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

It's time to have an adventure! Let's go spend some time with Alice and her friends in Wonderland. The toppler will be held from 12noon on Saturday, August 15th to 12noon on Sunday, August 16th ET. Who will you be be spending your time with? Check out the character tasks below to find out.

Countdown to the toppler!

Characters:
Alice - Read a book with a main character or author named Alice.
The White Rabbit - Read a book with a rabbit on the cover.
The Queen of Hearts - Read a book with "queen" in the title.
The King of Hearts - Read a book with "king" in the title.
The Cheshire Cat - Read a book with a cat on the cover.
The Duchess - Read a book with a main character that suffers from mental illness.
The Caterpillar - Read a book with a caterpillar or mushroom on the cover.
The Mad Hatter - Read a book with a hat on the cover.
The March Hare - Read a book with a teacup on the cover.
The Dormouse - Read a book with a mouse on the cover.
The Gryphon - Read a book with a main page genre of mythology.
The Mock Turtle - Read a book with a cow or turtle on the cover.
Alice’s sister - Read a book with siblings as the main characters.
The Knave of Hearts - Read a book with a main character that is a thief.
The Mouse - Read a book with a main page genre of horror.
The Dodo - Read a book with a main character that is a politician.
The Duck, the Lory, and the Eaglet - Read a book with a bird on the cover.
The Cook - Read a book with a main character that is a chef or baker.
The Pigeon - Read a book where the main character is a mother.
Two, Five, and Seven - Read a book that is number Two, Five, or Seven in a series.
Bill - Read a book with a main character or author named Bill.
The Frog-Footman - Read a book with a frog on the cover.

*Cover items should be prominent.

Rules:
1. Books must be started and finished in the specified time period to qualify.
2. You may read any format - paperback, hardcover, ebook, or audiobook.
3. Each book must be at least 175 pages, based on the version you are reading. For audiobooks & ebooks use the page numbers for the first physical edition that comes up on the GR page. If there is no physical edition to confirm page length, audiobooks over 6 hours will qualify as will ebooks over 200 pages.
4. Graphic novels do not count.

**In order to receive a badge, you will need to report with your WoF name in the reporting thread here.

Toppler books can count toward the group theme read and/or the monthly or yearly challenge, if they qualify.

If you are sharing your reads on social media, you can let us know what you are reading by adding #tbrtoppler.

Oh Alice in Wonderland is my *thing*!! Awesome!!
Off to gopher, madly.

Rusalka wrote: "Oh Alice in Wonderland is my *thing*!! Awesome!!
Off to gopher, madly."

This made me smile, madly! :)

I can hardly believe it, I have books already planned that fit this perfectly:

Still Alice
The Cheshire Cat's Eye
The Turtle of Oman
Murder With Puffins

Would you believe Tearoom for Two and For All the Tea in China do not have teacups on the cover?

BY-THE-WAY, I LOVE YOUR BANNER!

Thanks, Almeta! I loved that banner too. Glad you have a couple that fit already! I'm not sure yet what I'll be going with. Teapots... I didn't even think of those!

Oh my oh my I'm so excited tho I still don't know what to read!!

Well, I know what I want to read but I’m not sure I can get any of them done in time. 🧐

I have several that fit the toppler theme but are all too short, three of them by mere pages. 😪

I will be searching my library site looking for a shorter book that can fit the toppler criteria and my available trivia challenge tasks. 😉

I think I'm going to go with either Mischief in Mudbug (I could use a less serious read) or Nuts (fits the monthly challenge) or possibly Mustard Seed because I want to catch up on the series, but I'm not sure I'm up for it right now.

I'm thinking the The Family Law for siblings. Ben is the middle child of 5. In the tv series, the siblings were very prominent characters, so I believe they will be in the book too.

Rusalka wrote: "I'm thinking the The Family Law for siblings. Ben is the middle child of 5. In the tv series, the siblings were very prominent characters, so I believe they will be in the book too."

It sounds like it's all about his family, so I'd guess they'd be in it a lot too. I don't think I've ever heard of this TV show, unless it's called something else. It looks like it will be an interesting and funny read.

Oh it's brilliant! It's called The Family Law, it's three series and goes beyond the book. It's written by Ben Law and a writers team, and the actors and the family hung out heaps so you sometimes missed who was real family and tv family (one of the actors dated one of the sisters too... you know). It was also the only Australian series to have 80% of the cast as non white. And funny.

I saw Ben Law years and years ago as like a 25 year old PhD student on our talkback tv show Q&A talking about how homosexuality was just not talked about in Asia resulting in massive public health and sexuality problems. I thought he was interesting and really knowledgable. He's a freelancer who does pretty much everything now. His twitter is great, his instagram sometimes has naked butts, and he does a weekly pop culture show on our national radio channel (ABC Radio National) called Stop Everything.

It sounds great, Rus. I don't think it's available in the US.

Super! Gophering is just what the doctor ordered!

I will be spending my time with two, five, and seven of spades. I have quite a few #2 in series I want to read. The big question is, Can I finish any of them? lol. I am trying to decide between A Monstrous Regiment of Women and Lab Rat One.

Christina wrote: "I will be spending my time with two, five, and seven of spades. I have quite a few #2 in series I want to read. The big question is, Can I finish any of them? lol. I am trying to decide between..."

I was just debating that myself. I have a 5th in series, Age of Death. It's a 14 hour audiobook which is a little longer than I usually go for in a toppler.

Would an author's name spelled as Alys still count for Alice?

Christina wrote: "I will be spending my time with two, five, and seven of spades. I have quite a few #2 in series I want to read. The big question is, Can I finish any of them? lol. I am trying to decide between [bo..."

Nice choice Christina! I also have #2 and #7 I want to read and since it's a children book I hope I can finish one

Kristie wrote: "It sounds great, Rus. I don't think it's available in the US."

Ah but VPNs are, and then you access SBS On Demand and there are three seasons in English and Cantonese for your perusal ;)
https://www.sbs.com.au/ondemand/video...

Lauri wrote: "Would an author's name spelled as Alys still count for Alice?"

I'm going to have to say no. My daughter's name is Alyssa and we use Alys as a nickname, so I think we will keep it to just "Alice."

Ayacchi wrote: "Nice choice Christina! I also have #2 and #7 I want to read and since it's a children book I hope I can finish one."

Ayacchi - Just make sure that if you choose a children's book it is at least 175 pages long and doesn't have a bunch of pictures. You need 175 pages of mostly writing.

Rusalka wrote: "Kristie wrote: "It sounds great, Rus. I don't think it's available in the US."

Ah but VPNs are, and then you access SBS On Demand and there are three seasons in English and Cantonese for your perusal ;)"

Oh you're so sneaky! (I love it!) lol I'll have to check it out. :)

Kristie wrote: "Ayacchi - Just make sure that if you choose a children's book i..."

Got it! Also, can we read the original Alice, retelling, and such?

Ayacchi wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Ayacchi - Just make sure that if you choose a children's book i..."

Got it! Also, can we read the original Alice, retelling, and such?"

Those should fall into the Alice task - "Read a book with a main character or author named Alice." That is assuming the retelling doesn't change the MC's name. If they do change her name, you just have to see if it fits another task.

Again, just make sure the version you read meets the page requirements. The original Alice's Adventures in Wonderland would be too short, but there are combined versions that include Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass that might work. I'm not sure how long they are together taking pictures into consideration.

Awesome! I plan to read If It Bleeds by Stephen King which has a cat on the cover for the Cheshire Cat Category. 447 Pages

Kristie wrote: "Oh you're so sneaky! (I love it!) lol I'll have to check it out. :)"

Hah! Not just sneaky!

I live in a world previously controlled by it's geography and now run by the Rupert Murdoch empire, both of which have restricted our media consumption sometimes with a delay of 2 years or a cost 3 times those of people in the US or Europe. We are resourceful people!!

Rusalka wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Oh you're so sneaky! (I love it!) lol I'll have to check it out. :)"

Hah! Not just sneaky!

I live in a world previously controlled by it's geography and now run by the Rupert Mur..."

Try living in my little corner of Europe Rus, it sounds similar. I can drive 80 miles across the boarder and suddenly a wealth of books, audio and tv would be available (if I bought a house and opened a bank acct), it sucks 😠

I’m reading The Hidden Oracle.

I just looked at my series list. I have ten #2 books that need to be read. There are probably more, I just haven't listed all of them yet.

Kristie wrote: "Those should fall into the Alice task - "Read a book with a main character or author named Alice." That is assuming the retelling doesn't change the MC's name. If they do change her name, you just have to see if it fits another task ..."

Thanks Kristie! I'll make sure it fits the page requirement and all

This a great theme Kristie! I've commented on this thread thinking it was your reading thread and that I'd never noticed your cool AIW theme LOLOL

Margo wrote: "This a great theme Kristie! I've commented on this thread thinking it was your reading thread and that I'd never noticed your cool AIW theme LOLOL"

lol, Margo! Now you've given me an idea to upgrade my personal thread next year. :)

I'm going to re-read Blackie: an Inspirational Love Story about a Writer and his Battle to Save his Pet Cat That was such an emotional book.

I'm going to try for 2 books. Both are short and sweet (I hope). - Nuts on audiobook, and The Penelopiad on ebook.

I am going to read Prodigy for the "Two, Five, and Seven - Read a book that is number Two, Five, or Seven in a series" task. I have just finished the first book in the series. I also have another #2 book available, Lethal Bayou Beauty. It has been in my Nook library for a long time.

I loved both of those books, Cherie.

I am going to start with Nuts by Alice Clayton. Mischief in Mudbug is my second choice. I've been going back and forth between the two of them, but I can use Nuts for the monthly challenge. I will definitely need to wear my earbuds. I hope I'm not blushing all day long. lol

Kristie wrote: "I loved both of those books, Cherie.

I am going to start with Nuts by Alice Clayton. Mischief in Mudbug is my second choice. I've been going back a..."

LOL! I hear you on that one. My grandson was staying with me post surgery. (Grandma needs a babysitter.) We decided I'd be okay now on my own so I've released him from his bondage. Now, I can listen without embarrassment.

I was listening to an audiobook with steamy scenes at my dad's place one time. Even though I had my earphones on, I was embarrassed. I felt like a teenager caught doing something naughty.

lol! Exactly, Janice. My grandson is here and he is 11. I will be embarrassed even though he can't hear it. I'll have to have my hubby take him out of the house for a while. haha

I read a sex scene on a train in Singapore once. I was so incredibly embarrassed. And I was thinking "What is the rules on censorship here? I know homosexuality is ignored but illegal, durians are banned on trains, chewing gum is forbidden (I accidentally brought a packet with me), but what about sex in books? Are people looking at me?"

Lexx was on the otherside of the carriage pissing himself at me. He had no idea what was going on but just saw me go into extreme social taboo mode. Arsehole.

ROFL!

The fruit "durian" is banned on train? Do you know why Rusalka? I'm intrigued!

Haha, Rusalka! I googled that a durian (I didn't know what that was) has a rotten smell. Maybe because of that it is forbidden on a train?

Saar The Book owl wrote: "Haha, Rusalka! I googled that a durian (I didn't know what that was) has a rotten smell. Maybe because of that it is forbidden on a train?"

Yes, because of the smell.

If anyone is looking for

Alice - Read a book with a main character or author named Alice.

I recommend the The Color Purple
and Still Alice

Lol! That's too funny, Rus!

Thanks Pragya :)

It's also a really strong and lingering smell. It's a pretty interesting fruit, nothing like European fruits at all. I'd recommend trying it if you ever see it in Sub Continent/South East Asian shops/restaurants. It's a Vegemite one... you'll love it or hate it.

I have whittled down my super long gophered list to 5 books.
Anyone read these/ would recommend?

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness - mental illness
Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant : Confessions of Cooking for One and Dining Alone - chef
The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog: And Other Stories from a Child Psychiatrist's Notebook - mental illness
What She Left Behind - need to check with Kristie about hat on the cover.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles - teacup cover

Pragya wrote: "I have whittled down my super long gophered list to 5 books.
Anyone read these/ would recommend?

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness - mental illness ..."

I read The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog and thought it was really interesting. Here's my short review.

I don't see a hat at all on the cover of What She Left Behind that you linked. If that's the edition you have, then it won't work. If you have this edition, , then it will work.

The edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles with the teacup on the cover is only 121 pages long, so it won't work unfortunately.

Kristie wrote: "Pragya wrote: "I have whittled down my super long gophered list to 5 books.
Anyone read these/ would recommend?

The Quiet Room: A Journey Out of the Torment of Madness - mental illne..."

Thanks, Kristie. The Boy.. sounds right up my alley going by your review.

Oh yes, that's the cover I have for What she left behind. Sorry, in hindsight, I should have linked the bookcovers.

My kindle edition of The mysterious affair.. has 178 pages. This one
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
Sorry it doesn't show up in the add book feature.

That’s a really pretty cover, Pragya. Unfortunately, for Kindle versions you need to use the first physical copy that comes up, which is 121 pages. Kindle page counts aren’t always accurate.

Kristie wrote: "That’s a really pretty cover, Pragya. Unfortunately, for Kindle versions you need to use the first physical copy that comes up, which is 121 pages. Kindle page counts aren’t always accurate."

Ah I see. Thanks, Kristie.