You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion

:-) I am not sure what everyone thinks of this, but this is me trying.

Many of us love contemporary fiction.
I thought, why not make a challenge of supporting modern writers and start a challenge in this Group?

Something like a "2016 Releases Challenge" shelf? - Each member could start a thread in there and report each time, she/he has finished reading a 2016 release book. Other members can ask questions etc. of course, it does not matter if the book had been bought, borrowed, .. what matters is only, that it has been read & finished.

-- What do you think?

A couple of things...

We have a thread for challenge suggestions in the Monthly Challenge Folder, is probably where this message should go. Moving thread to YLTO Member Zone as explained below.

There are a number of events that the moderators put on - monthly challenges, annual challenge, and topplers. Right now, I'm tapped out for creating, monitoring and awarding badges for a second annual challenge.

The solution is to do this as a volunteer activity, much like the ongoing 2016 serial killer challenge. After last year's annual challenge wrapped up, some members wanted to continue the challenge. It's set up in the YLTO Member's Zone folder. In fact, I'm going to move this thread there, and then if members want to participate, they can. It will self manage, and there will be no badges.

I have already set a goal for myself to read 12 books published in 2016, so I'll be posting my results.

I've been tracking my personal challenge to read more new releases here.

1/12 - The Dirt on Ninth Grave. 4 stars. pub Jan 12/16

Janice, thank you for placing this where it belongs. Still new and trying to figure out the do's and don'ts. - No worries. It was just an idea I had. :-)

Caecilia wrote: " It was just an idea I had. :-)"

We'll just leave it here and see if others want to participate. I already have. Maybe there are others. What about yourself?

I'm also trying to read more new releases. the only 2016 release I've read so far this year is What Was Mine. It was very good, about a woman that kidnaps a baby and raises her as her own. It is told from multiple perspectives, mostly the woman that kidnapped the baby, the mother, and the girl, but also a few others thrown in. I would recommend it for fans of realistic contemporary fiction.

I've got that one on my wishlist, Kristie. I think it might even qualify for the current toppler as treatment of children?

I am starting The Smell of Other People's Houses today.

Next up, I think, will be The Passenger, My Name Is Lucy Barton, The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend, and Truthwitch. I have quite a few I plan to read and these I have on hand to start.

Janice wrote: "I've got that one on my wishlist, Kristie. I think it might even qualify for the current toppler as treatment of children?"

It might qualify, as it about child abduction. It is interesting because so much is told from the kidnappers perspective. Even though you are horrified at what she has done, you still want her to be successful and don't feel that she's really a bad person. I would probably ask for approval on it, but it should be good for the toppler. :)

Next up for me is Staked. I had it on my February to-read list, but I'm not sure I'll get to it unless I squeeze it in before the toppler.

I am definitely, planning to read a lot of 2016 releases this year. My latest book purchases have contained many recently released works.

I'm planning to read that too, Janice, but I don't know when yet. I have recently purchased / pre-purchased:
Staked
Fire Touched
End of Watch

I've also been waiting for The City of Mirrors for years now. lol

I have BIG plans for 2016 releases!☺☻☺

✔I Shot the Buddha, Colin Cotterill
✔Passenger, Alexandra Bracken
✔The Trespasser, Tana French
✔The Fireman, Joe Hill
✔The Poison Artist
✔Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd
✔The Curse of Tenth Grave , Darynda Jones (Jun 2016)
Freedom of the Mask, Robert McCammon
✔ The Dirt on Ninth Grave, Darynda Jones
✔ End of Watch, Stephen King
✔Riders, Veronica Rossi (Feb 2016)
No Cats Allowed, Miranda James
✔The Mysterious Abductions, Tracey Hecht 8 Jun
Grave Visions, Kalayna Price
✔Detective Fiction 24 Nov
✔Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mew'd 27 Nov


Age of Myth, Michael J. Sullivan
Staked, Kevin Hearne
Calamity, Brandon Sanderson
The Muse, Jessie Burton
My Father, the Pornographer: A Memoir
Hidden Bodies, Caroline Kepnes (Feb 2016)
A Wee Dose of Death, Fran Stewart
Kill Switch, Jonathan Maberry
Off the Books, Lucy Arlington
Blood Paradise, Anne Rice
Take the Monkey and Run, Laura Morrigan
Dandelion Dead: A Natural Remedies Mystery, chrystle Fiedler
Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna, Maia Chance
The City of Mirrors, Justin Cronin
Places No One Knows, Brenna Yovanoff

Realism may hit me around November!☺☻☺

Quite a few of the books on your list are also on mine, Almeta. What does the ϟ represent - priority?

Hahaha, Almeta. I probably have about 15. You have me beat!

Janice wrote: "Quite a few of the books on your list are also on mine, Almeta. What does the ϟ represent - priority?"

The symbol means that I MUST read those in a particular order for my Connection Challenge!☺

AAACK! Ya'll are way too organized for me. I'm trying to catch up on some of my older books that are feeling neglected because my eyes get caught by a pretty bauble. This plan sounds like a good idea, and I know I'll read some new releases, but they'll either be the next in a series or more by accident than planning. That seems to be the way I live since I've gotten really bad about being prepared for anything :)

Talking about accidents - one of the books I'm currently reading is a 2016 release, The Portable Veblen (this is an example of a pretty bauble).

I only read a few new release last year, at least that I remember. I have Staked on my Nook, ready to read. I don't typically go out of my way because new releases cost more to buy and have long lines at the library.

I can think of a few that may show up on a list here, so I guess I well track them here, when I get a chance to look them up.

Three Slices doesn't count. It was published in 2015.

✔Staked will be my first new release for 2016.

✔ I finished a short audio book today. It was published in Janurary.
The Ghost Army of World War II: How One Top-Secret Unit Deceived the Enemy with Inflatable Tanks, Sound Effects, and Other Audacious Fakery. 4 stars from me.

I don't really read that many new releases since they can be expensive. I would like to read some more recent releases but I'll include 2015 releases also.


1 recent release read
✔Chasing Spring 2/27
Maze of Souls currently reading
Set the Pace
Harmony Black

Almeta wrote: "I have BIG plans for 2016 releases!☺☻☺

Realism may hit me around November!..."

In November I HAVE to be in fantasy modus (to survive til New Year)

same for me delitealex

Same for me Rusalka and delitealex. Plus I have loads of books that I already own let alone brand new releases. I'll read the ones I'm looking forward to (possibly) which I listed in the other thread about 2016 books but that's it.

I don't buy new releases either. I tend to get my books at the library :) we do have a used bookstore that I like but they can still be expensive (50% off the cover price).

I don't always buy a lot of the new releases, but I still intend to read several of them. Last year I couldn't vote in many of the Choice Awards categories because I hadn't read any of the books. I'm hoping that this year I will have read a few more. Of the five I listed as starting with, I only purchased one (and I could have gotten it at the library, but really wanted it for my shelves). Three were from NetGalley and one from the library.

I sometimes keep my eye out at the library for new titles that I want to read, then I put in a hold once I see it on order so that I'm one of the first to get the book.

I read Chasing Spring It was so good. I have been reading a lot of YA/NA books and I really like RS Grey's writing. I have only read 2 books by her but plan to read all the rest.

I finished The Smell of Other People's Houses. A very strange title, I know, but the story was pretty good. It was slow to get going for me, but then the characters start to grow and interact more. I ended up really liking it.

A quick look through my TBR came up with these 2016 titles so far:
Cut the Sugar, You're Sweet Enough: Cookbook ★★★★★
What Was Mine ★★★★☆
The Smell of Other People's Houses ★★★★☆
End of Watch
Hidden Bodies
Staked
The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend
Stars Above
Fire Touched
Truthwitch
My Name Is Lucy Barton
The Passenger
Holding Up the Universe
Salt to the Sea
The Opposite of Everyone
The Art of Not Breathing
The Girl You Lost

I'm sure I'll add more as the year progresses, however I won't get to all of them this year. I'm always interested in more titles than I have time to read.

Most of the above titles I already own. Some I received through NetGalley or from the publishers for review. Others I have purchased or pre-purchased. I currently have Truthwitch out from the library. I am on the hold list at the library for Salt to the Sea.

The only one not available yet is Holding Up the Universe, however I just finished reading All the Bright Places by this author and I'm definitely interested in reading it when it becomes available. Plus, some people are already calling it offensive due to the blurb, which is ridiculous to me, so I feel that I need to read it to weigh in on the discussion.

I'm reading The Smell of Other People's Houses now. So far so good.

I've got some of the same titles on my list, Kristie. I really want to read The Widow but it's not available in Canada through Audible, my library doesn't have it, and it's $14.00 on Kindle/iBooks. If I'm going to pay that much for an ebook, I'd rather have the paperback.

That one sounds interesting too, Janice. I'm the same way with Kindle. If it's inexpensive, great, but if it costs almost as much as a paper copy, then I'll get the paper or I check the library.

Sandra, I gave it 4 stars. Glad you're enjoying it. I thought it got even better as the book went on. It might end a little too neat for some people, but I liked it.

I just posted in library acquisitions, so this is a bit of a duplicate. I did check my library and there are no copies, but there are 24 copies across the province through ILL. I placed a request and was notified that there are 54 people waiting for a copy. I agreed to leave my name on the list since I'm not ready to read it anyway.

Wow...that's a long wait. Fortunately, with 24 copies it should go fairly quickly. I remember when I put a hold in for Gone Girl a few years ago, I started out at hold #599! I was a few months late for my group's discussion. lol

599 people holding! That's insane.

That's what I thought too. Even with multiple copies it took me months for my turn. Longest hold list I've ever been on. Still glad I didn't buy it though.

Good way of training your patience... :)

Kristie ~ "Hidden Bodies" is the new Kepnes book, right? I still have "You" on my TBR pile :-)

I meant to post here the new book of the Shades of Magic Serie A Gathering of Shadows, wich came recently out: feb 23

Caecilia wrote: "Kristie ~ "Hidden Bodies" is the new Kepnes book, right? I still have "You" on my TBR pile :-)"

Yes, it is, Caecilia. :)

I finished my second new release - Staked.

What did you think of it, Janice? I ordered it through Audible, but haven't had a chance to read it yet.

I liked it - rated it 4 stars. It was a little different from the others in that you have 3 POV's - Atticus, Granuel, and Owen. Personally, I thought Owen stole the show.

I saw that he was going that way with the last book or two. I wasn't sure I would like it, but I like Owen's character. I'm looking forward to reading it.

I've read 4 of 12 books towards my New Release Challenge -

The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Staked
The Friends We Keep
The Widow