Reading with Style discussion

Ask questions, post book settings that we may have overlooked, or even make recommendations from something you may have read previously.

Is this project only for this coming Season, Summer? or will it be overlapping seasons until the map is filled-in completely?

Two questions:

If we read a book that is set in somewhere other than the obvious and easy to get countries, should we note that in this thread?

Does the country (setting) have to be completely explicit or can it be implied? My example would be A Bend in the River, where Naipaul never specifically says the country but it has been inferred that it is set in the Congo (DRC).

Valerie wrote: "Does the country (setting) have to be completely explicit or can it be implied?"

This is for fun, not points. Your group members will probably be accepting, but there is no reason not to ask them for agreement.

Valerie wrote: "If we read a book that is set in somewhere other than the obvious and easy to get countries, should we note that in this thread?"

It won't hurt to post here, so feel free. Amanda will be maintaining the map. I think there is a plan to link the post to the country over in the other thread, but it may take a day or several.

Tien wrote: "Is this project only for this coming Season, Summer? or will it be overlapping seasons until the map is filled-in completely?"

Long term - probably very long term. As many seasons as we need to get to all of those tiny, out of the way countries.

So will our group be larger than our teams were, or is it called groups because there are no points, etc? Either way, this will be fun.

Karin wrote: "So will our group be larger than our teams were, or is it called groups because there are no points, etc? Either way, this will be fun."

Group is the group - all members.

I will, most likely, post a link to a spreadsheet for keeping track of the books in, and update once a week on Sunday as that is the one day a week I have time up my sleeve (unless I am on a Cub camp, but then I should still have time when I get home. Besides, I only have one camp left, and I am trying to see if I can get out of it because July is too cold to be sleeping in a tent!)

I posted the countries so that people can check what they are at a quick glance. I might also put a line through them when I have 3 books, just so at a glance we know which ones are complete without having to check the spreadsheet.

I've done various country challenges over the years, and have my TBR list arranged according to country/US state settings. That's part of the reason my list is so long--I keep adding books on for tiny countries that I might need someday for a challenge. It's a great way to discover new authors.

Amanda wrote: " I might also put a line through them when I have 3 books, just so at a glance we know which ones are complete without having to check the spreadsheet. "

Just to clarify, do you mean 3 books to complete 1 country or 3 books for 3 different countries (as in you're accumulating completion before you update)?

Tien wrote: "Just to clarify, do you mean 3 books to complete 1 country or 3 books for 3 different countries (as in you're accumulating completion before you update)? "

We'll keep track of the books that got the country colored in, and it will take only one book to do that. But some countries - like the US and UK - will have many many entries, and we'll make entries on the sheet only for the first three.

ok so you'd like us to continue on with recording the country settings for books read even though the country on the map has been coloured in?

Tien wrote: "ok so you'd like us to continue on with recording the country settings for books read even though the country on the map has been coloured in?"

Yes, beginning June 1, start of Summer. At some point, Amanda will find time in her very very busy schedule to post the spreadsheet. Then you can see where we are with a country and also get an idea or two when books for the less read countries have titles.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karin wrote: "So will our group be larger than our teams were, or is it called groups because there are no points, etc? Either way, this will be fun."

Group is the group - all members."

Good, then, which is what I thought first, then got confused somewhere along the line.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "We'll keep track of the books that got the country colored in, and it will take only one book to do that. But some countries - like the US and UK - will have many many entries, and we'll make entries on the sheet only for the first three."

Thanks Elizabeth for clarifying for me. Busy week.

And the spreadsheet is up.

Sorry all, I didn't even open my laptop when I got home last night.

Would it be possible for the administrators to provide a link to a spreadsheet with the names of all the countries? I'd like to keep a spreadsheet for my own readings.
Thanks!

Ed wrote: "Would it be possible for the administrators to provide a link to a spreadsheet with the names of all the countries? I'd like to keep a spreadsheet for my own readings.
Thanks!"

Yes, Amanda posted a link to a spreadsheet here. I think you can copy it to your Drive if you create and name a blank spreadsheet.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "Would it be possible for the administrators to provide a link to a spreadsheet with the names of all the countries? I'd like to keep a spreadsheet for my own readings.
Thanks!"

Yes, Ama..."

I should have tried that first.... I made the assumption it was locked.
Thanks!

Ed wrote: "I should have tried that first.... I made the assumption it was locked.
Thanks! "

I looked around, because I was sure there was a setting where you can download or email it to yourself. Look upper right and see if there is an arrow to open so more options.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "I should have tried that first.... I made the assumption it was locked.
Thanks! "

I looked around, because I was sure there was a setting where you can download or email it to yourself..."

Yes...I emailed it to myself

For the spreadsheet, if you go to File and select - make a copy - from the pull down menu, you get a copy you can edit and rename:)

Karen Michele wrote: "For the spreadsheet, if you go to File and select - make a copy - from the pull down menu, you get a copy you can edit and rename:)"

Yep, and that had me confused because I remember your telling us this before, but I did not have File and that whole line on the spreadsheet. I looked and looked and finally found the place to open up the line that would give it to me.

ok...I'm not tech savvy enough to figure this out... I want to add some other locations to my spreadsheet...for example ...using imaginary places. How do I do that?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karen Michele wrote: "For the spreadsheet, if you go to File and select - make a copy - from the pull down menu, you get a copy you can edit and rename:)"

Yep, and that had me confused because I r..."

That would be confusing!

Ed wrote: "ok...I'm not tech savvy enough to figure this out... I want to add some other locations to my spreadsheet...for example ...using imaginary places. How do I do that?"

I think if you right click on the row where you want to add you will have an option to insert a row either above or below. Alternatively, you could just add them at the bottom and then resort.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Ed wrote: "ok...I'm not tech savvy enough to figure this out... I want to add some other locations to my spreadsheet...for example ...using imaginary places. How do I do that?"

I think if you righ..."

That worked...thanks!

Should we be posting recommendations/possible books in this thread or is there a better place for that? I know I've got a few that I've already read (and I tend to not reread) that I enjoyed and they'd fit for some of the weird little countries :)

Sam wrote: "Should we be posting recommendations/possible books in this thread or is there a better place for that? I know I've got a few that I've already read (and I tend to not reread) that I enjoyed and th..."

Yes, please. But to help Amanda, be sure to note these are recs and not yet to be added to the map.

Sounds good! I'll post a few when I'm back on my PC later.

A couple suggestions:
Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones Set in Papua New Guinea
Ghosts of Tsavo - Vered Ehsani Set in Kenya (I'm hoping to get to the second book this season)

I was just looking at the spreadsheet (so interesting to see the countries we've covered so far) and I was wondering why this 'UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS" is listed as a separate country?

Valerie wrote: "I was just looking at the spreadsheet (so interesting to see the countries we've covered so far) and I was wondering why this 'UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS" is listed as a separate country?"

Because that is one of the options to filling in the map.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I was just looking at the spreadsheet (so interesting to see the countries we've covered so far) and I was wondering why this 'UNITED STATES MINOR OUTLYING ISLANDS" is listed as a s..."

Oh, I see. I was thinking about ease of completion of the map! I would think it will be awfully hard to find a book set in any of the islands (or atolls). Maybe there is a thriller involving the military or scientists set there!

When we were looking at this I tried to color in that option and I had a hard time seeing it. But I would think it includes Guam, and there might be something for that.

A few books have Guam as a setting. I didn't look at any of them to see if they might have our 51% threshold.

https://www.goodreads.com/places/165-...

and here is a thread from another group:

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

and that topic is for Guam or Wake, both of which I'll bet color that portion of our map.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "When we were looking at this I tried to color in that option and I had a hard time seeing it. But I would think it includes Guam, and there might be something for that."

I know wikipedia isn't the be all and end all, but according to it Guam is a territory of the US, not a minor outlying island.

Valerie wrote: "Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "When we were looking at this I tried to color in that option and I had a hard time seeing it. But I would think it includes Guam, and there might be something for that."
..."

I suspect our map people and the wiki people are referring to the same places. Guam is certainly a minor outlying island.

Guam has its own listing on the spreadsheet. Puerto Rico is also on the spreadsheet.

Well, this is supposed to be a challenge! I guess it will send us all to Wikipedia to find some minor outlying islands.

Nope, I'm wrong - Guam has it's own tickbox on the maps.

It looks like Wake is a possibility. I don't see that on the country list.

And voila! Wikipedia has an article:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_...

which includes Wake, as you say Connie, but also Midway. Any WWII enthusiasts among us? There should definitely be something for Midway, too.

The Map has been coloured in (Thank you Elizabeth for the reminder!), and I have put a strikethrough on the countries we have read.

If you think I have missed something please post here so we can get some more countries on The Map :)

Thanks, Amanda. I'm not often a visual person, but ...

Yikes, I've been neglecting this. If I have read any books this month in a country not yet done (at least 51 percent), should I add them?

Karin wrote: "Yikes, I've been neglecting this. If I have read any books this month in a country not yet done (at least 51 percent), should I add them?"

Amanda is looking at the completed tasks thread on Sundays (our Saturday, probably), but if the setting isn't clear we are to let her know in this thread.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Karin wrote: "Yikes, I've been neglecting this. If I have read any books this month in a country not yet done (at least 51 percent), should I add them?"

Amanda is looking at the completed tasks th..."

Thanks, I had forgotten that--that's a great help!!

Yep, my Sunday is usually the day I don't have much on, so I should have time to catch up (although I have been trying to add to the spreadsheet whenever I can, mostly on the nights my husband works and I can't get to the gym).

If the setting is listed on the book page, or evident in the description, or if you have posted it when claiming points the book gets added. If it's not obvious, or there are multiple settings and I don't know if one will qualify for 51% or more then please post here.

Thanks!

I'm looking at Comoros and I'm stumped! Help...?

I can't link because I'm on my phone, but I found Last of the Pirates: The Search for Bob Denard by Samantha Weinberg.

Here ya go!
Last of the pirates: The Search for Bob Denard