SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

Lu wrote: "@Carolien 10 - Read a book translated from French
"

Oh my word... good luck

Why, there are some great French books out there. I know because I had to read several for my highshool french. And then I am not even talking about some great French classics.

JUst sounds like a hard one to me... But yea, maybe there is something interesting around. lol

Maybe help Carolien out by giving some suggestions please Barbara?

I don't know if she needs any recommendations, because when I checked out what she likes to read I saw she has read quite a few mysteries and then it would be quite obvious what she should try. At least it is to me. There is a Belgian author called Georges Simenon. He wrote in French not Dutch as is also possible in Belgium. He is the creator of the detective Maigret. So that is at least the genre she likes and there are quite a few Maigret books out there and they are translated in English and when I checked they are available on BD.
Carolien, if you want to read something else and need recommendations let me know.

Lu wrote: "@Carolien 10 - Read a book translated from French

@Shannon 52 - Read a book where hands are prominent on the cover"

Thanks Lu - are these hands prominent enough?

Not that cover of the book no. But this cover of the book definitely:

Lu wrote: "Not that cover of the book no. But this cover of the book definitely:

"

Great, thanks Lu!

When asking for a new number I really didnt think about having an unfair advantage, or the fact that the challenge was about finding the books in the first place. Its just a bit of fun for me, I was about 97% through the book on my kindle and knew I would be finished reading it by the morning. I didnt want to have to wait for Lu to give me a number before starting to read a book, just thought Id give her chance to come online and assign a new number.

Anyways could I please have number 351 (hands have been severely slapped) :-)

BTW:Enjoyed the road, was a strange book but easy to read.

Lu said in message 187: 351 - Read the book that has been on your tbr list the longest.
I guess you missed it because of the question I asked.
I know, Emma, and I didn't want to accuse you of anything. It is just that I am obsessed by rules. If the rules say one thing and someone does something else, I begin to doubt myself if I have understood everything and I just think it is unfair. As a child I got in a lot of trouble with my teacher if they punished someone and I thought it was unfair because someone else did the deed that deserved punishment. I also didn't rat them out but I still would discuss the matter with the teacher who didn't appreciate that as you can understand. So it was more like me wanting to understand what was going on than of accusing you. I hope you understand that. I am so glad that you are back and participating again in challenges after the birth of your child (great profile picture by the way). I don't want to offend you or scare you off.

Ooh, I have to say I don't envy you that one Emma. I hate tasks where there's only one book you can read, even if you were the one who decided you wanted to read it. You're not always in the mood to read a particular book.

I was curious, and I see that you'll have to read One Hundred Years of Solitude. I've got that on my tbr pile too, but who knows when I'll get around to it...

For you again Emma :)

351 - Read the book that has been on your tbr list the longest.

Barbara wrote: "Lu said in message 187: 351 - Read the book that has been on your tbr list the longest.
I guess you missed it because of the question I asked.
I know, Emma, and I didn't want to accuse you of an..."

Hi Barbara, please dont worry, I wasnt upset. I know what you mean by having rules, its just I also didnt want people to think I was trying to have an unfair advantage by asking for the numbers beforehand, it wasnt my intention at all.

I am wishing now that I had updated my tbr list, as ther are some books on there that I would have deleted to be honest, and A hundred years of solitude would be one of them.

I don't envy you your task. I have the same problem with the year challenges with the about time you read that challenge. We needed for a challenge to have some books on that list ans so I put the ones that were easiest on there. At least easiest because I hade them laying around and now with that challegne I am stuck with a lot of biographies and hefty classics.

I know you weren't thinking of an unfair challenge when you asked for your number. You're not like that but some people might be. And it also a problem of myself sometimes because I read so fast, I feel sorry for the people who read slower. Like with the series madness challenge. I already read 38 books for that challenge and we're only in March. We have people in our group who don't read 38 books in a year. So I am very carefull with the rules. I like to bend them I admit, but never break them so we keep it fair for everyone and everyone has a chance to win. That is why with the Terry Pratchett challenge I made sure there weren't too many fast readers in one group like with the Harry Potter challenge.

Ok just to clarify, do I have to choose the first book in the tbr list? There are quite a few books that I added the date beinbg nov 4th, could I pick one of those....ok so maybe I am definately chancing it but never hurts to ask ;-)

Just looked at the synopsis of 100 years of solitude and sooo not up my street..why did I even add it. I wouldnt mind but any book that was chosen as Oprah's book club read I tend to hate, and this was one of them. I guess this is what is meant by the word CHALLENGE.Lol

Would this count as a person whose face is being hidden/obscured?

@Emma - I'm afraid choosing the first book is the way it's been with similar tasks in previous challenges. It's not about the date it was added, but the order that Goodreads has got them in.
I know what you mean though - sometimes I see something on my tbr list and I think "Don't be ridiculous, you don't really want to read that."

@Crusader: Definitely.

@Emma - Yea unfortunately it has to be :(

@Crusader - Sure thing

I finished my third task: #25 Mirror on the cover


Next, I choose #291.

Finished my task can't remember the number but it had to have the word shadow or shadow's in it-


Can my next number be 232 please

p.s Emma if I were you I would use my one opt out!

@Claudia 291 - Read a Space Opera

@Lauren F 232 - Read a Urban Fantasy

@Emma - Same here, there is always your opt out!

Lu wrote: "@Carolien 10 - Read a book translated from French

Thanks for all the suggestions everybody. The good news is:
1 I had French as a matric subject (a very long time ago).
2 I have a just about complete set of Georges Simenon's books lurking in a box somewhere upstairs.
3 There's a wonderful blog by about 8 mystery/thriller writers from around the world called http://murderiseverywhere.blogspot.com/. The French participant recently published a post on good French mysteries and I diligently checked through it and added the interesting ones to my tbr list.
4 The Mystery/Thriller Group has a challenge that involves reading a mystery book set in each of the first 50 countries that joined the United Nations. It's a good place to find recommendations for a country if anybody else gets a geographic challenge. (How's that for a challenge idea? They also have one to read a book set in each of the US 50 states)

I was wondering whether to order The Chatelet Apprentice the other day from Loot. I will use this challenge as the excuse to order I think!

Whooohooo so happy about that Carolien!

Lu wrote: "@Claudia 291 - Read a Space Opera"

Now that's one I would have liked.

OK. Finished The Face Of Fear.

Can I have 142 please?

142 - Read a book that has a Bird on the cover

Would this do? There's a flock of birds to the left of the building.

Sjoe I can hardly make that out :(

Anyone else see it?

Or another book on your to-read you want to read? I see some birds in there.

*pales visibly at the horror that is space opera*
I think I might have to use my opt out. Will let you know.

Crusader and I can swap tasks :P

Lu wrote: "Sjoe I can hardly make that out :(

Anyone else see it?

Or another book on your to-read you want to read? I see some birds in there."

I'm trying to match things up with the 'About time' challenge. The birds are much more visible in the actual cover, don't know why the cover quality of the image is so poor.

I do have another option there so I could go for that one.

Finished Love is Darkness for #24

next no I pick is 97

Ok I have decided to use my one and only opt out. I just cant spend time reading a book I really dont want to read.

Can I choose another number...number 5 please. Hopefully it will be a good one for me this time.Fingers crossed.

Liezel wrote: "Finished Love is Darkness for #24

next no I pick is 76."

Hi Liezel. Number 76 was chosen by me and completed, so maybe you can pick another number? :-)

Ok, here's a link to a much larger size of the cover. If birds are still too minor I'll go for the alternate.

Emma wrote: "Liezel wrote: "Finished Love is Darkness for #24

next no I pick is 76."

Hi Liezel. Number 76 was chosen by me and completed, so maybe you can pick another number? :-)"

Realised that afterwards, changed it to 97 :)

@Crusader I keep on going between yes and no lol. Anyone else have an opinion?

@Liezel 97 - Read a book that has a Fruit or Vegetable in the title

@Emma 5 - Read a book set in Australia

I'm sorry but I can't even see the bird!?

Lu wrote: "@Crusader I keep on going between yes and no lol. Anyone else have an opinion?

@Liezel 97 - Read a book that has a Fruit or Vegetable in the title

@Emma 5 - Read a book set in Australia"

Hmm ok think I can work with that. Thee is an urban fantasy series thats set in Australia, I just have to remember which one it is.Will do some research.

Ahh yes..Keri Arthur is Australian and her Riley Jenson series is set in Oz.

Great Emma :)

@Crusader Yea I'm really struggling to see those birds. Anyone have a opinion?

Lu wrote: "@Crusader Yea I'm really struggling to see those birds. Anyone have a opinion?"

Alternate it is then!

I hope you find a awesome one :)

I could see birds, but they were very tiny.
I don't think I would have used this book myself for this task.

Yeah, to be fare if it had been a really obscure animal like a tree frog or a badger then it would have been a different story but birds are common enough that we shouldn't have to zoom in 400% to see them :)

I'm sure there is something good out there Crusader. What about some gothic Poe inspired "raven" book? There seem to be a lot of them around.

Now if alien birds are allowed I'd be sorted. ;)

Seriously though I've already got a book to read. I was just trying to use a book that was on my oldest TBR pile. Luckily the alternate also falls in that pile so it's all good.

Claudia wrote: "*pales visibly at the horror that is space opera*
I think I might have to use my opt out. Will let you know.

Crusader and I can swap tasks :P"

Claudia, you could try:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks

Unlike Crusader I don't like hard sci fi, which focuses a lot on the actual science. The two books above are 'soft' sf. You might like them because they focus more on plot, character development, humour/satire, etc. than how the ships do hyperspace jumps.

I am done with #1 Read any book. But for the time being I can not continue with the challenge...

Thanks Lauren, I'll take a look at those. :)

Just so everybody knows and I don't have to post it each time lol

I have class on a Friday and Sunday from 8:30ish to 16:00ish

So maybe post your numbers in the morning if you are about to finish the book :)

Lu wrote: "@Crusader I keep on going between yes and no lol. Anyone else have an opinion?

@Liezel 97 - Read a book that has a Fruit or Vegetable in the title

@Emma 5 - Read a book set in Australia"

Would A Clockwork Orange work for #97