SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion
SciFi and Fantasy Book Challenge
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2018 TBR Cleanup Challenge!
Ooh, some really fun ideas here!!1. The 13th book: The Wood-Carver of 'Lympus (just counted along the bottom shelf)
2. A book written by a geezer: The King's English: A Guide to Modern Usage (was published the year after his death at age 77)
3. A book with humor: With a finger in my I
4. 300-350 pages Permutation City
5. A book that reminds you of home: Coop: A Year of Poultry, Pigs, and Parenting (because I grew up in the same part of Wisconsin as did the author, and my folks are still there)
6. Stars on the cover: Starshine
7. Chosen for the cover: Fancies and Goodnights (saw it at a thrift store, too weird/ intriguing not to pick up)
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for: War for the Oaks (tried it years ago because I had enjoyed something else by Bull but found it too tough somehow)
9. Based on the blurb: Love Among the Walnuts (well, and on the title, too)
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting: Scarlet Feather (Ireland? Maybe I can do better. Maybe outer space work. :)
11. Gold on the cover: To Here and the Easel
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover: Finder (motorcycle)
13. An author's debut novel: Flora Segunda
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe": Short Friday
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone: Normal: Transsexual CEOs, Crossdressing Cops, and Hermaphrodites with Attitude (placeholder; I like non-fiction, and I'm queer myself, so I don't know if this truly qualifies according to my honor system, but I don't know if I have anything better; we'll see.)
16. A book with a romance: The Shape-Changer's Wife
17. Standalone novel: Engine Summer
18. A book with a character you would marry: The Return (maybe; I do kinda have a crush on Spock)
19. Read a genre-bender: The Only Alien on the Planet (SF, YA, romance...)
20. A book with an animal on the cover: The Godmakers (alien beast/ monster?)
*~~ DONE! ~~*Looks like fun to be had! I might be able to use this to actually clear out some nonfiction--here's hoping 2018 is the year!
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I'm in!1. The 13th book
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there)
3. A book with humor or horror
4. 300-350 pages
5. A book that reminds you of home
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16. A book with a mystery or romance
17. Standalone novel
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
Had a lot of fun with this challenge this year so looking forward to the new round.20/20
2018 TBR Cleanup Challenge
20/20
1. The 13th book - Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold - done
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) - Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi - done
3. A book with humor or horror - Redshirts by John Scalzi - done
4. 300-350 pages - Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews (308 pages) - done
5. A book that reminds you of home - Going Postal by Terry Pratchett - done
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover - Updraft by Fran Wilde - done
7. Chosen for the cover - Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson - done
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for - Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones - done
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - River of Teeth by Sarah Gailey - done
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor - done
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - The Master of White Storm by Janny Wurts - done
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship - Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (airship) - done
13. An author's debut novel - Amatka by Karin Tidbeck - done
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one - Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton - done
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris - done
16. A book with a mystery or romance - Dragon Prince by Melanie Rawn - done
17. Standalone novel - City of Bones by Martha Wells - done
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill - Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb - done (kill Kyle)
19. Read a genre-bender - Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente - done
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover - The Fall of the Readers by Django Wexler - done
Am I allowed to just post a comment? (Feel free to delete- I won’t take offense.) Just wanted to say:Thanks for putting this together!! I plan to finish the 2017 TBR challenge first and jump in with this one.
I love these prompts!! Number 18 is hysterical (and there are oh so many books I can fit into this prompt) and number 5 is my excuse to throw in another Stephen King read because I was born in Maine and 90% of his books remind me of home!
Squee!! I’m excited. Too tired though so I’ll make my list tomorrow 😁
Just found and joined the 2017 challenge, so I'm happy to join this one at the beginning! Working on filling in titles:
1. The 13th book:
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there)
3. A book with humor or horror
4. 300-350 pages
5. A book that reminds you of home
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for (see what I did here?)
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting Palestine
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship Deathless
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16. A book with a mystery or romance
17. Standalone novel
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender:
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
I'm pretty sure I can't do all twenty books, but I'll make some stabs at it.6. Skies on the cover--In the Blue Hour by Elizabeth Hall COMPLETED!
8. "Missed it by that much"-The White Mirror by Elsa Hart COMPLETED!
9. Based on the description --Miss Kopp's Midnight Confessions by Amy Stewart COMPLETED!
10. Non-U.S./Non U.K.-The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey COMPLETED!
11. Gold on the cover--Shakti Rising: Embracing Shadow and Light on the Goddess Path to Wholeness by Kavitha M. Chinnaiyan COMPLETED!
13. An author's debut novel--The Case of the Running Bag: A Jonas Watcher Detective Adventure by Gene Poschman COMPLETED!
15. A book from a genre that's outside my comfort zone-- The Lost Pilots: The Spectacular Rise and Scandalous Fall of Aviation's Golden Couple by Corey Mead (true crime) COMPLETED!
16. A book with mystery-- Santa Fe Mourning: A Santa Fe Revival Mystery by Amanda Allen COMPLETED!
17. Standalone novel (so far as I know)--The Last Equation of Isaac Severy by Nova Jacobs COMPLETED!
18. A book with a character I would kill--Her Fear by Shelley Shepard Gray COMPLETED!
I decided to scale back to ten and pronounce myself done with this challenge because December isn't a realistic month for completing challenges. Sorry!
COMPLETED ON OCTOBER 27, 20181. The 13th book Astrophysics for People in a Hurry
3. A book with humor or horror We Are Legion - We Are Bob
4. 300-350 pages A Betrayal in Winter
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover Children of Time
7. Chosen for the cover The Salt Roads
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for The Moon is a Harsh Mistress
9. Based on the description Space Opera
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting The Devourers
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name The Armageddon Rag
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship Blindsight
16. A book with a mystery or romance Wylding Hall
17. Standalone novel The City & the City
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill Raven Stratagem
19. Read a genre-bender Embassytown
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I like the way Silvana thinks, less saving my spot and more so I get updates on all y'all's lists.1.
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19. Read a genre-bender Arcadia
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All of them I own so will count for the read all the owned books challenge.
edit: Annotated because Edwin wants it :)
I'm excited! By 13th book, does that mean 13th in a series? 13th book an author has written? The 13th book on our TBR list? Something else?
18/201. The 13th book
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) : Frankenstein
3. A book with humor or horror: The Wise Man's Fear
4. 300-350 pages: To Kill a Mockingbird
5. A book that reminds you of home
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover: Children of Time
7. Chosen for the cover: Beyond Apollo
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for: The Haunting of Hill House
9. Based on the blurb or blerg: The Perfect Mother
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting: The Nightingale
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name: The Adventure Zone: Here There Be Gerblins
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship: The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit
13. An author's debut novel: Failure Is an Option: An Attempted Memoir
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one: Bird Box
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone: Mindfulness in Plain English
16. A book with a mystery or romance: Aloha from Hell
17. Standalone novel: Red Clocks
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill: The Great Alone
19. Read a genre-bender : Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover: The Sun Also Rises
[ 2 / 20]1. The 13th book
2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill - Northanger Abbey (Austen wrote this when she was in her late teens/early 20s)
3. A book with humor or horror - Let the Right One In
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5. A book that reminds you of home
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - Six of Crows
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - The Darkest Part of the Forest
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - The Girl in the Tower
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - Strange the Dreamer
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16. A book with a mystery or romance - Smaller and Smaller Circles
17. Standalone novel
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender - American Gods
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Jenny wrote: "I'm excited! By 13th book, does that mean 13th in a series? 13th book an author has written? The 13th book on our TBR list? Something else?"It's the 13th book on either your TBR list or on your shelves.
Wow, some of these were really hard to find books for! I may change some of these if I find something better suited.I'm keeping score here
1. The 13th book - The Islands of Chaldea by Diana Wynne Jones
2. Written by a young buck or geezer - Raising the Stones by Sheri S. Tepper
3. A book with humor or horror - Time is the Fire: The Best of by Connie Willis
4. 300-350 pages - China Mountain Zhang by Maureen F. McHugh
5. Reminds you of home - Planetfall by Emma Newman
6. Suns, skies, stars, planets - The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord
7. Chosen for the cover - The Impossible Fairy Tale by Han Yujoo
8. "Missed it by that much" - Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner
9. Based on the blurb or blerg - The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting - The Vegetarian by Han Kang
11. Gold on the cover, title, author - Revenant Gun by Yoon Ha Lee
12. Vehicle on the cover - Remnant Population by Elizabeth Moon
13. An author's debut novel - An Excess Male by Maggie Shen King
14. "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" - The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin
15. Outside your comfort zone - Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys
16. A book with a mystery or romance - After Atlas by Emma Newman
17. Standalone novel - Slow River by Nicola Griffith
18. Marry, shag, kill - Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
19. Genre-bender - Amatka by Karin Tidbeck
20. Animal, vegetable, mineral - The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold
Why?
1. I was so happy to see this, I'm trying to read all/most of DWJ eventually
2. I chose an author who's older than my grandparents, also I've wanted to continue this series since we read Grass
3. First one on my TBR that I knew had some humor -> switched to another Connie Willis
4. Been meaning to get to this for a long time
5. Chosen after reading the book
6. This one was hard, I had to look at many choices and cover editions, but I was hoping to find a place for this book so yay
7. The one that caught my eye while scrolling through the list
8. I've almost started it so many times, eager to finally get to it!
9. Based both on reviews and the blurb, it sounds amazing
10. I wanted something that's not SFF for this
11. This was the hardest one, it has a tiny sliver of gold, but I'm very excited to read the book!
12. This book was on my mind for #2 before I realized it said author, not protagonist, so I was happy to find a place for it here
13. First debut I spotted on my standalones list
14. I used a random number generator and picked that number of unread Hainish novel
15. Lovecraftian will always be outside my comfort zone
16. I had to squeeze some Emma Newman on the list!
17. Another one I should've already read
18. I tried to find something that would most likely have a big cast of characters, hopefully it's along the lines of the first book, I might not even have to kill anyone
19. I looked at Tor's monthly genre-bender lists and picked one that was already on my TBR
20. Another hard one, but Bujold to the rescue
I'm probably going to change the books around in this as much as I did the 2017 one, but I still had fun!
This looks like fun!2. A book written by a young buck or geezer
3. A book with humor or horror The Wordy Shipmates
4. 300-350 pages Sun of Suns (audiobook)
5. A book that reminds you of home Land of Lincoln: Adventures in Abe's America
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover Candide (ebook)
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for Tess of the D'Urbervilles (ebook)
9. Based on the blurb or blerg Burn This Book: PEN Writers Speak Out on the Power of the Word
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting Anna Karenina (ebook)
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name America's Constitution: A Biography
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - Stephen King
16. A book with a mystery or romance
17. Standalone novel The Witch's Daughter
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover
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Sarah Anne. wrote: "A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there)"Sure dodge the question of age but not the gender? Both of your examples suggest male author. Not trying to start anything, just noting the idioms. For the record, I can read an old lady (biddy is probably the closest thing to geezer but I don't like it) book if I want to or an old geezer. Why would I read a book by a young buck or doe? What do they know about life? Alas time will tell... ;-)
Awesome challenge categories.NOTE: Actually Tracking in seperate thread:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I'm sure lots of these will change, but this is the plan:
1. The 13th book Seed to Harvest
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (????)
3. A book with humor or horror Funny Horror
4. 300-350 pages Nelvana of the Northern Lights or Rules of Civility
5. A book that reminds you of home (Swan Song - preordered/kickstarter comic anthology)
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover Contact (I bought it back when the movie came out and still haven't read it)
7. Chosen for the cover Deep River Night (how can you resist sideways trees?)
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for Settlers: The Mythology of the White Proletariat Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection, Volume 1 New World: An Anthology of Sci-Fi and Fantasy or about a zillion other possibilities
9. Based on the blurb or blerg No One Is Coming to Save Us or Bellevue Square
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting Pachinko
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name The Girl with All the Gifts or The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship Leviathan Wakes or Ancillary Justice
13. An author's debut novel (maybe Old Man's War)
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one (I'll do this part way through the year when I know what my TBR list looks like)
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone (?? maybe a government report)
16. A book with a mystery or romance Lake on the Mountain
17. Standalone novel (to many possibilities to list)
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill Smut Peddler Presents: My Monster Boyfriend
19. Read a genre-bender (???)
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover Elements: Fire
Gradually filling in1.
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) - Diane DiMassa, The Complete Hothead Paisan: Homicidal Lesbian Terrorist (I remember furtively reading this comic in the queer newspapers my teenage self would sneak home after visits to the city -- really looking forward to experiencing the whole run)
3. A book with humor or horror - Nathan Hill, The Nix (apparently, this is the kind of novel where you laugh and then weep, rinse, and then repeat)
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7. Chosen for the cover -Benjamin Myers, Beastings (a beautiful and suggestive image with such an amazing title)
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9. Based on the blurb or blerg - Pedro Lemebel, My Tender Matador (the only book I've read about Pinochet's dictatorship is Allende's House of the Spirits, and this one looks just as good as that.)
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11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name - Kristin Cashore, Graceling ("Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight" -- I'm all in!)
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15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone - Ben Ehrenreich, The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine (I don't read much journalistic nonfiction, but this has been recommended to me by many, many folks, including a friend from the West Bank)
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19. Read a genre-bender - R. L. Rusho, ed., Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty (heard about this when listening to the BBC's "A Good Read", probably more of a genre mixer than a genre bender)
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover - Peter Beagle, The Last Unicorn (how have I not yet read this?)
Monica wrote: "Sarah Anne. wrote: "A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there)"Sure dodge the question of age but not the gender? Both of your examples su..."
Hmm... I confess that those terms are genderless in my mind.
o this is off to an interesting start, the 13th book on my TBR is: Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II. Which while it isn't really outside my comfort zone doe really not fit in the group parameters, so would it still count?
Hey, why not? I'm going from my (much smaller) list of books I was considering reading next year rather than the (infinite) tbr, so hopefully this'll give an added push to actually read them... not that I need too much of a push for some of them :) 1. The 13th book Death Comes for the Archbishop
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there) The Outsiders
3. A book with humor or horror Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch
4. 300-350 pages The Wreath
5. A book that reminds you of home A Fada Oriana
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover The City & the City
7. Chosen for the cover Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for The Shadow of the Wind
9. Based on the blurb or blerg Uprooted
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting Pachinko
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name Elantris
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship Jamaica Inn
13. An author's debut novel The Bear and the Nightingale
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one The Weight of Glory
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone (nonfiction) Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City
16. A book with a mystery or romance The Grave's a Fine and Private Place
17. Standalone novel Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill ???
19. Read a genre-bender ???
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover Sing, Unburied, Sing
I'm kind of interested to know how people interpret "A book written by a young buck or geezer". I chose an author who was born earlier than my grandparents, even if I don't think she was "old" at the time the book was published. This way I didn't have to look at both the author's birth date and the pub dates of their books. I know that would mean all classics would fit, but I really didn't feel like checking everything on my TBR for author age at the time of publishing. If I come across something that fits better, I'll change it.Number 18 (marry, shag, or kill) was very difficult, because how could I know before reading the book?! So I chose an unpublished book in a series where I know there are many characters, some of which will most likely fit at least one of these.
Dj wrote: "Which while it isn't really outside my comfort zone doe really not fit in the group parameters, so would it still count?s..."Definitely. This is not genre specific. Have fun with it :)
Anna wrote: "I'm kind of interested to know how people interpret "A book written by a young buck or geezer". I chose an author who was born earlier than my grandparents, even if I don't think she was "old" at t..."I took it as the author was old/young when they wrote it, however I am not sure how I will go about choosing that book.
I put about 30 books in the folder that I want to read and I am going to shove them in the categories somehow.
Anna wrote: "I'm kind of interested to know how people interpret "A book written by a young buck or geezer". I chose an author who was born earlier than my grandparents, even if I don't think she was "old" at t..."Heh! Yeah, I think the intent is that it is up to you what constitutes geezer and buck agewise. This is meant to be fun, I wouldn't worry about it too much. Whatever you choose will be absolutely fine.
I thought the same thing about the characters "how will I know until I read it?" As an aside, I don't think I've ever read a character that I'd like to shag or marry. I guess I'm left with kill... ;-)
Monica wrote: "As an aside, I don't think I've ever read a character that I'd like to shag or marry."Same, but I can imagine myself as one of the book characters and maybe as them I'd like to shag someone? I don't think anything in the world would make me want to marry someone. But this did make me think about #18 in a different way, maybe I should just go for the kill and choose something where I expect to really hate someone.
Still filling out1. The 13th book The Forgotten Girls
2. A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age and gender definitions because I ain't goin' there) The Jewels of Aptor written/published when Samuel Delany was 20
3. A book with humor or horror The Jeeves Omnibus Vol. 3: The Mating Season / Ring for Jeeves / Very Good, Jeeves
4. 300-350 pages Spiderlight
5. A book that reminds you of home Chesapeake which is written about where my family is from and set about 20 miles from where I was born plus it has a chapter dealing with Chesapeake Bay Retrievers. I read this back when it was first released, but this will be my first reading of a Kindle version
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover Playing God
7. Chosen for the cover Memory & Dream - I love de Lint, but I paid more for this one because of the cover (didn't wait for a sale)
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for - difficult to find one here, so I'll just list a book (I can make time for any book if I really want to read it - after all, it did take me two years to finish The Complete Works of Mark Twain: The Novels, short stories, essays and satires, travel writing, non-fiction, the complete letters, the complete speeches, and the autobiography of Mark Twain) so I'll randomly choose one: Yes, Chef and no, it's not about Gordon Ramsey's show
9. Based on the blurb or blerg Dun Lady's Jess - love the premise and hopefully it will spur me to get the rest of the series (bought because of the first blurb)
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting Skin Folk: Stories lots of the stories are set in the Caribbean/Canada
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name The Last Dark - I bought this a long time ago to complete the series and have not been able to make myself start it
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship Spiritride = motorcycle
13. An author's debut novel Wizard's First Rule which will hopefully get me started on completing the series. I have read this in PB, but not in Ebook format
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one The City on the Edge of Forever
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone Arcadian Adventures with the Idle Rich - someone said I would like this but it's not a genre I usually read
16. A book with a mystery or romance The Shark - this was a book I was able to get for free using an Amazon promotion. This will make me read it
17. Standalone novel The Winthrop Woman
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill Never Call It Loving: The Immortal Love Story of Kitty O'Shea and Charles Parnell. The main character is a politician, so I slotted this book here. I do not like politicians and this book adds adultery into the mix.
19. Read a genre-bender The Shore of Women: The Classic Work of Feminist Science Fiction = feminist and SciFi
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover Dhampir = wolf
So I’m realizing that to make it easy I would fit in books I KNOW I’m going to get to.....but to get this to actually work in cleaning up the tbr I need to avoid the ones I know I’ll read no matter what.Decisions decisions
Love this one! I'll mostly be ticking them off as I go.Edit: Finished on 16 May.
2018 TBR Cleanup, January 1 - December 31
Goal: 20/20, 100.00%
Great list Sarah!I am in for all 20.
So far 20/20
Finished Dec 22!
1.
--Pretty happy with this one.
2.
--Written when McEwan was 66. I guess that's a geezer. Poignant with lots to think about.
3.
--Horror in the 12th century. This was recommended to me by a friend and has been on my TBR shelf for quite a while now. Dante meets Hieronomous Bosch. Not very good.
4.
--Part of my plan to finally read His Dark Materials.
5.
--OK, admittedly a bit of a stretch here. I grew up in Atlanta. Wow, what a great book.
6.
--Lots of stars on the cover.Rich, and heart-breakingly tragic. A fantanastic book.
7.
--Well, I have to admit this was chosen mostly just to get this book on the list.
8.
--Another part of my plan to finally read His Dark Materials.
9.
--I read a review and then had to get it
10.
--A book I've been meaning to read for quite some time. P.S., it's in Japan.
11.
--The start of my plans to finally read His Dark Materials. Great start to this series, fanstastical and deep.
12.
--No comment really needed here. Good fun, but one can get a little Bob-ed out and geez, the story just, well, stopped.
13.
--Her first book and a doozy I understand.
14.
--I picked 6 then used a d6 dice and this came up. It wouldn't have been my first choice, but there you go.
15.
--It's more that the content is out of my comfort zone. Emotionally tough book, and yeah, out of my comfort zone.
16.
--Supposedly a mystery, of sorts. A brilliant book. Go for the audio book version here.
17.
--I am curious about this one.Charming, magical and slow.
18.
--Just in case you were wondering, it is marry, not shag or kill.
19.
--Hmm, is it a fairly tale or historical fiction maybe? Ethereal and evocative, a panegyric to the Evey's home, Alaska
20.
--Monkey. It has monkey in the title. A modern, true life, Raiders of the Lost Ark, complete with a "curse". Good.
Trying to figure out what people are doing for reminds me of home......Is this just it makes you feel good or takes place in a place like home?(I’m not planning on reading anything set in DC...)
Edwin wrote: "9. Based on the blurb or blerg The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration by Isabel Wilkerson. I read a review and then had to get it."Squeee!!! I hope you enjoy this one Ed! I loved it!!
Rachel wrote: "Trying to figure out what people are doing for reminds me of home."I selected an anthology of Malaysian SFF, because I lived in Malaysia for a while when I was a kid, and I still feel like it's my second home.
Rachel wrote: "Trying to figure out what people are doing for reminds me of home......Is this just it makes you feel good or takes place in a place like home?(I’m not planning on reading anything set in DC...)"
I am also struggling with this. I think the book I picked last year was the one with a dog in it, since, well, I have a dog at home.
I will also skip the one on 'buy because of the cover' since I do not do it.
And what is blerg? It is not this, right? https://www.urbandictionary.com/defin...
I would choose one with snow, a forest, or mountains for "home."
Silvana wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Trying to figure out what people are doing for reminds me of home......Is this just it makes you feel good or takes place in a place like home?(I’m not planning on reading anything ..."
I used "blerg" based on a thread in this group. Best Blurbs Biggest Blergs. So if you choose one because they totally blotch the blurb then that's choosing based on a blerg. Perhaps it wasn't the best description...
I think its just about reading your books. So if the criteria doesn't exactly mean anything to you just make something up.For the 'buy because of the cover', I just looked through my books until I found an interesting cover. Since I bought that book maybe 35 years ago, I don't remember why I bought it.
The 'reminds me of home' stumped me for a while. I ended up picking one of my father's books, that I may have read in the 60s or 70s. That got me thinking: 'when did my father buy that book'. The book is copyright 1928 and has no printing date. My father was born in 1930. Too late to ask him now.
I am in. I have to populate my "to read pile" shelf more thoroughly before I can start filling in my selections.Update: all the books chosen are books I currently own (I'm really determined to clear my TBR)
20/20 read
✔️ 1. The 13th book Extreme Makeover, was 13th based on date I added it to GR
✔️ 2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill Blackout,
✔️ 3. A book with humor or horror Into the Drowning Deep, I anticipate both humor and horror
✔️ 4. 300-350 pages Range of Ghosts, squeaks in at 348
✔️ 5. A book that reminds you of home The Boston Irish: A Political History, I grew up Irish though in the Boston suburbs
✔️6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover The Three-Body Problem
✔️ 7. Chosen for the cover Brimstone
✔️ 8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for, updated selection: The White Spider I bought this after seeing the movie based on it a few years ago
✔️9. Based on the blurb or blerg Ninefox Gambit, also it's a BotM in January
✔️ 10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting, Unnatural Habits, Australia
✔️ 11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
✔️ 12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
✔️ 13. An author's debut novel Autonomous, first novel though she has written some non-fiction previously
✔️ 14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one The Wild Road, bonus: it is about cats
✔️ 15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, looks like lots of battles which I'm not a fan of, plus I'm meh abut Heinlein from previous book of his that I read
✔️ 16. A book with a mystery or romance The Anatomist's Wife, I anticipate both mystery and romance
✔️17. Standalone novel Borne
✔️ 18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
✔️19. Read a genre-bender Ghost Talkers, WWI story with paranormal elements
✔️20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover Long Hot Summoning, there is a cat
completed November 8. yay!
Bill wrote: "For the 'buy because of the cover', I just looked through my books until I found an interesting cover."I also just went through my TBR and picked a cover that looks nice. Something that I like looking at. Although I might have some actual cover buys on my physical TBR, but I'm keeping those separate from this challenge.
Monica wrote: "Sarah Anne. wrote: "A book written by a young buck or geezer (use your own age definitions because I ain't goin' there)"Sure dodge the question of age but not the gender? Both of your examples su..."
I've been trying to figure out the best way to fix this since young buck/doe would exclude non-binary genders. I switched it to "still in diapers or over-the-hill." Does that work?
Mod
So excited. You just watched me real time figure out what to do with this.
If we do this for a few more years, I should get most of my novels read and tossed out. Books that are in good shape and I think others might be interested in I started putting Book Fairies stickers on and leaving them in the lobby of our building. I have been leaving one book at a time. When it disappears I leave another one. If I had more space I could save them up and take to a used book store, but its easier just to give them away one at a time.
Allison, are you going to fill two slots with one book, then?Sarah-Anne, I didn't dislike your original 'age of author' terms, but your suggestions in #46 are probably better (though my author was actually dead when the book was published... :)
Edwin, thank you for the annotations. I have my (starter, might change for DNFs) list, but the reason I haven't gotten around to filling it in is because I want to annotate to explain my choices, too, and I haven't made the time yet. Soon, though!
Mod
Sarah-Anne, I didn't dislike your original 'age of author' terms, but your suggestions in #46 are probably better (though my author wa..."
Nah, even if I have a book that serves two, I'll either skip something or find another. It's too much fun finding things that work out to resist. ^^
LOL @ Edwin's notes. Cheryl, I can't wait to see what you're planning to read and why! I am planning to do mine this week.
Allison wrote: "I am probably going to read a book by a childhood favorite author of mine for the "reminds you of home" challenge. Or maybe something with a strong, loving family. OH MY GOODNESS I HAVE A BOOK ON M..."This made my day. :)
OMIGOD EDWIN! YOU'RE READING PRINCE OF TIDES!!!!You absolutely MUST do the audio narrated by Frank Mueller
SciFi and Fantasy Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
Alphabet of Thorn (other topics)Doctor Who: The Coming of the Terraphiles (other topics)
The Shadow of the Torturer (other topics)
Elysium (other topics)
Kushiel's Dart (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Abigail Roux (other topics)Horace Walpole (other topics)
Tove Jansson (other topics)
Emma Newman (other topics)
Connie Willis (other topics)
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You may choose to do as many as you would like. If you only want to do a few then that's fine. We
will try really hard not to judge you.won't judge. It fun to do this even if you can't do all of them.I changed the criteria this year and I had a lot of fun doing it. I hope everyone else enjoys them as much as I did.
Sign up here! Or you can just use the thread itself.
1. The 13th book
2. A book written by an author who is/was still in diapers or over-the-hill.
3. A book with humor or horror
4. 300-350 pages
5. A book that reminds you of home
6. Suns, skies, stars, or planets on the cover
7. Chosen for the cover
8. "Missed it by that much" - a book you really wanted to read but didn't have time for
9. Based on the blurb or blerg
10. A non-U.S. or UK publication/setting
11. Gold on the cover, in the title, or in the author's name
12. A book with a vehicle on the cover, from a carriage to a spaceship
13. An author's debut novel
14. Make a list of 5-7 books and use "Eeny Meeny Miny Moe" to choose one
15. A book from a genre that's outside your comfort zone
16. A book with a mystery or romance
17. Standalone novel
18. A book with a character you would marry, shag, or kill
19. Read a genre-bender
20. A book with an animal, vegetable, or mineral on the cover