SA Book & Challenge Lovers discussion

Use the first name or last name of a Author that wrote a book you have read about between January 01, 2013 - December 31, 2013.

You can use books you read for other challenges. A Author may only be used once, so total Authors to be read is 26.

Scores:

A - The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken
B - A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan
C - City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
D - Undead and Unemployed by MaryJanice Davidson
E - The Tragedy Paper by Elizabeth LaBan, The Night CircusErin Morgenstern
F -
G - Garcia, Kami - Beautiful Creatures
H -
I - Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
J - The Dead of Night by John Marsden
K - Carrie by Stephen King
L - Finding Claire Fletcher by Lisa Regan
M - Scent of Magic by Maria V. Snyder, Cinder by Marissa Meyer
N - The Sky Is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson
O - Unnatural Selection by Mel Odom
P - 144 by Joe Pringle
Q -
R - The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan
S - Uses for Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt, Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
T - Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor
U -
V - Rogue by Rachel Vincent
W - Lover Avenged by J.R. Ward
X -
Y - The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
Z -

Progress: 20/26

The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe

A - Andrew Klavan - A Killer in the Wind
B - Marie Brennan - A Natural History of Dragons
C - Cassandra Rose Clark - The Assassin's Curse
D - Ariel Djanikian - The Office of Mercy
E - Elizabeth L. Silver - The Execution of Noa P. Singleton
F - Gillian Flynn - Dark Places
G - George R.R. Martin - A Storm of Swords
H - M. John Harrison - Light
I - Iain M. Banks - Excession
J - Kristopher Jansma - The Unchangeable Spots of Leopards
K - Keigo Higashino - The Devotion of Suspect X
L - Karen Lord - The Best of All Possible Worlds
M - Milan Kundera - Farewell Waltz
N - Nerine Dorman - Inkarna
O - Yoko Ogawa - Revenge
P - Peter Higgins - Wolfhound Century
Q -
R - R.S. Belcher - Six-Gun Tarot
S - Stephen King - Carrie
T - Tom Holt - Expecting Someone Taller
U -
V - Osgood Vance - Pandemonium edited by Anne C. Perry and Jared Shurin
W - Mary Watson - The Cutting Room
X - Xiaolu Guo - UFO in Her Eyes
Y - Yasutaka Tsutsui - Paprika
Z - Koethi Zan - The Never List

Progress: 24/26

A - Ariana Franklin - The Assassin's Prayer
B - Alexandra Bracken - The Darkest minds
C - P.C. Cast - Divine by Mistake
D - MaryJanice Davidson - Undead and Unpopular
E - Elizabeth Wein - Code Name Verity
F - Jasper Fforde - Something Rotten
G - Gail Carriger - Etiquette and Espionage
H - Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams - Pheme the Gossip
I - Ian C.P. Irvine - Maciek's Story
J - John Ajvide Lindqvist - let the right one in
K - Kristin Cashore - Fire
L - David Weddle & Jeffrey Lang - Abyss
M - M.R. James - Ghost stories of an Antiquary
N - Neal Stephenson - Cryptonomicon
O - Olivia Jake - In the Moment
P - Philippa Gregory - The Lady of the Rivers
Q - Amanda Quick - Desire
R - Nora Roberts - Key of Light
S - Suzannah Dunn - The Queen of Subtleties
T - Thomas Hardy - The Mayor of Casterbridge
U - Ursula Whistler - Big Bad Easy
V - Vicki Myron - Dewey
W - William Shakespeare - The Taming of the Shrew
X - Xinran - Message from an Unknown Chinese Mother
Y - Ysabeau S. Wilce - Steampunk edited by Link and Grant
Z - Michelle Zink - A Temptation of Angels

Total 26/26 Completed

Total: 23/26

A – Arturo Pérez-Reverte
B - Alexandra Bracken
C - Suzanne Collins
D - Daniel O'Malley
E - Janet Evanovich
F - Phil Foglio
G - Gail Carriger
H - Harper Lee
I - Iain M Banks
J - James Patterson
K – Kate Locke
L - Mark Lawrence
M - Marissa Meyer
N – Neal Shusterman
O - Orson Scott Card
P - Philippa Ballantine
Q - Daniel Quinn NOT FINISHED
R - Robert Crais
S - R L Stine
T - Terry Pratchett
U - Madeleine Urban
V - John van de Ruit
W - Brent Weeks
X - Verra Xenophontovna NOT FINISHED
Y - Rick Yancey
Z - Roger Zelazny NOT FINISHED

A - Alexandra Bracken
B - Bethany Frenette
C - Cassandra Clare
D - Gideon Defoe
E - Eli Brown
F - Freda Warrington
G - Gail Carriger
H - Merrie Haskell
I - Ilsa J. Bick
J - J.K. Rowling
K - Stephen King
L - Mark Lawrence
M - Jacquelyn Mitchard
N - Neal Stephenson
O -
P - Sasha Paley
Q -
R - Robert Jordan
S - Arkady Strugatsky
T - Terry Goodkind
U -
V - Victoria Schwab
W - William Richter
X -
Y - Rick Yancey
Z - Roger Zelazny

Total 22/26

A: Alice Sebold - "The Lovely Bones"
B: John Boyne - "The Absolutist"; Malcolm Bradbury - The History Man
C: Colin Cotterill - "The Disco for the Departed"
D: Emma Donoghue - "The Sealed Letter"
E: Elizabeth Chadwick - "The Falcons of Montabard"
F: Ester Freud - "Lucky Break"
G: Philippa Gregory - "The Kingmaker's Daughter"
H: Hilary Mantel - "Bring up the Bodies"; Sheri Holman - "The Dress Lodger"
I: Ian McEwan - "The Child in Time" and "Sweet Tooth"
J: Rachel Joyce - "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry"; Jonas Jonasson - :The Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed out the Window and Disappeared"
K: Kate Mosse - "Citadel"
L:
M: Shena Mackay - "Heligoland"; Jude Morgan - Passion
N:
O: Michael Ondaatje - "The Cat's Table"
P: Peter Ackroyd - "The Fall of Troy"
Q:
R: Raphael Cardetti - "Death in the Latin Quarter"
S: David Sedaris - "Me talk pretty one day"
T: Anne Tyler - "The Beginner's Goodbye"
U:
V: Vanessa Diffenbaugh - "The Language of Flowers"
W: Peter Walker - "The Courier's Tale"
X:
Y:
Z: Zoe Heller - "The Believers"

Score 20/26

A - Rachel Aaron (The Spirit Thief)
B - Jim Butcher(Blood Rites)
C - Michael Crichton (Next)
D - Delilah S. Dawson (Wicked as she wants; Peculiar Pets of Miss Pleasance)
E - Jennifer Estep (Crimson Frost)
F - Raymond E. Feist (Magician's End)
G - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (Beautiful Creatures)
H - Kevin Hearne(Hounded & Hexed)
I - Ilona Andrews(Magic Rises)
J - Robert Jordan (New Spring)
K - Lauren Kate (Rapture)
L - Mark Lawrence (Prince of Thorns)
M - Melissa Marr (Carnival of Souls)
N - Nicole Peeler (Tempest Reborn)
O - Tim O'Rourke (Cowgirls & Vampires)
P - Christopher Paolini (Inheritance)
Q -
R - Jennifer Rardin (Bitten in Two)
S - Lilith Saintcrow(Heaven's Spite & Angel Town)
T - Joe Tyler, Ralph Tedesco, Mike Kalvoda & Raven Gregory (Alice in Wonderland)
U -
V - Veronica Blade(Something Witchy this way comes)
W - Julie Ann Walker (Hell on Wheels)
X -
Y - Yasmine Galenorn (Night Myst)
Z -

Total 22/26

A - John Allen Rabble-Rouser for Peace: The Authorized Biography of Desmond Tutu
B - David Bodanis E=mc²: A Biography of the World's Most Famous Equation
C - Elizabeth Cadell Honey for Tea
D - Gerald Durrell Three Singles To Adventure
E - Janet Eavnovich One For The Money
F - Glenn Frankel Rivonia's Children
G - Gayle Forman If I Stay
H - Jane Aiken Hodge Secret Island
I - Eva Ibbotson A Countess Below Stairs
J - PD James An Unsuitable Job For A Woman
K - Brian Kavanagh Capable of Murder
L - Donna Leon Drawing Conclusions
M - Erin Morgenstern The Night Circus
N - James Naughtie The Making of Music: A Journey with Notes
O - E Phillips Oppenheim The Cinema Murder
P - Robert B Parker Split Image
Q - Amanda Quick With This RingA Case of Two Cities
R - Hermoine Ranfurly To War with Whitaker: The Wartime Diaries of the Countess of Ranfurly, 1939-1945
S - Daniel Silva The Kill Artist
T - Alice Thomson The Singing Line
U - Nicola Upson Angel with Two FacesWith This Ring
V - Elizabeth von Arnim The Enchanted April
W - Patricia Wentworth The Benevent Treasure
X - Qiu Xiaolong A Case of Two Cities
Y - Sara Yeomans Miss Bugle Saw God In The Cabbages
Z - Zakes Mda, The Heart of Redness

26/26

A - Andrea Cremer - Wolfsbane
B - Alexandra Bracken - The Darkest Minds
C - Cassandra Clare - City of Lost Souls
D - Douglas Adams - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
E - Emily Murdoch - If You Find Me
F - Becca Fitzpatrick - Finale
G - John Green - The Fault in Our Stars
H - Colleen Hoover - Hopeless
I -
J - Rachel Joyce - The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
K - Kami Garcia - Beautiful Creatures
L - Laura Esquivel - Like Water for Chocolate
M - Melissa de la Cruz - Gates of Paradise
N -
O - Sarah Ockler - Bittersweet
P - Sylvia Plath - The Bell Jar
Q -
R - Rick Riordan Battle of the Labyrinth
S - Stephen King - Carrie
T - Tammara Webber - Easy
U -
V - John van de Ruit Spud: Exit, Pursued by a Bear
W - P.G Wodehouse - Very Good, Jeeves
X -
Y -
Z -

My Progress: 3/26



A
B
C: PC Cast : Lenobia's Vow
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K: Stephen King : Wolves of the Calla
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S: Wilbur Smith : Rage

I have completed this challenge.

I have completed all 5 a-z challenges with an X book in all of them even when not needed.

Well done :)

Congrats!

Thanks!

Done.

Congrats!

Congrats!

Thanks.

Shall we re-do these challenges again this year?
If so should we switch out the SA Book Lovers one for a new one? or keep it?

I don't mind either way. I usually do them all, but I don't plan for them, and I do make a big effort to finish them, especially if I'm struggling with the harder letters.

I gave up on the SA Book Lovers one though, because it was just taking waaay too much time for me to look through all the book shelves.

Yea I really struggled with that one too.
I don't mind doing them, I just fill them in as I go.

Same here, I don't do much planning.

I agree the SA Book Lovers took a lot of time. Shall we stick to the original four?

Yea I like the 4 :)
We could also try something else? Like an A-Z publisher one?

Are there publishers for letters like Z, X, and Y? Decent options? Few people will bother if you're forced to read something really obscure and boring from the small group of available options.

I remember it was once suggested that we make one letter optional for each of the A-Z challenges. As it stands, I think only X is excluded for the location challenge, but you have to do all 26 for the others. We all struggle with at least one letter. It's usually X but sometimes it's one of the others. Could we make it a 25-letter challenge for all, with a 26th as optional? And you can leave out any letter?

I really like the idea of making it 25 with 26ht optional! Will go edit them now :)

We would have to leave out U-Z out for publishers I think, if we do it.

I actually remember that being your idea :)

We could always do something else with publishers. Like read books from 25 different publishers/imprints. Now that I think about it, why haven't we had that for the themed challenges?

Not sure! Yea I also like the idea of doing something with publishers. I like exploring new ones and finding ones I really like. It makes it nice to go through their catalogs on Netgalley.

Yeah, I've got my set of publishers that I always check. What are you favourites? Mine are:
Orbit
Prime Books (under Diamond Book Distributors)
Del Rey/Spectra (Under Random House)

I check a bunch of others, but don't send requests to those as often. I loved Night Shade Books, but then they crashed and burned. I always check Tor too, but I've been getting too many crappy books from them.

I like:
Harlequin
Random House (any)
St Martin Press

I'm going to do my round up for 2013 publishers read today, and compare it with my 2012, and see how it looks :)

Here we go: http://sugarandsnark.co.za/?p=10946

I need to pay more attention to these imprints:
Orbit, Razorbill, Katherine Tegen Books, Feiwel & Friends, Createspace and Mulholland Books!

That's really interesting.

Yea I like checking the publishers :)

Mmm maybe a publisher and imprint challenge of some sort?