The Book Vipers discussion

Post your book lists here for your Magic Square

Sandra's magic square. (Still working on it)

Memoir or Biography -> The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio ✔
Book received as a present -> The Visionist ✔
Science fiction or fact ->The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks ✔
Free Choice -> Americanah ✔
Book of Poems ->
Your favourite genre -> The Help ✔
Travel book -> Orphan Train ✔
On my shelf after 10 years -> Pride and Prejudice ✔
Richard & Judy -> The Light Between Oceans ✔
Classic -> Lord of the Flies ✔
Non fiction -> The End of Your Life Book Club
Award winner -> The Ocean at the End of the Lane ✔
Free Choice -> All the Light We Cannot See ✔
History Novel/Non fiction -> The Last Runaway ✔
Author shares my name -> Tallgrass
Bestseller -> The Diary of a Young Girl ✔
Translated into English -> The Reason I Jump: ✔
Genre I avoid -> (romance) The Rosie Project ✔
Friend recommendation -> Girl With a Pearl Earring ✔
New Author -> A Pledge of Silence ✔
Picked because of the cover -> Life After Life ✔
Free choice -> The Secret Life of Bees ✔
From a small publisher -> four sparks fall
Old favourite -> The Little Prince
Crime novel/true crime -> The Silkworm ✔

XXXXO
XXXXX
XXXXO
XXXXX
XXOOX

Memoir or Biography
Book received as a present
Free Choice Disquiet 1/24/14
Book of Poems
Your favourite genre
Travel book
On my shelf after 10 years The Lover 2/09/14
Richard & Judy
Classic
Non fiction Everyone Is Entitled to My Opinion 6/21/14


Award winner
Free Choice No Book but the World 2/18/14
History Novel/Non fiction
Author shares my name
Bestseller Dark Places 3/02/14
Translated into English
Genre I avoid
Friend recommendation
New Author Rules of Civility 3/27/14
Picked because of the cover Girls in Trucks 1/10/14
Free choice
From a small publisher
Old favorite
Crime novel/true crime

| | | |O| |
| | |O| | |
|O| |O| | |
|O | | | |O|
|O| | | | |

Starting my list. Will add book details when read -

Memoir or Biography - Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life
Favourite Genre - Takedown Twenty
Non-Fiction - Let's Explore Diabetes with Owls
Best seller - Kiss Me First
Book picked because of cover - The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss
Book received as present - Mad About the Boy
Travel book -
An award winner - May We Be Forgiven
Translated into English -
Free Choice - The Pedant in the Kitchen
Science Fiction/Fact -
Book still on shelf for 10 yrs -
Free choice - The Cellist of Sarajevo
Genre avoided - short stories - The Love Object: Selected Stories of Edna O'Brien
Book from sm. publisher - The Mammy
Free choice - Sisterland
Richard & Judy recommendation - Apple Tree Yard
History novel/non-fiction - The Six Wives of Henry VIII
Friend's recommendation -
Old Favourite -
Book of poems - The Song of Lunch
Classic - Lady Audley's Secret
Author shares yr name - Into the Darkest Corner
New author - The Thirteenth Tale
Crime novel/true crime - The Cuckoo's Calling

I'm going for all 25 squares in the magic square, wish me luck! Here is my planned list, although the free choices in particular are subject to change:

ROW 1:

MEMOIR OR BIOGRAPHY
The Fry Chronicles by Stephen Fry

A BOOK RECEIVED AS A PRESENT
Eyrie by Tim Winton

SCIENCE FICTION OR FACT
The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker

FREE CHOICE
World Without End by Ken Follett

A BOOK OF POEMS
Collected Poems: Edna St. Vincent Millay by Edna St. Vincent Millay


ROW 2:

YOUR FAVOURITE GENRE
Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray

A TRAVEL BOOK
The Green Road Into The Trees by Hugh Thomson

A BOOK STILL ON YOUR SHELF AFTER 10 YEARS
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

RICHARD AND JUDY RECOMMENDED THIS ONE!
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

A CLASSIC
The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton


ROW 3:

NON-FICTION
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff

AN AWARD WINNER
March by Geraldine Brooks

FREE CHOICE
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver

HISTORY NOVEL OR NON-FICTION
The White Princess by Philippa Gregory (FINISHED)

THE AUTHOR SHARES YOUR NAME
The Visitors by Sally Beauman


ROW 4:

A BESTSELLER
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH
The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (FINISHED)

A GENRE YOU AVOID
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

A FRIEND'S RECOMMENDATION
Storm Front by Jim Butcher

A NEW AUTHOR
City of Masks: by Ashley Capes


ROW 5:

A BOOK PICKED BECAUSE OF THE COVER
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

FREE CHOICE
The Slow Regard of Silent Things by Patrick Rothfuss

A BOOK FROM A SMALL PUBLISHER
Gossip from the Forest: The Tangled Roots of Our Forests and Fairytales by Sara Maitland

AN OLD FAVOURITE
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

CRIME NOVEL OR TRUE CRIME
Burial Rites by Hannah Kent


I've read two books so far, so my magic square looks like this:

OOOOO
OOOOO
OOOXO
OXOOO
OOOOO

Memoir Or Biography - I Feel Bad about My Neck ✔
A Book Received As A Present - Too Close to Home
Science Fiction Or Fact - The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values
Free Choice - Dark Places✔
A Book Of Poems - Shakespeare's Sonnets

Your Favourite Genre - The Book Thief✔
A Travel Book - Into the Wild✔
A Book Still On Your Shelf After 10 Years - Mary Poppins✔
Richard And Judy Recommended This One! - The Fault in Our Stars✔
A Classic - Animal Farm✔

Non Fiction - World Famous Royal Scandals✔
An Award Winner - Sharp Objects✔
Free Choice - More Fool Me✔
History: Novel Or Non Fiction - Beloved
The Author Shares Your Name - Mattress Actress✔

A Bestseller - The Da Vinci Code✔
Translated Into English - The Diary of a Young Girl
A Genre You Avoid - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy✔
A Friend's Recommendation - The Murder of Roger Ackroyd✔
A New Author - Tampa✔

A Book Picked Because Of The Cover - Eleanor & Park✔
Free Choice - Third Girl✔
A Book From A Small Publisher - Shakespeare on Toast: Getting a Taste for the Bard✔
An Old Favourite - The Long Walk✔
Crime: Novel Or True Crime - Eugenia: A True Story of Adversity, Tragedy, Crime and Courage ✔

Great! Here goes:

Memoir or Biography - I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Received as a present - My Education
Science Fiction - Wool Omnibus (never finished in 2013!)
Free Choice - Elijah's Mermaid
A Book of Poems ??

Favourite Genre (Americana) - American Wife
Travel Book (Fogle/Cracknell travel/adventure to choose)
A Book still on shelf - ??
Richard and Judy choice - The Rosie Project
A Classic - Mansfield Park

Non-Fiction - ??
An Award Winner - The Luminaries
Free choice - The Goldfinch
History Novel - The Last Runaway
Author shares your name - (Jodi Picoult to choose)

A Bestseller - And the Mountains Echoed
Translated into English - Alex
A Genre you avoid - The Hunger Games Trilogy Boxset
A Friend's recommendation - The Age of Miracles
New Author - The Universe Versus Alex Woods

A Book picked because of it's cover - possibly S.
Free Choice - ??
Book from a small publisher - The Spinning Heart
An old favourite - Riders (yey)
Crime Novel - A Commonplace Killing

Sally, using 0 and X is a great way of picture it. I'll steal your idea.

I googled small publishers to find a really obscure one!

prior to that I was going to go for Granta as they always publish interesting fiction

I am going to try to put up my 25-book list, but I am not sure how to do the links so it may not work...

Doing the left side first:
Memoir or biography: The Forgotten Soldier (done)
Your favorite genre: (ya fantasy) Daughter of Smoke and Bone: Free Preview - The First 14 Chapters (done)
Non fiction: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business (done)
A bestseller: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (done)
Book chosen for cover: The Passage (done)
Five books read so far, out of ten total.

A memoir/biography: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
Present:
Love Nina
Science fiction:
Mara and Dann
Free Choice:
The Goldfinch
Poems:
Her Birth

Fave Genre (timeslip/family):
The Clay Lion
Travel:
Skating to Antarctica
Book on Shelf 10 Yrs:
The Master and Margarita
Richard and Judy:
Instructions for a Heatwave
Classic:
Jude the Obscure

Non-fiction:
Art as Therapy
Award-winner:
Possession
Free choice:
Crossing to safety
History:
The six Wives of Henry VIII
Author shares name:
Instruments of Darkness

Bestseller:
And The Mountains Echoed
Translated into English:
My Struggle
Genre you avoid - plays:
Equus
Recommended by friend:
Tell the Wolves I'm Home
New author:
We Need New Names

cover:
dunno, need to go bookshop
Free Choice:
The Silent Wife
Small publisher:
The Henry Experiment
old fave:
Diary of a Nobody
Crime novel:
The Deaths

will fill mine in as I read..
Memoir or Biography -She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me
Favourite Genre -The Goldfinch
Non-Fiction - Safe Area Goražde: The War in Eastern Bosnia, 1992-1995
Best seller -Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
Book picked because of cover -Ibrahim and Reenie
Book received as present -The Executioner's Heart
Travel book -The Road To Timbuktu
An award winner -Middlesex
Translated into English -Life with a Star
Free Choice -The Paris Architect
Science Fiction/Fact -The Echo
Book still on shelf for 10 yrs -The Hobbit
Free choice - Paris Requiem
Genre avoided -The Bone Season
Book from sm. publisher - The Language of Dying
Free choice - Life and Fate
Richard & Judy recommendation -The Storyteller
History novel/non-fiction -HHhH
Friend's recommeEmotional Geologyndation -Golden Boy
Old Favourite -
Book of poems -The Nation's Favourite Love Poems
Classic -A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
Author shares yr name -A Mother's Journey
New author -The Dark Angel
Crime novel/true crime -Deadline

Here's my list. Going for all 25 as well. COMPLETED!


Memoir or Biography: Doc: A Memoir by Dwight Gooden COMPLETED

Book Rec'd as a Gift: The Princess Bride by William Goldman COMPLETED

Science Fiction or Fact: The Scourge of Muirwood by Jeff Wheeler COMPLETED

Free Choice: Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall COMPLETED

Book of Poems: Great Short Poems by Paul Negri COMPLETED

Favorite Genre: The Scourge by Roberto Calas COMPLETED

Travel Book: AWOL on the Appalachian Trail by David Miller COMPLETED

Still on Shelf After 10 Years: The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown COMPLETED

Richard & Judy: The Shoemaker's Wife by Adriana Trigiani COMPLETED

A Classic: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry COMPLETED

Non-Fiction: Francona: The Red Sox Years by Terry Francona COMPLETED

An Award Winner: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee COMPLETED

Free Choice: World After by Susan Ee COMPLETED

History Novel or Non-Fiction: Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot by Bill O'Reilly COMPLETED

Author Shares Name: A Star is Born: The Coming Dawn: Book IAusten Knowles COMPLETED

A Bestseller: The Shining by Stephen King COMPLETED

Translated into English: The Poisoned Pilgrim by Oliver Pötzsch COMPLETED

Genre You Avoid: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood COMPLETED

A Friend's Recommendation: A Biscuit, a Casket by Liz Mugavero COMPLETED

New Author: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker COMPLETED

Book Chosen Because of Cover: Miss Buncle's Book by D.E. Stevenson COMPLETED

Free Choice: Dark Days by Manel Loureiro COMPLETED

Book From a Small Publisher: Night of the Living Trekkies by Kevin David Anderson COMPLETED

Old Favorite: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen COMPLETED

Crime Novel: Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America by Gilbert King COMPLETED

Here is my Magic Square so far:

X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X
X X X X X

I haven't decided on all 25 books yet but this is what I have so far, and have finished one.


Also I don't know what to do about the 10 year book. I only have one book (a graphic novel that i've read quite a few times) that I brought when I came to this country. Should I just read that one again?

I am aiming for the full 25. We'll see how it goes :-)

Here is my list, so far:

Memoir or biography: Louis Macneice by Jon Stallworthy

Book received as a present: Michael Collins: A Biography

Science Fiction / Fact: How to Teach Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel

Free Choice: Call For The Dead by John le Carré.

Book of Poems: Her Birth by Rebecca Goss

Favourite Genre: Started Early, Took My Dog by Kate Atkinson

Travel Book: Charlie, Meg and Me: Walking Bonnie Prince Charlie's Highland Route by Gregor Ewing

Book still on shelf after 10 years: The Ambassadors by Henry James

Richard and Judy recommendation: A Commonplace Killing: A Novel by Sian Busby

A Classic: Silas Marner

Non Fiction: A Book Of Silence by Sara Maitland

Award Winner: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Free Choice: Finders Keepers: Selected Prose 1971-2001 by Seamus Heaney

History Novel /Non Fiction: By Permission of Heaven by Adrian Tinniswood

Author Who Shares Your Name: Ungentle Shakespeare: Scenes from his Life by Katherine Duncan-Jones

A Bestseller: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

Translated into English: Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

Genre You Avoid: The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Friend's Recommendation: Quiet: The Power Of Introverts In A World That Can't Stop Talking by Susan Cain

New Author: The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Book Chosen for Cover: First Love, Last Rites by Ian McEwan

Free Choice: Corvus: A Life with Birds by Esther Woolfson

Book from Small Publisher: Nutmeg by Maria Goodin

Old Favourite: Winter Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher

Crime Novel / True Crime: Dandy Gilver and a Bothersome Number of Corpses: A Mystery by Catriona McPherson

Jazzy wrote: "I haven't decided on all 25 books yet but this is what I have so far, and have finished one.


Also I don't know what to do about the 10 year book. I only have one book (a graphic novel that i've ..."

Jazzy, love your personalised square - how on earth does one do that?

I'm dreadfully lost I'm afraid!! I've never been able to understand or navigate forums and often arrive at a thread by sheer luck. The lad with the icon of Dilbert (I think his name is Paul) has kindly uploaded the spread sheet. if you download it then you can open it and edit it (i changed the font sizes, colours, etc.) once you do that make the window little enough to copy as a photo and upload it to fb or something. when you do, right click and copy image address then come back here and type <. img src=" and there insert link. take out the . then to close the link put ".> without the . simples!

Doesn't sound like you are lost to me! Thanks, will give it a go. I hadn't realised that Paul's document could be edited, thought it was just a guide. How clever! Thanks Jazzy and Paul.

Annika wrote: "Memoir Or Biography - I Feel Bad about My Neck
A Book Received As A Present - Too Close to Home
Science Fiction Or Fact - The God Delusion
Free Choice - [..."

Yay for you choosing [book:Infidel|81227] as the friend recommendation! So many great books on your list that I either love or want to read - PM incoming soon :-)

Just signed up to do The Magic Squares but no idea what books I'll be reading...need to see what's on the bookshelf!

Sally wrote: "Annika wrote: "Memoir Or Biography - I Feel Bad about My Neck
A Book Received As A Present - Too Close to Home
Science Fiction Or Fact - The God Delusion
..."

I love your choices too, Sally! I love Anna Karenina and The Age of Innocence, and of course The Fry Chronicles.
I think I have been way too ambitious, but I guess time will tell. :)

1 – Memoir or biography – The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by Randy Taraborrelli
2 – A book received as a present – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
3 – Science fiction or fact – Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre
4 – Free choice – Poppet by Mo Hayder
5 – A book of poems – Poems by Emily Dickinson
6 – A classic – Les Miserables by Victor Hugo
7 – Richard & Judy recommended this one – Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch
8 – A book still on your shelf after 10 years – The Colour of Magic by Terry Pratchett
9 – A travel book – This Cold Heaven by Gretel Ehrlich
10 – Your favourite genre – The Passage by Justin Cronin
11 – Non fiction – Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins
12 – An award winner – The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi
13 – Free choice – The Howling Miller by Arto Paasilinna
14 – History novel or non-fiction – Rubicon by Tom Holland
15 – The author shares your name – The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
16 – A new author – Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
17 – A friend’s recommendation – Cross Stitch by Diane Gabaldon
18 – A genre I avoid – (romance) – urgh! Any decent suggestions?
19 – Translated into English – Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
20 – A bestseller – Life of Pi by Yann Martel
21 – A book picked because of the cover – The Beach by Alex Garland
22 – Free choice – A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin
23 – A book from a small publisher – will collect this at some point!
24 - An old favourite – still not sure on this…
25 - Crime novel or true crime – something about The Great Train Robbery, I think!

Donna Louise, how about Katherine by Anya Seton? It's a historical, rather than a pure, romance. And considered a classic of the genre by many.

Just a thought :-)

I'm reading my Richard and Judy book now, The Never List by Koethi Zan

Katherine wrote: "Donna Louise, how about Katherine by Anya Seton? It's a historical, rather than a pure, romance. And considered a classic of the genre by many.

Just a thought :-)"

Very interesting! May check this one out. Amazing isn't it, the books that escape our attention over the years!

Donna Louise, I know. A lot of my favourite books over the years have been discovered by chance. When that happens, I often think that there are probably tens of thousands of books out there that I would love but will never come across.

I am tempted to change all my choices... Aargh.

I'm almost half way through the biography. I'm secretly hoping to read 100 books this year :p

Go for it Donna! I upped my total by five.
I have made an initial selection, and left some gaps for later in the year

I've gone for 15 so far, but I might change my mind, change titles etc!

A book received as a present: Tuscan Rose
A travel book: And the Mountains Echoed
An award winner: Gone Girl
Translated into English: Anna Karenina
Free Choice: The Child Inside

Free Choice: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Richard and Judy: The Never List
History Novel: Puritan Bride
Friend's Recommendation: Till We Have Faces
An Old Favourite: A Little Princess

Memoir: Daughter Of China
Favourite Genre: The Lady Elizabeth
Non Fiction: The Wives of Henry VIII
Bestseller: The Paris Wife
Book Picked Because of the Cover: The Night Rainbow

Donna Louise wrote: "1 – Memoir or biography – The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by Randy Taraborrelli
2 – A book received as a present – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
3 – Science fiction or fact – B..."

Donna, you could actually use Cross Stitch as your romance book if it would be easier. Having read the first two Outlander books, I have them shelved as 'historical romance' and from what I've read, most other people categorise them that way, too.

Great idea, Sally! Then a friends' recommendation will be easy :)
Thank you

Glad to be of service :-) I hope you enjoy Cross Stitch, I certainly did and plan to eventually read the whole series.

Sally, could be one for the Series Challenge then which follows a bit later in the year?

Series challenge..oooo. A Song of Ice and Fire? :P

Not everybody is a fan of fantasy, but I also have several by Robin Hobb and also Mr Pratchett :)

"CAROL's Magic Square Book List" --

-- -- -- --
BIO --- BK PRESENT --- SCI FI --- FREE --- BK OF POEMS
✔ 1. The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things
✔ 2. The Circle Maker: Praying Circles Around Your Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears
3. The Hunger Games
✔ 4. Snow Country
✔ 5. A Child's Christmas in Wales


--- --- --- ---
FAV GENRE BIO --TRAVELBK -- 10YROLD -- R&J -- CLASSIC
6. Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon
7. Rick Steves' Paris 2014
8. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
9. The Gargoyle
✔ 10. Washington Square


--- --- --- --- --Carol Ann Duffy
NONFIC -- AWARDWIN -- FREE -- NONFIC -- AUTHORMYNAME
✔ 11. Kipling Sahib: India and the Making of Rudyard Kipling
✔ 12. One of Ours
✔ 13. Snowflake
14. Angela's Ashes
15. Feminine Gospels: Poems


--- --- --- --- -- Carol Rifka Brunt
BESTSLLER -- TRANS into ENG -- GENREavoid -- RECOMMED -NEWAUTHOR
✔ 16. The Goldfinch
17. The Diary of a Young Girl
18. In Cold Blood
19. Cover Her Face
✔ 20. Tell the Wolves I'm Home

--- --- SMPUBLISH -- ---
COVER*-- FREE CHOICE -- SMPUBLISH --OLDFAV -- CRIMENOVEL
✔ 21. Forever
22. The Collected Poems
23. SMPUBLISH?
✔ 24. Les Misérables
125. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman 1


Books To Read to complete magic square. . .
1. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins -374 pp.
2. Mrs. Adams in Winter: A Journey in the Last Days of Napoleon by Michael O'Brien -- 364 pp.
3. Rick Steves' Paris 2014 by Rick Steves -- 764pp
4. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith --493pp.
5. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson -468pp.
6. Feminine Gospels: Poems by Carol Ann Duffy --65pp.
7. The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank --341pp.
8. Cover Her Face by P.D. James --250pp.
9. The Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath --351pp.
10. SMALL PUBLISHER
11. An Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P.D. James -- 256 pp.

My Magic Square so far

Memoir or Biography -> Amanda Knox A Memoir ✔
Book received as a present -> Amanda Holden Biography ✔
Science fiction or fact -The Gate BN Cardell ✔
Free Choice - Insurgent Veronica Roth ✔
Book of Poems -Ellen Hopkins ✔
Your favourite genre - Ask and Answer Patrick Ness ✔
Travel book - Long Way Down - Ewan McGregor ✔
On my shelf after 10 years - Forged in Fury ✔
Richard & Judy - Thousand Splendid Sun✔
Classic - Gullivers Travels ✔
Non fiction - Honor Bound ✔
Award winner - The Accidental - Ali Smith ✔
Free Choice - House of Malice ✔
History Novel/Non fiction - The Book Thief ✔
Author shares my name - Samantha Shannon ✔
Bestseller - Divergent ✔
Translated into English - The Deliverance of Evil - Roberto Constantini ✔
Genre I avoid - (chick lit) Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn ✔
Friend recommendation - The Outcast Dead ✔
New Author - Mashid Hamid Reluctant Fundamentalist ✔
Picked because of the cover - Magyk ✔
Free choice - Revolutionary Road ✔
From a small publisher - Forever Doomed ✔
Old favourite - Dracula ✔
Crime novel/true crime - Poppet ✔

My Magic Square so far: -

Memoir or biography - Cash: The Autobiography of Johnny Cash
A Book Received as a Present - One Summer: America, 1927
Science Fiction or Fact: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
Free Choice
A Book of Poems - Rhyme Stew
A Travel Book - Two Old Fools on a Camel ~ From Spain to Bahrain and Back Again
A Book Still on Your Shelf After 10 years -
Richard and Judy Recommended this one - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
A Classic - The Great Gatsby
Non Fiction - Twelve Years a Slave
An Award Winner - Wolf Hall
Free Choice -
History Novel or Non Fiction - Careless People: Murder, Mayhem, and the Invention of The Great Gatsby
The Author Shares Your Name - The Advocate
A Bestseller -
Translated into English - The Housekeeper and the Professor
A Genre You Avoid (Romance/Chick Lit) - Stately Pursuits
A Friend's Recommendation - The Beaumont Bequest
A New author - Mystery Thriller And Suspense Novel - Teddy Roosevelt is Dead
A Book Picked because of the Cover -
Free Choice -
A Book From a Small Publisher
An Old Favourite - Either The Magus or The Color of Magic
Crime Nover or True Crime - A Mix of Murders: Fifteen Historic English Cases from the Twentieth Century

Struggling with the small publisher and will fill in the "free choice" options once everything else is completed.

I've found a list of small publishers here, if that helps.

http://www.timeout.com/london/books/l...

How about choosing something from Persephone Books? I love their selection of books - they specialise in republishing neglected and forgotten novels. You can get some real gems from there, like Dorothy Whipple. They publish a beautiful catalogue twice a year.

These are some other small publishers:
http://www.dovecotepress.com
http://littletoller.co.uk
http://angryrobotbooks.com
and a longer list here: http://smallpublishersfair.co.uk/part...

Thanks Elizabeth and Paul. What criteria are being used to judge a publisher as "small"? I was looking at some books published by Virago.

Persephone is where I'll be going to next week; such a delightful shop.

Teresa wrote: "Thanks Elizabeth and Paul. What criteria are being used to judge a publisher as "small"? I was looking at some books published by Virago."

The intention was to steer people away from the big publishers such as Random Penguin, or what ever they are calling themselves these days.

I love Arcadia books as they are good for translated fiction..I'm really looking forward to this.. Zénith-Hôtel

Random Penguin LOL

The intention was to steer people away f..."

If they are not called Random Penguin then I am stealing that just in case I ever set up a book publishing company. :D So would Virago count as a small publisher then?

It looks like they are an imprint of Little Brown now

My magic square so far:

Memoir or Biography -
Favourite Genre -
Non-Fiction - 101 Facts About Animals
Bestseller -
Book picked because of cover -
Book received as present - Don't Tell the Groom
Travel book - My Life My Africa
An award winner -
Translated into English - The Informer
Free Choice - The Secret of the Tower
Science Fiction/Fact - Strike: The Hero From The Sky
Book still on shelf for 10 yrs - Echoes
Free choice - Eclipse
Genre avoided - Finding Sky
Book from sm. publisher -
Free choice - Breaking Dawn
Richard & Judy recommendation -
History novel/non-fiction - Founding Father: The Life and Times of John Neely Bryan
Friend's recommendation -
Old Favourite -
Book of poems - Moon Poetry
Classic - Dracula
Author shares yr name - Christmas at the Cupcake Café
New author - Blood from a Shadow
Crime novel/true crime - Doors Open

I've just spent ages reading through all your lists. They all look so interesting.
My list - although an 'old fave' may be subject to change!:

Memoir or Biog: Shackleton: The Antarctic Challenge
Received as present: The Daylight Gate ✔
Science Fiction or Fact: The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat ✔
Free Choice: The Dumas Club
Poems: Beowulf: An Illustrated Edition
Fave Genre: Sacred Treason
Travel Book: South Col: One Man's Adventure on the Ascent of Everest 1953
Still on shelf after 10 yrs unread: Brick Lane
R&J recommended: The Never List
A Classic: Catch-22
Non-fiction: Walden ✔
An Award Winner: Pure
Free Choice: The Lost Ships of Robert Ballard: An Unforgettable Underwater Tour by the World's Leading Deep-Sea Explorer
History novel or non-fiction: The Immortal Dinner: A Famous Evening of Genius and Laughter in Literary London, 1817 ✔
Author shares name: To Kill a Mockingbird ✔
A Bestseller: The Sword Of Shannara
Translated into English: Crime and Punishment
A Genre you Avoid: Coming Home for Christmas✔
A Friend's recommendation: The Reluctant Fundamentalist
A New Author: Wilderness ✔
Picked because of Cover: The Thirteenth Tale ✔
Free Choice: The English Civil War At First Hand
Small Publisher: The Small Hand ✔
An Old favourite: Collected Ghost Stories
Crime Novel or True Crime: Jar City

1. Memoir or Biography -
2. Favourite Genre - The Ocean at the End of the Lane (Neil Gaiman)
3. Non-Fiction -
4. Bestseller - Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
5. Book picked because of cover - Skylight Confessions (Alice Hoffman)
6. Book received as present - The Husband's Secret (Liane Moriarty)
7. Travel book -
8. An award winner - The Light Between Oceans (M.L. Stedman)
9. Translated into English - Brida (Paulo Coelho)
10. Free Choice - One Day (David Nicholls)
11. Science Fiction/Fact - Way Station
12. Book still on shelf after 10 years -
13. Free choice - Dragon Search
14. From a genre I avoid - Healer's Quest (Jessica Palmer)
15. Book from small publisher -
16. Free choice - The Storyteller
17. Richard & Judy recommendation - A Thousand Splendid Suns (Khaled Hosseini)
18. History novel/non-fiction -
19. Friend's recommendation - Good Omens (Gaiman/Pratchett)
20. Old Favourite -
21. Book of poems -
22. Classic - Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury)
23. The author shares my name - The Irrational Season
24. New author -
25. Crime novel/true crime - The Bloody Meadow: A Captain Korolev Novel 2 (William Ryan)