Marshall-Lyon County Library discussion

Join us for the 7th Annual MLCL Reading Challenge. As usual, there are 25 prompts, with 10 focused on Fiction titles and 15 that can be either Fiction or Nonfiction.

For an introduction to the Challenge, check out the blog post: https://marshalllyonlibrary.org/2024-...

You can find the list of 25 prompts here: https://marshalllyonlibrary.org/reade...

After checking everything out and you are still interested, please respond to this topic and join us!

The prompts for next year look interesting. I'm on for another year.

I'm in! Excited to start planning. Thank you!

I’ll give it another go.

Welcome Virginia, Barbra and Sara; thanks for joining!!

I’m definitely in!!

Welcome Nicole ~ glad to have you along!

I’m excited to join and try!

I'm finally going to add some structure to my reading through this challenge. Hopes high, expectations low!

Welcome aboard, Paula and Emma!

Off to a great start. WHERE THE HEART IS, by Billie Letts was part of Oprah's Book Club.

Welcome David ~ and great first title!

Just finished SHADOW OF THE WIND by Carlos Ruiz Zafon for the second time. I was amazed at how much more I saw the second time through. This book holds characters more real to me than my neighbors, and comes to life in a deep and intricately woven plot. The translation is exceptional.

Many of my reading friends love this book so I'm finally going to read it this year for the challenge.

The Plum Creek Library System holds DEFYING THE GHOSTS by Minnesota author Joan Marie Verba. It's a young adult ghost story that is entirely different from most ghost stories. It isn't terribly scary. It's an uplifting story about overcoming adversity and the resourcefulness that can be found in young people.

Maybe next year we could include a short story on the prompt list.

I have enjoyed "The Surgeon's Daughter" and "I Heard a Fly When I Died" so far in 2024. Beginning "The First Ladies" today. Never enough time to read all the great books we have at MLCL!

John Steinbeck wrote books to satisfy the California prompt. Marshall has TORTILLA FLAT and GRAPES OF WRATH.

For the seasons/holiday prompt I read BECOMING BIRCH; TIMELESS TALES OF THE WHEEL OF THE YEAR by Lyon County author Elizabeth Rowan Keith. It's in the Plum Creek system.

Can anyone suggest a book that takes place in the Southern Hemisphere?

If you enjoy crime novels, Australia has a number of great authors, Jane Harper being one of the most well-known (The Dry, etc.). A few other Australian authors who write in a variety of genres are Peter Carey (True History of the Kelly Gang; Oscar and Lucinda), Nevil Shute (A Town Like Alice; On the Beach), and Colleen McCullough (The Thorn Birds). A great nonfiction title about visiting Australia is In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson.

Finally, if you are interested in a specific genre, try a search focusing on the genre and there may be a website that covers all manner of books in that area. For example, as a mystery reader, I love Stop You're Killing Me which is a database of mystery authors listed in a variety of ways, including a Location index.

Hope this helps!

We have had a short story/essays/poetry prompt in previous Reading Challenges and it may be time to have it again! I keep an ongoing list of potential prompts and have added this one. Personally, I love short stories and novellas ~ they can be a great introduction to an author.

Michele wrote: "If you enjoy crime novels, Australia has a number of great authors, Jane Harper being one of the most well-known (The Dry, etc.). A few other Australian authors who write in a variety of genres are..."

Michele wrote: "If you enjoy crime novels, Australia has a number of great authors, Jane Harper being one of the most well-known (The Dry, etc.). A few other Australian authors who write in a variety of genres are..."

Thank you!

Here's a find: The last prompt on the Reader's Cafe 2024 Reading Challenge list is different from the 25th line on the Reading Challenge Book Log. Should we choose? Should we do both? Should we disregard them both and choose our own, rather like a wild card?

Any or all would work! I know the person who designed the checklist from the original list had to put them in a different order to make them fit nicely. If they are different, feel free to choose. I have my own list here at home so I'll check out the published ones vs the original list when I get back to work on Tuesday.

As a Fish out of Water story I read THE LIE by Elizabeth Rowan Keith. It's in the Plum Creek system. Her books are in large print, too.

In the recent weather I must admit to finding it safer and less expensive to download a book or read from my own library rather than travel to the public library. Traveling to a library is something I look forward to.

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I'm interested to try this challenge. I have been reading a LOT of non-fiction lately on subjects I want to learn more about, but I have read a lot of fiction over time and I am discovering the social aspect of reading books that my friends have read.

Laura, we try to include a number of nonfiction prompts or ones that can count as either fiction or nonfiction. I'm glad you decided to give it a try. Welcome!

Can anyone suggest a debut author over the age of 50?

The only list I found was for a contest specifically for UK debut writers over the age of 50. Here's the list of the winner and others: https://jennybrownassociates.com/news...

I'm in!
If you're looking to fill the fish out of water prompt, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig is one I would recommend.

The Midnight Library is also a Good Morning America Book Club pick (celebrity book club prompt). Welcome Kaia!

Just finished The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan for my new to me Author who has written 15 books. It was very good and I was thinking by the 10th or so chapter in how it would make a good movie. Sure enough it is a series on Amazon Prime called Wheel of Time.

A longstanding, very popular series! Glad you found the author and enjoyed the book.

Little late but looking forward to it!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!!!

Welcome, Stephanie!

I finished Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs for my book by a 2023-24 debut title. This title is definitely not one I would have chosen on my own. I liked it, magic, family, secrets; it was a bit predictable at times but overall well done.

I've noticed the this book because I like the cover. With your recommendation, Laura, I may read it for the prompt on reading because of the cover!

Just thought I'd send out a check-in to see how everyone is doing halfway through the year. I'm almost exactly where I should be for the year. I've finished 13 books for the challenge prompts. I think I'm also currently reading 2 more for other prompts.

I've finished 15. Now to find the books for the more difficult prompts :)

I have read 21, so I'm getting there! But, I always save the toughest for last! :)

I'm at 15 as well. I just listened to a book for another challenge and found it fit one of the prompts for this one. I really enjoy that kind of serendipity!

I finished the challenge today! Yay!
All books were through either Libby or Hoopla.
Looking forward to 2025!

Fiction: A celebrity book club title - The Covenant of Water, Abraham Verghese
Fiction: A classic in your favorite genre - The Red Tent, Anita Diamant
Fiction: A scary book - Leave the World Behind, Rumaan Alam
Fiction: Set in the future - In the Lives of Puppets, T.J. Klune
Fiction: A character is royal - The Marriage Portrait, Maggie O'Farrell
Fiction: Fish-out-of-water story - The Other Einstein, Marie Benedict
Fiction: Most of the story takes place on vacation - People We Meet on Vacation, Emily Henry
Fiction: Weather, season or holiday plays a role - Once Upon an Eid,
S.K. Ali
Fiction: A translated title - You Don't Know What War Is , Yeva Skalietska
Fiction: 2023 or 2024 debut author - If I Have to Be Haunted, Miranda Sun
Published in the year of the dragon - Me Before You, JoJo Moyes
Takes place prior to the 20th century - The Woman They Could Not Silence, Kate Moore
Published in the decade before you were born - The Outsiders, S.E. Hinton
Inspirational, gentle or cozy title - Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
Music is integral to the book - Me, Elton John
A periodic element in the title - Arsenic and Old Lace, Joseph Kesselring
Set somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere - Born Into This, Adam Thompson
Set in California - The Soulmate Equation, Christina Lauren
Set in New York - Astor, Anderson Cooper
Interstate 94 runs through it - His Name is George Floyd, Robert Samuels
Travelogue or road trip - Less, Andrew Sean Greer
New-to-you author who has written at least 15 books - Coraline, Neil Gaiman
Latest by a favorite author - The Rock in My Throat, Kao Kalia Yang
Book that you've been meaning to read for a long time - 18 Tiny Deaths, Bruce Goldfarb
Chosen because you love the cover - Tiny T Rex and the Impossible Hug, Jonathan Strutzman

Congratulations! What a great list. I'm so impressed that you were able to find them all digitally. Do you have a favorite?

I'm very close, myself...except I took on a Spooky October bingo challenge with my nieces, which has set me back slightly but not too much. Only 3 left!

Thank you!
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese was one of my favorites for the year. I haven't read a lot of fiction that takes place in India and I really enjoyed the story as well as the new cultural perspectives.

Congratulations to those that have finished the book challenge. I admit I haven't finished even half because I completely went off the rails on the prompts. BUT, thank you, thank you for organizing this challenge as I have read more books and prioritized this refreshing and relaxing time this year more than I have in a while and I admit this challenge was a big part of that.
My favorite for this year was for the prompt Interstate 94 runs through it - Dirt to Soil by Gabe Brown (soil health book from a farmer's perspective and his farm is in ND)
My least favorite for this year was for the prompt published in the decade before you were born - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein. I could barely finish it.

I'm so glad you participated, even if you didn't finish! The reason we do this is to try to encourage people read more, as well as read things we might never read otherwise or even encounter...which is exactly what you found trying the challenge. So, congratulations to you, too!!

I finally finished all the prompts...just in time to start for 2025! I had a couple of 5 star reads this year (not unusual) but I also had a couple of 2 star reads (very unusual). Check out my bookshelf to see what I read, if you're interested. Happy New Year!!