Reading with Style discussion

Post Your Book Domino Plan here. No need for approval and these chains may change. But if you want to share, please use this space.

Chain 1:

The Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick
The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor (born USA)
The Little Disturbances of Man by Grace Paley (born USA)
A Lost Lady by Willa Cather (born USA) (died 1940s)
Between the Acts by Virginia Woolf (died 1940s) (born 1880s)
Seven Gothic Tales by Karen Blixen (born 1880s) (died 1960s)
The Ballad of the Sad Café and Other Stories by Carson McCullers (died 1960s) (pub 1950s)
Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar (pub 1950s) (author first name)
Four Novels: The Square, Moderato Cantabile, 10:30 on a Summer Night, The Afternoon of Mr. Andesmas by Marguerite Duras (author first name) (pub 1960s)
them by Joyce Carol Oates (pub 1960s) (born 1930s)
Something I've Been Meaning to Tell You: 13 Stories by Alice Munro

Chain 2:

Weekend Warriors by Fern Michaels (author last name)
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels (author last name) (author born Canada)
The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood (author born Canada) (pub 1960s)
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (pub 1960s) (author first name)
Gourmet Rhapsody by Muriel Barbery (author first name) (author born 1960s)
Twice Born by Margaret Mazzantini (author born 1960s) (author born Ireland)
A World of Love by Elizabeth Bowen (author born Ireland) (author first name)
Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell (author first name) (author born 1810s)
Daniel Deronda by George Eliot (author born 1810s) (pub 1870s)
Marianne by George Sand (pub 1870s)

The current plan:


1. Edgar Allan Poe: The Fever Called Living by Paul Collins
2. The Law and the Lady by Wilkie Collins (surname as in #1)
3. Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy (born UK as in #2)
4. A River Town by Thomas Keneally (first name as in #3)
5. The Town by William Faulkner (title word "Town" as in #4)
6. Ice Palace by Edna Ferber (died same decade as #5)
7. The Winthrop Woman by Anya Seton (same pub decade as in #6)
8. The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles (title word "woman" as in #7)
9. Clouds and Eclipses: The Collected Short Stories by Gore Vidal (same birth decade as in #8)
10. Strangers by Anita Brookner (same pub decade as in #9)

I'm thinking about this one:

1. The Obstacle Course by J.F. Freedman
2. Dragon Teeth by E. Howard Hunt (publication decade same as #1)
3. Cold Ridge by Carla Neggers (author born in USA same as #2)
4. The Deepest Secret by Carla Buckley (author first name same as #3)
5. The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton (word in title same as #4 - SECRET)
6. Stealing Mona Lisa by Carson Morton (author last name same as #5)
7. A Sense Of Place by Maisie Mosco (author born in England same as #6)
8. Common Sense: The Call to Independence by Thomas Paine (title word same as #7 - SENSE)
9. Celestial Chess by Thomas Bontly (author first name same as #8)
10. The Cater Street HangmanThe Cater Street Hangman by Anne Perry (publication decade same as #9)


Books #1-3 are prior challenge books (SRC lists of 1 each, which would complete those lists), book #5 is on my TBR wishlist, #7 & #9/#10 are on previous challenge lists, and #8 has been mentioned in my buddy read of John Adams.

1. Hounded by Kevin Hearne
2. Perfect Mate by Mina Carter (same pub. decade as #1)
3. In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath (same country as #2)
4. Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins (same birth decade as #3)
5. Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano (same pub. decade as #4)
6. What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (same first name as #5)
7. Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason by Nancy Pearl (same country as #6)
8. Slightly Married by Mary Balogh (same birth decade as #7)
9. In Bed With A Stranger by Mary Wine (same first name as #8)
10. Death with Interruptions by José Saramago (same title word as #9)

1.Evensong by Gail Godwin b 1937
2.Black Girl/White Girl by Joyce Carol Oates b.1938^
3.The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins (Girl)
4.Not a Girl Detective by Susan Kandel (Girl)
5.The Funeral Dress by Susan Gregg Gilmore (Susan)
6.The Tale of Castle Cottage by Susan Witting Albert (Susan) (USA)
7.The Devil Amongst the Lawyers by Sharyn McCrumb (USA) b. 1948
8.Black Mountain Breakdown by Lee Smith b. 1944
9.How to Be Both by Ali Smith or White Teeth by Zadie Smith (Smith) (UK)
10.The Mapping of Love and Death by Jacqueline Winspear (UK)

My tentative plan

1. The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett
2. The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton (country in title)
3. Three Lives by Gertrude Stein (published 1909, 1910)
4. Retreat from Love by Colette (born 1874, 1873)
5. The Heptameron by Marguerite de Navarre (born in France)
6. Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar (both Marguerite)
7. The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead (died 1987, 1983)
8. The Waves by Virginia Woolf (published 1940, 1931)
9. The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot (born in the UK)
10. The Haunted Pool by George Sand (both George)

A plan for female authors:

1. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (born UK)
2. Visitors: A Novel by Anita Brookner (born UK, pub. 1997)
3. Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb (pub. 1996; death in title)
4. The Idiot Girl and the Flaming Tantrum of Death: Reflections on Revenge, Germophobia, and Laser Hair Removal by Laurie Notaro (death in title; first name - Laurie)
5. Shine On, Bright and Dangerous Object by Laurie Colwin (first name Laurie; born US)
6. The Enchanted by Rene Denfeld (US author; pub. 2014)
7. Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void by Mary Roach (pub. 2010; first name Mary)
8. City of Flowers by Mary Hoffman (first name Mary; born 1945)
9. To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis (born 1945)
10. Testimony by Anita Shreve (born 1946)

Hopefully 3rd try is the charm! My plan with all female authors:

1. Hiss and Hers by M.C. Beaton
2. The Silver Dark Sea by Susan Fletcher (uk author b.1979)
3. Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill (same birth decade b. 1976)
4. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (same birth decade,b. 1978, us author)
5. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (us author)
6. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters (same 1st name, d. 2013)
7. my choice depending on my mood(!) by Lilian Jackson Braun (same death decade d. 2011, us author)
8. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (us author)
9. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (same first name)
10. Little Black Dress by Susan McBride (same word in title)

My plan for female authors:

[edited: Revised Plan for the nth time!]

1. Between the Vines by Tricia Stringer (Australian)
2. Eat First, Talk Later by Beth Yahp (Australian - pub. 2015)
3. The Evening Spider by Emily Arsenault (pub. 2016 - American)
4. Weighing Shadows by Lisa Goldstein (American - word in title 'shadows')
5. The Amber Shadows by Lucy Ribchester (word in title 'shadows' - word in title 'amber')
6. Amber Beach by Elizabeth Lowell (word in title 'amber' - born 1944)
7. The Girl in Hyacinth Blue by Susan Vreeland (born 1946 - pub. 1999)
8. Cat on the Edge by Shirley Rousseau Murphy (pub 1996 - author's first name)
9. The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (author's first name - born 1916)
10. A Fence Around the Cuckoo & Fishing in the Styx by Ruth Park (born 1917)

Thanks to Elizabeth is on top of these things! 4th kick at the can!

1. Silver Girl by Elin Hilderbrand

the rest as above (#9)
2. The Silver Dark Sea by Susan Fletcher (same word in title b.1979)
3. Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill (same birth decade b. 1976)
4. The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner (same birth decade,b. 1978, us author)
5. The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert (us author)
6. The Mummy Case by Elizabeth Peters (same 1st name, d. 2013)
7. my choice depending on my mood(!) by Lilian Jackson Braun (same death decade d. 2011, us author)
8. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares (us author)
9. Raven Black by Ann Cleeves (same first name)
10. Little Black Dress by Susan McBride (same word in title)

As I suspected, harder than it seemed!

I had 7 books planned and was struggling - then noticed the bit about female authors, made it to 10 books, with the last being Graham Greene.

Replaced book 4, a male author also, which was easier than expected, but had to re-work books 8, 9 and 10. I think it took me 4 goes to get this right.

Still, here is my plan for female authors :

1) To the Is-land: An Autobiography by Janet Frame (published 1982)

2) Nights at the Circus by Angela Carter (published 1984/Angela)

3) Behind the Night Bazaar: Jayne Keeney PI in Chiang Mai by Angela Savage ( Angela / Australian born )

4) The First Stone by Helen Garner ( Australian born / born 1942)

5) The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (born 1941 / Anne )

6) The Winter Vault byAnne Michaels ( Anne / Canadian born )

7) Dancing Girls by Margaret Atwood ( Canadian born / born 1939 )

8) Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates ( born 1938 / Little )

9) A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett ( Little / Princess )

10) The Princess of Cleves by Madame de Lafayette ( Princess )

My first plan:

1. Neil Patrick Harris: Choose Your Own Autobiography
2. Big Data, Big Analytics: Emerging Business Intelligence and Analytic Trends for Today's Businesses (published same decade)
3. Naughty Shakespeare (same first name)
4. Letters to a Young Scientist (same country of residency - see http://www.michaelmacrone.com/resume.... for previous author's info, it's not on Goodreads)
5. Don't Be Such a Scientist: Talking Substance in an Age of Style (same title word)
6. The 100 Simple Secrets of Successful People (published same decade)
7. Ringworld (same last name)
8. The Forever War (same birth country)
9. The Book on the Bookshelf (same birth decade - 40s)
10. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen (same birth decade - 40s)

My plan with female authors:

1. Messiah of Stockholm by Cynthia Ozick
2. Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (born same decade as #1- 1928 & 1927)
3. Cassandra: A Novel and Four Essays by Christa Wolf (Died same decade as #2 - 2013 & 2011)
4.The Lover by Marguerite Duras (published same decade as #3 - 1983 & 1984)
5.Coup de Grace by Marguerite Yourcenar - same first name as #4
6. The Princesse de Clèves by Madame de La Fayette - (same nationality as #5 - French)
7. The Planetarium by Nathalie Sarraute (same nationality as #6- French)
8. The Ponder Heart by Eudora Welty (born same decade as #7 -1900 & 1905)
9. The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers (same word in title as #8 - "Heart")
10. Wise Blood by Flannery O'Connor (died same decade as #9- 1967 & 1964)

Took me a bit, but I got it, I think.

15.1 A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
15.2 From Hell by Alan Moore - also a British national
15.3 The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey – both born in the 1950s
15.4 Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances by Neil Gaiman- written in 2010s
15.5 Ariel by Steven R. Boyett – Born in 1960s
15.6 Gardens of the Moonby Steven Erikson – first name
15.7 The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein – word moon
15.8 The King in Yellow and Other Horror Stories by Robert W. Chambers – first name
15.9 Beyond the Blue Event Horizon by Frederik Pohl – American national
15.10 The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett - Died 2010s.

15.1 Orchid Beach by Stuart Woods
15.2 Shatter The Bones by Stuart MacBride (same first name as #1)
15.3 The Broken Window by Jeffery Deaver (born same decade as #2)
15.4 The Promise by Robert Crais (born same decade as #3)
15.5 Flesh and Blood by Patricia Cornwell (same publication decade as #4)
15.6 Payment in Blood by Elizabeth George (same word in title as #5 - Blood)
15.7 The Burning Room by Michael Connelly (same place of birth as #6 - US)
15.8 The Burning Man by Phillip Margolin (same word in title as #7 - Burning)
15.9 Night Passage by Robert B. Parker (same publication decade as #8)
15.10 Long Time Gone by J.A. Jance (same place of birth as #9 - US)

My new plan, with the potential to be all-female, too.

15.1 Love Letters From a Duke by Elizabeth Boyle (love in title)
15.2 Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshananthan (love in title) (pub. 2008)
15.3 In Bed with the Devil by Lorraine Heath (pub. 2008) (with in title)
15.4 In Bed With A Stranger by Mary Wine (with in title) (author Mary)
15.5 Slightly Married by Mary Balogh (author Mary) (Canada)
15.6 Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel (Canada) (b. 1979)
15.7 What Happens in London by Julia Quinn (b. 1970) (author Julia)
15.8 Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity by Julia Serano (author Julia) (pub. 2007)
15.9 Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins (pub. 2007) (USA)
15.10 --any American author--

My second chain in case I finish the first one with plenty of time to spare

1. An Officer and a Spy by Robert Harris
2. The Sacrifice Stone by Elizabeth Harris (same last name)
3. The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick (published 1996/1993)
4. Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon (same first name)
5. Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm by Kate Douglas Wiggin (both born USA)
6. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (same first name)
7. Summer Lies by Bernhard Schlink (published 2005/2010)
8. Helliconia Summer by Brian W. Aldiss (summer in title)
9. The Aunt's Story by Patrick White (both born UK)
10. The Story Girl by L.M. Montgomery (story in title)

1. Midnight's Children,Salman Rushdie (bn. India)
2. The House of Blue Mangoes, David Davidar (bn. India)
3. House of Leaves, Mark Z. Danielewski (title) (american)
4. Song of Solomon, Toni Morrison (american)
5. A Song for Issy Bradley, Carys Bray (title) (pb.2014)
6. The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair, Joël Dicker (pb.2014) (bn.1985)
7. All the Light We Cannot See, Anthony Doerr (pb.2014) (bn.1973)
8. NW,Zadie Smith (bn. 1975)
9. How to Be Both,Ali Smith (same surname)
10. Child 44, Tom Rob Smith (same surname)

First Chain:

1. The Door - Magda Szabó (born 1917)
2. The Lover - Marguerite Duras (born 1914) (died 1996)
3. Nights at the Circus - Angela Carter (died 1992) (England)
4. Crooked Heart - Lissa Evans (England) (published 2014)
5. Lovers at the Chameleon Club, Paris 1932 - Francine Prose (published 2013) (title)
6. The Jane Austen Book Club - Karen Joy Fowler (title) (US)
7. The Secret Life of Bees - Sue Monk Kidd (US)(title)
1. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan - Lisa See (title)(published 2005)
9. The Internationals - Sarah May (published 2005)(first name)
10. The Postmistress - Sarah Blake (first name)


Second Chain:
1. The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls - Anton DiSclafani (title)
2. The Girls of Atomic City: The Untold Story of the Women Who Helped Win World War II - Denise Kiernan (title) (US)
3. Back When We Were Grownups - Anne Tyler (US) (first name)
4. The Forgotten Waltz - Anne Enright (first name) (Ireland)
5. The Sandcastle - Iris Murdoch (Ireland) (died 1999)
6. In a Lonely Place - Dorothy B. Hughes (died 1993) (published 1947)
7. Frenchman's Creek - Daphne du Maurier (published 1941) (born 1907)
8. Love in a Cold Climate - Nancy Mitford (born 1904)
9. Bunny Lake is Missing - Evelyn Piper (born 1908) (published 1957)
10. Giant - Edna Ferber (published 1952)

My tentative plan:

1) The Keep - Jennifer Egan
2) The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith (first name)(last name)
3) On Beauty - Zadie Smith (last name)(born 1975)
4) Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (born 1979)(Canada)
5) MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood (Canada)(born 1939)
6) Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones (born 1934)(published 1986)
7) War for the Oaks - Emma Bull (published 1987)(first name)
8) The Vacationers - Emma Straub (first name)(US)
9) Parasite - Mira Grant (US)(published 2013)
10) The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry - Gabrielle Zevin (published 2014)

My plan:

1. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
2. What I Loved by Siri Hustvedt (born USA)
3. Colorado Abduction by Cassie Miles (born USA)
4. Lettice Delmer by Susan Miles (last name)
5. Heat Lightning by Helen R. Hull (born 1880s)
6. Bricks and Mortar by Helen Ashton (first name)
7. The Happy Tree by Rosalind Murray (born 1890s)
8. Happy Accidents by Tiffany Murray (word 'happy')
9. Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris (published 2000s)
10. Gillespie and I by Jane Harris (last name)

My plan:

1) Speak Easy by Catherynne M. Valente (born 1974)
2) The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin (born 1977) (born USA)
3) Tonight & Forever by Brenda Jackson (born USA) (pub. 1995)
4) Forever And A Day by Mary McBride (pub. 1995) (first name 'Mary')
5) Word Puppets by Mary Robinette Kowal (first name 'Mary') (pub. 2015)
6) Cost of Repairs by A.M. Arthur (pub. 2012) (last name 'Arthur')
7) Darkness Hunts by Keri Arthur (last name 'Arthur') (born in Australia)
8) Satisfaction by Sarah Mayberry (born in Australia) (first name 'Sarah')
9) One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean (first name 'Sarah') (word 'good')
10) Too Good to Be True by Kristan Higgins (word 'good')

Here's my first attempt at a plan

15.1 The first book:
The Coming by Daniel Black
15.2 The word "coming":
Death Coming Up the Hill by Chris Crowe 930 L
15.3 The word "hill":
The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson
15.4 First Name: Naomi
Landfalls by Naomi J. Williams
15.5 Decade of publication (published 2015):
The Gap of Time by Jeanette Winterson
15.6 Country of Birth (UK):
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
15.7 Country of Birth (UK):
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith
15.8 Decade of publication: 2015:
Welcome to Braggsville by T. Geronimo Johnson
15.9 Last Name (Johnson)
A Certain October by Angela Johnson870L
15.10 First Name (Angela)
The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

1. Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson's Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival by Peter Stark (first name Peter)
2. Rag and Bone: A Journey Among the World's Holy Dead by Peter Manseau (Peter) (pub. '00 - '09)
3. Columbine: A True Crime Story by Jeff Kass (pub. '00 - '09) (Story in title)
4. Zoo Story: Life in the Garden of Captives by Thomas French (Story in title) (first name Thomas)
5. How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill (Thomas) (born in US)
6. An Ordinary Spy by Joseph Weisberg (US) (born in the 60's)
7. Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk (born in the 60's) (pub. '00 - '09)
8. Alexandria by Lindsey Davis (pub. '00-'09) (last names Davis)
9. A Nation Rising: Untold Tales of Flawed Founders, Fallen Heroes, and Forgotten Fighters from America's Hidden History by Kenneth C. Davis (Davis) (Nation in title)
10. Hella Nation: Looking for Happy Meals in Kandahar, Rocking the Side Pipe,Wingnut's War Against the GAP, and Other Adventures with the Totally Lost Tribes of America by Evan Wright (Nation)

1. Middlemarch by George Eliot (born 1819)
2. Villette by Charlotte Brontë (born 1816; surname)
3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë (surname; pub 1847)
4. Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell (pub 1848; born England)
5. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (born England; died 1941)
6. My Ántonia by Willa Cather (died 1947; pub 1918)
7. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (pub 1911; born USA)
8. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott (born USA; died 1888)
9. Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson by Emily Dickinson (died 1886; title 'Poems')
10. Poems of Christina Rossetti by Christina Rossetti (title 'Poems')

my female canon list (i hope)