Monday, February 14, 2011

Another Challenge: Take a Chance

This is a challenge that I have to actually attend to, unlike most of the other ones I sign up for.  I figure I'll try for a book a month, although with my history I'll probably spend December frantically racing through the categories.  Anyway, The Take a Chance Challenge is all about trying out new ways of finding books, with ten methods ranging from various book-picking web sites to random walks in the library.  Thanks, Jenners, for setting up this excuse to read more books!

I'm going to try #2 first; I think I have at least two family members reading this blog, so if one of them could please comment with a book suggestion, I can get started.  This is a TEST.

The ten categories are:
  1. Staff Member’s Choice: Go to a bookstore or library that has a “Staff Picks” section. Read one of the picks from that section.  Our library has a hot picks section out front, but I'm not sure if it is Staff Picks or just new books.  I'll look closer tomorrow.
    • The Snow Goose, Paul Gallico.  This ended up being a family book club selection.
  2. Loved One’s Choice: Ask a loved one to pick a book for you to read.  See above.  This will be my February book. Actually I ended up with three books, so I guess I'll overachieve.
  3. Blogger’s Choice: Find a “Best Books Read” post from a favorite blogger. Read a book from their list.  This would have been good to do in January, when everyone posted their lists.  I guess I'll do some archive diving
    • From Jenny's Books: Curse of the Wolf Girl.  I didn't love it as much as she did, but mainly because it hit hard against a few personal pet peeves.
  4. Critic's Choice: Find a “Best of the Year” list from a magazine, newspaper or professional critic. 
    • Room, by Emma Donoghue (Economist pick from 2010)
  5. Blurb Book: Find a book that has a blurb on it from another author. Read a book by the author that wrote the blurb.  Clearly this should be a book I love.  Hmm. Jack Campbell blurbs Elizabeth Moon.  Got it!  He has a new book coming out at the end of April.
  6. Book Seer Pick: Go to The Book Seer and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you.  This is a bit risky, since the book seer doesn't suggest much genre reading.  On the other hand, it will double up one of my 20/11 challenge picks.  I gamed it a bit by waiting till I finished a Jennifer Crusie book, but I came out with Simply Irresistible by Jill Shalvis.
  7. What Should I Read Next Pick : Go to What Should I Read Next and follow the instructions there. Read a book from the list it generates for you.  Never tried this before. I put in Jo Walton as an author I liked, and then picked Tooth and Claw as the book I particularly liked. The top recommendation was The Ghost in the Little House by William Holtz, which I'm actually planning to read anyway, so perfect.  And very odd.
  8. Which Book Pick: Go to Which Book and use the software to generate a list of books. Read a book from that list.  Who knew there were so many options for volition-less people to select their next book?
  9. LibraryThing Pick: Go to LibraryThing’s Zeitgeist page. Look at the lists for 25 Most Reviewed Books or Top Books and pick a book you’ve never read. Read the book.  Hmm, I glanced at the Top Books while making the link, and I've read them all, except the two I tried and DNF'ed.  
  10. Pick A Method: Pick a method for finding a book from the choices listed below (used in previous versions of the challenge): 1) Random Book Selection.  2) Public Spying.  3) Random Bestseller.  I'll probably do the library random book selection, since I tend to do that anyway.
    • Rosa's Bus: The Ride to Civil Rights, Jo. S. Kittinger

5 comments:

Birgit said...

Well, I'm not family per se but heck we've known each other for almost 13 years even though we've only met once :) so I'll give you a suggestion:
Griffin & Sabine by Nick Bantock

Added benefit of being really short, beautifully illustrated and you get the cool feeling of opening other people's mail...

Beth said...

Birgit, you definitely count, but I've read that one. And yes, it's fun reading other people's mail.

Birgit said...

How about House on The Strand: time travel, drugs, medieval times, and it's Daphne DuMaurier!
My sci-fi stuff tends to be pretty middle of the road like Anne McCaffrey so I can't help you there have you read all the Diana Wynn Jones stuff like Dalemark something or Homeward Bounders?

Or you could get hooked into the Angela Thirkell set if you like Britain before during and after the war...

Birgit who can't do challenges only because I never remember to log them but I sure do read enough :)

kmitcham said...

Wow, what could I suggest that you haven't already read?

I'll try and have something for you by the weekend

Unknown said...

Beth, in our family you are the book pusher. How am I supposed to supply my supplier? I read a romance you haven't...The Heir by Grace Burrowes. It is not great lit but I liked it.