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

We have been a little terrestrial lately, so lets head into the depths and get inspired for some reading ideas from those wonderful (and musical, I know you're all singing it) creatures under the sea.

This month, I would like you to click on this link:
https://www.generatormix.com/random-s...

Click once, only once. If you revisit that site or refresh it, then you will get a whole new set of creatures, and no, that is not what we are doing. Click it once, and screenshot that or snip it or even take a photo of your screen. Those 6 creatures are your inspiration this month.

I would like you this month to read something inspired by one (or more) of the six sea creatures you randomly generated from that link

So for example:



I could read a book with a shark on the cover for the Sandbar Shark.
Or Queen in the title for the Queen Parrotfish.
Maybe a book set in Malaysia for the Malaysian Box Turtle.
A book with a stripey pattern on the cover matching the Mollusk.
Coz Flatback Sea Turtles are endemic to the sandy beaches and shallow coastal waters of the Australia, I could read a book that has been catergorised as a beach read.
Or I could read a book with an emotionally clingy, suffocating character for the Limpet.

The world is your oyster! Well, only if you randomly generate an oyster I guess, but the point still stands. If you can explain to me how it links, and I can understand the link to your sea creature, then you can read it.
And google your cool creatures and marvel in how amazing our environment is!

No points this month. But please report what your six sea creatures were (screenshot is always good so we can go Ooooo!), your WOF name, what you read, how it linked, and what you thought of the book - a couple of sentences please so we know whether we should add it to our lists.

General Rules:

1. The book may be in any format - paperback, ebook, audiobook.
2. The book may be combined with the Year Long Challenge and the Group Themed Read.
3. The book must be read between May 1 - May 31, 2023 (based on your local time zone).
4. The challenge is for one book. You may read more books if you chose but you may only report one.
5. The book must be 175 pages or more determined by the issue you read.

In the case of ebooks & audiobooks, use the hardcover or paperback edition to determine page length. From the book page, select “all editions”, then select the first paper edition as your guide. If reading an ebook and there is no paper edition, the ebook book must be at least 250 pages. If reading an audiobook and there is no paper edition, your book must be a minimum of 6 hours long.

WoF - Lynn

My six were;
Chilean Basket Star
Japanese Turtle
Northern Map Turtle
Whiptail Gulper
Yellow Mud Turtle
Threespot Damselfish

I read: The Ogress and the Orphans

I connected Northern Map Turtle with a book that had a map (which this one does)

Unfortunately I wasn't really a fan of the book. There were just way too many damn words! And way too many that were repeated, over and over. I just kept thinking, will you please get to the point. It was exhausting to read.

I've read three books from this author, and the first one I loved and gave it 5 stars. The second and third (this one) I have not vibed with at all. I think this author might not be for me.

WoF Jayme

My sea creatures.


I read Over Sea, Under Stone by Susan Cooper.

I linked the Sea Cucumber with my book since the word "sea" is in the name of my creature and also the title of the book.

This book is a young adult fantasy that was written in 1965. I enjoyed the book, but it is showing it's age a bit and I'm not sure how todays young adult would receive the book. I think they might see it as a bit juvenile. Which is a shame because it is charming and just a good fun fantasy mystery.
FYI: The fourth book in this 5 book series (Over Sea, Under Stone is the first book) won the Newberry Medal in 1976. I am planning on reading the series.

WoF Marnie

My six were
Dolphin
Sponge
Atlantic trumpetfish
Rat tail fish
Basking shark
Megamouth shark

I read The Trumpet of the Swan which connects to the Atlantic Trumpetfish. It is by E.B. White so I expected a little bit of magic. Not as wonderful as Charlotte's Web but that was a childhood favorite so I didn’t expect it to. It was a charming story of a nonverbal swan who goes on adventures to pay for a trumpet.

WOF: Candice

My sea creatures.



I read Viper: No Resurrection for Commissario Ricciardi which connects with the viper fish.

It was better than I expected it to be for a random Italian translated mystery novel. I only came across it searching for the word viper in my library and had not heard of it.

It is set in 1932 Naples, Italy and focusses on the police who a trying to solve the murder of a prostitute. Set within the time of Mussolini and fascism there are also undercurrents of fear of the Blackshirts and speaking about politics.
The characters weren't one sided and the book was well written. I might read the others in the series just to find out what happens to the characters.

WoF name - Lanelle





I got Bass, Dolphinfish, Terrible Claw Lobster, Angulate Tortoise, Basking Shark, and Frilled Shark.

Since I got two sharks, I went the unimaginative and easy route and used 'shark' in my book's title :)

I read The Sands of Shark Island by Alexander McCall Smith. It's the second book in a series for children. Can you imagine how fun it would be to live and go to school on a ship? The main characters (a brother and a sister) and their friends have all kinds of adventures while aboard the School Ship Tobermory.

It's a cute story and I enjoyed reading the book. If my library ever got book 3 and 4, I would finish the series, but I wouldn't buy them.

WoF Janice

I got these lovely specimens:


I read Hercule Poirot's Christmas as my selection for the challenge. I picked Prawn as my victim. The term 'prawn' is used primarily in UK, Ireland, & Commonwealth Nations. The book is set in the UK, and I used that as my connection.

I quite enjoyed this book and was surprised at the end. Pretty tricky Agatha Christie! There were lots of suspects to chose from, all with a motive because Granddad was a truly grumpy old man. He summoned all his family together at Christmas - not for peace and joy, but nasty insults and innuendoes.

I think Poirot could give Holmes a run for his money. He hung unobtrusively in the background and made his astute observations which were revealed in his usual way, a gathering of all the players.

WOF Beth

I got
1. Viperfish
2. Grey reef shark
3. Hammerhead shark
4. Venus Flytrap Sea Anemone
5. Queensland blenny
6. Flatback Turtle

I went with 4, the Venus Flytrap Sea Anemone, which looks like something it is not. In the book I read, Girl, Serpent, Thorn, there are some things that are not what they appear. It was a YA fantasy novel with overtones of Iranian culture. I really enjoyed it. I will keep my eyes open for more from this author!

WoFSharon Biscuit

I had FLYING FISH
IVORY BUSH CORAL
WHITE SHRIMP
BARBOUR’S MAP TURTLE
WESTERN PAINTED TURTLE
PORTUGUESE DOGFISH SHARK

https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...

I chose the Western Painted Turtle. It has a colorful shell and so did the cover of my book. My book also has an MPG of Western. I read The Bequest byB.E. Baker.

WoF Nix
I had
- Bluecrab
- Clown Fish
- Needlefish
- Prawn
- Limpet
- Gopher tortoise


I chose Needlefish and read The Last House on Needless Street. The book has "needle" embedded in the title and this was such a weird and amazing read.

I could have never guessed initially (despite trying multiple times) on the route the story is going to take. I don't want to say more about it which might spoil it. The book felt unsettling and I was scared to read it at night haha.

WoF: Sandra from PA

I got:
Ringed Seal
Banded Sea Krait
Hapuka
White-Beaked Dolphin
Japanese Turtle
Broadnose Sevengill Shark


I read North Haven. The White-Beaked Dolphin loves cold temperate and subarctic waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, and it is one of the 11 different types of dolphins you can find in Maine's coast. The book is set on an island in Maine. I was hoping that a dolphin was mentioned, but it didn't happen. It makes sense because it's set in summer and the White-Beaked Dolphin is around on winters.

WoF Almeta

Darnnit, I had photos of all choices, but lost them in my copy/paste maneuver! Will go look for the sand dollar at least.

Read Twist of a Knife 11 May, A Hawthorne and Horowitz Investigate Series book.
Chose Eccentric Sand dollar

Hawthorne is an Eccentric investigator, à la Sherlock Holmes
Anthony Horowitz , the author, is Eccentric enough to make himself a main character in the series. He plays the John Watson type sidekick, as a writer of Hawthorne's memoir..

Dolphin Monkfish Pink Salmon
Tiger Prawn Common Musk

WoF Grainne

My 6 water creatures are:
dragonet
ratfish
squidworm
Blanding's turtle
Chinese soft shell turtle
Sailfin Rough Shark

I chose a book based on the 'ratfish.' The ratfish belongs to a group of fish called the chimaera. The Chimaera in Greek mythology was part lion, part goat, and part snake. The character in the book (Lyudmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenk) is also a hybrid of traits as she is known as a librarian, Lady Death, and also a mother.

I read The Diamond Eye. It is set during the World War and the author did a great job of detailing the history of the Hitlerites invasion while also telling us the story of the role of one woman in the Red army. I did not know about her before reading this book and her tale is remarkable. Her friendship with Eleanor Roosevelt is touching. I will be reading more by this author.

WoF - Odette

My six were:
Christmas Tree Worm
Crown-of-Thorns Starfish
Giant Sea Star
Slender Snipe Eel
White-Beaked Dolphin
Yellow Mud Turtle

I chose Christmas Tree Worm and read Christmas by the Lighthouse by Rebecca Boxall, which has the word "Christmas" in the title.
I enjoyed reading this heartwarming, and lovely story. Set in Jersey it follows the two main characters, Summer and Jude, as their love affair progresses and the ups and downs of it all. With some heavy subject matter, the author keeps the book relatively light.
This is the second book I have read by this author and will be looking out for more

WoF Jane Reads

My six are Grunion, Xiphosura, Toadfish, Whale, Eastern Mud Turtle, and Greek Tortoise.

I picked Xiphosura, aka Horseshoe Crab.



The book I chose is Full Mortality by Sasscer Hill, because it has a Horse on the cover and is about Horse Racing. When I read it, I found another connection. The main character's ill-tempered filly has an issue with one of her horseshoes.

I really enjoyed it. The main character, Nikki, is very likable. Because the author was a breeder, owner, and rider of race horses for over 30 years, the setting, characters, and so forth are truly authentic. I will keep reading this series, to find out what happens next with Nikki and Hellish the ill-tempered filly.

WoF Katrisa
My six were Pilchard, Atlantic Trumpetfish, Wahoo, Mississippi Map Turtle, Red Footed Box Turtle, and Wreckfish

I chose Red Footed box turtle and red Silver Nitrate which has a mostly red cover

WoF: Kristie

These were my six:


I chose to read Remarkably Bright Creatures. One of the main characters is Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus. One of the sea creatures I got is the Pacific Angelshark. Both have Pacific in their names are native to parts of the Pacific Ocean. Also, the book takes place in northern Washington State, where both of the sea creatures would naturally be found along the coast of.

I enjoyed this story a lot. It was very sweet.

WofF TrudyAn

My choices:



I chose the giant clam and read Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr. I connected the colours of the clam with the colours of the book cover. Plus, it was a giant book, at 626 pages (though there is a LOT of white space).

The story was told from the perspective of five characters, within three time periods; it was part fantasy, part sci-fi, part HF. There was a lot going on, too much really, and I had to stop myself from skimming some sections. The writing was lovely, and I can see why readers love this book.

I love hearing about all your creatures and connections!

Wof Anna M

I got
🐙John Dory
🐙 Krill
🐙 California Sea Otters
🐙 Fathead Sculpin
🐙 Giant Oarfish
🐙 Spotted Turtle
https://www.goodreads.com/photo/user/...

I read One Extra Corpse set in Hollywood, California I connected that with California Sea Otters.

This is 2nd book in the series. Set in 1920s the main character is Emma, an English woman who lost her husband and brother in the World War 1, and the rest of her family to influensa. She had a dreadful time working as a companion but luckily her sister in law offered her a work and place at her home in Hollywood. The sister in law is a famous movie star Camille de la Rosa or Kitty. Together they take care of Kitty's dogs and lovers, jealous co stars and annoying reporters, solve murder all this while working on set to film the next blockbuster movie.

The story is well written and Barbara Hambly is one of my favourite authors but for some reason ( I really I don't know why) these series leave me lukewarm.

WoF: Dawn (https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...)

Sponge (a picture of an kitchen sponge came up for this, thought that was funny)
Smelts
Sockeye Salmon
Tropical Two-Wing Flyfish
Cumberland Slider
Japanese Wobbegong

I chose Sockeye Salmon. It is the one most common to where I live and also very important to the local indigenous tribes.
The name sockeye comes from a poor attempt to translate the word suk-kegh from British Columbia's native Coast Salish language. Suk-kegh means red fish.
I am connecting in several ways, a fish as cover art, an author with Coast Salish heritage, and the story with Coast Salish themes.

I read Tauhou by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall

This book is not traditional, it is a collection of pieces that don't really make a whole story. I really liked the first half of the book, most due to a more connected feeling to the pieces I read. It was also more obvious in the first half that the author was amalgamating their two heritages, from BC and from New Zealand, into the story. I unfortunately found the second half of the book too disconnected. But I would say it was still pretty interesting and very creative.

WoF Fiona

I got


I decided to use the Indian Star Tortoise and I read Land of the Seven Rivers: A Brief History of India's Geography. They are connected because of India. Indian Star Tortoise and India in the subtitle. The book is a recollection of all the important geographical events of India.

WOF: Emma R.

I got
Tilefish
Pacific White Sided Dolphin
Bluegray Carpetshark
Frilled Shark
Portuguese Dogfish
Epaulette Shark

I chose the Frilled Shark for my inspiration. The animal made me think of sea creatures/monsters, so I wanted to read a book with those themes. I ended up reading To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo.

This book follows a siren princess who is forced into becoming a human. She joins a pirate crew to find a hidden treasure to overthrow the siren queen. This book connects since it is a book about sea creatures/monsters.

This was an amazing book. I had been avoiding this book because I read a review where it was mentioned it was grimdark and I have not been in the mood for that style. Having actually read the book, I’m thinking the reviewer and I have a very different definition of grimdark. I found this book to have great characters with amazing world-building, and a tight, complete plot. It also has princes, princesses, pirates, and sirens, and it is hard to dislike a book with that combination.

WoF Vicki

These were my 6 sea creatures:


I chose the Wobbegong who are also known as carpet sharks.

I tied it to my book Alif the Unseen because they are experts at being camouflaged or "unseen" on the ocean floor. Also, the book is set in Persia historically famous for carpets.

I think if you can really suspend disbelief regarding the coding and programming that is going on it is a very fun own-voices fantasy YA book. Perhaps it's just my ignorance because I know nothing about coding, but I thought it was a letdown that soured my overall opinion of the book.

I gave it 3 stars.

WoF Aya

My sea creatures are:
・Sea Turtle
・California Sea Otter
・Hammerhead Shark
・Hapuka
・Mullet
・Aldabra Giant Tortoise

I chose Mullet, which have served as an important source of food in Mediterranean Europe since Roman times.

I read Pompeii, which set in Italy AD 79. There were red mullets mentioned in the book as well, claimed as an expensive fish that worth 5 times a slave.

Though the theme of the book is intriguing, I had a hard time understanding the content. I couldn't feel anything about the book or even the characters, so I gave it two stars.

WoF - Jenn

My creatures were
- King Mackerel
- Manta Ray
- Big-headed Turtle
- European Pond Turtle
- Cumberland Slider
- Prickly Dogfish Shark

I had a couple of turtles in the pile so decided to read Turtles All the Way Down which has turtles in the title.

It was an excellent book delving into the day to day challenges of a young lady dealing with mental illness.

WOF-Anna's ReadingLife

I got the Sablefish, Cod, Pond Slider, Musk Turtle, Texas Map Turtle and the Tiger Shark.

I decided to go with the Tiger Shark and read The Marriage Portrait. The book cover caught my eye as there is a tiger,



I had no idea why there would be a tiger on the cover but shortly found out that Lucrezia's father has a menagerie and there is a tiger!

I enjoyed the read but I do think it didn't need to be as long as it is. The writing is, however, really really good and I love Lucrezia as a main character.

WoF - Rusalka



I read a book that connects to the flatfish. Apparently, flatfish are found all over the world, from the Arctic to Antarctica, with the most types in the equatorial parts (which makes sense). But no matter where you go into the sea, there is likely some kind of flatfish around.

So I read The Wild Beasts of Wuhan. This was set in Curacao, Hong Kong, China, Denmark, Faeroe Islands, UK, Ireland, USA, and Canada. All over the world!

It was my least favourite of the series. The book is a large ad for favoured brand names. Ava, a forensic accountant, is still interesting when she gets down to doing her job and investigating the job at hand through the paper and the interrogation. Just not a fan of the constant product placement, and the men writing women gaze (she thinks about her boobs too much).

Badges are up! Let me know if you were inadvertently missed.

Rusalka wrote: "Badges are up! Let me know if you were inadvertently missed."

Hey Rusalka - I think you missed me 😉

Noooo! Sorry! I remember writing your name down too, as I misspelled it 4 times and got really frustrated!

Rusalka wrote: "Badges are up! Let me know if you were inadvertently missed."

Lol no worries!!

Ah, I know what happened. Rectified it for the three people I missed.

Rusalka wrote: "Ah, I know what happened. Rectified it for the three people I missed."

I think you missed me too.

Oh my goodness, I have no idea how. Sorry! Fixed :)

No problem! Thanks :)