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

I'm really looking forward to this challenge. I'm going to catch up with Roadrunner so will read at least 13 books.

Goal 1 - Slick's Slugs (1-6 books)

✔ 1) The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas (786 pages) Main characters spent time in France Finished 06/01/14

✔ 2) Main characters spent time in France The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory (532 pages) Historical Fiction Finished 09/01/14

✔ 3) Historical Fiction The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman (608 pages) Third in a series Finished 19/01/14

✔ 4) Third in a series The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory(518 pages) Both feature a King of England Finished 04/02/14

✔ 5) Both feature a King of England The Sunne in Splendour by Sharon Kay Penman (886 pages) Same Author Finished 11/02/14

✔ 6) Same Author When Christ and His Saints Slept by When Christ and His Saints Slept (908 pages) First in a series Finished 12/03/14



Total Page Count: 4,238

Goal 2 - Mickey Mouse's Marchers (7-12 books)

✔ 7) First in a series Angels & Demons by Dan Brown (620 pages) Has blue on the cover Finished 4/04/14

✔ 8) Has blue on the cover Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (529 pages) Made into a film Finished 13/04/14

✔ 9) Made into a film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (538 pages) Author died in the month of November Finished 20/04/14

✔ 10) Author died in the month of November Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (865 pages) A main character is a 'Count' Finished 05/05/14

✔ 11) A main character is a 'Count' The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (1312 pages) Translated to English

✔12) Translated to English The Girl Who Played with Fire by Stieg Larsson (569 pages) Same series



Total Page Count: 8,671

Goal 3 - Roadrunner's Racers (13-18 books)

✔ 13) 11) Same series The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson (746 pages) Goodreads Author

✔ 14) Goodreads Author Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling (636 pages) Features Sirius Black

✔ 15) Features Sirius Black Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling (796 pages) Made into a film

✔ 16) Made into a film Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling (607 pages) Edition has the same number of pages

✔ 17) Edition has the same number of pages Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling (607 pages) Female Author

18) Female Author The Dragon Keeper by Robin Hobb (553 pages) Features a Dragon



Total Page Count: 12,063

You've got a great start and the last link is interesting! :)

Sarah, could you give us an initial or some other way to distinguish you between the other Sarah's in the group? Thanks!

Yep you can either do Sarah Lou or Jigz (was my nickname in school and still have it as a signature)

Jigz is cute! I'll put Sarah Jigz for your wall. When you report in on other challenges and group activities for which there are badges, let us know so that we can put them on the correct page.

Jigz is cute and I love your Roadrunner picture! He is one of my favorites. Well, and I like Wile E. too. lol. :D

Hi Sarah!

Great list so far! I have The Sunne in Splendour - A Novel of Richard III as one of my Slug reads too :)

Hehe thanks =] My nickname was Jigglebewie in school and we shortened it to Jigz. It's cuz my Grandma has a little Ribena berry cuddly toy and it used to 'jiggle' and sing, and I have always been a fidget always constantly moving and jiggling my legs. So ta da nickname =D

Yes Wile E is great! Roadrunner is defo a favourite from the looney tones characters as well as Tweetie =]

@Lisa I really can't wait to read The Sunne in Splendour. Have you read many others from Sharon Kay Penman?

No, I haven't read any Sharon Kay Penman before. This will be my first one. I am really looking forward to it. It will be interesting to see how she portrays Richard III.

Also, in reply to your post on my thread, I would be happy to read it together with you as a buddy read. I am quite a slow reader though so it may better if we start in February. Is that ok with you?

Ooh your in for a great surprise then =] I have read 2 of her books: Here be Dragons and Falls the Shadow and they were really good. Here Be Dragons actually had a few descriptions of Richard III so I'm wondering whether she'll continue to portray him the same way.

That's no problem, we'll read it in February, if you just let me know at the end of Jan when your ready to start. I have a few others in my TRL that have been on my bookshelf for ages, and even though I'm not using them for this challenge I'm looking forward to reading them.

Cool, will do! Looking forward to reading it with you! :)

Kewlio. Every time I look at my list I just want to go ahead and start. It's so tempting. I'm going to try and distract myself with some of the books on the Kindle for the time being.

Me too, I'm so excited, I haven't done a buddy read before, should be fun =]

Had to change them about a bit but all is good for now =]

Great links and a super list of titles ahead for you!

Enjoying the challenge so far. Completed 2 and excited to start my next one.

Way to go! From France to England and now to Whales?

Are you reading them in order?

Did you like the 3Ms?

I watched the MOST awful series ever filmed about them a couple of weeks ago. As awful as the acting and the film quality was though, I still remember the story line. I read the book in high school - MANY YEARS ago. :).

Thank you =] Yep hehe. Having fun travelling teehee. Yep reading them in order.

Oh really. Wow, the book made them come across quite arrogant and not terribly nice. But the film I watched the 1993 or 1994 version I really enjoyed =/

Did you like the book?

I think arrogant and not really nice is a pretty good observation really. There were parts of the book that I recall liking but a lot that was not to like too. I am sure that when I read it then, there was much that I did not understand. History was not high on my list of favorite subjects. Art, science and softball was all I cared about. It was only because I was a consummate reader that I managed to get decent grades.

There are so many movies out there about the Musketeers and they all have a different twist on the characters and the story. Same with the stories of King Arthur. I should give T3Ms a re-read some day. I think my favorite read of the classics from that time was The Count of Montecristo. I was so proud of making it all of the way through such a huge book. The volume I read had 1360 pages on tissue thin paper.

Yes, maybe give it another go. I would liek to read that book. I think it is on my list, it's just where to fit it in =]

Wow that's a huge book! Well done for perservering. On tissue thin paper too.

I just started watching the new series 'The Musketeers' so far I am enjoying it. Parts of it I see from the book. But of course like you said, there are so many different film adaptations, that are just based on the book, I can't expect to be anything like what I read.

Did you ever watch the TV series 'The Tudors'? I loved that. But I love anything to do with The Tudors.

Nope, never watched The Tudors. Don't get Showtime or HBO - don't pay for it I mean. :)

I just borrowed it from my mom. It's really good. Do you like The Tudors? And Historical Fiction much?

The best thing about the Tudors is Charles Brandon/The Duke of Suffolk...

Hehe =P Yes I do agree.

You're rolling, Sarah! Way to go, you speedy readie. :D

Rusalka wrote: "The best thing about the Tudors is Charles Brandon/The Duke of Suffolk..."

I agree! ;)

Laura wrote: "You're rolling, Sarah! Way to go, you speedy readie. :D"

Hehe =] Thank you Laura. Starting my 6th book this week. Looking forward to another Sharon Panman book =D

Yay! You seem to really love all of her stuff!

Yeh! She's amazing =D If you like HF you'd really like her stuff. She's very factual and only adds in some fiction when there is a gap that needs to be filled with something, like an extra character.

I really need to try her, but I need audiobooks, so I think it may take me awhile....plus, I'd like a little more background on the history first. I'm working on it though!

They are pretty long, but so worth it =] I think I remember us talking about the audiobooks, and that you couldn't find some of them? Hopefully they'll pop up somewhere. I know she has a new release this month, so maybe she'll go back and ask for others to be made available on audio *fingers crossed*

I guess it does help for knowing some history beforehand. But seriously I only knew the briefest things as the story is itself factual anyway =]

Yeah maybe they'll go back and create audios!

I could only find her book, Lionheart on Audible. I'd probably listen to her books if they made them into audiobooks.

Making a start on my last Slick's Slug book now =D

Yay just completed slick's slugs *dances*

Congrats Sarah! :D

Thank you =]

Oh and I'll get back to your message shortly. So busy these last few weeks, getting ready to go on holiday.

Have a great time on holiday! :) Where are you off to?

Salou in Spain, first time abroad. So a bit warey of flying *gulps*

Sounds lovely! Don't worry about flying, you will be perfectly fine :)

Thanks =] Just a bit nerve wracking, but so many planes must fly a day and you only hear soemthing about them when something bad happens, so I'll try not to worry.

Congratulations on completing Slick's Slugs. Just think of flying as an opportunity to start Mickey's Marchers. :)

They are the safest form of transport. The first time will understandably be a bit nerve wracking because it's a new experience but once you get onboard, it's a piece of cake. Also, it only takes a couple of hours to get to Spain so you will be there before you know it :)

I'll probably sleep on the plane, if I can anyway. We have to go to Manchester airport from Brum, and we live in Bristol so 2 hours to Brum, another 2 hours to Manchester at 3am =O and then Manchster to Barcelona and then a train to Salou.. I didn't do the planning. If I did I would have just gone from Bristol urgh lol. So I should be pooped on the plane lol.

Lol, it sounds like you will be pooped! That is a lot of travelling! It will be worth it though.

Congratulations on finishing Slick's! You have some great books lined up for Mickey- perfect for vacation reading. Have fun on your trip.

Too much travelling in the UK before we even get to Spain boo *shakes fist*

But hopefully will be worth it. I ahve no idea what the weather will be like over there *fingers crossed* it's warm enough to go swimming.

Thanks Marnie =]

Piffle, the traveling will be easy and you will enjoy the entire experience. (I'm aiming for positive reinforcement here) I am jealous. :)

Just think how easy it is for you to get to Spain. I have to drive 2 hours to get to the airport, fly 10 hours to get to London and then still fly another couple hours to get to Spain......which I will do becaue Spain looks gorgeous. I hope you have a blast!