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

December 2021 Monthly Challenge - Dip Your Toes in the Water



This roadside attraction is the Nk'Mip Man and Horse, Osoyoos, British Columbia, Canada. The challenge this month will be an appetizer for the 2022 Challenge, YLTO Goes on a Road Trip. This particular site will start us off in the western most province of Canada and then we will wend our way through Canada, USA, Australia, and Europe.

The challenge for December will be to pick one of the three tasks below and read a book that will fit the task.

1. Location: Osoyoos, British Columbia - The origin of the name Osoyoos was the word sẁiẁs (pronounced "soo-yoos") meaning "narrowing of the waters" in the local Okanagan language (Syilx'tsn). The "O-" prefix is not indigenous in origin and was attached by settler-promoters wanting to harmonize the name with other place names beginning with O in the Okanagan region (Oliver, Omak, Oroville, Okanogan).
Read a book where the author's last name begins with O and an apostrophe such as "O'Hara, O'Malley", OR, read a book where the first word of the title begins with "O", and not preceded by an article.

2. About: The Nk'Mip Desert Cultural Centre is a great place to visit. Nk'Mip Man and Horse is a great sculpture that sits on a very large rock. Arms stretched high holding a spear; he welcomes visitors to the centre.
Read a book with a spear on the cover or the word is in the title.

3. Souvenir: Feather - The Nik'mip Man and Horse are adorned with feathers.
Read a book with one or more feathers on the cover. They may not be attached to a bird, though they may be disembodied feathers or attached to a headdress, a horse mane, a tomahawk, or some other article. If attached to something, they must be an adornment.

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Challenge.
3. The book must be read between December 1 and December 31, 2021 (based on your local time zone).
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
5. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.

In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover or paperback edition to determine page length. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide. If reading an ebook and there is no paper edition, the ebook book must be at least 250 pages. If reading an audiobook and there is no paper edition, your book must be a minimum of 6 hours long.

Report your finished books in the reporting thread using your WoF name.
Which task you picked, how your book fit the task, and what you thought of it. Please be analytical in your presentation, and not just that you liked it or didn't. We want to know why.

I LOVE A ROAD TRIP!!!

*off to read the actual text now*

Also, please note that I haven't been checking GR all day to see if the challenge was posted, it's just a coincidence that I took a look and saw it 0 minutes after it was posted.

ROFL! Ummm-hmmmm. Okay.

I slept in this morning. I woke at 8:08 after sleeping almost 10 hours. First priority was getting this posted and now I have to eat and get to work.

Truly! Well, I have been checking all day but not every minute of the day. I worked too.

I do appreciate you posting it in your morning (instead of evening) :)

Fantastic! I love the challenge and I will love the yearly challenge if this is a peek of what is coming!

Peggy, Lol!

Just teasing Peggy. :)

Thank you Janice! It's evening for me already and I confess I've been checking on and off all day too!
Looking forward to the Road Trip!

Haha, I know Janice :)

I love a road trip! I have to say when you mentioned changing your avatar (in another thread) to go along with the new Yearlong, I took a peek at your profile and saw Nk'Mip Man and Horse, but for the life of me I couldn't figure out what the theme would be. This is going to be fun.

I'm off to work, and I'll quickly post that I'm going to go with the task for location and read Oracle, narrated by one of my favourite actors, Joshua Jackson. Bonus, it's one of the Audible Plus books so free. Woot!

Some quick gophering for the first task revealed tons of books. I also have my first audible credit still available for use, so I checked my wishlist as well.

The ones that at this moment appeal most to me:
Oryx and Crake - I own this as a paperback so it will take a book from my real shelves. But what if I need a science fiction book next year? I don't have many of those as it isn't my usual genre.
The Road Trip by Beth O'Leary - Don't own this one. And what if I need a car on the cover? That's never an easy task to fill!
Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell - Don't own this one either but can't think of any 'what if's' that I couldn't also quite easily fill with other books. This might be a good choice.

I also own On the Road which seems very appropriate for this challenge but I really don't know if I want to read it. I'm afraid it will be a struggle.

The first book that came to mind was Only Time Will Tell. It's been in my kindle for ever, but I am not sure I want to start another series right now.

Another option is Out of the Silence: After the Crash, which is 178 page long, so very convenient for this busy time of the year.

And last, I have been planing to read something by Flannery O'Connor for ages. I might take a look at what my library has by her.

I going to put Lock 'N' Load by Tee O'Fallon on my December plans. It is a free book on kindle. That might change.. I have found myself abandoning books more quickly these days.

Sandra wrote: "I have been planing to read something by Flannery O'Connor for ages. I might take a look at what my library has by her."

My library has The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor which sounds really good.

Decisions, decisions...

Ooh, great challenge and great avatar Janice! I'm not a fan of real read trips (I don't like to cooped up in a vehicle for too long) so some virtual sight seeing suits me perfectly ;-)

So excited about what is to come at the weekend.

I have no spears or feathers on covers, no O' authors, so am going to pull up my big girl panties and go for Oliver Twist.

I love the “look” and all of the hints.

I have lots of choices for December’s challenge! I will have to gopher some more and make a decision after Thanksgiving. My pumpkin and apple pies are calling my attention…

I went on a traipse through the O's and already have quite an interesting selection to pick from . . . The Things They Carried, Island of the Blue Dolphins, When We Believed in Mermaids, The Flatshare, Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and Hamnet, now all I have to do is read just one lol

I have spent my entire morning gophering. Out of my choices (I have three) I think I'll read Open and Shut. Hopefully the All for the Game trilogy has knocked me out of my year long book slump.

Margo wrote: "Ooh, great challenge and great avatar Janice! I'm not a fan of real read trips (I don't like to cooped up in a vehicle for too long) so some virtual sight seeing suits me perfectly ;-)

So excited ..."

Hmmm - "not a fan of real read trips..." is that a Freudian slip since we go on read trips here and not real road trips. :)

Read trips is a great name for a challenge. I'm doing a personal US road trip challenge. I should change its name.

How about this one - it is on my TBR? Perhaps the feathers as depicted are too abstract.
We Are All Birds of Uganda

Janice, does the 'not attached to a bird' rule for feathers apply to other beings. I'm thinking angels, people, pegasus, etc. I think I've even seen a pig once. Is it more of a no wings rule or just no birds?

Peggy wrote: "Some quick gophering for the first task revealed tons of books. I also have my first audible credit still available for use, so I checked my wishlist as well.

The ones that at this moment appeal ..."

Thanks for reminding me of Beth O'Leary. How about a different book by the same author if you want to save the car cover? I enjoyed The Switch by her and she also has The Flatshare, which is highly rated. I was considering The Flatshare, but my library has about a 12 week wait for it, so I'm still looking. I am now considering The Road Trip myself.

Orlando, perhaps 🤔 or The Violent Bear It Away

Oh my gosh... just quickly going through my TBR and I have SO many options. I haven't even looked at covers.

My first thoughts are One Last Child or O Jerusalem.

I am also considering a feather book, but waiting on Janice's ruling.

Edit: O Jerusalem may be one to save for the yearly due to setting (location & time period). I'm glad we'll get to see the yearly challenge before I need to decide.

Peggy wrote: "Oryx and Crake - I own this as a paperback so it will take a book from my real shelves. But what if I need a science fiction book next year? I don't have many of those as it isn't my usual genre."

Well, if you enjoy it, there are two sequels. I just read The Year of the Flood for the yearly this year.

And if you don't I am sure we can help out if you need one :D

Yay! Road Trip! I got inordinately excited when I saw that Janice had changed her profile pic, lol :)

Sandra wrote: "Sandra wrote: "I have been planing to read something by Flannery O'Connor for ages. I might take a look at what my library has by her."

My library has The Violent Bear It Away by [aut..."

I think I am also going to go with a Flannery O'Connor. She is an author I have been meaning to read forever - I guess December will be the time! I think I am going to go with [book:Wise Blood|48467]

So.... I own One Last Child on Audible and really want to listen to it, but it is 16 hours long and that is probably too much to add to my reading list in December if I hope to finish the yearly challenge, especially when I will also need to add a toppler book. So, I came up with a few shorter options.

One Kick
Opal Fire
Open Season
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

Katrisa, Wise Blood was other of my options, but I ended requesting The violent bear it away.

Odette wrote: "How about this one - it is on my TBR? Perhaps the feathers as depicted are too abstract.
We Are All Birds of Uganda
"

Sorry, those don't look like feathers to me.

Kristie wrote: "Janice, does the 'not attached to a bird' rule for feathers apply to other beings. I'm thinking angels, people, pegasus, etc. I think I've even seen a pig once. Is it more of a no wings rule or jus..."

Good question. I want the feel of the headdress and adornment of objects rather than beings, so let's say that if attached to a body, they must be as an adornment.

Thanks, Janice. That will rule out my first feather book, but I have plenty of options.

Janice wrote: "Odette wrote: "How about this one - it is on my TBR? Perhaps the feathers as depicted are too abstract.
We Are All Birds of Uganda
"

..."

Thanks, Janice - thought so. Have got some titles starting with O on my list.

Rusalka wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Oryx and Crake - I own this as a paperback so it will take a book from my real shelves. But what if I need a science fiction book next year? I don't have many of those as it isn't my ..."

Good points, thanks! :D

Kristie wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Some quick gophering for the first task revealed tons of books. I also have my first audible credit still available for use, so I checked my wishlist as well.

The ones that at this ..."

I read both her other books :) I especially enjoyed The Flatshare. You should read it if you have the chance!

Janice - I love the new avatar!
On my iPod, in the mobile app, I can’t see anything under the picture posted but I got a pretty good idea of what to look for book wise. I have two Patrick O’Brian books on my Nook Tablet. I have to check them for page length though. I think I may have a couple of covers that may apply too, but I will look tomorrow. Earlier this evening, AmyK and I were talking about the challenge for next year. I will see her and the boys tomorrow.

Kristie - O Jerusalem was one of my favorite stories of the Mary Russell and SH series!!!

Janice wrote: "Margo wrote: "Ooh, great challenge and great avatar Janice! I'm not a fan of real read trips (I don't like to cooped up in a vehicle for too long) so some virtual sight seeing suits me perfectly ;-..."

Oops!!! It may well be a Freudian slip relating to my current slump LOL I'm relying in you to do your usual magic with the year long challenge to pull me out of it - so no pressure Janice 😁

Odette wrote: "How about this one - it is on my TBR? Perhaps the feathers as depicted are too abstract.
We Are All Birds of Uganda
"

Don't know about the feathers Odette but I can tell you you I loved that book. A good read but also I learned so much about Uganda.

Peggy wrote: "Oryx and Crake - I own this as a paperback so it will take a book from my real shelves. But what if I need a science fiction book next year? I don't have many of those as it isn't my usual genre. ..."

This waas a pick for my book club years ago. I loved it and went on to read the series and many other Attwood books but most couldn't get past the first chapter. It is very bleak but if you liked the way that The Handmaid's Tale was written, you should enjoy this.

Hm, not really looking for bleak at the moment. The world is bleak enough as it is with a new lockdown approaching and covid cases going through the roof. I read the handmaid's tale but if I remember correctly I wasn't so excited about the writing.. maybe I should skip this one for now :)

I listened to the sample for Hamnet and intrigued me, so I think I'll go for that.

I'm inclined to agree. I can't do bleak right no either. I'm not a "cosy read" person but I'm headed in that direction! I don't think I could even face Hamnet right no.

I've got a couple of more hopeful and positive reads lined up for December, so I think I can include one that's less happy.

Peggy wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Peggy wrote: "Some quick gophering for the first task revealed tons of books. I also have my first audible credit still available for use, so I checked my wishlist as well.

The on..."

Thanks, Peggy. I will get try to get to The Flatshare next year. Maybe I can fit that into the yearly challenge somewhere. :) I put a hold on The Road Trip in case I decide to use it for this challenge, so I can put a hold on the other once a space opens for me to do so. (We are only allowed so many holds.)

I think I will read Outlawed for the challenge. I am so excited for a road tri[p in 2022.

I'm going with One Boy, No Water. That beautiful avatar made me think of an indigenous theme.

Almeta wrote: "I'm going with One Boy, No Water. That beautiful avatar made me think of an indigenous theme."

Oh! I love the cover:


I might have to get it just for the cover...

I've got several books that qualify, but I'm looking at There There (feathers on the cover), Hamnet (feather on the cover), Bone Thief (author O'Callaghan), Out of the Easy (starts with "O"), or Old Man's War (starts with "O"). I had planned to read the last 2 for this year's challenge but never got to them. It'll all depend on which ones are available in December.