Introducing the genre challenge

[Helen]

I'd class it as a modern classic so definitely Bill.

[Geoff]

Haha. I remember reading Martin Chuzzlewit during the worst fortnight's holiday of my life. I had just turned eighteen and was about to go off to university. I went to Scotland with a girlfriend and it chucked it down with rain for ten days solid. We didn't go anywhere or do anything except read (pretty much)! Whenever I see the book on my shelves it always raises a smile!

[Tuğçe]

I didn't have a classic on my list for this month for a change but looks like it's not gonna happen :) I am planning on reading What Maisie Knew by Henry James. Never read Henry James before so will see what happens...

[Helen]

I'm proper smug having finished The Moonstone a week ago! Now I just need to finish my other 2 book club reads for March!

[Geoff]

Helen wrote: "I'm proper smug having finished The Moonstone a week ago! Now I just need to finish my other 2 book club reads for March!"

The Moonstone? I've gotta put that on my list to read. Been meaning to for ages. Was it any good?

[Helen]

It was, I had read it before but long enough ago that I wasn't sure who the culprit was. His Armadale was another that I remember recommending but can't remember the story!

[Geoff]

Helen wrote: "It was, I had read it before but long enough ago that I wasn't sure who the culprit was. His Armadale was another that I remember recommending but can't remember the story!"

Right. There's another one added to the list then! Thanks.

[Helen]

You're welcome

[Liz, Moderator]

Helen wrote: "It was, I had read it before but long enough ago that I wasn't sure who the culprit was. His Armadale was another that I remember recommending but can't remember the story!"

I read The Woman in White a few years ago and enjoyed it, have meant to read The Moonstone ever since.... maybe this year? - I've been saying that alot recently!

[Liz, Moderator]

Well, it's the 31st March and unless there's a flurry of last-minute voting (still possible), it looks as if the genre for April may well be: Biography/memoir....

[Bill]

Thank you kindly, Liz. I've waiting with bated breath. :0) Now to pick one.. hmmmmm

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Bill wrote: "Thank you kindly, Liz. I've waiting with bated breath. :0) Now to pick one.. hmmmmm"

MMMMmm I am in the same boat here Bill, I have two and a half bookshelves of autobiographies/memoirs!

[Helen]

well I have 5 TBR books on my kindle (it is still new!) and about 300 on shelves but not one is a biography. No idea what I will like in this genre, suggestions needed please.

[Bill]

I searched for one particular autobiography I had purchased for the missus a couple of Xmas' ago, Hitman: Forty Years Making Music, Topping the Charts, and Winning Grammys by David Foster, but darned if I can locate it. So I've pulled down one that I got for my birthday or Xmas.. lol.. can't remember. Anyway, it'll be A Soldier First: Bullets, Bureaucrats and the Politics of War by Rick Hillier. Once I've finished the books I'm currently reading at any rate.

[Liz, Moderator]

Helen, how about: Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank, Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang , Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly by Anthony Bourdain, Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin - all great (depending what you're into!) I'm sure others can recommend their favourites too...

[Abi]

Oh I loved Wild Swans, although I read it years ago so am tempted to read it again. I'm currently reading Justine Picardie's Coco Chanel, although I'm nearly done. When I've finished that I am planning to start on Marie Antoinette: The Journey by Antonia Fraser - I've been meaning to read it for ages!

[Helen]

I've read Wild Swans - I'd forgotton all about it. It was huge and green, I remember enjoying it too. Think I'll go looking for something along those lines. Thanks Liz.

[Helen]

Went to look on amazon, nearly bought Memoir of a Geisha but ended up with 'It's your time you're wasting'. It's an autobiog of a secondary teacher and as a teacher I thought it might be good - I'll let you know.

[Andy]

Hmm, not a big autobiography fan, still that's the beauty of book clubs gets you to try something new.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

I am going to finish Sean Bean's auto as its bookmark has been in there for several years! Then maybe tackle Julie Walters or Freddie Flintoff.

[Mark]

Late to the party but I assume it is permissible to join a challenge in its 4th month? Cool :)

Currently reading "The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Worst to First" which stretching some definitions could be a biography of a ball club...

[Liz, Moderator]

Andy wrote: "Hmm, not a big autobiography fan, still that's the beauty of book clubs gets you to try something new."

It's not just autobiographies, it's biographies, memoirs, diaries. It's not normally my area either, but there's quite a few interesting ones out there...

I've got two Peter Ackroyds on my shelf which I haven't read yet, including the intimidatingly long London: The Biography. Or I might tackle Seeing Things: An Autobiography instead, it's about Oliver Postgate - the man who created The Clangers and Bagpuss etc - a childhood hero! I'd also like to read Toast by Nigel Slater. Won't have time for them all....

[Liz, Moderator]

Mark wrote: "Late to the party but I assume it is permissible to join a challenge in its 4th month? Cool :)

Currently reading "The Extra 2%: How Wall Street Strategies Took a Major League Baseball Team from Wo..."

Of course you can join the challenge, good to have you on board!

[Helen]

Isn't Toast on another challenge? I should've gone for that if so!

[Em]

Yes Helen, it's on the World Book Day list so would kill two birds with one stone! I read it a while back and it's worth a look I think - it's episodic and reveals alot about the writers life but always related to the food on the table at the time.

[Em]

Abi wrote: "Oh I loved Wild Swans, although I read it years ago so am tempted to read it again. I'm currently reading Justine Picardie's Coco Chanel, although I'm nearly done. When I've finishe..."

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China I'd like to read again - I loved it! Also, Marie Antoinette: The Journey was good, I learned a lot but some parts were hard going for me, just alot of information and not a period of history that I'm that knowledgeable about so needed my wits about me (not good for bedtime reading!) I saw the Coco Channel film a few months ago, I think I'd like the book - I enjoyed the film - Audrey Tattou(sp)really looked the part.

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Helen wrote: "Isn't Toast on another challenge? I should've gone for that if so!"

Its one of the World book Night giveaways, read this one and its two challenges done!

[Liz, Moderator]

Ok, for those of you who have joined UK Bookclub recently and want to know what we've covered, so far, on the Genre Challenge.....

January: Historical
February: Detective/Crime
March: Classics
April: Biography/Memoir

May: still to be chosen. So click on 'polls' and cast your vote......

[Helen]

Well I was disappointed when autobiography was voted in, still I obediently went and bought one on amazon. Put it off for 4 books. Thought 'spose I should read it' and I'm really enjoying it, thanks for broadening my reading matter people.

[Vicky]

Liz wrote: "To take part in the challenge, all you have to do is read at least one book from that month's chosen genre, (or if you like, you can read exclusively that genre all month). The choice of exactly w..."

Hi Liz, I only joined GR yesterday but I really love the idea of this challenge. I don't read as much as I would like and this looks like just the encouragement I need. Is it too late to join in and if not how do I go about it? I am currently readingMad, Bad and Dangerous to Know which fits with this months genre perfectly!!

[Em]

Hi Vicky, it's Em (not Liz) but no it's not too late to join the challenge, it's open to all!

You can start your own list under the Genre Challenge by clicking on the "Genre Challenge" heading, then on top right hand corner clicking on "new topic", from there you can give your a list a title and start to record books that you've read for the challenge.

Hope that's clear but message again if any probs.

[Vicky]

Helen wrote: "Well I was disappointed when autobiography was voted in, still I obediently went and bought one on amazon. Put it off for 4 books. Thought 'spose I should read it' and I'm really enjoying it, thank..."

Hi Helen, I enjoyed that one too! Very easy to get in to. I'm glad I didn't decide to be a teacher afterall!!
Vicky

[Vicky]

Em wrote: "Hi Vicky, it's Em (not Liz) but no it's not too late to join the challenge, it's open to all!

You can start your own list under the Genre Challenge by clicking on the "Genre Challenge" heading..."

Thank you! I will give it a go :-)

[Helen]

Hi Vicky, I'm in primary so it isn't so bad. Saying that, we had a 7 year old attack a member of staff yesterday, both off today.

[Abi]

I'm guessing from the poll that May's theme is going to be Sci-fi/Dystopia? Now I have to be honest and say that I have no idea what this means, and therefore no idea what to read, any suggestions?

[Helen]

Dystopia refers to an imagined place where everything is bad or unpleasant. So a book such as The Hunger Games, The Forest of Hands and Teeth or Feed which I'm reading for another group. Presumably Brave New World would count too. You could google it on kindle. They do a huge range of sci fi,but I noticed alot of fantasy mixed in.

[Vicky]

I looked up the top 100 dystopian novels and found 1984, lord of the flies and a clockwork orange. Couldn't find anything sci-fi that I might like, it's not really a genre that has appealed before. Has anyone else got any suggestions?

[Em]

I've read loads of dystopian fiction but less by way of pure sci-fi I was thinking along the lines of Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke but I haven't looked into more modern writers so I hope someone has some good suggestions too.

[Zandra]

Hope you don't mind me butting in! Would Robert Silverberg's The World Inside count? I read that sometime ago, its short and not too heavy going and sci-fi, so if your not so sure you could stomach something as long as Huxley it could be a good place to start.

[Bill]

I looked up dystopian fiction on wikipedia and found a link to a list of potential dystopian novels.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Vicky wrote: "I looked up the top 100 dystopian novels and found 1984, lord of the flies and a clockwork orange. Couldn't find anything sci-fi that I might like, it's not really a genre that has appealed before...."

I loved Old Man's War by John Scalzi which we read in our Sci Fi book. It was the first space tyoe book I have read and enjoyed. Don't be put off by the title, it has a great first line.
'I did two things on my birthday, visitedmy wife's grave and joined the army.'

There is also the old faves like The War of the Worlds, The Day of the Triffids and The Midwich Cuckoos.

[Tuğçe]

I have read The Hunger Games recently and enjoyed it a lot. I will be reading the rest of the series and I am not really familiar with sci-fi not really my cup of tea but my hubby has a quite huge book shelves of those, I might try one of them for this challenge if I feel too enthusiastic ;)

[laut]

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "Vicky wrote: "I looked up the top 100 dystopian novels and found 1984, lord of the flies and a clockwork orange. Couldn't find anything sci-fi that I might like, it's not really a genre that has ap..."

I enjoyed Old Man's War as well. It's not too heavy on the scientific concepts explanations, if that's what puts you off. It's quite funny, as well as action packed.

[Em]

Just been browsing Amazon - has anyone read Iain M Banks? I've read a couple of his non sci-fi ones - The Crow Road and Complicity (without the M) and they were both excellent but I'm not familiar with his sci-fi.

Although, Day of the Tiffids is quite tempting and on my Dads book shelf!

[Andy]

I would recommend The Day of the Triffids it was very good, and 1984 is one of my all time favs.

I also liked The Hunger Games and The Giver.

[Matt]

Hi all. New to this mullarkey & also of the 'rules of engagement' for the 'Genre Challenge'. I was wondering if it's okay to join the 'Genre Challenge' for May? A bit late I know, but then all good things are done slowly - including reading a good book! I like most genres of book, but primarily travel, 'adventure', biography, history (including good historicial novels), maritime themes. Preferrably anything that combines more than one, whether fiction or non-fiction. I have a few favourite writers & authors, but won't bore you with those here! Is it okay to join the GC party?? I'll serve the canapes!

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Streyino wrote: "Hi all. New to this mullarkey & also of the 'rules of engagement' for the 'Genre Challenge'. I was wondering if it's okay to join the 'Genre Challenge' for May? A bit late I know, but then all good..."

Of course it is! The more the merrier!

[Abi]

Ok, so having looked at the list of Dystopian books on here, and spoken to a friend who seems to read a lot of this type of book, I have decided that this month I am going to read The Handmaid's Taleby Margaret Atwood - and then I can use the A as part of my A-Z challenge as well (multi-tasking!).

I'm not sure what I will make of it, as this isn't a genre that has ever overly appealed to me but I am looking forward to trying something new!

[Em]

Zandra wrote: "Hope you don't mind me butting in! Would Robert Silverberg's The World Inside count? I read that sometime ago, its short and not too heavy going and sci-fi, so if your not so sure you could stomac..."

I'd say this book is precisely the sort of thing that would count! I've just raided my Dads for some sci-fi - I'm not sure if I'm going to read this one but I've come home with The Naked Sun, it must be old since the price on the back is 30p. I can't remember books ever costing that little!

[Helen]

I just bought book:Containment|8065404], on kindle 49p.