The Quasi-Official February Book Reading Game

[Lynn]

I have chosen for imallbs:




This is my favorite of the Koontz books. It is a bit more than 10000 locations (only by 100 though) but it is only $1.90. Hope you like it.

Lynn L

[Geemont]

To Margaret:  

If you want something way outside your preferred genres, try Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks, a Scottish literary author who also writes science fiction.  It isn't an easy book, so there is also a second choice afterwards



If you want something not too far off from Murder Mysteries, try Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen.  It's brutally funny.

[NogDog]

For Susan in VA:

I can't recall if you've ever mentioned being a "Discworld" initiate. If not, then my selection for you is:



If you've already enjoyed that, then the alternate selection is:

[Malweth]

Cora,

This is the first in a modern fantasy series -- it's a pretty easy read aimed at the Harry Potter age range. Let me know if you've already read it and I'll find something else.

The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott

[Cora]

Cora,

This is the first in a modern fantasy series -- it's a pretty easy read aimed at the Harry Potter age range. Let me know if you've already read it and I'll find something else.

The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott

Ooh, this sounds good. I look forward to reading it!

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

for Luvm4brats i pick:
Neverwhere by Neil Gaimen (urban fantasy)

[akagriff]

Luvmy4brats:  I just downloaded it and I will start reading after I finish the current book.  It seems a little strange to just buy without looking at the description and reviews but I did it. 
I'm looking forward to this. 

[Luvmy4brats]

for Luvm4brats i pick:
Neverwhere by Neil Gaimen (urban fantasy)

I just downloaded it! Looks good. Thanks

Luvmy4brats:  I just downloaded it and I will start reading after I finish the current book.  It seems a little strange to just buy without looking at the description and reviews but I did it. 
I'm looking forward to this. 

I was afraid maybe you had already read it. Happy to hear you haven't. I chose it because you said you liked History books & it's set during World War II in Germany.

[Fuzzy Dunlop]

[
cool..was hoping it fell somehwat close to urban fantasy..wasnt sure how far outside of a persons preferred genre we were going

[Malweth]

Malweth-

I've chosen The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson   

I think this is an intense read so I have a 2nd choice for you.

Radium Halos by Shelley Stout

Thanks... now which one to choose !

[Geoffrey]

Coolness ... lotsa good books picked already ... some of these I may have to pick up myself (or wait until next month when someone picks them for me  ).   Here's what we look like so far:


Participant               Is Picking for           Selected Book
akagriff                      Malweth                   The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson, backup: Radium Halos by Shelley Stout
Cora                          pomlover2586          Birth of the Firebringer by Meredith Ann Pierce     
Fuzzy Dunlop             luvmy4brats             Neverwhere by Neil Gaimen
Geemont                   Margaret                   Consider Phlebas by Iain M. Banks, backup: Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
geko29                      NogDog               
Geoffrey                    welshcorgi                 Ruled Britannia by Harry Turtledove
imallbs                       Megs                   
luvmy4brats              akagriff                      The Book Theif by Markus Zusak             
Lynn                          imallbs                       Watchers by Dean Koontz
Malweth                    Cora                          The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
Margaret                   RiddleMeThis              A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini         
Megs                         Geemont               
NogDog                     Susan in VA               The Color of Magic by Terry Pratchett, backup: Lamb by Christopher Moore
pomlover2586           Geoffrey             
RiddleMeThis             geko29                      Dhampir by Barb and JC Hendee 
sem                           Fuzzy Dunlop     
Susan in VA               Lynn                   
welshcorgi                 sem                           White Seed: The Untold Story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke by Paul Clayton     

[imallbs]

For Megs I have picked The #1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith.



It's the 1st in the series.  I hope you enjoy it.
It is $8.00, If that's an issue, please let me know.

[Margaret]

Geemont - I just downloaded Consider Phlebas.  I was a big fan of Robert Heinlein in the eighth grade and haven't read any science fiction since.  I thought I would give it a try.  Thank you for the suggestion.

[imallbs]

Guidelines Checklist
When signing up:
1. Sign up by Saturday, Jan 30th (gives us a work week to decide) DONE
2. State your preferred genres  DONE
3. List any Deal-breakers  DONE

Picking a book:
1. You'll get your selectee info on the 1st or 2nd (I'm on the road for work so I want a little wiggle room ... I thought I could publish the list in the thread and PM everyone with details)  DONE
2. Pick something that you love and adore and is outside your person's usual genres,  DONE
3. and that is no more than $9.99 ...   DONE
4. PM them with the book and/or add it to the thread.  DONE

Once you get your book,
1.  Initially feel trepidation and a little disappointment that it's really not in your usual genres  DONE RINSED AND REPEATED
2.  Get the sample  SKIPED THE SAMPLE -  BOUGHT THE BOOK INSTEAD without reading the description discover it's not so bad  I'M SURE I WILL
3.  Read your book (no cheating)   TO BE DONE
4.  Come back to the thread often to tell us what you think.  Learn, live, love ...  TO BE DONE

[Geoffrey]

Once you get your book,
1.  Initially feel trepidation and a little disappointment that it's really not in your usual genres  DONE RINSED AND REPEATED

LOL  The game was my idea and I'm still a bit antsy about what my selected book will be.   

[geko29]

NogDog, my selection for you is The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins:



That is, assuming you would categorize it as "science fact" and not "assuming a political viewpoint is correct".  It was the best book I read last year, and probably my most enjoyable nonfiction read ever.

[sem]

For Fuzzy Dunlop:

Andersonville Volume 1 A Story of Rebel Military Prisons (Kindle Edition)

Don't know how to make a link. Tried the instructions and failed. sigh story of my life.

This is a free book - I hope you like it. If you take a look and say yuck, let me know and I will find another.

This isn't usually my type of book but I have dl'ed it and will read it, too.

SEM

[NogDog]

NogDog, my selection for you is The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution by Richard Dawkins:



That is, assuming you would categorize it as "science fact" and not "assuming a political viewpoint is correct".  It was the best book I read last year, and probably my most enjoyable nonfiction read ever.

As the intention (at least my understanding) is to try and push people out of their comfort zone (while avoiding the discomfort zone), I'm not sure this would qualify. I have no political/religious objection to it -- the only objection would be that he would be "preaching to the choir" in my case. So I'll leave it to you as to whether you'd prefer to broaden my horizons with something outside of my preferred genres, or if you still think this is worth a read by someone who already is fairly well educated on the subject.

[Susan in VA]

For Lynn:

One for the Money, by Janet Evanovich   ($ 6.39 on Kindle)

Something outside the fantasy/SF field...  If you've read it, please let me know, and I'll pick another.

[pomlover2586]

OK Geoffrey here's your book

Twilight- Stephanie Meyer

An Alternate:

The Notebook- Nicholas Sparks

[geko29]

As the intention (at least my understanding) is to try and push people out of their comfort zone (while avoiding the discomfort zone), I'm not sure this would qualify. I have no political/religious objection to it -- the only objection would be that he would be "preaching to the choir" in my case. So I'll leave it to you as to whether you'd prefer to broaden my horizons with something outside of my preferred genres, or if you still think this is worth a read by someone who already is fairly well educated on the subject.

I do think it's worth a read (and I was the choir as well), but I had missed the part about how we're supposed to avoid the preferred genres.  In that case, consider my initial foible merely a recommendation, and switch my "fish out of water" selection to Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese.

It was outside my typical selection as well, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I don't think I've laughed that hard at a book in over a decade.  As an added bonus, it's under a buck.

[Susan in VA]

For Susan in VA:

I can't recall if you've ever mentioned being a "Discworld" initiate. If not, then my selection for you is:



If you've already enjoyed that, then the alternate selection is:

NogDog, when I saw that you were going to be picking for me, I knew that would be your first choice  ...  and that's a good thing, since it's been on my TBR list for months after listening to you and Scheherazade sing the praises of this series!  And from what I can tell, it's enough outside my usual (if there is a "usual") to meet the guidelines of this game.

I just read the sample of your second choice a couple of weeks ago and had already decided to buy it. 

[pomlover2586]

pomlover2586,

The book I've chosen for you is


The Kindle price is $5.59. I know that you had listed that your price point is $5.00, but I couldn't find anything cheaper. Almost everything else I looked for was over $6.00. If this is a problem, just let me know.

This is listed as a Young Adult book, but don't let that put you back (honestly I find that YA fantasy is some of the best, especially since I really hate fantasy that's steeped in politics). It's a fantastic read. I've read this book (and it's two sequels) multiple times and it's just something that's stayed with me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Cora....price is reasonable......but I hate fantasy..........perhaps a different genre? I forgot to add that into deal breakers.........I just know i'd never get through this book.

[NogDog]

I do think it's worth a read (and I was the choir as well), but I had missed the part about how we're supposed to avoid the preferred genres.  In that case, consider my initial foible merely a recommendation, and switch my "fish out of water" selection to Mercury Falls by Robert Kroese.

It was outside my typical selection as well, but I enjoyed the hell out of it.  I don't think I've laughed that hard at a book in over a decade.  As an added bonus, it's under a buck.

Afraid I already read that one. (Maybe our tastes are too much alike for this? ) Feel free to either pick out another one, or just tell me to read Dawkins' book as something I would not have bought on my own.

[Geoffrey]

OK Geoffrey here's your book

Twilight- Stephanie Meyer

An Alternate:

The Notebook- Nicholas Sparks

Coolness.

I've already read Twilight so The Notebook is a great second choice.  I've looked at Sparks' novels off and on over the past few years but never picked one up.  Now I'll know exactly what I should have been doing with his books.