Reading with Style discussion

While absolutely not required, it is sometimes nice to have a place to post your plans (and it's nice to see what others have planned!)

Feel free to use this thread to post your Spring Sub-Challenge reading plans.

Res

Res

Riceyman Steps by Arnold Bennett
Club 3, Club 6, Diamond 9 = 18

Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
Diam 4 (Our), Spade 5, Heart J = 19

Shroud for a Nightingale by P.D. James
Spade 4, Diam 7, Diam 10 = 20

Friends and Relations by Elizabeth Bowen
Diam A, Spade 3, Diam 3 = 17

The Crooked Wreath by Christianna Brand
Heart 3, Club 4, Diam Q = 17

The Exploits of Juve by Marcel Allain
Heart A, Heart 6 = 17

Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
Heart 7, Club 10 = 17

Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
Spade 7, Spade 10 = 17

In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette by Hampton Sides
Club Jack, Club King = 20

The Missing American by Kwei Quartey
Spade Ace, Heart 8, Spade K = 20 (This is the first in a series, but there are no more yet)

Alternate:
Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris
Spade Ace, Diamond Jack = 21

Thanks to the mods! This was fun and 'challenging'...and I like the new bonus per book addition too!

15.1. Reasons to Live by Amy Hempel
S2;S3;S7; C6=18

15.2. Mohawk Trail by Beth Brant
D8;C-Jack=18

15.3. Confessions of a Pretty Lady: Stories True and Otherwise by Sandra Bernhard
S10;C-Queen=20

15.4. Thoughts and Prayers by Alissa Quart
C10;S9=19

15.5-Delta of Venus by Anaïs Nin
H5;H6;H-Queen= 21

15.6- Forever a Stranger and Other Stories by Hella S. Haasse
S8; D10=18

15.7-Close Range by Annie Proulx
S-Ace; C4; C2=17

15.8-I Remember Nothing: and Other Reflections by Nora Ephron
H7; D4; S-King= 21

15.9-Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth
D9; C-King; D-Ace=20

15.10- Neon Surf: And Other Stories of Love & Remembrance by Jack Kelleher
S-Jack; C9=19


Cards Used (26):
S-Ace; S2, S3; S7; S8; S9; S10; S-Jack; S-King
H5; H6; H7; H-Queen
D-Ace; D4; D8; D9; D10
C2; C4; C6; C9; C10; C-Jack; C-Queen; C-King

Reserved

Some options:

The Queen's Secret by Victoria Lamb
Heart Q 10 (letter Q), Spade Q 10 (royalty) =20
Female

15.8 DONE Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny
Club K 10 (kingdom), Diam 10 (>10 in series) =20
Female

15.6 DONE Eve Green by Susan Fletcher
Diam 9 (Commonwealth), Diam Q 10 (Western Europe) =19
Female

15.3 DONEAfter the Quake by Haruki Murakami
Diam Ace 1 (75-199 pg), Diam J 10 (Asian-Japan), Clubs J 10 (title has J or K) =21
NF-short stories

15.4 DONELonging by Mary Balogh
Spade K 10 (ing), Spade 7 (7 letters) =17
Female, Pub 1994

15.2 DONE This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Spade 9 (year ending in 9), Heart 5 (set in US-MN), Heart 4 (400-499 pg) =18

15.5 DONE Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Heart 7 (initials in SEVEN), Club 10 (pub in the 10s-2017), Spade 3 (3-word title) =20
Female, NF-short stories

15.7 DONE Dubliners by James Joyce
Spade 8 (I for Ireland), Heart Ace 11 (pub date with two 1's-1914) =19
NF-short stories, Pub 1914

Lives of Girls and Women by Alice Munro
Club Ace 11 (one novel), Club 7 (pub in '70s-1971), Club 2 (200-299 pg) =20
Female, Pub 1971

15.1 DONE Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov
Heart J 10 (anti-hero), Spades 5 (pub date in 50s-1955), Clubs 3 (300-399 pg) =18
Pub 1955

Alright.... 1 piece of paper scribbled front + back, 1 spreadsheet highlighted, tottering piles of books ripped apart and examined.... all of that leaves me with 8 physical books for this challenge from my TBR pile!

Nemesis by Jo Nesbø
4 spades (4th in series), 4 heart (400-499 pg), 4 clubs (mystery/thriller), 9 clubs ('n' title) = 21

Favorite Father Brown Stories by G.K. Chesterton
10 spades (short stories), Ace diamonds ( 75-199 pg), 9 diamonds (Commonwealth) = 20 +5 not a novel, 5 oldie

Gifts of the Crow: How Perception, Emotion, and Thought Allow Smart Birds to Behave Like Humans John M. Marzluff
5 clubs (mpg = science/bio), Jack spades (John), 3 clubs (300-399 pgs) = 18 +5 not a novel

The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
3 spades (3 word title), Jack diamonds (Asian setting), 6 clubs (6 letter name) - 19 +5 female

Mrs. Pollifax and the Second Thief by Dorothy Gilman
6 heart (x), 10 diamonds (series w 10+ titles), 2 clubs (200 -299 pgs) = 18 +5 female, 5 oldie

The Art of French Kissing by Kristin Harmel
King spades ('ing'), Queen diamonds (France) = 20 +5 female

Moon Palace by Paul Auster
King clubs ('palace'), 8 diamonds (80s) = 18 +5 oldie

Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
Jack clubs ('j'), King diamonds (Antigua) = 20 +5 female, 5 oldie

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
2 diamonds (2 pub names), 5 diamonds (500 - 599 pg), 10 clubs (2012) = 17 +5 female

Homer's Odyssey by Gwen Cooper
7 spades (7 letter word), 9 spades (2009), 5 hearts (US) = 21 +5 female, 5 not a novel

28 cards used

what?! this is AMAZING!! yay, mods!!! now to get planning... (and, yes, I did just write all over a deck of cards to make the planning easier)

Major re-think considering local library closure:

Oedipus Rex by Sophocles:
♠A (1st in series), ♥6 (title has "X"); ♥J (#81 anti-heroes) = 17
Not-a-Novel, pre-1995

The Rosie Result by Graeme Simsion:
♥3 (3rd in a series), ♣ 3 (300-399 pages), ♣6 (author first name=6 letters), ♠9 (pub. date ends in 9) = 21

Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
♦A (75-199 pages), ♦6 (orig. pub. date in '60s), ♦K (set +75% in Caribbean) = 17
Female, pre-1995

Church of Marvels by Leslie Parry:
♣A (one hit wonder), ♠7 (7-letter word in title), ♥10 (historical fiction +100 years from date of pub) = 21
Female

The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna by Juliet Grames:
♥4 (400-499 pages), ♦7 (title begins with "S"), ♣8 (title+subtitle=8 words) = 19
Female

Don't You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane:
♦9 (75% in Commonwealth country), ♣10 (pub. date in '10s of any century) = 19
Female

Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney:
♠3 (3-word title), ♠8 (author born in "I" country), ♦Q (set +75% in Western European country) = 21
Female

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell:
♠2 (title/subtitle has the word "to," "too," or "two"), ♦4 (yours, mine, and ours), ♣5 (min page genre: any science), ♠K (title has a word ending in "ing")=21
Not-a-Novel

The Killer Across the Table: Unlocking the Secrets of Serial Killers and Predators with the FBI's Original Mindhunter by John E. Douglas
♣J (title has "J" or "K"), ♠J (name can be shortened to "Jack") = 20
Not-a-Novel

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera:
♦9 (Commonwealth country), ♦J (set +75% in an Asian country) = 19
Female

The Hidden Light of Objects by Mai Al-Nakib:
♠10 (short stories), ♦J (set +75% in an Asian country) = 20
Female, Not-a-Novel

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick:
♥5 (set +75% in US), ♦6 (orig pub in '60s), ♣K ("castle" in title) = 21
pre-1995

The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver:
♦8 (pub. '80s), ♥K (author's name contains "king") = 18
Female, pre-1995

Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig:
♣9 (title starts with "N"), ♣10 (orig pub date '10s) = 19
Not-a-Novel

The Witches Are Coming by Lindy West:
♣2 (200-299 pages), ♠7 (title has a 7-letter word), ♠10 (short stories or essays) = 19
Not-a-Novel, Female

Anika wrote: "what?! this is AMAZING!! yay, mods!!! now to get planning..."

Agree. Awesome and Amazing!

Intention:

CK, C7, S2 - To Build a Castle +10
Or
S7, H4, DQ - A Life of Discovery: Michael Faraday, Giant of the Scientific Revolution +5

26 cards

S8, H6, S3, D1 - The Blue Fox
HQ, D7, S1 - The Sea Queen +5
CQ, H8 - Under the Udala Trees +5
C4, D10, C3 - Hidden in Crime +10
S10, SK - Beyond Engineering: Essays and Other Attempts to Figure Without Equations +10
HJ, D8 - The Vampire Lestat +10
DJ, H7 - The Secret History of Moscow +5
C9, C10 - Not So Stories +5
SJ, C5, C6 - A Mathematician Reads the Newspaper +10

Options:

The Known World by Edward P. Jones
C ace, C 6 = 17

The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas
H ace (2011), D Jack (Turkey) = 21

Blind Descent by Nevada Barr
C 3 (384p), C 4 (MPG = Mystery & Thriller), D 10 (19 books in series) = 17
+5 Female Author

Mother Earth Father Sky by Sue Harrison
S ace, H 10 (prehistoric) = 21
+5 Published 1995 or earlier (1990)
+5 Female Author

The Snows of Kilimanjaro and Other Stories by Ernest Hemingway
D ace (144p), S 10 = 21
+5 Published 1995 or earlier (1936)
+5 Not a novel

Sacred Country by Rose Tremain
C Q, D 9 (Suffolk, United Kingdom) = 19
+5 Published 1995 or earlier (1992)
+5 Female Author

The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks
D Q (Scotland, United Kingdom), D 8 (1984) = 18
+5 Published 1995 or earlier (1984)

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
H J (The Best Antiheroes, #52), H 4 (419p), H 5 (Missouri) = 19
+5 Female Author

To Kill a Labrador: A Marcia Banks and Buddy Mystery by Kassandra Lamb
C J (K in kill), C 2 (Paperback 234p), S 7 (Mystery) = 19
+5 Female Author

Sleeping Murder by Agatha Christie
S K (-ing in Sleeping), D 7 = 17
+5 Published 1995 or earlier (1976)
+5 Female Author

Bonus points +60
23 cards used

Blackjack

Santa Fe Edge by Stuart Woods
D7, C3, C10 = 20

If She Knew by Blake Pierce
S ace, D4, C6 = 21

Claim of Innocence by Laura Caldwell
S4, H ace, H4 = 19

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling
D2, D5, DQ = 17

Quilt as You Go by Arlene Sachitano
S9, HQ = 19

The Xibalba Murders by Lyn Hamilton
S7, DK = 17

Judge's Jewel by Cyndi Raye
D ace, CJ = 21

Sting by Sandra Brown
SK, H5, C4 = 19

On the Beach by Nevil Shute
H7, D9, C2 = 18

Nightmare in Pink by John D. MacDonald
SJ, H2, C9 = 21

What a great subchallenge! It's only when you start to plan that you understand how devious it is :)

✔ 15.1 The Heather Blazing by Colm Tóibín
2 clubs, has 243 pages
8 spades, author born in Ireland
K spades, title word ending -ing
total 20, 3 cards
-- task
+5 Before 1995 (1992)

✔ 15.2 Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel
2 hearts, 2nd in series of 3
6 clubs, both names are 6 letters
Q spades, book is about King Henry VIII and Queen Anne Boleyn
total 18, 3 cards
-- task
+5 Female

✔ 15.3 My Policeman by Bethan Roberts
10 clubs, pub 2012
Q clubs, LGBT MPG
total 20, 2 cards
-- task
+5 female

✔ 15.4 Don't Look at Me Like That by Diana Athill
A diamonds, 187 pages (counting 1 point)
6 diamonds, pub 1967
A clubs, her only novel https://www.fantasticfiction.com/a/di... (counting 11 points)
total 18, 3 cards
-- task
+5 Before 1995
+5 Female

✔ 15.5 I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (Lexile 860)
10 hearts, set in the 17th century
Q diamonds, set over 75% in the UK
total 20, 2 cards
+5 Female

✔ 15.6 At Lady Molly's by Anthony Powell
3 spades, 3-word title
4 spades, 4th in series
5 spades, pub 1957
9 diamonds, set over 75% in UK
total 21, 4 cards
-- task
+5 Before 1995

✔ 15.7 Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewicz
9 hearts, pub 1894
Q hearts, letter Q in title
total 19, 2 cards
-- task
+5 Before 1995

✔ 15.8 The Untouchable by John Banville
3 clubs, 387 pages
4 clubs, MPG thriller (locked in on questions thread)
J spades, first name John
total 17, 3 cards
-- task

✔ 15.9 Are You Experienced? by William Sutcliffe
4 diamonds, "you" in title
6 hearts, letter X in title
J diamonds, set over 75% in India
total 20, 3 cards

✔ 15.10 Ghost Stories by M.R. James
7 spades, 7-letter word in title
A hearts, pub 1931 (counting 11 points)
total 18, 2 cards
-- task
+5 Before 1995

27 cards used

One possible plan:

The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness
3H (3d in series), 5D (500-599pp), 10C (10s pub - 2014) = 18
+5 female

Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb
2D (2 names), 5H (US state - NY), 10D (10+ in series) = 17
+5 female

The Dressmaker's Gift by Fiona Valpy
JC (K in title), 9S (9pub - 2019) = 19
+5 female

Under the Net by Iris Murdoch
3S (3 word title), 5S (pub. 50s - 1954), QD (W. Europe - UK) = 18
+5 female
+5 before 1995

NW by Zadie Smith
9C (Title N), 9D (Commonwealth - UK) = 18
+5 female

Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami
7S (7-letter - without), 10S (short stories) = 17
+5 not a novel

Elizabeth Is Missing by Emma Healey
4C (MPG mystery), 6C (auth 6 letters - Healey), KS (-ing - Missing) = 20
+5 female

The Cheese and the Worms: The Cosmos of a Sixteenth-Century Miller by Carlo Ginzburg
2C (200-299 pp), 6H (title X - Sixteenth), 10H (history 100+ yrs) = 18
+5 not a novel
+5 before 1995

The September Queen by Gillian Bagwell
7D (S title), QS (Queen) = 17
+5 female

Bodily Harm by Margaret Atwood
8D (1980s pub - 1981), AH (pub 2 1s - 1981) = 19
+5 female
+5 before 1995

25 cards
+65 bonuses

Owlette wrote: "Anika wrote: "what?! this is AMAZING!! yay, mods!!! now to get planning..."

Agree. Awesome and Amazing!"

Several files and sheets later, I think this might be a plan:

✔Me: Elton John Official Autobiography by Elton John
9 Spades (pub 2019); 10 clubs (2019) = 19 +5 not a novel

✔A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
8 Spades (Ireland-born); Jack Clubs ("k" in sky)= 18

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters
Ace Spades (1st in series); 2 Diamonds (several names); 7 clubs (1977) =20 +5 female +5 pre-1995

✔Birds of a Feather by Jacqueline Winspear
2 Hearts (#2 in series); 9 Diamonds (UK); 10 D (series >10)=21 +5 female

From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
Q of Diamonds (Ireland); Q Hearts (Q in Quiet) = 20

Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Noor Al-Hussein
4 Hearts (468 p.); 6 Hearts (unexpected); 8 Clubs (8 title words)=18 +5 not a novel +5 female

✔Mindful Silence: The Heart of Christian Contemplation by Phileena Heuertz
Ace Diamonds (188 p.); 7 spades (7 letters in silence)=18 +5 not a novel +5 female

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger
9 Clubs (starts with "N"); 10 Spades (stories) = 19 +5 Not a novel +5 pre-1995

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know about the People We Don't Know by Malcolm Gladwell
2 spades ("to"); 3 clubs (388 p.); 5 clubs ("science"); King spades ("talking")=20 +5 Not a novel

Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Ace Hearts (1891); 5 diamonds (518 p.); 6 clubs (Thomas); 9 hearts (19th cent)= 21 +5 pre-1995

27 cards
Back-up book: The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

OK here goes--all books that I own! Editing as plans inevitably change
Odessa: Genius and Death in a City of Dreams by Charles King
AH (2011); KH (King) = 21 +5 NAN

Genome: the Autobiography of a Species in 23 Chapters by Matt Ridley
5C (science); 6C (Ridley); 9S (1999) = 20 +5 NAN

The John McPhee Reader by John McPhee
7C (1976); JS (John) = 17 +5 NAN +5 <1995

Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist by Eli Saslow KS (-ing), 10C (2018) = 20 +5 NAN

The Plantagenets: The Warrior Kings and Queens Who Made England by Dan Jones
5D (534 pgs.); 7S (Warrior); 9D (UK) = 21 +5 NAN

Cold River Resurrection by Enes Smith
2H; 2C (289 pgs.); 4C (mystery); 5H (Oregon); 7H (ES) = 20

Shadow of the Moon by M.M. Kaye
5S (1956); 7D; 8S (India) = 20 +5 female +5 <1995

Caravans by James A. Michener
3C (320 pgs.); 6D (1963); JD (Afghanistan) = 19

Kafka Comes to America: Fighting for Justice in the War on Terror - A Public Defender's Inside Account by Steven T. Wax
JC (K); KS = 20 +5 NAN

In the Valleys of the Noble Beyond: In Search of the Sasquatch by John Zada
10S; QH = 20 +5 NAN

27 cards

This was so much fun to plan, now all that remains is to actually stick to my plan!

✔️ 15.1 A Fresh Start (Quick Reads) edited by Fanny Blake
10 spades (short stories)
Ace diamonds (75-199 pages)
= 21
+5 not fiction

✔️ 15.2 Cover Her Face by P.D. James
Ace spades (1st in series)
10 diamonds (series with 10 or more titles)
= 21
+5 published 1962
+5 female author

✔️ 15.3 The Blue Fox by Sjón
10 hearts (historical fiction - book was published in 2003 and is set between 1868 and 1883)
7 hearts (authors initial appears in SEVEN)
= 17

✔️ 15.4 Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata
Jack diamonds (set in Asian country)
10 clubs (published in 10s)
= 20
+5 female author

✔️ 15.5 - Strip Jack by Ian Rankin
2 diamonds (author publishes under 2 names)
2 clubs (200-299 pages)
4 spades (4th in series)
Queen diamonds (set 75% in Western Europe - Scotland)
= 17
+5 published 1992

✔️ 15.6 - Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene
4 diamonds (pronoun in title)
5 spades (published in 50s)
King Diamonds (Caribbean setting)
= 19
+5 published 1958

✔️ 15.7 - Naked in Death by J.D. Robb
9 clubs (title starts with N)
5 hearts (set in US state - set in New York)
3 clubs (300-399 pages)
=17
+5 female author
+5 published 1995

✔️ 15.8 - What Katy Did by Susan Coolidge
9 hearts (published in 19th century - 1872)
7 clubs (published in 70s - 1872)
3 spades (three word title)
+5 female author
+5 published 1872

✔️ 15.9 - Anne of Windy Poplars by L.M. Montgomery
3 diamonds (published in 30s - 1936)
9 diamonds (Commonwealth country - Canada)
7 spades (7 letter title word - Poplars)
= 19
+5 female author
+5 published 1936

✔️ 15.10 - To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers
9 spades (published in year ending in 9 - 2019)
Queen clubs (LGBT genre)
2 spades (title contains to)
= 21
+5 female author

Options for possible second round

The Brave Learner: Finding Everyday Magic in Homeschool, Learning, and Life by Julie Bogart
6 Clubs (6 letter author name)
3 spades (3 word title)
9 spades (published year ending in 9)
= 18
+5 female author
+5 nonfiction

From a Low and Quiet Sea by Donal Ryan
8 spades (author born in country beginning with I)
Queen hearts (title includes Q)
= 18

Natural Born Learners: Our Incredible Capacity to Learn and How We Can Harness It by Alex Beard
9 clubs (title starts with N)
2 spades (title/subtitle includes to)
7 spades (7 letter word in title)
= 18
+5 nonfiction

Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch
Ace hearts (publication year has 2 x 1)
2 hearts (2nd in series)
4 clubs (main page genre: mystery)
= 17

Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder
Queen diamonds (western Europe setting)
7 diamonds (title starts with S)
4 hearts (400-499 pages)
= 21
+5 published 1991