You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

This year, we’re going to traipse around the stars and all things astrological.

The Challenge:

The challenge is to read 12 books throughout the year. You must select and read one book from each zodiac sign to complete the challenge. You may select from any of the seven categories, as long as you remember that you need to have each zodiac sign represented. If you wish, you may restrict yourself to one category. For example, you may choose to read all twelve tasks assigned to the superheroes.

Badges

There is a total of 84 tasks listed, so 84 books.

Badge One – Challenge Badge = 12 books completed. This is the only level you need to complete the challenge. Any additional reading is optional.

Badge Two – First Additional Badge = will be awarded when you read an additional 2 rounds of the zodiac signs (24 additional books). The same rules apply – each round includes one book from each zodiac sign. When you have completed this badge, you will have read a total of 36 books.

Badge Three – Second Additional Badge – will be awarded when you read 2 more rounds of the zodiac signs (24 additional books). The same rules apply – each round includes one book from each zodiac sign. When you have completed this badge, you will have read a total of 60 books.

Badge Four – will be awarded when the remaining 2 rounds have been read. All 84 tasks have been read.

General Rules: (please read carefully as there are some changes)

1. You must read 12 different books, one from each zodiac sign. Each book is exclusive to one task. You may not repeat tasks. The same rule applies to optional rounds.

2. You may not combine books with the Monthly Challenge.

3. The challenge is from January 1, 2018 to December 31, 2018. You must start and complete your books within the year AND within the time that you start the challenge. If you are late starting the challenge, you may not count books prior to your start date. For example, if you start May 1st, you may only count books read between May 1 – Dec 31.

4. Books must be at least 175 pages long. They may be any format (audiobook, ebook, hardcover/paperback). In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover edition to determine page length.. If there is no hardcover edition, use the paperback edition. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select “hardcover”. If no hardcover editions, select “paperback”. If more than one edition, sort by “num ratings” and go with the first listing. If you are still unable to identify, ask for a ruling.

5. Books may be any genre unless specified in a task. In the case of graphic novels or books consisting of a lot of pictures, the text must be equivalent to that of a 175-page book.

6. If a task refers to the title, the subtitle or series title doesn’t count unless specified in a task.

7. If a task refers to the cover, it will be based on the cover of the issue you read.

8. You will need to start your own reporting thread in this folder to track your progress. There will be a thread set up to report your success in completing the challenge and to request your badge.

♈️ ARIES ♈️

[✔]Month - March - DECAPITATION: Kubikiri Cycle by NisiOisiN - 322p
Symbol - Ram - Joyride by Anna Banks - 276p
Element - Fire - Belka, Why Don't You Bark? by Hideo Furukawa - 368p
North American Zodiac - Falcon - The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian - 299p
Stone - Opal - Scaramouche by Rafael Sabatini - 359p
Superhero - Ares - The Iliad by Homer - 544p
Actor by Sign - Tim Curry - Legend by Marie Lu - 305p

♉️ TAURUS ♉️

[✔]Month - April - NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p
Symbol - Bull - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry - 945p
Element - Earth - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 400p
North American Zodiac - Beaver - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - 464p
Stone - Jasper - The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - 296p
Superhero - Rhino - Villain by Shūichi Yoshida - 304p
Actor by Sign - Audrey Hepburn - Bloodline by Sidney Sheldon - 409p

♊️ GEMINI ♊️

[✔]Month - May - The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Vol. 2 by Eiji Mikage - 192p
Symbol - Twins - Atomised / The Elementary Particles by Michel Houellebecq - 316p
Element - Air - We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan - 336p
North American Zodiac - Deer - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - 327p
[✔]Stone - Agate - The Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi - 220p
[✔]Superhero - Copycat - Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 288p
Actor by Sign - Johnny Depp - Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll - 256p

♋️ CANCER ♋️

Month - June - Centuries of June by Keith Donohue - 352p
[✔]Symbol - Crab - So I'm a Spider, So What?, Vol. 1 (light novel) (So I'm a Spider, So What? by Baba Okina - 256p
Element - Water - Hot Milk by Deborah Levy - 218p
North American Zodiac - Woodpecker - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez - 457p
Stone - Rose Quartz - Once and Always by Judith McNaught - 399p
Superhero - Sandman - My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier - 320p
Actor by Sign - Meryl Streep - The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles - 350p

♌️ LEO ♌️

Month - July - Cold in July by Joe R. Lansdale - 234p
Symbol - Lion - La Mort du roi Tsongor by Laurent Gaudé - 204p
Element - Fire - Last Winter We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura - 224p
North American Zodiac - Salmon - The Magicians by Lev Grossman - 402p
Stone - Carnelian - Nefertiti by Michelle Moran - 463p
[✔]Superhero - Kraven the Hunter - Diary of a Mad Old Man by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki - 192p
Actor by Sign - Sean Penn - Mystic River by Dennis Lehane - 401p

♍️ VIRGO ♍️

[✔]Month - August - NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p
[✔]Symbol - Maiden - I Want to Kick You in the Back by Risa Wataya - 199p
Element - Earth - Orbital Cloud by Taiyo Fujii - 528p
North American Zodiac - Bear - Night Watch by Sergei Lukyanenko - 455p
Stone - Amethyst - The Iron King by Maurice Druon - 368p
Superhero - Rogue - The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater - 409p
Actor by Sign - Anne Meara - Awakenings by Oliver Sacks - 339p

♎️ LIBRA ♎️

Month - September - September Girls by Bennett Madison - 352p
Symbol - Scales - A Time to Kill by John Grisham - 515p
Element - Air - Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari - 235p
North American Zodiac- Raven - The Bone People by Keri Hulme - 450p
Stone - Azurite - Shōgun by James Clavell - 1152p
[✔]Superhero - Judge Dredd - Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami - 309p
Actor by Sign - Viggo Mortenson - The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - 407p

♏️ SCORPIO ♏️

Month - October - A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny - 280p
Symbol - Scorpion - The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie - 304p
Element - Water - Le Déchronologue by Stéphane Beauverger - 560p
North American Zodiac - Snake - The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan - 249p
[✔]Stone - Copper - Claymore Complete Box Set: Volumes 1-27 with Premium by Norihiro Yagi - 5272p
Superhero - Anti-Venom - The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto - 422p
Actor by Sign - Jodie Foster - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - 224p

♐️ SAGITTARIUS ♐️

Month - November - November 9 by Colleen Hoover - 310p
Symbol - Archer - The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven by Sherman Alexie - 242p
Element - Fire - Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - 246p
North American Zodiac - Owl - The Odyssey by Homer - 541p
Stone - Obsidian - Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - 400p
Superhero - Hawkeye - Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman - 544p
[✔]Actor by Sign - Ralph Fiennes - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - 320p

♑️ CAPRICORN ♑️

Month - December - December by Elizabeth Hartley Winthrop - 256p
[✔]Symbol - Goat - The Son by Jo Nesbø - 407p
Element - Earth - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - 973p
North American Zodiac - Snow Goose - Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - 359p
Stone - Quartz - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - 850p
Superhero - Cannonball - His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik - 353p
Actor by Sign - Sissy Spacek - Carrie by Stephen King - 199p

♒️ AQUARIUS ♒️

Month - January - Black January by Douglas Wynne - 250p
Symbol - Water-Bearer - The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro - 317p
Element - Air - Air Awakens by Elise Kova - 318p
[✔]North American Zodiac - Otter - La Tulipe Noire by Alexandre Dumas - 378p
Stone - Turquoise - A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 1 by Kazuma Kamachi - 224p
Superhero - Aquaman - Of Poseidon by Anna Banks - 324p
Actor by Sign - John Hurt - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling - 320p

♓️ PISCES ♓️

Month - February - February by Lisa Moore - 310p
[✔]Symbol - Fish - The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto - 188p
Element - Water - Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - 386p
North American Zodiac - Wolf - A Yellow Raft in Blue Water by Michael Dorris - 372p
Stone - Jade - Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See - 269p
Superhero - Siren - Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon - 240p
Actor by Sign - Glenn Close - Hamlet by William Shakespeare - 330p

good luck :)

Thanks! I have my telescope with me, the answers must be in the stars! :p

lol you'll need it,

i do not read much manga but i would be interested to see what is considered equivalent.

what are your thoughts?

Great start on the gophering, Clément! Love the name you came up with too!

Great start, Clément. I see you've focused on the actors. :)

Cody wrote: "lol you'll need it,

i do not read much manga but i would be interested to see what is considered equivalent.

what are your thoughts?"

If this is related to my question about the lenght then here are my thoughts:
It take me 1.5 minute to read a page according to my Kobo. So to read 175 pages would take 263 minutes so almost 4.5 hours. Depending on the content of the manga, which is about 200 pages a volume, it takes between 30 minutes to an hour for me, then if we consider the average time of 45 minutes, I'd say that you need to reed at the very least 6 volumes to read the minimal amount requiered.

If the question was not about then, first, I am sorry and second can you explain a little bit more for me please?

Lisa wrote: "Great start on the gophering, Clément! Love the name you came up with too!"

It is my first time doing this. It take a lot more time than I initialy thought to choose a book... I am 3 categories in so far and I will take a little break as I am seeing stars right now (it doesn't seem to stop me from trying to make bad puns though).

You got some good books in there Clément!

Janice wrote: "Great start, Clément. I see you've focused on the actors. :)"

Yes, I am going in category by category starting from the last one since I thought using movie tittles would be easier... but i was wrong :p

I thought the actors category would be easier than it turned out to be. I spent hours wading through all the possibilities. Most of the books I chose will have to be acquired, and I made sure they were available at the library.

Clément wrote: "Lisa wrote: "Great start on the gophering, Clément! Love the name you came up with too!"

It is my first time doing this. It take a lot more time than I initialy thought to choose a book... I am 3 ..."

Lol! You will probably be seeing even more stars by the time you finish gophering 😉

Clément wrote: "Cody wrote: "lol you'll need it,

i do not read much manga but i would be interested to see what is considered equivalent.

what are your thoughts?"

If this is related to my question about the le..."

that was exactly what I meant :)

I didn't realise I put it in the wrong thread my apologies

Also we had the same idea about how to calculate them, not sure how that fits into the challenge though !

Thanks you guys for calculating when it came to manga and graphic novels. Very useful.

Rusalka wrote: "Thanks you guys for calculating when it came to manga and graphic novels. Very useful."

No problem! Since I realy wanted to read at least one for the challenge, it was needed. :)
I also found a way to bypass the volumes number of pages by using box sets that are referenced on Goodreads. For exemple, for Scorpio, Stone category (Copper), I used Claymore Complete Box Set: Volumes 1-27 with Premium which is 5272 pages long so I hope it is alright if I use this.

Mate, I reckon if you want to read 5000+ pages for one book, it is more than fine.

Do not worry, I got this!
I got this.
I got this?


You got to shoot for the stars right?

Indeed! Lol

Hope you enjoy your first yearly challenge. You've got lots of book possibilities there.

I am sur I will have fun. The search for books continues! So many choices, too many choices...

Clément wrote: "I am sur I will have fun. The search for books continues! So many choices, too many choices..."

Agreed. I'm listing all books I own for each task rather than choosing now which one I will be reading. That way I can be flexible and go with whatever I fancy at the time.

I still need to check my books to see if I don't already have some book that fit the tasks. But, as of right now, this is what I want to go with.

I don't even think I will be able to read a third of this list in 2018.

An impressive list Clément!

With choices like Harry Potter, Homer, Nabokov and "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven", you certainly have an eclectic taste in books!

I tried to step out of my confort zone as well as put some book that I really wanted to read. That way is more interesting for me since I tend to always read books in the same genre.

The fact that you found my list eclectic confort me in my choices :)

Clément wrote: "... The fact that you found my list eclectic confort me in my choices :) ..."

Excellent.

I try to do the same and have found some real gems. It'll be interesting to look back over the year and see if you've found some new favourites.

Preparation for astral observations - What I already have -

♈️ ARIES ♈️
[✔]DECAPITATION: Kubikiri Cycle by NisiOisiN - 322p
Belka, Why Don't You Bark? by Hideo Furukawa - 368p
Legend by Marie Lu - 305p

♉️ TAURUS ♉️
[✔]NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p
Your Lie in April by Yui Tokiumi - 200p
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 400p
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath - 296p

♊️ GEMINI ♊️
[✔]The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Vol. 2 by Eiji Mikage - 192p
We Come Apart by Sarah Crossan - 336p
Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert - 327p
Illuminae by Amie Kaufman - 608p
[✔]Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 288p
[✔]The Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi - 220p

♋️ CANCER ♋️
[✔]So I'm a Spider, So What?, Vol. 1 (light novel) (So I'm a Spider, So What? by Baba Okina - 256p
Hot Milk by Deborah Levy - 218p
Once and Always by Judith McNaught - 399p
My Sister Rosa by Justine Larbalestier - 320p

♌️ LEO ♌️
Last Winter We Parted by Fuminori Nakamura - 224p
The Magicians by Lev Grossman - 402p
La Mort du roi Tsongor by Laurent Gaudé - 204p
[✔]Diary of a Mad Old Man by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki - 192p

♍️ VIRGO ♍️
[✔]NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p
The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North - 405p
[✔]I Want to Kick You in the Back by Risa Wataya - 199p
The Iron King by Maurice Druon - 368p

♎️ LIBRA ♎️
Tales of Moonlight and Rain by Ueda Akinari - 235p
Shōgun by James Clavell - 1152p
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien - 407p
[✔]Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami - 309p

♏️ SCORPIO ♏️
Le Déchronologue by Stéphane Beauverger - 560p
The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan - 249p
[✔]Claymore Complete Box Set: Volumes 1-27 with Premium by Norihiro Yagi - 5272p
The Stories of Ibis by Hiroshi Yamamoto - 422p

♐️ SAGITTARIUS ♐️
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov - 246p
Moloka'i by Alan Brennert - 400p
[✔]Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - 320p

♑️ CAPRICORN ♑️
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett - 973p
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon - 850p
[✔]The Son by Jo Nesbø - 407p

♒️ AQUARIUS ♒️
The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro - 317p
A Certain Magical Index, Vol. 1 by Kazuma Kamachi - 224p
[✔]La Tulipe Noire by Alexandre Dumas - 378p

♓️ PISCES ♓️
[✔]The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto - 188p
Into the Water by Paula Hawkins - 386p

The 12 first observations:

Book 1 (Pisces, Symbol): The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto - 188p
Book 2 (Cancer, Symbol): So I'm a Spider, So What?, Vol. 1 (light novel) (So I'm a Spider, So What? by Baba Okina - 256p
Book 3 (Aquarius, North American Zodiac): La Tulipe Noire by Alexandre Dumas - 378p
Book 4 (Virgo, Symbol): I Want to Kick You in the Back by Risa Wataya - 199p
Book 5 (Gemini, Superhero): Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro - 288p
Book 6 (Aries, Month): DECAPITATION: Kubikiri Cycle by NisiOisiN - 322p
Book 7 (Taurus, Month): NEKOMONOGATARI (BLACK): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p
Book 8 (Libra, Superhero): Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami - 309p
Book 9 (Leo, Superhero): Diary of a Mad Old Man by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki - 192p
Book 10 (Scorpio, Stone): Claymore Complete Box Set: Volumes 1-27 with Premium by Norihiro Yagi - 5272p
Book 11 (Capricorn, Symbol): The Son by Jo Nesbø - 407p
Book 12 (Sagittarius, Actor): Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling - 320p

Badge 2, Book 1 (Gemini, Month): The Empty Box and Zeroth Maria, Vol. 2 by Eiji Mikage - 192p
Book 2 (Gemini, Stone): The Dark Maidens by Rikako Akiyoshi - 220p
Book 3 (Virgoi, Month): NEKOMONOGATARI (WHITE): Cat Tale by NisiOisiN - 280p

Hi Clement. Janice wants each book posting on a new message, not an update to an already existing one. :o)

Clément wrote: "[Reserved for the details of the 12th observation]"


The reason you need to create a new message each time you finish a book is because it generates a notification. If you edit a message, no notification will be generated and I won't be able to track your completed books.

@Cherie & Janice - I see, I will delete those in that case. Thanks for letting me know!

I also alert the rest of us, so we can check what you read, how did you like it, and maybe even "steal" a title or ask you something about it. :)
I did the same mistake last year...

Nice list Clement! Hope you don't mind I steal one from you? Centuries of June sounds interesting and I'm struggling a bit with the summer months ;-)

Thanks, Clément.

Sandra wrote: "I also alert the rest of us, so we can check what you read, how did you like it, and maybe even "steal" a title or ask you something about it. :)
I did the same mistake last year..."

I didn't think about that at first. So I will update every time I finish a book so if someone wants to steal the book I read they can. It is one of the rare cases where I am OK with stealing :p

It gives a whole new meaning to stealing, doesn't it? Because it's not really stealing - it's just being inspired to acquire the book and read it for yourself.

Margo wrote: "Nice list Clement! Hope you don't mind I steal one from you? Centuries of June sounds interesting and I'm struggling a bit with the summer months ;-)"

Thank you! Feel free to use any book of my list that you want to use yours! :) The months were also the hardest for me to find.

Janice wrote: "Thanks, Clément."

No problem! I will be careful from now on ;)

Clément wrote: "The months were also the hardest for me to find. "

They are! I wouldn't have thought that this was true if a few months ago.