Book Loving Kiwis discussion

This is our final monthly challenge for 2014 and it's designed to help clear a few books from your TBR and discover new books from those in the group and if you've never played, here are the rules:

Directions:

1. When you sign up pick 3 books you want to be included in the "book pool."

2. You can pick any book as long as they've been released before the challenge has started. Please no duplicates.

3. Once the challenge starts you will read books from the "pool."

4. At the end of the month whoever read the most books from the pool is the champion of that month!

Have fun!

The challenge begins on December 1st.
To claim points, please don't start your books from the pool until then!

You can sign up and add books until November 31st. After that, you can join in anytime (just without adding books).

POOL:


Participants
Andrea: 1
Carol: 3
Darkpool: 5
Erica: 5
Kathleen: 13
P.d.r: 1
Sharlene: 1
Sweet-p1: 3

My picks are:
and one more...

Gotcha! 3 coming up. Will be hard to choose ones I can get at the library.

oooh I'll join, this will be fun. Books I chose for the pool are:
On the Beach by Nevil Shute
Looking for Alaska by John Green and
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff

Tom Fleck for one - that is going to be a great read.

I see a couple already that I'm keen to read based on their bios. My picks would be
Ghost Road Blues by Jonathan Maberry
Angelfall by Susan Ee
The Peripheral by William Gibson

Tom Fleck
Cloud Atlas
and
Half of the Human Race

My three please.

Birdsong Birdsong
War of the Shadows War of the Shadows
Tomorrow, When the War Began Tomorrow when the war began

OK, I think I'm in...
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Fleur De Lis by Isolde Martyn
The Writing Class by Stephanie Johnson
(although with the rate I read and my propensity for being distracted, I doubt I'll get more than 1 or 2 read in total!)

I'm keen!

By Bret Easton Ellis

by Sarah Dunant

I'll add the third one nearer the time.

P.d.r. wrote: "Tom Fleck
Cloud Atlas
and
Half of the Human Race

My three please."
Hi Pdr, can you tell me the author for Cloud Atlas. Need to make sure I add the right one to the Bookpool

Oooh! They look so enticing all together in message 2! And so many that I want to read :-)

David Mitchell wrote Cloud Atlas. I am sorry I can't do this book cover thing.

Ah, nice one. Thank you, Kathleen.

Thanks Kathleen, will add it to message 2 when I'm next on my laptop.

REMINDER: You have until 30 November to add 3 books to the book pool for December reads.

You can sign up after this date but will not be eligible to add to the pool.

Hi Kathleen (or any other librarian) I looked up The Food Detective & the cover art is wrong. :)
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

I'm leaving my third one till the last possible minute. If I can't get the library book I want, I have one on my bedside cabinet.

Ok I think i've caught up with all these messages. if I've missed anything please let me know.

Carol & I still need to add a book.

Remember

- You have until 30 NOVEMBER to add books to the Pool.
- Maximum of 3 per participant.
- If you join 1 Dec or later, you can not add a book but you can read as many as you can from the Pool/

Hi Sharlene I wanted to add a Kiwi book, but my daughter loaned me this one & I really should return it

by Patrick DeWitt.

I'll just mention that I've already read 84 Charing Cross Road - & it was delightful. :)

& I've picked up the Writing Class from my library. I'm intending to start with that! :)

I've picked up 84 Charing Cross Road, Half of the Human Race and Transgressions. I've got On The Beach on my home bookshelf.
I wanted to get Looking For Alaska out from the libs but it's too popular! might have to put it on reserve.

Ridiculously excited by the challenge. I've been writing lists of which books I want to read first, and reordering them every few days. (did I hear someone say "should get out more?" lol) I have Tomorrow When the War Began waiting for me to collect from the library, so I think I'll start with that. 2 others are "in transit" from other branches.

I've already read Tomorrow When the War Began and Birdsong a few years back so I won't be reading those two. But i've been doing the same Darkpool...don't know which ones to start with, but I'll probably try read my picks first haha to get them off my tbr list :)

I'm super excited too!
Like Erica and Kathleen I've already read Tomorrow, When the War Began, was part of an English class back when I was in High School...many moons ago.
I've got the 3 I submitted plus Cinder, Hunting Lila, Cloud Atlas and On the Beach sitting on my dresser....a good start...

I've read six. Which do you think I should start with everyone. I am so busy I need a direction so I can just get the library to send it to me!!

Carol concerts start on the 12th and I'm still learning parts! End of month deadlines doubled over christmas.

My contribution to the December Book Pool will be -

I'm going to start with Angelfall I think. My favourite reviewer gave it 5stars and I usually agree with her assessments.

I have read Cinder (and the next books in the series) and really (really) enjoyed them.
I was part way through Never Sky but hated it and DNF

Okay, will start with Aphrodite's Hat. It sounds interesting. Chase it up at the library.

My first book I've knocked off today...was super quick and easy, I hadn't realised it was so short!

I'll add to my list in this post.

1. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
2. Looking for Alaska by John Green
3. On The Beach by Nevil Shute

Notes to myself
Transgressions - mgto
The writing class - kw
Fleur de lis - manga
Half the human race - darg (rental)
44 scotland street - darg, mang, pap
Cloud atlas - mang, darg

Lila books $5 on kindle for both

Well done Erica!

Sweetp-1 wrote: "Notes to myself
Transgressions - mgto
The writing class - kw
Fleur de lis - manga
Half the human race - darg (rental)
44 scotland street - darg, mang, pap
Cloud atlas - mang, darg
"

Well as long as that note makes sense to you, Sweetp-1! :D

I've started The Writing Class. It's very late last century in style, but that's ok with me. :)

Just to remind everyone that hasn't been grouped with the other books yet, but is part of the challenge. I will read that as soon as I've finished The Writing Class. I'm going to request Fleur de Lys from another library. :)

hehe they are which local library in our library network has copies so I dont have to look them all up again. I doubt I will get more than 1 or 2 read though so its a bit of a moot point.

Got Aphrodite's Hat. Not sure what to think.
Also Got Cloud Atlas.

Finished A's Hat. A pleasant read but nothing to write home about.

I've finished the Writing Class. Hmmm. Very good ending.I have a few problems with the book, so I'm trying to think of how to word my review.

I'm going to reread the Rosie Project before I go on to The Sisters Brothers. & I'm going to place a request for Fleur de Lis.

I've just had a look at Cinder. It's a very different read for me, but that's the idea of this challenge! & my library has it. Added to my list.

Looks like I was a bit late and my selection of books has not made it into the Pool after all, so I've withdrawn them.

Enjoy your reads. :)

Ella's Gran wrote: "Looks like I was a bit late and my selection of books has not made it into the Pool after all, so I've withdrawn them.

Enjoy your reads. :)"

Sorry! You were not late. I was just slack. If you wanna add them back in, post them up & I will include them.

Congrats to those who have managed to snag a few titles from the library.

Happy Reading everyone!

Thank you Lesley for bringing the Tom Fleck into my ken. It has been a slow read as it is on my reader and I rarely get to use the reader. But I am enjoying it very much!

***Carol*** wrote: "I've just had a look at Cinder. It's a very different read for me, but that's the idea of this challenge! & my library has it. Added to my list."

In November I finished the first 3 of the Lunar Chronicles and Loved them. Its a futuristic/automaton take on fairy tales. I thought it was a trilogy but now I'm waiting for the next book!

P.d.r. wrote: "Thank you Lesley for bringing the Tom Fleck into my ken. It has been a slow read as it is on my reader and I rarely get to use the reader. But I am enjoying it very much!"

Pleased you are enjoying it p.d.r. I found it a wonderful read and very true to the time setting and dialect of the region. It has had a great review on HNS
http://historicalnovelsociety.org/rev...

I've got Cinder, Transgressions & The Sisters Brothers on the bed with me. I'm still thinking I'm going to start with The Sisters Brothers as it has humour albeit dark humour.

Just knocked off Looking for Alaska, added it to the list on my earlier comment (message 35). I really enjoyed it! Gave it 5*

Next up...On the Beach by Nevil Shute.

I decided to go with The Sisters Brothers.

I'll make this my ratings thread.

1 The Writing Class finished 4/12. 3* (would have given 3.5 if GR had half stars)
2 The Sister Brothers finished 9/12 5*
3 Cinder finished 13/12 4*

1. Angelfall. Really enjoyed it and am reading the second book now.

Woot! Finally finished the books hanging over from the end of November and stuck my feet in the pool! Starting small:
Finished
1. 84, Charing Cross Road. Totally delighted with this. Listened to the audiobook version narrated by Juliet Stephenson and John Nettles. (read 3/12 - 7/12)
2. Looking for Alaska (read 7/12 - 13/12). Another audiobook. Enjoyed this very much; excellent narration by Jeff Woodman.
3. Tomorrow when the war began (read 1/12 - 14/12)
4. On the Beach (read 14/12 - 26/12).
5. Fleur de Lis (started 14/12 - 25/12)

in progress
44 Scotland st (started 27/12, unlikely to finish before the end of the month, but enjoying very much)

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE
Could you number the books as you read them so I can keep up with all the comments :) Cheers everyone! You're doing great!

Example:
#1 Looking for Alaska finished 8/12

Do you want them all in one post (like Erica has done in post #35, and I'm intending to do in post #55 above)?

1. Tom Fleck finished
2. Cloud Atlas -struggling with!
3.