Book Loving Kiwis discussion

Is anyone keen to sign up for a one month Book Pool Challenge?
The reading will start in January, so you would need to start selecting your books now!

If you've never played before, open the spoiler for the rules
(view spoiler)[1. When you sign up pick 3 books you want to be included in the "book pool."

2. You can pick any book released before the challenge has started and that is widely available throughout NZ. If its a book in a series - please only choose the first book in the series. Please no duplicates.

3. Once the challenge starts you will read books from the "pool."

4. At the end of the challenge (Feb 28th) whoever read the most books from the pool is the champion!

It's nice and easy, no stress challenge and a good way to start of the year. (hide spoiler)]

Let me know in the comments below if you're keen!
If you are keen, add your 3 books too, so we can get the challenge rolling.

The challenge will start if there are 5 or more keen.

Remember they don't have to be NZ books, but it's always appreciated.

BOOK POOL --> here

I enjoy doing this challenge. Perhaps just extend it to include Feb - didn't we do that a couple of years ago?
I'll post my three books later, I need to give it some thought.

Yup, I'm up for it, although I'm away from my public library for the first 3 weeks in Jan, so getting hold of the books might be difficult. I was just last week considering all the wonderful books I would have never read except they were part of past bookpools.

Yep, I'm keen. There are always books I'm interested in that pop up in Book Pool.

I'm keen - thanks for organising Sharlene.

I am always keen to join!

I think I missed the last book pool, so I'd be happy to jump into the 2020 one - but agree that extending to February might be a good idea : )

My three books:

No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison
The Feather Thief
Sister

Here's my selection -

Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach
Snakes and Ladders by Mary Ann Scott
The Wish Child by Catherine Chidgey

BOOK POOL
*Note: Removed The Bride Test as it's second in its series

PARTICIPANTS
1. Erica - 6
2. Kerry - 3
3. Angie - 3
4. Darkpool - 2
5. Sharlene
6. Carlene - 6
7. Kim.J - 1
8. Richelle - 1
9. Ninitha (Niko)
10. Kelli - 4
11. The Dude

Here are my three:

Baby No-eyes
The Overstory
Skin

]

OK, here's my selection

Preservation by Jock Serong
The Harp of Kings by Juliet Marillier
Changeling by Molly Harper

My picks
The Starless Sea
Red Queen
The Thing About Jellyfish

The Temptation of Adam by Dave Connis

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

The Bone People by Keri Hulme

Keen for the challenge. I don’t have any book suggestions rn though

Love to join.

Picks are:
The Absolute Book by Elizabeth Knox, The Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine and Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

ooh I've been wanting to read Girl, Women, Other

I’m in. I’m post in a bit with my three books. I received plenty books for Christmas so I’ll have a lookie and shortlist three.

TWO MORE DAYS to make your picks :) and then it's GET YOUR READ ON!

With less than an hour until the new year, I
shall declare the book pool closed (unless those few who haven’t given their picks can do so before I get back to a laptop on 2 Jan). I’m willing to be a little
flexible... it’s a new year after all.

Happy Reading!

Love this idea!

Join us! You’ve got until the end of the day to pick 3 books to add to the Book Pool, and until the end of Feb to read them all.

Sharlene wrote: "Join us! You’ve got until the end of the day to pick 3 books to add to the Book Pool, and until the end of Feb to read them all."

Thanks! Here are my picks
The Starless Sea
All the Light We Cannot See
The Handmaid's Tale

Happy New Year guys. I started a new book last night so will finish that before kicking off with my Book Pool reads. Hopefully it won't take me too long and I can join in soon.

My three are,

Where the Crawdads sing by Delia Owens
The Bride Test by Helena Hoang
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch

Slipping in before deadline here! My three books are:

How to Be a Family- Dan Kois
Land of Lost Borders- Kate Harris
The Mermaid & Mrs Hancock - Imogen Hermès Gowee

When you finish a book from the pool, post in this thread and use the following format:

**Post Format**

#6 (this is the number you are on the participant list - see post #10)
Book #1 - Sister
Read: 05/01
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I like this challenge. But I don’t normally read novel . I like to read non-fiction books . Any non-fiction books recommended?

Lillian wrote: "I like this challenge. But I don’t normally read novel . I like to read non-fiction books . Any non-fiction books recommended?"
I don't recognize any non-fiction in the book pool. How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together is a memoir, if that tickles your fancy?

TIP
If this helps, here is a list of all the books in our Book Pool in a Word doc, so you can print it off and take it in to your local library. https://1drv.ms/w/s!AmGyoaqf7ZmFoW-Sj...

Finished my first one
#2
Book #1: Snakes and Ladders

Read: 4/01
Rating: 3 stars
I found this YA novel a little too cliched, still a NZ read to start the year off.

#6
Book #1 - Patron Saints of Nothing
Read: 06/01
Rating: 4 Stars

Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

I actually really liked this one, I know minimal on what has been going on in the Philippines regarding the war on drugs.
But still it is an interesting read, though it captured me I felt like it didn't make me think it was absolutely amazing,

#3
Book #1 - Baby No-Eyes
Read: 08/01
Rating: 3 stars

I enjoyed it - liked the story-telling aspect, relaying whakapapa and family history, and also found the struggles to regain land taken interesting, but I found it almost finished too quickly and I wanted things rounded out a bit more.

How to Be a Family: The Year I Dragged My Kids Around the World to Find a New Way to Be Together
#10
Book #1 - How to Be a Family
Read: 09/01
Rating: 5 Stars

Exceeded my expectations - especially the Kois' family experiences in New Zealand / analysis of family life there. Witty, engaging, honest, a recommend for any parent who's ever wondered 'There must be a better way...'

reply | flag *

#6
Book #2 - Changeling by Molly Harper
Read: 10/01
Rating: 4 Stars

When I first quickly skimmed the reviews regarding this one I saw a lot of people saying similarities with Harry Potter, Cinderella and other magical/fantasy books.
I get it, I can see the bits and pieces but I still enjoyed the read and will definitely be looking up the second book at some point.

Lillian wrote: "I like this challenge. But I don’t normally read novel . I like to read non-fiction books . Any non-fiction books recommended?"

'No Friend But the Mountain' is non-fiction, and 'The Feather Thief' is based on fact. Not sure if it has been fictionalised or not.

#8
Book #1 The Starless Sea
Read: 12/01
Rating: 5 Stars

It's been 2 weeks so though I would check in.
Nga mihi nui ki a Carlene who has finished 2 books!

I'm so glad that Richelle rated The Starless Sea 5 stars. I can't wait to pick it up. I haven't even got it out from the library yet. Lol.

Also if you are reading any of the NZ books, please sign up to the 2020 Kiwi Reads challenge on the group homepage. Any kiwi reads count.

Sharlene wrote: "It's been 2 weeks so though I would check in.
Nga mihi nui ki a Carlene who has finished 2 books!

I'm so glad that Richelle rated The Starless Sea 5 stars. I can't wait to pick it ..."

Thanks for the reminder about NZ books Sharlene, have added that to my challenges for the year.

#1

Book #1 The Feather Thief
Read: 03/01
Rating: 5 Stars

I loved this non-fiction crime story. Found it really intriguing and I learnt a lot about exotic birds and those that covet them.

Lillian wrote: "I like this challenge. But I don’t normally read novel . I like to read non-fiction books . Any non-fiction books recommended?"

Hi Lillian, two of the books I picked for the pool are non-fiction:

The Feather Thief and No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison

#6
Book #3 - The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin
Read: 15/01
Rating: 4 Stars

Thanks for adding this one Sharlene, I enjoyed it!
I was actually worried I was gonna possibly cry during this just do to the subject but PHEW did not hehehehe.

#1

Book #2 Sister
Read: 15/01
Rating: 4 Stars

This was a great fast-paced, engrossing read. Perfect for a holiday read.

Sharlene wrote: "It's been 2 weeks so though I would check in.
Nga mihi nui ki a Carlene who has finished 2 books!

I'm so glad that Richelle rated The Starless Sea 5 stars. I can't wait to pick it ..."

I thought the challenge was a really cool idea - I have been wanting to read more NZ books so I have signed up. Is there going to be a thread where we discuss the books, or should we use the existing Just Finished thread? :)

Bit late but I wanted to nominate some books I wanted to read

Billy budd, sailor and selected tales, Melville

Metamorphoses and other stories, Kafka

Storm of steel, Junger

I’ll hopefully have time left to read them

Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂ wrote: "Sharlene wrote: "It's been 2 weeks so though I would check in.
Nga mihi nui ki a Carlene who has finished 2 books!

I'm so glad that Richelle rated The Starless Sea 5 stars. I can't..."
Great idea. I've set up a thread under Group Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The Dude wrote: "Bit late but I wanted to nominate some books I wanted to read

Billy budd, sailor and selected tales, Melville

Metamorphoses and other stories, Kafka

Storm of steel, Junger"

Kia ora The Dude,
It's too late to add your picks, but I have added your name to the participants list. Please read as many books as you can from the Book Pool in message 10.
Share your rating & review of the books you read using the post format in message 27.
Good luck!

#2
Book #2: The Wish Child

by Catherine Chidgey
Read: 17/01
Rating: 4 stars
A literary novel set in Germany during WW2. The story alternates between two children, one on a farm near Leipzig and the other in Berlin. We see the war through their eyes and that of an unseen narrator. Rather slow plot wise though pace picks up when the two children meet up in Berlin as the war is ending (not a spoiler).
This won the NZ Fiction Award back in 2017.

#2
Book #3: Preservation

by Jock Serong
Read: 18/01
Rating: 5 stars
Historical fiction based on shipwreck of the Sydney Cove in 1797 in Australia's Bass Strait. Great storytelling, grabs you from the first page. I loved his The Rules of Backyard Cricket too.