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

Onwards and Upwards! Here's to 2018! To more new authors and discoveries!

On this note, we going to start the year right with a favourite. Sort of. I would like you to head over to TasteD!ve - http://tastedive.com/

Make sure you go to the "Authors" section


In the search bar, type in your favourite author and search.


You will get a screen with your author up the top, and some suggestions underneath.

Your challenge this month is to read a book by an author on this list. When first do the search, you will usually be presented with 10 related authors. If you don't want to read any of them (or have read them already), you can hit the "more" button for some more options. Depending on your author, you can usually do this a couple of times for another 10-15 options.



HOWEVER, here comes the catch. The more you click "more", the less points you will get.

Reporting:

For your badge, you will need to post with the following in the Reporting Thread.
- Your favourite author
- The author you chose off the recommended list
- The book you chose to read by that author
- Did you like it?
- Your score

Scoring:

5 points - If the author is on your original list of 10 recommendations
4 points - If you clicked "more" once
3 points - If you clicked "more" twice
2 points - If you clicked "more" three times or more

4 points - If you have not read anything written by this author before
2 points - If you have read anything written by this author before

Random January Points
2 points - The main character visits the beach - It's bloody hot in Aus and we all move to the beach.
2 points - The main character in your book is a child (under 15) - Children's Day
2 points - There is a feast/large dinner party where there is a large amount of food - St. Knut's Day, where Julgransplundring, literally "Christmas tree plundering" occurs where everyone eats the biscuits and lollies decorating the tree.
2 points - A character in your book is a fisherman - Funaoroshi, the beginning of the working year for local fishermen in parts of Japan.
2 points - Your book is science fiction - National Science Fiction Day

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be in any genre.
3. The book must be over 170 pages.
4. The book may NOT be combined with the Year Long Zany Zodiac Challenge.
5. The book must be read between January 1- 31, 2018 (based on your local time zone).
6. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose.
7. If reading an audiobook or ebook where page numbers aren't listed, page numbers will be determined by the issue that comes up first on a Goodreads search.

Oh Rus! Now I've got that song from The Sound of Music in my head!

Love the challenge!

I've had it in my head since I heard Louisa died, sorry!

Hmm.. I don't really have one specific favourite author, so I tried one of my favourite HF authors (Kate Morton). I got only two hits, and not even very related ones in my opinion (Tim Burton and Diana Wynne Jones). Should I try again with someone else or am I restricted to these two?

You can try again. Particularly as the majority of us like many authors that could fit in to the "Favourite" category.

And I am sorry if your favourite authors aren't on here, I thought I had comprehensively tried it over the past few months. If in doubt, go bigger.

Again, as with all these tools, they are fallible. But if you wish, you could always add to it.

Like Peggy, I have several favourite authors. I decided to go with my favourite fantasy author, Robin Hobb. I got a pretty good list of recommended authors and have decided to choose Guy Gavriel Kay as I own several of his books.

Like Peggy and Lisa, I have several favorite authors. I'm in the mood for some historical romance, so I went with Georgette Heyer. I got quite a list of authors: Lois McMaster Bujold, Elizabeth Gaskell, Robin McKinley, Nalini Singh, Shannon Hale and Juliet Marillier.

I haven't heard of Juliet Marillier. My library has several of her books. I think I'll try a Beauty and the Beast story, Heart's Blood.

Lanelle wrote: "I haven't heard of Juliet Marillier. My library has several of her books. I think I'll try a Beauty and the Beast story, Heart's Blood."

Sounds promising!!

Lanelle wrote: "I haven't heard of Juliet Marillier. My library has several of her books. I think I'll try a Beauty and the Beast story, Heart's Blood. "

I've been working on her Severwaters series which starts with Daughter of the Forest. I'm enjoying her writing.

Yay! Off to gopher.

Lanelle wrote: "Like Peggy and Lisa, I have several favorite authors. I'm in the mood for some historical romance, so I went with Georgette Heyer.

I love Juliet Marillier. Her Sevenwaters series is excellent. I haven't read Heart's Blood but it's on my TBR pile.

I don’t have a favorite author either, but I love the idea others had of choosing a favorite in a genre you’re in the mood for. I’ll have to think on who I want to go with. Great challenge, Rusalka!

Kristie wrote: "I don’t have a favorite author either, but I love the idea others had of choosing a favorite in a genre you’re in the mood for. I’ll have to think on who I want to go with. Great challenge, Rusalka!"

Just confirming, that this is completely acceptable. Mainly as I am going to bed, so in case any one is worried.

While some of us have trouble whittling down to one absolute favourite, we usually have a shortlist. So check them out.

I was a bit disappointed with the recommended authors for Stephen King. I went through the books I own and have 3 by Michael Crichton, and 1 by Joe Hill. So, Michael Crichton it is.

I'll read The Lost World.

I decided to use Anne Lamott as my favorite, and Brené Brown is the author I chose. I'll try Daring Greatly, it sounds interesting.

Janice wrote: "I'm enjoying her writing."
Lisa wrote: "I love Juliet Marillier."

Good to know! Thank you.

Janice, my first thought was Stephen King too. I came up with quite a few that I own that fit. At least one I plan to read for the yearly challenge, so that one won't work. And wouldn't you know, I just finished NOS4A2.

First thoughts:
Joe Hill: Locke & Key, Horns
Michael Crichton: Next, Rising Sun
Dean Koontz: Lightning, Prodigal Son, Ashley Bell, The Silent Corner, Innocence, Strange Highways, The Funhouse
Bram Stoker: Dracula
Mary Shelley: Frankenstein: The Modern Prometheus

I'll probably go with Strange Highways or The Funhouse.

I chose Janet Evanovich for my favorite and out of the 10 authors that came up I've read 6 of them.
The 4 I haven't read are:
Jonathan Kelllerman
John Sandford
Melanie Rawn
Maryjanice Davidson
I'm not sure which one I'll go with yet, but I'm leaning towards Maryjanice Davidson's Undead and Unwed. It seems like its not as dark and twisty as some of the others, with a little more fluff.
It looks like no matter who I choose, if I like the book I'll be adding another series to my list, lol.
Any thoughts?

Haven't read any of those authors, but my partner really enjoys the Sandford books.

After trying Chris Bohjalian and Jessie Burton without success, I went with Emma Donoghue and the first recommended author was Sarah Waters, so maybe is time to read Affinity.

I chose Dave Eggers as a favourite author. First recommendation is Michael Chabon, so I will read The Yiddish Policemen's Union.

Kristie wrote: "Janice, my first thought was Stephen King too. I came up with quite a few that I own that fit. At least one I plan to read for the yearly challenge, so that one won't work. And wouldn't you know, I..."

I have Locke & Key on audiobook, and I have Rising Sun in paperback. I've already got quite a few audiobooks queued up for January, so opted for an ebook.

Sandra wrote: "After trying Chris Bohjalian and Jessie Burton without success, I went with Emma Donoghue and the first recommended author was [author:Sarah Waters|253..."

Sounds like a good time to me. :)

I know many of you loved it. :)

Janice wrote: "I have Locke & Key on audiobook, and I have Rising Sun in paperback. I've already got quite a few audiobooks queued up for January, so opted for an ebook."

I'm just the opposite. I have far too many physical / ebooks scheduled for January, so I'm trying to go with an audio. Strange Highways and The Funhouse are two of the shorter audios.

I've enjoyed using the website. Found some interesting comparisons so I will definitely use it again in the future. I have chosen Gillian Flynn as my favourite author. I decided to choose something different to what I chose for the survey challenge. Plus I've read all her books, love her writing style and need to read something in the meantime until she publishes something else. Liane Moriarty and Donna Tartt came up in the first 10. I've read a book by the former so I might check out the latter instead.

I've never read anything by Donna Tartt, but I wouldn't have said Liane Moriarty is so similar to Gillian Flynn...

That was my first thought too, Sandra. I almost put in Liane Moriarty as a favorite, but I'm not a fan of Gillian Flynn. To be fair, I only read one book by her, but I didn't care for it.

I'm thinking maybe Philippa Gregory recommends Tracy Chevalier. New Boy or Girl with a Pearl Earring

Rus, i think i might have found a new favorite website - hours of fun!

So, the above comments made me curious about Donna Tartt. I've never read any of her work, so I was curious who she'd be matched with. I don't know any of her matches, except Kate Atkinson and I don't know her well. I wonder if that's accurate?

I agree with you, Margo. This site is very entertaining. :)

The only Moriaty book i've read is Big Little Lies and I can kind of see the similarities to Flynn as both had interesting methods of telling the story plus the presence of real and flawed charecters. Sure Moriaty isn't as dark as Flynn but it isn' exactly light hearted and fluffy either. They both address serious issues.

Thanks, Sarah. I didn't have much to go on, having only read one book by Flynn. I keep thinking that I need to read more by her to get a real feel for her work, but haven't done it yet. As a fan, do you have any recommendations for where to start? I've only read Gone Girl.

Glad you have all fallen down the rabbit hole. I have been using it a bit for music.

Remember, like goodreads, it will make links between what people like as well as genre stuff. So it may not be perfect. But that's a little bit of the fun.

Now I better work out what I'm doing...

I typed in Robert A. Heinlein and David Brin came up on the first list. I have The Postman on my TBR list, so that is what I will read.

AmyK and I had a fun time with author names and the lists of names that they led to.

I typed in Patricia Briggs the only authors I haven't read were Karen Chance and Seanan Mcguire

I really like Seanan McGuire. She also writes under the name Mira Grant.

I typed in Patrick Ness and Maggie Stiefvater popped up. I am planning on reading Shiver, but have a feeling that I have read it before. If that is true, I will read the second book in the series Linger, or the third Forever :)

Delitealex wrote: "I typed in Patricia Briggs the only authors I haven't read were Karen Chance and Seanan Mcguire
"

That's funny. I also typed in Patricia Briggs, and the only authors on the list they recommended that I had read were Seanan McGuire and Karen Chance. Of the other authors on that list, which would you recommend?

@Casceil

Illona Andrews would definitely be my fave I just finished reading book 3 of the series and can't wait for book 4

their kate Daniels series I've only read book 1 but enjoyed it and plan to continue on

They have a few other series to choose from

Kristie wrote: "Thanks, Sarah. I didn't have much to go on, having only read one book by Flynn. I keep thinking that I need to read more by her to get a real feel for her work, but haven't done it yet. As a fan, d..."

My favourite was Dark Places.

I'm also going to see which genre I'm in the mood for in January. I read a fantasy chunkster in December and will start Oathbringer in January, so something else might be good. Especially since I will probably need to read it at the same time as Oathbringer, and I'm no good reading two fantasy novels at the same time.

I searched for Kate Morton (only 2 matches) and then Khaled Hosseini. With the latter I got, among others, Isabel Allende, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Jojo Moyes. I own books by all three, so I'll probably go for one of those.

Thanks, Sarah. Maybe I’ll give that one a try.

Sarah wrote: "Kristie wrote: "Thanks, Sarah. I didn't have much to go on, having only read one book by Flynn. I keep thinking that I need to read more by her to get a real feel for her work, but haven't done it ..."

i agree - Dark Places is her best book

Kristie wrote: "Thanks, Sarah. Maybe I’ll give that one a try."

Just to say, I recommended it to Camilla a while back as she hadn't got on with Gone Girl either. She didn't like this one either. I think she concluded that Flynn just wasn't for her. So that may be the case for you too. But if you're going to like any of them, then Dark Places is the one.

I put in James Patterson and came back with quite a few that I have physical copies of so I'm going to read Patricia Cornwell

That's a fun challenge and a great website too! I've searched for 'Stephen King' and came up with' Michael Crichton'. I will read Dragon Teeth.

I typed Philip K. Dick and got William Gibson, Arthur C. Clarke, Stanisław Lem, Harlan Ellison, Robert Anton Wilson, Robert A. Heinlein, Roger Zelazny, Neal Stephenson, Frank Herbert and Larry Niven (no surprises there)

I typed Anne Bishop and got quite the list. Jaqueline Carey, Melanie Rawn, Juliet Marillier, and Nalini Singh being among those I own a few books of.

Right now I'm trying to decide between Kushiel's Dart by Carey and Slave to Sensation by Singh. I haven't read anything by any of these 2 authors and I'll decide which one to read according to my available reading time in Jan. Kushiel's Dart is 1000+ pages while the other one is just a little more than 300 pages.