2025 Reading Challenge discussion

THE STRING THEORY CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014

At some point in our lives, most of us have read something in a book we wanted to know more about—be it a time in history, a location, or even a hobby one of the characters has. The point of this challenge is to broaden your horizons, to learn more about the things that interest you.

Pick a book, any book, and note the things you find interesting in the story. After that first book is read, you'll select another book that links with something from the first book.

Example: Let's say you started reading The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a dystopian book, the main character has a great bond with her sister, children fight each other to the death, and Katniss enjoys hunting and archery. So let's say you are really interested in books about archery. Then you can decide to read something like The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Maybe you think "What a great classic book! I want to read more." You continue on this same route until you've reached your goal.

I'm super excited to have this challenge back! Hope you all have fun with it.

Participation Challenge List


Adriana: 11/10 COMPLETE
Aislinn: 1/12
Alessia: 1/12
Alison: 2/5
An: 10/10 COMPLETE
Anaïs: 0/6
Anna" 1/5
Annika: 2/7
Anvita: 1/5
Audrey: 1/5
Barbara: 3/6
Bj: 0/5
Bobbie: 0/5
Carrie: 0/5
Chelsea: 3/15
Christine: 0/20
Claire: 4/12
Claire(6452): 1/10
Cosmic: 6/12
Debbie: 0/6
DeeDee: 0/?
Diana S: 2/20
Eliana: 0/12
Erika: 0/12
Erika Lynn:0/5
Heather: 0/20
Jacqueline: 0/15
Jenna: 0/13
Jennifer: 0/5
Jessica: 0/8
Joanne♥: 0/10
Joni: 0/5
Kaitlin: 0/?
Kara: 0/10
Karina: 5/12
Kathy: 3/10
ღ εїз ќατιε εїз ღ: 0/5
Kay: 1/10
Kelsi: 0/5
Kristina: 0/16
Lacee: 0/10
Laura: 0/12
Laura Jane: 0/5
Lianne: 0/4
Liz: 5/5 COMPLETE
Lynn: 12/12 COMPLETE
Michelle: 0/6
Mim: 0/8
Minttu: 0/6
Monta: 0/5
Natalie: 12/12 COMPLETE
Nicole: 1/5
Samantha: 0/5
Sara: 0/10
ScarlettMi: 0/4
Sharon: 6/6 COMPLETE
Shelly: 0/5
Sibyl: 0/12
Stephanie: 0/6
Talia: 0/5
Tearsa: 0/5
Theresa~OctoberLace: 18/36
Tricia: 0/10

I'm kicking off this challenge with 20 books! I loved The String Theory Challenge when the group did it two years ago so I'm going all out for it this time (:

Once it's 2014 I will decide the first book I will be reading for this challenge.

I love this idea. I would like to sign up for 5, please.

@Lorelei- Yay! ^__^ Welcome to the challenge :D

This sounds really interesting. I'll sign up for 6.:)

@Stephanie- Sweet! I'll add you now (:

This one looks like fun. How about I start with 12? Books are listed in order I started reading, with actual finish dates added as appropriate.

✔ 1.The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley is a wonderful book telling the tale of King Arthur, and Camelot from the viewpoint of some very strong women. Finished 1/10/14

✔ 2.Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage: Stories is excellent collection of nine short stories about women, written by Alice Munro, a Canadian author who won the Nobel Prize for Literature. Finished 1/12/14

✔ 3. Moving from the Northern to Southern Hemisphere, we find Red April by Peruvian author Santiago Roncagliolo, honored with the Premio Alfaguara de Novela, a very prestigious Spanish language prize in literature. Finished 1/5/14

✔ 4. After the Peruvian work of historical fiction/crime/mystery, Red April, we chose another work of the same genre group set in Iceland, Burial Rites by the Australian Goodreads Author Hannah Kent. Finished 1/5/14

✔ 5. Moving from one Goodreads Author to another, we next read Oryx and Crake, a science fiction fantasy by Margaret Atwood. Finished 1/11/14

✔ 6. Next up is another science fiction fantasy set mostly in New Orleans and Paris, Interview With The Vampire by Anne Rice. Finished 1/15/14

✔ 7. After the vampire fantasy partially set in Paris, I wanted more of France, so I chose Within a Budding Grove, which is also known as In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, by Marcel Proust. This is truly classic French literature! 2/8/14

✔ 8. From culture and romance in France, we move to another novel of the same genres set in Malaysia, The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo. 1/18/14

✔ 9. Looking more into Asian culture, we choose to read In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner, set in Cambodia. 1/19/14

✔ 10. Again staying with Asian culture, this time in China, we chose to read Empress Orchid by Anchee Min. 1/24/14

✔ 11. After three works of fiction focusing on Asian culture, we chose a non-fiction work by an Asian author, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami. Here he talks about his life as a writer and his favorite hobby, running. 1/25/14

✔ 12. After the interesting book on the life of an Asian writer and runner, I read a much sadder book about Russian culture and the life of a political prisoner, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. 1/25/14

✔ 13. From a political prisoner innocent of any crime, we switch to a Gothic mystery/thriller in which the main character may or may not be guilty of crimes. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier 1/26/14

✔ 14. From a Gothic crime story to a humorous crime story, the next book is Bad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen 1/29/14

✔ 15. From an imaginative American writer born in the mid 1900s (1953), we read a work by an imaginative Japanese writer born in the same period (1949). Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami 2/1/14

✔ 16. Following our string of imaginative writers, we move back two centuries to read a work by an imaginative Frenchman, Candide by Voltaire 2/1/14

✔ 17. In our last book Candide crossed the ocean in a ship. Our next book tells of the last night of a fated ocean crossing by The Titanic, A Night to Remember by Walter Lord 2/2/14

✔ 18. Continuing with ocean crossings, our next book begins with an American volunteer crossing to Europe to drive ambulances in WWI, One Man's Initiation: 1917 by John Dos Passos 2/2/14

✔ 19. Our next book is a fictional work about the marriage of Ernest Hemingway and Hadley Richardson, with the author of our previous book, John Dos Passos, being one of the characters. The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. 2/8/14

✔ 20. From The Paris Wife to an English wife, next up is The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England by Susan Higginbotham 2/10/14

✔ 21. In the genre of historical fiction, we move from England to Spain and read Shadow Of A Bull by Maia Wojciechowska 2/11/14

✔ 22. Staying with historical fiction, we move to China and read The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. 2/15/14

✔ 23. After that Classic, I chose another, The Doll: The Lost Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier 2/16/14

✔ 24. After that set of dark Gothic tales, we really need a change of pace, so lets move out of the dark to a bright humorous story and Book Club favorite, The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion 2/16/14

✔ 25. From that Book Club choice to another, I read a sad biography, Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup 2/17/14

✔ 26. Our last book has been turned into a movie, so we next read the first published work of Agatha Christie, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. This book was also translated to film in the television series Agatha Christie: Poirot. 2/17/14

@Theresa- I've added you (:

Fun! I'll sign up for 12.

@Karina - Yes it is! Signed you up (:

I'd love to join in please! I think I'll go for 12 books, one for each month and see how it goes :)

1. The World Without Us - January
There was a section on the world before us and the evolution of humans and their development, which reminded of a book I have on my shelf to read about human evolution which will be book 2
2. The Incredible Human Journey - February/March/April
This is taking a while to read but I really enjoyed the section on genetics so I'll read a book about mitochondrial inheritance in Europe
3. The Seven Daughters of Eve: The Science That Reveals Our Genetic Ancestry - March
I think I'll read a book set in more modern Europe next
4. Organized Murder - April (set in the UK)
In May, I'll read another crime book from a different sort of crime genre (possibly a nordic one)
5. Rusty Nail May/June (crime book - serial killers, darker book)
In June, I'll read another crime book set somewhere other than America or the UK
6. The Man From U.N.D.E.A.D. - Do Dragons Dream Of Burning Sheep? June (set in part in South America)
South America is an area rich in mythology and history. In July, I'll read a book involving mythology of some sort.
7. A Touch of Greek a book involving Greek Gods in modern day US. July
I'll read a book set in the past in the US to see what life was like then in August
8. Where Bluebirds Fly set in Salem during the witch trials. In September, I'll read something about the witch trials or about magic of some sort.
9.
10.
11.
12.

I'd like to do 12. I am going to aim for one per month. Thanks!

@Claire- One for each month was the original idea actually. This time we are letting you do your thing (:
@Sibyl- No problem, good luck!

I'd like to sign up for 12 on this challenge. Thanks!

@Aislinn- Good luck!

I'm in. ill try for 10 books for now

1. by Michelle Zink~ 1/11/14 - Magic, links to :
2. by Jamie Wilson~ 1/25/14 - Historical , living in country with Queen/King, links to:
3. by Amelia Atwater Rhodes~ 2/8/14- Queen, links to:
4. by Colleen Oakes~ 2/16/14- Fantasy/PNR, Links to
5. by Amelia Atwater Rhodes ~ 2/28/14- Long living/immortal creatures
6. by D.C. Armstrong~ 3/5/14- Brothers and/or government take over or dystopian genre
7. by Darren Shan~ 4/15/14- Supernatuaral creatures
8. by Julie Kagawa~ 5/11/14~ Romance
9.
10.

@Joanne- Awesome! Will add you (:

Me too! I'll try 6 books :)

@Minttu- Welcome to the group and challenge (:

I want to do something like this, but this next year already Im buckled down with books that I have for other challenges. Ill keep it in mind though

@Alison - You don't really need to go all out for this challenge. Just find some books that made you like the other. Thanks for keeping it in mind (:

I'm intrigued. Sign me up for 12.

THE STRING THEORY CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014

Completed 12 out of 12

1. A Hidden Fire - 1/30: Some of the main characters are vampires set in the 21st century
2. Changeless - 2/24: Some of the main creatures are vampires set in 19th century London
3. The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera - 3/30: True story about John Snow, a doctor in 19th century London figured out how cholera was was being spread
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - 5/13: How germs have affected human development
5. When True Night Falls - 5/13: The human race has traveled in space to another planet and their presence affects the evolution of the native species development
6. Old Man's War - 7/19: The human race fights in space and there is an interesting love story.
7. Drums of Autumn - 11/13- A couple with an interesting love story which involves time travel
8. Emerald Green - 11/20- A girl who can travel through time unravels a family mystery
9.The Forgotten Garden - 11/23 - A woman unravels old secrets to figure out a family mystery
10.The Line - 11/26 - A woman unravels old secrets and there is a ghost like child featured
11.Shadows of the Soul - 12/3 - A woman deals with an angel and a ghost like child
12.Angel: After the Fall, Volume 3 - 12/31 - Angel deals with his gang being in hell.

@Natalie - Sweet, will do.

Ooh... that sounds like that way I often read... only how fun to keep track of the connections!

I'll sign up for 12, for now, but if it takes off, I might increase that (is that allowed?)

@Eliana- Of course! Any changes are up to you. It is the people's challenge (;

Add me please. I will start with 5 and work up from there.

@Joni- No problem! Welcome Joni (:

I'd like to join in for 5 books.

@Talia- Added you!

I would like to sign up :)

Okay Kristina! Do you have a set goal or are you going to see how many books you can get?

I'll start with 16 & work my way up from there (hopefully!) thanks :)

Alright, will update you then (:

I plan to do this almost entirely with non-fiction books. I'll go for 10.

@Kara- Glad to have you (:

I'm in I would like to sign up for 10 books to read.

Alright Kathy! I signed you up.

Adriana wrote: "THE STRING THEORY CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014

At some point in our lives, most of us have read something in a book we wanted to know more about—be it a time in history, a loc..."

Adriana wrote: "Participation Challenge List


Adriana: 0/20
Aislinn: 0/12
Claire: 0/12
Eliana: 0/12
Joanne♥: 0/10
Joni: 0/5
Kara: 0/10
Karina: 0/12
Kathy: 0/10
Kristina: 0/16
Lorelei: 0/5
Minttu: 0/6
Natalie: 0/1..."

Count me in for 8. Sounds like a fun challenge.

@Jessica- Awesome! Will add you now.

I'll try for 6 and may increase it later

Added you Sharon!

I will sign up for 5.

@ღ εїз ќατιε εїз ღ- I've added you!

I'll sign up for 5 for now!

Okay Samantha, will add you now (:

I'll do 12 :)

1/12

1.Prince of Thorns
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
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10.
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12.

Welcome Laura!

I changed my mind. Put me down for 5 :)

@Alison- Sweet! Glad you decided to join (: