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Round Robin Year-long Challenge


willoyd

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Is it too late to join this? Seems like a lovely way of reading something from your TBR that you might not have ordinarily picked out. The year is well under way and I see you already have a healthy number of people partaking, so I'd understand if I'm a bit too late to the party... :unsure:

 

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2 hours ago, Ben said:

Is it too late to join this? Seems like a lovely way of reading something from your TBR that you might not have ordinarily picked out. The year is well under way and I see you already have a healthy number of people partaking, so I'd understand if I'm a bit too late to the party... :unsure:

 

 

I don't think it's too late.  As I said in the original post, entries for this challenge's predecessor were usually left open for a week or two into the New Year, and there are still some challenges to be made (I've certainly got two to come) so  I reckon you've just about made it!  Details of how the challenge works are in that first post, and I've also put at the bottom of that post all the links to people's TBR lists.  If you've got a list set up, could you post your link here, and I'll copy it to that list.  Most people's TBR lists are either at the start of their reading blog thread, or on LibraryThing.  Then you can get on with your challenges!  Do check what challenges have already been made, just to avoid duplication.  Welcome aboard!

 

I hope that's OK with everybody (and apologies for taking a unilateral decision, but I just want to keep things moving at the moment).  If you've got any concerns about adding to the list of challengers in the future (i.e. you think we've got enough now), please PM me.

 

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14 hours ago, Little Pixie said:

Hurray, more people joining in ! :D

 

My feelings too. Just concerned that I don't want to reach the stage where some people feel the challenge is too much of a challenge or dominates reading too much.  We all have different levels where that kicks in!

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47 minutes ago, willoyd said:

 

My feelings too. Just concerned that I don't want to reach the stage where some people feel the challenge is too much of a challenge or dominates reading too much.  We all have different levels where that kicks in!

Maybe stop it at 10 people? It’s not too bad for me as I’m not expecting to read many of the books I have challenged others to read, in fact I have read a fair few already, but it will be harder for those of you that are reading both.  

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19 minutes ago, chaliepud said:

Maybe stop it at 10 people? It’s not too bad for me as I’m not expecting to read many of the books I have challenged others to read, in fact I have read a fair few already, but it will be harder for those of you that are reading both.  

 

With Ben on board, we're on 10 people now, which means 9 or 18 challenges depending on what one does with the lists.  I doubt if many, or indeed any, others will want to come in at this stage.  Just in case,  maximum of 10/20 seems sensible for a first go? I'd be OK with more, but as I said, I don't want to overstretching people's efforts.  If in future years, numbers got bigger, then I for one would go back to what I used to do, which is just read the books with which I was challenged. I only went over doing both lists when numbers dropped (struggled to get half a dozen the last time we did it - and would have been almost nothing this year- so am really pleased we've actually had such a good response here!).

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On 1/2/2018 at 1:32 AM, More reading time required said:

Now I've sorted out my 2018 blog, I'd like to join in, if I may?

 

My TBR list is at the start of my blog, albeit a bit messy at the mo - there's a limit to what you can do on a phone, but I'll sort it out. ;) 

 

Books I'm already definitely reading imminently are the rest of The Dark Tower, the rest of Robin Hobb's Fitz & the Fool trilogy and at least one Wheel of Time so you might want to avoid choosing them. :)

 

I'll look at everyone's lists tomorrow.

Hi I challenge you to read Alcott, Louisa May    -     Little Women. I love this book, I hope you enjoy it

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On 4.1.2018 at 2:53 PM, willoyd said:

 

Thank you @frankie, but as I've set myself the additional challenge of reading the books I challenge people with, as well as those I am challenged to read, I'd be grateful  if you could find me another book on my list, as Dead Wake is therefore already part of my challenge.  Alternatively, if that's a problem for any reason, I'll change my challenge to you.  I'm hoping it's not, as I do have rather a lot of books on my To Read list!

 

 

Ah, I see! I'm sorry if you have stated in an earlier post that you'd be reading the books suggested to others yourself, because I then must have missed it! I've had a lot on my plate this past month and I've not been able to spend much time on here and so I've not read each and every post in this thread with total concentration! But I now understand and I am of course comfortable with choosing another book for you. I'm rather busy today but I will choose another book for you tomorrow or Monday at the latest, if that's alright with you? :)

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14 minutes ago, frankie said:

 

Ah, I see! I'm sorry if you have stated in an earlier post that you'd be reading the books suggested to others yourself, because I then must have missed it! I've had a lot on my plate this past month and I've not been able to spend much time on here and so I've not read each and every post in this thread with total concentration! But I now understand and I am of course comfortable with choosing another book for you. I'm rather busy today but I will choose another book for you tomorrow or Monday at the latest, if that's alright with you? :)

 

No problems - the challenge lasts all year! - and thank you.

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On 05/01/2018 at 7:56 PM, willoyd said:

 

I don't think it's too late.  As I said in the original post, entries for this challenge's predecessor were usually left open for a week or two into the New Year, and there are still some challenges to be made (I've certainly got two to come) so  I reckon you've just about made it!  Details of how the challenge works are in that first post, and I've also put at the bottom of that post all the links to people's TBR lists.  If you've got a list set up, could you post your link here, and I'll copy it to that list.  Most people's TBR lists are either at the start of their reading blog thread, or on LibraryThing.  Then you can get on with your challenges!  Do check what challenges have already been made, just to avoid duplication.  Welcome aboard!

 

 

That's great. Is my Goodreads 'want to read' list okay? It's not an exact TBR but I own, or am able to get hold of, the vast majority of the list. If that suffices, it can be found here.

 

Very much looking forward to being involved. Shall check out everyone's lists shortly and get my challenges to you all. :smile2:

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7 hours ago, Ben said:

That's great. Is my Goodreads 'want to read' list okay? It's not an exact TBR but I own, or am able to get hold of, the vast majority of the list. If that suffices, it can be found here.

 

That's no problem - it's your list, and the point of the challenge is to help you get that list down, whatever the precise details. It's a nice, big one too - plenty to choose from! I've added the link to those in the first post. One point to note for others accessing the list:  currently the list looks to be set up in order of entry (or similar).  If you want to see the list in any other order (I wanted it in author a-z for instance) you will need to log on to Goodreads first.

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@Ben My challenge to you is Mary Beard's SPQR.  It's been on my TBR shelves a while and whilst it looks really good, it's the sort of book that could all too easily get passed over - certainly it could with me!  Hope we both enjoy it!

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13 hours ago, Ben said:

 

That's great. Is my Goodreads 'want to read' list okay? It's not an exact TBR but I own, or am able to get hold of, the vast majority of the list. If that suffices, it can be found here.

 

Very much looking forward to being involved. Shall check out everyone's lists shortly and get my challenges to you all. :smile2:

Hi Ben I challenge you to read Watership Down

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On 06/01/2018 at 5:26 PM, karen.d said:

Hi I challenge you to read Alcott, Louisa May    -     Little Women. I love this book, I hope you enjoy it

 

Ooh thank you. I had this one on my radar what with the recent tv mini series (that I've recorded but not watched yet) and the fact that i'm going to get a free paperback copy of it via Radio Times next week. I have it on Kindle, but I'm currently in a 'tree book' preference mode. :)

 

Right, sorry for the delay all, here are my challenges:

 

1. Willoyd: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. I don't know if you are a Pratchett reader or not, but I saw this one on there and if you haven't read it, it's a good one to start with.

 

2. Madeleine: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson. I enjoyed this trilogy and hope you will too.

 

3.Chesilbeach: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. This has been on my radar since it won the Booker prize, but I've never got around to picking it up.

 

4. Karen.d: Salem's Lot by Stephen King. With you being at the point you're at with the Dark Tower series, this fits in nicely to link the two.

 

5. Alexi: Joyland by Stephen King.  It's a very different to his usual style but i really enjoyed it.

 

6. Chaliepud: 11.22.63 by Stephen King. Sorry I seem to have gone onto a bit of a King tangent, but this is another atypical King book that I thought was brilliant.

 

7. Little Pixie: I was torn between 3 from your list but I eventually settled on Life of Pi by Yann Martell. I picked it up for free on Kindle several years ago, after being aware it had won the Man Booker prize in the past and it was a book that sort of really surprised and astounded me.

 

8. Frankie: Back to the King theme, but I really had to recommend The Running Man by Richard Bachman. If you've ever seen the film version with Arnie, be prepared to wonder what the hell they were thinking when they adapted it, as this version is so so much better (imo, of course :) ). 

 

9. Ben:  Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. I'm just reading a new trilogy of hers after a long break and I'm remembering just how much I love her world. This was a fantastic opening book. 

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10 hours ago, More reading time required said:

1. Willoyd: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett. I don't know if you are a Pratchett reader or not, but I saw this one on there and if you haven't read it, it's a good one to start with.

 

Thank you!  I've tried him several times and struggled each time to see what people see in him.  However....my brother, a keen fan, recommended Wyrd Sisters as a starting point (especially as I've been teaching Macbeth!), so thought I'd give him another go. No excuses now!!

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13 hours ago, More reading time required said:

 

.

 

4. Karen.d: Salem's Lot by Stephen King. With you being at the point you're at with the Dark Tower series, this fits in nicely to link the two.

 

Thank you! It will be interesting to read this before continuing with the 'Dark Tower' series.

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On 08/01/2018 at 12:49 PM, chaliepud said:

Hi Ben, welcome to the party! I would like to challenge you to read The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, one of my favourites of the last couple of years. :) 

 

Thanks, Hayley! Great choice - have heard nothing but great things for this.

 

On 08/01/2018 at 1:25 PM, willoyd said:

@Ben My challenge to you is Mary Beard's SPQR.  It's been on my TBR shelves a while and whilst it looks really good, it's the sort of book that could all too easily get passed over - certainly it could with me!  Hope we both enjoy it!

 

Oooh, good one, and you're dead right, I've already been passing it over quite a bit since I added it to the list. Fingers crossed it's good for us both.

 

On 08/01/2018 at 1:31 PM, karen.d said:

Hi Ben I challenge you to read Watership Down

 

Thanks, Karen. :smile2:

 

On 08/01/2018 at 4:59 PM, chesilbeach said:

@Ben My challenge to you is Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

 

Nice! I've only ever read Wide Sargasso Sea but have been meaning to get to this for a while. Thanks, Claire. :smile2:

 

18 hours ago, More reading time required said:

9. Ben:  Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb. I'm just reading a new trilogy of hers after a long break and I'm remembering just how much I love her world. This was a fantastic opening book. 

 

Thank you! Hobb has been on my list for years and years and I've just never got around to any of her work. Thanks for making me do so. ;)

 

On another note, I'll get everyone's challenges to them by the end of the week. Sorry for the delay, has been a busy few days.

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On 6.1.2018 at 8:43 PM, willoyd said:

 

No problems - the challenge lasts all year! - and thank you.

 

I know but I don't want to leave people hanging when everyone else is picking books left and right! :D  

 

Sorry for being later than what I said I would, but I have a book for you now. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake! I've started it myself and loved what I read but something came up and I couldn't carry on reading. I hope you will like it very much! :)

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1 hour ago, frankie said:

Sorry for being later than what I said I would, but I have a book for you now. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake! I've started it myself and loved what I read but something came up and I couldn't carry on reading. I hope you will like it very much! :)

 

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!

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