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Since it's a new year, I thought I'd start a new book challenge thread. Here's how it works.1. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, by Judith Viorst My 4-year-old niece handed this to me, climbed into my lap, and asked me to read it. Alexander wakes up having a bad day, and it just gets worse from there, until he wants to move to Australia. Some days are like that ... even in Australia.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Pulitzer
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What a wonderful book with which to start the thread. It was one of my favourites as a child, and even as an adult decades later, I still think of it when I am having one of *those* days. The thought of it has often brought at least a small smile to my lips when I am feeling too stressed to smile about much.
I've sometimes wondered how it would be re-written if it were ever to be sold in Oz. To my ears, at least, "Some days are like that...Even in the United States" (or Canada, or ...) just doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Joy,
Lynn
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What a wonderful book with which to start the thread. It was one of my favourites as a child, and even as an adult decades later, I still think of it when I am having one of *those* days. The thought of it has often brought at least a small smile to my lips when I am feeling too stressed to smile about much.
I've sometimes wondered how it would be re-written if it were ever to be sold in Oz. To my ears, at least, "Some days are like that...Even in the United States" (or Canada, or ...) just doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Joy,
Lynn There is an Australian version. I haven't read it, but I understand that it changes Australia to something else.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Pulitzer
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I figured they would have to change the story's punchline. The original just wouldn't work properly there.
I'm guessing the Australian version might say, "...even in America." The more I think about it, the more it strikes me as having a similar rhythm and feel as the original, and it would keep the faraway place in the story more-or-less antipodal to the audience.
A few years ago, I had asked Corrina about the book, but she hadn't been familiar with it at the time.
Joy,
Lynn
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Merriwether
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That was one of my kids' favorites. Anyone see the movie version? Joan What a wonderful book with which to start the thread. It was one of my favourites as a child, and even as an adult decades later, I still think of it when I am having one of *those* days. The thought of it has often brought at least a small smile to my lips when I am feeling too stressed to smile about much.
I've sometimes wondered how it would be re-written if it were ever to be sold in Oz. To my ears, at least, "Some days are like that...Even in the United States" (or Canada, or ...) just doesn't have quite the same ring to it.
Joy,
Lynn
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Thanks for starting the new thread, Annie. I would have done, as usual, but we haven't had the happiest start to the new year and I've been distracted elsewhere. It was nagging at the back of my mind, so you saved me one thing to think about! I have already well started on my haul of Christmas books, so plenty to add - when I get the chance! LabRat 
Last edited by LabRat; 01/02/16 06:54 AM.
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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That was one of my kids' favorites. Anyone see the movie version?
Joan I saw the movie. It doesn't bear much resemblance to the book, but is nevertheless entertaining (think of it as a fan film).
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Thanks for starting the new thread, Annie. I would have done, as usual, but we haven't had the happiest start to the new year and I've been distracted elsewhere. It was nagging at the back of my mind, so you saved me one thing to think about! I have already well started on my haul of Christmas books, so plenty to add - when I get the chance! LabRat You're welcome. I hope your new year gets better.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Pulitzer
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LabRat, I second Annie's good wishes for the new year. I hope whatever difficulties you are having resolve themselves rapidly and favorably.
Joy,
Lynn
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Thanks, Lynn and Annie. I've expanded on this in Off Topic. Your good wishes are appreciated.  I hadn’t read as much last year as is my normal habit. Discovering the sheer pleasure of online apps such as crosswords, chess, jigsaws and wordsearch puzzles used up a lot of my free time that normally would have been spent on a book. But opening up my Christmas day folder of new books has revived my delight in the written adventure. I’ve been reading like a hyperbunny, these past couple of weeks. <G> So, let’s see... Halo – Blood & Fire Book 1 – Frankie RoseThe main character in the story has no name, she is a trained fighter who wears a drug-laced 'halo' around her neck to keep her void of emotion and feelings for other humans. She has been trained since she was a child to fight to the death in the Colosseum of the 'Sanctuary' and after killing her best friend, her halo becomes unattached and the toxins that control her emotions no longer have any effect. She escapes the town and finds Ryka, or rather Ryka finds her, and introduces her to Freetown - a separate place where people live to escape the controlling nature of the Sanctuary. : Source – Amazon reviews I was expecting a rerun of Hunger Games from this YA dystopian novel, but the arena fighting is quickly dispensed with in favour of our heroine finding her way in a new, alien world, trying to make sense of the lies she’s been told all her life. Given the way it ended, I was expecting something action-packed from book two and to be honest, I’ve been struggling with it a little. I may well go back to it though once I’ve exhausted everything else on my list. Tuesday Falling – S. WilliamsYou’ve never met anyone like Tuesday. She has suffered extreme cruelty at the hands of men, and so has taken it upon herself to seek vengeance. She wants to protect and help others like her, to ease their suffering. A force to be reckoned with, she lives beneath the streets of London in the hidden network of forgotten tunnels that honeycomb the city – and this is her preferred hunting ground.
When Tuesday is connected to a series of brutal attacks on gang members, DI Loss takes on the investigation. A burned-out detective still suffering the devastating effects of the unsolved murder of his daughter three years earlier, the case starts to hit close to home. Because soon Loss will discover that Tuesday could hold the key to uncovering the truth about what happened to his daughter… The setting and characters of this one were a little more gritty than I would normally enjoy. Despite that, it was intriguing and quirky and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Doctor Sleep – Stephen KingThe brief spoilers about Danny Torrence being in a bad place made me a bit wary going into this, but I needn’t have feared. This was King back on top form. My one complaint might be that the True Knot – and particularly Rose - didn’t really seem to live up to their fearsome reputation, being far too easily and quickly stymied. But it was good to be back in Danny’s world. The Stranger – Harlen CobenI’ve always enjoyed Coben’s stand alone mystery novels and this was no exception. As always with these, there are plot holes to sink a battleship and some of the character motivations seem strange. But none of that seems to matter to me. <G> The plot was intriguing enough to keep me hooked. These are really the equivalent of the B movie TV Mystery of the Week. But sometimes that’s all you need to have fun. The Waiting – Joe HartIn the middle of the shattering of his personal life, Evan is thrown a lifeline by a friend and relocates himself and his disabled son Shaun to a cabin on a remote island. But something lives there that has dark designs on both man and boy... I’m always on the lookout for a good supernatural thriller and this one was a freebie. I enjoyed it enough that I’ll definitely be checking out more from this author. He was able to envoke a fine sense of spooky claustrophobia with some genuinely jump out of the skin moments. Added to this was an emotional subplot that tugged at the heartstrings. Definitely a keeper. Inadvertant Disclosure – Melissa F. MillerIt's been six months since an airplane crash altered the course of attorney Sasha McCandless's professional and personal life. She's now focused on building her solo law practice and tending her budding relationship with federal air marshal Leo Connelly, who helped her stop a madman.
When Sasha drives from Pittsburgh to rural Clear Brook County to argue a discovery motion, she finds a town bitterly divided over the issue of hydrofracking the Marcellus Shale. Outsiders from the oil and gas industry and environmental activists threaten to rip apart the community's fabric.
Then the town's only judge is murdered, and Sasha can't just walk away. As she works to find the killer, she must race to save the town before it fractures beyond repair. A second outing for what’s becoming one of my favourite heroines. I’m definitely going to be adding this series to my must read list. For the Memory of Dragons (Dragons of Eternity 2) – Julie WetzelWhat do you do when a dragon crash-lands in your backyard?
That's the question Terra's faced with when one of these creatures plows down into her cornfield. Should she help out the hunk of a man the dragon turns into, or turn him over to the trigger-happy 'authorities' that have come looking for him? The deciding factor—he has no memory. Giving him up just doesn't seem right… at least until she knows the truth of who he is.
Alex has forgotten a thing or two—his name being one of them—but he knows there is something important that he needs to remember, if he could just get his battered brain to work properly. A little rest might help, but there's no time for that when the bullets start flying.
Now he has to follow the few clues he has to discover who he is, and why people are trying to kill him. But that's the easy part. The hard part will be keeping his hands off the lovely lady helping him As I’ve said in the past, dedicated romance isn’t normally my go to genre, but, hoo boy, do I love dragons. <G> I enjoyed this second outing into the author’s dragon world just as much as the first. The perfect light reading for Christmas Day. Think that’s it so far. LabRat
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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For the Memory of Dragons (Dragons of Eternity 2) – Julie WetzelWhat do you do when a dragon crash-lands in your backyard?
That's the question Terra's faced with when one of these creatures plows down into her cornfield. Should she help out the hunk of a man the dragon turns into, or turn him over to the trigger-happy 'authorities' that have come looking for him? The deciding factor—he has no memory. Giving him up just doesn't seem right… at least until she knows the truth of who he is.
Alex has forgotten a thing or two—his name being one of them—but he knows there is something important that he needs to remember, if he could just get his battered brain to work properly. A little rest might help, but there's no time for that when the bullets start flying.
Now he has to follow the few clues he has to discover who he is, and why people are trying to kill him. But that's the easy part. The hard part will be keeping his hands off the lovely lady helping him Aside from the dragons, this sounds like a great plot for an L&C fic.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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2. The Red Tent, by Anita Diamant
Tells the story of Dinah, daughter of the Biblical Leah and Jacob and sister of Joseph. Dinah is mentioned only briefly in the Bible, but Diamant expands the story to tell of her whole lifetime. (The title itself refers to the tent where women would go during menstruation and during and after childbirth.)
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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The Cradle of the Gods (Soulstone Prophecy I) - Thomas Quinn MillerA solid rather than an epic fantasy novel, but containing enough intriguing mysteries and interesting characters that I hugely enjoyed it. To the extent that I'm deeply miffed book two hadn't yet been released.  LabRat
Last edited by LabRat; 01/11/16 09:01 AM. Reason: typo
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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Merriwether
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#1 Mudbound by Hillary Jordan In Jordan's prize-winning debut, prejudice takes many forms, both subtle and brutal. It is 1946, and city-bred Laura McAllan is trying to raise her children on her husband's Mississippi Delta farm—a place she finds foreign and frightening. In the midst of the family's struggles, two young men return from the war to work the land. Jamie McAllan, Laura's brother-in-law, is everything her husband is not—charming, handsome, and haunted by his memories of combat. Ronsel Jackson, eldest son of the black sharecroppers who live on the McAllan farm, has come home with the shine of a war hero. But no matter his bravery in defense of his country, he is still considered less than a man in the Jim Crow South. It is the unlikely friendship of these brothers-in-arms that drives this powerful novel to its inexorable conclusion. I read this one a few years ago but re-read it for an upcoming book club discusion. This is not a feel good novel. But it does a wonderful job putting you into these characters' lives, seeing the struggles they're dealing with. Joan
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#2 Unwholly by Neal ShustermanThanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished. Second book in the Unwind series. We start to learn more about how this situation arrose in the first place. Joan
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#3 What She Knew by Gilly MacmillanRachel Jenner is walking in a Bristol park with her eight-year-old son, Ben, when he asks if he can run ahead. It’s an ordinary request on an ordinary Sunday afternoon, and Rachel has no reason to worry—until Ben vanishes.
Police are called, search parties go out, and Rachel, already insecure after her recent divorce, feels herself coming undone. As hours and then days pass without a sign of Ben, everyone who knew him is called into question, from Rachel’s newly married ex-husband to her mother-of-the-year sister. Inevitably, media attention focuses on Rachel too, and the public’s attitude toward her begins to shift from sympathy to suspicion.
As she desperately pieces together the threadbare clues, Rachel realizes that nothing is quite as she imagined it to be, not even her own judgment. And the greatest dangers may lie not in the anonymous strangers of every parent’s nightmares, but behind the familiar smiles of those she trusts the most. An engaging read. I wasn't entirely sure who did it until the end. Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 01/18/16 08:36 PM.
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#1 - The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Thomas awakes inside a dark elevator which opens in the middle of large field -- called the Glade -- surrounded on all sides by several hundred feet high walls. He has no memory of his previous life except his name. He discovers that every month for the past 2 years, a teenage boy has been arrived here in the same manner. None of them know how to leave, but they all suspect the answer lies in the maze that lies just outside the walls. It's the Maze Runner's job to find that way out. With Thomas's arrival, life in the Glade starts to change.
Interesting book. I'm sort-of glad I saw the film first as I fear I would've been as lost as Thomas and the other characters to what in the world was happening. Curious though to know where this whole series is leading.
Last edited by VirginiaR; 01/19/16 01:02 AM. Reason: commas
VirginiaR.
"On the long road, take small steps." -- Jor-el, "The Foundling"
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"clearly there is a lack of understanding between those two... he speaks Lunkheadanian and she Stubbornanian" -- chelo.
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3. The Church of Dead Girls, by Stephen Dobyns
A serial killer stalks teenage girls in a small town in upstate New York. As more girls disappear, the townspeople start to turn on each other.
4. Big Trouble, by Dave Barry
International weapons smugglers, Miami lowlifes, a corporation that engages in more graft than anything else, and some teenagers collide in Miami. The result is hilarious.
5. Last Act, by Christopher Pike
Melanie Martin, the new girl in town, was looking for acceptance and friendship, and she thought she'd found it when she was invited to audition for a murder mystery play. Then, on opening night, she fires three blanks and a classmate dies for real. Now Melanie must clear her name before the real killer catches up to her.
"Oh, you can’t help that," said the Cat: "we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad."
"How do you know I’m mad?" said Alice.
"You must be," said the Cat, "or you wouldn’t have come here.”
- Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland
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Blackout (Breakers #8) - Edward W. RobertsonThe final book in this post-apocalyptic series which took a sharp turn early on into something even more interesting. Full of excellently rounded characters, action, emotion and heart, I'm really sorry to see it end. I'll miss Ness and Sebastian, Raina, Walt and their friends, allies and enemies. LabRat
Last edited by LabRat; 01/23/16 01:01 PM.
Athos: If you'd told us what you were doing, we might have been able to plan this properly.
Aramis: Yes, sorry.
Athos: No, no, by all means, let's keep things suicidal.
The Musketeers
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#4 The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
In a future where our economy has collapsed comes the Consilence project where people lived in an isolated gated community where they are guaranteed food, jobs and money. One month they live in a home, then next month in prison, alternating back and forth.
Margaret Atwood has written some thought provoking postapocalyptic fiction - The Handmaiden's Tale, and The MadAddam series. Even though this setup didn't sound as intriguing, I was expecting far more. This story took perverse turns for no apparent reason. I do NOT recommend it.
Joan
Last edited by scifiJoan; 01/25/16 09:09 AM. Reason: spelling
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