You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
Challenges: Year Long Main 2021
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Tasha ~ All About Me ~ 2017
date
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- the book you read, link to it and the cover- the question it relates to
- an explanation as to how the book you chose relates to your answer to the question
1. What is your name? (First, Last, Middle, Nickname) – Read a book that contains one of your names in some way – author, title, character.
Natalie, Tasha, Mommy, Muma
2. What is your favourite sport? – Read a book that is either about your favourite sport or one of the characters plays that sport. You could also chose a book where the cover shows that sport.
ice hockey
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts
3. What colour are your eyes? – Read a book where the colour of your eyes is the main colour of the cover, or the word is in the title.
hazel, bluish/grey
4. Have you ever had a broken bone? – If yes, read a book with the word “Bone” in the title. If no, read a book about archeology (the character may be an archeologist, the book may be set in a museum, etc)
yes
5. What is your favourite movie? – If the movie is an adaptation, read the book that inspired the movie. Or, read a book that is written by the same author. Or, read a book that has the same title. If the movie is not an adaptation, read a book with a similar theme or has the same title.
Titanic
6. What is your favourite book? – Read it again. Or, read a book that has the same title. Or read a book by the same author. If you can’t find the same title, or the author only has the one book, go to the book page and click on “Readers Also Enjoyed”. Select a book from the list.
The Golem & the Jinni
7. Pick a number between 1 and 10. – Select a series and read the book that corresponds to that number. Or, read a book with the number in the title.
6
8. What is your favourite holiday? – Read a book that is about that holiday, set during that holiday, or has the name in the title.
Christmas
9. What is your relationship status? – Read a book with that word in the title, or where the main character or author shares that status. Or…. Get creative. What kind of book will be representative?
married
10. Are you right or left handed? – Read a book with that word in the title.
Right
11. What is your birthday month? – Read a book with the selected month in the title, or set during that month.
April
12. Do you have a pet? What is it? Don’t have a pet? Adopt a pet that someone in your immediate circle has (mother, brother, sister, friend, etc.) – Read a book featuring that type of pet. Or, read a book with that pet in the title.
dog
Being a Dog: Following the Dog into a World of Smell
13. What is your favourite type of food? (Chinese, Italian, Mexican, etc) – Read a book set in the country or region of choice. (Chinese – set in China, Italian – set in Italy, etc.) If you chose a type of food that is not specific to a country, what region would you find it prevalent? Read a book set in that region. For example – Seafood would be prevalent in the coastal areas of Canada, United States, among others.
Japanese, sushi
14. What is something you use daily? (brush, computer, car, get creative) - Read a book with that word in the title. Or, is on the cover. Or…. Get creative. What kind of book will represent that item?
lip balm
15. What is your shoe size? (No halves; roll up to next number) – Select that number of books on your TBR, put them into the Fruit Machine (or another randomizer), and read the one that is selected. If you used European sizes, convert to US using this site: https://www.softmoc.com/ca/shoesize.asp That will reduce the number of books you need to plug into the Fruit Machine.
8
16. What is your favourite Ice cream flavour? – Read a book that either represents that flavour by the colour of the cover, or in the title. You may also chose a book that represents that flavour in some way.
vanilla
✔17. What is your country of birth? – Read a book set in that country, or written by an author that was also born in that country.
USA
Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House
18. What is your favourite season? – Read a book with either the season in the title, or set in that season.
Fall
19. What is your current desk top picture? – Interpret that desk top picture any way you like. Read a book that represents that interpretation. For example, mine is a magnified picture of a frozen soap bubble. I could interpret it as ice, or alien landscape, or bubble. I could read a book with “Ice” in the title, a book set on an alien planet, or has bubbles on the cover. The gophering could be endless on this one.
Steve Buscemi
20. What is your preferred mode of transport? – Read a book with your selection on the cover, or in the title, or it plays a significant role in the book.
car
21. How many candles were on your last birthday cake? – Go to your TBR and order the shelf by number. Read the book that corresponds to your answer. If you picked “none” or “zero” as your answer, your number will be 100.
49
22. Have you been in an accident? – If yes, read a book set in a hospital, or with the word “accident” in title. If no, read a book that is a thriller, in which an accident is a high probability.
yes
23. Do you prefer a shower or bath? – Read a book with your selected word in the title, or depicted on the cover.
shower
24. Name a place you’d like to visit. – Read a book set in that location.
Australia
✔25. What is your favourite genre? – Read a book in that genre.
historical fiction
The Muse: A Novel
26. Do you prefer a car or truck? – Read a book with your selection on the cover or in the title.
truck (SUV)
27. Do you have a tattoo? – Read a book that represents your tattoo in some way. For example, if you have a tattoo of a rose, your book choice could have a rose on the cover, in the title, or a proper name of the author or character. If you don’t have a tattoo, read a book with a tattoo on the cover, or represents a tattoo that you would want if you were to get one.
no
28. Do you prefer Classic or Contemporary? – If Classic, read a book published in 1800 – 1899. If Contemporary, read a book published in 2000 – 2017.
contemporary
29. What is your favourite flower? – Read a book with that selection on the cover or in the title. Or, read a book that you feel represents that flower in some way.
lilac
Lilac Girls
30. Have you been to Europe? Where? – Read a book set in that location. If you haven’t been to Europe, read a book set in a European country you would like to visit.
Russia, France, Switzerland, Czech
31. If you could meet anyone famous, infamous, notorious… who would it be? – read a biography, autobiography, memoir, or historical fiction about that person. Or, read a book that is representative of that person.
donald Trump
32. What is the feature you are most often complimented on? – Read a book with that feature on the cover or in the title.
skin
33. Would you rather encounter a ghost, an alien, or neither? – If ghost, read a ghost story. If alien, read a story with aliens in it. If neither, read a book about another supernatural being other than a ghost or alien (werewolf, vampire, witch, succubus, etc).
ghost
*34. What is your favourite animal (other than domestic pets)? – Read a book with that creature on the cover, in the title, or in the story.
elephant
Love, Life, and Elephants: An African Love Story
35. What type of holiday do you prefer? (Beach, Mountain, Camping, exotic, etc) – Read a book in that setting or that represents your choice.
sightseeing
36. If you had to lose one of the 5 senses, which would you prefer it to be? – Read a book with that word in the title, or read a book where a character is afflicted by that same loss.
smell
*37. Who is your favourite author? – Read either a book by that author, or a book recommended by that author.
sarah waters
Tipping the Velvet
38. Do you prefer tea, coffee, or water? – If tea or coffee, read a book with the word in the title, or set in a country where that beverage is a huge export (ie China for tea, Brazil for coffee). If water, read a book with the word in the title, or set on/near a large body of water.
tea
39. What is your birthstone using the US 2016 listing: (https://www.americangemsociety.org/en...) – Read a book with that gemstone on the cover, in the title, or the colour of that gemstone is the colour of the cover.
diamond
40. What is your favourite fruit? – Read a book with that fruit on the cover, in the title, or the colour of that fruit is the colour of the cover.
cantaloupe
41. Issue you are passionate about (abortion, euthanasia, animal rights… etc) – Read a book where this issue is prominent or is represented in some way. It may be fiction or non-fiction.
supporting our military/troops
42. Would you rather explore in space or undersea? – Read a book in that setting.
undersea
43. To what time period would you like to time travel? – Read a book either set in that time period, or published in that time period. Or, read a book about time travel where the character’s time travelled to that period.
1960s
The Girls
44. Do you prefer shoes or bare feet? – Read a book where your selection is on the cover or in the title, or get creative and find a book that represents your choice.
shoes
45. Do you prefer green or black olives? Neither? Read a book with either a predominantly green or black cover depending on your answer. If you said “neither”, read a book with a predominantly white cover. Aim for at least 75% of the cover so that when you look at the cover, it screams green, black or white depending on your choice.
green
46. What is your Zodiac sign? – This one is wide open. Read a book that represents your zodiac sign in some way. Mine is Sagittarius (the archer). I could read a book with Sagittarius in the title, Archer in the title, author named Archer, bow and arrow on the cover, horse on the cover, a Western with Indians (bow & arrow).
Taurus
47. What is your height in inches? – Go to your TBR shelf and sort by number. Read the book that matches your answer. If you don’t have that many books on your TBR, select a listopia on a topic you are interested and read the book with the corresponding number to your height.
64
*48. Who is someone you miss? – Read a book that represents that person in some way. I miss my mother, so I could read a book with “Mother” in the title, a biography of Mother Theresa, where the main character is a mother, a book with a mother holding her baby on the cover, etc.
grandmother
My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry
49. What is your hobby? – Read a book that represents that hobby in some way.
homeopathy
Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy
50. What language would you like to learn to speak? – Read a book that was translated from that language to one you do speak. Or, chose a book where a character speaks that language. For example, if you chose Gaelic, you could read any of the books in the Outlander series.
french
The Three Musketeers ~ currently reading
Part 1: 0/12Part 1: 2/12
1/12 Glory over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House
Task 17 - What is your country of birth? – Read a book set in that country, or written by an author that was also born in that country. USA
Explanation - Story takes place mostly in Philadelphia (city I was born in) and then travels lower down into North Carolina.
2/12 The Muse: A Novel
25.What is your favourite genre? – Read a book in that genre.
historical fiction
She is cool. We adopted her from a family that couldn't care for her anymore. I think it's been about 5 years now. She is a sweetie.
yes, it's lip balm...haha! I have to put it on everynight before bed and now my husband, after all these years, has to as well! ;)
I'm an addict too. I do it after brushing my teeth in the morning and before going to bed, and in winter several other times per day. I have chapsticks in all my bags, one in the kitchen, one in the living room, and one in the bedroom.
I'm a lip balm addict too. I recently bought this chocolate scented one made from organic beeswax and it's the nicest smelling lip balm ever! Problem is, as soon as I put it on I want to lick it all off!
One of my IRL friends has the same obsession as you guys and she loves these little holders: https://www.etsy.com/ca/listing/46005...She says they are fantastic for being able to find them without dumping your entire purse on the table.
Have you tried The Herbal Gerbil lip balm?www.theherbalgerbil.com
I have been using their Perpermint-Vanilla for some time. I love it. I like the little holders too!
No, I haven't but I love the name! I'll check them out. :)I don't like peppermint on my lips though. Too hot!! haha
Tasha wrote: "44. Do you prefer shoes or barefeet?shoes, but really very plain shoes: flip flops in summer and black boots in winter...I am not a shoe girl at all..."
That's me. I'm not crazy about shoes at all, but I don't like to walk barefooted.
It is true. I don't mind the dirty feet (that's what the shower before bed is for), but I feel like the floor is always too cold for my feet, even in summer. I know, it doesn't make too much sense. :)
I don't mind the dirty feet either, haha. We have hard floors in the house so it's it's either cold and/or or hard. I will go barefoot in the house in the summer but always wear socks in the winter! My feet tend to get cold too.
As long as we have known each other on Goodreads, I still learned more about you!! :-) Turns out we both have hazel eyes and like elephants, lol.
I love walking barefeet too, but can only do it midsummer. In autumn/winter I wear socks amd warm furry slippers, but my feet have still turned into lumps of ice by the time I go to bed. I often take my socks off when I'm already under my blanket because it feels they get 10 degrees colder in the second it takes me to take off my socks and put my feet in bed.We did a walk in a bare-feet-park last year, that was so much fun!
It was a walking track in the forest where you have to walk on your bare feet. It's 2km long and the ground is made up of several natural surfaces (grass, sand, clay, pebbles, pinecones etc) that you can or have to walk over. There was also a part with mud which came as high as your knees, and some more stuff like that. There are several in the Netherlands, I think they're all sort of similar.
Now that you describe it, I'm remembering you talking about this before too. It sounds really interesting!
Peggy wrote: "It was a walking track in the forest where you have to walk on your bare feet. It's 2km long and the ground is made up of several natural surfaces (grass, sand, clay, pebbles, pinecones etc) that y..."I love the sounds of this!
I know you are into homeopathy, including for your dog. I got this book on Amazon - Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs: 100 Easy and Safe Essential Oil Recipes to Solve Your Dog's Health Problems by Julie Summers. I know you have only the summary to go by, but I was wondering if it looked useful.
jaxnsmom wrote: "I know you are into homeopathy, including for your dog. I got this book on Amazon - [book:Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs: 100 Easy and Safe Essential Oil Recipes to Solve Your Dog's Health Problems..."Yes! It looks like it's probably a great book. I was very into oils before I started the homeopathy. I still enjoy them but it's hard to mix the two. The smells of the oils can interfere with the remedies so I've been focusing on the remedies over the oils but oils are a great resource!
I looked quickly at her bio on amazon and it looks like she is trained as an aromatherapist and has animal care background so she probably is pretty knowledgeable. I would definitely check the book out.
I used oils as a bug repellant on my dogs for years and have always had great success with them. We've never had fleas with them. I'm assuming very little mosquito bites too but it's hard to know for sure. Ticks were rare but on occassion I did find them on the one dog. I tried something different this year which also worked, a natural supplement with vinegar, garlic and some herbs.
My only caution about oils is to watch out for the MLM companies. They are often more focused on selling oils and I've found that they are not always up on the safe use of oils. Have fun!
Cherry flavour lip balm is too yummy =PThat chocolate one Lisa sounds good. Is it the Burt's Bees Beeswax one?
jaxnsmom wrote: "Peggy, the bare feet park sounds so much fun, especially the mud :)"Sounds really good fun. Can you have a foot shower before you put your socks back on (after the mud) or do you walk through a stream to wash the mud away? I just wondered.
Sarah wrote: "Cherry flavour lip balm is too yummy =PThat chocolate one Lisa sounds good. Is it the Burt's Bees Beeswax one?"
No, it's one that I got at a Christmas fair. It's from an independent shop called The Soap Shop. It's the nicest lip balm ever! I do like Burt's Bees balms too though. I recently had one that was grapefruit flavoured.
This is my favorite lip balm right now:http://www.ecolips.com/store/products...
At first I thought lip balm might be a hard thing to gopher for but I'm starting to think this one might be a lot of fun!
Tasha wrote: "jaxnsmom wrote: "I know you are into homeopathy, including for your dog. I got this book on Amazon - [book:Essential Oil Recipes for Dogs: 100 Easy and Safe Essential Oil Recipes to Solve Your Dog'..."Thanks for your thoughts Tasha.
Liz wrote: "I want to try that lip balm. Is there a store you get it from? Or just order online?"I get mine at Whole Foods but I think amazon has them as well. Just google it and it looks like a bunch of places sell them. I love it. :)
Tasha wrote: "This is my favorite lip balm right now:http://www.ecolips.com/store/products...
At first I thought lip balm might be a hard thing to gopher for b..."
I'm replying to my own comment..! I just saw they have lip balm accessories! I think I'm going to get this:
http://www.ecolips.com/store/category...
Books mentioned in this topic
The Muse (other topics)The Muse (other topics)
Ballad of the Whiskey Robber: A True Story of Bank Heists, Ice Hockey, Transylvanian Pelt Smuggling, Moonlighting Detectives, and Broken Hearts (other topics)
The Three Musketeers (other topics)
Glory Over Everything: Beyond The Kitchen House (other topics)
More...




1. What is your name? (First, Last, Middle, Nickname – you only need to pick one if your prefer. Feel free to list them all.)
Tasha (what I've always been called: the Russian equivalent to Natalie)
Natalie (legal name)
Mommy and Muma (what my kids call me)
2. What is your favourite sport?
I don't have a favorite sport but I used to be obsessed with ice hockey when I was a teen.
3. What colour are your eyes?
I call them Hazel on paperwork but they are really a bluish/grey. They change depending on what I'm wearing.
4. Have you ever had a broken bone?
Yes, my arm when I was a kid.
5. What is your favourite movie?
I don't really watch many movies these days and when I do it's mostly with the kids. I'll go with Titanic because I loved it when it first came out. I don't think I'd love it as much now but I've always been fascinated with the actual Titanic story.
6. What is your favourite book?
Right now, The Golem and the Jinni. I love several books but this is the most recent one I've loved.
7. Pick a number between 1 and 10.
6
8. What is your favourite holiday?
Christmas
9. What is your relationship status?
Married
10. Are you right or left handed?
Right
11. What is your birthday month?
April
12. Do you have a pet? What is it?
Dog but we also have a rabbit, a bearded dragon, 3 hermit crabs and a goldfish.
13. What is your favourite type of food? (Chinese, Italian, Mexican, etc)
Japanese (sushi)
14. What is something you use daily? (brush, computer, car, get creative)
chapstick
15. What is your shoe size? (No halves; roll up to next number)
8
16. What is your favourite Ice cream flavour?
vanilla
17. What is your country of birth?
USA
18. What is your favourite season?
Fall
19. What is your current desk top picture?
Steve Buscemi...
(my son put his face on a bunch of my devices...for a joke...and it's stayed on my desktop)
20. What is your preferred mode of transport?
car
21. How many candles were on your last birthday cake?
49, didn't actually have that many candles on the cake though...maybe just 5 candles.
22. Have you been in an accident?
yes
23. Do you prefer a shower or bath?
shower
24. Name a place you’d like to visit.
Australia
25. What is your favourite genre?
Historical fiction
26. Do you prefer a car or truck?
truck (SUV)
27. Do you have a tattoo?
no, but I used to really want one. Now I don't care.
28. Do you prefer Classic or Contemporary?
contemporary
29. What is your favourite flower?
Lilac
30. Have you been to Europe? Where? (If you live in Europe, specify country other than your own.)
Russia, France, Switzerland , Czechoslavakia
31. If you could meet anyone famous, infamous, notorious, who would it be?
Trump, I'd love to see how is he really is in person! ;)
32. What is the feature on you are most often complimented?
skin
33. Would you rather encounter a ghost, an alien, or neither?
ghost! I love ghostly things!
34. What is your favourite animal (other than domestic pets)?
Elephants
35. What type of holiday do you prefer? (Beach, Mountain, Camping, exotic, etc)
Sightseeing, I love vacations where I can see and learn about a new place and it's history.
36. If you had to lose one of the 5 senses, which would you prefer it to be?
Smell
37. Who is your favourite author?
I have several but I'll go with Sarah Waters.
38. Do you prefer tea, coffee, or water?
tea
39. What is your birthstone using the US 2016 listing: (https://www.americangemsociety.org/en...)
Diamond which is completely wasted on me...
40. What is your favourite fruit?
cantaloupe
41. Issue you are passionate about (abortion, euthanasia, animal rights… etc)
supporting veterans (active troops). I feel strongly that we need to support and give back to those who have sacrificed so much for us. They get treated horribly in this country but hopefully that will soon be changing for the better.
42. Would you rather explore in space or undersea?
Definitely undersea! There are so many intersting things down there!
43. To what time period would you like to time travel?
I'm joining Elsbeth, Peggy and Janice in the 1960s!
44. Do you prefer shoes or barefeet?
shoes, but really very plain shoes: flip flops in summer and black boots in winter...I am not a shoe girl at all...
45. Do you prefer green or black olives? Neither?
green but I do enjoy both
46. What is your Zodiac sign?
A total Taurus girl
47. What is your height in inches?
64
48. Who is someone you miss?
My grandmother. She died when I was a teen and I still miss her to this day.
49. What is your hobby?
homeopathy
50. What language would you like to learn to speak?
I'd love to relearn French, I took French in high school and college.
Oh by the way - interpret these any way you chose. It's all about you.