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Round Robin Year-long Challenge


willoyd

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11 minutes ago, chaliepud said:

Thanks @Ben for your challenge to read 11.22.63.

I’ve been putting this off for too long due to its size, but no more! My Dad will be pleased too as he is a big King fan and had always been a little disappointed that I’ve only read one of his books. (Under the Dome).

 

Phew! That confused me for a moment - I thought @Ben had put his challenges up, and couldn't find them anywhere.  It's actually @More reading time required who's challenged you to read 11.22.63 !

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On 11.1.2018 at 10:38 AM, willoyd said:

 

We must think so alike on this sort of thing!  Titus Groan was my back-up choice, in case you'd asked me to change my challenge to you!  For me, it's a great choice - I've had the trilogy sat on my shelves for several years and never quite got around to it, always meaning to (especially after it was shown on British TV some years ago - I never watched it because I wanted to read it first!).  It's a lovely set as well - published by the Folio Society, with lots of superbly atmospheric illustrations by Peter Harding.  Can't understand why it's stayed untried for so long, but this should be just the kickstart I need.  Thank you!

 

What are the odds?! :lol: We have some sort of psychic connection - or at least very similar tastes - when it comes to this particular challenge! I'm really glad to hear my choice pleaseth you much! :smile2: I have great expectations for the novel myself and I have a feeling the book will not disappoint. I hope it will be the same for you! :)

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Current State of Play

We're almost there, with virtually everybody's challenges complete.  There are a few holes, mainly owing to Ben's joining up a bit later, so please have a quick check on the list below to make sure (a) I've got it right -!- and (b) your challenges to others are completed. 

 

@Madeleine still needs to challenge Ben

@Alexi still needs to challenge Ben

@Little Pixie still needs to challenge Frankie, MRTR and Ben

@frankie still needs to challenge Ben

@Ben still needs to do his challenge list

 

Ben's already PMed me to say that he's hoping to get his challenges out this weekend.

Thank you to everybody for both taking part and for the really interesting set of challenges.  It promises to be a stimulating year's reading!  Do join in with your challenge lists, comments on books etc on the Round Robin 2018 thread.  It looks as if one or two are already steaming ahead (I've just started my first!).

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Hi @Ben, I’d like to challenge you to The Post Office Girl by Stefan Zweig. 

 

It came onto my TBR highly recommended but has languished there for a few years now. 

 

Hope this pushes both of us to read it and we enjoy it! 

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35 minutes ago, Madeleine said:

Thanks Will, I've challenged him now.  I think I'm still waiting for Ben and Alexi to challenge me?

 

@Ben is yet to do any of his challenges, but he said he would make sure to do them this weekend.

@Alexi's challenge to you was Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.

 

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Right, sorry for the delay folks, here are my challenges as follows. Enjoy! :yes:

 

@willoyd: I'm going to go for La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. I thought I remembered you saying you enjoyed the His Dark Materials books, so checked your ratings and I see you're a fan of Northern Lights. I thought this was a really enjoyable addition to the series - prequels, 'equals', whatever he wants to call them - and am looking forward to seeing what he has to offer with the rest of The Book of Dust novels.

 

@Madeleine: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Has been on my list for, well, ages, and it seems like one that's easy to bypass when it comes to the old TBR lists. I'm hoping that this may prompt me to get to it as well during 2018.

 

@chesilbeach: Hi Claire, was going for The Essex Serpent until I saw that Alexi had made that terrific choice. I reckon you'll love it. As for my choice, I'll go with Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner simply because I've been meaning to read it to, and this might tempt me into action.

 

@karen.d: I was going to pick Ulysses but I don't think I have it in me. :giggle: So, I'll go with Bram Stoker's Dracula. Enjoy. (Great list by the way, can't go far wrong with a lot of those choices...)

 

@Alexi: The Beach by Alex Garland. I've heard good things about this and will read myself now I'm making you. :P

 

@chaliepud: Right you, time to read some Steinbeck. I'm going with East of Eden because it's a masterpiece... but I deliberated for a long time and you have a lot of great books on that TBR of yours, not just by Steinbeck. :giggle:

 

@Little Pixie: Don't see your list of challenges in the main thread, so I hope nobody has suggested this already... but, The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier. Mainly because Rebecca is an all-time favourite of mine and I still haven't read anything else by her. (Unforgivable!) I will read this as well. If you need a different suggestion, drop me a message.

 

@frankie: I'm going to go with Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong but if it has already been suggested, Human Traces. (I'll read too, in that case.)

 

@More reading time required: So glad Frankie has suggested East of Eden, can't wait to see how you get on. I'll go with Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd and again I'll join you with it.

 

--

 

If anyone needs different suggestions for any reason, let me know! Happy reading, all. :smile2:

 

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Brilliant - Thanks @Ben. Love the detail you've added to each challenge.  Well remembered on mine: I certainly loved the trilogy, and Northern Lights is, as you identify, on my 6-star list.  Looking forward to getting stuck in.

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12 minutes ago, Ben said:

@chesilbeach: Hi Claire, was going for The Essex Serpent until I saw that Alexi had made that terrific choice. I reckon you'll love it. As for my choice, I'll go with Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner simply because I've been meaning to read it to, and this might tempt me into action

 

Hi @Ben.  I read Hotel du Lac last week, so would you mind picking something else for me please? :) 

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1 hour ago, willoyd said:

Brilliant - Thanks @Ben. Love the detail you've added to each challenge.  Well remembered on mine: I certainly loved the trilogy, and Northern Lights is, as you identify, on my 6-star list.  Looking forward to getting stuck in.

 

I don't think you'll be disappointed. :smile2:

 

1 hour ago, chesilbeach said:

 

Hi @Ben.  I read Hotel du Lac last week, so would you mind picking something else for me please? :) 

 

Woops, sorry Claire, was clearly still going off your 2017 TBR list. Not to worry, as you can imagine I had more than one choice for most people. :lol:

 

So, I'll go with The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. Not usually my cup of tea, YA, but the pretty much universal acclaim for this has made me pay attention to it. Hope it's as good as the ratings suggest.

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2 hours ago, Ben said:

Right, sorry for the delay folks, here are my challenges as follows. Enjoy! :yes:

 

@willoyd: I'm going to go for La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman. I thought I remembered you saying you enjoyed the His Dark Materials books, so checked your ratings and I see you're a fan of Northern Lights. I thought this was a really enjoyable addition to the series - prequels, 'equals', whatever he wants to call them - and am looking forward to seeing what he has to offer with the rest of The Book of Dust novels.

 

@Madeleine: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel. Has been on my list for, well, ages, and it seems like one that's easy to bypass when it comes to the old TBR lists. I'm hoping that this may prompt me to get to it as well during 2018.

 

@chesilbeach: Hi Claire, was going for The Essex Serpent until I saw that Alexi had made that terrific choice. I reckon you'll love it. As for my choice, I'll go with Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner simply because I've been meaning to read it to, and this might tempt me into action.

 

@karen.d: I was going to pick Ulysses but I don't think I have it in me. :giggle: So, I'll go with Bram Stoker's Dracula. Enjoy. (Great list by the way, can't go far wrong with a lot of those choices...)

 

@Alexi: The Beach by Alex Garland. I've heard good things about this and will read myself now I'm making you. :P

 

@chaliepud: Right you, time to read some Steinbeck. I'm going with East of Eden because it's a masterpiece... but I deliberated for a long time and you have a lot of great books on that TBR of yours, not just by Steinbeck. :giggle:

 

@Little Pixie: Don't see your list of challenges in the main thread, so I hope nobody has suggested this already... but, The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier. Mainly because Rebecca is an all-time favourite of mine and I still haven't read anything else by her. (Unforgivable!) I will read this as well. If you need a different suggestion, drop me a message.

 

@frankie: I'm going to go with Sebastian Faulks' Birdsong but if it has already been suggested, Human Traces. (I'll read too, in that case.)

 

@More reading time required: So glad Frankie has suggested East of Eden, can't wait to see how you get on. I'll go with Hardy's Far from the Madding Crowd and again I'll join you with it.

 

--

 

If anyone needs different suggestions for any reason, let me know! Happy reading, all. :smile2:

 

Thanks @Ben, my second Steinbeck nomination, good job one of my resolutions is to read more classics this year. 

 

Very pleased to see yourself and maybe @frankie will be reading Human Traces, still one of the best books I have ever read! 

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3 hours ago, chaliepud said:

Thanks @Ben, my second Steinbeck nomination, good job one of my resolutions is to read more classics this year. 

 

Very pleased to see yourself and maybe @frankie will be reading Human Traces, still one of the best books I have ever read! 

 

You'll have good fun with Cannery Row too. :smile2:

 

Aye, well even if Frankie does Birdsong - I'm not sure what she's had recommended already - I'll do Human Traces. I didn't start out with the intention of doing all my suggestions as well, but as there's only a couple I've read, I think I'll do them.

 

Also, I notice people have already read some of their Round Robin challenge books - are we going to post/talk about our reads here? Or are people just intending to use their main reading threads? (I only ask because I haven't bothered to make one this year - at least not yet.)

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And the last 3 challenges...

 

MRTR: Anne of Green gables - LM Montgomery.  - A lovely book, Anne is just so endearing. :)

 

 Frankie:  The Opposite of fate - Amy Tan  - One of my favourite authors, and a book I gave as presents a few years ago. :)

 

 Ben:  The Historian - Elisabeth Kustova  - I remember this being a fun read. :)

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On 21/01/2018 at 10:34 PM, Ben said:

Also, I notice people have already read some of their Round Robin challenge books - are we going to post/talk about our reads here? Or are people just intending to use their main reading threads? (I only ask because I haven't bothered to make one this year - at least not yet.)

 

That's what I intended the Round Robin 2018 thread to be about: putting one's challenge lists up and talking about books or anything else that comes up.  May seem a bit artificial, but wanted to separate the actual doing of the challenge from introducing it for the first time and setting it up.

Is it just @frankie to challenge you now?

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On 1/21/2018 at 5:56 PM, Ben said:

 

 

@karen.d: I was going to pick Ulysses but I don't think I have it in me. :giggle: So, I'll go with Bram Stoker's Dracula. Enjoy. (Great list by the way, can't go far wrong with a lot of those choices...)

 

 

 

Thank you and sorry I haven't replied for a while, I've had no internet all week :angry: But it's back on and I will get to 'Dracula' once I've read 'Jane Eyre' (I'm really struggling with it)

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  • 2 weeks later...
2 hours ago, karen.d said:

I've finally finished 'Jane Eyre'!!! :exc: Is anyone waiting for a challenge from me?

 

Well done!  If you want to comment at all (!) the Round Robin 2018 board is where most people are discussing their challenges for this year, now it's largely set up.  As far as I can work out, the only outstanding challenge is @frankieto challenge @Ben

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19 hours ago, willoyd said:

 

Well done!  If you want to comment at all (!) the Round Robin 2018 board is where most people are discussing their challenges for this year, now it's largely set up.  As far as I can work out, the only outstanding challenge is @frankieto challenge @Ben

Sorry! I will comment there in the future.

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@Madeleine - here you go:

 

On 04/01/2018 at 4:45 PM, Alexi said:

I

Madeleine - If I have understood your system (and I think there is a good chance I haven't :giggle2: ) I would like to challenge you to The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett because it has been languishing on my TBR for ages and yet comes very highly recommended. 

 

 

 

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4 hours ago, karen.d said:

Sorry! I will comment there in the future.

 

Oops!  That wasn't meant to be an admonishment; I was just concerned that you might miss out on some of the discussion.  You can post your comments wherever you like!

 

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