Nothing But Reading Challenges discussion

I could start The Club Dumas by Arturo Pérez-Reverte which is on my TBR list and shelved as Crime (https://www.goodreads.com/work/shelve...), if no one else has something planned to read already :)

Every bit of attack counts Sara. :)

I've started Zer0es, a techo-hacker-thriller which unfortunately does not fit the goals right now...

Crime novels are not my thing, but I can read something from 'new adult' genre when I finish this one, if no one beats me to it. :)

I am finishing up The Lasko Tangent: A Novel. Will mark it done within the hour. It has mystery>crime on the main page. Does that work?

Kate S wrote: "I am finishing up The Lasko Tangent: A Novel. Will mark it done within the hour. It has mystery>crime on the main page. Does that work?"

I think that it fits Kate, but still our Captain's will need to give the final word. :)

I think so, too, but it'll count for attack points regardless.

FINISHED

The Lasko Tangent: A Novel by Richard North Patterson

Pages: 368
Goal: crime on main page? (listed as mystery>crime)

I don't read a lot of New Adult (not on purpose, anyway).

I am happy to help the team and if I need to suck it up and read one, I will. I may need a little guidance towards a decent one, if anyone has suggestions.

I believe Mystery > Crime will work, I'm double checking with the mods.

Absolutely works.
Its on the first genre page on GoodReads and that seals the deal.

Way to go, Kate! :)
And I'm on the same boat regarding NA genre, so I guess I'll wait to see what we have next...

New Goal: Read a book with the main genre (listed on the first page on GR) as Chick Lit

In other news, I finished Moon Called this morning and my feelings are the same as they were 30% in. Entertaining, but I didn't love it. Compared with other kick-ass heroines in the genre Mercy kind of bored me. I'd consider reading the next one to see how she develops, but I'm not looking to pick it up with a quickness.

@Kate:New Adult genre is very popular. although a lot of them are just erotic novel hoarding the label for better sales. :/ I can give you some recs Kate if you want to try it out, or (as I said) if no one wants to dare it, I'll read something as soon as I finish my current read.
I don't like to read two books at once, sorry.

@Vicky: I am fearing that I will feel the same thing about Mercy, that's why I didn't start the series Vicky. Everyone says it gets better after a couple of books, but I feel too lazy to go trough a couple of sequels until it (maybe) gets better for me...

Ugh. Chick-lit is even worse :/

I have a chick lit book I can read fairly quickly: Knitting Under the Influence. I will start it and see how it goes.

@Dragana, I participate in these challenges to explore different things. Never know what I may find that I wouldn't have thought I might like. I am not interested in reading erotica masquerading as new adult, but if you have a couple of good examples/recommendations, I will certainly take a look at them.

That's great, Kate! Glad that I don't have to pick any chick-lit to read honestly :) I used to like it quite some years ago but not anymore.

I think I'll focus on gaining some extra attack points then. The book I'm currently reading doesn't take care of any goal but hopefully we might use it before Sunday.

I dont even know why I checked, coz they are definitely going to change in the next 3 days, but based on the current standings we might be pairing up with Team Varro for the next round.

Kate S wrote: "@Dragana, I participate in these challenges to explore different things. Never know what I may find that I wouldn't have thought I might like. I am not interested in reading erotica masquerading as..."

I completely understand you, I like to try different things too. Or read popular books because I am too curios (like 50 Shades).
I have read mostly contemporary romances from New Adult genre.
Easy is the first I have read and I remembered it was really sweet and emotional and I loved it.
Losing It has a goofy heroine (like from chick lit novel) and had most realistic college experience
Wait for You was funny, but I guess it can be hit or miss because hero and heroine could be jerks at time.
Beautiful Disaster is one of the most popular and a lot of my friends liked it. It was big disaster for me, but it is quick to read and you can't stop yourself, like watching a train wreck.
One popular 'serious' new adult author is Gayle Forman, I saw a lot of her books have that label, but I didn't read anything from her. But I think I was Apoorv read her book, so maybe he could tell you more.

Sorry for quick typing, my kid is getting nervous, we have to go to bed. I'll talk to all of you tomorrow
Good night team! :)

I have a very interesting albeit a serious love-hate relationship with Gayle Forman.

The first one of her books that I read was If I Stay and I can easily say it is one of my favourite books. I still relish the story and its romance tugged at all sorts of chords.

I was so smitten by the tale, that I read Where She Went, which is its sequel immediately after.. and probably since I had extreme high expectations from the book, I was majorly underwhelmed.

So much so that it took me about a year to get back to her, until I read I Was Here earlier this week and I was even more disappointed.

So, its been a downward slide for me, but she is someone I am definitely not giving up on. The first book was so good that it has made up for the other two disappointments.. she writes very simply and has a wonderful ability to unfold emotions.

Thank you both so much for sharing!

I shy away from these novels mostly because they seem to be geared at folks a few years (or more) younger than me. I enjoyed my high school and college years immensely (some may say too much), but I usually read books about people who experience things differently than I do.

I suppose I am a literary escapist. I don't read straight escape novels, I like there to be an element of word play and descriptions of things about which I am vaguely aware, but are not necessarily part of my everyday.

I am going to take a look at my library on Sunday and see what I can find off the list you have recommended, Dragana. And I have put myself in the queue for If I Stay. I hate to think I am missing a fun new category of books from some kind of prejudice or snobbery. :)

Thank you both for taking the time to tell me about your experiences.

And FYI, I found a different chick lit book laying around and am already sucked in completely: Whitethorn Woods. Although my edition is not listed here on GoodReads.

You're welcome, Kate. :)

I didn't read new adult or young adult novels for the same reason as you. I'm 35 and thought I could not relate to them. But when I tried them, it turned out they are the same as adult novels - there is good and bad and when they are good they remind you of the good times when you were younger or are just fun. :)

All my recommendations, except maybe Easy are more fun then literally masterpieces.

I used to read a lot of classic and such but lately I am more into 'easy' books. If you like literal fiction, I have one (interesting) recommendation: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I really liked it, it was different.

FINISHED
Easter Parade by Richard Yates


Date Read: 14/08/15
Pages: 288
Goal: None at the moment
Points: Attack 0.5 — Defense 0

Added to the spreadsheet!

I started The Book of Speculation yesterday and will hopefully have it finished by the end of the round, I will have some time to read tonight but will be busy tomorrow. I expect to finish Boston Jacky today during my commute, only ~1 hour left in the audio. :)

FINISHED
Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson


Date Read: 14/08/15
Pages: 181
Goal: None at the moment - but I found the words strawberries, onions and peas ;)
Points: Attack 0.5 — Defense 0

Finished Boston Jacky, no goals but it gives us some attack! I only have one more book left in this series and I'll probably be starting it during Monday morning's commute so it will fit for the next round. I've had a love hate relationship with the series, but I've listened to it entirely in audio and the narrator is more amazing than I can put into words and I will be sad to leave those voices behind, lol.

We have just shy of 26 hours left for this round. I'm hoping to finish The Book of Speculation before the timer runs out!

Dragana wrote: "You're welcome, Kate. :)

If you like literal fiction, I have one (interesting) recommendation: Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. I really liked it, it was different. "

I read this one. I was captivated in the beginning, but felt my interest flagging toward the end. It did have a very unusual premise.

My library has Easy, hoping I will be able to check it out on Sunday.

FINISHED

Whitethorn Woods by Maeve Binchy

pages: 449

goal: Chick Lit main page genre

Yay! When Kate's goal finished we got Read a book that has not been a NBRC Book of the Month, I filled that and am waiting for another new goal. Hopefully I can keep them rolling! :)

Darn, no luck. We can use a boon for it and hope we get luckier with another new goal before the end of this round... or just hold on to it until round 2 as the goals will roll over.

ETA: Oops, forgot to add the new goal. It is. Read a book first published on the 18th of a month.

Is there an easy place to find original publication date? Most of my books have only the original publication year. My go-to libraries have the same information. Without an obvious way to search this information out, I am willing to use our boon.

OK, not only did I manage to find an 18th as the original publication date on one of the few books I have with an actual date. It happens to be a book I own, and a book I can put my hands on (not one of the hundreds in boxes), and I can probably have it read in the next couple of hours.

Hanging Up first published July 18, 1995.

I searched through my TBR shelf for it by showing the day pub colin, going to 100 per page and then control+f searching for "18," (the comma was so it specifically found dates and not instances of page numbers with 18 in them). Outside of that there is no real way to search for them on goodreads that I know of.

We must have posted at the same time, lol. What good news that you found one so quickly! :D

That comma tip will come in handy!

I'll go get this one read, so we can maybe bust through a few more. :)

As expected, it was a quick read:

FINISHED

Hanging Up by Delia Ephron

pages: 278
goal: first published July 18, 1995

Great job, Kate! :)

As always while I was sleeping, you were busy.

I finished my techo-thriller Zer0es and it was fun, but more movie than book material. BTW It is also published on the 18th :D

I started a 'New Adult' book Shatter and I hope to finish it today, it's a cliched plot but a quick read.

And that is an awesome tip how to search my tbr for books published on specific date. Thanks VIcky!

FINISHED


Zer0es by Chuck Wendig
Read: 14. Aug. 2015.
Pages: 432 (amazon info on kindle ed)
Goal: none at the moment

The new goal is Read a book with a single body part on the cover. I'm waiting to see if the mods will accept the head/face on Zer0es as single body part. None of our other already read books work.

I think it should work, but I am not an objective judge. :)

I'm almost done with the book for 'New Adult' goal, so we will have another goal down...

Way to go, Dragana!
*and fingers crossed for that cover*

Another book just finished – and another big disappointment for me – but it gives us a bit of extra attack at least.

The Emerald Atlas (The Books of Beginning #1) by John Stephens


Date Read: 15/08/15
Pages: 458
Goal: none at the moment
Points: Attack 0.5 — Defense 0

Too bad 'Emerald Atlas' didn't work for you Sara, it sounds good based on summary. They compare it to 'His Dark Materials' series (which I loved)...

Dragana wrote: "Too bad 'Emerald Atlas' didn't work for you Sara, it sounds good based on summary. They compare it to 'His Dark Materials' series (which I loved)..."

I haven't started 'His Dark Materials' series yet so I can't make any comparison, but I really had high expectations on 'The Emerald Atlas' due to its intriguing blurb and several positive reviews I read. I've found it rather predictable and boring actually, and its fantasy component pretty weak :/

Sara wrote: "Dragana wrote: "Too bad 'Emerald Atlas' didn't work for you Sara, it sounds good based on summary. They compare it to 'His Dark Materials' series (which I loved)..."

I haven't started 'His Dark Ma..."

I guess they just didn't fit you. I had similar problem with Narnia series. Everyone are praising it and I liked the movies but the books were just... I guess too children-oriented for me.

FINISHED


Shatter by Erin McCarthy
Read: 15. Aug. 2015.
Pages: 304 (kindle ed)
Goal: Read a book with the main genre (listed on the first page on GR) as New Adult

Our new goal, after knocking one with Go Set a Watchman, is Read a book first published on the 1st of a month.

Luckily, I am already reading Yes Please, which was first published on the 1st.. so got that covered. :)

@Dragana: that's exactly what I was thinking when reading 'The Emerald Atlas'. Too children-oriented :)

Glad that we managed to knock off a few more goals!

You have to look carefully at books published on the 1st (especially January 1st), because Goodreads automatically fills in January and the 1st of a month when a month and/or day is not given with a year. Yes Please was actually first published Oct 28, 2014. :(