You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2021
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TJ's 2017 All About Me Challenge
I nearly wrote Ragnor Lothrok too for famous person I'd like to meet. :-) I like your answer of you as a child for who you miss.
It's kind of weird how the famous/notorious people I listed as wanting to meet are all dead. I think I went this route because it's so outside the realm of possible. Like having an impossible wish granted : )Ragnor Lothbrok fascinates me. As does Joan of Arc, Jesus, and his mother Mary. One pagan and three Christians with time periods ranging from 1st to 9th to 15th centuries.
I would be interested to see what these historical figures were really like in real life.
I don't really know that person any more, who i was as a child. She's a memory, like someone I used to know who died. She was much sweeter, more innocent (aka, naive) than who I am now.
Notes to self about challenge rules:When you complete a book for the challenge, you need to leave a new message in your personal thread explaining the following:
- a countdown of the badges you read - Part 1: 1/12, 2/12, 3/12, etc. If you are working on subsequent badges, you will need to preface with Part 2 or Part 3.
- the book you read, link to it and the cover
- the question it relates to
- an explanation as to how the book you chose relates to your answer to the question
Remember no repeats on questions or books, no monthly challenge books, no counting subtitle for tasks. Books must be at least 175 pages, covers for tasks should be the actual ones from the edition read, and all reading must be done within 2017 and within personal start time of challenge.
Tasks 26-50 here. √ 26. Part 3, 9/26. Rules of the Road. I prefer a car. Car on cover.
Inherent Vice
√ 27. Part 3, 12/26. Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House I do have a tatto. Very small, atypical. Read a book that represents your tattoo in some way.
√ 28. Part 1, 3/12. The Crossover. I prefer contemporary books over classics in general. This one was published in 2014.
√29. Part 3, 16/26. My favorite flowers are sunflowers and daisies. The book I read is titled Sunflower.
Evening Is the Whole Day
√ 30. Part 1, 12/12. Whose Body?. Set in London, which I've visited with my dear grandmother.
√ 31. Part 3, 15/26. The Last Kingdom. If you could meet anyone famous, infamous, notorious, who would it be? I went with Ragnar Lothbrok. Read a biography, autobiography, memoir, or historical fiction about that person. Or, read a book that is representative of that person.
√ 32. Part 2, 10/12. M Train. Feature I'm most often been complimented on is my writing ability. Cover shows talented song-writer, poet, and author of this book seated in her fav hometown NYC coffee shop at "her" table with her camera, cup of black coffee, and writing tablet.
√ 33. Part 3, 6/26. The Draco Tavern. I'd rather encounter an alien (tho ghost would be okay as well), and there were lots of aliens in this book! Very fun.
√ 34. Part 2, 5/12. The Elephant Whisperer. One of my favorite non-domestic animals is the elephant. The book I read has elephant in the title and on the cover.
.√ 35. Part 1, 8/12. Blue Highways.
The type of holiday I prefer is anywhere where relaxed, educational, and with some physical aspect involved. Also not too expensive. Some of my favorite holidays are road trips. This book was a 3-month, 13,000 mile (20,000+ km) road trip in the continental U.S.
√ 36. Part 1, 9/12. Smells Like Dog. If I had to lose one of the 5 senses, I guess I'd opt for smell. This book has smell in the title, and one of the characters is afflicted with loss of sense of smell.
√ 37. Part 2, 8/12. The Tempest. I went with William Shakespeare as my all time favorite author.
√ 38. Part 1, 1/12. The Hungry Tide. I prefer water over coffee and tea. Book setting is next to a large body of water (Bay of Bengal).
√ 39. Part 1, 7/12. The Lost Girls. My birthstone is Aquamarine. Book cover is predominantly aquamarine-colored. Black branches are like dark version of red blood lines that run thru March's second, but actually original, Bloodstone birthstone. The dark lines are appropriate for the story.
√ 40. Part 3, 10/26. Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea. The avocado is one of my very favorite fruits. Green and black predominant on the book's cover, corresponding to the exterior color of unripe and ripe avocado, respectively.
41. Issue you are passionate about (abortion, euthanasia, animal rights… etc). Education. Read a book where this issue is prominent or is represented in some way. Fiction or non-fiction.
The Centaur
√ 42. Part 3, 19/26. I'd rather explore in space than undersea. The book I read for this task, Six Wakes, is set in deep space. Loved it!
√ 43. Part 2, 7/12. Cinder. The time period i'd most like to travel to is any time in the future so I could see how things turn out. Cinder is set in the unspecified future.
√ 44. Part 3, 8/26. A Crooked Kind of Perfect. I said I prefer shoes over barefeet unless surface is cold, hot, muddy, sharp, etc, and then I prefer shoes. As a compromise answer, I went with
which represents how I spend much time at home - wearing socks - almost always wear them when sleeping, even in the summer, and I often wear them around the house sans shoes, of course. √ 45. Part 3, 4/26. The Ace of Lightning. I prefer black olives but love green also. Especially love unpitted olives stuffed with garlic, pimiento, or jalapeno. The cover is mostly black with lighter area in center like hole where pit was removed and big chunk of pickled garlic was stuffed inside. There's also a streak of green and streak of red like for my alternate fav stuffings of green jalapeno and red pimiento pepper.
Still want to read some other time but not for this task or challenge.
√ 46. 13/26. A River Sutra What is your Zodiac sign? Pisces, my sign, is a water sign. The Narmada River features prominently in this book, and the book cover is water-related.
Dancing Fish and Ammonites: A Memoir
√ 47. Part 2, 11/12. The True Story of Hansel and Gretel. It occupied position number 66 on my tbr list when I did the gophering for this task, and 66 corresponds to my height in inches.
√48. Part 1, 4/12. This One and Magic Life: A Novel of a Southern Family. I miss many people, some living, some dead, but my first thought was of people gone from this world. Of people deceased, my mother is one among many people that I miss. At her core, she was very much the southern lady, for better and for worse, and like the book's protagonist, she had a fraternal twin. This book is also about dealing with the mother's death, apropos for me as well.
√ 49. Part 3, 21/26. Reading is my most beloved hobby, and so I read a book in which reading and books are central to the plot: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry.
√50. Part 3, 18/26. A language I'd like to learn to speak is Mandarin. The book I read for this task, China in Ten Words, was translated from Mandarin to English. Yu Hua, a well-known contemporary Chinese author, reflects in these pages on his nation's experience from the "Cultural Revolution" thru 2010.
I've decided to find books to fit each of the 50 questions/tasks. Not sure I can make it thru all 50, but that's okay. I may try. We'll see!Made very good progress on matching up questions/tasks to books i own and/or have i my tbr - yay : )
I bought The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry but didn't realize I could use it for the challenge. I also answered reading (among others) to question 49. Thanks!
Peggy wrote: "I bought The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry but didn't realize I could use it for the challenge. I also answered reading (among others) to question 49. Thanks!"You're welcome! I found this book because of another YLTO thread mention, maybe by Rusalka. Can't recall, but anyway it seems really intriguing.
Part 1, 1/12Question 38. Do you prefer tea, coffee, or water? Answer: Water.
Read a book with the word in the title, or set on/near a large body of water.
I read
The Hungry Tide for this task. It is set in the Sundarbans, located in the brackish, coastal waters of the Bay of Bengal. Here is my brief review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....
Congrats on finishing your first book for the challenge! Glad you loved it too. Nice review.
It's nice to get that first one under your belt. :)
Thanks, Kristie! Yes, it is nice to get this first book checked off, Janice : ) Good to get the ball rolling. Hopefully will pick up some steam. In any case I'm quite enjoying the challenge.
Part 1, 2/12Question 20. My preferred mode of transport is walking. I read Walk Two Moons for this task. Title refers to walking. Conveys why I prefer walking. Feeling of being closer to nature. Also my fear of vehicle accidents and deep dislike of driving and car-centered living.
Part 1, 3/12Question 28. My reading preference is for contemporary over classics. I read The Crossover, published in 2014.
I loved the creativity of this book. Plus, it was a very good story. Relevant and believable. Cautionary tale about ignoring high blood pressure.
Part 1, 4/12Question 48. Someone I miss is my mother. Miss many others, including my father, my nana, my friend Christine, and myself as a child. I read This One and Magic Life: A Novel of a Southern Family. It's about mourning the death of matriarch, a woman who was very much the southern lady, and she had a fraternal twin. All true about my mother (tho more complicated and darker).
Part 1, 5/12Question 8. My favorite holiday is Bodhi Day. Bodhi means Enlightenment, and December 8 is a celebration of the date when the Buddha experienced enlightenment. I read Enlightenment for Idiots. The title references "Enlightenment."
I've never heard of Bodhi Day. Off to google!
Tejas Janet wrote: "Peggy wrote: "...The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry..."You're welcome! I found this book because of another YLTO thread mention, maybe by Rusalka."
Not me!
I don't know who mentioned it but I really enjoyed AJ Fikry . A surprise to me at the time. It is also a handy book for challenges involving set on an island
Tejas Janet wrote: "Part 5/12Question 8. My favorite holiday is Bodhi Day. Bodhi means Enlightenment, and December 8 is a celebration of the date when the Buddha experienced enlightenment. I read Enlightenment ..."
I'm currently reading December which has an auspicious event that occurs at old Abbey at the exact same time that John Lennon died - Dec 8, 1980. Funny how coincidences happen - I'm reading a book centered around Dec 8th, and you are discussing the same date.
Travis sivarT wrote: "I don't know who mentioned it but I really enjoyed AJ Fikry . A surprise to me at the time. It is also a handy book for challenges involving set on an island"That surprises me too. I wouldn't think that book would hold your interest, Travis.
Janice wrote: Funny how coincidences happen - I'm reading a book centered around Dec 8th, and you are discussing the same date."I love that you noticed this coincidence and pointed it out. I'm interested to hear how you're liking December.
Travis sivarT wrote: "I don't know who mentioned it but I really enjoyed AJ Fikry . A surprise to me at the time. It is also a handy book for challenges involving set on an island"Good to know. I'm looking forward to reading it.
Rusalka wrote: Not me!"Oh well, I guess I could track down who it was. Might do that at some point after reading AJ Fikry to say thanks or compare notes.
Part 1, 6/12Question 17. My country of birth is the USA. I read Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King Jr. MLK was born is the US, and this book is about race relations within the US.
Tejas Janet wrote: "I love that you noticed this coincidence and pointed it out. I'm interested to hear how you're liking December. .."
I was listening to the audiobook and was having a difficult time following it because of the narrator, so I returned the audiobook and ordered the trade paperback. I'll start over with it when it arrives. I'm intrigued enough to complete the book.
P.S. I am looking it up now, seeing you all loved it
Part 1, 7/12Question 39. My birthstones are aquamarine and, unknown before to me, also bloodstone, which I'm much attracted to.
I read
The Lost Girls. This cover with aquamarine cover and black branches calls to mind a dark version of the red blood lines that run thru March's second, but actually original, Bloodstone birthstone.Also, the dark lines seem appropriate for the story told here.
I've added AJ Fickry to my wishlist after all the positive comments.
Part 1, 8/12Question 35. Favorite vacation - Anywhere where relaxed, educational, and with some physical aspect involved. Also not too expensive.
Some of my favorite holidays are road trips, and Blue Highways is about the author's massive roadtrip across the US and back in the late 1970s. On such a trip, I'd have brought along my dog and taken lots of daily walks. The author's focus was getting to know the small towns on the "blue highways," the back roads and two-lane highways once marked in blue on the maps in the old Rand McNally road atlas.
I'd definitely bring my dog and get in some daily walks on a big road trip like this. The author's focus demanded more time hanging out in bars, cafes, diners, and such rather than hiking thru state and national parks. However, without this dimension, I doubt his book would have been nearly as interesting and entertaining. This book was a slow read for me but worthwhile. I rated it four out of five stars.
Part 1, 8/12Question 35. Favorite vacation - Anywhere where relaxed, educational, and with some physical aspect involved. Also not too expensive.
Some of my favorite holidays are road trips, and Blue Highways is about the author's massive roadtrip across the US and back in the late 1970s. On such a trip, I'd have brought along my dog and taken lots of daily walks. The author's focus was getting to know the small towns on the "blue highways," the back roads and two-lane highways once marked in blue on the maps in the old Rand McNally road atlas.
I'd definitely bring my dog and get in some daily walks on a big road trip like this. The author's focus demanded more time hanging out in bars, cafes, diners, and such rather than hiking thru state and national parks. However, without this dimension, I doubt his book would have been nearly as interesting and entertaining. This book was a slow read for me but worthwhile. I rated it four out of five stars.
My daughter and I were driving this weekend to take her son to the meeting place in Sandpoint, Idaho so that he could go spend the week of Spring Break with his father in Edmonton, Canada. This trip has become such a familiar and boring drive for us over the years. It was her oldest son who used to be the "exchangee" and the meeting place was then, Spokane, Washington. His father drove from Helena, Montana. There are so many little towns along the way with those strange names and little dots on the map. We always laugh when we see Athol, Washington. We have no idea how to pronounce it, but I am sure you can get some of the same ideas we have. There is a long stretch of highway in Washington that we call "Nowhere", Washington, because it just is. The places you find along the way are rest areas and once in a while, you see a little cluster of buildings way off in the distance. Amy drove through one little town, late at night, searching for a gas station, and she said it really creeped her out, because she never saw any people as she drove through and she could get no cell service. She will be driving back and forth again next weekend to pick up her son and then again later in the summer, twice more.
Why is it small towns are the ones most likely to be humorous? Some way to make it on the map? Townsfolk with a sense of humor? Whatever the reason, they can be pretty entertaining, and the author of this book catalogued many of them as he went along. I think his road trip was about 14,000 miles total. That's a bit much for me!! I get homesick after more than about a week away from home. Well, I miss my critter family, not really the house per se. In Blue Highways, the author goes thru quite a few ghost towns that inexplicably got put on the map, generally when there just isn't anything to stick on there : ) Some of the roads that get put on maps can turn out to be pretty sketchy, too. One time in Montana, years ago now, we took what looked like from the map would be a substantial road, but then we wound up stuck on a narrow, dirt, road with no turn-arounds or pull-over that led us higher and higher onto an ever more precarious road. There was one point especially where we were afraid we might slide off the road down the steep face of a cliff below. Memorable moment for sure tho way too exciting for my blood.
Part 1, 9/12Question 36. If I had to lose one of my senses, smell would be the one with the least impact, I think, so I chose it. I read Smells Like Dog. Sweet and fun story that I was scoping out as a potential read for my 8-year-old nephew. I think it would make a fun audio book to listen to together while coloring or something. It falls in the 3 to 3.5 range out of 5 stars for me. Part of the book's appeal for me is the dog, of course. I'd like to read more of the series and see how it develops.
Part 1, 10/12Question 25. My favorite genre is memoir, and the book I read for this challenge was H is for Hawk, a unique memoir that I'm glad to have read. 4 stars for me.
Part 1, 11/12Question 13. My favorite type of food is home-cooking of almost any type. I read Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen by Laurie Colwin, a book I've read once or twice before over the years. It's like comfort food to me. The cooking all takes place at home, which is the "region" this food is found : )
Part 1, 12/12Question 30. I have been to Europe twice in my lifetime, thus far. I visited various places in England and Scotland with my grandmother. And on my next trip I visited Paris, France with my spouse. I read Whose Body?, which is set in London. I liked this one enough to give three stars, but I think it suffers some from that beginning of series syndrome often seen in first-of-series books, where the author is still finding his/her way.
I need to post about finishing part one, but i've unfortunately got to finish up my tax return before I can take time to do this. Ugh.
Part 2, 1/12Question 4. I've broken various bones in my 55 years of life thus far, and so I read a book with "Bone" in the title for this task. The book I read was Old Bones by Aaron Elkins, which I thought was pretty wonderful. I rounded up and gave it 5 stars.
This task has confronted me with my tendency to be "accident prone." Here's a list of broken bones I've experienced in order of severity of break and associated pain/trauma from least to worst:
-wrist bone (twice)
-tailbone
-elbow (ulna)
-cervical vertebrae (scary but I lucked out with almost full recovery)
-metatarsal/midfoot fracture and ligament tear (freaky foot injury, has its own special name, "lisfranc" injury)
I found this blog that really helped me get thru my bad "lisfranc" foot injury.... http://mylisfrancfusion.blogspot.com/The foot photos were much like what i experienced. My lisfranc photos, taken by me on my old cell phone, don't seem to have transferred to my google photo files like most my old photos did. Oh well.
Ouch! Sorry that the challenge brought back such painful memories.
Thanks, Janice. The challenge didn't really bring back painful memories per se. Just reminded me how relieved I am to not be in that place now. And reminded me how we really all go thru difficult, painful experiences, whatever they may be.
Part 2, 2/12Question 14. My heart is something I use daily. I gave this answer in part because of my on-going struggles to control high blood pressure. High bp is taxing on the heart and other organs. Another reason I gave this answer is because the heart is something unseen that is so important to our lives, both literally and symbolically. The book I read for this task, Heart in the Right Place by Carolyn Jourdan, has the word "Heart" in the title.
I think I use my heart every day too, but some people might say that I don't have one.
Part 2, 3/12.Question 7. I selected the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny, and read the third book in that series, The Cruelest Month since three was the number I selected between 1 and 10.
Part 2, 4/12.Question 12. My husband and I have 6 pets - 5 cats and 1 dog. I decided to read a book that focused on cats, since cats have been my earliest and longest animal companions. For this challenge task, I read On Cats. Made me kind of sad thinking back on all the cats who have come and gone in my life. Some good writing and insights about cats. For me, captured too much of the pain and not enough of the joy. I wonder if writing this book was perhaps cathartic for the book's author, Doris Lessing? After some of the stories she relayed, I was surprised she ever could welcome any more cats at all into her home.
You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
A Rule Against Murder (other topics)I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (other topics)
A Rule Against Murder (other topics)
A Gentleman in Moscow (other topics)
A Rule Against Murder (other topics)
More...
√1. Part 2, 6/12. Desert Queen: The Extraordinary Life of Gertrude Bell: Adventurer, Adviser to Kings, Ally of Lawrence of Arabia by Janet Wallach. The author and I share the same first name.
√2. Part 3, 20/26. My favorite sport is swimming so I read The Big Swim: Coming Ashore in a World Adrift
The OutrunWaterlog
√ 3. Part 3, 22/26. My eyes are hazel in color. The book I read, Miss Hazel and the Rosa Parks League, has "hazel" in its title.
Le Grand Meaulnes√ 4. Part 2, 1/12. Old Bones. I've broken various bones in my 55 years of life thus far, and so I read a book with "Bone" in the title.
The Bone Woman: A Forensic Anthropologist's Search for Truth in the Mass Graves of Rwanda, Bosnia, Croatia, and KosovoThe Power of Bones
Yoga for Healthy Bones: A Woman's Guide
√ 5. Part 3, 5/26. The Wizard of OZ: A Steampunk Adventure. The Wizard of Oz is my favorite movie. I read a book that has the same title.
6. What is your favourite book? Alice in Wonderland. Read it again. Or, read a book that has the same title. Or read a book by the same author.
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
Sylvie and Bruno
√ 7. Part 2, 3/12. The Cruelest Month. I read the third in the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache series by Louise Penny, since that was the the number between 1 and 10 that I picked.
The Snack ThiefShowdown in MudbugDressed for Death√ 8. Part 1, 5/12. Enlightenment for Idiots. My favourite holiday is Bodhi Day, "Day of Enlightenment," celebrated December 8, the day of the Buddha's enlightenment. The book I read has "Enlightenment" in the title.
Stumbling Toward EnlightenmentThe Battersea Park Road to Enlightenment
√ 9. Part 3, 2/26. Married to Bhutan. My relationship status is Married. I read a book with that word in the title.
√10. Part 3, 17/26. Are you right or left handed? Right. Read a book with that word in the title.
Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
The Good Luck of Right NowHeart in the Right Place
√11. Part 3, 11/26. What is your birthday month? March. Read a book with the selected month in the title, or set during that month.
The Devotion of Suspect X
MiddlemarchMy Life in Middlemarch
March
The Moviegoer
√ 12. Part 2, 4/12. On Cats. My husband and I have 6 pets - 5 cats and 1 dog. I decided to read a book that focused on cats, since cats have been my earliest and longest animal companions.
All My Patients are Under the Bed: Memoirs of a Cat Doctor√ 13. Part 1, 11/12. Home Cooking: A Writer in the Kitchen. My favorite type of food is home-cooking of almost any type. The cooking all takes place at home, the "region" where this food is found : )
Life from Scratch: A Memoir of Food, Family, and ForgivenessGumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table
√ 14. Part 2, 2/12. Heart in the Right Place. The heart is something unseen that is so important to our lives, literally and symbolically. "Heart" is in the title.
Evidence of Things Unseen√ 15. Part 3, 23/26. A Gentleman in Moscow What is your shoe size? Eight. Select that number of books on your TBR, put them into the Fruit Machine (or another randomizer), and read the one that is selected.
√ 16. Part 2, 12/12. In the Woods. Vanilla is my favorite flavor of ice cream. This book cover reminds reminds me of my homemade vanilla bean ice cream.
The Children's BlizzardHimself
Vanilla Beaned
Vanilla: The Cultural History of the World's Favorite Flavor and Fragrance
Vanilla: Travels in Search of the Ice Cream Orchid
The Raw Scent of Vanilla : A Memoir
√17. Part 1, 6/12. Stride Toward Freedom: The Montgomery Story by Martin Luther King, Jr. My country of birth is the USA, same as MLK.
√ 18. Part 3, 3/26. A Walk in the Rain. Autumn is my favorite season. The book I read takes place in October.
√ 19. Part 3, 7/26. Orchid Beach. Current desktop pic was Sheeba, beloved dog, RIP. Bookcover shows dog on beach. Sheeba loved the beach.
Big Paws, Bigger Heart: A Dog's MemoirMerle's Door: Lessons from a Freethinking Dog
√20. Part 1, 2/12. Walk Two Moons. My preferred mode of transport is walking. Title refers to walking.
√ 21. Part 3, 14/26. Escape My last bday cake, about 15 years ago, had 40 candles on it. Go to your TBR and order the shelf by number. Read the book that corresponds to your answer.
√ 22. Part 3, 1/26. Accidents Waiting to Happen. I have been in accidents of various severity and consequence. I read a book with "Accident" in the title.
Not By Accident: Reconstructing a Careless Life√ 23. Part 2, 9/12. A Shower Of Summer Days.
Day-to-day i prefer a shower tho i love a good soak whenever in delicious, hot tub of water. Shower in the title meets the task criteria.
√ 24. Part 3, 25/26. A Rule Against MurderName a place you’d like to visit. Quebec, Canada. Read a book set in that location.
Sacré Blues: An Unsentimental Journey Through Quebec√25. Part 1, 10/12. H is for Hawk. This book belongs to my favorite genre, memoir.