The Book Shelf discussion

Hey everyone, wanna try a challenge? I wanted to suggest a small one, since we're probably all of us got a few lists going already?

How about something like this:

3 Books in 3 Months

1. A book you've been meaning to read for ages
2. A book in a genre/style outside your comfort zone
3. A book seen on a friend's shelf

If you're keen, just list your titles below and keep track of your progress :)


I'll list mine soon - gotta have a think!

Ok, got one!


1. Fight Club
2. Beggar Magic
3. The Dreaming

Ashley wrote: "Hey everyone, wanna try a challenge? I wanted to suggest a small one, since we're probably all of us got a few lists going already?

How about something like this:

3 Books in 3 Months

1. A book y..."

Great idea, Ash! I can't participate on this round :( But I'm watching :)

I changed my mind, Ash. I remembered my NY resolution and am obligated to read 1 book a month.

1 - Burned by Karen Marie Moning
Expected publication: January 20th 2015 by Delacorte Press
ISBN 0385344414 (ISBN13: 9780385344418)

2 -
3 - And I don't know :( yet.

Ace, Angela! :) I'll add my next two later today as well.

(and I see Patrick's there - keen to discuss it when you're finished!)

Ashley wrote: "Ace, Angela! :) I'll add my next two later today as well.

(and I see Patrick's there - keen to discuss it when you're finished!)"

Oh! See now I'm excited!

Got one more title added - saw this on a friend's shelf and have previewed it, looks good. A kinda gothic(ish) manga.

Ashley wrote: "Got one more title added - saw this on a friend's shelf and have previewed it, looks good. A kinda gothic(ish) manga."

Ah! Gothic Manga! So awesome!

Angela B. wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Got one more title added - saw this on a friend's shelf and have previewed it, looks good. A kinda gothic(ish) manga."

Ah! Gothic Manga! So awesome!"

Seems pretty good so far :) Set in Australia but has that classic manga drawing style. Review this month hopefully!

Got my third!

It's Beggar Magic by HL from right here in The Bookshelf (which I've actually already started) and while it's not truly 'out of my comfort zone' I don't actually read a tonne of YA.

Ashley wrote: "Got my third!

It's Beggar Magic by HL from right here in The Bookshelf (which I've actually already started) and while it's not truly 'out of my comfort zone' I don't actually read a tonne of YA."

How is it? I'm curious about it, but, from what I've seen so far, it isn't my genre.

Enjoying it, yeah :) The world-building and the voice of the MC, all good - I like steampunk but I don't read a lot of YA so it's a nice change.

Also keen to meet Brick, the deaf character, to see how Heidi works him into the story. She did some excellent research for him and I saw a bit of it on Scrib :)

Ashley wrote: "Enjoying it, yeah :) The world-building and the voice of the MC, all good - I like steampunk but I don't read a lot of YA so it's a nice change.

Also keen to meet Brick, the deaf character, to se..."

Hmmm... I am curious. Very curious.

1. Cursor's Fury (in progress)
2. TBD but the genre's gonna have to be the dystopian subgenre of the NA genre...one I despise
3. The Courtship of Princess Leia OR The Approaching Storm...whichever one I can find at my library.

I have followed the progress of Tavi of Calderon through the first two books of Jim Butcher's CODEX ALERA and I sort of feel a little sorry for him at the moment. Can't be easy to have to be rescued from drowning by your best friend and your best friend younger half brother in front of an army of nine foot tall Canim!

Angela B. wrote: "Hmmm... I am curious. Very curious. "

I'll try put up a review this month :)

Amber wrote: "1. Cursor's Fury (in progress)
2. TBD but the genre's gonna have to be the dystopian subgenre of the NA genre...one I despise
3. The Courtship of Princess Leia OR The Approaching Storm...whichever ..."

Something about the very idea of NA bugs me but I can't put my finger on it...hard to define. It just seems almost arbitrary?

lol... I'm curious now. What bugs you about NA? :) I suspect you need to read more female genre based books. There is a massive group of female readers who read a very particular kind of book. It's almost a Harry Potter meets Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey (although not THAT extreme) in one.

Maybe that's what bothers you! Harry Potter meets Twilight and 50 Shades of Grey!

Hahaha! I could certainly handle the Harry Potter without the other two :)

NA seems like a marketing team got together and said - "ah, it's not YA but it's not Adult, let's create a new sub-genre and score big!"

Knowing full well that readers of any age read any type of fiction - and so there's no content/conventions/boundaries specific to the genre. Anything NA purports to do, is done by YA and adult fiction too. It's just sold as different.

(BUT I haven't much of it of it so I can't say for sure :))

Sounds fun - I'll give it a go :)


1. A. book I've been meaning to read for ages: The Curse Keepers (started 1/7)

Kriselda wrote: "Sounds fun - I'll give it a go :)"

Ace! Looking forward to seeing what you choose :)

Ashley wrote: "Amber wrote: "1. Cursor's Fury (in progress)
2. TBD but the genre's gonna have to be the dystopian subgenre of the NA genre...one I despise
3. The Courtship of Princess Leia OR The Approaching Stor..."


NA means "New Adult" and is the "new" name for the so-called "Young Adult" genre. Maybe that's why it bothers you?

Yep, I think it's the whole 'constructed' nature of the genre - though I guess no 'genre' exists all by itself, it's always down to the reader, huh?

Good question.

Progress:
1. Cursor's Fury-finished yesterday!
2. Haven't chosen a book yet.
3. Haven't chosen a book yet, either.

Nice work, Amber :)

I'm only a few chapters into Beggar Magic but definitely enjoying it. Finding time to read at the moment is proving to be quite vexing!

Ashley wrote: "Nice work, Amber :)

I'm only a few chapters into Beggar Magic but definitely enjoying it. Finding time to read at the moment is proving to be quite vexing!"

LOL.

I have a copy of THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA coming in from another library. I also have a copy of CAPTAIN'S FURY coming in. SO all I still need is the book for #2. I have been thinking of switching my idea for #2 to so something like Homer's Odessy... .

You can rarely go wrong with a classic.

I have officially switched genre on #2 to epic poetry and am attempting to read Seamus Heany's translation of Beowulf.

Amber wrote: "I have officially switched genre on #2 to epic poetry and am attempting to read Seamus Heany's translation of Beowulf."

Ooooooh! I love ancient prose :)

Love Seamus' poetry, interested to hear how he goes in translation of a classic :)

Ashley wrote: "Love Seamus' poetry, interested to hear how he goes in translation of a classic :)"

I have a bilingual copy, Ashley and Angela B. :) Anglo-Saxon on one page and Heaney's translation on the facing page.

In his 20+ page Introduction, Haney mentions Professor Tolkien's 1933 paper called "Beowulf: The Monster and the Critics."

Awesome, must look that up too!

Amber wrote: "Ashley wrote: "Love Seamus' poetry, interested to hear how he goes in translation of a classic :)"

I have a bilingual copy, Ashley and Angela B. :) Anglo-Saxon on one page and Heaney's translati..."

I was watching the release on Tolkien's Beowulf. Very excited about it!

Yeah.

Hit a wall re: reading time for my challenge - going to be cutting it close to get my first book done, but there's still a few days left at least!

Ashley wrote: "Hit a wall re: reading time for my challenge - going to be cutting it close to get my first book done, but there's still a few days left at least!"

Happens.

My copy of THE COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA arrived today.

Interested to see what you think, Amber - had a quick look at the reviews and it looks like a contentious one, which is cool

I'm only done with Chapter 1... .

That said, Ashley, I always hear John Williams' version of the 20th Century Fox fanfare when I read STAR WARS books...even the God-awful REVAN: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkIb6...

Had to laugh at the 'Act Raiser' bit :D

How is it so far?

Ashley wrote: "Had to laugh at the 'Act Raiser' bit :D

How is it so far?"

If you're referring to the COURTSHIP OF PRINCESS LEIA, it's a little on the slow side right now. I'm only 17 pages in. AND I haven't read in several years, so I may have forgotten parts of it.

Seamus Haney's translation of BEOWULF, however, is moving along much more quickly despite the fact I have a bilingual edition. I think I have passed into the 700's on the line count for that one, Ashley.

Sounds like you're smashing the challenge :)
(unlike me so far)

I'm still waiting for the 20th when my book arrives! lol... I'll read it in a day, though. I know the author's style very well :)

Yeah. I'n on page 81 of Beowulf.

Tomorrow I get my book! SO EXCITED! Then I can begin my challenge!

Nice! Soon I hope to strike back at my paltry page count - just 3 more days!

I have my book! I am complete. I started reading it at 12:00 A.M. :) I woke up at 11:59 and thought, "gasp...I can by Burned!"

I have to admit, I lost interest in Beowulf along about line 2005. But I at least succeeded in getting a hell of a lot farther along in it than I ever have in the past... .

So here's my total progress on the mini challenge:
1. Cursor's Fury: Finished and also finished Captain's Fury and put a call out for the 5th book of the series; Princeps' Fury.
2. Beowulf: Gave up because I got bored at approx. line #2005
3. The Courtship of Princess Leia: Just got to the part where Han kidnaps Leia and they are on their way to Dathomir... .

Angela, what book are your reading?

The Courtship of Princess Leia. It's the only book left in the 3 books in 3 months mini challenge I signed up for.

Sorry...I see now you meant ANGELA B., Ernesto. Sorry.

No problem, I like conversing with you too. So you are reading three books in three months. Does that include making a critique of the book?