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

For those of you have posted your books and random numbers, here are the tasks.

1. Do you feel rushed during the holidays? Read the shortest book.

2. Have you ever received the worst gift ever? Read the book with the lowest rating. How does your rating compare? What was the worst or most embarrassing gift you've received?

3. This season there are so many beautiful wrapping papers. Read the book with the most interesting cover. What makes it interesting to you?

4. There’s no way to represent each winter celebration, we each have our own beliefs. Read the book that someone else chooses for you. (I’ll choose the someone) What is one of your favorite holiday traditions?

5. Have you noticed that the Christmas decorations get put up earlier each year? (And isn’t it annoying?) Read the book that’s been on your tbr the longest. What took you so long to get to it?


A reminder of the rules:
1. Books must be started and finished in this time period to qualify.
2. You may read any format - paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook. For the last two use the page numbers on the first edition that comes up on the GR page.
3. Each book must be at least 150 pages.
4. Toppler books can count toward the monthly challenge, the group theme read, and the yearly challenge if they qualify.

If you haven't posted yet, I'll have another list of tasks posted Wednesday evening.

IMPORTANT

If you are choosing the second book for someone, please wait and let the person fill their task first.

Oh excellent! Got my new numbers picked just in time! Great tasks, Jmom. Thanks. :)

Well, looks like I need someone to choose for me!

Me too!

Still didn't find 3 more books to add to my list :( gotta fix that soon

Did we all get number 4? I know we didn't, but that would have been too funny.

CFDeeDee wrote: "Still didn't find 3 more books to add to my list :( gotta fix that soon"

Oh CFDeeDee, haven't we provided enough recommendations for everyone? If not, we're doing something wrong. ☺ I hope you find more books!

I did indeed, Jmom.

I get to choose the one with the most interesting cover. Sounds good to me.

I'm also looking forward to reading people's comments on their chooses and the other questions youve posed for that task J'mom.

My first (and probably, only) task is to choose the book with the most interesting cover. I think I already know what one I am going to pick.

I've looked at my covers and I'm torn between which is colourful and artistic. I like the vertical divisions on the picture - grey scale then colour. Or I can be shallow and choose because Jax Teller is a bit tasty. I'll think on it some more.

I originally chose 6 books, and later removed one from the list as asked. But I forgot to change the randomizer numbers, and now my first number is 6.. could I, for instance, say that this 6 is a 5 (I don't have any 5).

I would follow the instructions Teanka, and roll between 1 and 5, then follow that.

I'll need someone to choose for me. :)

Lucky for me, I rolled a 1 which means the shortest book:

The Last Quarrel: Episode 1.

I rolled a five, which should be the book that has been on my TBR list the longest. My five books are almost all things I picked up cheap on Kindle daily deals or cyber Monday, and none of them are on my to-be-read list. One of the five books, however, is something I pre-ordered months ago, so I guess it is the one that has been on my mental TBR the longest, and I guess I will read it. Juliet Blackwell's Give Up the Ghost. Or,I could read the one of the five that has been on my Kindle the longest. That would be Slight Mourning by Catherine Aird. It is much shorter.

My first book will be a holiday romance: No Christmas Like the Present

I did roll a 4 for my second book, so need someone to choose for me from the other 4 books on my list:
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

@J'smom ooh sure everyone did .. But I had to give up some of them for next year's challenge, I'll make sure I fix the list and get right on track before the toppler's day, there is a high chance of having more books on my shelf this week.

Sarah wrote: "I've looked at my covers and I'm torn between which is colourful and artistic. I like the vertical divisions on the picture - grey scale then colour. Or I can be shallo..."

It looks like you have to cheese between artistic and eye candy :) That could be a tough one.

Teanka wrote: "I originally chose 6 books, and later removed one from the list as asked. But I forgot to change the randomizer numbers, and now my first number is 6.. could I, for instance, say that this 6 is a 5..."

I suggest you ignore the 6 and go with 2,4, and 3. If you think you'll read more than 3 books you can generate a 4th number.

Casceil wrote: "I rolled a five, which should be the book that has been on my TBR list the longest. My five books are almost all things I picked up cheap on Kindle daily deals or cyber Monday, and none of them are..."

I'm in a good mood, so go with the one you've had the longest.

jaxnsmom wrote: "Teanka wrote: "I originally chose 6 books, and later removed one from the list as asked. But I forgot to change the randomizer numbers, and now my first number is 6.. could I, for instance, say tha..."

OK. I've just changed my message though. Going back now :).

I have a 4 for my second book, so I'll also need somebody to choose it (in case I make it). The first one will be Surfacing, as it has the lowest GR rating.

For those of us who generated a 4, I've listed the participant and the person who'll choose their book.

Generated a 4 as the first number:
Rusalka: Sarah
Sam F: KimeyDiann
Sandra: Anna M and jaxnsmom
KimeyDiann: Tejas Janet
Ariane: Lisa
Colleen: Sam F
jaxnsmom: Debra
Sam: Theresa


Generated a 4 as the second number:
Sarah: Anne (Booklady)
Teanka: Lara
Lori Z: Lisa
Lara: Rusalka

Pickers - please let your person know what book you choose for them.

Rusalka - I choose Guilty Pleasures for you to read. I don't have it on my wishlist (yet) but it certainly sounds interesting. You can be my guinea pig and read it first and let me know how much romance is in in before I add it to my list:-)

Ariane - I have chosen Le Mouron Rouge for you to read. It's a book I have always wanted to read and it has a pretty high rating here on Goodreads. I hope you enjoy it :)

Lori Z - I have chosen Deadly Donuts for you as your second book. I just love that title! I hope you enjoy it :)

Thanks, Lisa! I just picked it up today at the library. I'm sure I'll enjoy it, I've liked the series so far. My first book is a short one so I'm hoping I'll get this one done.

IMPORTANT

If you are choosing the second book for someone, please wait and let the person fill their task first.

Lisa, you're ok since Donuts isn't Lori's shortest book.

Jaxnsmom, I picked The Slow Regard of Silent Things for you. I love this series and am anxiously awaiting book 3. Enjoy!

Colleen, I picked The Sound and the Furry - hoping that will help you finish a series! Enjoy

Teanka, I chose The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps for your second book. I've been hearing good things about it and look forward to hearing how you like it.

My numbers are 1, 5, 1, 1, and 4. I assume this will be my reading order:

1. Task 1 - Shortest book - The Notebook 214 pages, 6hr 3m audio

2. Task 5 - Longest on TBR list - Christ the Lord: The Road to Cana 257 pages 6hr 47m audio

3. Task 1 - Shortest book - Under the Greenwood Tree 218 pages 6hr 16m audio

4. Task 1 - Shortest book - Suspended Sentences: Three Novellas 232 pages 6h 37m audio

5. Task 4 - Someone else chooses- March 280 pages 10h 22m audio (That's the only one left!)

Realistically, I'll get the first two read for the Toppler, since those total 15hr 16m.

My re-picked order is 3, 1, 4, 1

I don't find any of my covers to be incredibly interesting, but I like the skipping Christmas one the best. I think it was such a creative idea to have Santa snoozing in a hammock with palm trees, just taking a little vaca. I like that they put snowflakes around it too, indicating winter.



My order will be:
3 - most interesting cover: Skipping Christmas
1 - shortest: The Christmas Train
4 - someone else's pick: ??
1 - shortest:

I will probably only get to the the first one or two, but if someone wants to pick my book #3 just in case, that would be great.

My three remaining books will be:
The Neon Lawyer
A Study in Scarlet
I Am Legend

Lara - second book for you will be Silver on the Road

Sarah wrote: "Rusalka - I choose Guilty Pleasures for you to read. I don't have it on my wishlist (yet) but it certainly sounds interesting. You can be my guinea pig and read it first and let me kno..."

Hah nice. I appreciate the honesty!

Debra wrote: "Jaxnsmom, I picked The Slow Regard of Silent Things for you. I love this series and am anxiously awaiting book 3. Enjoy!"

Yay, I'm looking forward to reading it! It's going to be forever and a day before that 3rd book gets published. :(

Lara wrote: "Teanka, I chose The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps for your second book. I've been hearing good things about it and look forward to hearing how you like it."
Thank you, Lara! That is exactly what I wanted to read ASAP:).

KimeyDiann :) loved your selections and added three of your five to my tbr list.

So I'm going with Streetlights Like Fireworks for you. It looks fun AND feasible to read for a short, one day toppler like this.

Rusalka wrote: "Hah nice. I appreciate the honesty! "

I do hope you enjoy it though :-)

My random numbers are: 3, 1, 5, 3, 5

So for the first read I'm going to pick because it just looks so omnious. Makes me wonder what's going to happen there.

And if I even make it to the second task, the shortest one on my list is

Ooo based on this and my random numbers (4,1,3,1,2) I'm going to need one of you lovely people to pick my first book...

My list is:

A Disgraceful Affair: Stories
A Merry Christmas: And Other Christmas Stories
The Rats
The Bell Jar
Friday Night In Beast House

jaxnsmom wrote: "Debra wrote: "Jaxnsmom, I picked The Slow Regard of Silent Things for you. I love this series and am anxiously awaiting book 3. Enjoy!"

Yay, I'm looking forward to reading it! It's going to be forever and a day before that 3rd book gets published. :( "

I know! Bummer!

Tejas Janet wrote: "KimeyDiann :) loved your selections and added three of your five to my tbr list.

So I'm going with Streetlights Like Fireworks for ..."

I'm excited to start this book, thanks for choosing it!

Which three did you add to your TBR list?

Sam F., my first choice for you was Life As We Knew It simply because this book has been on my radar for quite some time. But after scanning your book ratings, it doesn't look like you enjoy YA books all that much. Instead I'll pick Fifth Business for you because it is the shortest and hopefully is one you will really enjoy! :)

KimeyDiann wrote: "Tejas Janet wrote: "KimeyDiann :) loved your selections and added three of your five to my tbr list.

Which three did..."

Three Men in a Boat - which I notice is also a Penguin Classic (could come in handy during 2016 world travels)
Rumpelstiltskin's Daughter
and the one I picked for you to read this toppler Streetlights Like Fireworks

Sam wrote: "Ooo based on this and my random numbers (4,1,3,1,2) I'm going to need one of you lovely people to pick my first book...

My list is:

A Disgraceful Affair: Stories
[book:A Merry Chri..."

Theresa will be picking your first book.

My numbers were 5 and 2 so i'll be starting with The Egg and I, which has been on my to read list longer than the others in my list. I added it back in March of this year when gophering for more series to potentially read for the year-long challenge. It's the first in Betty MacDonald's memoir series: https://www.goodreads.com/series/8084....

I doubt i'll get to a second book, but in case I do, I'll be reading Spiced: A Pastry Chef's True Stories of Trials by Fire, After-Hours Exploits, and What Really Goes on in the Kitchen. With a rating of 3.29 stars, it has the lowest rating of my five selections.