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

Good work people. I read 70% of my book before turning in for bed so I should finish it today. Such a quick and easy read. I chose well :-)

Oh no Sarah! I'm glad you realised sooner rather than later though. Happy reading!

I hope our other members haven't forgotten too.

I started Ne me touche pas (Shatter Me) and I am halfway through it; it is a quick read, so I hope to finish it on Monday since I am still at work and it is my sister's birthday today, which means restaurant tonight!
I hope you enjoy your reading time!

Finished my first 2, now onto my 3rd Twisted Paths another cosy mystery, just had to know what happened next.

Deborah wrote: "Well here I am, 4 books read so far.

Start time for me btw was 0300 18th June as we are ahead in time in NZ - thus the books read. It is currently 12:10 midnight 19/06"

Sounds like you got the time conversion a little wrong, Deborah. My way of thinking about it is that we are from the future, and therefore any time that these guys set will always be "in the past" for us. Ie. we will start usually the next day. By my calculations, we started here in Aus at 2am on the 19th, so you should have started at 4am in NZ on the 19th.

Best thing I have done is set one of my clocks on my computer for EST so I have a Toppler Clock all the time. Won't help you this time, but is an easy way to deal with time differences for your next Toppler.

I do hope you have some good reads this week though, and that you've enjoyed those reads you've already had.

I've finished my first book, Skin Deep. Now on to InterWorld which has a magician in it.

I've been out and about today. Went to a vintage steam, car and tractor rally in a nearby village. Not huge but it was nice. They had some unusual chickens that I've not seen before, really preety markings and one looked like it had fur, not feathers. I also got to stroke a barn owl :-) I had my first ice cream of the summer too. Feeling pretty lethargic now after a busy weekend so I'm going to read my second book now.

Sarah wrote: "I've been out and about today. Went to a vintage steam, car and tractor rally in a nearby village. Not huge but it was nice. They had some unusual chickens that I've not seen before, really preety ..."

That sounds like a really nice day, Sarah! Sounds like something me and my husband and children would love, too! :)
I've had a pretty lazy day (it's 6 pm and my daughter is still in her pajama's...). My son and husband are off with a friend, to try and make even better pictures, while we are spending the day behind a computer and a book ;).
Tomorrow I have to work, but Tuesday I'll try to read all day (well sort off, there still are some chorus to do...).
I've read about one third of my book Liefdesbrieven aan de sterren and will be reading some more this evening. So hopefully I'll be able to finish it tomorrow. I've also started reading a shorter one Naar het zuiden! for 'character above 60'. It's a trilogy - in total about 400 pages - each enough to count for 1 book in this Toppler. So I should be able to read it in a few days and hopefully read something else as well.
I'm going for (at leas) 5 this time!

My book (Love Letters to the Dead) actually suits the theme of this Toppler very well! It is about a girl who writes letters to famous people who've died!
Funny, a few weeks ago, we had a family weekend and I saw a 13 year old daughter of a cousin of my husband read this book. It sounded interesting, so I got it from the library. And I love it! (doesn't matter that I'm 30 years older than she ;)...)

Way to go, Team! Twenty-four hours into the toppler, we have already read five books. We are off to a great start.

Shame we seem to have a few people missing. I hope they are reading furiously and not just forgot.

It's 9:00 am here, and the start of day 2. What progress - this team is terrific!

I plan to finish my second book today. I'll be spending a couple of hours in the car, so should also be able to make good progress in my audiobook.

My partner has just gone around to his mates to play xbox so I have peace and quiet to do some reading. It's really chucking it down with rain here.

I'm going to turn in for bed soon. I'm half way through my second book. Pretty pleased at this. Tomorrow I'll start listening to my audiobook as well. Goodnight team!

Sarah wrote: "I've been out and about today. Went to a vintage steam, car and tractor rally in a nearby village. Not huge but it was nice. They had some unusual chickens that I've not seen before, really preety ..."

Sounds like you had a great day. Now I want some ice cream :)

Elsbeth wrote: "It's a trilogy - in total about 400 pages - each enough to count for 1 book in this Toppler. So I should be able to read it in a few days and hopefully read something else as well."

Be sure it's long enough for each book to count. 3 X 150 = 450
I don't want you to miss out on points.

For those of you reading a book for the Pat Harrington Jr and Ken Howard task of cozy mystery, please be sure you know what a cozy is.

Cozy myseries very rarely focus on sex, profanity or violence. The murders take place off stage, and are often relatively bloodless (e.g. poisoning), while sexual activity (if any) between characters is only ever gently implied and never directly addressed. They usually takes place in a small town or village, and the sleuth is usually an amateur.

I am withdrawing - I had never heard of there being a convention that those of us ahead in time start a day later, effectively. I didn't get the time wrong, I just didn't know there was a different way of doing it on GR.

Regards to all :)

Deborah, I'm sorry you are dropping out, and I hope you will reconsider. Topplers are a "YLTO thing," not a "Goodreads" thing. There is no "convention" about starting times/days. There are just the rules of any particular challenge. The rules for this toppler include that it starts at 12 p.m. EDT on June 18th. This is not the first time we have had a misunderstanding about starting time, though past misunderstandings have tended to be in terms of hours, not days. In the past, this had led to discussion of what EDT and EST mean, though this year I guess we didn't discuss that. EDT is Eastern Daylight time, which is the time zone of the Eastern United States, including New York, during the months when daylight saving time is in effect. I live in Arizona, which does not use daylight savings time. Most of the year, Arizona time runs two hours earlier than New York, so noon in New York is 10 in Phoenix, where I live. But when daylight savings time is in effect, New Yorkers turn their clocks ahead an hour, and Arizonan's don't, so noon in New York is 9 a.m. in Phoenix.
The thing about YLTO challenges is that, the rules are what the moderator says the rules are, and any of us who misunderstand a rule and read something that doesn't count are just out of luck unless we read something else that does fit the rules. When I first joined this group, I misunderstood something (I don't even remember what), and something I read didn't count. I was a little annoyed, and wanted to make a rational argument about why what I read should count, and it was explained to me that we all follow the same rules, just like we would playing Monopoly or any other board game.
Really, there is no reason to drop out just because some things you read won't "count" toward the team score. We still have five and a half days left, and if you read one book in that time, it will help our team. You get a badge for participating (i.e. reading one book that fits the requirements during the relevant time period). Whether you read one book or twenty, you still get the same badge. You may get a slightly different badge if your team wins, but I've never been on a winning team so I'm not sure about that. The point of the toppler is to have fun, reading and chatting with your teammates.

I've finished my second book, Waiting, and found it okay. I'm going to use it for the geocache challenge as well, either for China or book with red cover. I think I will read Elle next, which I know nothing about.

Has anyone toppled any five star books yet?

jaxnsmom wrote: "For those of you reading a book for the Pat Harrington Jr and Ken Howard task of cozy mystery, please be sure you know what a cozy is.

Cozy myseries very rarely focus on sex, profanity or violence..."

I may have sparked your concern by describing my first book as a "paranormal cozy." I class it as paranormal because the main character is a witch and magic is real, but it is also a cozy. It is set in a small town, where the main character, a baker, has moved to help her aunt and uncle open a bakery. The murder happens off-screen, and isn't bloody. (Someone snaps an old woman's neck as she sits in her car on the street outside the bakery.) There is no sex. There are one and a half kisses, one short and the other aborted. There is no profanity. There is little violence and it is all off-screen, aside from a confrontation at the end of the book in which no one is hurt.

TrudyAn, I rate Suspect as a five star book. I don't read very many thrillers and they are not really my cup of tea usually, but I loved the character Maggie (the dog) in this book. I loved seeing some of the scenes from her point of view. I thought the book was very well-structured, with a fairly complex plot that hung together well, and the writing kept me interested all the way through.

Casceil wrote: "jaxnsmom wrote: "For those of you reading a book for the Pat Harrington Jr and Ken Howard task of cozy mystery, please be sure you know what a cozy is.

Cozy myseries very rarely focus on sex, prof..."

Not at all. A couple of participants on another team read suspense/thrillers for the cozy task and I realized not everyone might know what a cozy is.

Deborah wrote: "I am withdrawing - I had never heard of there being a convention that those of us ahead in time start a day later, effectively. I didn't get the time wrong, I just didn't know there was a different..."

I'm sorry that you have taken offense, Deborah, and I hope that you will reconsider.

We all start at the exact same time regardless of what your time zone is. That means that you need to convert your time zone.

12:00 p.m. Jun 18th EDT (New York City) is 4:00 a.m. Jun 19th NZST. It's the exact same moment in time. You aren't starting a day earlier or a day later. You are starting at the exact same moment.

Here's a time converter for New York City.

jaxnsmom wrote: "Elsbeth wrote: "It's a trilogy - in total about 400 pages - each enough to count for 1 book in this Toppler. So I should be able to read it in a few days and hopefully read something else as well."..."

Don't worry, that is the first thing I did!;)

I don't know! I go to sleep and everything happens! I am sorry to hear you will be leaving us Deborah. Thanks Casceil for explaining a few bits and pieces whilst I was in the land of nod!

As already mentioned, YLTO have different challenges, reads and events all with different rules. It is important to read these rules before starting. The monthly and yearly challenges in addition to the group reads are based on your own time zone, we all start on our respective 1st of the month so it those cases, you would be starting ahead of everyone else. But with topplers, we all start at the same time so you have to use a time conversion to work out what your start time is. Janice provided a good one above. 12 noon EDT 18th is definitely 4am 19th in your time zone.

Topplers vary in difficulty but this one is quite simple. First off, the rules and tasks are announced along with the team allocations. Once you know what time you're on, you head on over to the team thread to check in, play around with team names, work out who is going to be team leader, cheerleaders and score keepers. Probably discuss what books we might be reading and what time we all start in our respective time zones. Then the toppler starts AT THE SAME TIME for all of us, and we read like the wind! We then discuss our book choices, what we've been up to etc. in the team thread, with the cheerleader cheering us along. Once we've read a book, we report it in the reporting thread so we can keep score for our team. The toppler ends, again at the same time for all of us. The scores are added up for the teams and a winner is made! Voila! A toppler!

This one is a team one and the team aspect is important. I understand that you're miffed that your books don't count and that is unfortunate. But by leaving the toppler now, you also leave your team mates in the lurch. Our team is thin on the ground as it is what with people not checking in. So if you would reconsider and continue reading with us we would be most grateful :-)

TrudyAn wrote: "Has anyone toppled any five star books yet?"

Not me unfortunately! My first book I gave 4 stars but I eckon it was more a 3.5. The one I'm reading at the moment isn't that great which I'm surprised at because it's by Neil Gaiman and I've loved all of his books. If it continues as it is, it will probably be a 3 star. Fingers crossed my next read will be better.

I've not long woke up. I'm off in to Bristol today for some work related stuff. Commuting there and back will give me plenty of time to listen to my audiobook Charlotte's Web (3rd book) and the print book I'm half way through. I also have an hour lunch break that I can read in too! I'd love to finish the print book today but it might be tomorrow. We'll see. I'm already thinking about my next book. I want to read one I enjoy better than the ones I've been reading so far. So I might go with Carrie. My next shortest book on the list was Fahrenheit 451 but I'm going to leave that now for the July group theme (books about books). So Carrie it is!

Back at work today so didn't manage to read as much, but finished my 3rd audio Twisted Paths. Just come back from karate and I'm off to bed soon, but I'll take a new book with me, not sure which one yet.

Hi there! My time zone is 12 hours ahead of GMT and so almost a day ahead of most of the USA. It's a full moon today and I just saw red at being told I had got it wrong and so all my reading was invalid (full moon comes and I feel like I overdosed on caffeine).

I won't stick with this one as I just started a many hundreds of pages book that will probably take me 3 days - I'd have left it for later if I hadn't already thought I'd pretty much made a contribution. I still can't make sense of the rule as whenever I start I also stop earlier than, say, the US so it's hardly taking advantage - but I'll try to keep it in mind with this group for the future. If there's time left at the end of my book I'll try and get another read and post it as a contribution.

Personally, I would always forgive and allow a genuine error due to not knowing on a first offence. I was offended by being told I got it wrong when I have been calculating time differences my whole life due to moving around the world a lot.

But have said my piece and never hold onto my grumbles.

Regards to all! :)

Fair enough. Just for reference, you wouldn't finish earlier than everyone else. You would finish at the same time - we all have equal reading time, no advantage for any time zone.

Half way through my audiobook already :-)

I would finish earlier having spent the same amount of time reading, I did not mean to suggest I would have less time. I would be finished 17 hours ahead, say, of one of the US time zones was what I meant. So I would finish earlier. However, that is semantics. I apologise if I have given offence for saying what I thought.

No offence at all Deborah. You're entitled to your say. It's a shame you won't be continuing on. Next time perhaps :-)

Sorry if I caused you offence Deborah. I was trying to offer some help from someone who is deals with the same issue due to also being in Oceania.

Hope you get another read in for the Toppler.

Hope everyone else is have a good Toppler as well.

And at the end of 48 hours, as we start Day 3, we have finished 8 books. Keep up the good work, team!

I didn't do much reading since Saturday but I will finish my book today!

I finished my book, Ne me touche pas, a quick read that I really enjoyed actually, I gave it 4 stars.

Making good progress on my 2 books, 80% in on one and 70% in on another. I'll finish both easily tomorrow :-)

Nice going team.

Casceil wrote: "TrudyAn, I rate Suspect as a five star book. I don't read very many thrillers and they are not really my cup of tea usually, but I loved the character Maggie (the dog) in this book...."

I don't read many thrillers either, but this one sounds good!

Elle is my third toppled book, fitting the category of action/adventure (Glen Frey). This strange little book is inspired by a true story. A rich young (and headstrong) French woman sails as part of Jacques Cartier's third attempt to colonize Canada in 1542. She inadvertently angers the General (her uncle) and is promptly dropped on an island at the mouth of St. Lawrence, to ultimately fend for herself. This is a solid four stars for me.

Good work, TrudyAn! I'm about half-way through my third book, but I had to work today, so that has really slowed me down.

Rusalka, I apologise for being such an old grump! Sometimes things don't come across as we meant them to online, no?

Anyway, I took a break from my big book (which on re-reading the possible options I see I can use after all) and read The Coral Island by R.M. Ballantyne against the Glenn Frey: Life in the Fast Lane – read an action/adventure book option. So, there is one book!

Tonight I intend to polish off Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling for (appropriately) Alan Rickman – actor and director: Read a fantasy book. Then I'll finish the big book.

Deborah, Thank goodness you are back! Please also report finished books in the reporting thread. https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

No worries Deborah. I think we both ended up in the missed tone on the internet loop.

Glad to see you got some good reads in :D

Yay, welcome back Deborah and one book read already, fantastic.

I've been meaning to read Suspect for a long time and actually need it for another challenge. Glad to hear you liked it Casceil, hopefully I'll get to it later in the week.
I'm listening to The Great Escape, I saw the movie years ago but never read the book, I'm enjoying it so far.

Welcome back Deborah!

I just finished my first book (and the thickest...) for this Toppler! Love Letters to the Dead Now I'm taking a short break, because it was such a touching story! At the end of the book, I had tears streaming down my cheeks! And that hasn't happened in a while.

Sounds like an emotional ride Elsbeth!

I just finished my audiobook Charlotte's Web. I do remember reading it as a kid. I guess I liked it more then. The audiobook was narrated by the author which was a nice touch. I rated it 3 stars.

I am now starting another audiobook, After Dark for the magical realism task. it's 5 hrs long so a bit longer than the last one but still totally doable.

Off to report!

Just finished InterWorld. Now on to Carrie for the made in to a movie task.