Reading with Style discussion

I guess i am confused, how does Richard Sharpe make 2 characters?
And yes, he is in all of them and I am hooked on that series

A. is first name - Richard
B. is last name - Sharpe

So there are 2 books for you from that series.

C. is same location - are all of the Sharpe series set in the same locale?

D. is same time period - are all of the Sharpe series set in the same time period?

E. Same author - this should be easy

F. At least one of the same MPG in the next book you want to read?

H. Same number of words - I haven't looked at that series, but how does the author title the works?

J. Does another RwS member also like this series? This might be another place for one of the series.

You are wonderful Elizabeth, thank you so much! I guess I was reading it all wrong! Haha, not surprising as I seem to do this a lot.
Sharpe books it is then and I will give it a go. I did not realize I could use the first and last name of the same character.

Yay, Joanne! The sub-challenges are usually the only place I can get a finisher's bonus, so I like to focus in on them.

And I'm also taking advantage this season for indulging in a series via the sub-challenge.

Lots of extra points awarded as I finalized the Fall scores.

The final Fall 2024 readerboard is now posted. Please let me know if you see any trouble (but first, go check the completed task thread for lots of modifications).

I think the 'Member's Lottery' is a fun new addition to the 10.1 roster!

Valerie wrote: "I think the 'Member's Lottery' is a fun new addition to the 10.1 roster!"

And I won the first Lottery :) ! I've sent off a suggestion to Anika, hopefully it will be something y'all enjoy.

Everybody has unique reading tastes. I've always enjoyed books that take me someplace completely different from my life. When I was a teenager, my two favorite novels (which I read more than once) were War and Peace and Dune. Over the past few years I've done buddy reads of both novels with my academically-inclined younger son. (He still prefers Fyodor Dostoevsky over Leo Tolstoy LOL)

I also read what I call waiting-room books (mainly mysteries), the ones that I can still hear my name called by the nurse while I'm reading it. And the occasional best seller. And narrative non-fiction, the kind of non-fiction aimed at the 'educated layman' about real people and real events. Mainly though I like literary fiction and also the science fiction - fantasy -horror genre.

All the Winter 24/25 Tasks are now posted. There may still be a tweak or two based on questions, but the tasks are all listed.

Happy reading!

Is there a way you can look up books published in a specific month without having to go through a bunch of listopias?

Month or Year?

Thanks I will try that.

I wasn't making any suggestions. I was asking whether you were trying to find books published in a certain month or instead, in a certain year. We don't have a task this season about books published in a certain month (I don't think we ever have had such a task), but we do have one for certain years.

Wikipedia has lists of books published by year:

For example:

2015 in Literature

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2015_in...

Goodreads seems to have removed the link for listopias Best By Date, but it seems the lists still exist. I do note that going back to January 2008, there are lists by month.

https://www.goodreads.com/list/best_b...

Just sent to me …

The number of books I have is nothing compared to the books I don’t have.

Let’s just keep things in perspective here people.

The problem is, I keep reading from the “don’t have” pile instead of the “have” pile! 🤣🤣

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Just sent to me …

The number of books I have is nothing compared to the books I don’t have.

Let’s just keep things in perspective here people."


Ha, ha...... I like that way of looking at 'the problem'.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I wasn't making any suggestions. I was asking whether you were trying to find books published in a certain month or instead, in a certain year. We don't have a task this season about books publishe..."

It wasn't for this group. I was looking for books published in December. I found one.

Thanks Elizabeth, for keeping me on the straight and narrow for Amelia! (still had to hunt for this link just now.... ha, ha)

Goodreads has an importer that has messed up the database all over the place. It gets used books from Amazon and Amazon allows the booksellers to enter titles every which way. I still do some librarian work here and there but not hundreds every day like I used to.

Anyway, you're welcome. It's the mess they've created that makes things harder to find.

Hope everyone has had/is having a wonderful Christmas. 8 new books on my shelves, going to have to give up my affair with the library for awhile!

Apple wrote: "Hope everyone has had/is having a wonderful Christmas. 8 new books on my shelves, going to have to give up my affair with the library for awhile!"

Merry Christmas, Apple! 8 new books is quite a haul - Santa must know you well..... ha, ha...!

I hope everyone has a very nice Christmas and New Year!

Happiest Holiday to one and all!

Apple, I am sure there is a book in that pile to help with your goal of traveling the world!

And with the winter challenge!

Merry Christmas and Happy new year!

And now that that sun has officially set:
Happy Hanukkah!

Thank you, Apple for the lead for the graphic book, Radical: My Year with a Socialist Senator. I have not been drawn to graphic books and have been frustrated trying to read one aloud to my grandkids. But this was interesting and the art added to the story. It was interesting to “see” the people in the room and to “see” the body language of the participants, especially in some tense exchanges.

Oh yay! I am glad you enjoyed it!

I used to be anti graphic novels, but I have tried hard to be broad in my reading of them. The first one I liked was a biography of Patricia Highsmith, so I came to understand that they can be a lot more than what I had thought they were

Does anyone else here use Libib? I just found it and know that a part of my holiday is going to be spent scanning all my books into it 😁

Never heard of it Apple, but I will spend time looking at it😉

I use Goodreads for my own books. (They don't circulate.)

Apple wrote: "Oh yay! I am glad you enjoyed it!

I used to be anti graphic novels, but I have tried hard to be broad in my reading of them. The first one I liked was a biography of Patricia Highsmith, so I came ..."

I'm also really glad about the task. I hadn't read any graphic works in a while, so I was looking for and found a classic comic It Was the War of the Trenches by Jacques Tardi which was published by Fantagraphics in Seattle where my son worked just out of college. It turns out his name is in the credits for some of the print work! The drawings really capture the emotional intensity of WWI, too.

One of the nice things about using Goodreads is the ability to easily export to a spreadsheet. There you can do searches or combines that you can't do on the website.

As to graphic novels, I'm one who doesn't get pictures. My husband showed me something this morning in the Sunday funnies (we don't get a Sunday paper) and I didn't laugh, much to his disappointment. It wasn't just the humor, I focused on the wrong things. Give me words, words, words! (There must be a reason the first word in the group name is Reading.)

We're all getting older, but I'm looking 80 in the eye in 2025, and so I'm ever more conscious of making sure I keep my brain active and that I don't lose it. So I was delighted this morning to read that reading helps the brain stay active and keeps it making new connections.

Hurray for reading!

My mom turned 70 this year.

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "We're all getting older, but I'm looking 80 in the eye in 2025, and so I'm ever more conscious of making sure I keep my brain active and that I don't lose it. So I was delighted this morning to rea..."

You are not alone Elizabeth, I will be 69 in 2025 and I am doing my best (which is not great as I have a lot of physical limitations, due to having all sorts of "wonderful" titanium and screws in my body) to keep both the mind and body active. I do not get pictures either. A friend sends me all sorts of gifs and funnies on my phone. Most time it takes minutes and minutes to even get the joke.

I have a funny joke about gifs. My sister's friend asked if she liked gifs. My sister said It was hard, she never knew what to get them. My sister thought she meant gifts, not gifs. :)

Jayme(theghostreader) wrote: "I have a funny joke about gifs. My sister's friend asked if she liked gifs. My sister said It was hard she never knew what to get them. My sister thought she meant gifts, not gifs. :)"

🤣🤣🤣

I have created a new Listopia. I'd love to see your input.

Novels by US Authors with a non-US Setting

(Please note: no space travel)

Happy New Year, everyone. May your 2025 be filled with Good Reads!

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "I have created a new Listopia. I'd love to see your input.

Novels by US Authors with a non-US Setting

(Please note: no space travel)"

I can recommend The Invisible Bridge

I an just half way through it and and know it will be at least 4 star

Thanks, Joanne. Would you add it to the list, please?

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "Thanks, Joanne. Would you add it to the list, please?"

I think it was already there, so I voted for it

Elizabeth, I am sure I have a lot more, should I just add them? Two groups I am in are doing "around the world" type challenges this year

That one by Julie Orringer isn't already on the list. Yes, please add them, as you see them or think to do so.

This idea occurred to me as a possible future task. I don't do tasks like I used to, but it's hard for me to stop that part of my brain from working. 😉

Elizabeth (Alaska) wrote: "That one by Julie Orringer isn't already on the list. Yes, please add them, as you see them or think to do so.

This idea occurred to me as a possible future task. I don't do tasks like I used to, ..."

Haha, I get it. One of my goals this year is to read whatever I want to read, the hell with the challenges. But not even the NY and I am already obsessed with:" is it going to fit some where!" I have had this Orringer book on my TBR since 2018, and ignored because there was so much chatter about it. I am glad I finally let that go, because it is a joy to pick up every night.

Haha, I think you are not the only one. I was feeling that way before the Winter tasks were announced. I have more possibles this season than I've had for many seasons. (And I note, it was last season I wanted to last an extra month!)

Happy New Year, my RwS friends! :)

This year will be interesting in reading for me, as I am setting out on the gargantuan task of reading The Tale of Genji! We will see how it goes.

On the personal front it will be interesting as well, because Scott is retiring in April. It is an interesting time in our lives and gives one a lot to think about.

Happy new year

Valerie wrote: "Happy New Year, my RwS friends! :)

This year will be interesting in reading for me, as I am setting out on the gargantuan task of reading The Tale of Genji! We will see how it goes. "

Fascinating. Please keep us posted on your progress!

Valerie, you are right about Scott's retirement. It will be a new and very different experience for both of you! Congratulations to him on reaching this milestone in life!

Retirement is wonderful, Valerie! I hope Scott enjoys it, and you both have a great year in 2025.