Our Novel Escape discussion

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

We want to know what makes our members tick! Between March 1 and December 31, 2014, read five books from the following categories (one from each category):

1. Books set in your hometown (or current place of residence);

2. Books by authors who share your first name, last name or initials;

3. Books by or about controversial or notorious people you would like to meet (living or deceased);

4. Books about an issue or a topic about which you are passionate;

5. Books where a character does something you've secretly wanted to do, but never had the courage.

The purpose of this challenge is to help us get to know you. Please sign up by 10 PM Eastern Standard Time on January 31, 2014. You will have until 10 PM EST on February 28, 2014 to post your list of five books and a brief explanation of why they were chosen. As you complete your books, please post your reviews here.

I will be leading this challenge. This is my first time up at bat, so I hope I don't strike out! Please feel free to direct any questions or concerns to me, either here in this thread or in PM. Don't worry if you have trouble finding suitable material - I'm here to help!

I look forward to finding out what makes you the amazing people you are :)

(To be completed by Jennifer once sign-up has concluded)

PARTICIPANT BOOKS CHOSEN
Zara

Constance

Anne (Booklady)






Victoria

The Orchardist

God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine

Boone: A Biography

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness

The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean



Sara

The Detective, the Woman and the Winking Tree: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes

Into the Wilderness

Marilyn Monroe

The Friday Night Knitting Club

Crocodile on the Sandbank

I'd like to sign up for this challenge please. I'll get my list sorted later.



CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

We want to know what makes our members tick!

Duration: March 1st 2014 - December 31st 2014
Completed: 0/5

Categories :
1. Books set in your hometown (or current place of residence);
The Man Who Loved Children by Christina Stead

2. Books by authors who share your first name, last name or initials;
Beyond The Black Stump by Nevil Shute

3. Books by or about controversial or notorious people you would like to meet (living or deceased);
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China by Jung Chang

4. Books about an issue or a topic about which you are passionate;
Rules by Cynthia Lord

5. Books where a character does something you've secretly wanted to do, but never had the courage.

Thank you, Zara. Duly noted.

I think I want to play. Even though the hometown might be difficult :)

Good!

Can I pick my state instead of hometown? Nothing in my hometown and the only novel in my current town I've already read LOL!

You certainly can!

Awesome! I'm working in my list right now!

Excellent :)

One question Jennifer. With the hometown one do you want us to be specific? For example, I live in Armadale Western Australia so do you want the book to be set in Armadale or would Western Australia be OK?

This sounds interesting! I shall sign up too and compile a list later :)

No, you need not be specific. I'm sure we probably have members who are from small towns, so we can be flexible.

Sara, thanks for joining!

Hi Jennifer,
Could I read one book in each category for my 5 books?

Yes, that's the idea, one per category :)

Ok! I have my list!

1. The Detective, The Woman, and The Winking Tree- Amy Thomas. It is set in Fort Myers, FL which is the next town over from where I live.
2. Into the Wilderness- Sara Donati-same first name
3. Marilyn Monroe: the biography- Donald Spoto
4. The Friday Night Knitting Club- Kate Jacobs
5. The Crocodile on the Sandbank- Elizabeth Peters. I've always wanted to be an Egyptologist or archeologist.

Can't wait to start!

I have family in Cape Coral, Sara.

Really? Small world!

Yep! I love Edison-Ford Winter Estate and FM Beach.

Me too!! Edison-Ford is lovely at Christmas time.

Thanks for your intriguing choices, Sara!

Thank you! This seems like an exciting challenge!

I think it will be lots of fun learning about our personalities and our idiosyncracies.

Here is my list :)

1. The Orchardist, though not in my hometown, it's in my state (not much to read from my hometown or current town!).

2. God's Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine I'd never heard of this until I went looking at authors with my first name.

3. Boone: A Biography Because he was surprisingly controversial - and a distant relative!

4. Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness I've dealt with major depression my entire life and I'm quite interested in reading how my favorite president dealt with it in the days before medications.

5. The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean I've always been fascinated with surfing (since I first watched Gidget at the age of 8), but it's not something I'd ever try. I can't even swim!

Wonderful choices! I love the effort and the thought you are all contributing!

I'm in, now to find the books! Hehe

Glad to have you, Constance :)

CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE

We want to know what makes our members tick! Between March 1 and December 31, 2014, read five books from the following categories (one from each category):

1. Books set in your hometown (or current place of residence); Miami

Burn Notice: The Giveaway by Tod Goldberg

2. Books by authors who share your first name, last name or initials;

Colony by Anne Rivers Siddons

3. Books by or about controversial or notorious people you would like to meet (living or deceased);


Decision Points by George W. Bush

4. Books about an issue or a topic about which you are passionate; WWII Fiction


Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford

5. Books where a character does something you've secretly wanted to do, but never had the courage.

Character, Gabriel Allon is an Art Restorer and sometime Israeli Spy. I wish I could do both. =)

The Messenger by Daniel Silva

What fun choices!

Anne, I have added your books to our list in message 2. I forgot to tell you that yes, Miami is fine :). Oops - sorry for not getting back to you sooner!

Jennifer, I added Burn Notice: The Giveaway by Tod Goldberg for 1. set in Miami. So, my list is now complete. =)

Duly noted :)

Jennifer (Wolf Queen of the Outer Regions) wrote: "Duly noted :)"

Thank you. That was quick =)

I'm in!! I have no idea what my books are yet.

Sign-up for this challenge is now closed. Those participants who have not yet confirmed their book choices have until February 28, 2014, 10 PM EST, to do so.

Please select your books for this challenge :) The deadline for doing so is tomorrow, but I am flexible.

I'm not going to be able to participate in this one, after all. Sorry!

I completely understand, Teresa :)

Thanks for letting us know!

Message 2 has been updated to note Teresa's withdrawal from the challenge.

I just found this book group and I like the idea. Is it too late to pick my 5 books?

Not at all! I'm flexible :)

I have just joined this group and was hoping to try this challenge. Would that be okay?

It would be fabulous!