The Book Vipers discussion

Thanks everyone :)

I certainly wasn't racing to finish - I just happened to have a lot of books that fit the challenge and a lot of time away from home to read them in!!

I enjoyed this challenge and I'm enjoying seeing everyone's lists of books (and adding more to the list of books I want to read)!

I may have to abandon my memoir choice - Country Girl, I just can't get into it...and I really want to read My Life in France so...

So I bit the bullet, and decided to set myself this challenge. I had loads of fun (and a bit of work on my hands - just try finding an author who shares my name(s)!) thinking of books to add to it. Here are my 25:

Memoir/Biography: Jeanette Winterson - Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
A Book Received as a Present: Terry Pratchett - Dodger
Sci-Fi/Fact: Ricky Sides - Claws
Free Choice: Simon Cantan - The Bite on the End of the Line
A Book of Poems: Sappho - One Hundred Lyrics
Favourite Genre: Tom Holt - When It's A Jar
Travel Book: Bill Bryson - The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America
Still on My Shelf After 10 Years: Roald Dahl - George's Marvellous Medicine
Richard & Judy Recommended: Gillian Flynn - Gone Girl
Classic: Jane Austen - Mansfield Park
Non-Fiction: James Bowen - A Street Cat Named Bob
Award Winner: Nathan Filer - The Shock of the Fall
Free Choice: F. Scott Fitzgerald - The Beautiful and the Damned
History Novel: Andrew Taylor - The American Boy
An Author Whose Name I Share: Cindy Blackburn - Playing with Poison
Bestseller: Sally Green - Half Bad
Translated into English: Paulo Coelho - Like the Flowing River
A Genre You Avoid: (chick lit) Maddie Cochere - Sunshine Hunter
A Friend's Recommendation: Linda Lafferty - The Bloodletter' s Daughter
A New Author: Rosie Garland - The Palace of Curiosities
Chosen Because of the Cover: Lotus Rose - Malice in Wonderland #1 Alice the Assassin
Free Choice: Lewis Carroll - Through the Looking Glass
From a Small Publisher: (and slightly cheating) Valerie Solanas - S.C.U.M. Manifesto
An Old Favourite: Kenneth Grahame - The Wind in the Willows
Crime/True Crime: Agatha Christie - The Mysterious Affair at Styles

:)

Plenty to keep you busy there Toyah. There is the author Toyah Wilcox too!

Oh how did I fail to think of her?? Most of my life she has haunted me, and when I needed her she escaped me lol

I can imagine!

1 - Memoir or biography – Country Girl
2 – A book received as a present - The History of Love - READ
3 – Science fiction or fact –
4 – Free choice – A Tale for the Time Being - READ
5 – A book of poems –
6 – A classic – Middlemarch
7 – Richard & Judy recommended this one – The Rosie Project - READ
8 – A book still on your shelf after 10 years – Behind the Scenes at the Museum
9 – A travel book –
10 – Your favourite genre –
11 – Non fiction –
12 – An award winner – Bring Up the Bodies
13 – Free choice –
14 – History novel or non-fiction –
15 – The author shares your name – Beautiful Ruins - READ
16 – A new author – White Teeth
17 – A friend’s recommendation – Annabel
18 – A genre I avoid –
19 - Translated into English - Anna Karenina
20 – A bestseller –The Book Thief
21 – A book picked because of the cover –
22 – Free choice – 11/22/63
23 – A book from a small publisher –
24 - An old favourite – Great Expectations
25 - Crime novel or true crime –


Working out some kinks - choosing more titles as I go!

Oh and I've gone from a goal of 15 to 25 - thanks for the challenge idea! I am reading so much more because of having joined this group! YAY.

Oh and completely forgot that I just read Ready Player One as my science fiction pick!

I'm glad you are reading more.:) I haven't forgotten about the challenge. I'm slowly working on it.

Jessica wrote: "Oh and I've gone from a goal of 15 to 25 - thanks for the challenge idea! I am reading so much more because of having joined this group! YAY."

Really pleased to hear that Jessica. I should complete a line this week.

So far I've read my book from an author whose name I share (Cindy Blackburn), one of my free choices (The Beautiful and Damned), chosen because of the cover (Malice in Wonderland) & I started my book I received as a present yesterday (Dodger by Terry Pratchett).

I've finished 9 so far, I'm pretty happy with myself. :)

I need to find a science fiction one, not my normal genre. Does anyone have a recommendation for the newbie? Thanks!

It is either science or science fiction Tonya
For SF :
The City and the City
The Player of Games
for science
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
Bright Earth: Art and the Invention of Color

Thanks Paul! I will take a look at those.


Paul wrote: "It is either science or science fiction Tonya
For SF :
The City and the City
The Player of Games
for science
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking
..."

You're welcome; the other i though of is Pattern Recognition

That's a very varied and impressive list Paul. How are you getting on with Bad Pharma, I want to read that? I loved Bad Science.

Nearly finished it now. It is terrifying!

Memoir or Biography -> Diary of a Drug Fiend ✔
Book received as a present -> The Chimera Vector ✔
Science fiction or fact -> Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? ✔
Free Choice -> John Dies at the End ✔
Book of Poems -> Mockingbird Wish Me Luck ✔
Your favourite genre -> Haunted ✔
Travel book -> No Fixed Abode: A Journey Through Homelessness from Cornwall to London ✔
On my shelf after 10 years -> War and Peace ✔
Richard & Judy -> The Universe Versus Alex Woods
Classic -> The Wonderful Wizard of Oz ✔
Non fiction -> Physics of the Future: How Science Will Shape Human Destiny and Our Daily Lives by the Year 2100 ✔
Award winner -> The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared ✔
Free Choice -> And the Hippos Were Boiled in Their Tanks ✔
History Novel/Non fiction -> A Grim Almanac of Hampshire ✔
Author shares my name -> Struck by Genius: How a Brain Injury Made Me a Mathematical Marvel ✔
Bestseller -> Inferno ✔
Translated into English -> Crime and Punishment ✔
Genre I avoid -> (romance) The Subterraneans ✔
Friend recommendation -> The Dharma Bums ✔
New Author -> Charles Middleworth ✔
Picked because of the cover -> Tropic of Cancer ✔
Free choice -> The War of the Worlds ✔
From a small publisher -> Necropolis published by createspace ✔
Old favourite -> The Raven ✔
Crime novel/true crime -> A Scandal in Bohemia ✔

I'm doing the column on the left side going down :

Memoir/ bio : *** FINISHED ***
When We Were the Kennedys: A Memoir from Mexico, Maine 5-10-14 , 4 Stars ****

Favorite Genre (True Crime )

Nonfiction

Bestseller

Picked because of the Cover

I'm now 19 books down, 6 to go. Then I can properly get my teeth into the series challenge.

i have 11 to go. Not doing so well on the series challenge at the moment :-(

I still got loads to go.

I think I am up to around 11 or 12 read. I've made a couple of changes so need to reflect that in my shelf.

I have a book on my tbr which I'd like to slot into the small publisher square, but I'm not sure if they are a small publisher. Birlinn books is the publisher, they are an independent publishing house based in Edinburgh who specialise in Scottish literature and non-fiction, though they seem to be affiliated with Polygon too, so I'm not sure if this counts?

I'd say that they were. According to Wikipedia, Polygon is an imprint of theirs. Have found more books to go on the TBR though...

Great - thanks Paul! I could have put this one in my travel square, but I think the travel one will be a lot easier to fill...

P.S. Sorry for increasing your tbr list... :-/

As it stands with my 6 to go..
Travel book - Mountains Of The Mind
Award winner - The Luminaries
History/Non-fiction - The Long Shadow: The Great War and the Twentieth Century Reading
Bestseller - Life After Life
Translation - Anna Karenina Reading
Small publisher - Why Willows Weep: Contemporary Tales from the Woods

Debbie that small publisher book sounds intriguing. Any good?

I have to say I haven't read it all yet. I have dipped in and out since buying it last autumn. It is a beautiful book, I love it. The stories are very short and succinct.
It's published by Indiebooks and supports the Woodland Trust, that's where I bought it from.

May look for that one. Thanks.

I loved the Woodland Trust book - many of the stories in it feel like fables or fairy stories.

my completed magic square booklist all read
1.memoir or biography-now and forever (Bernie Nolan)
2.book as present-mudbound (Hilary Jordan)
3.science fiction or fact-hungry games (Suzanne Collins)
4.free choice-the thirteenth tale (Diane Setterfield)
5.a book of poems-wasteland and other poems (T.S.Elliot)
6.favourite genre-every vow you break (Julia Crouch)
7.a travel book-extreme frontiers:racing across Canada (Charley Boorman)
8.10 years on shelf-hostages to fortune (Joan Lingard)
9.Richard and Judy recommendation-sisterland (Curtis Sittenfeld)
10. a classic-pride and prejudice (Jane Austen)
11.non fiction-running with scissors (Augusten Burroughs)
12.an award winner-the gathering (Anne Enright)
13.free choice-whatever you love (Louise Doughty)
14.history novel or non fiction-princes in the tower (Alison Weir)
15.author shares your name-without him (Fiona O'Brien)
16.a best seller-instructions for a heatwave (Maggie O'Farrell)
17.translated into english-song of the long white cloud (Sarah Lark)
18.a genre you avoid-the ocean at the end of the lane (Neil Gaiman)
19.friends recommendation-orphan train (Christina Baker Kline)
20.a new author-burial rites (Hannah Kent)
21.booked picked due to cover-where'd you at Bernadette (Maria Semple)
22.free choice-the lie (Helen Dunmore)
23.a book from small publisher-a girl is a half formed thing (Eimear McBride)
24.an old favourite-little house on the prairie (Laura Ingalls Wilder)
25.crime novel or true crime-the creeper (Tania Carver)

Well done Fiona! I'm still reading number 14.

Excellent!

Well done Fiona.

Congratulations Fiona. Well done!!!

I still have a way to go! Completed books below:

1 – Memoir or biography – The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe by Randy Taraborrelli
2 – A book received as a present – The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
3 – Science fiction or fact – Bad Pharma by Ben Goldacre
4 – Free choice – Poppet by Mo Hayder
5 – A book of poems – Poems by Emily Dickinson *nearly finished this!*
17 – A friend’s recommendation (Sam) – The Humans by Matt Haig *currently reading this*
24 - An old favourite – The Faraway Tree Collection – Enid Blyton *currently reading this*

I need to update my list!

Memoir or Biography - Life And Laughing: My Story
Received as a present - Camp David
Science Fiction - The Bone Season
Free Choice - Ordinary Thunderstormsd
A Book of Poems - Hidden Words: Collected Poems

Favourite Genre (Americana) - The Chaperone
Travel Book - French Revolutions: Cycling the Tour de France
A Book still on shelf - Three Men in a Boat
Richard and Judy choice - The Rosie Project
A Classic - ?

Non-Fiction - The Spy Who Loved
An Award Winner - The Goldfinch
Free choice - Love, Nina: Despatches from Family Life
History Novel - The Last Runaway
Author shares your name - The Cuckoo's Calling

A Bestseller - And the Mountains Echoed
Translated into English - Alex
A Genre you avoid - The Hunger Games
A Friend's recommendation - The Age of Miracles
New Author - The Universe Versus Alex Woods

A Book picked because of it's cover - The Graveyard Book
Free Choice - Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption
Book from a small publisher The Spinning Heart
An old favourite - Tales of the City
Crime Novel - A Commonplace Killing

XOOXO
XXOXO
XXXXO
OXOXO
OOOOX

Paul wrote: "i have 11 to go. Not doing so well on the series challenge at the moment :-("

Im just coming up to 11 out of 65 books for the year! A bit slow but lots of research work and article writing at the mo! Prep for my MSc, although I may defer that until 2016 now.

Congrats Fiona!

Just updated my original post (page 1 of the topic). I'm on book 15 of 25 for the Challenge! So proud of myself :)

Great job everyone! Keep it up!

Well done Gidget! I have one to finish this week and then will be on 15

Hi Everyone, I've updated my list. Can anyone recommend a good crime novel? Poetry? Small Publisher? Thanks!

1 - Memoir or biography – Grace - READ
2 – A book received as a present - The History of Love - READ
3 – Science fiction or fact – Ready Player One - READ
4 – Free choice – A Tale for the Time Being - READ
5 – A book of poems –
6 – A classic – Middlemarch
7 – Richard & Judy recommended this one – The Rosie Project- READ
8 – A book still on your shelf after 10 years – Behind the Scenes at the Museum
9 – A travel book – We'll Always Have Paris: A Mother/Daughter Memoir - READ
10 – Your favourite genre – Winter in Madrid
11 – Non fiction – Conscious Capitalism: Liberating the Heroic Spirit of Business
12 – An award winner – Bring Up the Bodies
13 – Free choice – The Girl Who Was Saturday Night
14 – History novel or non-fiction –
15 – The author shares your name – Beautiful Ruins - READ
16 – A new author – White Teeth - READ
17 – A friend’s recommendation – Annabel - READ
18 – A genre I avoid – The Night Circus
19 - Translated into English - Anna Karenina - READ
20 – A bestseller –The Book Thief - READ
21 – A book picked because of the cover – The Enchanted - READ
22 – Free choice –
23 – A book from a small publisher –
24 - An old favourite – Great Expectations
25 - Crime novel or true crime –

The girl with the dragon tattoo is a good crime novel.

There are some links to small publishers further up the thread Jessica.

Just joined the group and saw a previous posting that I can use books I've already read this year, so I'm jumping in! Excited about this. The ones in bold are ones I've read in 2014.

1. Memoir or biography: Strip City, Lily Burana
2. Book received as a present: Selected Stories, Andre Dubus
3. Science fiction or fact: Brave New World, Aldous Huxley
4. Free choice: The Middlesteins, Jami Attenberg
5. A book of poems:
6. Your favorite genre: Lanterns on the Levee, William Alexander Percy
7. A travel book:
8. A book on your shelf after 10 years: Vanity Fair, William Makepeace Thackeray
9. R&J recommended: The Paris Wife, Paula McLain
10. A classic: East of Eden, John Steinbeck
11. Non-fiction: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain
12. An award winner: The Goldfinch, Donna Tartt
13. Free choice: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena, Anthony Marra
14. History novel or non-fiction: A Moment in the Sun, John Sayles
15. The author shares your name: The Woman Upstairs, Claire Messud
16. A bestseller: Where'd You Go, Bernadette, Maria Semple
17. Translated into English: My Struggle: Book 1, Karl Ove Knausgaard
18. A genre you avoid: Joyland, Stephen King
19. A friend's recommendation: Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier
20. A new author: The Fourth of July Creek, Smith Henderson (currently reading)
21. A book picked because of the cover: Fiona McFarlane
22. Free choice: Billy Lynn's Long Half-Time Walk, Ben Fountain
23. Book from small publisher: How to Get Into the Twin Palms, Karolina Waclawiak
24. An old favorite: The Moviegoer, Walker Percy
25. Crime novel or true crime: Columbine, Dave Cullen

Finished reading The Bite on the End of the Line by Simon Cantan, AND Sunshine Hunter by Maddie Cochere on holiday. Currently reading Jane Austen' s Mansfield Park.

Welcome to the group Claire. You have some good ones on that list