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

Year Long 2024 Rules

- The Main Challenge Thread - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Important Details from the Challenge Post:

The Challenge will be for 16 books, and we are all going to hike with Frodo and Samwise through Mordor. In order to complete the challenge, you need to complete these 16 books. We'll call this Badge One.
...
Here comes the twist. There will be 6 identified stops within each hike- Start, 4 checkstops, and the Finish. I have written a task for each of them. In between each stop, you will read two additional books that is connected to my task and each other. - Like a chain link fence.

Start - my task
Your choice - connected to start book.
Your choice - connected to your second book.

(reset)

Checkstop 1 - my task
Your choice - connected to checkstop book.
Your choice - connected to the preceding book.

(reset)

Reset means you may break the linked books if you chose. If you are a gluten for punishment, you may connect them all.

Badge 1
Start - Bag End Hobbiton.

Bag End was a smial (underground dwelling) in Hobbiton. It was the residence of the Baggins family.

Task: Read a book with home, homeward, or homebound in the title.

Checkpoint 1 - Bree

Bree was the first stop that Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin made on their quest, and it will be our first Way Stop on our trip. There, they met Strider for the first time.

Task - Read a book that is the 1st book of a series of 4 (that represents Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin).

Checkpoint 2 - Rivendell

Rivendell is a valley in J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional world of Middle-earth, representing both a homely place of sanctuary and a magical Elvish otherworld.

Task: Read a book with "Sanctuary" or "Valley" in the title, or subtitle.

Checkpoint 3 - Moria

Khazad-dûm, latterly known as Moria (The Black Chasm, The Black Pit), was the grandest and most famous of the mansions of the Dwarves. There, for many thousands of years, a thriving Dwarvish community created the greatest city ever known.

Task: Read a book with a cover that is 75% black.

checkpoint 4 - Black Gate

The Black Gate was built by Sauron after he chose Mordor as a land to make into a stronghold. He built it of iron.

Task: Read a book with "Iron" in the title.

Finish - Mount Doom

Mount Doom was obviously a stratovolcano, composited by alternating layers of ash and lava. Towering at only 4500ft, it was relatively short.

Task: Read a book that is between 400 and 450 pages.

Planning Post:
(format borrowed from Leslie, but I may possibly modify it somewhat, we'll see)

Start
1. Home Front by Kristin Hannah (Read January 2024)
2.The Wishing Game by Meg Shaffer (Read February 2024) - Connection to Start book - both books main characters do not have good relationships with their parents. (to say the least) (view spoiler)[ In Home Front Jolene's parents are alcoholics and die leaving her as an teen orphan. In The Wishing Game, Lucy's parent's essentially neglect her as the youngest daughter, the healthy daughter, as they care for their oldest daughter who is very ill as a child. Lucy goes to live with her grandparents, and is emotionally orphaned so to speak. (hide spoiler)]
3. Ink Blood Sister Scribe (Connecting as a book about books/authors/reading)

Checkpoint 1 (Read a book that is the 1st book of a series of 4 (that represents Frodo, Sam, Merry & Pippin).
4. Legend (Finished March 11th)
5. Prodigy (Connecting because it is the next book in series)
6. Little Fires Everywhere (Connecting to previous book - author is Asian American like Marie Lu, the author of Prodigy. Also Both books were Good Reads Choice Awards Winner/Nominee - "Little Fires Everywhere" Winner in 2017 for Best Fiction, "Prodigy" in 2013 nominated Best YA Fantasy & Science Fiction.

Checkpoint 2: Read a book with "Sanctuary" or "Valley" in the title or subtitle.
7. Miller's Valley - Finished April 14th
8. Scrappy Little Nobody - Finished April 21st (Connects to Miller's Valley because both were published in 2016)
9. Spare - Finished May 17th, (connects to previous book because both are memoirs/autobiographies)

Checkpoint 3: Read a book with a cover that is 75% black.
10. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - Currently reading 5/19/2024.
11.
12.

Checkpoint 4
13.
14.
15.

Finish
16.

Enjoy, Robin.

Finished Home Front and The Wishing Game as my first two books.
Undecided about next read, but I may read The Midnight Library with the connection being books about books or that have books/authors as a big part. I have to see if that will work though.

The book I just finished, The Heiress would fit that theme. Mommie Dearest was quite manipulative.

Janice wrote: "The book I just finished, The Heiress would fit that theme. Mommie Dearest was quite manipulative."

Sounds interesting. I added it to my To Read list. :)

Just finished Legend for Book 4. (First in a 4 book Series). I was originally thinking of reading Twilight which is listed as the first in a 4 book series. However upon further research, it is actually a 5 book series now, since the author published the 5th book a couple of years ago I believe. Anyway, I read (listened) to Legend.

Now I'm trying to decide if I want to read the next in the series or go with another connection like one word titles or books in a series. I'm leaning towards just continuing with the series for now. This would be less gophering.

Updated my Planning post, with the last 3 books I read.
I'm currently working on Checkpoint 3, Read a book with a cover that is 75% black - by reading The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. It is intriguing.

Of the last 3 books that I read, Spare was the most interesting. I listened to the audiobook. It was quite nice listening to Prince Harry's voice as the narrator. Also surprising, even though I knew some of their (his and Meghan's) story. I can't imagine it was received well by the Crown and royals, especially William. I did not read any reviews or anything from when it was released.

Anyway, back to the hike! ;)

I was unable to finish this challenge. I did actually have more books I didn't add to my log, but the numbers don't work out exactly right. Ah well. I did try.
I might try again next year. I have though about doing an Alphabet challenge on my own actually. But I do like the idea of themes too. I best decide soon because I will be starting a new book very soon.

It would be lovely if you joined us for the 2025 challenge Robin. I started my first book today.