String Theory Challenge January-December

[Tatum]

I am pretty sure a couple of these numbers are wrong. Mine is for one. I read one for last month (Paint Your Dragon) and have this month's picked out already. I don't think that number total was updated in a while.

[Tatum]

Sara: 01/12
Sofia: 00/12
Tatum: 01/12
Nikki: 01/12
Erika: 01/12
Robyn: 01/12
Brianna: 01/12
Adriana: 00/12
Danielle: 01/12
Audrey: 01/12

It should read like this. I don't think there are any other participants in the challenge (if there are, let us know!). Adriana did not read the book she said she was going to, but may have chosen something else instead. Sofia's post for it is blank as well, but possible she just did not update yet.

[Nikki]

I finished my second one, Web of Lies. I wanted something with paranormal something and this one def does. Next I will do a detective plot. So I am 2/12!!!

[Tatum]

I read my February book: Destination Truth: Memoirs of a Monster Hunter by Josh Gates. It was a good read, I gave it 4 stars and the full review is in my Personal Challenge thread.

There are a few directions I could go in after reading this book and I am not sure which one I want to take yet (and which one I have appropriate books for!) so I am not going to name my March read yet. When I do, I will post here and explain why I chose it.

[Nancy-Ann]

This seems fun. Question though: should I start off reading two books for February or pick a string from any of my January books?

[Tatum]

We really should come up with some kind of consensus/rule for this and add it to the Challenge Rules so that people can join even though it is late.

My personal opinion is that since it is just the beginning of February you could either:
a) pick a book from January and now choose a February one.
b) read two books this month or
c) begin the challenge this month, only do 11 and still consider it complete.

For future people wanting to start the challenge or for people who miss a month when life gets in the way...
a) Start from the month you join and don't worry about it.
b) Read two books in one month since you missed a month.

Hopefully the other mods and Brianna the challenge leader for String Theory will weigh in on this as well :)

[Erika]

I finished Firestarter-I'm thinking for March I want to read about a government cover-up or something.

[Adriana]

Finally almost done with my first book (:

[Adriana]

Finished my first String Theory: which was amazing! My next book will be about a journey because that's what I felt the book was. It's going to be

[Kara]

I really like this--I've been trying to read more non-fiction, and I think this idea would lend itself especially well to non-fiction.

Can I join retroactively?

1. Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts - cognitive dissonance
2. The Secret Life of Pronouns: What Our Words Say About Us - linguistics

3. something about social status...suggestions welcome (I'm leaning towards The Status Syndrome: How Social Standing Affects Our Health and Longevity)

[Tatum]

Kara: You can join and either a) pick books you've already read for the Jan/Feb. b) Read to catch up or c) start it now and just read one/month and don't worry about it. Glad to have you :)

*******************
I am going to read a book with either travel or an exotic locale for my book this month but I haven't chosen it yet.

[Kara]

Sorry for any confusion--I'm doing Tatum's option (a) and counting books I read in January and February. I should be at 02/12. Thank you!

[Tatum]

For my March book I've read The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths, 4 stars, Review.

After my book last month I'd said I wanted something with an exotic or different locale, because the author traveled to all these out of the way places.

The setting of The Crossing Places is the saltmarshes of Norfolk, England. That may not be exotic to everyone, but it was to me, having never seen anything like that. And it was certainly desolate and out of the way.

Next month I will be looking to read something either about archeology or prehistoric peoples, both themes in my March read.

[Kara]

I got my March book finished!

Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, *****

It's about neuroscience, behavioral psychology, and cognitive illusion. Loved it.

[Erika]

Finished my Aprilread Partials. I loved it and give it ****; this intrigued me to read about infertility in dystopian societies. In May I will read Bumped

[Kara]

April: Bad Science by Ben Goldacre, ***

It's about media influence, cognitive illusion, and misleading information in health & medicine.

[Danielle]

I finished my April String Theory book - A Game of Thrones. The string is military commanders/battles. I think next month I will have to read a fantasy book with Dragons.

[Kara]

Danielle, if you're looking for any suggestions, one of my favorite fantasy books with dragons is Magician: Apprentice.

[Danielle]

Thanks Kara - I think I may have that one in my TBR mountain - if not I think my cousin has it so I should be able track it down :)

[Danielle]

Sara - I'm not sure if your looking for recs but Pamela Clare's Ride the Fire is supposed to be very good (I haven't read it yet but it's in my TBR as it was recommended quite highly).

[Danielle]

Brianna wrote:

I have you updated! How was A Game of Thrones? I just picked that book but have yet to start it.
..."

It was really good if you like big soap opera type books. You know the ones where the bad guys are just such jerks it makes you throw the book in anger everytime something goes their way... at least that's what it makes me do :) It was really good though and I finished it while my husband and I were driving somewhere and I made him detour to the closest bookstore so I could get the 2nd one immediately.

[Danielle]

Sara wrote: that does look good, I'll have to see if my library has it :)
"

I checked through my other books and I have one other (I haven't read it yet either)Come What May by Leslie LaFoy . I can't remember if I picked it up on a recommendation or if it just sounded good but considering my Moulin Rouge obsession at the time I purchased this it may have been on title alone...

[Kara]

Ugh, I just can't decide what I'm going to read for May. Part of me wants to stick with something in the non-fictiony realm about belief like Them: Adventures with Extremists, but I could jump into fiction and read something about journalism like All Men Are Liars (which I won through First Reads).

I guess I have a little bit of time to decide.

[mussolet]

Hey everyone.
I wasn't sure about all the linking, but then I read Brianna's list and decided to give it a go.
I've looked through my list of read books per month, and if the following linking process is alright I would like to join in :).

January: Ox-Tales Earth
-> the importance of nature and what it means to a person
February: The Summer Book
-> a book for children / young adults talking about difficult concepts
March: The Little Prince
-> an audio book as some kind of memoir
April: Murmeln Meiner Kindheit (in German)
-> love and dating in the Middle East
... I would then read The Consequences Of Love for may. Is that alright?

[mussolet]

Sara wrote: "Looks great to me! Welcome to the challenge! "

Great. Thank you! :)

[mussolet]

Brianna wrote: "SilverRaindrops wrote: "Hey everyone.
I wasn't sure about all the linking, but then I read Brianna's list and decided to give it a go.
I've looked through my list of read books per month, and if t..."

Thanks :). And thanks for your inspiring lists too ;).

[Danielle]

I'm all epic fantasied out for this month so I'm going to change my May book from a fantasy with dragons to zombies. I don't think I have any zombie books in my TBR pile yet so if anyone has any recommendations I'd love to hear them.

[Kara]

May: Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard (how to guide/fix cognitive illusion)

[Danielle]

I read Mira Grant's Feed for my May string theory zombie book and really enjoyed it. For June I'm looking for a fiction book about government cover ups/conspiracies or disease outbreaks. If anyone knows of any good ones please let me know!

[Erika]

MayReadBumped in June I will read a parenting book or a book about parents.

[mussolet]

So I switched my connection for May.

April: Murmeln Meiner Kindheit
-> oriental childhood & tradition
May: Keeping Corner

Since my May book featured Gandhi, I would love to read about freedom fighters or spiritual leaders in June, but I haven't found a book for that yet. Please suggest one if you know a good one. (No nonfiction book though, please. I'm trying to keep these strictly fiction)

[Danielle]

Sara wrote: "If you like YA The Maze Runner is a good one for government cover up/disease outbreak, as well as The Forest of Hands and Teeth for disease outbreak (ie zombie apocalypse lol)"

I've read those two already :( Thanks for the recommendations though!

[Shelly]

Is this an ongoing challenge? Can I join and start in June?

[Danielle]

Just finished my June book - Summer of Night Dan Simmons. I changed my string to monsters/supernatural beasties as I had way more books in my TBR collection.

July's string will be a coming of age story preferably one written for adults as I'm kind of burnt out on YA right now. I'm open to any recommendations!!

[mussolet]

Alright, I've re-decided.
Due to the awesome descriptions of Indian food - and me trying to cook it afterwards - , I'm using the cooking as a link and thus have read my June book A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover's Dream - complete with Italian recipes in the back.

I'll read A Year in Provence in July, for foreigners settling into a life in a new country.

[Kara]

Yummmm

[Erika]

Juneread-Young ParentsWentworth Hall** 6/20/12
Julyread-Early 1900s or protagonist has to flea from home

[Kara]

June: Emotional Intelligence 2.0, **

Just under the wire. :)

[Danielle]

I've finished my July string theory already.

String was coming of age novel.

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson

I was reading this one for my Listopia challenge and realized it fit in with my string for July and the I spy challenge so I got a 3 for 1 deal on this one.

[Kara]

Haha, amazing! I love when books double (or triple) dip. :)

[mussolet]

Danielle wrote: "I've finished my July string theory already.

String was coming of age novel.

Bridge to Terabithia Katherine Paterson

I was reading this one for my Listopia challenge and realized it fit in with ..."

:D. I read this for both Listopia and I SPY as well. And for a Travel the U.S. challenge. And for a book about friendship. Great book ;).

[Erika]

Julyread was set in early 1900s Overseas ***
In August I will read a book about a war or war hero.

[Kara]

A day late, but I read Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die for July. For August, I'm reading Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking.

[mussolet]

I have redecided again. (After forgetting about reading "A Year in Provence"...).

My June pick was A Vineyard in Tuscany: A Wine Lover's Dream, and I'm naming as my July book the awesome (AWESOME!!!) Gabriel's Inferno, which I finished on July 27. It has got Florence and expensive Italian wine, so I think I should be able to link it to a book about Tuscany ;).

Now all I need is a work of fiction featuring references to another work of fiction (Dante's Inferno in case of my July book) to have a book for August ...

[Kara]

You could read Ready Player One! It has lots of references to lots of works of fiction.

You could also read Little Women (which references The Pilgrim's Progress).

[mussolet]

Kara wrote: "You could read Ready Player One! It has lots of references to lots of works of fiction.

You could also read Little Women (which references The Pilgrim's Progress)."

Kara, I have decided on Flaubert's Parrot, but just in case Julian Barnes turns out to be not quite right for me, I will come back to your options, so thank you :).

[Adriana]

I'm on my sixth book... I have to find a dystopian I haven't read and for me that's going to be hard (;

[Danielle]

Finished my August string

My Dearest Enemy by Connie Brockway

The string from July was unconventional female characters.

I'm looking for epistolary stories for Septembers thread.

[Kara]

Would Among Others count for that? It's written as a series of journal entries.

(Epistolary. What a great word!)

[Danielle]

Kara wrote: "Would Among Others count for that? It's written as a series of journal entries.

(Epistolary. What a great word!)"

I just saw it on a blog the other day so it's been floating around in my brain - otherwise I'm sure I would have said a book written in letter form or something similar :)

I think journal entries would count - I hadn't hear of Among Others before but it sounds interesting - have you read it?