Sunday, September 18, 2011

Challenge Complete: Follow That Blurb


Sponsored by Jennifer over at Reading with Tequila, this challenge was meant to see exactly where the blurbs on and in the books we read would take us. What we were meant to do was choose a starting book. Read that one. Then look at the blurbs and read a book by one of the authors who have been quoted. And so on. Do this for ten books and then see where your journey has taken you. If you start with a mystery, will you end in the mystery field or will you wind up in some far off country like non-fiction? The journey will be half the fun.

Here's my blurb journey:

1. The Last Matryoshka by Joyce Yarrow (7/2/11) [starter book which leads to...]
2. Hot & Bothered by Jane Isenberg (7/9/11) [and that takes me to...]
3. The Case of the Deceiving Don by Carl Brookins (7/13/11) [Onward I go...]
4. The Mystery of the Third Lucretia by Susan Runholt (7/16/11) [which will take me to....]**
5. Bone Harvest by Mary Logue (7/17/11) [blurbed by Nancy Pickard]
6. No Body by Nancy Pickard (7/24/11) [and that leads me to....]
7. Random Walk by Lawrence Block (7/26/11) [blurbed by Harlan Ellison...]
8. Shatterday by Harlan Ellison (8/23/11) [blurbed by Ursula K LeGuin, Ray Bradbury, Dan Simmons, Roger Coman, Michael Moorcock, Steve Allen, William Kotzwinkle]
9. The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K LeGuin (9/18/11) [blurbed by Michael Chabon]
10. The Final Solution: A Story of Detection by Michael Chabon (9/18/11)

**Could also have led to The Prop by Pete Hautman (which I read anyway because it looked interesting).

And....I started with a mystery and ended with a mystery. Took a little mystical, new-agey detour with Random Walk that led me into science fiction, but then right back to mysteries. Sort of like my real life reading journey--started out a mystery girl (way back when my mom handed over her Nancy Drew set), wandered into science fiction through high school and college, and now I'm back on my mystery-lover's kick. Not that I don't read other things--but that's my primary love.

1 comment:

Tea said...

This is such a cute, totally unique challenge. Sure would like to join it. Don't know if it's too late???? I really like the idea of following the blurb on the back of the book. Never have done it. I do read the blurbs. Must see if I'm too late. Thanx for sharing.