2025 Reading Challenge discussion

Just updated Message 151 with my latest book..... Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee: An Indian History of the American West. It documents the U.S. Government directed genocide of Native Americans 1860-1890. My last book will be connected on the subject of genocide First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. I am currently 11 of 12 for the challenge.

Forgot to update last month, but I'm at 3/12 so on track for the year. I still have to figure out the rest of my books though.

1. A Hidden Fire - 1/30: Some of the main characters are vampires set in the 21st century
2. Changeless - 2/24: Some of the main creatures are vampires set in 19th century London
3. The Strange Case of the Broad Street Pump: John Snow and the Mystery of Cholera - 3/30: True story about John Snow, a doctor in 19th century London figured out how cholera was was being spread
4. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies - TBR: How germs have affected human development
5. When True Night Falls - TBR: The human race has traveled in space to another planet and their presence affects the evolution of the native species development
6. Old Man's War - TBR: TBD

Hi Natalie,

I would love to hear what you think of Gun, Germs, and Steel. I have had it for many years in my closet waiting to be read.

Jodi wrote: "Hi Natalie,

I would love to hear what you think of Gun, Germs, and Steel. I have had it for many years in my closet waiting to be read."

I'll try remember to let you know. Bother me if I don't :) I should read it sometime this month.

Updated everyone! Welcome Anvita :D

I finished book #6 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch protagonist.
3) The Black Lake: continuing the theme of Dutch colonisation, this time in Indonesia. This book also has two children as protagonists. Near the end, Japanese occupation of the territory is mentioned.
4) Bezonken rood: a book in which the author describes his experiences as a small child in a Japanese PoW camp in Indonesia, where he was a prisoner with his mother, grandmother and sister, and the effects this had in his later life.
5) The Panopticon: continuing the theme of imprisonment.
6) When the Emperor Was Divine : I was looking for a story about the POW camps told from a Japanese perspective. I didn't find that, but this book is the story told by the members of a Japanese American family sent, like many many others, to an internment camp during World War II.

Great job An!

Just completed my final book for the challenge.....First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. I updated Message 151 with the completed string and connections. I enjoyed this challenge!

The Orphan Master's Son I decided to go with Dystopian Fiction after reading this book. It is both beautiful and horrific. I am still thinking about this book weeks after I read it. I gave it 5 stars and so far it is the best book I read this year.

So my first book is "The Orphan Master's Son." Even though it is set in what may be present day, North Korea qualifies.

1. The Orphan Master's SonThe Orphan Master's Son

2. [book:The Detainee

In case I get too depressed with my reading, I reserve the right to switch at any time to utopias.:-)

My last sentence is a bit garbled. I tried to say that 'The Orphan Master's Son' does not take place in a future society like true dystopian literature, but it is a terrifying look at how such a society might occur.

I should not try to post while taking Benadryl. ;-)

Lynn wrote: "Just completed my final book for the challenge.....First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers. I updated Message 151 with the completed string and connections. I en..."

Sweet! Congratulations on completing your goal Lynn XD

Barbara wrote: "My last sentence is a bit garbled. I tried to say that 'The Orphan Master's Son' does not take place in a future society like true dystopian literature, but it is a terrifying look at how such a so..."

Haha (: ~ I hope you are feeling alright. You can always edit your post if you need to.

Thanks. I'm feeling much better. I broke out in hives so they put me on Benadryl. You see the effect it had. The hives went away but so did my ability to think clearly. I couldn't even figure out how to edit what I wrote. :-)

Barbara wrote: "Thanks. I'm feeling much better. I broke out in hives so they put me on Benadryl. You see the effect it had. The hives went away but so did my ability to think clearly. I couldn't even figure out h..."

Oh no! That sucks. I've broken out in some weird allergy before all over my face and legs and it drove me crazy (really itchy!) so I can imagine. I'm glad you are feeling better :D

Thanks. At least I had extra time to read. ;-)

I've updated post 12, I've read 4/12 :)

The String Theory Challenge - Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2014

3/10
---------------
1. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag(1/5/14)
Male protagonist is caught between two secret orders the Templars & Assassin's in search of the legend "The Observatory" that is told to hold the secrets of power.

2.Inferno 1/22/14
Male Protagonist who solves the mystery of a new scientific wonder that could either destroy/or help mankind.

3.The Blood Gospel 4/24/14
Female Protagonist who tries to solve the mystery of the Blood Gospel. A Gospel that was written by Christ in his own blood.

4.

Updated you Claire and Kathy (:

I am done. I may do another one. I'll have to see how my school load goes.

I'm on this page if you want to take a look

I just finished The Detainee

I really liked this book. (4 stars)

Much dystopian literature seems to be in the Young Adult category. Although I do read and enjoy these books, it was neat to have a senior citizen as a main character in this one. It was fun cheering on a contemporary. ;-)

@Adriana-I have now finished my second book.

Congrats on completing your goal Liz!
I've updated you Barbara (:

Hi all,

I finished book #7 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch protagonist.
3) The Black Lake: continuing the theme of Dutch colonisation, this time in Indonesia. This book also has two children as protagonists. Near the end, Japanese occupation of the territory is mentioned.
4) Bezonken rood: a book in which the author describes his experiences as a small child in a Japanese PoW camp in Indonesia, where he was a prisoner with his mother, grandmother and sister, and the effects this had in his later life.
5) The Panopticon: continuing the theme of imprisonment.
6) When the Emperor Was Divine : I was looking for a story about the POW camps told from a Japanese perspective. I didn't find that, but this book is the story told by the members of a Japanese American family sent, like many many others, to an internment camp during World War II.
7) Granta 127 : a special issue of Granta, focusing on Japan.

An wrote: "Hi all,

I finished book #7 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch..."

Awesome, An! Updated you (:

I've updated you Anvita. Have fun with Jane Eyre! Let me know what you think of it when you are done (:

I think I might have too many books to get through on my TBR list to do this, but I just wanted to say that I LOVE this idea! Maybe it'll come back in a future year...? :)

Shannon Noel wrote: "I think I might have too many books to get through on my TBR list to do this, but I just wanted to say that I LOVE this idea! Maybe it'll come back in a future year...? :)"

Maybe (: ~ It's too early to start planning for next year. But, make sure to let it known you would like this challenge next year so we keep it in mind for 2015.

I finally read my second book!

1) Poison - a fantasy story where the protagonist makes poisons.
2) Poison Study - a fantasy where the protagonist is a poison taster for the commander and has magical powers.

I've read my third book!

1) Poison - a fantasy story where the protagonist makes poisons.
2) Poison Study - a fantasy where the protagonist is a poison taster for the commander and has magical powers.
3) Kat, Incorrigible - a story where the protagonist has magical powers which she uses to save her sisters lives and love lives. Set in 19th century England.

Signed you up Jacqueline!

I just read The Shack by William P. Young and now I am interested in unsolved mysteries. So I decided why not jump in on this challenge. I will try for 5 additional books by the end of the year (I am not going to count The Shack)
Progress 0/5
:little girl goes missing = unsolved mystery

Welcome Anna! So your progress now is 1/5.

4th book down!

1) Poison - a fantasy story where the protagonist makes poisons.
2) Poison Study - a fantasy where the protagonist is a poison taster for the commander and has magical powers.
3) Kat, Incorrigible - a story where the protagonist has magical powers which she uses to save her sisters lives and love lives. Set in 19th century England.
4) Pride and Prejudice - a classic story about sisters and falling in love in 19th century England.

Finally have another one to add:

Divergent

It was okay (3 stars).

Right now the real world is too crazy to really get into type of lit perhaps? Although I do have two more on my shelves that look good.

Maybe you just need to read some realistic fiction or nonfiction books Barbara.

5/12 (I've been slow on my string, but oh, there's still time...)

1. The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America

(String: Serial killer)

2. Mindhunter

(String: In profiling, a lot of serial killing cases are described as 'sexual')

3. Perv: The Sexual Deviant in All of Us

(String: As referenced in previous book for their views on certain things: Puritans)

4. The Wordy Shipmates

(String: Amercican history. Moving on from colonist Boston to jazz-age New York...)

5. The Poisoner's Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York

(Next book is either Wicked Plants for poison string or Plucked for hair removal string)

I've been pretty slow on my string theory challenge too Karina. But like you said there is still plenty of time.

Adriana, you may be right. I think I will finish a memoir that was sad but inspiring. I put it aside for a bit, but it sounds right to read now. That and a mystery or two will get me back on track.

Hi all,

I finished book #8 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch protagonist.
3) The Black Lake: continuing the theme of Dutch colonisation, this time in Indonesia. This book also has two children as protagonists. Near the end, Japanese occupation of the territory is mentioned.
4) Bezonken rood: a book in which the author describes his experiences as a small child in a Japanese PoW camp in Indonesia, where he was a prisoner with his mother, grandmother and sister, and the effects this had in his later life.
5) The Panopticon: continuing the theme of imprisonment.
6) When the Emperor Was Divine : I was looking for a story about the POW camps told from a Japanese perspective. I didn't find that, but this book is the story told by the members of a Japanese American family sent, like many many others, to an internment camp during World War II.
7) Granta 127 : a special issue of Granta, focusing on Japan.
8) Granta 128: American Wild: another Granta issue, focusing on America.

For my next book in the string, I'll look for one written by one of the authors contributing to this Granta issue. Or otherwise a book focusing on Native Americans.

Update: my next book for this challenge will be The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

Barbara wrote: "Adriana, you may be right. I think I will finish a memoir that was sad but inspiring. I put it aside for a bit, but it sounds right to read now. That and a mystery or two will get me back on track."

Great (:

Updated you An!

Hi all,

I finished book #9 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch protagonist.
3) The Black Lake: continuing the theme of Dutch colonisation, this time in Indonesia. This book also has two children as protagonists. Near the end, Japanese occupation of the territory is mentioned.
4) Bezonken rood: a book in which the author describes his experiences as a small child in a Japanese PoW camp in Indonesia, where he was a prisoner with his mother, grandmother and sister, and the effects this had in his later life.
5) The Panopticon: continuing the theme of imprisonment.
6) When the Emperor Was Divine : I was looking for a story about the POW camps told from a Japanese perspective. I didn't find that, but this book is the story told by the members of a Japanese American family sent, like many many others, to an internment camp during World War II.
7) Granta 127 : a special issue of Granta, focusing on Japan.
8) Granta 128: American Wild: another Granta issue, focusing on America.
9) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, who was named one of Granta's Best of Young American Novelists in 1996

One book to go.

You've read a lot for this challenge. It;s nice to see all your connections for your books.

Hi Adriana, will you please remove me from this challenge.
Thanks.

I have done six. The connection for all these books is that they are mentioned in The Catcher in the Rye. I would like to do 6 more books that will continue this theme.

String Challenge 2014


1. The Catcher in the Rye
2. Hamlet
3. The 39 Steps
4. Of Human Bondage
5. The Return of the Native
6. Great Poets: Emily Dickinson, The
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

5/12 now (updated string in a previous post)

Ok Lorelei!
Updated you Cosmic and Karina (:

THE STRING THEORY CHALLENGE
Duration: January 1 - December 31, 2014
try for 6 - 6/6 all done!
At some point in our lives, most of us have read something in a book we wanted to know more about—be it a time in history, a location, or even a hobby one of the characters has. The point of this challenge is to broaden your horizons, to learn more about the things that interest you.

Pick a book, any book, and note the things you find interesting in the story. After that first book is read, you'll select another book that links with something from the first book.

Example: Let's say you started reading The Hunger Games. The Hunger Games is a dystopian book, the main character has a great bond with her sister, children fight each other to the death, and Katniss enjoys hunting and archery. So let's say you are really interested in books about archery. Then you can decide to read something like The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood. Maybe you think "What a great classic book! I want to read more." You continue on this same route until you've reached your goal.

First book was about aliens here on earth

this lead to the second book about earthlings in space traveling to a new planet - while traveling they are experimenting with DNA - genetics

now where will the third book take me? ...how about the third book where the main character is actually a genecist

Fourth book I may look for a book with a matchmaker? As Don - the main character in the previous book likened his project that of what a matchmaker would do.

Now where? Their sister is missing ... read a book where someone is trying to find their family?

Okay for the final book I think I will read a book about a stolen identity since someones identity was stolen in the last book ...

Congrats Sharon on completing your goal!

Hi all,

I finished book #10 out of 10 for this challenge:

1) Quesadillas: a book with a 13 year old Mexican protagonist
2) Het gym: a book with a 13 year old Surinamian/Dutch protagonist.
3) The Black Lake: continuing the theme of Dutch colonisation, this time in Indonesia. This book also has two children as protagonists. Near the end, Japanese occupation of the territory is mentioned.
4) Bezonken rood: a book in which the author describes his experiences as a small child in a Japanese PoW camp in Indonesia, where he was a prisoner with his mother, grandmother and sister, and the effects this had in his later life.
5) The Panopticon: continuing the theme of imprisonment.
6) When the Emperor Was Divine : I was looking for a story about the POW camps told from a Japanese perspective. I didn't find that, but this book is the story told by the members of a Japanese American family sent, like many many others, to an internment camp during World War II.
7) Granta 127 : a special issue of Granta, focusing on Japan.
8) Granta 128: American Wild: another Granta issue, focusing on America.
9) The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, who was named one of Granta's Best of Young American Novelists in 1996
10) The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich, which continued the theme of Native American literature

This was a fun reading challenge for me. It led me to books I otherwise would not have picked up and brought some very interesting topics such as the Japanese POW's and Native American literature to my attention.

Glad you had fun and discovered some great reads An!