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Round Robin Challenge 2018


willoyd

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This thread is for the Round Robin Challenge in 2018.   This will include participants' lists, and any discussion of books and lists. 

 

If you want to discuss or ask questions about the challenge in general, or take part, please go to the thread Round Robin Year-Long Challenge, which is where the idea of the challenge was introduced, participants have 'signed' up and challenges made.

Edited by willoyd
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Willoyd's Challenge lists

 

Challenges to me

1. Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis (Madeleine)

2. Field Notes from a Hidden City by Esther Woolfson (Chesilbeach)

3. I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes (Karen.d)

4. The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (Alexi)

5. Tess of the D'Urbevilles by Thomas Hardy (Chaliepud)

6. The Radetzky March by Joseph Roth (Little Pixie)

7. Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake (Frankie)

8. Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett (MRTR)

9. La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman (Ben)

 

Challenges by me

1. Madeleine - The Shell Seekers by Rosamund Pilcher

2. Chesilbeach - The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller

3. Karen.d - Winter in Madrid by CJ Sansom

4. Alexi - Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb

5. Chaliepud - The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney

6. Little Pixie - The House of Doctor Dee by Peter Ackroyd

7. Frankie -  Dead Wake by Erik Larson

8. MRTR - Stalingrad by Antony Beevor

9. Ben - SPQR by Mary Beard

Edited by willoyd
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Claire's (chesilbeach) Challenge list

 

Challenges to me

1. Willoyd: The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller

2. Madeleine: Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

3. Karen.d: Winter by Ali Smith

4. Alexi: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

5. Chaliepud: To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield

6. Little Pixie: Touch Not The Cat by Mary Stewart

7. Frankie: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

8. More Reading Time Required: The God of Small Things by Arundathi Roy

9. Ben: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

 

Challenges by me

1. Willoyd: Field Notes From A Hidden City by Esther Woolfson

2. Madeleine: How To Stop Time by Matt Haig

3. Karen.d: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

4. Alexi: Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

5. Chaliepud: My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

6. Little Pixie: A Far Cry From Kensington by Muriel Spark

7. Frankie: Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker

8. More Reading Time Required: Wives and Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

9. Ben: Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

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Hayley's (chaliepud) Challenge list

  

Challenges to me

1. by Willoyd - The Invisible Ones by Stef Penney

2. by Madeleine - The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

3. by Karen.d - Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee

4. by Alexi - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

5. by Chesilbeach - My Cousin Rachel by Daphne Du Maurier

6. by Little Pixie - The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen

7. by Frankie 

  

Challenges by me

1. Willoyd - Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy 

2. Madeleine - The Host by Stephenie Meyer

3. Karen.d - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

4. Alexi - Time and Time Again by Ben Elton

5. Chesilbeach -  To Serve Them All My Days by R.F. Delderfield

6. Little Pixie - Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

7. Frankie - Red Dog - Louis De Bernieres

 

Edited by chaliepud
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Alex's Challenge List

 

Challenges to me:

 

1. Willoyd - Parisians: An Adventure History of Paris by Graham Robb

2. Madeleine - Heresy by S J Parris

3. Karen.d  - The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

4. Chesilbeach - Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters

5. Chaliepud - Time and Time Again by Ben Elton

6. Little Pixie - 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami 

7. Frankie - The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon

8. More reading time required - Joyland by Stephen King 

9. Ben - The Beach by Alex Garland

 

Challenges by me: 

 

1. Willoyd - The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

2. Madeleine - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

3. Karen.d - Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

4. Chesilbeach - The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry

5. Chaliepud - Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

6. Little Pixie - Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver

7. Frankie - Once in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth

8. More reading time required - Skagboys by Irvine Welsh

9. Ben - The Post Office girl by Stefan Zweig 

Edited by Alexi
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Challenges to me

1. by Willoyd - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

2. by Chesilbeach - How to Stop time by Matt Haig

3. by Karen.d - The Lake House by Kate Morton

4. by Alexi - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

5. by Chaliepud - The Host by Stephenie Meyer

6. by Little Pixie - A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourne

7. by Frankie - Bleak House by Charles Dickens

8. More Reading Time Required - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

9. Ben - Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

 

Challenges by me

1. Willoyd - Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis

2. Chesilbeach - Wildfire at Midnight by Mary Stewart

3. Karen.d - Labyrinth by Kate Mosse

4. Alexi - Heresy by S J Parris

5. Chaliepud - The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge

6. Little Pixie - The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths

7. Frankie - Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

8. More Reading Time Required - North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

9. Ben - Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

Edited by Madeleine
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  • 2 weeks later...

Challenge to Me

                                     by Chesilbeach

                                       by Willoyd

'The 39 Steps' by John Buchan by Little Pixie

 by Madeleine

'Pride and Prejudice'- by Jane Austin by Charliepud 

                                      by Alexi

 by Frankie

  by More Reading Time Required

 'Dracula' by Bram Stoker  by Benji

 

Challenges By Me 

 

Chesilbeach- 'Winter' by Ali Smith 

Willoyd- 'I am Pilgrim' by Terry Hayes

Little Pixie -'The Time Traveller's Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger

Alexi- 'The Hunger Games' by Suzanne Collins

Charliepud- 'Go Set a Watchman' by Harper Lee

Frankie- The Hobbit- by Tolkien, J.R.R.

Madeline-'The Lake House' by Kate Morton

More Reading Time Required- Alcott, Louisa May    -     Little Women

Benji. 'WaterShip Down' . Richard Adams

Edited by karen.d
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  • 2 weeks later...

Benji's Challenge Lists

 

Challenges to me

1. Willoyd: SPQR by Mary Beard

2. Madeleine: Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

3. Claire: Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

4. Karen: Watership Down by Richard Adams

5. Alexi: The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig

6. Chaliepud: The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

7: LP:

8. Frankie:

9. MRTR: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

 

Challenges from me:

1. Willoyd: La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman

2. Madeleine: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

3. Claire:

4. Karen: Dracula by Bram Stoker

5. Alexi: The Beach by Alex Garland

6. Chaliepud: East of Eden by John Steinbeck

7: LP: The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier

8. Frankie: Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

9. MRTR: Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

 

:mrgreen:

Edited by Ben
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Challenges to me

1. Willoyd: Stalingrad by Anthony Beever

2. Madeleine: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell

3.Chesilbeach: Wives & Daughters by Elizabeth Gaskell

4. Karen.d: Little Women by  Louisa May Alcott

5. Alexi: Skagboys by Irvine Welch

6. Chaliepud: Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

7. Little Pixie: Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery 

8. Frankie: East of Eden by John Steinbeck

9. Ben: Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy

 

Challenges by me

1. Willoyd: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett.

2. Madeleine: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

3.Chesilbeach: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

4. Karen.d: Salem's Lot by Stephen King

5. Alexi: Joyland by Stephen King

6. Chaliepud: 11.22.63 by Stephen King

7. Little Pixie: Life of Pi by Yann Martell

8. Frankie: The Running Man by Richard Bachman

9. Ben: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Edited by More reading time required
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  • 2 weeks later...

(Copied from my reading blog) 

 

Finished my first book on the Round Robin Challenge yesterday evening - Wildfire At Midnight by Mary Stewart.  A murder mystery set on the Scottish island of Skye originally published in the 1950s.  This is my second book by Stewart, who had recently had new editions of most of her novels published, and what I found incredibly interesting was that it's only sixty years since it was first published, yet there's a few things that I found incredible.  The first was just how often someone smoking a cigarette was mentioned, and the second (slightly more shocking) was that the characters regularly referred to catching the murderer so "he could hang".  It's hard to believe that it's still fairly recent that capital punishment was abolished in this country, and that it was automatically assumed that the culprit would receive the death penalty.

 

Despite all that, it was a really enjoyable read.  Lots of twists and turn, with secrecy and dalliances thrown into the mix, as well as fantastic descriptions of the mountains, walking and climbing them, and the a nod to the first group to successfully climb Mount Everest.  Unexpected happenings, red herrings and some genuinely creepy moments, it was a perfect winter evening read.

 

This was my challenge book from @Madeleine, and I'm really pleased I got such a great deal on these Mary Stewart books - in fact most of the recent reissues are still 99p, £1.99 or £2.99 on Kindle - and it was a great start to my Round Robin challenge, so thanks Madeleine! :D 

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Challenges to me

1. Willoyd: The House of Doctor Dee - Peter Ackroyd

2. Madeleine:  The Crossing Places - Elly Griffiths

3.Chesilbeach: A Far Cry from Kensington - Muriel Sparks

4. Karen.d: The Time Traveller`s Wife - Audrey Niffeneggar

5. Alexi: Flight Behaviour - Barbara Kingsolver

6. Chaliepud: Her fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffeneggar

7. MRTR: Life of Pi - Yann martell

8. Frankie: The Book Thief - Markus Zusak

9. Ben: The House on the Strand - Daphne DuMaurier

 

Challenges by me

1. Willoyd: The Radetsky march - Joseph Roth

2. Madeleine: Veronica Speedwell: A Curious beginning - Deanna raybourn

3.Chesilbeach: Touch not the cat - Mary Stewart

4. Karen.d: The 39 Steps - John Buchan

5. Alexi: 1Q84 - Haruki Murakami

6. Chaliepud: Pasi Ilmari Jaaskelainen`s The Rabbit Back Literature Society. 

7. MRTR: Anne of Green gables - LM Montgomery

8  Frankie:  The Opposite of fate - Amy Tan

9. Ben:  The Historian - Elisabeth Kustova

 

 

Edited by Little Pixie
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First book of the challenge completed - the longest too (at least in terms of pages): I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.  I can't say that it has been added to my favourites list, rather the opposite as this review amply demonstrates, but I'm delighted to have come round to it at last, and it's good to have completed a book from my TBR list and got under way, so thank you @karen.d

Edited by willoyd
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  • 3 weeks later...

On a bit of a roll here, with another one finished: Wyrd Sisters by Terry Pratchett.  An pleasant read is probably my best, if rather anaemic, description.  I liked the way he wove the references to Shakespeare in, and the whole concept of Discworld is intriguing (if derivative, but deliberately so I'm sure).  However, there's nothing to really get a grip on, and it all passed in an enjoyable but forgettable blur.  An interesting experience though - I read some Pratchett when in my teens, and wasn't overly turned on then, but wanted to try him again given all the raves about him (including my brother).  I'd certainly pick him up and enjoy if nothing else to read, but I don't think I'll bother again otherwise.  Thank you for the challenge, @More reading time required, it's always good to sort these things out, and I'm not sure I'd ever have got round to it otherwise!

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My second book completed on the challenge was The Year of Reading Dangerously by Andy Miller.  I know Andy from the Backlisted podcast, and had bought his book on the back of that, and was surprised to see quite so many of the books he read that have subsequently been discussed on the podcast.  It's a memoir of his reading at a time in his life where he's realised that although he works in the publishing industry, he's got to the stage where he's got a healthy bookshelf at home, but that he's actually stopped reading for pleasure.  He initially decides to read a selection of books that he thinks he should have read, such as Anna Karenina and Pride and Prejudice, and he recounts the process, some books he loved and couldn't believe he'd never read them before, others are a struggle, until his wife suggests that he just reads 50 pages a day, and it's not long before he's doing just that and ticking the books off the list.  However, it's more than just a memoir, as he looks at what he does and doesn't like about the books and the authors, as well as some looks at publishing and family life and even covers books such as The Da Vinci Code (in fact, that's one of my favourite chapters :D).

 

Glad to have read it, and even gladder that I can keep up with his ongoing reading life via the podcast!  Thanks @willoyd, pleased to have read this one at last. :) 

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Challenges to me: 

Dead Wake by Erik Larson (willoyd)

Miss Hargreaves by Frank Baker (chesilbeach)

Red Dog by Louis De Bernieres (chaliepud)

One in a House on Fire by Andrea Ashworth (Alexi)

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (Madeleine)

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien (Karen.d)

Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks (Ben)

The Running Man by Richard Bachman (More reading time required)

The Opposite of Fate by Amy Tan (Little Pixie)

 

Challenges by me: 

willoyd: Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake 

Madeleine: Bleak House by Charles Dickens 

chesilbeach: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides  
karen.d: Cujo by Stephen King 
Alexi:  The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay by Michael Chabon 

chaliepud: Cannery Row by John Steinbeck 

Little Pixie:  The Book Thief by  Markus Zusak  

More reading time required: East of Eden by John Steinbeck   

Ben: HHhH by Laurent Binet

Edited by frankie
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On 1/23/2018 at 9:45 PM, willoyd said:

First book of the challenge completed - the longest too (at least in terms of pages): I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes.  I can't say that it has been added to my favourites list, rather the opposite as this review amply demonstrates, but I'm delighted to have come round to it at last, and it's good to have completed a book from my TBR list and got under way, so thank you @karen.d

 

You're welcome! I read your review of this book and sorry that you didn't enjoy this as much as you would have liked.

 

Just you give you an update for my challenges, I have read 'The Night Circus' by Erin Morgenstern, which I loved, thanks @chesilbeach and 'Jane Eyre' by Charlotte Bronte , which I had mixed feelings about, thanks @Alexi. Now I'm about 20-30% into 'Salem's Lot' by Stephen King, which is proving to be very intriguing, so thanks @More reading time required

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^  Wow, you've made great progress! I'm very impressed! :smile2:

 

I haven't started yet. I've been in a looooong reading slump. It started last year and it's not gone away yet. I've kind of maybe gotten back a bit of the feel for reading yesterday, and now I need to finish my current easy read, and Helter Skelter which is a longer, more intense one. I can then think about giving one of the books on my list a go! It's just been so long since I've read more than 1-3 books a month. But I really hope that this challenge will help me get back on track! 

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My third book completed on the challenge was The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.  

 

Copied from my blog:

 

It's taken me a few weeks, as I've been reading it between other books, but I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed it.  A historical tale set in the late 19th century, start with the death of Cora's abusive husband, and after years of suffering at his hand, she is free to be the inquisitive and intelligent woman she promised as a child.  Setting off with her companion and son in tow, she heads to Essex to become the person to discover what she believes to be an unknown species of animal that the locals fear and call the Essex Serpent, which appears to be shrouded in mystery and folklore.  Introduced to the local vicar and his family through a mutual friend, they become firm friends, despite his belief that the serpent is nothing more than superstition and coincidence, and is defiantly trying to preach the word of God to his parishioners.  

 

The story that unfolds is absolutely captivating, and so beautifully written, I'm glad I took time to read slowly and savour the book, as I thought it was a wonderful read.  Perry evokes the period setting, in terms of not only the society and the role of women, the church and the medical profession.  It imbues the tale with a real sense of place of the coastal town, and provides real depth to the story with lots of brilliantly drawn characters from all walks of life.  An excellent book and worthy of all the praise that has been heaped on it.

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Again, copied from my blog:

 

I decided to listen to the audiobook of Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters from my Round Robin challenge list.  It's been quite a timely listen as it's the 20th anniversary of the book being first published, so I've listened to a feature about it on a radio programme, and read a few articles in newspapers about it too.  I have read The Night Watch by the same author, and have always meant to try more of her books, but this is the first one I've read.

 

Tipping the Velvet was seen as a turning point for lesbian literature, making it into the mainstream of publishing, and was revolutionary in its time.  It follows the story of Nancy, set in the late 19th century from her working class roots through her brief career in the music halls and then her life beyond.  Told in the first person, it makes Nan's story very intimate and while the focus is obviously on her life from discovering her sexuality through the emotional journey of first love before her life takes a very different turn, it also takes us through the seedier side of London.  

 

Waters admits now that the research of the period was not as thorough as it could have been and she's much more careful about that now, but this was her first novel and it certainly made her name and gave her the stepping off point to become an author.  What this means, however, is that this is a very entertaining romp, but it does make you wonder how true this interpretation of Victorian lesbian life really is, and while there are some gritty, nasty moments in there, it does seem a bit of an idealised story. Nan is a fantastic narrator, but at times you do feel she is very selfish and self involved, but she does have a charming epiphany at the end of the book, albeit a bit of a pat resolution of her story. I have to admit that due to my typically British reserved nature, I did find it a bit embarrassing listening to the audio book during some of the graphic sex scenes and I should maybe have read instead of listened at times, but the end result was a sexy, romantic romp, that entertained me enormously.

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I've just finished 'Salem's Lot' by Stephen King, my third book in the challenge. I really enjoyed it, but it wasn't without its faults. 

Spoiler

It was interesting to see how this book fitted in with 'The Dark Tower' series.

I'm going to give the challenge a break for the moment, so I can read one of the books I received for my birthday back in January. However, I'll be back soon!

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  • 3 months later...

Just a catch up for me, as it's been a while since anybody posted here - hope everybody is making good (or at least some!) progress.

I've just finished my sixth book, The House of Doctor Dee, so about a third of the way through given that I'm including others' challenges to me.  That's a little behind schedule, but easy to make up. Hopefully!

So.... best read to date without any shadow of a doubt has been The Shell Seekers.  A few have been surprisingly disappointing, suggesting that maybe I'm getting fussier in my old age: Winter in Madrid, Rebels and Traitors and I Am Pilgrim all earned just one or two stars, but overall a pretty normal spread from 1 to 4 star reads,with The Shell Seekers almost a 5.  Some chunky ones to come, so had still need to get a move on....

Edited by willoyd
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I'm glad you liked the Shell Seekers Will as it was your challenge to me.  I do have a copy somewhere but goodness knows where it is (the result of having too many tbr piles:rolleyes:) so I may try the library or see if I can get a cheap copy somewhere!  Not doing very well with my challenges so far.

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