Susanne_53's 2013 Category Challenge

I'm new to this, do I set my own choice of categories, and should the group reads fit with the category or are they separate?

Hi Susanne and welcome to the challenge. The great thing about this challenge is that it all yours to do with as you wish. You choose your categories, you decide how many books you want to read for each category, and you decide which books to read. As for group reads, try to fit them in however you can, some people set at least one category aside for group reads or overflow reading. Take a look around at how others have set up their threads, that should help give you some ideas. The main thing is to have fun.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask, someone here will probably know the answer.

Thanks for this, I'll start looking at threads and thinking of some categories. It does sound like fun.

Welcome Susanne!

Welcome to the group! Hope you have fun. :)

Categories

1. All Roads Lead to Rome
   
2. Set in Foreign Climes
   
3. Read 3 books by Thomas Pynchon
   
4. Read 5 books by Australian Authors
   
5. LT Monthly Group Reads
   
6. Ladies & Lit on Ravelry Monthly Reads
   
7. The Butler Did It - English Mysteries
   
8. Things That Go Bump in the Night
   
9. A Little Bit of Magic
   
10. Virago Modern Classics
    
11. Shiny New Releases
    
12. Cult Classics
    
13. Odds and Sods

1. All Roads Lead to Rome

1. The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough
   
2. The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis
   
3. The Malice of Fortune by Michael Ennis
   
4. Roman Blood by Steven Saylor
   
5. 
   

2. Set in Foreign Climes

1. Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ✔
   
2. Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See ✔
   
3. Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh ✔
   
4. The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
   

3. Read 3 books by Thomas Pynchon

1. V.
   
2. Gravity's Rainbow
   
3. The Crying of Lot 49

4. Read 5 Books by Australian Authors

1. Suspect by Michael Robotham
   
2. Out of the Black Land by Kerry Greenwood
   
3. Blackwater Moon by B Michael Radburn
   
4. Thirst by L A Larkin
   
5. 
   

5. LT Monthly Group Reads

1. When Christ and His Saints Slept by Sharon Kay Penman ✔
   
2. The Magus by John Fowles ✔
   
3. Time and Chance by Sharon Kay Penman ✔
   
4. The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim
   
5. 
   
6. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller ✔
   
7. 
   
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. 
    
11. 
    

6. Ladies & Lit on Ravelry Monthly Reads

1. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh ✔
   
2. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford ✔
   
3. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro ✔
   
4. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield ✔
   
5. The Light Between Oceans by M L Stedman ✔
   
6. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson ✔
   
7. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
   
8. 
   
9. 
   
10. 
    
11. 
    
12. 
    
    

7. The Butler Did It - English Mysteries

1. The Glass Room by Ann Cleeves ✔
   
2. A Man Lay Dead by Ngaio Marsh ✔
   
3. The Beast Must Die by Nicholas Blake
   
4. 
   
5. 
   
   

8. Things That Go Bump in the Night

1. They Thirst by Robert R. McCammon
   
2. The Passage by Justin Cronin
   
3. The Twelve by Justin Cronin
   
4. Dark Matter by Michelle Paver
   
5. 
   

9. A Little Bit of Magic

1. Among Others by Jo Walton ✔
   
2. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
   
3. Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception by Maggie Stiefvater
   
4. 
   
5. 
   

10. Virago Modern Classics

1. Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner ✔
   
2. Nightingale Wood by Stella Gibbons
   
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. 
   

Welcome, hope you have fun. 3 books by Pynchon? That's ambitious! :-)

I have The Crying of Lot 49 in my TBR, so I'm eager to read what you think of it.

Pynchon was recommended to me by someone who shares my taste in books, so I'll give him a try. Perhaps I should ease myself in gradually by starting with The Crying of Lot 49, although for some reason I usually read my way chronologically through an author's works.

Welcome! You've set up some fun categories (I especially love the illustration for "The Butler Did It"!!). I've not read any Pynchon (yet) so I too will be looking forward to hearing what you think.

ETA: There's also a Sandman group read that's connected with this challenge (there's a link in the info section above) if you're interested.

Several of your "possible" titles are on my list for 2013, or are books on my TBR list, so I'm looking forward to following your challenge. Good luck!

#21 ... Are you a member of Goodreads TPOBAB group by any chance?

Oh yes of course you are. I have read your comments and we seem to like many of the same books.

Ah ha! That's why I recognized so many of your titles on this list. :)

I've got Crying of Lot 49 on my WL. Maybe it should be one of the group reads books for 2013. Have we started nominating books yet? I'm thinking about it, but haven't decided which ones to suggest yet.

Group read sounds like a great idea to me.

I'm glad to see you have Roman Blood on your list. I had so much fun reading the Gordianus series this year. That picture for the foreign climes category reminds me of the cover of Saving Fish From Drowning which was really good. Glad you joining us this year. Welcome!

Ooh, I absolutely LOVED The Scorpio Races when I read it earlier this year. Hope you enjoy it!

Some great categories and choices. Every book you have listed in your Foreign Climes category is a winner. Looking forward to seeing what else you choose to read next year.

I'm new here too!

You've got some good categories; I'm looking forward to reading what you think.

Good luck with the Pynchons. I'm taking on two Henry James' and a volume of Proust in my 2013 and I just hope I get through them.

Looking forward to your English mysteries category. Welcome!!!

11. Shiny New Releases

1. Dead Water by Ann Cleeves ✔
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. 
   

12. Cult Classics

1. Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. 
   
5. 
   
   

13. Odds and Sods

1. School's Out by Jack Sheffield ✔
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. 
   

Another reader here who could tackle The Crying of Lot 49 in 2013. I also have The Passage TBR as well!

I think there are enough of us to organise a group readalong. I can do any month. Let me know if you are interested.

I think so too. My vote is for the fall. I know The Crying of Lot 49 was suggested on the group reads thread here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/144326