July RandomCAT: Good times!

Who will rise?
It would be so nice to hear you say
Thank you for the good times
Before the good times fly away
(lyrics from Oasis – Thank you for the Good Times, 2002)
The song on Youtube

We are passing the halfway mark of 2016, so what topic fits better than „TIME“? In July, you are asked to read a book that either features travelling in time or a book that has a time-related word in the title.

Don't we all wish to travel back or forth once in while?

Time Travel suggestions:
Diana Gabaldon – Outlander
Audrey Niffenegger – The Time Traveller's Wife
H.G. Wells – The Time Machine
Félix J. Palma – The Map of Time

Suggestions with time words in the title:
George Orwell – 1984
Lucy Diamond – The Year of Taking Chances
Cecilia Ahern – The Book of Tomorrow
Stefan Zweig – The World of Yesterday
Julia Alvarez – In the Time of the Butterflies (also fits the GeoCAT)
David Mitchell – The Bone Clocks

There are many more out there, be creative, find a book and have fun reading! :)

Remember to add your read titles to the Wiki>

>1 Chrischi_HH: I love this topic! Let me "be creative" and ask if I may read A Brief History of Seven Killings as Brief can be defined as a short duration, a measure of time. Also, History is a study of past events. What say you?

I will read something else if you think this is way off. Need to look through my stacks to see what else I have.

ETA: I also have Passed and Present: Keeping Memories of Loved Ones Alive by Allison Gilbert

>2 luvamystery65: I'm glad you like it. And I'd say A Brief History of Seven Killings counts.

Hmmm, interesting. I will take time (ha!) on the weekend to see what else might fit, but I've been wanting to fit in:

Voyager by Diana Gabaldon

for a while.

This is the perfect opportunity for me to read a Doctor Who novel! And this one even has "time" in the title as well. The Sands of Time by Justin Richards.

I'll read Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay.

Great theme. I've been wanting to read Fortress in the Eye of Time so I'll do my best to get to that one. Also, if I can fit it in, The Temporal Void by Peter F. Hamilton.

Super excited by this theme since it gives me an excuse to read the latest by Julian Barnes, The Noise of Time!

The only book I have that seems to qualify is On Borrowed Time

I love this topic! I'm going to have to go through the few remaining books I haven't packed and see if I have anything suitable.

I recently read The Lost Time Accidents so am suggesting that as an option.

I have a few in my TBR pile that I can choose from:

The Time It Takes To Fall by Margaret Lazarus Dean
The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais
Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch
The Pleasing Hour by Lily King
Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith
The Seventeen Second Miracle by Jason F. Wright

I'll wait until July rolls around to make a final decision which (and how many) of these I'll read.

It looks like I won't get to The Distant Hours so that is a possibility, as well as Gone Tomorrow.

I'll also be reading A Brief History of Seven Killings which in spite of its title, is anything but brief (688 pages)!

My only option is Uncle Fred in the Springtime by P.G. Wodehouse. I may have to read the series out of order to get to that one in July.

I have another suggestion, a fun read Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

I might try for In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez as this will fit for the GeoCat.

>16 Kristelh: That's on my TBR--might just do that one! Thanks.

More ideas;
The Long Dark Teatime of the Soul
Time's Arrow
The Life & Times of Michael K by J. M. Coetzee
Hard Times
The Worst Hard Times
Ragtime
Love in the Time of Cholera
Billy Lynn's Long Half Time Walk

A great book with time travel is the Doomsday Book by Willis

I may be starting the 5th book in the Outlander series, The Fiery Cross, but at 55 1/2 hours listening time, I may not get it finished in July so I will also be reading The End of the Wasp Season by Denise Mina.

So many great suggestions, I'm happy to see that! :)

I think I will read In the Time of Butterflies, as it also fits the GeoCAT. And if time allows, I might read The Book of Tomorrow as well.

EDIT: The book I finished yesterday would qualify, too: Ladder of Years by Anne Tyler.

>21 Chrischi_HH:. Yes, Time was an ingenious idea.

the Jodi Taylor series beginning with Just One Damned Thing After Another would be a good fit.

What about specific times or periods of time in the titles?

November Mourns
Twelve Sharp
Still Midnight
Winter and Night
Dragonsdawn

Just wondering how wide I can cast on this.

I also recommend Kindred by Octavia Butler as a really good time travel novel.

>24 jeanned: Sounds fine for me. :)

I'm planning to read a couple of books which really deal with time.

The Classic Hundred Poems: All-Time Favorites edited by William Harmon. These poems were selected as being the most often anthologized. However, apparently only anthologies containing primarily male poets were used in this selection; of the 46 named poets (some poems were anonymous), only 3 are female poets; and of the 100 poems, only 5 were written by women. Also, the poems are arranged by birthdate of the poet; the most recent birthdate is 1914! Thus, this is a timed anthology.

The Last Gift of Time: Life beyond Sixty by the feminist Carolyn G. Heilbrun, who committed suicide at the age of 77.

Great theme! I have lots to choose from:

The day the falls stood still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
The dry grass of August by Anna Jean Mayhew
An unfinished season Ward Just
One past midnight by Stephen King
Three weeks with my brother by Nicholas Sparks
61 hours by Lee Child
Every day in Tuscany by Frances Mayes
Diamonds are forever by Ian Fleming
Twelve years a slave by Solomon Northup
Midnight in the garden of good and evil by John Berendt
Three day road by Joseph Boyden
The Hours by Michael Cunningham

I have a few more time travel options (I haven't even checked for time in the title...):
Hollow City / Ransom Riggs
Mariana / Susanna Kearsley
The Firebird / Susanna Kearsley

These all work for other challenges, but I still want to get to Voyager at some point, as well, so maybe I'll get to more than one of these.

>28 VivienneR: I really enjoyed The Day The Falls Stood Still. I listened to the audio.

I've got The Clocks by Agatha Christie on my shelf, which should work.

>29 LibraryCin:, I have Mariana and The Firebird as well, thanks for the reminder.

Other options I have are
Time and Time Again by Ben Elton
Six Seconds by Rick Mofina
The September Queen by Gillian Bagwell
Waiting for Wednesday by Nicci French
That's just off the top of my head, without even looking at the shelves. There are definitely plenty of choices for this one.

>30 LibraryCin: Good to hear! And, it's Canadian!

I will plan to read Trespassers in Time by Anne Patterson Rodda. It will also fill in one of my Bingo squares!

I have Doomsday Book on my Mt. TBR. And a bunch of Doctor Who-books, of course. :)

I have several possibilities but Time and Again by Jack Finney is most likely... and maybe Stephen Jay Gould's Time's Arrow, Time's Cycle which will fit July's DeweyCAT as well :)

>33 VivienneR: Yes, exactly! Even better! :-)

While looking through my bookshelf I found another book that has been on my TBR for a long time: 24 Hours.

>1 Chrischi_HH: would "days" qualify? They are a measure of time, right?

I'm thinking of reading After Many Days, another book by L.M. Montgomery that's been on my shelves a while.

>7 majkia: yes, excellent choice!

>39 fuzzi: Sure! :)

I'm going to focus on time and time-related words in the titles for this RandomCAT. And I found a ton on my shelves to choose from:

The Shadow Year
The Island of the Day Before
Adventures in Time and Space: An Anthology of Science Fiction Stories
The Arabian Nights
The Bone Clocks
Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage
The Darkest Evening of the Year
Four Past Midnight
In a Summer Season
Just After Sunset
The Land That Time Forgot
The Night Guest
Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall
Say it Right the First Time
Seize the Night
Sleepless Nights
Summer on Blossom Street
A Tale for the Time Being
Time After Time
Time Storm
A World Out of Time

For starters, I will try to finish Arabian Nights which I started in May and also I think I'll read Just After Sunset, which will also count for the AlphaKIT.

I have July's People by Nadine Gordimer to read in July for another challenge so that will fit here, too.

I don't know if I'll get to them, but I'm looking at After Many a Summer Dies the Swan by Aldous Huxley, Chronicle of the Russian Tsars by David Warnes, and Nox Dormienda by Kelli Stanley.

I started Fortress in the Eye of Time which I keep hoping will pick up in action. The first hundred pages are pretty unimpressive. I'm soldiering on though.

>45 majkia: keep going! The current will be picking up shortly, and you might get swept off your feet...

I've finished my first book for the Random this month - The Two Minute Rule by Robert Crais. Although I usually only read one book for the Random, I had so many in my TBR pile that fit the CAT and my categories that I'm going to read a bunch this month.

>47 dudes22: I'm happy to hear that - seems to be a good topic to work on our book mountains. :)

It's July and I hope you all have a good reading and summer month!

I read Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih for another group and it dawned on me that it will fit the RandomCAT. This is a Sudanese author. It is a story of post colonialism. I did not expect to like it as much as I did.

Just read Born on the Fourth of July . I hope this counts!

>50 LoisB: Of course it does. :)

My second book for the Random this month - Death in the Small Hours by Charles Finch.

Finished my first challenge book for the month (it's shared with DeweyCAT): The West without Water: What Past Floods, Droughts, and Other Climatic Clues Tell Us about Tomorrow. Suffice to say, it's only deepened my resolve never to live in California . . .

I wish we had a {Like} button!

Finished July's People by Nadine Gordimer.

>54 LoisB: That would be great sometimes!
>55 Kristelh: I planned to read that in August for the GeoCAT. Maybe I could start in July and finish in August...

Finished an audio version of The Day the Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan that fell short of the high ratings I see on LT. I may have preferred the print version.

>57 VivienneR: oh no, im so sorry you didnt like it.

>56 Chrischi_HH: I had to read it this month for a Calendar read challenge.. It's really a short read. It won't take more than 2 days of serious reading, maybe only one day. It was thought provoking.

I finished August Heat and Summer Moonshine, next up is Silent Spring...

I've finished Tea Time for the Traditionally Built by Alexander McCall Smith.

I wasn't going to count The Fall of Hyperion since the 'fall' didn't refer to the season but it does involve time (including a person who is aging backwards)... opinions?

I'm excited :) I already had on my short TBR Landline, which features a phone line that allows a woman to communicate into the past, so this fits perfectly.

>5 rabbitprincess: I finished The Sands of Time, by Justin Richards, which in addition to having the word "time" in the title, is a tremendously tricksy wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey sort of Doctor Who story. I really enjoyed it.

Voyager / Diana Gabaldon
3.75 stars

This is the 3rd book in the series. I'm not sure I want to give too much away of the plot, as I don't want to ruin earlier books for anyone who hasn't yet read them. But... we start in the 1960s, then move to the 18th century after a bit, where Claire and Jamie are reunited after many years (I'm not considering this a spoiler because why would the series continue if they didn't manage to reunite!). From there, they have to relearn about each other in the midst of all kinds of other adventure and travel.

It was another enjoyable book in the series. They are so long (over 1000 pages), though, so what I found happened a few times for me, anyway, is when there was a character at the start of the book who returned later, I often didn't realize it just from the name, but needed more background info before the light came on! Despite the length, though, it was a “quick” read (for the length!), I thought, and certainly captivating.

I've started In the Time of Butterflies yesterday.

I like Kate Morton a lot but The Distant Hours didn't grab my attention as much as the other books I've read of hers. I believe most of her books are lengthy, with excellent character development , Historical detail, and best of all, some sort of family secret that comes out.

I think that in this case, The Distant Hours seemed to repeat certain events a little too much. It's the story of three sisters who reside in a castle, who during World War 2, took in a young girl who happens to be the mother of the protagonist and the secret she uncovers a piece of undelivered mail makes its way to her mother fifty years later.

Still a good book, but it took me a while to get through.

>66 Chrischi_HH:, started In the Time of Butterflies recently, too. I am about 145 pages into the book and really liking it.

I'm reading The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul by Douglas Adams. A wacky book. I love Douglas Adams.

I think this one also fits the category, but please correct me if I'm wrong: Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner. 3 star audio read, but only recommended for Star Trek fans. Shatner provides an interesting and sometimes poignant look at Nimoy's life and accomplishments (along with Shatner's own history). It has made me curious to read Nimoy's autobiography I am Not Spock.

>69 bluebird_: I have I Am Spock on my shelves, which I've been meaning to read for a while. He wrote it 20 years after I Am Not Spock.

I completed Just After Sunset by Stephen King yesterday. A good collection of short stories. I'm still thinking about them and considering which I liked best.

>70 LisaMorr:. Oh my gosh! Thanks for your post. I actually want to read I Am Spock, not the earlier book. Somehow I got the titles mixed up. I must go back and change my wishlist.

>69 bluebird_: - Ooh, I almost picked that one for this challenge and even ordered it. Can't wait to see what you think of it.

I finished The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes which is a slim novel about the composer Dmitri Shostakovich - loved it!

I've finished another one for Jul - The Pleasing Hour by Lily King about an American girl who goes to Paris to work as an au pair. so-so.

I have finished The End Of The Wasp Season by Denise Mina for July's theme. Loved this book!

>74 DeltaQueen50: Excellent, as I just downloaded that one from the library's ebook collection! (Gods and Beasts followed me home from the actual library yesterday and I thought maybe I should read Wasp Season first.)

I have finished reading In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, which several other people are reading. At first I was rather bothered that it was fiction instead of a biography, wondering what was fiction and what was true. However, it became a compelling read by the end of the book, beginning with the jail experiences of two of the Mirabel sisters. The Mirabel sisters, who were revolutionaries in the Dominican Republic during Trujillo's dictatorship, were referred to as Las Mariposas which translates as the butterflies.

Incidentally, in addition to counting in the July GeoCAT, this book also qualifies for the set in Latin America or Asia square of the WomanBingoPUP since the Dominican Republic is considered now part of Latin America.

Finished Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore, an agreeably geeky book.

I've finished and reviewed The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney, a historical fantasy mystery set in turn of the century Portugal (and one of my favorite books). It fits the challenge, but if I said how I'd spoil a plot-twist, so you'll just have to trust me.

I finished Sword at sunset where Arthur tells the story of his life. Very interesting variation on the legend.

I am about to start A Murder in Time

>80 leslie.98: I had hoped to get to that this month, but I'm mired in Fortress in the Eye of Time and looks like it will take forever!

>72 LittleTaiko: I'm conflicted in my feelings regarding The Long Dark Tea-Time of the Soul. It's not nearly as good as the Hitchhikers series, but the Adams' style and wit are present throughout. He sends us on another wild ride that is fun and wacky, however I found the storyline to be slow and difficult to follow at times. Additionally, I was a bit disappointed with the resolution of the mystery. Nevertheless, the book was filled with enough gems that my overall impression remained positive and I ended up rating it 3 ½ stars. It's not a book I highly recommend, but I think fans of Douglas Adams writing will enjoy.

Hollow City /Ransom Riggs
3 stars

This book picks up right where Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children left off.
*******SPOILERS if you haven't yet read the first book********
Miss Peregrine is in bird form and the group of peculiar children, along with Jacob, no longer have a home. Miss Peregrine is not able to turn back to human, so the children are on a mission to find another ymbryne to try to help her.
*******END SPOILERS********

It started slow and I wasn't a fan of the peculiar animals. That was just getting way too odd for me. However, as the children moved on from the peculiar animals, the book picked up and I ended up liking it. I was waffling between 3 stars (ok) and 3.5 (good), and decided to stick with the lower “ok” rating, although I am interested enough to read the third book to see how it all ends. I did also enjoy meeting some of the newer peculiar characters who they came across in this book. I still love the old photographs, as well.

>81 majkia: I finished A Murder in Time today & despite a few niggling things that bugged me, I really liked it! I hope you can get to it - it was a fast & fun read.

I also finished In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez and can only recommend it. A great book.

I'm halfway through Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons. Cromwell has just proven his psychopathicness by sticking Richard Rich's hand in a candle flame, and all of a sudden the world seems a much more interesting place than it did before.

>84 leslie.98: Thanks for that! I'll look forward to reading it.

I completed Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay. It takes place in Northern Canada in 1975 and has quirky characters whose lives are forever changed by a fateful canoe trip by four of the employees.

I finished A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James.

I FINALLY finished Fortress in the Eye of Time. Poor hero 'knew nothing', worse than Jon Snow.

I got in another one for this month: After Midnight by Helen Nielsen, a slight noir-ish mystery.

I managed to squeeze in a second book for this CAT: If You Could See me Now by Cecilia Ahern. A light, yet beautiful read.

I just finished reading a book for DeweyCAT, which neither has time in its title nor has time travel, but is time-based. It is Under the Sea-Wind by Rachel Carson about the life cycles
of various water creatures. Ms. Carson keeps talking about the time of day, time of year, etc. In the foreword, she specifically mentions time, saying ". . . Time measured by the clock or the calendar means nothing if you are a shore bird or a fish . . ." (Page 5, Penguin Classics Ed., 2007)

I didn't choose it expressly for this month's reading, but it fits nicely: Before European hegemony. Fascinating read.

And I have also finished The winter king, a less than successful adaptation of the Arthurian legends by Bernard Cornwell.

>62 leslie.98: : I didn't notice any specific answers to your question, but the general guide to most of these challenges appears to be - - - If it seems to you that it would fit, then it fits.

It took me almost the whole month to listen to it, but I finished The Fiery Cross by Diana Gabaldon today.

>97 DeltaQueen50: And you were perfectly in time. :)

It was a pleasure to host the July RandomCAT, I've seen great choices all around. I hope you all enjoyed the month as well.

>98 Chrischi_HH: Very much so! Thanks for hosting :)

My reads for this RandomCAT:

A Desperate Fortune, Susannah Kearsley - time slip
The Squire, His Knight, and His Lady, Gerald Morris - time slip
In the Time of the Butterflies, Julia Alvarez - title