Play Book Tag discussion
2016-19 Activities & Challenges
>
Listopia Challenge
Just wanted to add to please also add your books for this challenge to our group Bookshelf! I don't manually shelve the yearly challenge books for everyone, so please head to the Bookshelf and add them yourselves (including adding the tag once you've added the book to the shelf)!
Thank you!
If we already know which list we want to choose, do we list it here? Or do we just do it with our individual tracking? Can we list it now or should we wait until January?
Jenni, you can just track it in your personal thread and then post your reviews here. If you want to post the shelf here for discussions purposes, then that is fine too! Just not required.
If these were nested discussions then it would be easier!
Okay - selecting my list: Best Literary MysteriesThe six books I read
Snow Falling on Cedars � -28Feb18 - Monthly Tag: Asia
My Name is Red � - 03Mar18
The Cuckoo's Calling � - 15Mar18
Smilla's Sense of Snow � - 12May18
Dark Places � - 25May18 - Monthly Tag: Family Drama
The Forgotten Garden � - 30June18 - Monthly tag: Magical realism
I have some ideas for which list I want to choose, but need to look more and finalize today and/or tomorrow. I am planning to post here which list I'll be using, as well.
I chose Titlemania III: Whole-Sentence TitlesBook 1: I Am Half-Sick of Shadows by Alan Bradley - 4 stars - finished 1/5/2018
Precocious 11-year-old amateur chemist and sleuth Flavia de Luce is working on a scheme to prove once and for all whether Father Christmas really exists or is a fable as her older sisters claim. But the household routine is disrupted by a film crew that has leased their home for the filming of a movie, with the famous star Phyllis Wyvern. On the vicar's pleading, the star has consented to put on a small performance at the mansion, which half the town comes eagerly to see. But a blizzard that evening forces all visitors to spend the night, and it is in this chaos that Phyllis is murdered. Naturally Flavia sets out to solve the crime herself.
I read this to satisfy three reading challenges (monthly tag, PBT Decathlon and Listopia), and was not expecting much. I had tried reading book 1 of this series and never finished it, because I just could not connect with Flavia or like her very much. So it was a pleasant surprise that I thoroughly enjoyed this. I will have to revisit the earlier books in the series and give Flavia a second chance!
Book 2: Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman - 4 stars - finished 1/15/2018
I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery featuring Rabbi David Small of the imaginary Yankee town of Barnard's Crossing. When the body of a murdered girl is found in the parking lot of the synagogue, suspicion falls on the rabbi, and he noses around trying to ferret out the killer.
I had never heard of this series before - this was published in 1964, but it holds up well. I learned a lot about the Jewish religion and the function of rabbis. I enjoyed the friendship that forms between the rabbi and the police chief, and the myriad characters of the small town. They mystery was a good one and the solution quite well done, though nothing spectacular happens. It's much along the lines of Father Brown and Miss Marple. I will definitely be continuing the series.
Book 3: Whose Body? by Dorothy L. Sayers - 3 stars - finished 1/26/2018
A body is found in a bath with nothing on but a pair of pince-nez. Lord Peter Wimsey, amateur detective, is asked by his mother to look into it, as it was found in the tub of an acquaintance of hers.
Though I'd heard about Dorothy L. Sayers in comparison to Agatha Christie, this is the first time I've ever tried her books. It was interesting enough, but I prefer Christie's style. I found the beginning a little boring at first, and it took me awhile to warm up to Lord Peter. But as he showed more of his human side I grew to like him a little better. The mystery itself felt a little contrived, and the murderer's confession letter at the end went on rather too long. Still, I would probably try another book, but not any time soon.
Book 4: Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick - 3 stars - finished 4/22/2018
I don't really know how to review this because I don't know what to think about it. This story was the basis for the movie Blade Runner, and both book and movie have been touted as science fiction classics. I saw the movie for the second time around 25 years ago, and can't remember anything about it except I thought it was over-hyped. Well, now that I've finally read the book I think it's over-hyped too.
Maybe it's just because it was written before my time, when sci-fi was still new, still evolving, and these dystopian ideas were still radical. The future Earth of this book in 2021 is pretty much dead, covered in the radioactive fallout dust that slowly contaminates every living thing, eventually turning some people into "specials" who are the despised and pitied low caste of society. Living creatures are precious and owning a pet is a sign of wealth. Most humans who are anybody or who can afford it emigrate to Mars, where they are given androids so life-like they are almost indistinguishable from humans, and these androids are banned on Earth. Some escape to Earth and try to live a clandestine life, and they hunted by bounty hunters who "retire" them, permanently. Rick Deckard is one such bounty hunter.
The atmosphere of the whole book is morose and depressing. It's meant to be philosophical about mankind's existence and yada yada, but I found I just couldn't care much about it. It put me in mind of one of Heinlein's books that I read as a teen, except in that dystopic future the Earth was overcrowded, unlike this one where humans on Earth are pitifully few. I struggled then to understand what great profundity the book was trying to convey, and this book was no different - and frankly it just never engaged me enough to want to figure out what it was trying to say. It was entertaining enough to keep me reading, but its world-building had so many holes I was a bit disappointed. I think it's just that I've read so much better over the years that this one just felt passe.
Book 5: The Wench Is Dead by Colin Dexter - 3 stars - finished 5/3/2018
Inspector Morse is in the hospital, and to relieve his boredom he starts reading a book about the murder of a young woman in 1856, and the subsequent trial and execution of the men accused. From the evidence presented Morse is of the opinion that the men were innocent, and starts investigating.
Interesting enough, though not as exciting as I was anticipating. I think Colin Dexter's writing style is just not my cup of tea because I can't connect with his characters. This is my second attempt at this series and though it's not badly written, nothing about it grabs me and makes me want to read another.
Book 6 (last one!): Diamonds Are Forever by Ian Fleming - 3 stars - finished 8/13/2018
In my teens I tried to read Casino Royale, the first Bond book. I don't think I finished it, as I was very disappointed in the writing, and never bothered to pick up another. Now I read this book because it satisfies three challenges.
I liked it well enough, I was able to finish it and it flowed pretty smoothly. But I'm still not impressed. Maybe because it's so dated, with all the casual misogyny and subtle racism of the time (which doesn't bother me too much because it is a product of its time), but also because it was pretty simplistic, and paced rather slowly. I found the descriptions of Las Vegas interesting, since I just passed through there a few days ago. I'm not a Bond aficionado, so I don't know how it compares to the movie as I haven't seen it. It was interesting to compare the man in the book to the one on screen, though, and they seem like different people. The book Bond is rather eclipsed by the legend that has grown out of the silver screen.
I think if I had a compelling reason to pick up another Bond book I wouldn't mind reading it, but I don't think I would go out of my way to do so.
Challenge completed!
I've chosen What To Read When You've Read Jane Austen 6/6 completed
/list/show/7...
The Picture of Dorian Gray - review: /topic/show/...
Great Expectations - review: /topic/show/...
The Eyre Affair - review: /topic/show/...
Anna Karenina - review: /topic/show/...
Anne of Green Gables - review: /topic/show/...
Cranford - review: /topic/show/...
Challenge completed 22/09/2018
/list/show/7...
The Picture of Dorian Gray - review: /topic/show/...
Great Expectations - review: /topic/show/...
The Eyre Affair - review: /topic/show/...
Anna Karenina - review: /topic/show/...
Anne of Green Gables - review: /topic/show/...
Cranford - review: /topic/show/...
Challenge completed 22/09/2018
(Diane P) I chose Books That Make You Laugh
Linda, I love the micro history list! I have had Salt in my physical bookshelf forever and need to eventually get to it!
Nicole R wrote: "Linda, I love the micro history list! I have had Salt in my physical bookshelf forever and need to eventually get to it!"I know that list is tempting me to do the challenge.
Booknblues wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Linda, I love the micro history list! I have had Salt in my physical bookshelf forever and need to eventually get to it!"I know that list is tempting me to do the challenge."
Me too! Especially because I bet the book I am currently reading is somewhere on that list and I would have and easy one right out the gate!
Jason wrote: "/list/show/7...WE ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!!
I learned so much from this book. I am not a nature person..."
What's the book?
Book Concierge. Oops. The book is The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History
Jason wrote: "Book Concierge. Oops. The book is The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History"Hehe! I was going to ask the same thing. I wonder if you could edit the post with the review and add the title in there, as well? :-) Thanks!
Jen wrote: "Okay, I will be reading this list: You Read a book about what?/list/show/8..."
That looks like a fun list!
I'm going to do Favorite Booker Prize Winners. Room to move given 53 listed but only 18 read.
Ladyslott wrote: "I'm doing this list: Books based on Myths, Legends, Fairy Tales and Folktales. /list/show/1..."
Love your list!
I would like post my reviews by adding to my original post (#12), rather than creating a new message each time. This would make it easier for me to keep track of as it keeps them all together. Would that be ok? I've posted #1 already, please let me know if you would prefer otherwise.
annapi wrote: "I would like post my reviews by adding to my original post (#12), rather than creating a new message each time. This would make it easier for me to keep track of as it keeps them all together. Woul..."That is fine. I think I posted somewhere up above, that you do not actually have to post in this thread each review you write. You could keep them all in your personal tracking thread and then just post them all here when you complete the challenge.
Just a thought as we do not do intermediate check ins...
Jen wrote: "Okay, I will be reading this list: You Read a book about what?/list/show/8..."
I love this list! If I hadn't already picked the Microhistory one I'd steal it from you (although there are probably lots of overlaps).
It was hard choosing a list but I’ve finally narrowed it down to:I Picked It Up Because of the Title because yes sometimes I do judge a book by it’s title (or book cover).
/list/show/5...
1. So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish 5⭐️
Read 1/16/18
Review: /topic/show/...
2. The Last Jedi by Jason Fry 5⭐️❤️
Read 4/14/18
Review: /topic/show/...
3. The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley 3⭐️
Review: /topic/show/...
4.
5.
6.
So glad I found this challenge.I have soooo many books on this list:
Roman Catholic Reading
/list/show/7...
Were supposed to post our listopia choice(s) here and upfront, right?I am working on two lists this year, (have no idea how to post them), and I have another three that I am playing around with just for fun.
My two lists are:
1) Remarkable Women in Historical Fiction
2) Amazon's Top 100 fiction for 2017
The remarkable women I thought was wider than the Tudor or Queen period, because you could look at early figures like Eve, Cleopatra, or more relatively contemporary like Mademoiselle Chanel.
Three other lists I am playing around with just for fun are:
Girl in a Red Dress (guarantee I get like 20 books for that, even ones not on the listopia list. I am having a great time choosing covers with women in Red.)
Historical Fiction from the Jazz Age
Historical Fiction with a Dash of Magic
I'm just having fun with those, so we will see how they go.
Barbara, I have read 19 off your list. You’ve got some great books in there!
It would be enormously helpful that if your book happens to fit both the PBT tag and your Listopia list in any given month if you could Add the word Listopia to the topic of your review.
Many thanks!!
I haven't made a selection yet but I'm going to read books off this list:Best Modern Australian Literature
Ok that was not an easy to task to pick from ONE list but I did it. Here is my list I will be reading from.
Listopia
My Favorite Memoirs
/list/show/1...
Book 1.
The Angel in My Pocket: A Story of Love, Loss, and Life
After Death
3 stars
Taken from the back of the book. " After the death of her six-year-old daughter, Charlotte, Sukey Forbes struggles to come to terms with her loss as she chafes against the emotional reserves and strict self-reliance that are part of her blue-blooded New England heritage. "
I could not relate to much of the book. It has loads of family history, it used to show how she dealt with the loss of her daughter by looking at the family's past. You can feel the emotion of the dealing with the death of her six-year-old, coming to terms with her death and moving on. I could also feel the frustration with the Doctors on trying to find out what she had and after her death on showing what she had. Such a sad, raw story. Writing is so-so and it does drag on here and there but overall a book worth reading.
Book 2
'Tis A Memoir
3 stars
This book picks up where Angela's Ashes left off. It was a fascinating yet slow read. The story just did not fly off the pages for me, I found myself waiting for him to move on and connect the dots of the picture faster. Still worth reading and enjoyed a peek into another person life story.
Book 3
In Search of the Missing: Working with Search and Rescue Dogs
2 stars
Good but not great book. It is more about the people who work with the dogs then it about the dogs. It is like reading snippets of the dogs training, work life, and long draw out stories about the people. I did find parts very interesting but I just wanted more. Lots of short stories about rescues and the things that went right and wrong but not put together very well, plus some stories did not have closure.
Book 4
So That Happened: My Unexpected Life in Hollywood
3 stars
I enjoyed the peek into Jon Cryer's life. No over the top name dropping or bashing. Cryer gives you a look into the behind scenes on the movies and TV shows he was in, he talked a little bit about growing up plus his up and downs in his personal life. Pretty and Pink was my first Movie to watch Jon Cryer bring to life a wonderful Character, loved him as Duckie.
Book 5
We Pointed Them North: Recollections of a Cowpuncher
1 star
Not all Cowboys lived this way. If you want to read a book about a self-centred, no morals, shot at the hip with a temper, disregard for life(human or animal) then this is a book for you. Yes, life was hard for Cowboys but why make it worse for yourself with stupid choices? I don't feel sorry for people who do things that make them have to look over their shoulder or run most of their life for the things they have done. Hope I never come across a book like this one again, I will not make myself finish it like I did this one.
Amy wrote: "Were supposed to post our listopia choice(s) here and upfront, right?I am working on two lists this year, (have no idea how to post them), and I have another three that I am playing around with j..."
Amy ... just copy/paste the url of the list you are using into your previous comment. (Open up the "edit" box first, of course)
2017: What Women Born In The 1970s Read In 2017/list/show/1...
I chose this one so that I could clear a few items off my TBR.
1. Beartown
A lot of places have a die-hard sport. Here is South Texas it is football. Well for most of Texas, it is football. Well, in Beartown it's hockey. Yes, it's a book about hockey, so be warned there is A LOT of hockey in this book. But there is also a story; a wonderfully written store.
One night of celebration tears this small town apart. It pits neighbor against neighbor and friend against friend....all for the love of hockey. So who does one believe....the star hockey player or the citizen of this small town. What is more important? For some it's easy, For others, not so much.
Once this book reached a certain point, I could not put it down. Fredrik Backman writes beautifully. I absolutely loved this book. I cannot wait to read the sequel that comes out this summer. I just want to know more.
2. Everything I Never Told You
A girl is dead...their daughter is dead, they just don't know it yet. For the moment she is missing.
Lydia is the favorite child of three to Marilyn and James Lee. Lydia is the one who feels the most pressure coming from her parents....mainly her mother. Lydia wants to do everything she can to please her mom....but she also wants to be a regular teen. Sometimes listening to this book I felt that Marilyn was trying to live out her own dreams through her daughter.....the pressure was to much. Lydia wanted to achieve one more thing that should could never do and that was how she met her demise.
Through out the book, you learn more family secrets about this family and about a few friends in the neighborhood. I really enjoyed this book although it was heartbreaking. I look forward to reading more by Celeste Ng.
3. When Breath Becomes Air
When autobiography was selected as the choice for this month, this book was not my first choice although it was on my TBR. My first choice was checkout and overdue at the library....oh shock and horror of a book overdue (I work at this library)!!!! But I am glad my first choice was checked out, because "When Breath Becomes Air" was on the shelf.
What a wonderful written but heart breaking book. I have dealt with the heartache of losing a loved one to cancer. It is so hard on the family as I know it was extremely hard on Paul's family. Being a Dr., Paul researched and dealt with his own cancer with grace. He fought hard to live and do all the things he could during his remaining years and months. He continued his work, wrote a book, lived life to his fullest and was able to be a part of his daughter's young life. He also put plans in place for his wife and daughter. Paul was OK with his own mortality and was not afraid of it....something that many people are scared of.
Paul died before his book was "completed", but it was complete in his terms.
I loved Paul's message to his baby girl before he died: "When you come to one of the many memories in life where you must give account to yourself, provide a ledger of what you have been, and done, and meant to the world, do not, I pray, discount that you filled a dying man's days with a sated joy, a joy unknown to me in all my prior years, a joy that does not hunger for more and more but rests, satisfied. In this time, right now, that is an enormous thing."
4. The Nightingale
This book has been reviewed so many times but I just want to say that I loved it as much as so many other people. This will be a brief review.
A family in war-torn France have to survive by any means. Two motherlesss sisters, each with different views on life. They were abandoned by their father at a very young age.....turns out his heart was deeply buried in grief and he just didn't know how to handle it.
One sister fought to save so many, risking her life to do so. As a wife of a military veteran, I found her strength honorable.....she saved so many military men and helped them get back to their families. Many were so thankful of her efforts.
The other sister fought to keep her family together, even when her husband was a war prisoner. As a mom, I also found her strength honorable......she saved 19 Jewish children by saving them from prison camps and keeping them safe.
The father Julian. My heart breaks for him. He was a grieving man who just didn't know what to do for his girls. But in the end, he saved both his girls from death. As a daughter, I watched my own father grieve at the loss of my mother. I know how hard he suffered.
I so loved this book.....I didn't want it to be over.
I only wish that Kristin Hannah would have written a bit more about the post-war relationship between Isabelle & Gaetan.
5. Defending Jacob
As I had read another review of this book, someone said it was a mixture of John Grisham and Jodi Piccoult. I would have to agree.....family drama and legal courtroom case.
A young teen boy is dead and the assistant DA's son is getting the blame. But who really did it??? The father believed that his son did not do it. The mother had her doubts.....especially after it came out that Jacob had what was called the "murder" gene. Meaning....did his heritage predispose him to murder?
I did a small google search on the "murder gene" and came across this article.....written by William Landay. Very interesting.
...
I honestly didn't know how this one would turn out until the very end. The book kept my interest the entire time.
6. Heartburn
I listened to this book on audio and thought that Meryl Streep did a good job of putting a voice to a character.
Rachel Samstat is a cookbook author, who at 7 months pregnant discovers that her husband is having an affair with another woman. Rachel goes through moments of wanting him back and wanting him dead at the same time. In the middle of all this she talks of wonderfully sounding food.
I liked this book. It was something light and fun amongst all the other heavy stuff I have been reading.
Ellen wrote: "Yes, it was a tough decision! I chose/list/show/2...
The Most Disturbing Book Ever Written"
Looks like this would be good one for me - from the first 100 I have 21 read and 16 more on the shelf and 5 more on the wishlist. What ever that says about me...
Joni, I’m born in 1968. And guess what I have read 45 books on your list of 100. Four or five more on my TBR, and I’m reading one of them right now. What an interesting and spot on list.
Joni wrote: "2017: What Women Born In The 1970s Read In 2017/list/show/1...
"
Eek!! I have read 41 off this list, and have 25 on my TBR, and was born in the 1990s. Am I a closeted 45 year old at heart?!
No Joi, you are youthful and perfect and have more sophisticated reading taste!
Joi wrote: "Joni wrote: "2017: What Women Born In The 1970s Read In 2017Eek!! I have read 41 I have read 41 off this list..."
How do you find out how many you have read off the list? I couldn't figure out a way other than manually counting, and there are 62 pages!
Sabrina wrote: "I'm going to use this list: Favorite Travel Books."Oh, this looks like a fun list. I have a lot of them but have not heard of many of them. I am trying so hard not to add to many books to my TBR mountain but a great list like this one is not helping.
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
Longitude: The True Story of a Lone Genius Who Solved the Greatest Scientific Problem of His Time (other topics)Persepolis. The story of a childhood (other topics)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (other topics)
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (other topics)
Fahrenheit 451 (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Ned Vizzini (other topics)Khaled Hosseini (other topics)
Donna Tartt (other topics)
Julian Barnes (other topics)
Robert Ludlum (other topics)
More...
Pick one ŷ Listopia list (/list) from which you will read 6 or more books. Administrators will award extra participation points on a per book basis for lists best fit the following categories. Members will vote on the lists to determine which lists win each category at the end of the year.
a) Most interesting list (10 points per book)
b) Hardest list to read (20 points per book)
c) List we least expected the particular member to choose (10 points per book)
You must select your list in January, and then if it happens to fit a PBT monthly tag at some point during the year, you will get 5 bonus participation points for each book you read on your list during that month.
UPDATE: You can change your list BUT any books you read from your prior list selection will not carry over. So, choose wisely and make sure you can stick with your list once you start reading! In addition, you can only count books read since choosing your new list—so if you have read a couple books on the list already in Jan-Feb, but you pick the list in March, those previous books won't count.
You only get participation points for this challenge if you either win a category at the end of the year or your Listopia list happens to also fit the monthly tag.
So, if your Listopia list happens to align with a PBT tag one month, then be sure to cross-post to the monthly tag folder and clearly identify it as also fitting Listopia! That way, Anita can award the bonus points when she calculates participation points.
Of course, as always, any books that you review for any challenge should also be listed in the monthly tag/nonmonthly tag folders to get participation points for the reviews! But, just the standard points apply in this case unless the above applies to you one month.
Please post your reviews here including a link to the list that you read from. You can do more extensive tracking in your personal tracking thread