Play Book Tag discussion
2025 Activities and Challenges
>
NancyJ Compass challenge tracking ✈️
date
newest »
newest »
- Reading - not updated1. Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory- Toronto - 6 pts, m=high
2. Playground - French Polynesia, 3 pts, m= high
3. The Last Cold Place: A Field Season Studying Penguins in Antarctica - Antarctica - 3 pts, M=good+
4. The Devotion of Suspect X - Japan - 3 pts, M=good
5. Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station - China - 3 pts, M=good+
6.
Compass Spin book #1. Direction NW
Buffalo NY to Toronto Canada.
“Your flight direction from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, Canada is Northwest (-26 degrees from North).”
Run Towards the Danger: Confrontations with a Body of Memory by Sarah Polley. 4 stars.
Location Validation: 47 Canada tags, 5 Toronto tags. Toronto is the author’s home and is mentioned throughout the book.[41 times from page 11 to 257, Kindle edition]
Points= 1+2+3
Review:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
This was a great choice for my first book of the year. I want to read more meaningful books this year, and this is a great start. This is a memoir composed of well written essays on a variety of topics by the Canadian actress, director and activist, Sarah Polley. I chose the book primarily for the content about concussions and memory, and it was well worth the purchase for those insights. One section brought me to tears, but it inspired me as well. She covered several other interesting topics, including the beginning of the me-too movement, movie making, family experiences, and health care. I first noticed her in The Sweet Hereafter, and I really liked Away from Her (her directing debut) based on an Alice Munro story, I never saw the series Avonlea, or the film Baron Munchausen (which was a harrowing experience for her as a young child). As a follow up to this book, I plan to finish/reread Women Talking and watch the film adaptation she directed. I will also look for the Alice Munro story, and follow up on something from the concussion chapter.
From travel math:
The total driving distance from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, Canada is 98 miles or 158 kilometers.
The total straight line flight distance from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, Canada is 59 miles.
Your flight direction from Buffalo, NY to Toronto, Canada is Northwest (-26 degrees from North).
Spin#2 SouthwestFrom Toronto Canada
To Makatea, French Polynesia
Distance: 5,737.62 mi (9,233.80 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Toronto, ON, CAN and Makatea, Rangi-roa, Îles-Tuamotu-Gambier, PYF is 5,737.62 mi (9,233.80 km).
Bearing: 221.21° (SW)
Playground by Richard Powers
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Setting: from the book’s blurb: “They meet on the history-scarred island of Makatea in French Polynesia, whose deposits of phosphorus once helped to feed the world.”
Setting in data, French polynesia tags , science tags
========
Spin#3 SE
From: Makatea, French Polynesia
To: Antarctica
From Distance-to
Distance: 4,693.28 mi (7,553.10 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Makatea, Tuamotu-Gambier, PYF and Livingston-Island, ATA is 4,693.28 mi (7,553.10 km).
(Flight route: 4,959.48 mi)
Bearing: 128.08° (SE)
The initial bearing on the course from Makatea, Rangi-roa, Îles-Tuamotu-Gambier, PYF to Cape-Shirreff-Field-Station, Livingston-Island, ATA is 128.08° and the compass direction is SE.
Book 3 :
The Last Cold Place: A Field Season Studying Penguins in Antarctica by Naira de Gracie, 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: 6 Antarctica tags, Antarctica is in the title of the book. Livingston Island is mentioned frequently from the first page.
Points = 1+2=3
========
Spin #4 (1/15/25) Northwest
Edited per our discussion
Spin #4 (1/15/25) Northwest
From Livingston Island Antarctica
To Tokyo Japan
9. A translation of a Japanese Detective Story - The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
From Distance.to
Distance: 10,385.64 mi (16,714.06 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Livingston-Island, ATA and Tokyo, JPN is 10,385.64 mi (16,714.06 km).
Bearing: 306.70° (NW)
The initial bearing on the course from Livingston-Island, ATA to Tokyo, JPN is 306.70° and the compass direction is NW.
Location info:
626 Japan tags, 6 Tokyo tags. The entire book is set in Japan. Blurb: “When Detective Kusanagi of the Tokyo Police tries to piece together the events of that day …”
Points 1+2=3
=======
Spin 5. West
From Tokyo Japan
To Xian, China (Shaanxi)
Bearing: 266.94° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Tokyo, JPN to Xi’an, Shaanxi, CHN is 266.94° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 1,735.81 mi (2,793.51 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Tokyo, JPN and Xi’an, Shaanxi, CHN is 1,735.81 mi (2,793.51 km).
Location validation: The tour group made several stops but the most significant time was spent near Xi’an China, where they saw the terra-cotta army, a drum tower, and the end of the Silk Road.
30 China Tags
1+2=3
Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
=======
Spin #6 = SE. I am using a FREE TICKET to go West instead
From Xi’an China
To Istanbul Turkey
✅Cloud Cuckoo Land
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Shown on the GR page setting, and in the blurb. Two of the three linked stories are in Turkey.
“Original title: Cloud Cuckoo Land
Setting: Istanbul (Turkey), Idaho (United States), Turkey, Constantinople (Turkey)”
38 Turkey tags (13 Istanbul tags)
12 science tags
Points= 1+2+3
Bearing: 276.02° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Xi’an, Shaanxi, CHN to Istanbul, TUR is 276.02° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 4,242.94 mi (6,828.35 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Xi’an, Shaanxi, CHN and Istanbul, TUR is 4,242.94 mi (6,828.35 km).
=======
Spin #7 = North From Istanbul
To Sweden (Garasavvon)
The End of Drum-Time
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: 11 Sweden tags. Garasavvon is mentioned several times early in the book. Several of the major characters live there permanently, and others live there for part of the year.
Bearing: 352.62° (N)
The initial bearing on the course from Istanbul, TUR to Gárasavvon, SWE is 352.62° and the compass direction is N.
Distance: 1,910.15 mi (3,074.09 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Istanbul, TUR and Gárasavvon, SWE is 1,910.15 mi (3,074.09 km).
Points 1+2=3
========
Spin # 8= West
From Sweden (Garasavvon)
To Greenland
Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 279.58° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Gárasavvon, SWE to Greenland is 279.58° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 1,412.75 mi (2,273.61 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Gárasavvon, SWE and Greenland is 1,412.75 mi (2,273.61 km).
Location - Greenland, described on the blurb. 7 Greenland tags, 6 science tags.
Points 1+2+3=6
======
Spin # 9 = SW
From Greenland
To Los Alamos New Mexico
The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 224.65° (SW)
The initial bearing on the course from Greenland to Los-Alamos-County, NM, USA is 224.65° and the compass direction is SW.
Distance: 3,376.89 mi (5,434.58 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Greenland and Los-Alamos-County, NM, USA is 3,376.89 mi (5,434.58 km).
Location: The book has many locations, but Los Alamos is the setting for two of the largest projects in the book - his work on the Manhattan project, and the development of the first programmable computer.
From Wikipedia: The title of the book is derived from an early computer based on von Neumann architecture, built after the war at Los Alamos laboratory, called MANIAC I.
Fits monthly tag, 220 science tags.
Points 1+3=4
=======
Spin #10 = East
From Los Alamos New Mexico
To the Mississippi River between Hannibal Missouri and Chatham Mississippi
James by Percival Everett
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 72.09° (ENE)
The initial bearing on the course from Los-Alamos, NM, USA to Hannibal, MO, USA is 72.09° and the compass direction is ENE.
Bearing: 102.53° (ESE)
The initial bearing on the course from Los-Alamos, NM, USA to Chatham, MS, USA is 102.53° and the compass direction is ESE.
Distance: 857.19 mi (1,379.51 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Los-Alamos, NM, USA and Hannibal, MO, USA is 857.19 mi (1,379.51 km).
River route
Driving route: 555.18 mi (893.47 km) (10h 52min)
The shortest route between Hannibal, MO, USA and Chatham, MS, USA is 555.18 mi (893.47 km) according to the route planner. The driving time is approx. 10h 52min. Half of the trip is reached in 36.43773688002344,-89.67587389933671.
Location info Missouri-26 tags, Mississippi River- 11 tags, Mississippi -10 tags
Fits the monthly tag. 12 thriller tags
1+2+3=6 points
========
Spin #11. = SE
From Hannibal Missouri
To Shearwater Island Tasmania (estimated location closer to Antarctica than MacQuarie.)
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
Location described as halfway between Australia and Antarctica.
Antarctica =9 tags, Australia =6 tags, thrillers = 147 tags,
Points 1+2+3
Bearing: 122.80° (ESE)
Distance: 11,268.01
======
Spin #12 = NE
FROM: Macquarie Island, Tasmania
TO: Florida
The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Fictional town in Southeast Florida. Florida is mentioned in the blurb and all through the book. Miami is mentioned several times, but it’s not described as close. The author’s note tells us the story was loosely based on a town that was used by the Seminole and Miccosukee tribes. 68 Florida tags, 8 thriller tags, 7 strong women tags.
Points 1+2+3=6. Plus bonus free ticket for the strong women tags.
Bearing: 51.17° (NE)
The initial bearing on the course from Macquarie-Island, Tasmania, AUS to Florida, USA is 51.17° and the compass direction is NE
Distance: 8,944.60 mi (14,394.94 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Macquarie-Island, Tasmania, AUS and Florida, USA is 8,944.60 mi (14,394.94 km).
======
Spin #13 = South, but I used my second free ticket to move NE
From Florida
To Rhode Island
The Wedding People by Alison Espach, 4.5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone.
Tags: 40 Rhode Island, 9 thriller, 6 strong women tags
Points: 1+2+3=6
Bearing: 35.54° (NE)
The initial bearing on the course from Florida, USA to Rhode-Island, USA is 35.54° and the compass direction is NE.
Distance: 1,086.76 mi (1,748.98 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Florida, USA and Rhode-Island, USA is 1,086.76 mi (1,748.98 km).
Free tickets:
This trip: Used 1, earned 1
Net: Used 2, Earned 2, I have 3 tickets remaining
=====
Spin #14 = NW
From Rhode Island
To Northern Ontario
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Arcand, Georgian Bay, and Northern Ontario were mentioned in the book. NPR review: “Joan is Métis, part of the Indigenous community of First Nations. She grew up in the small town of Arcand.” “The barrooms and living rooms and Walmart parking lots of the small towns around Georgian Bay, Ontario are the only places where her footsteps are felt. “
Bearing: 309.18° (NW)
The initial bearing on the course from Rhode-Island, USA to Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN is 309.18° and the compass direction is NW.
Distance: 576.27 mi (927.41 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Rhode-Island, USA and Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN is 576.27mi (927.41 km).
Tags: Canada - 74 tags
Thriller - 86 tags. (Read March 31)
1+2+3=6 Points
3 free tickets remaining
======
Spin # 15= South
From : Northern Ontario
To: Bolivia
The Puma Years by Laura Coleman
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: GR metadata shows:
Original title = The Puma Years: A Memoir of Love and Transformation in the Bolivian Jungle
Setting = Bolivia, Amazon Rainforest
Tags 42 Bolivia
Points 1+2=3 plus April bonus.
Bonus free ticket, Bird and insects on the cover
Bearing: 167.74° (SSE) ====Travel Math defines this angle as SOUTH
The initial bearing on the course from Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN to Bolivia is 167.74° and the compass direction is SSE.
Distance: 4,511.67 mi (7,260.84 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN and Bolivia is 4,511.67 mi (7,260.84 km).
Free tickets:
This trip: Earned 1
Net: Used 2, Earned 3, I have 4 tickets remaining
=====
Spin #13 = South, but I used my second free ticket to move NEFrom Florida
To Rhode Island
The Wedding People by Alison Espach, 4.5 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone.
Tags: 40 Rhode Island, 9 thriller, 6 strong women tags
Points: 1+2+3=6
Bearing: 35.54° (NE)
The initial bearing on the course from Florida, USA to Rhode-Island, USA is 35.54° and the compass direction is NE.
Distance: 1,086.76 mi (1,748.98 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Florida, USA and Rhode-Island, USA is 1,086.76 mi (1,748.98 km).
Free tickets:
This trip: Used 1, earned 1
Net: Used 2, Earned 2, I have 3 tickets remaining
=====
Spin #14 = NW
From Rhode Island
To Northern Ontario
Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Arcand, Georgian Bay, and Northern Ontario were mentioned in the book. NPR review: “Joan is Métis, part of the Indigenous community of First Nations. She grew up in the small town of Arcand.” “The barrooms and living rooms and Walmart parking lots of the small towns around Georgian Bay, Ontario are the only places where her footsteps are felt. “
Bearing: 309.18° (NW)
The initial bearing on the course from Rhode-Island, USA to Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN is 309.18° and the compass direction is NW.
Distance: 576.27 mi (927.41 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Rhode-Island, USA and Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN is 576.27mi (927.41 km).
Tags: Canada - 74 tags
Thriller - 86 tags. (Read March 31)
1+2+3=6 Points
3 free tickets remaining
======
Spin # 15= South
From : Northern Ontario
To: Bolivia
The Puma Years by Laura Coleman
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: GR metadata shows:
Original title = The Puma Years: A Memoir of Love and Transformation in the Bolivian Jungle
Setting = Bolivia, Amazon Rainforest
Tags 42 Bolivia
Points 1+2=3 plus April bonus.
Bonus free ticket, Bird and insects on the cover
Bearing: 167.74° (SSE) ====Travel Math defines this angle as SOUTH
The initial bearing on the course from Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN to Bolivia is 167.74° and the compass direction is SSE.
Distance: 4,511.67 mi (7,260.84 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Arcand-Lake, ON, CAN and Bolivia is 4,511.67 mi (7,260.84 km).
Free tickets:
This trip: Earned 1
Net: Used 2, Earned 3, I have 4 tickets remaining
=====
Spin #16 = East. Will use a free ticket NW
From Bolivia
To Oregon, US
The Music of Bees by Eileen Garvin, 4+ stars
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 320.09° (NW)
The initial bearing on the course from Bolivia to Oregon, USA is 320.09° and the compass direction is NW.
Distance: 5,475.66 mi (8,812.22 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Bolivia and Oregon, USA is 5,475.66 mi (8,812.22 km).
Location: Oregon is listed in the metadata, the blurb, and it has 26 Oregon tags.
Fits monthly tag = 5 tags
Points =1+2+3=6
April Bonus - bees on the cover - one free ticket
Free tickets:
This trip: Earned 1, Used 1
Net: 3 original, Used 3, Earned 4, I have 4 tickets remaining
=====
Spin #17 = North
From Oregon
To Seattle, Washington
Feral Creatures by Kira Jane Buxton, 4.5 stars
Very fun, brilliant, ecological adventure, crude humor, animal pov, science, lit references.
Distance.to:
The shortest route between Oregon, USA and Seattle, WA, USA is 361.70 mi (582.10 km) according to the route planner.
The initial bearing on the course from Oregon, USA to Seattle, WA, USA is 340.52° and the compass direction is NNW.
Travelmath:
The total straight line flight distance from Oregon to Seattle, WA is 210 miles.
Your flight direction from Oregon to Seattle, WA is North (-3 degrees from North).
Location and tags:
Seattle is mentioned frequently in the book, and was the setting of the first book Hollow Kingdom. Other settings: Alaska, Vancouver.
6 Seattle tags
5 fun tags
Bonus- Birds tags, birds on cover, earn a free ticket
Points: 1+2+3=6
Free tickets:
This trip: earned one free ticket
Total: 5 free tickets.
======
Spin # 18 = North (again)
From: Seattle, Washington
To: Yukon Territory, Canada
City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Your flight direction from Seattle, WA to Yukon Territory is North (-20 degrees from North).
Distance: 1,359.48 mi (2,187.88 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Seattle, WA, USA and Yukon, YT, CAN is 1,359.48 mi (2,187.88 km).
Location
Kindle…
Tags Canada, Yukon, no monthly tag
Points 1+2=3
=====
Potential locations. From Yukon
West- Russia - Diamond
East - Ireland. Italy,
South - Hollywood -
South west - Japan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, others
Southeast - Indiana - KKK
Spin #19 southwest From Yukon
To Japan
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tags, Japan, Tokyo, fun. (Fits April tag, read April 30 )
Distance: 3,782.89 mi (6,087.97 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Yukon, YT, CAN and Tokyo, JPN is 3,782.89 mi (6,087.97 km).
The initial bearing on the course from Yukon, YT, CAN to Tokyo, JPN is 239.20° and the compass direction is WSW. 239 is closer to SW than to West
Points 1+2+3=6
======
Next options
SW - The Women- Vietnam
West - Turkey, Ireland,Ukraine
East - US - Frozen River
South - Australia
SE- Melanesia - beetle, NZ
North - northern Japan
NW - Russia - diamond
NE-
Spin #19 southwest From Yukon Territory
To Tokyo Japan (Jimbocho neighborhood)
Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tags, 666 Japan, 9 Tokyo, 6 fun. (Fits April tag, read in April )
Distance: 3,782.89 mi (6,087.97 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Yukon, YT, CAN and Tokyo, JPN is 3,782.89 mi (6,087.97 km).
The initial bearing on the course from Yukon, YT, CAN to Tokyo, JPN is 239.20° and the compass direction is WSW. 239 is closer to SW than to West
Points 1+2+3=6
Spin #20 = North From Tokyo Japan
To Miyagi, Japan
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, 5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Nao visits her great-grandmother's mountaintop monastery in a coastal village near Miyagi, which is in northern Japan. This area is later hit by a tsunami which was significant to the plot. The tsunami resulting from the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Japan primarily impacted the Tohoku region, specifically the coastal areas of Iwate, Miyagi, and Fukushima prefectures. Nao’s family lives in the Akiba Electric Town district of Tokyo, which is north of the Jimbocho neighborhood in my previous book.
Tags: 992 Japan, 11 strong women, 8 tsunami
Distance: 202.47 mi (325.84 km
Driving route: 234.35 mi (377.15 km) (4h 57min)
The shortest route between Tokyo, JPN and Miyagi, JPN is 234.35 mi (377.15 km) according to the route planner.
Bearing: 19.64° (NNE)
The initial bearing on the course from Tokyo, JPN to Miyagi, JPN is 19.64° and the compass direction is NNE.
Points 1+2+3=6
Earned 1 free ticket for May. This book also fits International Family Day, May 15. The book shows many ways that family support can be crucial for family members in each generation. I especially liked the care given to, and given by, the oldest members of the two families.
Spin #21 = SouthFrom Miyagi, Japan
To Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Force of Nature by Jane Harper, 3.5
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: “Force of Nature is set in the thickly forested mountains north-east of Melbourne and features Federal Agent Aaron Falk”
408 Australia tags, 6 strong women tags
Points =1+2+3=6
Bearing: 177.20° (S)
The initial bearing on the course from Miyagi, JPN to Melbourne, Victoria, AUS is 177.20° and the compass direction is S.
Distance: 5,275.55 mi (8,490.18 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Miyagi, JPN and Melbourne, Victoria, AUS is 5,275.55 mi (8,490.18 km).
Spin #22Direction = north
From: Melbourne Australia
To: Wollongong (NE to Darwin Australia ( NW)
She traveled from Wollongong (NE) to Darwin (NW), and back, hitting many locations along the way (all North of Melbourne).
Swallow the Air by Tara June Winch, 3.5-4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location information from blurbs and reviews: “Her journey leads her from the Australian east coast to the far north, but it is the people she meets, not the destinations, that teach her what it is to belong.”
“The vividness of May's journey from the mining Town of Wollongong to the far north of Australia truly is a love letter to outback Australia. ”
“She hitches a ride North, thinking she might find her father up in Darwin. Sadly, that doesn’t go well but, thanks to the kindness of strangers, she finally finds the last remaining Gibsons in NSW.”
Map on YouTube
Tags: Australia, strong women
Points=1+2+3=6
Spin #23 , Direction = East From Australia
To Peru
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location:
First sentence : “ On Friday noon, July the twentieth, 1714, the finest bridge in all Peru broke and precipitated five travelers into the gulf below.”
Spin #24, NorthEast From Peru
To Ireland
Distance 5,856.56 mi (9,425.23 km).
Bearing 42.83° (NE)
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: The majority of the book is set in Ireland, from page 52 to the end. The story begins in Long Island, where Eilish decides to brings her children to Ireland for the summer to meet their grandmother. Page 52 begins in Dublin, with her friend Nancy’s pov. 302 Ireland tags
The story is set during the summer of 1976. Summer tags
Free ticket bonus - Wedding. Nancy’s daughter gets married during the book. A key decision made during the planning is significant to the plot. “Wedding” is mentioned 77 times beginning on page 59.
Spin #25 NEFrom Ireland
To Sweden
My Friends by Fredrick Backman
Review pending
Location and tags
37 Sweden tags, 79 Summer tags
Bearing: 53.38° (NE)
The initial bearing on the course from Ireland, IRL to Sweden is 53.38° and the compass direction is NE
Distance: 1,053.08 mi (1,694.76 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Ireland, IRL and Sweden is 1,053.08 mi (1,694.76 km).
Spin # 26 = South From Sweden
To Prague, Czech Republic
Bearing: 181.54° (S)
The initial bearing on the course from Sweden to Prague, CZE is 181.54° and the compass direction is South.
Distance: 823.33 mi (1,325.03 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Sweden and Prague, CZE is 823.33 mi (1,325.03 km).
The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Tags
18 summer
46 Prague
721 czech
180 Czech Republic
Spin #27 Direction North === the book is actually NW so I need to use a free ticket.
From: Prague
To: Arctic - Ellesmere Island, NU, CA
Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Dalton-Brooks
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location : “At his latest posting, in a research center in the Arctic, rumors of war arrive.” It’s described in the story as in the arctic circle. ADDED- Wikipedia places it in Ellesmere Island, NU, CA, in the arctic.
Distance: 2,701.66 mi (4,347.91 km)
Bearing: 319.73° (NW)
15 arctic tags
40 Speculative fiction tags
July Bonus free ticket for a blue cover
Points = 1+2+3=6
Used 1 free ticket, earned 1 free ticket
=======
Backup book - just in case (view spoiler)
Spin #28 Southwest
From Ellesmere Island, NU, CA
To Hawaii
Sharks in the Time of Saviors by Kawai Strong Washburn
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 215.04° (SW)
The initial bearing on the course from Ellesmere-Island, NU, CAN to Hawaii, USA is 215.04° and the compass direction is SW.
Distance: 4,814.52 mi (7,748.23 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Ellesmere-Island, NU, CAN and Hawaii, USA is 4,814.52 mi (7,748.23 km).
Location- Hawaii is listed as the setting in the book’s gr page.
Blurb- “ In 1995 Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, on a rare family vacation, seven-year-old Nainoa Flores falls overboard a cruise ship into the Pacific Ocean. When a shiver of sharks appears in the water, everyone fears for the worst. But instead, Noa is gingerly delivered to his mother in the jaws of a shark, marking his story as the stuff of legends.”
Tags: 139 Hawaii, 15 speculative fiction
1+2+3=6 points
===========
Next
#29 SE
Hawaii
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Who Is Vera Kelly?
“Next thing she knows she's in Argentina, tasked with wiretapping a congressman and infiltrating a group of student activists in Buenos Aires. “
Bearing: 120.65° (ESE)
The initial bearing on the course from Hawaii, USA to Buenos-Aires, ARG is 120.65° and the compass direction is ESE.
Travel math shows it as SE
Distance: 7,466.17 mi (12,015.64 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Hawaii, USA and Buenos-Aires, ARG is 7,466.17 mi (12,015.64 km
====
Next
N New York, Barbados
Ne Greece
E South Africa
S Falklands
SE Antarctica
SW Cape Horn
W Sydney, New Caledonia
NW- Mexico, California, pnw
Spin #29 SEHawaii
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Who Is Vera Kelly? by Rosalie Knecht
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location:
“Next thing she knows she's in Argentina, tasked with wiretapping a congressman and infiltrating a group of student activists in Buenos Aires. “
Bearing: 120.65° (ESE)
The initial bearing on the course from Hawaii, USA to Buenos-Aires, ARG is 120.65° and the compass direction is ESE.
Travel math shows it as SE
Distance: 7,466.17 mi (12,015.64 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Hawaii, USA and Buenos-Aires, ARG is 7,466.17 mi (12,015.64 km
====
Maybe Next
N New York, Barbados
Ne Greece
E South Africa
S Falklands
SE Antarctica
SW Cape Horn
W Sydney, New Caledonia
NW- Mexico, California,
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
Location - South Africa, 160 tags
Mr. Coetzee tells the story of an imaginary Empire, set in an unspecified place and time, yet recognizable as a ''universalized'' version of South Africa. This allows Mr. Coetzee some esthetic distance from his subject, for even while remaining locked with the history of his moment, he isn't completely at the mercy of its local chaos and ugliness. The result is a realistic fable, at once stark, exciting and economical.
Spin # 30 EASTFrom Buenos Aires, Argentina
To South Africa
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Bearing: 86.61° (E)
The initial bearing on the course from Buenos-Aires, ARG to South-Africa is 86.61° and the compass direction is E.
Distance: 4,607.33 mi (7,414.78 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Buenos-Aires, ARG and South-Africa is 4,607.33 mi (7,414.78 km).
Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
Location - South Africa, 160 tags
Mr. Coetzee tells the story of an imaginary Empire, set in an unspecified place and time, yet recognizable as a ''universalized'' version of South Africa. This allows Mr. Coetzee some esthetic distance from his subject…
Points 1+2=3
Spin #31= East From South Africa
To Melbourne Australia
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Goodreads listing:
Original title - On the Beach
Setting - Australia, Melbourne, Victoria (Australia)
Tags: 7 Melbourne tags, 61 speculative fiction tags
Bearing: 94.12° (E)
The initial bearing on the course from South-Africa to Melbourne, Victoria, AUS is 94.12° and the compass direction is E.
Distance: 6,412.58 mi (10,320.06 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between South-Africa and Melbourne, Victoria, AUS is 6,412.58 mi (10,320.06 km).
Points =1+2+3=6
Spin # 32 = West From Melbourne, Australia
To Rio de Jeniero, Brazil
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao by Martha Batalha, 3 stars
Review : https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
I calculated the distance West in two legs, with a stop in South Africa. The Distance to Rio would be shorter if I traveled east, but I’m using the special rule to go the other way as long it doesn’t exceed 12000 miles.
Total distance west =
6412.58 + 4059.75=10,472.33
Leg #1
Bearing: 274.12° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Melbourne, Victoria, AUS to South-Africa is 274.12° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 6,412.58 mi (10,320.06 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Melbourne, Victoria, AUS and South-Africa is 6,412.58 mi (10,320.06 km).
Leg #2
Bearing: 277.39° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from South-Africa to Rio-de-Janeiro, BRA is 277.39° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 4,059.75 mi (6,533.54 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between South-Africa and Rio-de-Janeiro, BRA is 4,059.75 mi (6,533.54 km).
Spin # 33 = NW From Rio de Janeiro
To Ohio
Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper, 3.5 stars rounded up
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location - Listed in GR metadata as Ohio.
Out of My Mind (#1)
Setting - Ohio (United States), Midwest (United States)
Tags Ohio=19, Family drama=6
Points=1+2+3=6
Bearing: 326.28° travelmath says Northwest
The initial bearing on the course from Rio to Ohio, USA is 326.28° and the compass direction is NNW.
Distance: 5,346.49 mi (8,604.34 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Rio and Ohio, USA is 5,346.49 mi (8,604.34 km).
Spin #34 = North From (center/columbus) Ohio
To Detroit, Michigan
Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides, 4.5 stars
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Distance: 163.79 mi (263.59 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Columbus, OH, USA and Detroit, MI, USA is 163.79 mi (263.59 km).
Bearing: 359.15° (N)
The initial bearing on the course from Columbus, OH, USA to Detroit, MI, USA is 359.15° and the compass direction is N
Location: The largest portion of the story takes place in Detroit and nearby Grosse Point Michigan. They are listed in the GR metadata list of settings.
Tags 103 Detroit, 64 Family drama
Spin #35 = West From Detroit Michigan
To Seattle Washington
The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: Seattle Washington is listed in the GR metadata as one of the settings. The majority of the story took place in this setting.
Tags: Family Drama 9 tags, Seattle 13 tags
Bearing: 280.76° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Detroit, MI, USA to Seattle, WA, USA is 280.76° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 1,933.19 mi (3,111.17 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Detroit, MI, USA and Seattle, WA, USA is 1,933.19 mi (3,111.17 km).
Free ticket Bonus - dog. In chapter 11 Gabe finds a small puppy and brings him in the house. Henry, who was generally nonverbal, watches the dog play, laughs, and declares him “Trouver” (French for to to find). He went with him everywhere.
Spin #36 = NE. I will use a free ticket to go EastFrom Seattle
✴️EAST to NY City
[Or WEST To China]
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Location: settings in New York, China, and Washington state
52 china tags
38 Family Drama tags ( the book was read in August)
36 New York tags
Point=1+2+3
✴️Seattle To New York, NY.
Bearing: 101.15° (E)
The initial bearing on the course from Seattle, WA, USA to New-York, NY, USA-(New-York-County) is 101.15° and the compass direction is E.
Distance: 2,402.12 mi (3,865.84 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Seattle, WA, USA and New-York, NY, USA-(New-York-County) is 2,402.12 mi (3,865.84 km).
[Alternative: Seattle, West to China
Bearing: 262.75° (W)
The initial bearing on the course from Seattle, WA, USA to China is 262.75° and the compass direction is W.
Distance: 6,023.21 mi (9,693.41 km)
The shortest distance (air line) between Seattle, WA, USA and China is 6,023.21 mi (9,693.41 km).]
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Real Americans (other topics)The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender (other topics)
Middlesex (other topics)
Out of My Mind (other topics)
The Invisible Life of Euridice Gusmao (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Leslye Walton (other topics)Martha Batalha (other topics)
J.M. Coetzee (other topics)
J.M. Coetzee (other topics)
Rosalie Knecht (other topics)
More...
Nancy J - Buffalo, NY - NW-Toronto - SW - Makatea, French Polynesia - SE - Livingston Island, Antarctica - NW - Japan - W - Xian , China - SE - Free Pass - Istanbul, Turkey - N - Sweden - W - Greenland - SW -Los Alamos New Mexico - E - Mississippi River MO - SE - Shearwater Island Tasmania - NE - Florida - S - Free Ticket - RI - NW - Northern Ontario - S - Bolivia - E - Oregon, US - N -Seattle, Washington- N - Yukon Territory, Canada - SW - Japan