The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

25.4. Peebee’s Task: Opposites Attract

Most readers have their favorites when they read, whether it is certain authors, where books are set, or a preference for either fiction or non-fiction. One thing I enjoy about the SRC is the chance to make some of my favorite preferences fit into the Challenge, while at the same time being occasionally forced to read something that I wouldn’t select otherwise in order to satisfy other tasks.

For this task, the following continent pairs will be used: North America/South America; Asia/Africa; and Europe/Australia (Oceania); no fictional lands are allowed or books set in the future beyond the present time. If you are not certain about your preferences to be identified below, please determine them using the books you read in the Summer 2014 SRC, or if you didn’t participate, identify your preferences based upon the last 20 books you listed in your "read" list on Goodreads. Or just use your best guess....

Read two books, selected from two of these three options:

Option 1: Your Favorites

For this book, select a book that is a) set in the continent in which you were born and/or currently live (your choice if you now live in a continent that is different than the one in which you were born); b) is the gender of the author you most frequently read; and c) is of the type (fiction or non-fiction) you most commonly read.

For example, I live in the US and read a lot of chick lit/women’s fiction, so my “favorite” selection would be a fictional book written by a female author set in North America.

Required: Please state the options you selected when you post.

Option 2: Opposites Attract

For this book, you will be selecting a book that is the complete opposite of the first one. a) The opposite continent, according to the pairs established above; b) the opposite gender for the author; and c) the opposite type (fiction or non-fiction).

For example, based upon my first selection (North America/female author/fiction), my second book would be a non-fiction book set in South America written by a male author.

Required: Please state the options you selected when you post; they must be the opposite of the ones selected in Option 1.

Option 3: Wild Card

Want to select a book that’s even more an alternative than option 2? Select one of the following choices: a) A book set, in whole or in part, in Antarctica; b) a book written by a transgender author or with a transgender character; or c) the opposite of your other choice, according to these pairings: fiction: the opposite is biography, autobiography, memoir; nonfiction: the opposite is science fiction or fantasy. For this task, only one of the three criteria must be matched (although if you find the memoir of a transgender person visiting Antarctica, please do share it with us in the help thread!)

Required: Please state the option you selected when you post; if you select "c", the genre (as listed on the book’s main page) must be determined by the pairing specified for the type (fiction or non-fiction) of book you used in Option 1 or 2. For option 3c, if your book is science fiction or fantasy, the book may be set in a fictional land or in the future.

Books that work

Books that don't work

This thread is now open.

Hi, I just want to clarify

I'm like you so my Option 1 Favorites would be Set in NAmer/written by a female/fiction.

For the wild card choice "C" I can choose any biography or memoir, say this one of Patricia Highsmith, The Talented Miss Highsmith: The Secret Life and Serious Art of Patricia Highsmith even though she is a North American female writer of fiction.

Also Middlesex is about a hermaphrodite, would that work for Choice "B"?

Thank you!

So, just to see that I understand the task.

I go with Option 1 (as I already had problems finding one book set in Australia) and read a fiction book by a Male author set in Europe, because I read slightly more books by male authors and live in Germany.

The Ritual by Adam Nevill

And as I definitly do not want to look for a non-fiction book by a female author set in Australia I go with Option 3C and read the opposite of a fiction book, a book with biography as genre:

Under the Paw: Confessions of a Cat Man

Jamie wrote: "Hi, I just want to clarify

I'm like you so my Option 1 Favorites would be Set in NAmer/written by a female/fiction.

For the wild card choice "C" I can choose any biography or memoir, say this o..."

You can choose any biography or memoir if your favorite for A would be fiction (or your opposite for B is fiction and you choose option B)

Middlesex is approved. A delightful book and a delightful character.

Peebee wrote: "Jamie wrote: "Hi, I just want to clarify

I'm like you so my Option 1 Favorites would be Set in NAmer/written by a female/fiction.

For the wild card choice "C" I can choose any biography or memo..."

I agree, I read it a really long time ago and I'd love to read it again

Just want to make sure I understand. For option one, I am reading a fiction book written by a woman because that is mostly what I read.

So if I do option 3 c, I would need to just do the opposite genre, right? I have picked I Wore the Ocean in the Shape of a Girl, which is an autobiography. Would that work?

Peebee ...
I think that maybe somewhere there should be a requirement to state your favorite genre / auth gender / where reader lives (whether you are reading for option A or B) ...

Otherwise if someone is reading options B & C you have no way of knowing what the A book might have been.

Does that make sense?

Anyway ... off to check my tbr for options

Could you approve The Island of Excess Love for transgender?

From a review:

I so, so appreciate the diverse representation in this series. There is Pen, the main character, who is bisexual. Her boyfriend, Hex, who is trans.
http://great-imaginations.com/2014/08...

If this is approved for C, then am I right that I could do option A and then C counts just because of the transgender character regardless of where it's set, its genre and the gender of the author?

Great task!

I live in America, which is North America. For Option 2, I would need a book set in South America. Question: Does "South America" include all the countries south of Mexico?

Specifically, would it include the "Central America" countries of:
Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama

As well as the "South America" countries of:
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

I havent chosen my books for this one as yet, but just wanted to pass on my compliments on coming up with such a stunning task, Peebee ! :) Kudos !

I just want to make sure I'm understanding this task - I live in North America and I tend to favor mysteries written by female authors. For Option 1, I could read: by Judi McCoy (set in New York City, written by a female and shelved as mystery by 23 people).

For my second book, I can select Option 3B and I could read which as mentioned above is about a hermaphrodite.

Ok so since in live in North America and generally read fiction written by female authors (although it's close to even with male authors) I could choose by Chelsea Cain since this is fiction set in Oregon by a female author could I choose by Alfred Lansing. This is nonfiction by a male author set in Antarctica using the wild card option because it's Antarctica and not South America

We are going to try to figure out the language (Sandy and I have been going back and forth already). But here's the basic concept.

There's 1, what you normally read, which requires you to have a book that is 1a+b+c. There's 2, the opposite of what you normally read (2x+y+z). There's 3, the wild card. For that option, you only need to satisfy one criteria, not three. Only 3c has to be the opposite of anything. But if you select 3c, it has to be the opposite of what you selected in 1 or 2 as the first of the two-book task. If you selected 1, it's the opposite of your favorite. If you selected 2, it's the opposite of the opposite of your favorite (which I guess might put you back at your favorite, but that's OK, since you are at least reading one "opposite book" by selecting 2).

But still consider this a work in progress, and I will consult with Sandy to see if we can do even better on the language to avoid further confusion.

Rebecca NJ wrote: "I just want to make sure I'm understanding this task - I live in North America and I tend to favor mysteries written by female authors. For Option 1, I could read: [bookcover:Begging for Trouble|8..."

Yes, Rebecca NJ, although you don't have to read the mystery genre specifically or have that shelved on the main page....you can read any fiction book (assuming you read fictional mysteries and not "true-crime" nonfiction mysteries).

Cynthia wrote: "Just want to make sure I understand. For option one, I am reading a fiction book written by a woman because that is mostly what I read.

So if I do option 3 c, I would need to just do the opposite ..."

Yes, Cynthia, you got it exactly right.

Fandury wrote: "So, just to see that I understand the task.

I go with Option 1 (as I already had problems finding one book set in Australia) and read a fiction book by a Male author set in Europe, because I read ..."

You got it, Fandury. Although I've heard very good things about The Road from Coorain. ;-)

Book Concierge wrote: "Peebee ...
I think that maybe somewhere there should be a requirement to state your favorite genre / auth gender / where reader lives (whether you are reading for option A or B) ...

Otherwise if..."

Well, if you know the B book, then you can deduce that A was the opposite of each of the B selections characteristics (I was just trying to reduce the length of what participants have to include and moderators have to read).

Peebee wrote: "We are going to try to figure out the language (Sandy and I have been going back and forth already). But here's the basic concept.

There's 1, what you normally read, which requires you to have a ..."

So According to how I read your answer, my two books work, Since the first is a favorite and the second(wild card) is set in Antarctica?

Karen Michele wrote: "Could you approve The Island of Excess Love for transgender?

From a review:

I so, so appreciate the diverse representation in this series. There is Pen, the main character, who i..."

Yes, approved, based upon the transgender character.

Peebee wrote: "Yes, Rebecca NJ, although you don't have to read the mystery genre specifically or have that shelved on the main page....you can read any fiction book (assuming you read fictional mysteries and not "true-crime" nonfiction mysteries).
"

I do read fictional mysteries and will probably stick with this one because I want to finish that series (one of these days, lol!)

Thanks for the quick response!

For option 1
I'll pick a fiction, set in N America, by female author Home the Hard Way

***Does the setting need to be obvious or can I just state, this book was set in N America.

***Does genre Fiction need to be noted on main page, or can I just state this is a work of fiction


For Option 3:
a - Set in Antartica
Polar Reaction

Deedee wrote: "I live in America, which is North America. For Option 2, I would need a book set in South America. Question: Does "South America" include all the countries south of Mexico?

Specifically, would ..."

Let's go with what the Wikipedia says:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_...

Central America and the Caribbean are lumped in with North America, not South America.

Andy wrote: "Ok so since in live in North America and generally read fiction written by female authors (although it's close to even with male authors) I could choose by [author:C..."

Approved based upon the Antarctica setting.

Option A: fiction, female author, North America

Option C: memoir/autobiography Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper

I'm packing to move Saturday and just want to make sure I'm not overthinking. lol.

Morgan wrote: "Option A: fiction, female author, North America

Option C: memoir/autobiography Candy Girl: A Year in the Life of an Unlikely Stripper

I'm packing to move Saturday and just want to ma..."

You are not overthinking and this is approved.

Peebee --

We posted at the same time. Can you look at my questions in post 25 please?

Susan A wrote: "Peebee --

We posted at the same time. Can you look at my questions in post 25 please?"

Your first question is one for the moderators, since it's about what verification is needed. What I am planning to do is to say "This book is based in the United States, in North America" and can't imagine that would be insufficient, so the moderators don't have to go looking for the information in the book summary.

For the second question, I'm not sure that the genre "fiction" by itself is always in the summary, but I did look at the last several books that I read and they said "women's fiction," "adult fiction," "literary fiction" "historical fiction" or some other subgenre. As far as I'm concerned, stating that the book is fiction is sufficient: it's usually pretty obvious from the summary, regardless of how it's shelved.

Antarctica book (Polar Reaction) is approved.

I have a question for option 2. If I've picked my favorite genre in option 1 as Paranormal. Does the opposite genre have to be non-fiction, or could it be Contemporary or realistic fiction?

Anita, option 1 does not require a genre choice - only a decision about whether you read more fiction or non-fiction.

Oh, so then I'll have to read non-fiction for option 2? if I choose fiction in option 1.

Anita wrote: "Oh, so then I'll have to read non-fiction for option 2? if I choose fiction in option 1."

That is correct.

My FAVORITE choice was fiction, female author, North America.

Deadlocked by Charlaine Harris meets that criteria and helps me to finish off the series.

Now, for the second book, I can either do Option 2 or 3.

I currently am planning option 2 - South America, male author, nonfiction.

The Lost City of Z: A Tale of Deadly Obsession in the Amazon by David Grann

Hope this helps.

My summer challenge showed an abundance of male writers of fiction set in North America, so I'm going to read


I can't find a lot of South American nonfiction by women. (it's almost all men!) Will this book about Cuba work?

I honestly don't think I have a author gender that I read more. I even counted the books on my shelves to check, and it came out pretty much even. Can I just pick one (for option 1)?

My FAVORITES: Fiction / Male
I LIVE IN: North America

Option A: (tba) - fiction / male / North america

Option B: Nonfiction / female / South America
My Invented Country : A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile by Isabel Allende
(NOTE despite the title this is a memoir of her growing up in Chile and her family's history in that country)

Peebee wrote: "Deedee wrote: "I live in America, which is North America. For Option 2, I would need a book set in South America. Question: Does "South America" include all the countries south of Mexico?

Speci..."
OK fine!

Peebee wrote: "Andy wrote: "Ok so since in live in North America and generally read fiction written by female authors (although it's close to even with male authors) I could choose ..."

Thanks!

Dear Peebee, this is a wonderful challenge and I'm so glad you thought of it. I just need a bit of clarification to help me pick out my books. I was born in Asia and currently live in North America. I tend to read fiction (specifically crime novels) by female authors.

For Option A, I wanted to find a book set in Asia, written by a female author (preferably a mystery/crime novel). If I were to do Option B, would my opposite continent be North America? Or another place?

Thanks for the clarification! I can't wait to dive into my to-read-list to see what I can come up with.

I live in North America (Canada), and my favourite books are mysteries written by women (Sue Grafton, Julia Spenser-Fleming), so for My Favourites I'd like to read the mystery Reconstructing Amelia and for the opposite I'm thinking a non-fiction book written about Japan by a male author? Things Japanese?

Option 1: A.) Set in USA B.) Female Author C.) Fiction


Option 2: A.) Set in South America B.) Male Author C.) Non-Fiction


Does this work?

"no fictional lands are allowed or books set in the future beyond the present time"

Does that apply to option 3? If it does, there are going to be very few books that fit both that and this:

"nonfiction: the opposite is science fiction or fantasy"

I understand the restriction on fictional lands for the first two options, but why does a future setting matter?

Option 1: Set in USA, fiction and female author

Where She Went

Option 3, c:

Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage


Is this correct?

Nicole wrote: "Option 1: Set in USA, fiction and female author

Where She Went

Option 3, c:

Delancey: A Man, a Woman, a Restaurant, a Marriage


Is this correct?"

Approved: you didn't say, but the book you selected is a memoir.

Sarah wrote: ""no fictional lands are allowed or books set in the future beyond the present time"

Does that apply to option 3? If it does, there are going to be very few books that fit both that and this:

"non..."

You are correct: the "fictional lands" restriction does not apply to option 3. I will check with the moderator to ensure that is made clear.

Angel **Book Junkie** wrote: "Option 1: A.) Set in USA B.) Female Author C.) Fiction


Option 2: A.) Set in South America B.) Male Author C.) Non-Fiction
[bookcover:The Motorcycle Diaries: No..."

Approved.

Navarra wrote: "I live in North America (Canada), and my favourite books are mysteries written by women (Sue Grafton, Julia Spenser-Fleming), so for My Favourites I'd like to read the mystery [book:Reconstructing ..."

Navarra, if you live in North America, then your opposite selection by a male author would need to be set in South America, as that is the "opposite" continent in the pairings listed in the task.

Narumon wrote: "Dear Peebee, this is a wonderful challenge and I'm so glad you thought of it. I just need a bit of clarification to help me pick out my books. I was born in Asia and currently live in North America..."

Narumon: you can choose either Asia or North America for Option A, but please reference the continent pairings listed in the task. If you select a book in Asia, then your "opposite" is Africa; if you select a book set in North America, then your "opposite" is South America.