]

for anyone with a kindle - Love on a Dime was free the other day and is a christian/inspirational romance that wasn't too preachy

Jennette Oke is also a good one to try

[Courtney]

I'm a little nervous about the Romance category this time. I like historical christian novels, especially ones that follow a biblical woman's life. I don't know if that would count as romance-- we just have a Christian Fiction section in my library.

EDIT: I think I found one from the Christian Historical Romance novels list-- Lady of Milkweed Manor (one of those Regency novels that I so adore!).

[Lynne]

I found Danger in the Shadows for free on Amazon for Kindle. It's listed as Inspirational Romance. I don't know anything about this author or the book, but hey, it's free.

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Any good ideas for Beethoven's Birthday? I know Your Cheatin' Heart: A Novel and Turbulent Sea have singers and Kitty and the Midnight Hour, Wicked Game, and Charlie All Night have DJs. I was hoping for something I already own but haven't read.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Off the top of my head, I know of at least 3 other authors with 'music' books:
Unearthed by C J Barry
His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke
Dark Symphony, Dark Challenge & Dark Fire by Christine Feehan

I loved all the 'Dark' books (but I am a Feehan fan). I haven't read Unearthed or His Every Kiss (this one is in my Dec list), so can't comment... I'll post if I think of more...

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)]

I can't reiterate how much I hated Unearthed. I would recommend just about anything but this.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Photojim wrote: "I can't reiterate how much I hated Unearthed. I would recommend just about anything but this."

LOL! Unfortunately 1 day I will feel compelled to read it as it is in my library - but I won't feel bad if I skim, based on your assessment...

[Fran, Moderator]

There is a short freebie on Amazon right now- My Christmas Wish that has a famous singer as the heroine, going back to her hometown to find an old flame.

[Penney]

Lonestar Sanctuary I haven't read it but it's free on kindle right now, looks pretty good and it's inspirational.

Also Megan Hart is a great author from PA.

[Coffeentea]

There's a Brandy Alexander mystery series that takes place in Philly by author Shelly Fredman. The first book is NO SUCH THING AS A SECRET: A Brandy Alexander Mystery

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)]

Susan Mallery's first Bakery Sisters' book Sweet Talk is about a concert pianist for the music category.

[Ceej]

Fran wrote: "There is a short freebie on Amazon right now- My Christmas Wish that has a famous singer as the heroine, going back to her hometown to find an old flame."

it's a free nookbook too

[D.G.]

Another music book: Any Way You Want It. Hero is a composer/singer and the heroine works authenticating pieces of classical music.

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

In Adrian Phoenix's A Rush of Wings, the main character, Dante, is a singer for a rock band.

[D.G.]

Yz - Would the conflict between the Lessers and the BDB count as a war? I just read a war book last month so this is the only one I'd like to read that could qualify for that.

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

D.G. wrote: "Yz - Would the conflict between the Lessers and the BDB count as a war? I just read a war book last month so this is the only one I'd like to read that could qualify for that."

Yeah...we can call that a war.

[Ceej]

why am i so excited about december challenges??

[D.G.]

Yz the Whyz wrote: "D.G. wrote: "Yz - Would the conflict between the Lessers and the BDB count as a war? I just read a war book last month so this is the only one I'd like to read that could qualify for that."

Yeah....."

Thanks! I'll add BDB #3 to this month's challenge then!

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Shazzy wrote: "Yz, Can I read Sarah's Child for category 8?
It sounds inspirational."

Hmm....pretty hard to say.

I'll leave it up to you. :)

[Jim son of Jim (formerly PhotoJim)]

Ok, 10 second rant and then a question. For once I'm a bit grumped by the Lists and Shelves category. This may be by far the most limiting list to date. Only those who chose to shelve books with a hyphen between Christmas and Romance were counted for what constitutes a Christmas romance. So the most popular book in "Popular Christmas Romance" was shelved a whopping FOUR times. So while the e-book Season's Spankings makes the list, I'm Your Santa does not.

I've said a few times that I get books from many different places. Most of them go into a pile that just seems to grow. However, I do pull books from the stack on a regular basis. On a two minute search of the stack I came up with:



Unfortunately only two of these Holiday books are on the list. I'm sure I'll read one of them. But still...

[Dee]

can you add books?? hehe!

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Photojim wrote: "Ok, 10 second rant and then a question. For once I'm a bit grumped by the Lists and Shelves category. This may be by far the most limiting list to date. Only those who chose to shelve books with..."

Doesn't Good Reads automatically put a hyphen between words when you make a shelf. I know I have a bunch of shelves with hyphens when all I used was a space.

[Dee]

but yeah...it hypen's all shelf names...

[Sandra]

Delicious Dee - love the new avatar!

And yeah, GR hypenates all shelf names.

[Dee]

he is what I want for chrismas under the tree ;)

[Sandra]

I can understand that, such pretty balls (of light). LOL.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

Question regarding... #5. End of the Year: Finish It! Read a book that is the last book or latest release of a series.

I'm either entirely caught up in a series, or so far back (like just starting a series or in the middle of one) that I don't want to jump ahead to read the last book. Can I just read the next book I have in a series to qualify for this category? Just so happens the next book I have to read in the Virgin River series is book #4 - A Virgin River Christmas.

[Coffeentea]

Talking about the Virgin River books by Robin carr, are they consider inspirational books? Will they qualify for #8 Inspirational Romance?

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

I wouldn't consider them inspirational, although I've only read the first 3.

[Coffeentea]

Thanks, Briansgirl. Does anyone have any suggestion of inspirational or christian romance that's not too preachy? I just don't want read a story that's shoving the religion in my face every page.

[Dee]

I don't think beverly lewis is too bad, most of hers are amish based...Cara Lynn James has a not too preachy one (Love on a Dime) if you can find it

you'd have to check with Yz - but I would argue that the Narnia books are Christian, although not romance...since they are allegorical...CS Lewis was a huge christian writer of his time

Dee Henderson also isn't too bad

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

The Chronicles of Narnia are considered christian books.

As far as inspirational romances go, some are more preachy than others. I just read the first story in Wyoming Christmas Heroes: A Doctor St Nick/Rescuing Christmas/Jolly Holiday/Jack Santa and although insprirational the religious aspects to the story are very minor and low key.

[Dee]

Oh, I meant, I know they are Christian, but the category calls for Christian Romance, so they probably wouldn't fit

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

True, but she might let them qualify just the same. Have to wait and see what she says. Never know.

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "Question regarding... #5. End of the Year: Finish It! Read a book that is the last book or latest release of a series.

I'm either entirely caught up in a series, or so far back (like just starti..."

I shouldn't but what the heck...go ahead and read. : )

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Coffeentea wrote: "Talking about the Virgin River books by Robin carr, are they consider inspirational books? Will they qualify for #8 Inspirational Romance?"

I would not consider them inspirational romance.

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

ஐ Briansgirl "Book Sale Queen"ஐ wrote: "True, but she might let them qualify just the same. Have to wait and see what she says. Never know."

LOL....

No go for Narnia as Inspirational/Christian romance. We are looking for a romance book, unfortunately.

[ஐ Katya (Book Queen)ஐ]

Thanks Yz! :)

[Dee]

Figured lol!

[AmandaG]

Nora Roberts' Tears of the Moon would be a good option for #7 Beethoven's Birthday. The male lead is a musician.

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Found this as a free e-book online Stuck in the Middle and it was classified as inspirational.

Here is the link:
http://inkmesh.com/ebooks/stuck-in-mi...

[Dee]

wanted to check on the war one...i've requested Matterhorn from the library but don't know if i'll get it in time to read it...my back up is Zeke - its set in the year immediately following the civil war and zeke was a solider for the confederacy

[Yz the Whyz, Moderator]

Delicious Dee Challenge Addict wrote: "wanted to check on the war one...i've requested Matterhorn from the library but don't know if i'll get it in time to read it...my back up is Zeke - its set in the year immediately fo..."

That works.