The Book Vipers discussion

Jo wrote: "I haven't determined my rows yet, just getting a few books read and then will see which rows look most likely ones for me, so I have no update of my A-Z list of likely candidates. There are some gr..."

I’ve actually heard a lot of great things about Zafon, though I haven’t had the chance to read any of his books yet, unfortunately. The Shadow of the Wind is on my TBR list though and I just found out that the Kindle version is on sale today for $1.99 (!!!!), so I went ahead and bought it (couldn’t pass up such a great deal!). I will probably still stick with the A.J. Fikry book for this particular challenge (since I bought the book 2 years ago and still haven’t read it), but hopefully I get the chance to read a Zafon book some time in the near future! :o)

Bkwmlee, the Shadow of the Wind is amazing. Read it as soon as you can!

Will second what Jo said on The Shadow of the Wind

Just realised I hadn't posted my list, which is:

A - Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - READ
B - The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir READ
C - The Wapshot Chronicle by John Cheever - READ
D - City of Djinns: A Year in Delhi by William Darymple - READ
E -Wolf Winter by Cecilia Ekback - READ
F - Venomous by Penelope Fletcher - READ
G - The Tenth Man by Graham Greene - READ
H - Spring: An Anthology for the Changing Seasons by Melissa Harrison - READ
I - The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro
J - Crash by Drew Jordan
K - The Monks of Tibhirine: Faith, Love, and Terror in Algeria by John W. Kiser
L - Great Tales From English History by robert Lacey - READ
M - Melmoth the Wanderer by C R Maturin - READ
N - Trazzak by Layla Nash - READ
O - The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell - READ
P - Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Q - Confessions of an English Opium Eater by Thomas de Quincey - READ
R - Reveries of the Solitary Walker by Jean-Jacques Rousseau READ
S - Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith
T - On Silbury Hill by Adam Thorpe
U - Morality Play by Barry Unsworth - READ
V - Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut - READ
W - The Shadow of Malabron by Thomas Wharton - READ
X - Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran
Y - Memoirs of Hadrian by Marguerite Yourcenar - READ
Z - Close Liaisons by Anna Zaires - READ

On Silbury Hill is really good, as is most of what Little Toller Produce

Yes, I'm really looking forward to that one.

I'm going in for the rest of the challenge as I seem to have read a number of relevant books already.

Row 3:

E - Claire Eastham We're All Mad Here: The No-Nonsense Guide to Living with Social Anxiety READ
J- Jonas Jonasson - The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden READ
B - Alice Broadway INK READ
Z-
T - Laini Taylor Night of Cake & Puppets READ
I - Tom Ellen and Lucy Ivison Lobsters READ
L - Patrice Lawrence Orangeboy READ

Row 4:
M - Jojo Moyes Me Before You READ
C - Kiera Cass The Heir READ
N - Liz Nugent Unravelling Oliver READ
O - David Owen The Fallen Children READ
Y -
D - James Dashner The Journal of Curious Letters READ
F - Clair Furniss How Not To Disappear READ

Glad to hear it Charlotte

It was inevitable really!

:-)

For reasons too long and boring to go into, I'm revising my reading goals and challenges for this year. But...I've decided to go for the 26 books for this challenge, and to keep one of the lines as non-fiction as originally intended.

So the new line up is......
A Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch READ
B The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov READ
C The Age of Daredevils by Michael Clarkson (NF line) READ
D Waterlog by Roger Deakin (NF line) READ
E Mr. Toppit by Charles Elton READ
F The Princess Diarist by Carrie Fisher (NF line) READ
G Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman READ
H Gently to the Summit by Alan Hunter READ
I Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro READ
J The Summer Book by Tove Jansson READ
K The Internet is Not the Answer by Andrew Keen READ
L The Girl Who Played With Fire by Stieg Larsson READ
M Trieste and The Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris(NF line) READ
N Love and War in the Apennines by Eric Newby (NF line) READ
O Homage to Catalonia by George Orwell
(NF line) READ
P The Shipping News by Annie Proulx READ
Q On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts by Thomas de Quincey READ
R Sidney Chambers and The Forgiveness of Sins by James Runcie READ
S La Bella Figura: An Insider's Guide to the Italian Mind by Beppe Severgnini READ
T A Nest of the Gentry by Ivan Turgenev READ
U An Expert in Murder by Nicola Upson READ
V The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas READ
W The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker READ
X Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran READ
Y I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong (NF line) READ
Z The Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi READ

Now you've said that I want to know why! Great list Pamela

Paul wrote: "Now you've said that I want to know why! "

Ha ha, hate to lose the air of mystery, but it's mainly just down to over committing in all areas of life :)

Ah Pamela, I see you are reading The Shipping News, I hope you won't be disappointed in it!

Some interesting books in your list too Sandy. : D

What do the blue spaces mean? Is that a free choice?

Free choice or skip Sara

Catherine wrote: "Ah Pamela, I see you are reading The Shipping News, I hope you won't be disappointed in it!

Some interesting books in your list too Sandy. : D"

I loved The Shipping News too.

Pamela you have some of my favourites in your list Tove Jansson and Kazuo Ishiguro are my two favourite authors.

This challenge has been far more successful for me than last years, I think I managed two last year, I have read four already this year.

Well done Saffron

Saffron wrote: "Tove Jansson and Kazuo Ishiguro are my two favourite authors.."

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Ishiguro so far too, Saffron

Pamela wrote: "Saffron wrote: "Tove Jansson and Kazuo Ishiguro are my two favourite authors.."

I have enjoyed everything I've read by Ishiguro so far too, Saffron"

He's on my list! He'll be the next one I read for fun, rather than class.

Just started When we were Orphans by Ishiguro to fill the I box. That will only leave me one of his I haven't read.

I have been savouring his work, rather than reading them all one after another as I don't want to get to the end. He needs to write quicker!

I acquired quite a few books over the past month and with some planning, I now have a better idea which books I most likely will get to this year. Also wanted a little more variety in terms of genre/type of book, subject matter, etc., so I decided to change up a few of the titles I originally had on my list.

Here's my revised list as of today, though I will probably end up changing it again in a few months...


A – Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
B – The Idiot by Elif Batuman (READ in February)
C – Wild Boar by Candace Chong
D – All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (READ in January)
E – The Education of Dixie Dupree by Donna Everhart
F – Last Things by Betta Ferrendelli (READ in February)
G – Sous Chef by Michael Gibney
H – From Sand and Ash by Amy Harmon
I – The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
J – All the Flowers in Shanghai by Duncan Jepson
K – The Mutual Admiration Society by Lesley Kagen
L – Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
M – The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham (READ in January)
N – Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
O – The Scarlet Pimpernel by Emmuska Orczy
P – The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
Q – One for the Books by Joe Queenan
R – A Mother’s Confession by Kelly Rimmer
S – The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (READ in February)
T – The Garden on Sunset by Martin Turnbull
U – In the Beauty of the Lilies by John Updike
V – The Free by Willy Vlautin
W – Chu Ju’s House by Gloria Whelan
X – Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by (Xue) Xinran
Y – The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke
Z – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

Good mixture

I was slightly daunted by the number of people doing the whole alphabet but I'm going to try and stick to the object of the game and just try and get across the board in 7 or so moves. I'm also not going to pre-plan as I need to make it workable for me. I'd love to actually complete a challenge this year! Looks like a fun challenge, thank you.

M
C
N
P Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman (Read March '17)
Y
D Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier - Reading
F

We can give you as much encouragement as you need Emma. Seven is a perfectly acceptable target

Annie wrote: "I've chosen two convoluted routes across the 'board' - I'd never have won a game of Blockbusters - that give me a total of 21 letters of the alphabet with 2 letters repeated, so 23 books in all. ...

Although I'll keep the same two routes across the board and will stick to nonfiction, I've decided to tackle this differently. Rather than add just one book for each author initial to my Bookbuster Challenge shelf I'll add three or four for each of my 23 letters, all chosen from my library at home. Then I'll update as and when I finish the first book for each letter. I've realised that my reading moods are far too fickle, pinning myself down to a single choice for each author initial just won't work for me.

READ so far

E
J Sightlines, by Kathleen Jamie
B Threads: The Delicate Life of John Craske, by Julia Blackburn
S Men Explain Things to Me: and Other Essays, by Rebecca Solnit
A Walking Home: A Poet's Journey, by Simon Armitage
H
P
R
G
T
I
L

U
K
F
D
W
R
P Animals Strike Curious Poses, by Elena Passarello
O
N
C At the Source: A Writer's Year, by Gillian Clarke
M

I will update this as I perhaps read more than I intended. I planned to read 18 books this year but have read 7 already.

ACROSS
X- ?
A-Rivers of London READ
S-The Cancer Whisperer: How to let cancer heal your life READ
V -Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
G - The Virgin's Lover READ
I -Never Let Me Go
L - Love and Friendship

DOWN
B - Wuthering Heights
S - The Cancer Whisperer: How to let cancer heal your life READ
H -The Reluctant Fundamentalist
N -Unravelling Oliver READ

DOWN
T Radical Remission: Surviving Cancer Against All Odds READ
G -The Virgin's Lover
R The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun
Y - Revolutionary Road

DOWN
L Love and Friendship
U
K Muhammad: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources READ
F The Great Gatsby

It probably would have been easier to have just listed the alphabet

Possibly Nikki...

You have got through a good amount already Nikki.

I hope that the choices of books helps you or your loved one. Sending you healing thoughts.

Thankyou Saffron. I am not able to work in the evenings or weekends and so I am reading much more. Have now read 10 books so should smash my reading goals for the year

Some of these sound great. The happiness project sounds most fun. I love Wuthering Heights.

Thanks Pat. I have never read a Bronte and every year I want to but never do. This year I will manage it

First time I read it I didn't think much of it. Then read it when I was living in Egypt. I felt very homesick and loved it since. I like the other Brontes too

I have ahd a major re-sort of my list, and have now completed 20 out of the 26!!

A - Station to Station: Searching for Stories on the Great Western Line by James Attlee READ
B - The Apple Orchard: The Story of Our Most English Fruit by Pete Brown READ
C - Billy Connolly's Tracks Across America by Billy Connolly READ
D - White Sands: Experiences from the Outside World by Geoff Dyer READ
E - Kaleidoscope City: A Year in Varanasi by Piers Moore Ede READ
F - How to Survive a Plague: The Story of How Activists and Scientists Tamed AIDS by David France READ
G - Elephant Complex: Travels in Sri Lanka by John Gimlette
H - Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari READ
I - Beyond: Our Future in Space by Chris Impey
J - Foxes Unearthed: A Story of Love and Loathing in Modern Britain by Lucy Jones READ
K - Confessions of a Recovering Environmentalist by Paul Kingsnorth READ
L - Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee READ
M - Rainbow Dust: Three Centuries of Delight in British Butterflies by Peter Marren READ
N - A Tale of Trees: The Battle to Save Britain's Ancient Woodland by Derek Niemann READ
O - Dare to Do: Taking on the planet by bike and boat by Sarah Outen READ
P - Revolutionary Ride: On the Road in Search of the Real Iran by Lois Pryce READ
Q - Britain's Best Historic Sites: From Prehistory to the Industrial Revolution by Tom Quinn READ
R - The Celts by Alice Roberts READ
S - The January Man: a year of walking Britain by Christopher Somerville READ
T - Deep South: Four Seasons on Back Roads by Paul Theroux READ
U - Nature's Engraver: A Life of Thomas Bewick by Jenny Uglow
V - A Mile Down: The True Story of a Disastrous Career at Sea by David Vann
W - Adventures in Stationery: A Journey Through Your Pencil Case by James Ward READ
X - The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X
Y - I Contain Multitudes: The Microbes Within Us and a Grander View of Life by Ed Yong READ
Z - Black Dragon River: A Journey Down the Amur River at the Borderlands of Empires by Dominic Ziegler

Excellent. I keep updating mine on original list, now you've kindly explained how.

That's impressive Paul!

Great job, Paul!

I’ve read 10 of 26 so far, but my list keeps changing from month to month as I find new books and authors that fit the challenge, so I think I’m going to wait until closer to the end of the year to re-post my list.

Well done Paul, I need to revisit my list and have a sort, but suspect I won't be as advanced through them as that!

Thank you all!

I've only nine left to complete this challenge. Sadly my next couple of books have the same letters. Just so you can all catch up! Not Paul of course. Haha

Here's my list ! Better late than never ;)

A - Underworld London: Crime and Punishment in the Capital City *READ*
B - U2 1978-1981 Photographs *READ*
C - The Knowledge: A free digital compendium *READ*
D - Oliver Twist *READ*
E - The Memory Keeper's Daughter *READ*
F - Marianne Faithfull: A Life on Record *READ*
G - Life Support *READ*
H - Hello, Heartbreak *READ*
I - Anna *READ*
J - Honest *READ*
K - The Rose Petal Beach *READ*
L - The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band *READ*
M - A Turn in the Road *READ*
N - Lolita *READ*
O - In Defence of English Cooking *READ*
P - Tell Me Your Secret *READ*
Q - A Golden Web *READ*
R - 100 Hugs * READ*
S - M Train *READ*
T - The Hobbit. J.R.R. Tolkien *READ*
U - The Stone Carvers *READ*
V - Slaughterhouse-Five *READ*
W - The War of the Worlds *READ*
X - The Autobiography Of Malcolm X *READ*
Y - Paula Yates: The Autobiography *READ*
Z - A Young Swordswoman's Garden Primer *READ*

26/26
YAY ! FINISHED :)

Great list Ruth.

I do make time to read Becky

That's good Paul, me too. Did you mean me though?

Possibly meant Sandy!

haha Paul cant read.

Jason wrote: "haha Paul cant read."

I can read perfectly. But only after the appropriate amount of coffee has been consumed

Sandy wrote: So what is your secret, Paul? Do you use speed-reading techniques or do you just make a lot of time to read? I wish I could learn how to make time. I guess I ne..."

Both Sandy. I try to make around 2 hours a day to read. Longer would be nicer though.

Paul wrote: "Great list Ruth.

I do make time to read Becky"

Thanks Paul. I still need to fill in some gaps. Hunting them out is part of the fun :). You are well ahead. Well done.

Well I've tried twice now to read The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer and I just cannot get into it, so I am replacing it with Trieste and The Meaning of Nowhere by Jan Morris

I would like to do this challenge, I will post my list once I get them in order. I would like to do them in a pattern instead of in alphabetical order if that's okay.
Here is my ordering:
✔E: Angelfall by Susan Ee finished 07/14/17
✔J: Silent Thunder by Iris Johansen finished 06/14/17
✔S: A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton finished 11/19/17
V:
✔R: Doctor Who: Twelve Doctors of Christmas by Jacqueline Rayner finished 07/11/17
✔W: The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware finished 07/09/17
✔F: Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder by Joanne Fluke finished 06/25/17

Q:
✔A: The Absent One by Jussi Adler-Olsen finished 06/12/17
✔H: Hexed by Michelle Krys finished 08/13/17
✔P: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs finished 10/07/17
✔Y: You by Caroline Kepnes finished 07/08/17
✔D: Sophie and the Sibyl: A Victorian Romance by Patricia Duncker b> finished 07/08/17

✔B: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares finished 06/10/17
Z: The Zahir by Paulo Coelho
✔G: Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier finished 08/23/17
✔K: Nothing but Ghosts by Beth Kephart finished 10/08/17

X: Marco Polo: From Venice to Xanadu by Laurence Bergreen
✔N: The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman finished 10/20/17
✔O: Killing the Rising Sun: How America Vanquished World War II Japan by Bill O'Reilly finished 06/11/17

✔T: The Last Fish Tale: The Fate of the Atlantic & Survival in Gloucester, America's Oldest Fishing Port & Most Original Town by Mark Kurlansky finished 09/03/17
✔I: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins finished 10/16/17
U: Rabbit, Run by John Updike

✔M: The North Water by Ian McGuirefinished 10/14/17

✔C: Raven Black by Ann Cleeves finished 08/05/17

✔L: 300 Days of Sun by Deborah Lawrenson finished 08/14/17