The Book Vipers discussion

Imogen wrote: "I have copied out the square into a notebook - am being very Old Skool."

I have also drawn it on a piece of paper. But I also have a screenshot of the square in my Evernote.

sorry to be thick, but what is a magic square challenge?

I have sent you a message with the link Jazzy

I committed myself with only 9 books, but I'll try to do the whole square. This challenge looks fun!

Thanks Paul

I printed the square and have scribbled and crossed out all over it!

I just made a list in my notebook and am assigning books next to them!

Is this how you do it?

-- -- -- --
MEMOIR/BIO --- BK PRESENT --- SCI FI --- FREE --- POEMSBK

This is the top five boxes. Once I finish The Hunger Games that will be complete.

Spot on

This is the first challenge I've participated in. I'm having so much fun making out my list! The format of the challenge is actually forcing me to read books that either I forgot I owned or wouldn't normally read. I'm using a spreadsheet to make my list.

I also recommend The Hunger Games. It's an easy, fun read. I actually found that I like the YA fantasy genre after reading the trilogy!

That was the intention Gidget. Glad that you are enjoying it

I have been thinking some more about my avoided genre and realised there is one that I genuinely do avoid - the short story. Hardly ever read them, and when I do I find them disappointing. So, that's it then!

Oh yes, me too, I hate short stories, even Alice Munro I found disappointing. Tho everyone says she's incredible!

I've already chosen 8 books for this challenge. for a genre I avoid I'm actually considering Shakespeare or fantasy. it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who avoids fantasy, it seems to be an epidemic these days.

Doing the left side of the square first. Done 'a book picked because of the cover' The Passage. I think I'll do The Forgotten Soldier for memoir, The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business for non fiction, and then I just need to pick a best seller and a favorite genre.

Ah found you all. Just created a document incorporating this challenge and a family challenge trying to find a few categories in common.

1. Pride &Prejudice (old favourite).

Just delightful.

My old favourite will be Diary of a Nobody. Remember it as v funny.

Zehra wrote:
1. Pride &Prejudice (old favourite).

Just delightful."

This is my "old favorite" as well.

Baheya wrote: "I've already chosen 8 books for this challenge. for a genre I avoid I'm actually considering Shakespeare or fantasy. it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who avoids fantasy, it seems to be..."

Baheya, if you read A Midsummer Night's Dream or The Tempest you would cover both Shakespeare AND fantasy :-)

This is also my first ever reading challenge, along with the Aussie Readers group's 2014 Aussie authors challenge. I am going for the whole magic square, all 25 spaces, which will definitely take me outside my comfort zone! I'm a planner by nature, so I've already planned all 25 books I want to read, which I'll post in the magic square book list thread. But I just wanted to say thanks to the moderators for such a fun challenge! I spent DAYS drawing up my list of books, and had the BEST time doing it, and then ordering from Amazon the books I needed.

I've already completed two squares - Book Translated into English (The House of the Spirits) and History Novel or Non-Fiction (The White Princess). Starting the third one tonight - A Book Received as a Present (Eyrie).

I'm in for all 25. I looked at the square and thought "uh oh" about some of the squares, but then I thought it'd hardly be a challenge if I just select squares I like!

Just finished my first one too. I'm planning on printing off thecsquare and try and figure out what book match the books on my to read shelf. I most certainly have one or two that have been on the shelf for over ten years!!!

Just finished Book of a Thousand Days, I was sent it by a friend from yesteryear

For those wanting to download it:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5-U...

I have chosen most of the 25 books I need, just need an excuse to go to a bookshop now and choose a book by its cover!
Have tagged them all on a magic-square-challenge bookshelf.

Thanks Paul

Sally wrote: "Baheya wrote: "I've already chosen 8 books for this challenge. for a genre I avoid I'm actually considering Shakespeare or fantasy. it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who avoids fantasy,..."

I think I might actually read A Midsummer Night's Dream. Surprisingly it has also been on my shelf for about 10 years :)

cheers paul. That's quite helpful

I'm excited by this challenge and have already started picking out my books. I'm going for all 25 although may have a problem with the "10 year" book as most of my stuff is in storage atm. Could it be a book that you have already read but not in the past 10 years?

Also, for my "avoid" genre I am thinking romance/chick lit or science fiction. Can anyone recommend anything in either genre that I might enjoy please?

Baheya wrote: "I've already chosen 8 books for this challenge. for a genre I avoid I'm actually considering Shakespeare or fantasy. it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who avoids fantasy, it seems to be..."

Hamlet is very good. As for fantasy if you let me know what sort of things you are interested in, I might be able to recommend something for you.

Teresa, aim for the unread book that has been on your shelf for the longest period.

For SF i would recommend The City & the City or Pattern Recognition. No idea on chick lit!

Paul wrote: "Teresa, aim for the unread book that has been on your shelf for the longest period.

For SF i would recommend The City & the City or Pattern Recognition. No idea on chic..."

Thanks Paul. I just bought The City and the Citybut also remembered that I had always wanted to try Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?so bought that as well :D

Am not keen on these genres either Theresa but I did enjoy Bridget Jones's Diary for chick lit and for SF I liked Brave New World, Brave New World and The Declaration.

Oops put Brave New World twice! Meant The Rapture by Liz Jensen.

Teresa wrote: "I'm excited by this challenge and have already started picking out my books. I'm going for all 25 although may have a problem with the "10 year" book as most of my stuff is in storage atm. Could ..."

For chick-lit/romance, how about something by Katie Fforde? Maybe Living Dangerously which was her first novel and, I think, her best. Or perhaps some Jilly Cooper, or Marian Keyes?

Thanks everyone. I did read a Marian Keyes a few years ago and just didn't enjoy it. I think I will either try a Maeve Binchy who I have read before or stick with one of the SciFi options.

If you're going to read Shakespeare, The Comedy of Errors is a great little short one. Two sets of twins are involved in a shipwreck and one of each set is mixed with one of the other set. Fast forward about 20 years and the stage is set for a whole lot of mistaken identity and a rollicking good time when both sets of mis-matched twins end up in the same town!

Anyone looking for a book for the award square should look at Life After Life It is 99p for the Kindle on Amazon at the moment. It has won a Costa award

Life after Life is amazing! Loved it. Would def recommend.

I have that one, Teresa. And if you are feeling brave and want a long book, The Luminaries.

A new author could be Donal Ryan - The Spinning Heart. Cannot recommend highly enough. It is amazingly good.

I bought the luminaries on kindle last night - it is 99p at the mo.

Second square complete, i don't seem to be completing in any order.

1. Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen (Old Fave)
2. The Coming Race, Edward Bulwer Lytton (Science Fiction)

I have a plan but can't decide what to read next.

Baheya wrote: "Sally wrote: "Baheya wrote: "I've already chosen 8 books for this challenge. for a genre I avoid I'm actually considering Shakespeare or fantasy. it's comforting to know I'm not the only one who a..."

A Midsummer Night's Dream is my second favourite Shakespeare play after Hamlet :-) I studied it fairly extensively when I was at uni (college) and the more I learned about it, the more I was amazed and enchanted by it. On the surface it's a fun, magical comedy, but if you look below the surface you can discover some darker themes, too. I'd love to hear what you think of it, or if you'd like to discuss it.

I'm loving this challenge! I started my third book, Eyrie, which is my book received as a present, two days ago, and oh my goodness, it had me hooked from the first paragraph! I've never encountered anyone who writes quite like Tim Winton, his style is so raw and funny and exquisite. I already have a strong feeling this will turn out to be my favourite of his books.

Elizabeth wrote: "I have that one, Teresa. And if you are feeling brave and want a long book, The Luminaries.

A new author could be Donal Ryan - The Spinning Heart. Cannot recommend highly enough. It is amazingly ..."

Elizabeth, I have that as my small publisher! I also snapped up his The Thing About December for 99p.

So did I Jo! Really like Donal Ryan. On my authors to watch radar.

I've completed my list, although there are a couple of books that I might change as I realised last night that I have two books by Kate Atkinson; I might rethink at least one of those.

I'm really enjoying reading other people's lists. I especially like Jazzy's personalised Magic Square.

Also, I hope you don't mind, Jazzy, but I've nicked your science choice; I was really stuck on what to choose for that and How to Teach Physics to Your Dog by Chad Orzel looked really interesting.

Jazzy, I'm stilling How to Teach Physics to Your Dog too! It sounds really interesting!

Great challenge! Two questions, forgive me if they have been answered before and I just didn't look close enough:

1. New Author: meaning an author new to me, or an author who has only just recently published his/her first book?
2. Travel book: meaning non-fiction or anything involving travel including fiction?

New author as in debut, completely new to us all.

Travel - about actual journeys or experiences, as opposed to fictional pieces with travel/cultural aspects

Hi Jenny. Thank you.
Reasonably recently published first book by a new author
Non fiction travel. I have a shelf with 200 or so on that you can find inspiration from.

Oh I interpreted new author as new to me - def need to change my choices then!