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WINTER CHALLENGE 2011: EARTH > 20.5 - Bigger is Better - Bec's task: Off to War

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message 1: by Kristina Simon (last edited Dec 08, 2011 06:20PM) (new)

Kristina Simon (kristinasimon) | 11205 comments 20.5 - Bigger is Better - Bec's task: Off to War
For this task you read one book from either option A or option B.

Option A: Books about war are very popular, and tell us about our past. For this task, you need to read a book (fiction or non-fiction) that involves a real war (WWI, WW2, Vietnam, Gulf War, American Civil War, War of the Roses, etc). The war cannot be fictional, but there can be fictional elements in the novel. Some examples include All Quiet on the Western Front, Atonement, Matterhorn Required: If it is not obvious in the GR's description, state which war was involved in the book when you post.
OR
Option B: Read a book that has one of these words in the title or subtitle: war, battle, front or soldier. Plurals and possessives are OK, but no other variations are allowed.


message 3: by Bec (last edited Dec 12, 2011 04:39PM) (new)


message 4: by Kristina Simon (new)

Kristina Simon (kristinasimon) | 11205 comments This thread is now open.


message 5: by Dee (last edited Dec 08, 2011 06:30PM) (new)

Dee (austhokie) | 8947 comments whee! totally doing a task switch since i'm reading a book about WW2 and the battle of leningrad right now that I was going to use for a 10 pointer

ETA - and I totally recommend Matterhorn - I read it for the 2010-11 Winter Challenge and loved it


message 6: by Katrina (new)

Katrina (katmcv) | 455 comments I've decided to go with Option B and read The Chocolate War since it has been on my tbr for a long time.


message 7: by April (new)

April The Lotus Eaters is set during the Vietnam War. Will it work?


message 8: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments April - The Lotus Eaters is fine, and looks like a really interesting book!

Katrina - nice to get some of those TBR books down, huh!

Dee - Matterhorn is next on my TBR list, I have been eyeing it off since it was released!


message 9: by Fran (new)

Fran | 730 comments I would like to use Shelter In A Soldier's Arms (That Special Woman!) - just checking to make sure it's ok.


message 10: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Fran - Shelter In A Soldier's Arms (That Special Woman!) is fine for option B. :)


message 11: by Jennifer N. (new)

Jennifer N. | 421 comments Would The Boy in the Striped Pajamas work for A?


Jayme(theghostreader) (jaymetheghostreader) | 3040 comments I chose that book too.


message 13: by Bec (new)


message 14: by Midu (last edited Dec 08, 2011 09:08PM) (new)

Midu Hadi | 902 comments Would these work for option B:
Warrior (Doppelganger, #1) by Marie Brennan
The Red Queen (The Cousins' War, #2) by Philippa Gregory
God's War (Bel Dame Apocrypha, #1) by Kameron Hurley
Warped by Maurissa Guibord
Windfall (Weather Warden, #4) by Rachel Caine


message 15: by Randi (new)

Randi (mrsrandimoulton) | 254 comments Does The Girl in the Red Coat work for Option A?


message 16: by ★Meghan★ (new)

★Meghan★ (starinheaven) | 815 comments I think I am going to use...The War of the Worlds


message 17: by Midu (new)

Midu Hadi | 902 comments People can also His Majesty's Dragon (Temeraire, #1) by Naomi Novik and the rest of the series for option A, I think!


message 18: by Bea (new)

Bea I am deciding among three books.

Never Call Retreat by Newt Gingrich - a novel about the Civil War (US)

The Hornet's Nest: A Novel of the Revolutionary War by Jimmy Carter = a novel about the War of Independence (US)

Kate: The Journal of a Confederate Nurse by Kate Cumming - a novel about the Was Between the States [Southern speak for the Civil War] (US)


message 19: by Chris (new)

Chris (chrismd) | 1237 comments How about Vietnam #1: I Pledge Allegiance? This book (a new series dealing with the Vietnam War) was discussed in another help thread and approved. The problem is that it's listed as ages 8 and up and the font size is larger than in an adult book - but the reading level and the way the subject matter is handled are definitely more young adult (WAY above third-grade level).


message 20: by Marina (new)

Marina (marina1709) | 27 comments Oh, I have about a dozen war books on my tbr. I'll go with The Men with the Pink Triangle The True Life-and-Death Story of Homosexuals in the Nazi Death Camps by Heinz Heger The Men with the Pink Triangle by Heinz Heger


message 21: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Anomander - the word needs to appear whole, only plurals and possessives are okay. :) So God's War is fine, but Warped doesn't contain the word with it's original meaning.

Randi - The Girl in the Red Coat works fine, and it looks like a terrific read.

Meghan - I've always meant to read The War of the Worlds but never got around to it, which is a bummer!

Anomander - That book looks like a perfect fit! A bit of war and a bit of fantasy

Bea - They all look brilliant - But I think the read by Jimmy Carter would be especially interesting!

Chris - That book looks fine, and I'll throw it on the approved list when I'm not so sleep deprived.

Marina - I had a billion war books on my tbr list, hence this task :)


message 22: by Midu (new)

Midu Hadi | 902 comments Thanks, Bec!


message 23: by chucklesthescot (new)

chucklesthescot I think I'll probably read March: A Love Story in a Time of War-it's been on my shelf for 2 years now!


message 24: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
One of the best war books I've read is Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. I don't read many war books, just not my main interest, but I couldn't put this down.

I've heard a lot of good things about Lost in Shangri-la, so I think I might read that for this task.


message 25: by Randi (new)

Randi (mrsrandimoulton) | 254 comments Thank you Bec! :)


message 26: by Randi (new)

Randi (mrsrandimoulton) | 254 comments chucklesthescot wrote: "I think I'll probably read March: A Love Story in a Time of War-it's been on my shelf for 2 years now!"

That is an EXCELLENT book.


message 27: by Aneeqah (new)

Aneeqah | 69 comments Would Inside Out and Back Again work for Option A?


message 28: by Melanie (last edited Dec 10, 2011 01:38PM) (new)

Melanie (melaina) | 380 comments Hi:-) Would the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfield work for option A? It's set at the start of WWI:
Leviathan (Leviathan, #1) by Scott Westerfeld Behemoth (Leviathan, #2) by Scott Westerfeld Goliath (Leviathan, #3) by Scott Westerfeld


message 29: by Jodi (new)

Jodi Roe (flute2005) | 22 comments Would Dear John by Nicholas Sparks work for A?


message 30: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Hi Jodi - I'll accept it, it looks one of the characters fights in the Iraqi War or the war on terrorism.


message 31: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
Would In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin work for A? Looks like it involves WWII, at least in the buildup to the war, if not the actual fighting part of the war.


message 32: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Sandy - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin is fine, and I think another book just got added to my mental TBR list.


message 33: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
Bec wrote: "Sandy - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin is fine, and I think another book just got added to my mental TBR list."

LOL - I find that my list just grows and grows and grows...................


message 34: by Chris (new)

Chris (chrismd) | 1237 comments Sandy wrote: "Bec wrote: "Sandy - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin is fine, and I think another book just got added to my mental TBR list."

LOL -..."


It is a fascinating book. When you're done, there are also some interesting discussions on GR about what the author left out of the story.


message 35: by Kim (new)

Kim (goodreadscomkimber) | 708 comments Could I use The Birth House by Ami McKay? The book isn't BASED on WW1, it just discusses elements of it that affected the lives of the main character & the community.
Thanks!


message 36: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Hey Kim The Birth House looks fine, it does concern the effects of war.


message 37: by Kim (new)

Kim (goodreadscomkimber) | 708 comments Great! Thanks!


message 38: by ♥Meagan♥ (new)

♥Meagan♥ (fadedrainbows) | 101 comments Is Behemoth okay? It's the second book in the Leviathan series, and I am thinking it is still about WWI.


message 39: by Bec (new)

Bec (foreverfnm) | 132 comments Hey Meagan,

Behemoth fits the task, it appears to be a steam punk alt history of WWI.


message 40: by Vivian (new)

Vivian (_vivian) Would Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet work? It goes back and forth between 1980s and 1940s during WWII.


message 41: by Bec (new)


message 42: by Vivian (new)

Vivian (_vivian) Great thanks!


message 44: by Cindie (new)

Cindie | 1836 comments Chris wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Bec wrote: "Sandy - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin is fine, and I think another book just got added to my mental TBR l..."

Where are these discussions? I read it for the last challenge and could not put it down!


message 45: by Sandy, Moderator Emeritus (new)

Sandy | 16893 comments Mod
Cindie wrote: "Chris wrote: "Sandy wrote: "Bec wrote: "Sandy - In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin is fine, and I think another book just got added to m..."

Yep, I just finished it and couldn't stop reading it. I haven't hunted for discussions though.


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